School of Pharmacy

Greg Hageman

Preceptor of the Year 2017-2018

The University of Wyoming (UW) School of Pharmacy awarded two Preceptors of the Year for the 2017-18 academic year. Greg Hageman, who precepts students at Loveland Community Health Center in Loveland, CO was one of the award recipients. Greg was interviewed to find out what he does to earn the respect and admiration of his students so that other preceptors can learn from him. Below are his tips and ideas on ways to educate and motivate students.

Greg graduated with his PharmD degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2000.  Upon graduation, he worked at a Safeway pharmacy as a staff pharmacist for a year before taking on a management position within the company which he held for ten years.  Greg then left Safeway and came to work at Loveland Community Health Center as the Pharmacy Director.  He has been at the health center for the last seven years.

Over the past ten years, Greg has served as a preceptor for those students fortunate enough to take his rotation.  He likes being a preceptor as it allows him to learn from his students who help to keep him up to date on new recommendations and new ways of doing things.  He also enjoys teaching students what it’s like to be a pharmacist in real life.  Greg doesn’t think of his students as extra help.  He sees them as a great way to increase pharmacy services as students start to take on the role of pharmacist.  Students have assisted him with many projects including developing protocols and improving pharmacy services.  Greg strives to make his students be a part of the pharmacy team and giving them real-life experiences from which to learn from.  His advice to other preceptors is that even though the first two or three days with the student can be a lot of work, the students will add more to the pharmacy than the time it takes to have them on rotation.

Teaching at the students’ level and pushing them to grow is what makes Greg an outstanding preceptor.  Greg uses the mid-term evaluation and regular communication throughout the rotation as ways to not only deal with students who may struggle on rotation, but it also helps him to address areas students need to work on and set expectations for the rotation.  He makes an effort to connect with each student on the first day of the rotation by sharing information about him and his family and then asking students about themselves.  He gets to know their interests both inside and outside of the profession, their experiences and what they want to get out of the rotation.  Because his site offers both a retail pharmacy and ambulatory care experience, he is able to gear his rotation towards areas the student wants to learn more about and is interested in. 

Greg attends American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP) and American Pharmacists Association (APhA) conferences to help develop himself as a preceptor and pharmacist.  He also utilizes continuing education resources and collaborations with other ambulatory care pharmacists to hone his skills.  Areas he would like to focus on to enhance his rotations and develop as a preceptor are in the areas of better differentiating students in the grading process and providing constructive feedback.     

Greg has had great relationships with his UW students and he feels the School trains students well to be prepared for their P4 year and careers as pharmacists.  Students, in turn, think Greg is an amazing preceptor who dedicates his time to helping students and continuing to grow their skills as future pharmacists. One student said in their nomination of Greg for Preceptor of the Year, “He has been able to build my confidence significantly, and I truly believe he has made me a better pharmacy student and future pharmacist. He goes out of his way to teach and truly shows his passion in the field of pharmacy and with teaching. I will be forever grateful for the many things that Greg has been able to teach me.”

Thank you, Greg!