• When do rotations start each month?
• Time off: sickness, job interview, school related functions
• How should I schedule time off during rotations?
• Travel time between locations
• How many rotations are required?
• Which rotations are mandatory?
• When are rotation assignments made?
• How are rotation assignments made?
• Can a student be paid for rotation work?
• Are students on rotations allowed to take a spring break?
• Rotations outside of the Kansas-Missouri area
• What provisions are made for housing?
• Transportation
• Are lab coats required?

When do rotations start each month?
Each rotation begins on the first weekday of the month and ends on the last weekday of the month.

If a student is sick or needs to take time off does it need to be made up?
Yes, all time off must be made up unless it is for a previously approved pharmacy school related or professional function.

If a student needs to take time off for a residency interview or job interview, does it need to be made up?
Whether or not the student makes up all of the time off is the decision of the site preceptor.  However, it is recommended that at least part (if not all) of the time be made up.  Any time off should be kept to a minimum and the student should work with the preceptor to determine the most convenient scheduling of the interview.   If a significant amount of travel time is involved, it is helpful to schedule interviews on either Monday or Friday to minimize the amount of time that a student is gone. 

The preceptor must be notified as soon as definite arrangements are made.   In some instances, this will need to be done prior to starting a rotation.   The student is required to provide the preceptor with some documentation of the interview (i.e., agenda, airline tickets, etc.)

• Most interviews for residencies take place in the month of February.  If you are planning to interview for several residencies, you might want to consider requesting February off so that you do not have conflicts with your rotation site that month
• If you are planning to do a specialized residency (i.e., oncology, infectious disease, ambulatory care, etc.), it will be helpful to you to request a clerkship in that area during the summer or fall so that when you interview, you will have more experience in that area and present yourself more confidently

Is extra travel time allowed between rotations to get from one rotation site to another?
Yes, if the rotation change occurs Monday through Friday an extra day off between rotations is allowed if sites are more than six hours apart when traveling by car.

How many rotations are required?
Nine, one-month rotations are required.

Which rotations are mandatory?
The following rotations are required:

• Drug Information at KUMC
• 1 hospital experiential
• 1 community / retail

Other rotations will be assigned based on student preference and availability.   Every effort will be made to give each student a broad range of pharmacy practice experiences.

When are rotation assignments made?
A student must submit immunization and insurance information before rotation assignments are made.  If this documentation is complete, rotation assignments will be made during April of a student's 5P year. 

How do I schedule time off during rotations?
You will be able to have 2 months off during your rotations (June through April).   If you have specific requests, we will try to honor them but we won't know for sure until we see how many requests are made.  Some things to consider:

Can a student be paid for the work they do while on rotation?
No.  A student may not receive both academic credit and a salary for the same work.  Since academic credit is being earned by the student during their pharmacy practice experience rotation, they cannot receive wages for it.  Assistance for housing and living expenses may or may not be provided but must be disclosed and approved prior to beginning the rotation.

How are rotation assignments made?
Every effort will be made to ensure that pharmacy practice experience rotations are assigned in a fair and equitable manner.  A number of factors are taken into account before rotation assignments are made.  Consideration is given to student preferences, previous work history of the student, location of the site, as well as a student's future employment or residency plans.  Care is also taken to ensure that the selected rotations provide a wide range of experiences for each student.

Are students on rotations allowed to take a spring break in March?
No. This is in accordance with similar schools within the university (i.e., Schools of Medicine, Allied Health, and Education).

Can students make arrangements to have rotations out of the Kansas-Missouri area?
Generally no,  however an exception would be made for sites that offer an experience that is not available in the local area.  Examples of this would be the FDA in Washington, DC, Indian Health Sites, and St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis.

What provisions are made for housing?
Housing is the responsibility of the student.  A few sites will provide housing to the students.

Transportation
Transportation to and from rotation sites is the sole responsibility of the student.  Some rotations (especially long-term care) will require that the student travel to multiple facilities during the day. 

Are lab coats required?
Yes, students are required to have a short white lab jacket.   Long white lab jackets identify staff within a hospital and are inappropriate for a student.  Lab jackets should be clean, pressed, and not have any identifying patches (place of employment) on them.

If you have further questions , please email Jim Kleoppel at jkleoppel@kumc.edu.

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