Frequently Asked Questions

The urgent/important matrix describes an efficient manner of identifying issues that should be prioritized, especially when a preceptor is supporting residency needs and his or her own job functions. The most important place to focus is pressing issues, which are both urgent and important. Non urgent and less important items can be managed at another time. View this recommended resource here: Coaching Tools 101: The urgent important matrix – What is it and how to use it! [2020 Aug 25; Cited 2021 Sep 1].

Between August and October, preceptors are usually mentors regarding the residency application process. This is a good opportunity to remind students/residents (if planning to pursue PGY2) of who they should ask for letters of recommendations. Preceptors can provide guidance as to whom to ask and when would be a good time to ask (usually before Thanksgiving). Also, preceptors can provide guidance on how to research potential programs including developing their goals for residency training and priorities. You can direct them to resources such as ASHP’s online Residency Directory to start their search. This is also the time to start reviewing mentees’ CVs and letters of intent. Preceptors may receive several requests to review application materials each year. If you receive numerous requests, make sure to consider the workload. October is when preceptors usually start preparing for the recruitment season.

Make sure to remind students/residents to give you adequate time to review their materials instead of waiting until after the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. Everyone is busy during the holiday season and students/residents may want to share their CVs during the conference. It is a good idea for them to develop their CV and letters of intent before they attend their local residency showcase or ASHP Midyear. One suggestion is to block time for reviews in October/November. For a thorough review, it generally takes 1-2 hours to review both a CV and letter of intent. Also, ASHP offers online resources on developing CVs and letters of intent.

• CV Development
• Letter of Intent

It is also important to provide guidance on how to write an effective letter and CV. One suggestion is to arrange a meeting with a group of students/residents on rotation who are planning to apply for residencies. As the preceptor, you can provide helpful tips on writing. This would also cut down on materials for you to review individually later on.

Preceptors can start by reviewing goals for both the end of the year and beginning of the following year. This will help prioritize projects, which must be completed. Assessing other personal needs, such as time for conferences and holidays should be prioritized as well. A combination of blocking time to work on projects or rounding, accommodating time zones, and scheduling adequate preparation time allows preceptors to be ready to review student CVs, write letters, review applications, and support residency interviews. Other methods of organizing time include taking time to plan, focusing on SMART goals or the urgent/important matrix, and looking at the big picture. Leaving intentional gaps in a calendar, using color coding, and blocking time for routine recurrent tasks may also be helpful tricks.

Writing a meaningful recommendation letter starts with preparation. Preceptors may request information from a student prior to writing a letter. This can be done before and/or after ASHP Midyear. An example list includes a copy of the student’s career goals, current CV, rotation projects, evaluation if they took the preceptor’s rotation, and description of residency programs. This can include the program name, location, type, if the program has a specific component the preceptor has expertise in, what the candidate’s interest is in the program, deadlines, and any requirements from the program for letters. PhORCAS allows for a set template to be used, which includes characteristics evaluated and narrative comments. When writing a letter, preceptors should become familiar with the template. While not required, the narrative comments provide important context to the letter. Students can also assign one group of letters to the preceptor, so one can be filled out for multiple programs. If a program requires a separate letter of recommendation outside of PhORCAS, the same preparation can apply. Once a preceptor has completed one, that letter can serve as a template to help organize letters in the future. This is especially important if a preceptor does not write letters for students every year.
Check out the Letter of Recommendation Writing Toolkit for additional tools and suggestions. 

• Know Your Residents: Introduce yourself, learn about their preferred learning styles, interests, and expectations.
• PharmAcademic(R): This system manages experiential training, schedules, assessments, feedback, evaluations, development plans, and your Annual Progress Report (APR). It also tracks learning experience summaries, objectives, and activities.
• A&P Record: A document to confirm compliance with ASHP preceptor criteria, it is recommended to be updated annually through PharmAcademic(R). 
• Preceptor Development: Residency programs are encouraged to have a preceptor development plan to help preceptors grow. Discuss with your RPD about your program’s development plan.
• Residency Advisory Committee: A group of preceptors and leadership that meets regularly to make important decisions about the residency program.
• Time Study Process: Used to track time allocated to the residency program. Be accurate and consult with your RPD about your institution’s time documentation process.

• Review the syllabus, learning objectives, and activities in PharmAcademic(R) to develop a calendar about one week before the resident starts. Ensure all activities are included so there will not be any “not applicable” objectives.
• Familiarize yourself with the resident's quarterly development plan available on PharmAcademic(R). This resource offers insights into the resident's progress across various domains and serves as a guide for customizing their learning experience to meet their specific needs.
• Gather feedback from the resident's previous preceptor to gauge strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• On the first day of the learning experience, meet with the resident to discuss off days, due dates, expectations, and other important details. Ask the resident about their preferred learning style and expectations on the learning experience.
• Be mindful of evaluation deadlines (mid-point and final). These must be submitted within 7 days.

Encourage the resident to provide their assessment of how the rotation is progressing, as they may not realize they are not meeting expectations. It’s important to have regular check-ins to offer feedback and address any concerns. If a resident is not meeting expectations despite receiving feedback, inform the RPD/RPC promptly so a development plan can be created. If a development plan is necessary, consider utilizing the SMART model to ensure the objectives are clear and actionable.

Click on the following link to direct you to examples:

• Residency Information – ASHP

Consider using a standardized and layered approach to precepting. Refer the following article for more information:

• A standardized and layered approach to preceptor development. Am J health Syst Pharm. Nweke G. 2019;76(6):336-8.

• Residency Guide: Recommendations for Practice and Engagement in a Layered Learning Model as a Resident (PDF)
• Peeling Back the Layers of Layered Learning - An Inpatient Educator Perspective (ASHP Podcast)