Preceptors of the Year Recognized with Prestigious Awards

Two preceptors were celebrated by the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy (DKICP) for their notable contributions in mentoring fourth year students at the 2025 Spring Awards Ceremony. Each year, students in the final year of the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program nominate preceptors for excellence who have guided their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) in clinics and other settings in preparation for a diversity of careers in pharmacy. Two awards are given each year, one to a preceptor who also serves as a DKICP faculty member, and one to a preceptor whose primary affiliation is other than DKICP.

Dr. Cherie Chu was recognized with the Faculty Preceptor of the Year Award. Dr. Chu is a DKICP alumnus and associate professor. She also serves as a clinical pharmacist and preceptor at Adventist Health Castle Medical with expertise in critical care and emergency medicine. Dr. Chu was nominated by the many APPE students she precepted this year on acute medicine rotations and antimicrobial stewardship elective rotations.

Dr. Dustin Christensen-Grant was honored with the Preceptor of the Year Award. Dr. Christensen-Grant is a clinical pharmacist who precepts DKICP students at the Queen’s Medical Center on acute medicine rotations. His background is in internal medicine, and he received individual nominations for this award from all of his APPE students this year.

“Preceptors serve as role models and mentors for our students, helping to transform the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom into real life experiences that shape who they will be as future pharmacists. Our preceptors spend numerous hours in their practice sites providing our students with hands-on learning, accounting for roughly one-third of the PharmD curriculum," said Dr. Jarred Prudencio, Director of Experiential Education.

The final APPE year in pharmacy school provides immersive experiences for DKICP students in a variety of settings including clinics, hospitals, community pharmacies, small businesses, managed care, universities, government agencies, and industry.