What were Dr. Samuel's strengths as a preceptor on this rotation?

Dr. Samuel was extremely attentive to identifying our strengths and areas of improvements as
learners. This allowed us to highlight our strengths and utilize them in an innovative way as we
assimilated to a brand new environment. Additionally, Dr. Samuel would regular check in to assess
our progress on identified goals relating to our areas of improvement. Dr. Samuel kept an open
dialogue with us which allowed us to address any questions, voice concerns, and engage in
productive discussions to contribute to our learning experience. I cannot express enough how
welcoming and approachable Dr. Samuel is.

Showing understanding and empathy as we were navigating through the experience

He was very understanding of each of our strengths and weaknesses as individuals and
accommodated us based off of it. He did an amazing job of making sure we all had support when
we were pushed out of our comfort zones.

Always was there to support us when needed, I always felt comfortable seeking out advice from
him and just having discussions about what was happening at the hospital. He let me work out any
issues I had my own way but was there to guide me along the way. I never felt any judgement from
him, even if I thought I wasn’t living up to rotation expectations. He was very easy to relate to and
was much more down-to-earth compared to many other preceptors that I have had. I appreciated
his insight having not had a “typical” career pathway for pharmacy. I feel as though I could reach
out to him after this rotation and he would help me out as needed even if I wasn’t his student
anymore.
What were Dr. Samuel's strengths as a preceptor on this rotation? 
(continued)
Dr. Samuel displayed so many strengths as my primary preceptor for my rotation in Kenya. He was
very understanding and relatable. At the hospital, he was very available and professional. On top of
rotation requirements he went above and beyond to give us the best experience possible. He
welcomed us into this home multiple times and set up extra opportunities for us like rounding at
the pediatric hospital, going to the Lewa childrens home, and dinner with our Kenyan counterparts.

Dr. Samuel was always very attentive, no matter what else he had going on he would drop what he
was doing to focus and be present in the moment. He is a great resource and always answered
questions/discussed topics very thoroughly. As a student, I greatly appreciate how open and
transparent he is.

He always listened to our concerns as a student. He gave us independence and confidence to be

one of the only pharmacist on the teams. He put in lots of effort to ensure we were able to do
things we wanted like peds, orphanage, webuye, etc.

He was very helpful and responsive when I needed someone on rounds. He was open with
communication as to when plans were changing and what he was still trying to work on.
Were there any areas you would have liked more from Dr. Samuel as a
preceptor? If so, what would they be?
The only area I would have liked more from Dr. Samuel as a preceptor were opportunities to
engage in more debrief discussions with him specifically.

N/A

N/A

I can’t think of many, he didn’t always have the answers to clinical questions but he made that very
clear from the beginning and I honestly think it was refreshing since he was going through a similar
process as us of getting used to how clinical pharmacy works in Kenya.

I think Dr. Samuel did a phenomenal job all around. My only suggestion for the future would be to
have him lead the debriefs each week. I thought our last debrief he led to be the most interactive
of the whole rotation.

I wish I could have seen him do more clinical work alongside us, however, I understand he was very
busy during the day.
He filled everything I needed in a preceptor
Please rate the following experiences. If you did not participate, leave
it blank. 
Field Minimum Maximum Mean Std Variance Count
Deviation
Orientation 4.00 10.00 8.38 2.06 4.23 8
Internal Medicine 7.00 10.00 9.50 1.00 1.00 8
rounds

Pediatric rounds 9.00 10.00 9.75 0.25 0.5 4

Anticoagulation 6.00 10.00 8.57 1.50 2.24 7
Clinic
Visit to BIGPIC 5.00 10.00 8.29 1.91 3.63 7
Global Health 5.00 10.00 7.13 1.83 3.36 8
Talks
Topic Discussions 5.00 10.00 7.50 1.50 2.25 8

Fireside Chats 6.00 10.00 8.00 1.66 2.75 8

Debrief Sessions 5.00 10.00 7.50 1.66 2.75 8
What did you like about the structure of the rotation?
I appreciated having rounds, topic discussions, debriefs, and fireside chats. I felt as though our
schedule was full each week and still allowed for opportunities to immerse ourselves in the local
culture. I liked the sense of autonomy I had on this rotation as I think it gave me an appreciable
glimpse into residency and the responsibility I will have as a pharmacist.

The schedule was very similar each week which allowed me to get into a routine
I absolutely loved being paired with a Kenyan student! She really showed me the ins and outs of
the hospital and was able to answer all my questions. I could not have survived this rotation
without her.

I really liked that we were paired with a Kenyan pharmacist instead of with each other to help
adjust to the way things were done in kenya. I appreciated having afternoons off a few times a
week to have time to decompress vs being overworked

I liked the weekly routine of rounds in the morning and topic discussions some afternoons. I liked
having a few afternoons with unstructured time to work on topic discussions, go back to the
hospital, or explore Eldoret! It allowed us to spend time with our Kenyan counterparts!

I enjoyed going to rounds in the morning and having the afternoon for debriefs and discussions. It
allowed me to learn a lot and then apply on rounds in following days.
I liked how it was focused most on rounds and the clinical side of pharmacy. I also thought the
afternoons with optic discussions were a helpful crash course
I liked that we had a couple of afternoons to really work on our patients and get other things done
since it is much harder to go out after dark. I also think the debriefs with Jeffrey were great.
Are there any areas of the rotation that you think could be enhanced? If
so, please provide additional details.
As a group we have provided a shared google document outlining suggestions we have for the
rotation to be enhanced in the future.

I think topic discussions could be enhanced by limiting students handouts to a certain number of
pages. Some of the discussions were very long and I struggled to stay focused, so I think a shorter
handout with more questions at the end would have been more beneficial. It may also be
beneficial to have each person in the room ask the presenter at least one question.

I wish the elective that went along with this rotation prepped me better for the different disease
states and hospital structure.

The global health talks were rarely geared towards pharmacy and seemed to sometimes go over
our heads or not apply much. I think those of us with MPharms missed out on a lot of bonding
opportunities vs those with interns which I was a bit sad about, it sometimes felt like we were
having completely different experiences. The orientation honestly didn’t feel like it prepared me for
much, I think the class portion still should have included specific information about the rotation
because it seemed like we were just bombarded with info right before leaving vs having time to
consider things and think them through. Most of the info we were given during the sessions also
seemed more on the negative side (smells, altitude headaches, t sheet responsibility) without
positives to cushion it and it made me very nervous about coming, even though it was great once
we got here.
Are there any areas of the rotation that you think could be enhanced? If
so, please provide additional details. (continued)

One suggestion would possibly having the option of incorporating a few more pharmacy related
global health talks especially if the pharmacy presence is so great like it was for our rotation.

The topic discussions and the order of them. Some topics would have been beneficial if they were
in the beginning of the rotation (Such as DM), where malaria and infective endocarditis could be
last topics as they aren’t as commonly seen.

I think having us rotate wards would be helpful to see how other teams work.

I think some of the topic discussions were too broad while others were so specific. Also DKA/HSS
might be a good one to add for the future, I saw a lot of that on the wards and we did that 1st-
semester P2 year.
What would you consider the highlight of your experience in Kenya?
I would consider the relationships I formed with the people the highlight of my experience in Kenya.
Each and every person I met had an impact on my experience from my patients, to my team, to my
Kenyan counterpart to people at IU house to individuals who we were able to met on our travels.

The highlight of this experience was the people I met along the way. Spending time with my team
outside of rounds, spending time with Jeffrey's family, and spending time with my fellow classmates.

Getting to know all the students and residents at the IU house and hearing their experiences at the
hospital.
The amount of independence I had on the wards and how everyone seemed so trusting in me.
My highlight was the people. I’m so grateful to have met so many wonderful individuals. Having 5
weeks to form relationships and especially having opportunities to do so outside of the hospital was
great. I would encourage everyone to get close with their medical team, other learners at the IU
house, or even other Purdue students on the trip that they didn’t know well before coming.

Being partnered with a Kenyan counterpart. We were able to work great together and provide a lot of
knowledge and strengths where the other person lacked. It was also amazing how all of us become so
close and get along so well in and out of the hospital.

Meeting all the Kenyan people and making strong friendships.

It is really hard to pick apart, but I would say my growth on the wards. To see how far I can have and
the confidence I have gained it was a great experience to get ready for residency.
What has been the most difficult or challenging part of the experience?

The most challenging part of the experience was recognizing the things that we take for granted in
the United States on a daily basis that comparatively were not available or highly costly in Kenya.
This will heavily impact my practice moving forward and leave a lasting impact on my approach to
pharmacy practice for the duration of my career.

The most challenging part was dealing with the deaths that occurred. I have seen patients die on
other rotations. However, this experience was unique because I was a key contributor within my
team. With the added responsibility, I couldn't help but wonder if there was something more that I
could have done to save some of those patients.

Adjusting to written charts! It was awkward taking the charts from my rounding team when they
didn't know me well, which made workups hard at first.
Seeing the other students bond with their Kenyan counterparts and one another because of that
and not feeling the same way
I think the most challenging part of this experience was getting comfortable on rounds. It took
several days to gain confidence and learn how to look up drug information questions while on
rounds, know where to find things around the hospital, and help in the pharmacy.
Taking on all the responsibility on the wards and being comfortable being the pharmacist every one
on the team looked to.
The most challenging part was adjusting to the rounds and learning what meds are available.
Being away from family, especially with a time difference like it can be hard to communicate.
Having worked with a wide range of people during this rotation, are
there any preceptors or colleagues you would like to recognize for their
role during this experience? Please provide additional details.
I would like to recognize my Kenyan counterpart for his continued willingness to integrate me into
the team and help me navigate this experience. I would like to recognize Jeffrey for his continued
engagement in our development on the ground. Monica, Ellen, and Rahki were extremely
supportive and engaged with preparing us and checking in with us as our rotation progressed.

Jeffrey was an amazing preceptor. He was easy to talk to and provided a lot of the comfort and
reassurance that I needed throughout the rotation. He was also always available and willing to help
when I needed him.
The medical officers on my team (Daniel and Dominic) were exceptional. They took the time to
explain things to me whenever I was confused about why we were doing something. They also took
the initiative to invite me to things outside of rounds and teach me about Kenyan culture.
Throughout the experience we were able to build a friendship that will hopefully last a lifetime.

JEFFREY WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! He was always made available when I had questions and he
was understanding of my emotional rollercoasters.
Jeffrey and his family were honestly a lifesaver for all of us during this time. I think we all considered
them to be like family ourselves and it meant a lot that they were so accepting of us into their lives.

I would love to share how cool Sammy is! Spending the day in Anticoag with him, he was so open
and patient. He is a wonderful teacher and a genuine person to learn the culture from! (Fun fact he
paid 12 cows for his wife!)
Having worked with a wide range of people during this rotation, are
there any preceptors or colleagues you would like to recognize for their
role during this experience? Please provide additional details.
(continued)
Dr. Samuel and all of the Kenyan counter parts. Dr. Samual made the transition from home to a
foreign culture much smoother. He was there for us at all times and welcomed us into his family.
He facilitated various debriefs that allowed us to touch on so many different topics, open up to one
another, and openly express our feelings. The Kenyans made us feel so welcomed on the wards and
was sure we were doing okay at all times.

Jeffrey was amazing. He really made the experience for me. He helped ease homesickness the first
couple days by inviting us for breakfast and taking us to the mall. He was super helpful in getting
SIM Cards and helping us adjust to the new culture and medical team.

Anthony was a great Mpharm and was a big help with difficult questions on rounds. Anita was
extremely helpful with cultural differences and translating. Jeffrey and his whole family were great,
I know my experience would not have been as good without them here. Sister Agnes in pediatrics
was also great and very trusting for me to do the T-sheets right off the bat. Sammie in
anticoagulation was very helpful. He tried to have the students do as much of the appointment as
possible and was very social and informative to the students.