At UIC-COP, the summer before our last year on rotations, we have a class called Experiential V. This is the 5th and final in the series of our Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) and once we complete it we'll be onto our Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE). X5 as we all shorten it to is a 5-week course where we're in-class for a day every Monday and then on-site at our locations the rest of the week. In essence, it's a 4-week mini-module because all our APPE sites are 6-weeks long.
It's a bit terrifying at first the first day back in class when you know you're about to be thrown to the wolves (otherwise known as your preceptors) in less than a days time. The lectures in class don't help since the professors lecture you on being professional, learning how to "get pimped", and reviewing topics you should've been well acquainted with through your therapeutics courses, yet your mind is completely blank now.
However, once my site visits started, it didn't seem too bad. I am currently at the UIMCC Medicine with Dr. T (who is quite fine, I might say) and our medical team rounds in the morning at 9AM on non-post-call days and 7 AM on post-call days. I was only on site two days; but both days were rather short and our team only had 3 patients on service. It was a bit anti-climatic in a way since I expected a bit more in terms of patient interaction (I had hoped to see some patients, but our attending seems to round only in the office and not at the patient's bedside).
I'm back at-site tomorrow and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good week!
