This week’s Knowledge Dispensary is a focus on our Experiential Team Leadership. First I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to Don Bennett who was Experiential Director from 2010 through this past September. During Don’s tenure as Director, the experiential team grew and many exciting initiatives were launched such as high tech simulations, geriatric interactions, and a one-week hospital immersion for P2s. Please join me in thanking Don Bennett for his dedicated service to the college.
In September, we were delighted to welcome alumnus Dr. Donnie Sullivan (BS ’90, PhD ‘96) back to the college as our new Director of Professional Experiential Programs. Donnie’s enthusiasm for pharmacy education and working with our PharmD students are already helping him hit the ground running in his new role.
I asked Donnie to share a few words about himself and his vision for experiential education in the college. I think after reading this, you’ll see just why we’re so excited to have him back at Ohio State.
Hello, my name is Donnie Sullivan and I am the new Director of Professional Experiential Programs for the College of Pharmacy. I am excited to be back at my alma mater and have already jumped in with both feet.
The focus of experiential education is to prepare our students to be outstanding clinicians, excellent patient-care-focused pharmacists, innovative thinkers, and change leaders who will continue to move our profession forward. Our goal is to develop future pharmacists who will be the leaders in new patient care initiatives.
The College of Pharmacy has such a rich history developing great leaders within the profession and I hope to build on that reputation. As the dynamics of the profession of pharmacy and job market change, my goal is to provide our students with the tools to become valuable contributors to patient care now and in the future. We are not preparing our pharmacy students for only the current practice of pharmacy, but to be able to adapt to the practice 20 years in the future and help drive that change.
I view our preceptors as valuable team members in this process and we could not be successful without them. I have already reached out to more than 150 of our preceptors and will be visiting many more of them in the near future. Their input is extremely valuable and I always welcome their feedback and suggestions. It is important that we strive to create a stronger link between the didactic curriculum and the experiential curriculum and our preceptors are a key component in this.
In the coming months you will see some significant changes and new initiatives coming from the experiential department. This is a journey we are all in together with the goal of providing our students with the best and most innovative patient care experiences available. I am looking forward to taking this journey with everyone and always welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Please join me in welcoming Donnie back to the college!
Best Regards,
Katherine Kelley