1. education
2. graduate school
3. college

Internship Manual
Table of Contents
About Us……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….3-6
Internship Goals and Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...7
Role Definitions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..8
Learning Experiences………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…9
Application Procedure and Deadline …………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Application…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...11
Frequently Asked Questions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..12
Page 2 CMSA
About Us
Mission Statement
To make safe medication use a common practice.
Vision Statement
To become a Center of Excellence for the creation and dissemination of best known evidence in safe
medication use practices.
Practice Location
CMSA is a collaboration of Purdue faculty and staff, who through a variety of projects and initiatives
carry out the above mission. They are located at Intech Park on the Northwest side of Indianapolis, IN.
“Bridging Discovery with Delivery”
DISCOVERY
INNOVATION
SCHOLARSHIP
ENGAGEMENT
DELIVERY
MISSION
VISION
Page 3 CMSA
Our Team
Kyle Hultgren, PharmD
Director, Center for Medication Safety Advancement
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Kyle Hultgren is the Director for the Center for Medication Safety Advancement within the Purdue University
College of Pharmacy in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also serves as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of
Pharmacy Practice at Purdue where he pursues the development of innovative safe medication use practices as
well as engaging methods to educate healthcare practitioners and student pharmacists. Dr. Hultgren is a coauthor of a certification program in partnership with Purdue University and the Veterans Health Administration
on Lean Healthcare and Systems Redesign that he is currently providing to health systems nationwide. He also
serves as Chairman of the Rx-SafeNet Practice Based Research Network Advisory Board for community
pharmacy based medication safety research in Indiana. He lectures extensively on the topics of safe medication
use practices and process improvement across the country and internationally. Dr. Hultgren received his Doctor
of Pharmacy from Purdue University College of Pharmacy in West Lafayette, Indiana.
John B. Hertig, PharmD, MS, CPPS
Associate Director, Center for Medication Safety Advancement
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Dr. Hertig currently serves as the Associate Director at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy Center for
Medication Safety Advancement. Dr. Hertig received his Bachelors of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences and
Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Purdue University. Following graduation he completed a combined PGY1/PGY2
Masters in Health-System Pharmacy Administration residency at The Ohio State University Medical Center in
Columbus, OH. As part of this program, he received a Master’s degree in Health-System Pharmacy
Administration from The Ohio State University. Prior to this role, Dr. Hertig was a member of the leadership
team for the Department of Pharmacy at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC where he supported the
overall strategic goals of the Department by assisting in planning, designing, and implementing initiatives that
improved the value of pharmacy services. Dr. Hertig's experience and focus areas include: pharmacy practice
models, leadership development, medication safety, quality, outcomes, and performance improvement. He is
committed to organizational involvement and serves in various national leadership roles for the American
Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Page 4 CMSA
Daniel D. (Dan) Degnan III, PharmD, MS, CPPS
Senior Project Manager
Dr. Degnan is the Senior Project Manager at the Purdue University College of Pharmacy’s Center for Medication
Safety Advancement and holds a courtesy appointment at the College as an Assistant Clinical Professor of
Pharmacy Practice. Prior to his role at Purdue, Dr. Degnan served as the Medication Safety Officer at Community
Health Network in Indianapolis, IN for almost 10 years. During his time at Community, the health system was
recognized as a finalist for ASHP’s award for Excellence in Medication Use Safety and with a Cheers award from
the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
Dr. Degnan received both his Bachelors and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at Purdue University. He then
completed a specialty residency in pharmacy administration and a Master’s Degree in Health-System Pharmacy
Administration at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Degnan has held state and national leadership positions with professional pharmacy and healthcare quality
organizations. His professional interests include: pharmacy technology, medication safety, the establishment of
a “culture of safety” in pharmacy and leadership development. He lectures frequently on the role pharmacists
have as leaders in medication safety and the provision safe medication practices.
Catherine R. Scott, CPHQ
Chief Safety Performance and Improvement Officer
Education Program Manager
Catherine Scott is currently the Chief Safety Performance and Improvement Officer and Education Program
Manager for the Purdue University College of Pharmacy Center for Medication Safety Advancement (CMSA). A
registered nurse by education, Ms. Scott brings a multidisciplinary healthcare background to the forefront of
medication and patient safety initiatives at CMSA. Prior to joining CMSA she was the President/CEO of a clinical
corporation providing comprehensive medical, pharmacy and nursing consultation and management services to
a variety of health care service environments. She has a lengthy history of professional expertise in medical and
physician services, nursing service and pharmacy service Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement program
development, monitoring and evaluation. She maintains a certification in professional health care quality
(CPHQ) through the National Association for Healthcare Quality. In addition, she has provided database
development and research management services, in addition to statistical analysis consultation for small,
individual research projects as well as large multi-year, multi-site national research projects. Her years of direct
involvement in veterans’ health care on the state, VISN and national level bring valuable experience to her
current roles at CMSA. Currently, Ms. Scott’s primary role is directing Purdue’s CMSA and the Veteran
Administration’s multi-year collaborative effort to advance patient safety through systems improvement across
the VA’s spectrum of health care delivery settings and processes. It is through her current CMSA roles that Ms.
Scott continues to pursue and share her passion for evidence-based safe patient care practices.
Page 5 CMSA
Katelyn Brown, PharmD
Medication Safety Fellow
Dr. Katelyn Brown received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University College of Pharmacy in 2013.
She is completing a post-doctoral fellowship in Medication Safety through CMSA, Eli Lilly and Company, and the
Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Brown started her fellowship working with CMSA and Lilly. Her projects with
CMSA include teaching Purdue College of Pharmacy students, collaborative work with the Indiana Hospital
Association and Indianapolis Coalition for Patient Safety, and research in ensuring safe use of insulin pen
utilization. While at Lilly, Dr. Brown serves as a Surveillance Scientist in Global Patient Safety where she
performs pharmacovigilance activities for various compounds. For the next nine months, Dr. Brown will be
completing her assignment at the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology at the FDA.
Trang Truong, PharmD
Medication Safety Resident
Dr. Trang Truong is a recent PharmD graduate from MCPHS University (formerly known as Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences). Throughout her educational career, Dr. Truong worked as a research
associate in the area of pharmacology and medication safety. Dr. Truong's experience includes pre-clinical
screening of candidate therapeutic compounds, formulating novel pharmaceutical preparations, conducting
PK/PD studies in animal models, and analyzing the impact of computerized physician order entry (CPOE) and
smart-pumps continuous quality improvement (CQI) program on the reduction of medication errors.
Dr. Truong’s accomplishment includes several peer-reviewed publications, and she was invited to lead a roundtable discussion on strategies to improve patient safety and the quality of health care systems. Dr. Truong is
passionate about influencing change and enhancing the quality of patient care. She hopes to establish a career
that focuses on the improvement of safe and effective medication use and using outcomes to improve health
care decision making.
Page 6 CMSA
Internship Goals and Objectives
The Purdue University Center for Medication Safety Advancement Internship Program is designed to
allow student interns to meet the defined goals and objectives of CMSA while providing a unique
opportunity for the student to tailor the assigned projects and research to the student’s current
medication safety related interests.
Listed below are the broad goals and specific objectives of the CMSA Internship Program. Overall, the
activities of the internship can be divided into three main areas; on-site experiences that support
Center activities, completion of Center development and/or “quality improvement” projects, and
completion of an original project. Upon completion of the internship it is expected that each intern
will have completed each of the objectives stated.
Goals
•
•
•
Interns will gain exposure to Center activities and the role of faculty and staff.
Interns will contribute to the growth of CMSA and its initiatives.
Interns will participate in a variety of activities that will position them as competitive applicants
for post-graduate training and employment.
Specific Objectives
•
•
•
•
Interns will be able to describe CMSA, its mission and vision, role within the Purdue College of
Pharmacy, and the roles of each of the faculty, staff, and learners involved in its day-to-day
operation.
Interns will complete multiple Center development and/or quality improvement projects in
collaboration with preceptors and will see their work incorporated into CMSA.
Interns may work with their preceptor(s) to develop and complete an original project (e.g.
process improvement project, original research, workplace initiative etc.), that falls within the
scope of CMSA’s mission and vision.
Interns may present the findings of their project(s) at local and national meetings and may
submit a paper for publication in a professional journal.
Page 7 CMSA
Role Definitions
Preceptor and Intern
Based on the needs and interests of the intern and CMSA faculty and staff, the intern will be assigned a
primary preceptor. The intern’s preceptor will act as the primary director of the experience, providing
project descriptions, general scheduling and deadlines, and acting as the primary point of contact for
the Center. The preceptor will also serve as a mentor and educator, providing feedback on progress
and ideas for the intern. In general, the intern may expect the following of their preceptor and the
preceptor will expect the following from the intern.
Expectations of Preceptors
•
•
•
•
•
•
Display professional attitude and attire
Timely feedback on intern projects
Active participation/mentorship on intern’s major project
Open communication regarding intern’s performance
Identify intern’s personal and professional goals and strive to meet them
Dedicate time to developing the intern as a professional and member of the team
Expectations of Interns
• Display professional attitude and attire
• Complete assigned projects in a timely manner, and to the specifications given
• Be self-motivated, open to constructive feedback, and willing to ask questions
• Be interested in applying knowledge gained in the Purdue College of Pharmacy curriculum in
new and interesting ways
• Innovative, entrepreneurial, and free thinking spirit! Much of what we do has never been
done before, so while it doesn’t have to be your comfort zone to blaze a new trail, you must
have a sense of adventure!
Page 8 CMSA
Learning Experiences
Project management
Offers an opportunity for the intern to practice leadership, organizational, and creative skills while
building upon those things learned in the Purdue curriculum.
Interns are expected to:
A. Complete assigned projects in a timely manner, and to the specifications given
B. Be self-motivated, open to constructive feedback, and willing to ask questions
C. Apply knowledge gained in the Purdue College of Pharmacy curriculum in new and
interesting ways
Examples of project management
•
•
Create education tools for promoting medication safety in the work place
Provide assistance with literature reviews and provide reports
Independent Project
Offers an opportunity for the intern to conduct, with the guidance of a preceptor, an original project
and/or research on a topic of their choosing
Interns are expected to:
A. Work with their preceptor(s) to develop an original research and/or project plan that
falls within the scope of CMSA’s mission and vision
B. Plan and execute the project within an established timeline
C. Present project findings at national or local meetings and to CMSA faculty/staff
Examples of past projects
•
•
Survey of Indiana community pharmacy employees to ascertain opinions about CMSA's research
network
Development of a medication safety simulation for use in the classroom
Page 9 CMSA
Application Process
•
Visit CMSA website and familiarize yourself with the mission, goals, course offerings and
leadership team http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/cmsa/aboutus/
•
Submit the application, a copy of your Curriculum Vitae, and a Letter of Interest, describing
why you want to be considered for an internship with CMSA. Applications that do not include
a Letter of Interest will not be considered.
•
Submit your completed application, CV and Letter of Interest with “CMSA Internship
Application” in the subject to, Lisa Roark at roarkl@purdue.edu or via fax at 317-275-2375
•
Internship Deadline: All applications must be received by 12:00 pm (noon) EST on Monday,
October 6th, 2014.
•
Only those students considered will be contacted for an interview. Phone interviews will be
scheduled on October 8th and 9th, 2014.
•
Internships run from October 2014 through May 1, 2015.
•
Please be aware that this internship is located at the CMSA office in Indianapolis. Although
most of the work may be completed remotely, there may be circumstances which require the
student to work at our Indianapolis office.
Page 10 CMSA
Center for Medication Safety Advancement (CMSA) Internship Application
General Information
Name
Street Address
City ST ZIP Code
Home Phone
Purdue E-Mail
P2
Current Year
Previous Degree
| P3
No | Yes, I have a degree in _____________
Interests
Tell us what area you would be the most excited about working in:
___ Engagement (e.g. certifications, practice-based research network, dissemination of best practices, public
awareness, community pharmacy management of adverse drug reactions etc.)
___ Discovery (e.g. faculty/student driven research initiatives, regulatory agencies, systems design projects etc.)
___ Learning (e.g. Purdue-based learning initiatives, patient safety curriculum, virtual classroom project etc.)
Previous Experience
Summarize your previous work/volunteer experience.
Agreement and Signature
By submitting this application, I affirm that the facts set forth in it are true and complete. I understand that if I
am accepted as an intern, any false statements, omissions, or other misrepresentations made by me on this
application may result in my immediate dismissal.
Name (printed)
Signature
Date
Our Policy
It is the policy of CMSA to provide equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin,
gender, sexual preference, age, or disability.
Page 11 CMSA
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are there opportunities to work with the center or faculty besides a paid internship?
A: Yes! There are many opportunities to work one-on-one with faculty and/or staff associated with the
center through shadowing experiences or specific, for-credit, research projects that qualify as
professional electives.
Q: What are some more initiatives that CMSA has been involved in?
A: More examples of CMSA projects can be seen at http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/cmsa/
Q: How will being involved with CMSA benefit me?
A: Being involved with CMSA is a great opportunity to develop leadership/project management skills as
well as an opportunity to learn more about concrete ways to improve medication safety. It is also a
wonderful way to network with local professionals and be a part of projects that will set you apart in
your future.
Q: Who should I contact to figure out whether being a CMSA intern is right for me?
A: Speaking to your academic advisor is always a great option, as well as other faculty members that
might provide insight about working for the center. Also, contacting CMSA and asking for past interns
that are willing to talk to other students is always an option.
Q: What if I don't have a clear idea what kind of projects I want to be involved in?
A: No problem! You will work closely with CMSA staff to identify projects before you begin your
internship.
Contact Information
Center for Medication Safety Advancement
6640 Intech Blvd., Suite 120
Indianapolis, Indiana 46278
 317-275-6088
Page 12 CMSA