We welcomed a pharmacy student to learn alongside our cadre of competent pharmacists earlier this week. Emma Behan comes to us from the University of Wisconsin, School of Pharmacy and is a 2023 Doctor of Pharmacy candidate.
“A rotation at YKHC caught my eye, as it was a unique opportunity to experience pharmacy practice in a rural, public health setting that primarily serves the native Alaskan population,” Emma said. “It is evident that everyone at YKHC is committed to teaching students, and preparing them for the next steps in their career. In addition to experiencing a wide scope of pharmacy practice at YKHC, Bethel is truly a special community that fosters lifelong connections.”
Pharmacy student Emily Behan, left, and her preceptor, Rachael Kruse, right
Emma will be working primarily with her preceptor, Rachael Kruse, with the support of our team of pharmacists and their support staff until late April. Rachael will serve as the primary teacher, tutor, or instructor and will supervise, counsel, and serve as a role model for Emma. Additionally, Rachael will help to socialize Emma in her new role and provide practical experiences that will help Emma transition into the workforce upon graduation.
A fun fact is that Rachael came to YKHC as a pharmacy student in 2017 and returned to Bethel as a pharmacist in 2021.
“I worked a job for a couple years after graduation but decided to move to Alaska and chose Bethel basically because I had completed an Advance Pharmacy Practical Experience (APPE) rotation here and enjoyed it,” Rachael said. “My enriching learning experiences with Nick and Amy as preceptors have motivated me to get involved with precepting students, now that I am back in Bethel. I want to give back to the pharmacy school and pharmacy community and do my part to support the future of the profession. It was cool to have had Nick as a preceptor and now be back as a colleague and working with him to precept other students. I appreciate Nick’s dedication to teaching students and I continue to learn a lot from him.”
In support of facilitating pharmacy students, Rachael added, “Students are beneficial to have around because they learn so much and the knowledge is so fresh in their minds. I find it extremely valuable for both the pharmacist and the student to spend time with one another teaching each other what they know and have experience with. I truly believe both sides benefit greatly.”
Rachael further commented with, “I love being part of providing a unique and fun rotation site/experience, and go above and beyond to make sure students are comfortable here and have a positive experience. One of the chief benefits of being a rotation site is that it keeps YKHC in the forefront as a future employer and students pass along positive feedback about YKHC to other students. Students gain a variety of experiences at our rotation, including getting experience counseling patients in the outpatient pharmacy/inpatient discharge counseling on medications, reviewing medication therapy and assessing the appropriateness, working with other healthcare professionals, getting unique experiences in the OB and ER units, and learning about some of our ambulatory care services like MAT program and diabetes prevention program.
Indeed, fun, relevant, and engaging internship experiences make it more likely that our student interns will return to be a valuable part of our workforce, as is the case with Rachael. We hope that Emma will someday return as a YKHC pharmacist, too!