One of our goals at Waltz Pharmacy is to assist and educate the next generation of pharmacy leaders. Since the University of New England started their pharmacy program in 2009, we have been working directly with students to help provide them with hands-on professional experience. As the preceptor, Courtney Oland, director of pharmacy operations at Waltz, is responsible for showing students what working in a long-term care pharmacy is like.
The program features two types of interns, IPPE’s and APPE’s. Both are pharmacy school students who intern in a pharmacy setting to help them apply what they have learned in the classroom to a workplace setting. IPPE’s intern three-four weeks after their first year in pharmacy school, while APPE’s intern six weeks after year fours.
When asked what she enjoys most about being a preceptor and working with the students, Courtney replied that it keeps pharmacists on their toes and allows them to interact with students who could potentially work at Waltz Pharmacy in the future. She also enjoys being a part of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the university, as it allows her to brainstorm ideas with fellow pharmacists and support the dean with the curriculum.
Courtney and the rest of the staff here at Waltz Pharmacy truly enjoy working with these students and watching them grow in the workplace.
