title: Survey of Pharmacy Preceptors' Expectations and Experiences with Students on Rotations in an Inaugural Combined BScPhm/PharmD Class.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In September 2011, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, began offering a combined BScPhm/PharmD program to third-year students and postbaccalaureate graduates. Learning consisted of in-class teaching and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore preceptors' expectations and perceptions of student performance in the APPE rotations of the new combined degree program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was distributed via email to 132 pharmacists from the Toronto Academic Health Science Network who had acted as preceptors for the combined degree program in academic year 2011/2012. The 17 questions were designed to gather information on preceptors' demographic characteristics and their expectations and evaluations of the combined-program students. Responses were analyzed qualitatively for common themes and quantitatively using sums and means. Survey responses were compared to identify alignment and discrepancies between preceptors' expectations and evaluations of students.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey response rate was 48% (63/132). Most respondents (46 [73%]) were from a teaching hospital, and the same proportion (46 [73%]) reported being preceptors for a direct patient care rotation. Forty-four (70%) of the respondents expected students to be at the level of traditional PharmD students, hospital residents, or advanced-level Structured Practical Experience Program students, and 35 (80%) of these 44 respondents reported that their students met or exceeded expectations. According to survey responses, 31% of respondents (18/58) ranked students at the corresponding level of performance on the faculty's assessment form, while 62% (36/58) ranked students at a higher level (5 respondents did not complete the question). Only one-third of respondents felt that they personally had received adequate training before taking on preceptor duties for combined-program students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preceptors' perceptions of the rotation and their expectations of students varied widely and were influenced by prior teaching and learning experiences. There was a disconnect between preceptor-specific expectations and preceptors' final evaluations of students. Training to standardize the expected level of performance and additional training for preceptors would further enhance the APPE rotations of the combined degree program.
authors.affiliation: BScPhm, MSc, PhD, is with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, with a cross-appointment to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Artemis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Diamantouros
authors.affiliation: BScPhm, MSc, is with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Romina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marchesano
authors.affiliation: BScPhm, is with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rzyczniak
authors.affiliation: BScPhm, PharmD, is with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, with a cross-appointment to the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hardy
keywords: expectations; pharmacy; practical experience; preceptors; students