Thanks to The University of Toledo’s relationship with ProMedica, students in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have more opportunities for clinical rotations and other professional experiences.
“We’re doing more experiential education with our students. We used to provide clinical rotations only for seniors, but now our students get experiential education across all four years,” said Dr. Steve Martin, professor and chair of pharmacy practice. “The partnership has helped us place more students across all years.”
Clinical rotations and other professional experiences get students directly involved in the practice of pharmacy, which helps them relate their classwork to practical application in a professional setting.
Professional experiences are mandatory for the accreditation of the PharmD program. Experience before senior year became mandatory in 2007, Martin said.
The University has worked with ProMedica for about 25 years, but the relationship changed when UT and the former Medical University of Ohio merged in 2006 and strengthened even more when the organizations committed to a relationship in 2010 to advance health education and research in the Toledo area.
Students are placed in about 10 ProMedica facilities in the northwest Ohio area, including Toledo Hospital and Flower Hospital in Sylvania.
“The partnership allows students a chance to interact with and learn through ProMedica, and it can serve as on-the-job training for ProMedica when pharmacist jobs are open,” Martin said. “We are preparing a ready work force.”
Martin said most of the ProMedica staff members he knows are UT graduates.
The Pharmacy Counter, which has three northwest Ohio locations, is also part of the ProMedica system, and Martin said the addition of the pharmacy means new opportunities for PharmD students to gain professional experiences.
The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is adjusting some class schedules to help students be available for professional experiences during the day at facilities, including those in the ProMedica system.
“They have, right from the get-go, been a great help training PharmD students,” Martin said. “Especially for the experiences occurring before senior year, ProMedica has been a good partner.”
