{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Ep 574 Passing the NAPLEX the First Time with Ellie Twedt P4 U Iowa","description":"Podcast Episode: Passing the NAPLEX the First Time  Welcome to today\u2019s episode with our guest Ellie Twedt, a P4 at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, where we\u2019re diving into a smarter, science-backed way to prepare for the NAPLEX while navigating your APPE rotations. Instead of cramming or waiting until the last minute, we\u2019ll explore how to blend real-world learning with proven study techniques from Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. This book highlights three powerful methods for long-term mastery\u2014spaced practice, retrieval practice, and interleaving. We\u2019ll focus especially on spaced practice and how it can transform your approach to studying. Imagine using your RxPrep book not as a giant wall of content, but as a map. As you move through each APPE, you\u2019ll connect the rotation experience to the RxPrep chapters that match what you\u2019re seeing in the real world. This method turns APPEs into a natural structure for preparing for the NAPLEX, with built-in review and reinforcement along the way. We\u2019ll talk about how to link chapters to rotations, create a rotation-based study schedule, and build habits that make your knowledge stick. If you\u2019ve ever felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of material or wondered how to balance NAPLEX prep with the demands of your APPEs, this episode is for you. By the end, you\u2019ll have a strategy that transforms studying from a last-minute scramble into a continuous, confident process\u2014one that leverages both your rotations and the science of successful learning. You can find the free materials she talks about in the interview under "Free General Resources" here: https:\/\/residency.teachable.com\/p\/extremeloi Auto Generated Transcript  Hey, welcome to the Pharmacy Residency Podcast. I haven't podcasted in a while, but we've got 500 episodes that you can use as a reference\u2014they're all still out there. We've had a bit of an issue with the NAPLEX, and I think this year presents a real opportunity. This year and next will be, if not the easiest times to get a residency, certainly times with significantly fewer applicants\u2014around 2,000 fewer graduates in each class. One of the best ways to stand out is to show that you're going to pass the NAPLEX, or at least that you're seriously preparing to give it your best shot. So, I've brought on Ellie Twedt from the University of Iowa. She's a P4 in her second rotation, right? Yep, second rotation. We've asked ourselves: how can we ensure we're putting our best foot forward? We're taking a page out of the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. One lesson in there is that spaced practice\u2014essentially, not cramming at the end\u2014is critical. When the NAPLEX rolls around, you don't want to be eight or nine months removed from studying and suddenly find yourself panicking. Unfortunately, that happens often. We\u2019ve got some solutions, and Ellie is here to walk us through them. Ellie, tell us a little about yourself\u2014how you got into pharmacy school and Iowa specifically. Ellie: Yeah, as Tony mentioned, I\u2019m a P4 at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. I came to pharmacy through an untraditional path\u2014starting with veterinary medicine. I found I loved both the drug side of things and working with people, so pharmacy felt like the perfect marriage. Being an in-state student, Iowa made sense, and it also gave me the chance to continue my cross country career. It\u2019s been a great fit, and I\u2019ve really enjoyed my time here. Tony: So you started at Iowa and stayed there. I married into Iowa\u2014that\u2019s how I ended up here. Let\u2019s shift to talking about NAPLEX pass rates. They\u2019ve gone down significantly. We\u2019re not here to blame anyone, but rather to ask: what can we do about it? When I was in school, the PharmD was in its first year at Maryland. If I had finished my pre-pharmacy work in two years\u2014some call it \u201ctwo years of pre-pharmacy\u201d\u2014I could\u2019ve gone straight into three years of pharmacy school. I did mine in three years. So I would\u2019ve done three years at the University of Maryland at Baltimore (now University of Maryland, Baltimore). APPEs were only in the final semester: four or five weeks in retail, four to five in hospital, and one elective. That was it. There wasn\u2019t much of a gap between finishing classes and taking the NAPLEX. I graduated in 1996\u2014nearly 30 years ago. It wasn\u2019t as easy as choosing between aspirin and Tylenol, but it was simpler. Over the years, complexity has increased\u2014residencies, PGY2s, fellowships, infectious disease, oncology, etc. The exam has grown more challenging. And while you\u2019re not allowed to talk about the NAPLEX after taking it, we hear stories: someone gets an all-oncology version, someone else all HIV or cardiology. Today, students might go 15 to 16 months between finishing didactic work and sitting for the NAPLEX. That\u2019s a long gap. You P3s have APPEs that start during your third year, so depending on your schedule, it could be a long stretch between classroom learning and the exam. Ellie, what\u2019s your solution to that gap? And how are you using spaced practice? Ellie: I just got my enormous RxPrep book\u2014over 1,000 pages. My question was: how can I break this up to make it less overwhelming and use my time wisely? I\u2019m trying to match chapters to my APPEs so I\u2019m walking into each one more prepared. Tony: And it\u2019s even harder now because the questions aren\u2019t in the book anymore. That\u2019s another $500. Ellie: Exactly. The content is so big it doesn\u2019t fit in one book. So now I read a chapter bit by bit, watch lecture videos for concepts I don\u2019t remember, then end with practice questions. That\u2019s part of the retrieval practice from Make It Stick. Tony: Right\u2014trying to recall things helps solidify learning. And it looks great to your preceptor. You make a good first impression if you\u2019ve reviewed guidelines and identified knowledge gaps beforehand. Instead of asking for help with major gaps two days before the rotation ends, it\u2019s better to start strong. Tell us how you matched chapters to your first APPE and beyond. Ellie: My first was a community clinical rotation, so I assigned myself chapters on compounding, non-sterile calculations, OTC counseling (allergic rhinitis, tobacco cessation, dietary supplements, etc.). I also drew on my work experience at a compounding pharmacy\u2014placing that content early gave me time for harder chapters later. Tony: Are you getting into a rhythm now? Some people start with questions first to identify knowledge gaps. Ellie: I got both the book and online content. I try to read a bit, then watch videos if I get stuck, and then do test questions to reinforce the concepts. Tony: That makes sense. You\u2019re combining spaced and retrieval practice. Also, your preceptors don\u2019t have a packet of your history\u2014they only know you\u2019re supposed to be prepared. Showing initiative and acknowledging gaps helps them help you. Now, you\u2019re in your academic block, which gives you more time. What chapters did you assign yourself? Ellie: I\u2019m using this time to cover foundational science\u2014lab values, drug references, etc.\u2014that will set me up for acute care and ambulatory care later. I\u2019m also catching up on any chapters I didn\u2019t get to. Tony: Great. What\u2019s your next APPE? Ellie: I\u2019m heading to Amber Pharmacy in Omaha\u2014a specialty rotation focused on hepatitis C, oncology, MS, and Crohn\u2019s. I assigned myself chapters on liver disease, transplant, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell. Tony: Oncology is always a beast. Just know your limits\u2014don't try to impress a BCOP with guesses. It\u2019s better to say what you do and don\u2019t know. Next rotation? Ellie: Acute care at Gundersen Lutheran in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I focused on more acute chapters\u2014things I haven\u2019t covered yet but need to know. Tony: Makes sense. Did your preceptors give you guidance on which chapters to prioritize? Ellie: Yes, and I tried to be strategic\u2014less time in heavier blocks, more content when I have flexibility. Tony: Next? Ellie: Infectious disease in Iowa City. I already did the ID elective, so I\u2019m reviewing those chapters again, plus HIV and drug allergy. Tony: HIV can get really deep. Are you planning to take a practice NAPLEX? Ellie: Possibly. It might help assess whether I\u2019m on track. Tony: Agreed. Okay, what\u2019s next? Ellie: Ambulatory care in Sioux City at a family medicine clinic\u2014focusing on chronic disease and neurology. Also spacing out some community chapters. Tony: You\u2019ll probably be doing MTMs. Those can be a grind. Ellie: Yeah, calling patients who don\u2019t want to be called... fun times. Tony: After that? Ellie: An elective pharmacy rotation at One Arrow Rx in West Des Moines\u2014they serve Metacap facilities and offer clinical services. I put more community topics there to balance the load. Tony: Final rotation? Ellie: My hospital rotation at Mary Greeley in Ames. Tony: So you\u2019ll finish with inpatient. That\u2019s great. You mentioned challenges\u2014what were the biggest ones in making your schedule? Ellie: First, assigning chapters to my most specific rotations helped narrow things down. Then I realized RxPrep lists estimated study times for each chapter, which I hadn\u2019t considered. I\u2019d go back and balance chapter hours more evenly across blocks if I had to revise. Tony: You\u2019re being hard on yourself. Just having this mapped out is a huge win. Final thoughts? Ellie: Nope, I think we covered everything. Thanks for having me. Tony: Thanks for being on the Pharmacy Residency Podcast!     ","author_name":"Pharmacy Residency Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/pharmacy.libsyn.com\/","html":"