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Sponsoring a student program for Doctor of Pharmacy candidates is hypothetically mutually beneficial for the student and the organization. However, without concrete evidence, justifying the continuation of such programs may be difficult. The Global Medical Information Department at Eli Lilly and Company investigated the influence of the student program on future recruitment of employees, effects on preceptor and overall employee satisfaction, and the overall expense to the department. We found that 93% of current Lilly employees who completed a pharmacy student rotation at Lilly believe their experience positively influenced their career decision. Fifty-four percent of employees in Global Medical Information and 88% of those serving as preceptors reported an increased overall personal satisfaction in their job as a result of the student program. Although the cost estimation we conducted was very simplistic, we found a positive cost-benefit to the department based on the student program.

Key Words

Students; Preceptor; Rotation; Cost; Pharmacy

Clerkship rotations for Doctor of Pharmacy studenls in the pharmaceutical industry are limited in number and may be highly sought after by students because of the unique experiences they offer. The student clerkship program at Eli Lilly and Company was established in 1992 and has expanded to provide opportunities in 22 departments, with approximately 65 students completing the program each year. The activities performed by students on rotations within various pharmaceutical companies are described in the literature (1-4). More specifically, the activities that students perform in Global Medical Information include answering medical information requests, updating medical letters, literature searching, and making presentations at journal clubs and formal therapeutic presentations.

Most pharmacists enjoy working with students and developing the preceptor-student relationship is expected to be a rewarding experience for all involved. However, establishing and continuing to provide student rotations requires a substantial time commitment by the preceptor and his or her department. In addition to the indirect costs of precepting students, Eli Lilly and Company recently implemented security measures for all contracted employees that resulted in a departmental fee of $350 per student per month. This cost, which is not covered by the student or university, has raised questions as to the value of continuing the student program and its benefits to the company.

The following provides an overview of the initiatives conducted by the authors to assess the value of the student program in Global Medical Information at Eli Lilly and Company. The outcomes of the program with respect to all individuals involved were evaluated to determine whether continuing the student program is justified. The student justification plan included evaluation of the effects of the student program on three main components:

1. Recruitment and future employment,

2. Employee satisfaction, and

3. Department budget.

RECRUITMENT AND FUTURE EMPLOYMENT

The effects of the student program on recruitment and future employment throughout Eli Lilly and Company were explored. We anticipated that the availability of student rotations would benefit students investigating future career opportunities and assist employers in screening for successful employees. A survey was designed Lo test this hypothesis. The specific objectives included determining the number of pharmacists at Lilly who previously completed rotations and identifying aspect of student experiences that affected career decisions.

Current employees at Eli Lilly and Company who completed a student rotation in various departments at Lilly (through May 2001) prior to accepting their current position were identified through review of historic departmental lists and discussions with department management. The survey tool included eight questions about student experiences, influence and effects of the student rotation on employment decision, and skills developed on rotation that eased the transition to becoming an employee. Drug information specialists who had not completed rotations at Lilly validated the survey. The survey was distributed via e-mail in April 2002.

A response rate of 30/35 (86%) was achieved. Student rotations had been completed by current employees in various areas of the company, including Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Research, United States Medical Information, Medical Writing, Clinical Trials, Pharmacovigilance, Global Medical Information, and Global Operations Labeling. As shown in Table 1, the current positions held by previous students also encompass numerous functional areas.

The student experience was cited as a positive influence in the decision to join Eli Lilly and Company by a majority of respondents (93%). The greatest factors mentioned were the new awareness of opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry (83%), interaction with preceptors (77%), exposure to benefits at Lilly (73%), interaction with other departments (60%), and specific projects completed during the month-long clerkship (12%).

Specific skills (eg, computer skills, presentation skills, and literature evaluation techniques) developed on rotation were listed as advantages that helped ease the transition to the pharmacist's role as a Lilly employee. Furthermore, respondents stated that they improved their skills in networking, teamwork, and overall communication with others. Understanding the corporate environment, the campus and shuttle system, and the use of the library were other benefits of the rotation noted by employees.

We have also collected less formal observational data from current students during end-of-rotation meetings with the Global Medical Information manager and the contract service responsible for student security checks. Students are generally very satisfied with their experiences in Global Medical Information and Lilly as a whole. The rotation typically exceeded expectations, with the students being particularly fond of the exposure they received to a variety of departments and positions throughout Lilly. Overall, students reported a much better understanding of the opportunities in industry and how these positions related to the broader organization of the company. The students who did not enjoy their experience in Global Medical Information usually cite the nature of the work that was required of them (eg, literature searching, literature evaluation, and composition of article summaries) as the reason.

The results of the survey of current Lilly employees, as well as the informal data collection from current students, suggest that the student rotation program may be a means for recruitment. The benefits of student rotations as a screening tool for Lilly are evident. Students find positive benefits from the rotation and those who accept positions at Lilly believe that specific skills developed during their student experience translate well into their role as a Lilly employee. Although work completed on a oneor two-month rotation may not reflect one's true capabilities, it still provides concrete evidence of the quality of the student's project work (eg, journal club and a presentation on a therapeutic topic).

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

The second topic in question involved the outcomes of the student program with respect to medical information administrators and preceptors in Global Medical Information. Areas of investigation included the effects of the student program on employee personal satisfaction and self-confidence, changes in learning and perspective, and effects relating to networking and relationship development.

An additional survey tool was developed to study these questions. After piloting the survey on four pharmacists working in other departments at Lilly, the questionnaire was distributed via e-mail to each medical information administrator al the end of each student's one-month rotation. The sample included seven months of rotations with one to two students working in the department each month. Sixty-seven responses were received, eight of which were from preceptors.

Over one-half of all medical information administrators attended student presentations and journal clubs. Between 25% to 50% of medical information administrators reported working with students on ad-hoc requests and special projects. Of note, 54% of medical information administrators stated that their overall personal satisfaction with their job was increased as a result of interactions with students in a specific month. The majority of medical information administrators also reported increases in self-confidence, improved job performance, an expansion of network and relationship building, and an enhancement in mentoring and coaching skills (see Table 2).

Results were more compelling for medical information administrators who had served as preceptors. Overall personal satisfaction with their job was increased in 88% (7/8) of these individuals. Eighty-eight percent (7/8) of preceptors reported an increased self-confidence and job performance, and 100% of preceptors (8/8) reported gaining new ideas and knowledge, expending networks/relationship building, and enhancing mentoring and coaching skills.

Of importance, 83% of medical information administrators and 100% of preceptors stated they agreed or strongly agreed that the student program should continue. Specific comments included a recommendation to accept students who had already gained experience on other rotations, and general statements related to the hard-working attitude of students and general visibility the program brought to the department.

EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE STUDENT PROGRAM

After evaluating the effects of the program on employees at Lilly, the next step of the student justification program was to identify expenses and possible cost-savings associated with the program (see Table 3). An estimated hourly salary of a pharmacist in an entry-level position at Lilly was used in the cost calculations. The cost justification analysis we performed was very basic and only produced a cursory estimate of the cost-benefit of the student program. However, for our purposes, this estimate was sufficient, as we believed the majority of the benefits of students (eg, recruitment and preceptor satisfaction) could not be directly linked to an expense item. We did not include the direct costs of computer equipment or other supplies, as the student materials and stations were already in existence and were not a significant additional expense to the department annually. We also only tracked the hours saved for the preceptor in selected months throughout the year; this may vary significantly among preceptors. Therefore, although this is an overly simplistic review of the costs and cost-savings, we found the results revealing over $1000 in cost-savings per student per month to be noteworthy.

SUMMARY

Sponsoring a student program for PharmD candidates is hypothetically mutually beneficial for the student and the organization. However, without concrete evidence, justifying the continuation of such programs may be difficult. Our program investigated the influence of the student program on future recruitment of employees, effects on preceptor and overall employee satisfaction, and the overall expense to the department. Our data show that 93% of current Lilly employees who completed a pharmacy student rotation at Lilly believe their experience positively influenced their career decision. Fifty-four percent of Global Medical Information medical information administrators and 88% of those serving as preceptors report an increased overall personal satisfaction in their job as a result of the student program. It was especially noteworthy that 83% of Global Medical Information medical information administrators and 100% of preceptors state the student program should continue. Although our cost estimation was very simplistic, we found a positive cost-benefit to the department based on the student program.

REFERENCES

1. Riggins JL, Winn JL. Eli Lilly and Company global medical information: Pharmacy student clerkships in industry. Drug Inf J. 1998;32:283-288.

2. Malecha SE, Cha AJ, Holt RJ. Pharmacy student clerkship industry rotation in drug information: The Search global healthcare resources experience. Drug Inf J. 2000;34:91-96.

3. Fus AF. Drug information clerkships in the pharmaceutical industry. Drug Inf J. 1998;32:305-311.

4. Bagley JL. Pharmacy student interns learn about OTC marketing. Am Druggist. 1983;188(Sept): 25,29.

Sarah Miller, PharmD*

Global Medical Information Administrator

Sara Doshi, PharmD

Senior Global Medical Information Administrator

Jennifer Riggins, PharmD

Manager, Global Medical Information

Global Medical Information

Eli Lilly and Company

Indianapolis, Indiana

Correspondence Address

Sara Doshi, PharmD, Senior Global Medical Information Administrator, Global Medical Information, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285 (e-mail: Doshi_sara_m@lilly.com).

* Dr. Miller is now with Medspan/Wolters Kluwer Health

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