THIS week's contributor is Simon Furletti, Student Experiential Placements (StEPs) Manager, Monash University - Early, Enhanced and Often: Why Monash is changing its approach to placements.
When we were designing our new pharmacy course, we consulted a range of practitioners to determine what qualities they valued in graduates. The profession was unanimous: they wanted graduates who could demonstrate their skills from day one.
So we overhauled our approach to placements.
Our Student Experiential Placements (StEPs) program is distinguished by three things: placements begin earlier; they're enhanced to be more useful to both the student and the preceptor; and they happen more often.
Where historically students have started placements in the third year of their degree, Monash students now take their first StEPs in the first year of the degree. Right from the beginning of the degree, they think of themselves as pharmacists in training.
"Enhanced" is all about providing transparency and a deeper student experience. StEPs are built upon a list of "entrustable professional activities", or "EPAs". EPAs designate the set of tasks students can complete, as well as the level of supervision they require from preceptors for each activity.
The final differentiator is "Often". With 90-100 days of placement running across the degree, the StEPs program ensures students graduate with career ready skills.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 05 Aug 19
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