In April 2020, due to COVID-19 situation, GMU APPE Drug Information rotation is happening through distance learning mode. GoToMeeting and Google Hangout platforms are used for daily online discussions, presentations, and immediate feedback. The rotation was converted to distance mode after discussions with GMU collaborators at Washington State University, University of St. Joseph, and Commission for Academic Accreditation, Ministry of Education, UAE. Students occasionally visit nearby pharmacies or other healthcare facilities to collect drug information queries and use regular online meetings,phone call, and email communications with different healthcare professionals.
GMU being an Academic Health Center offers a great advantage for students to easily communicate to different healthcare professionals. Simulated patients are used for facilitating student-patient communications. Preceptors and faculty have a fixed time to meet and discuss with a small group of students in the rotation using “Go ToMeeting”. One-to-one interaction with the preceptor and team time with other students in the rotation facilitates effective learning. Students are busy on all rotation days preparing and presenting their journal club, drug monograph, clinical guidelines updates, answering queries, and communicating with healthcare professionals. In addition to all these, daily instant feedback in person by the preceptor makes this rotation an effective educational experience.
Assessment happens on a daily basis in a formative fashion supporting student progress. Students who have difficulties in performing are supported with commonly agreed remedial actions. Students are given opportunities for self-directed learning to find queries and consult journal articles of clinical specialties of their own interest. Students who meet the expectations and achieve the intended learning outcomes in a consistent and independent manner will be successful inpassing the rotation.
Vice Chancellor for Quality and Global Engagement and Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Prof. Sherief Khalifa commented: Our Academic Health Systems at GMU has enabled us to provide a distance based clinical rotation as technology has made it possible for us to bring together our educational community of students, preceptors, and faculty. The next step is to involve patients in the process. This experience is preparing ourstudents for “Telepharmacy” where pharmacists are expected to provide their cognitive pharmacotherapy services on call, from distance.