How does the Professional Experience Program relate to the North Carolina AHEC Program?
What does each AHEC center provide?
Are there pharmacy faculty at each AHEC center?
How are students assigned to an AHEC region to complete their pharmacy practice experiences?
Historically, which AHEC regions have more requests than there is room for student placements?
How is student housing handled for practice experiences where students don’t have housing?
Do students need transportation while participating in all 10 months of practice experiences?
What is the average commute time from a student housing site to a practice site?
When do rising PY2 students participate in their first early hospital pharmacy practice experience (EHPPE)?
When do rising PY3 students participate in the community pharmacy practice experience?
When do PY4 students participate in advanced pharmacy practice experiences?
Are students eligible to complete any practice experiences outside of their assigned AHEC region?
Is housing provided for out-of-state practice experiences?
How many non-patient focused practice experiences (administrative, manufacturing, research, sales/marketing, etc.) are allowed?
How are practice experiences scheduled?
Can students select the practice sites they want to go to?
When do students receive their practice experience assignments?
What is the role of the practice experience preceptor?
What are the seminar requirements during the PY4 year?
How practice experiences graded?
Who grades practice experiences?
How many hours a week do students spend at their practice site?
Can students work during practice experiences?

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. Are there pharmacy faculty at each AHEC center?

Yes. The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy places full-time faculty in each of the regional AHECs. Pharmacy faculty in the AHECs coordinate, supervise, precept, and administer the Professional Experience Program.

Q. How are students assigned to an AHEC region to complete their pharmacy practice experiences?

A lottery system is used to assign students to AHEC (geographic) regions of the state.

Q. Historically, which AHEC regions have more requests than there is room for student placements?

The Duke and Wake AHEC regions.

Q. How is student housing handled for practice experiences where students don’t have housing?

The AHECs provide free housing to health science students, including pharmacy students, except in the Duke and Wake AHEC regions. 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.

Q. Do students need transportation while participating in all 10 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 AHEC, 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 early hospital pharmacy practice experience (EHPPE)?

The EHPPE is completed during a month rotation block during the summer before the PY2 year.

Q. When do rising PY3 students participate in the community pharmacy practice experience?

During a month-long rotation block during the summer before the PY3 year.

Q. When do PY4 students participate in advanced pharamcy practice experiences (APPE)?

Typically, the eight months of APPEs in the last professional year are scheduled for each calendar month August–November and January–April. Eight months of APPEs are scheduled between June and April.

Q. Are students eligible to complete any practice experiences outside of their assigned AHEC region?

Yes. Students may request up to two practice experiences outside of their assigned region which includes out-of-state practice experiences.

Q. Is housing provided for out-of-state practice experiences?

Students are responsible for arranging their own housing for out-of-state practice experiences.

Q. How many non-patient focused practice experiences (administrative, manufacturing, research, sales/marketing, etc.) are allowed?

Students may complete only one non-patient focused practice experience.

Q. How are practice experiences scheduled?

Students submit the types of practice experiences they are interested in, and the AHEC pharmacy faculty will make assignments to practice sites.

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.

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?

AHEC 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.

Q. Can students work during practice experiences?

Concurrent employment during the Professional Experience Program is strongly discouraged.