For Erin Bess, PharmD, the greatest reward of being a preceptor is witnessing the “ah-ha” moment students experience when they master a difficult concept. “These small moments continue to build a student’s confidence over the course of the rotation,” said Dr. Bess. “Watching this transformation is truly rewarding.”
Dr. Bess earned her doctor of pharmacy from University of Southern California in 2011. She is a clinical pharmacist at Antelope Valley Hospital and adjunct pharmacy faculty for Pacific. She was recognized as the 2019 Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) Preceptor of the Year for the San Fernando Valley region. Mark P. Walberg ’06, ’09, PharmD, PhD, CTH said, “Dr. Bess has continued to develop herself as a clinician and preceptor over the last several years. This award highlights her desire to bring students along with her on that journey.”
Dr. Bess loves to challenge her students and watch them rise to the occasion. Her students shared, “Dr. Bess is a caring preceptor who will push me to be the best possible pharmacist. She keeps my career goals in mind when she mentors me. She takes the time to fill in the holes to ensure we know the information that will be relevant when we become practicing pharmacists.”
“Dr. Bess is a caring preceptor who will push me to be the best possible pharmacist. She keeps my career goals in mind when she mentors me.”
Dr. Bess believes “if you are not growing your knowledge base, you are going backwards.” She shared her advice to current students, “Start the habit of becoming a lifelong learner while in pharmacy school and never stop learning. The landscape of pharmacy when you graduate will be different than it is at this very moment and it will be even more different five years from now. Be confident in your knowledge, but also be humble.”
She encourages her colleagues to become preceptors. “Many of us are here because someone else was a preceptor and mentor to us,” she said. “Precepting is a natural way to give back to the profession and pay it forward to future generations of pharmacists. Being a preceptor has given me opportunities to help my students along their journey by teaching and guiding them one-on-one. It is an incredibly rewarding position that has made me a better pharmacist.”
By Kate M. O’Dell, PharmD, BCPS
