The information contained here is complementary to that in the Qatar University (QU) Graduate Student Handbook. Questions or concerns pertaining to policies and procedures should be directed to the Program Director. Assistant Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs or the Dean.
Assignment
The Doctor of Pharmacy student will be assigned to various Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors to ensure exposure to a variety of practice areas and mentors. Assignments will be the responsibility of the Program Director and will be made to provide the best combination of experiences possible within the limits of available resources. Every effort will be made to arrange assignments at sites that are within a reasonable distance from the university. On occasion, the Doctor of Pharmacy student may be required to travel to a site that is more than 1.5 hours drive from the university.
Preceptor Assignment Restrictions
A Doctor of Pharmacy student may not train under the supervision of a preceptor if they are related to the preceptor by blood or marriage. Unless unavoidable and approved by the Program Director, a Doctor of Pharmacy student may not train at a community or clinic pharmacy site if the student has worked, or is currently working, at the site as a pharmacy technician or intern. Unless unavoidable and approved by the Program Director, a Doctor of Pharmacy student may not train at a hospital with a preceptor with whom the student has worked or is currently working with as a pharmacy technician. A Doctor of Pharmacy student may however return to a site where they have undergone SPEP undergraduate training.
Transport to Rotation Site
Transport to the Advanced Clinical Internship site is the responsibility of the Doctor of Pharmacy student. The Doctor of Pharmacy student will bear all costs associated with travel. Doctor of Pharmacy students should make their own decisions as to whether to risk driving in conditions that may be unsafe (e.g sand storm, extreme flooding, etc). If a Doctor of Pharmacy student decides that the risk of driving for any reason is high, then the student should notify the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor (or delegate) that he/she shall not be present for that day or part of the day. The missed time must be made up at a time convenient for the preceptor and practice site.
Attendance
Advanced Clinical Internships are typically conducted during daylight hours. Doctor of Pharmacy students are expected to be present at least 8 hours/day, 5 days/week at the practice site until at least 160 hours have been accumulated. Additional hours beyond those normally scheduled are often required in order to complete assignments or other patient care activities. These hours will not count towards the 160 hours required to complete the rotation. Preceptors may also require Doctor of Pharmacy students to be on call and/or present at the site during evenings or weekends as needed for the delivery of patient care.
If a Doctor of Pharmacy student has a personal emergency or is ill, the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor and Program Director must be contacted immediately. The absence must be documented on the Absentee Form and provided to the Program Director within two business days. Additional documentation from a health care provider or relevant third party may be requested for these types of absences. Requests for time off for any reason other than a personal emergency or illness must be approved in advance. The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor and Program Director must approve the request prior to the student taking any time off. Verification of the attendance or a written summary of activities may be required. The College of Pharmacy expects Doctor of Pharmacy students to modify all other schedules to ensure full attendance for their internship.
Any absence may be made up through an equivalent amount of time (e.g., a weekend or evening shift). The Doctor of Pharmacy student will be assigned an incomplete grade until all Advanced Clinical Internship requirements have been completed. Completion of all internship assignments and evaluations are required for Doctor of Pharmacy students for the purpose of receiving a course grade.
Recording of Student Internship Hours
Doctor of Pharmacy students will receive 4 hours of academic credit for each of the eight Advanced Clinical Internships (32 credit hours total). To receive recognition by the Department of Healthcare Professions, the Doctors of Pharmacy student must document hours of completion on the experiential education management system. These hours must be approved and signed off by the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor to receive academic grade.
Doctor of Pharmacy Students Evaluations by Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors
Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors will be expected to assess the daily performance of the Doctor of Pharmacy student and provide constructive feedback periodically to the student and the Program Director. Deficiencies should be brought to the attention of the Doctor of Pharmacy student immediately and addressed throughout the rotation instead of waiting until the final evaluation. The completion of the midpoint and final evaluation will be the responsibility of the Doctor of Pharmacy student and Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor. Preceptors are expected to discuss the midpoint and final evaluation forms in detail with the Doctor of Pharmacy students. The midpoint evaluation should to be sent to the Program Director no later than the end of the 11th business day of each rotation. Final evaluations are due on the last day of each the rotation.
Faculty Advisors for the Doctor of Pharmacy Student
Each Doctor of Pharmacy student is assigned to a Faculty Advisor. The Faculty Advisor will support the learning and development of the student from the first to the last internship. The Faculty Advisor serves as a mentor and provides additional support to the student and the Advanced Clinical Internship preceptor. The Faculty Advisor does not contribute to the final student evaluation form that is completed by the Advanced Clinical Internship preceptor.
Course Grades
Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors are responsible for the evaluation of the student on the rotation. The final course grade will be determined by the Program Director. The course grade will be based on the following: a) Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor evaluation, b) Program Director evaluation; c) attendance and completion of all assignments and/or projects pertaining to the internship.
Course grades are either pass or fail for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program. Students who have failed an internship will be required to repeat the rotation. Failing two internships will lead to dismissal from the program.
Doctor of Pharmacy students who are at risk for failing an internship should be notified immediately by the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor.The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor should also contact the Faculty Advisor and Program Director to notify them of the student at risk for failing.The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor, Faculty Advisor, and Program Director will work closely with the student to provide the necessary support.The Doctor of Pharmacy remediation plan form is required to be completed by the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor and the Doctor of Pharmacy student with assistance from the Faculty Advisor.
Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor Evaluation by Doctor of Pharmacy Students
Doctor of Pharmacy students will be expected to evaluate the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor and practice site for each internship. Doctor of Pharmacy students should complete the evaluation form and discuss the evaluation with the preceptor on the last day of the internship.
Doctor of Pharmacy Program Advisory Committee
The PharmD Advisory Committee is comprised of Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors and the Program Director. The group will meet periodically to evaluate the internship program. The goal of the advisory group is to improve the internship experiences through feedback and suggestions provided by the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors. The suggestions and improvements discussed by the group will be shared with college administration and participating site managers/directors as appropriate. Advanced Clinical Internship workshops will also provide preceptors with the opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions to improve the quality of the internships.
Professional Dress Code
Professional attire promotes a professional appearance conducive to a positive learning environment. Doctor of Pharmacy students must present a professional image to patients, colleagues, and the community. In most circumstances, business casual attire is acceptable. Local dress codes should prevail. Closed toed shoes should be wore at all times. Heavy/party makeup and strong smelling perfumes should be avoided during practice experiences. In addition, Doctor of Pharmacy students must wear a clean, pressed college issue standard-length, long-sleeve white clinic coat.
Identification Badge
For security and safety purposes, Doctor of Pharmacy students are required to wear Qatar University identification badges at all times during the internships.
Contact Procedures for Student and Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor
Initial Contact with Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor
Doctor of Pharmacy students are required to contact the Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor 1 week before the internship begins to coordinate arrival time, location and associated activities. The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor should provide any site-specific requirements to the Doctor of Pharmacy student during this initial interaction.
First Day of the Internship
The Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor should provide the students with a comprehensive orientation to the rotation site on the first day of the internship. As part of the orientation, the student should be introduced to key personnel, given a tour of the facility (if not previously placed at this practice site), and be provided with the schedule for the 4-week internship. During the first day, Doctor of Pharmacy students and Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors should review and discuss the expectations, goals and learning objectives for the internship.
Compliance with Internship Site Policies and Procedures
Doctor of Pharmacy students must comply with all policies and procedures of the practice site. Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptors must advise students of the site policies and procedures during the orientation process. Doctor of Pharmacy students must respect practice site property. Damage to practice site property may result in disciplinary action by either the site or QU CPH or both. Doctor of Pharmacy students must return all property to the site upon completion of the rotation. Any fines assigned by the site for past due, damaged, or destroyed items are the responsibility of the student. Please refer to the signed Clinical Training Agreement for more information.
Confidentiality
During all Advanced Clinical Internships, Doctor of Pharmacy students will have access to privileged information about patient health conditions, insurance information, and/or financial information. Doctor of Pharmacy students may also have access to privileged information about the financial or personnel management of the practice site. This information is considered confidential. None of this information is to be discussed outside of the internship site. Breaches in patient and/or practice site confidentiality may result in immediate dismissal from the practice site, a failed grade for the internship, and/or dismissal from the Doctor of Pharmacy Program.
Compensation
Doctor of Pharmacy students may not receive nor request compensation of any type from any Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor or practice site for hours of clinical service delivered, projects, activities, or any assignments related to or conducted during an internship.
Concurrent Employment
Doctor of Pharmacy students may have to work while registered as a graduate student. However, employment cannot interfere with the attendance and performance during any Advanced Clinical Internship period. Doctor of Pharmacy students will not be permitted to work while participating in any of the internship courses.
Medical Care
If necessary, each Doctor of Pharmacy student is responsible for her medical care and/or treatment in case of illness or injury while at the practice site, including transportation. Refer to the site-specific Clinical Training Agreement for details.
Insurance
Doctor of Pharmacy students undertaking Advanced Clinical Internships are covered by the insurance policies of the university in all matters related to health, accidents and malpractice. Any incident shall be investigated, reported and documented in accordance with the relevant internship site policies and advised by the Advanced Clinical Internshipsite to the university. The university agrees to indemnify and save harmless the rotation site from all losses, costs, expenses, judgment of damage on account of injury or damage to persons or property, including death, in any way caused by the negligence or willful act of the university, its servants, agents, students or employees related to or arising from the academic programs or other related matters to which this agreement pertains, together with all legal costs and expenses incurred by the rotation site in defending any legal action pertaining to this clause.
Immunizations
Doctor of Pharmacy students are expected to have received all immunizations mandatory by the State of Qatar. Some pharmacy practice sites may require students to present immunization records before the start of the internship. It will then be the responsibility of the Doctor of Pharmacy student to provide the associated Advanced Clinical Internship Preceptor with these records.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification
Each Doctor of Pharmacy student is required to have current adult and pediatric CPR certification before beginning their internship.
Harassment Policy
Discriminatory harassment is prohibited by Qatar University and may also be illegal. The university defines discriminatory harassment as conduct that conditions a person’s employment, enrollment as a student, or participation in related activities on that person’s age, citizenship, color, disability, gender (whether or not sexual in nature), national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status, unless otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. It is the express policy of the university that its environment, including all campus locations and clinical facilities, be free from any form of sexual harassment. Qatar University disapproves of any offensive or inappropriate sexual behavior at its facilities. All employees, faculty, staff and students must be aware that sexual harassment is not only a violation of University policy, but that sexual harassment is a violation of Qatar law, and will be dealt with accordingly.
Harassment Procedure
Any Doctor of Pharmacy student with a complaint or report of harassment, including sexual harassment, may file a complaint with the Dean detailing the circumstances of the alleged action. In the event that the Dean is unavailable (or is the subject of the complaint), the person having the complaint shall file the complaint with the Assistant Dean, Faculty and Student Affairs. The complaint will be fully investigated in accordance with standard Qatar University policies.
Disability Policy
Qatar University does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation. Students with a disability that may have some impact on their ability to perform while on rotations and for which may require accommodations should contact the Qatar University Student Services Department so that reasonable accommodations may be arranged.