Practice Partners Were Once Students Too!

In order to provide students with the highest quality education and a diversity of experiential learning opportunities, the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy is pleased to partner with 225 pharmacy service providers across Greater Cincinnati, to include retail, hospital and long-term care pharmacies.

Among the practice partners who proudly share their expertise with its students is Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, where alumna Cindy Klotz, PharmD, is lead pharmacist and intern supervisor in the inpatient pharmacy.  

"My message to students is to enjoy this time and ask as many questions as they can. I want them to use the opportunity to make good connections and remember what they liked and disliked at each place. It helps them make decisions about their future career choices,” says Klotz whose department typically hosts 18 to 20 Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) students and four to six Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) students annually. 

Klotz works directly with many of the IPPE students, and has served as a primary preceptor for approximately 8 years. She also coordinates the intern program which is comprised of two students from each Winkle College of Pharmacy class. She works with each student to help build a foundation in hospital pharmacy practice and serve as a mentor to them throughout their evolving career.

At Cincinnati Children’s, she says, students are exposed to a wide range of pharmacy activities that provide them with a broad overview of all areas in which a pharmacist can be involved.  Here, students spend time dispensing in central pharmacy, rounding with clinical pharmacists, compounding with our specialists, and leading with management. Additionally, time is spent at the College Hill facility for psychiatric rounds, the Drug and Poison Information Center, home care pharmacy, and operating room pharmacy. The students get a first-hand experience of 797 guidelines as they spend a day or two in the IV room observing compounding, preparation of total parenteral nutrition using BAXA pumps, and Dose Edge computer system which assists our medication safety process. Along with the technology in the IV room, the students also are exposed to oral tablet robots and learning about the automated dispensing cabinets. 

Drawing from her own experience, Klotz recalls her first, and most memorable, rotation at the infectious diseases clinic at UC Health’s Holmes Hospital. She recalls this rotation as "a great learning experience with a great team,” who guided her through patient care and medication consultations.   

And Klotz has not forgotten what it is to be a student herself. In August 2017, she is poised to graduate with a Master of Science in Executive Leadership and Organizational Change from Northern Kentucky University.

 "Pharmacy is a small community and we all want them to succeed … I’ve made it my personal mission to help mentor and coach the students while they are attending the College of Pharmacy. I thought helping with the IPPE program and getting to expose students to the variations of pharmacy practice would be a beneficial aspect of their learning. I feel this creates a well-rounded exposure and leads the student into their fourth year APPE with their eyes open to more options within the field.”