Concentrated Learning Experiences Across Two Different Health-Systems

BACKGROUND: While many public pharmacy schools have an adjoining health-system to accommodate their students, some pharmacy programs form partnerships with non-affiliated health-systems to precept students. These health-systems often afford students the opportunity to complete multiple rotations within a single organization, offering decreased onboarding time and more longitudinal experiences. INNOVATION: Two autonomous partnerships were developed with independent healthcare systems for concentrated learning experiences during the advanced pharmacy practice experiences year. Each program differs in student requirements and is overseen by the practice site, with participation by area faculty. KEY FINDINGS: A survey assessed professional skill set development, achievement of program goals during the experiential year, and student satisfaction of a concentrated learning experience. A comparison between programs was completed to assess for consistency in student experiences. Nineteen students (83%) responded to the survey. Students from both health-systems reported similarities in professional skill growth. Likewise, all students reported achievement of program goals and overall satisfaction with their experiential training. CONCLUSIONS: Independently managed concentrated learning experiences provided evidence of consistent growth in student professional development and achievement of programmatic goals. Partnerships with non-affiliated healthcare systems can provide a rich training ground for student learners.