Developing the future of pharmacy through health-system pharmacy internship programs.

PURPOSE

A summer health-system pharmacy internship program developed outside the doctor of pharmacy curriculum is described.

SUMMARY

The summer pharmacy internship program was implemented in 2002. The main goal of the internship program is to develop the profession of pharmacy by providing pharmacy students an opportunity to work in various practice settings within a health system. The internship is also designed to develop students' interest in health-system pharmacy by allowing them to meet and shadow pharmacists in various specialties. Learning objectives include the development of career goals, pharmacy technical skills (e.g., sterile preparation), drug literature review (e.g., journal club), pharmacy practice and practice leadership. Students are required to start their internship one week after the end of the school year and end it one week before the beginning of their next semester of classes. The internship is a paid position, with pay being commensurate with the student's current pharmacy school year. Students spend 40 hours per week in the program, with one weekend commitment. Approximately 75% of the intern's time is spent dispensing medications, and 25% is spent in meetings, working on projects, and shadowing pharmacists. Interns meet one-on-one each week with an assigned preceptor to discuss relevant pharmacy questions and career opportunities and to provide updates about current projects. Of the six interns who have graduated from pharmacy school since this program's inception, five have pursued careers in health-system pharmacy.

CONCLUSION

The summer pharmacy internship program at Johns Hopkins Hospital exposes pharmacy students to various practice settings and helps them realize the career opportunities available in health-system pharmacy.