Jessica La, Rx2021 - Sault Ste. Marie
Navigating
the
region
Sault Ste Marie's proximity to nature was one of my favourite things about the region. I'm from downtown Toronto. I couldn't have been more of a city person before moving to Sault Ste Marie (AKA the Soo) but that didn't stop me from enjoying all of the nature in and around the Algoma region, where the Soo is situated in. The nearby provincial parks had breathtaking hikes, white sand beaches, and the clearest waters to swim in.
While
in
the
Soo,
I
spent
the
majority
of
my
free
time
outside
with
the
other students
in
the
region.
We
enjoyed
hiking
a
variety
of
trails,
star
gazing,
and
swimming
at
many
of
the
beautiful
beaches
in
the
area.
Otherwise,
I enjoyed
spending
my
time
after
work
experimenting
with
cooking
and baking.
I
was
the
only
student
in
the
area
without
a
car.
I
found
that
Sault
Ste Marie's
transit
system
is
fairly
robust
and
easy
to
navigate.
I
had
to
make
some
arrangements
with
my
preceptors
in
advance
as
the
buses
do
not
run
as frequently
as
they
would
in
larger
cities.
However,
it
was
very
manageable
to rely
on
the
transit
system.
The
other
option
includes
becoming
good
friends with
the
students
who
had
a
car!
Housing was slightly more difficult to arrange. I found a rental property for us through Airbnb. Other options include looking through Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji. We just made sure to keep an eye out on options early on as there can be difficult to find housing for multiple students for 6 months. I did find that there was plenty of one-bedroom apartments in the region.
Tracy McCoy, Regional Clinical Coordinator, was a fantastic resource and support during rotations. Her commitment to ensuring that we students had unique pharmacy experiences resulted in very memorable rotations. We had the opportunity to describe what topics interested us and rank the different types of sites available in the region. She made sure that we all had been matched to sites that interested us and support our professional growth as developing pharmacists. Tracy also made an effort to organize regular meetings for us to share our experiences in our individual sites. Sault Ste Marie is the ideal site rotation region because Tracy is dedicated to ensuring that each student's rotation experience is diverse and beneficial to each students' professional development.
I
personally
relied
heavily
on
the
support
from
the
other
students
in
the region.
Moving
so
far
north
can
be
a
daunting
task,
but
knowing
that
there
were
three
other
students
in
the
same
boat
made
me
feel
more
comfortable. Other
resources
for
support
include
Tracy,
our
region
coordinator,
and
reaching
out
to
preceptors.
Everyone
was
very
understanding
about
how overwhelming
rotations
can
feel,
especially
when
you're
away
from
your
normal support
system.
The combination of our region coordinator's dedication to creating unique rotation experiences and the beauty of Algoma nature created a perfect rotation experience. With only four students in the region, it was a guarantee that we all had personalized experiences. I felt like we were pushed to excel, but not left feeling overwhelmed. I truly believe that I had the best rotation experience possible.
Practice
site descriptions
Sault Area Hospital (SAH), general medicine floor: I experienced the day-to-day life of a hospital pharmacist. I completed medication reconciliations, reviewed antibiotics regimens, and answered drug information questions from other healthcare professionals on the floor.
The Medicine Shoppe on Great Northern Road: The pharmacy featured dedicated blister-pack making and compounding spaces, which helped streamline the process for providing those services. This pharmacy was the ideal placement if you are interested in mental health. My day-to-day activities involved dispensing methadone and suboxone, clinically assessing blister packs (oftentimes for patients with complex mental health conditions), and a mix of typical community pharmacy activities. The close-knit team was the real highlight of the rotation as there was never a dull moment in Manuel's Medicine Shoppe.
SAH, Algoma District Cancer Program (ADCP) and with the out-patient ICCare Pharmacy: Both ADCP and ICCare are conveniently located within the hospital, which meant I could easily catch patients in out-patient pharmacy and when they are inside the chemotherapy suites, allowing for me to do long-term follow-ups with patients throughout my entire rotation. While in that third rotation, I reviewed oral and intravenous chemotherapy regimens, provided counseling on oral chemotherapy and chemotherapy pre-medications, and participated in interprofessional patient-education sessions. The SAH site is a modern compact hospital that is easy to navigate.
A skill that I felt like I really developed while on rotations was my confidence in making clinical decisions. The main difference between my co-perative education work terms and patient care rotations was that the preceptors helped facilitate making clinical decisions in a collaborative manner, as opposed to being an authoritative figure like during co-op terms. As a student pharmacist, I was given a lot of tasks to do independently, which helped me gain exposure to a variety of situations one might encounter as a pharmacist and helped me build my confidence.
Advice
for
future
students
Embrace change and new environments! Going outside of your comfort zone is the only way you can grow. This mindset helped me embrace the Soo and all the learning experiences that came with rotations. It's scary to start with, but the more you challenge yourself with new experiences, the more confident you become. And confidence is key, for both professional and personal growth.
Things to bring to the Soo include sunscreen, bug spray, a good pair of shoes, and an open mind.