EL Course Overview

Each EL placement is part of a course for academic credit, meaning that students have to achieve a passing grade in order to merit those credits on their academic transcript and satisfy their degree requirements.

EL Roadmap

As students progress from Year 1 to Year 4 of the PharmD program and move toward entry to practice as a pharmacist, the complexity of practice experiences increases. IPPE and APPE rotations build on the foundational skills laid in classroom-based coursework, skills labs, and EL immersions.

Knowledge, skills, and attitudes are transferrable and buildable from community rotations to hospital rotations and vice versa. Students are encouraged to adopt and own a growth mindset as they progress through the program, seeing each new learning opportunity as a chance to improve and solidify previously acquired knowledge and skills and to seek out new knowledge and skills in novel situations.

Course Descriptions

Introductory Community Pharmacy Practice Experience (160 Hours)

Four Week Community Pharmacy Placement in Summer

This experiential learning rotation occurs after completion of first year and before second year in the program for a duration of 4 weeks (160 hours).

Students will begin to participate in direct patient care activities under the supervision of a qualified preceptor and will apply skills learned in patient care courses.

Experiential Learning 1 (24 Hours)


Eight Immersion Visits of 3 Hours Each Over Terms 1 & 2 (2 x MAC, 2 x medSask, 4 x community pharmacy)

Students will observe and gain pharmacy exposure and experience in various health care settings and practice sites.

Service Learning (50+ Hours)

Self-directed Service Learning Over Terms 1 & 2 Plus Patient Family Narratives

Students will complete service-learning in a health care setting or community-based organization to gain an appreciation of what care means to others. Students will engage in written and verbal reflection of these experiences.

Introductory Hospital Pharmacy Practice Experience (160 Hours)

Four Week Hospital Pharmacy Placement in Summer

This experiential learning rotation occurs after completion of second year and before third year in the program for a duration of 4 weeks (160 hours).

Students will continue to participate in direct patient care activities under the supervision of a qualified preceptor and will apply skills learned in patient care courses.

Experiential Learning 2 (12+ Hours)

Four Immersion Visits of 3 Hours Each at a Hospital Over Terms 1 & 2 Plus Speechcraft

Students will observe and gain pharmacy exposure and experience in hospital setting as well as develop their public speaking ability.

Experiential Learning 3 (6+ Hours)

Two Immersions Visits of 3 Hours Each at MAC over Term 1 or 2 Plus a Health Advocacy Activity

Students will further develop care provider and health advocacy-related competencies by completing either 2 immersions at MAC in first semester and a group health advocacy project in second semester, or vice versa.

Advanced Practice Experience: Hospital (320 Hours)

Eight Week Hospital Rotation

This advanced pharmacy practice experience occurs in a core acute care (hospital) setting for a duration of 8 weeks (320 hours). Students will provide direct patient care in a clinical setting under the supervision of a qualified preceptor.

Advanced Practice Experience: Community (320 Hours)

Eight Week Community Rotation

This advanced pharmacy practice experience occurs in a core community pharmacy location for a duration of 8 weeks (320 hours). Students will provide direct patient care and services in a clinical setting under the supervision of a qualified preceptor.

Advanced Practice Experience: Elective Direct Patient Care (320 Hours)

Eight Week Direct Patient Care Rotation

This advanced pharmacy practice experience may occur in a variety of selected sites that provide direct patient care services for a duration of 8 weeks (320 hours). Settings may include but are not limited to hospital, community, ambulatory care, primary care, and specialty sites; serving a variety of patients not limited to acute care, infectious diseases, psychiatric, long term care and specialty populations. Students will provide direct patient care and participate in a variety of direct patient care activities under supervision of a qualified preceptor.

Advanced Practice Experience: Elective Direct or Non-Direct Patient Care (320 Hours)

Eight Week Direct or Non-Direct Patient Care Rotation

This advanced pharmacy practice experience may occur in a variety of practice sites that provide a variety of professional activities. These include but are not limited to research, association, advocacy, administration, management, drug information, industry, or project based rotations under the supervision of a qualified preceptor. This rotation occurs for a duration of 8 weeks (320 hours) under supervision of a qualified preceptor.