The Struggle is Real: Facilitating Pharmacy Student Success on Rotations When Challenges Arise

Pharmacy preceptors are pivotal to facilitating and maximizing student learning on experiential rotations. However, preceptors may encounter a variety of behaviors or barriers that can hinder student success. Although some guidance exists for preceptors, emerging learner challenges along with new educational outcomes call for an updated practical approach to promoting student success on rotations. This paper provides preceptors with a structured approach to facilitate success for students who exhibit challenges on rotations. Four categories that preceptors can use to identify behaviors and barriers to learning are outlined – knowledge, skills, professional attitudes and behaviors, and external factors including the Social Determinants of Learning™. We describe strategies to help preceptors identify and categorize these challenges and provide a stepwise approach to facilitate student success.