November 15, 2021
2021 EPE Preceptors of the Year

From left: Kate Lee, Dan Nguyen, Trang Tran, Andrew Attia, David Ross Barclay, Josephine Wijaya

Six pharmacists have been honoured with the 2021 Early Practice Experience Preceptors of the Year Award from the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.

The recipients, who are nominated by their students, are highly committed to their practice and patients, and serve as outstanding teachers and mentors to pharmacy students.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for EPE students and preceptors, particularly for community pharmacies as they balance vaccine administration with other priorities.  Throughout the year preceptors continued to create stimulating learning experiences for their students to help them develop their practice.

EPE 1 Award Recipients

Preceptor Kate Lee

Kate Lee,
Shoppers Drug Mart #822

“I try to create a comfortable environment for the students where they would not hesitate to ask questions. I find that open communication and constant feedback, both from and to the students, is key to maintaining a good pharmacy workflow and learning environment.

I enjoy seeing students becoming more confident and independent. I enjoy teaching, and at the same time, learning together with the students.. It is encouraging to hear that I may have positive influence on the students and will continue to take part in their learning process.”

Preceptor Dan Nguyen

Dan Nguyen,
Vina Pharmacy

“Being a preceptor allows me to mentor and teach the next generation of pharmacists. This profession grows and moves forward only if we are willing to selflessly guide the future leaders of our profession.  We expect the students to form meaningful relationships with our patients and staff; we should do the same with them.

I share this award with all the students and all my staff who had a hand in this recognition. The students were the ones that put in the hard work. This award honours their dedication as well.”

Preceptor Trang Tran

Trang Tran,
Pharma Plus Drug Mart #0851

“It's important to understand that all students have unique experiences, and we should tailor our teaching based on their needs. The best part of being a preceptor is being able to watch a student develop their own confidence and style of practice. It is a humbling experience to teach others and also learn so much yourself. I am absolutely honoured and thrilled to know that I had such a positive impact on my student's experience.”

EPE 2 Award Winners

Preceptor Andrew Attia

Andrew Attia,
St. Michael’s Hospital

“I have found that ensuring learning objectives are clear and attainable is an essential part of having a successful rotation with students. It allows us as preceptors to tailor the rotation accordingly to address the areas that the student has identified as needing improvement. I enjoy guiding learners to apply the concepts they learned during their didactic lectures to real-life patients. I find that students find it rewarding to impact a patient's life using the knowledge they gained in the previous three years of school.

This award is an absolute honor, and I am glad to have left a positive impression on my student. Being a student in a hospital for the first time can be significantly stressful and overwhelming, and it is encouraging to see that despite this stress, the rotation was ultimately rewarding for the student.”

Preceptor David Ross Barclay

David Ross Barclay,
Rexall #1974

“I recommend to each preceptor to provide the student a thorough orientation of your system processes on their first day. Within the first week, every preceptor should screen for the student’s interests and expand on that, linking it to the practice setting as it progresses.

I enjoy the relationships we build with the students, how they often stay in touch and come back to visit us. Time really flies by every block. As a health care provider, it makes me proud that we can enhance care in their patients’ lives after they move on to the next step of their careers. Receiving this recognition is an honour and motivates me to keep going through this continuously difficult time.”

Preceptor Josephine Wijaya

Josephine Wijaya,
Grand River Hospital

“I enjoy being able to share the experience of working in a hospital setting and being a part of the interprofessional team. If possible, look for unique shadowing opportunities for students, even those that may not be directly related to pharmacy practice. Not only does this make the rotation more memorable, it helps students appreciate and foster interprofessional relationships.

As a recent grad myself, I remember how much my own preceptors’ encouragement and guidance inspired me to become a hospital pharmacist and gave me the skills and confidence to achieve it. It means a lot to me that students feel that I am doing a good job now that it’s my turn to be a preceptor!”

Honourable Mentions

Meredith Ames
The Hospital for Sick Children

Andy Bautista
Shoppers Drug Mart #939

Jasvinder (Jimmy) Bedi
Shoppers Drug Mart #1218

Anu Bhagat
St. Michael's Hospital

Eugenia Chan
Toronto General Hospital - Outpatient Pharmacy

Milson Chan
Queen East Medical Pharmacy

Nadia Filippetto
Shoppers Drug Mart #957

Gisele Iskander
Etobicoke General Hospital

Han Byul Kang
The Hospital for Sick Children

Jeffrey Kwong
Walmart #1115

Annabelle Maliakkal
Southlake Regional Health Centre

Linda Ou
Sunnybrook Health Science Centre 

Danielle Porter
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Sarah Rocha
Shoppers Drug Mart #943

Jenny Soroka-Roumiantsev
Shoppers Drug Mart #899

Sandra Veljovic
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Alan Wong
Shoppers Drug Mart #1353

Chris Wong
Victoria Park Pharmacy

Walter Yeh
Shoppers Drug Mart #1253

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