In the Entry-to-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy (E2P) program at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, students complete 44 weeks of practicum across the province. But with each course ranging from two to four weeks, students are frequently relocating to rural and remote practice areas where they have little time to make meaningful connections.

Janice Yeung hopes to change that by using her Wellspring Award to support the development and pilot of a regional practicum model in which E2P PharmD students would complete a series of their pharmacy practicum experiences within a selected rural/remote community or region. “We hope this model will expand access to both education and healthcare within underserved communities and create unique experiential learning experiences for students,” says Yeung. “It may also encourage students to consider the career and networking opportunities within these regions upon graduation.”

Once the program is developed, scheduling and placement processes are expected to be piloted within a selected region and offered to third and fourth-year students by 2023/early 2024. If the initial pilot is successful, Yeung says the feasibility of expanding it further across the province will also be explored.