Long-time School of Pharmacy Preceptor Receives National Recognition

Dr. Peter Mbi named a master preceptor by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

By Malissa Carroll
July 26, 2016

Peter Mbi, PharmD, owner of Global Health Pharmacy in Laurel and preceptor for the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, has received the Master Preceptor Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). Mbi was one of seven individuals selected to receive the award, which recognizes preceptors from across the United States for their sustained commitment to excellence in experiential education and professional practice.

“As a two-time recipient of the School’s Preceptor of the Year award, Dr. Mbi has a great reputation and is one of our most popular preceptors,” says Mark Brueckl, RPh, MBA, assistant director for ELP at the School. “Whether it’s providing direct patient care services such as blood glucose monitoring and immunizations or conducting a thorough medication review for a patient who has been prescribed a new medicine, our office is consistently impressed with the opportunities that Dr. Mbi makes available for students, as well as the activities in which he gets them involved. He truly embodies all of the qualities of a master preceptor, and we are proud to have him serve as a preceptor for our students.”

With experiential learning accounting for more than 30 percent of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum, preceptors are an important asset to the School of Pharmacy. These individuals are full-time or part-time pharmacy practitioners who serve as affiliate faculty for the School and oversee students during their introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Brueckl and his colleagues in ELP, who manage a roster of more than 850 preceptors and 500 practice sites for the School, nominated Mbi for AACP’s Master Preceptor Recognition Program.

“Many students enter my practice site with preconceptions about what it means to be a pharmacist,” says Mbi. “They sometimes view their role as that of a medication dispenser, but pharmacists are much more than that. We are medication experts who strive to use our knowledge for the greater good, educating the public about proper medication use as well as adverse drug reactions. It has always been my goal to help students understand that pharmacy practice is real – it’s alive – and we can find both personal and professional fulfillment practicing the profession.”

Approximately 60 percent of advanced pharmacy practice experience rotations across the United States are provided by adjunct faculty or volunteer preceptors like Mbi, who received his PharmD from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. Mbi has served as a preceptor for the School since 1990, aiding in the professional development of more than 400 student pharmacists over the years.

Erin Pace, PharmD ’15, PGY-1 pharmacy practice resident at Kaiser Permanente, had an opportunity to experience Mbi’s passion for the profession first-hand when she completed a three-week rotation with him during her third year at the School of Pharmacy. “Dr. Mbi is a great teacher, and very knowledgeable about his practice. He asks thoughtful questions to figure out what his students know and builds on that knowledge to get them to the next level of understanding. He is also incredibly personable. He knows all of his customers by name, as well as their disease states,” she says.

In addition to a national acknowledgement at the AACP annual meeting held July 23-27 in Anaheim, Calif., Mbi received a certificate of recognition, complimentary AACP membership, and a $500 honorarium to attend additional preceptor training or a pharmacy professional meeting of his choice.

“I feel incredibly blessed to have been selected as one of AACP’s master preceptors,” says Mbi. “However, I cannot accept recognition for this award alone. Long before the students enter my practice site, it is the faculty who shape their education and skillsets, preparing them to excel in practice while they are still in the classroom. And, although I am expected to educate and train my students to enter the pharmacy profession, the truth is that I learn a lot from them as well. It is a two-way process. I am honored that they continue to believe in me and have lifted me to this new height in my career.”

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