PEP FAQ
Q. How does the Professional Experience Program relate to the North Carolina AHEC Program?
Q. What does each AHEC center provide?
Q. How is student housing handled for practice experiences where students don’t have housing?
Q. Do students need transportation while participating in all eleven months of practice experiences?
Q. What is the average commute time from a student housing site to a practice site?
Q. When do students participate in the introductory community pharmacy practice experience (C-IPPE)?
Q. When do PY4 students participate in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE)?
Q. Are students eligible to complete any practice experiences outside of their assigned region?
Q. Is housing provided for out-of-state practice experiences?
Q. How are practice experiences scheduled?
Q. Can students select the practice sites they want to go to?
Q. When do students receive their practice experience assignments?
Q. What is the role of the practice experience preceptor?
Q. What are the seminar requirements during the PY4 year?
Q. How are practice experiences graded?
Q. Who grades practice experiences?
Q. How many hours a week do students spend at their practice site?
Q. Can students work during practice experiences?
Q. How many total experiential hours are earned with successful completion of the PharmD program?
Q. How does the Professional Experience Program relate to the North Carolina AHEC Program?
The NC AHEC Program was established to increase the quantity, ensure the quality, and improve the geographic distribution of health professionals in all 100 counties of the state. The AHEC program divides the state into nine geographic regions, and students will be assigned to one AHEC region in which they will complete the majority of their clerkships.
Q. What does each AHEC center provide?
AHECs provide student housing, classrooms, seminar rooms, and extensive health science libraries.
Q. How are students assigned to a region of the state to complete their pharmacy practice experiences?
A random lottery system is used to assign students to geographic regions of the state.
Q. How is student housing handled for practice experiences where students don’t have housing?
The AHECs provide short-term housing to health science students, including pharmacy students, who are completing rotations in North Carolina. Housing is not provided in the Triangle area. AHECs provide housing in 54 counties in approximately 70 towns/cities across the state. Students are not required to use AHEC housing and it is not meant to replace or serve as a student’s permanent residence. While the AHECs are glad to offer assistance in meeting student housing needs during their practice experiences, they may not be able to meet all student housing needs. Please keep in mind that housing facilities and availability will vary from region to region. The AHECs charge the school for each night of housing provided for pharmacy students. PY4 students must make their own housing arrangements in their base AHEC/region during their PY4 year, near their AHEC home office. PY4 students are to use the housing they pay for during all advanced practice experience months that are within 45 miles of their base AHEC's address.
Q. Do students need transportation while participating in all 11 months of practice experiences?
All students need reliable transportation during the months they are at their practice sites. There is no guarantee that a student’s practice site will be on a bus line or near other students who may serve as a carpool.
Q. What is the average commute time from a student housing site to a practice site?
Commute times various widely from region to region and from students’ housing to practice sites. In the more urban areas of the state (Charlotte AHEC, Wake Region, etc.) students may have to drive up to 60 minutes to get to their practice site.
Q. When do rising PY2 students participate in their first introductory hospital pharmacy practice experience (H-IPPE)?
The H-IPPE is completed during a month rotation block (May, June or July) during the summer following the PY1 year.
Q. When do students participate in the introductory community pharmacy practice experience (C-IPPE)?
The C-IPPE is completed during a month rotation block (May, June or July) during the summer following the PY2 year.
Q. When do PY4 students participate in advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE)?
Typically, the nine months of APPEs in the last professional year are scheduled between May and April.
Q. Are students eligible to complete any practice experiences outside of their assigned region?
Yes. Students may request up to two practice experiences outside of their assigned region which includes out-of-state and international practice experiences.
Q. Is housing provided for out-of-state practice experiences?
No, students are responsible for arranging their own housing for out-of-state practice experiences as they are elective experiences.
Q. How many non-patient focused practice experiences (administrative, manufacturing, research, industry, etc.) are allowed?
Students may complete up to two non-patient focused practice experiences.
Q. How are practice experiences scheduled?
Students submit the types of practice experiences they are interested in, and the Professional Experience Program faculty will make assignments to practice sites. The process for rotation scheduling is, however, in a transition to an automated lottery process.
Q. Can students select the practice sites they want to go to?
Students may request practice sites only for the PY4 year. AHEC faculty, however, cannot guarantee that requests for specific sites will be met. With the automated lottery placement process, students will be able to rank by preference specific sites.
Q. When do students receive their practice experience assignments?
Typically, students receive their practice experience assignments the week following spring break (March).
Q. What is the role of the practice experience preceptor?
Preceptors are practitioners who have on-site responsibility for students’ experiential training. Their primary role is not only to teach the practice of pharmacy, but also to serve as mentors and role models.
Q. What are the seminar requirements during the PY4 year?
Regional faculty will schedule seminars in which all students are required to participate. During the PY4 year, seminar represents two 1-credit hour courses, one each semester. The primary purpose of seminar is to provide students the opportunity to practice and refine their ability to research, design, develop, and deliver formal presentations using appropriate audiovisual support.
Q. How are practice experiences graded?
Honors/Pass/Fail. Grading for honors or pass is not figured into the student’s GPA. If, on the other hand, a student fails a practice experience, this will be figured into the student’s GPA.
Q. Who grades practice experiences?
Preceptors grade student performance during practice experiences.
Q. How many hours a week do students spend at their practice site?
Students are required to spend a minimum of 40 hours each week in the practice setting. Many preceptors require students to work more than 40 hour each week. Students must complete a minimum of 160 hours of practice over a minimum of 20 days for each IPPE and APPE.
Q. Can students work during practice experiences?
Concurrent employment during the Professional Experience Program is strongly discouraged.
Q. How many total experiential hours are earned with successful completion of the PharmD program?
With successful completion of the 11 months of professional practice experience, the school will certify to the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy 1,600 hours which meets the Board’s licensure requirement.
