The Washington State University College of Pharmacy has hired three new people to support and develop the experiential education portion of its Doctor of Pharmacy program. These positions coordinate and oversee the introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences offered to WSU student pharmacists across the states of Washington, Oregon and Northern California, and internationally.
The College of Pharmacy is committed to providing a high-quality and transformative educational experience for its students. Experiential education is essential to developing practice-ready graduates who are prepared to deliver innovative and patient-centered care as part of a health care team.
Anjie Bertramson has joined the college as the new director of experiential services. Bertramson previously served as lead advisor and faculty-led coordinator within the Office of International Programs at WSU in Pullman for six years. In that role, she assisted with some of the international pharmacy rotations offered to student pharmacists in previous years. Bertramson served as a small business development volunteer for the Peace Corps, and then briefly worked in the insurance industry before joining International Programs at WSU. She has a bachelor’s degree in international business from WSU and holds a certificate of global competency from the WSU Honors College. She also spent time as an exchange student at the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.
“Her vision for our experiential services is impressive. I am looking forward to what our new team will accomplish to improve student support and outreach to our preceptor group,” Pharmacy Dean Gary Pollack said.
Beth Spinner joined the college as a program assistant for experiential services. She has 30 years of experience in customer service, business, education, and administration. Her background includes higher education, long term care, and business industry. Spinner owned her own business as a massage therapist in California, worked as a licensed realtor, and as a manager licensed in life, accident and health for Aflac in New York. Spinner worked previously in student services at The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle, New York.
Genesis Dashiell is also a new program assistant. Dashiell has over 19 years of experience in pharmacy practice settings. Starting as a pharmacy technician for Safeway in Sandpoint, Idaho, she has worked in both retail and hospital environments. Dashiell comes to WSU from Safeway/Albertsons where she served at the corporate level managing pharmacy scheduling which included over 70 locations in Washington and Northern Idaho.
“Beth and Genesis are both extremely qualified and come to us with important skill-sets to provide excellent service to students, faculty and preceptors within the experiential services office,” Pharmacotherapy Vice-Chair Joshua Neumiller said.
Bertramson joined the college on January 16, Spinner and Dashiell were hired in late December.
In the final year of pharmacy school, students complete six practice rotations (referred to as Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, or APPEs) in a variety of patient care settings. During these immersive rotations, student pharmacists are involved in the direct care of patients. A seventh rotation is optional and international rotations are available. The experiential services team at the college coordinates student placements at the practice sites and provides support to supervising pharmacists who serve as preceptors for students in experiential settings. This essential piece of the Doctor of Pharmacy program supports its mission to advance human health through collaborative clinical education and to develop outstanding health care professionals and scientists.
[Lori J. Maricle] 1/31/18