Preceptor Resources
The Script — March 2026
PY1 student pharmacist, Stephan Noonen, completed a Community IPPE rotation at Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, an independent practice that integrates traditional dispensing services with an on-site clinical care model. Stephan interviewed owner Thad Schumacher to learn more about the vision, challenges, and opportunities in building a community pharmacy and patient care clinic. Thad shares insights on innovative practice models, expanding the pharmacist role, and preparing student pharmacists for the future of community-based care.
What inspired the creation of Fitchburg Family Pharmacy?
My entrepreneurial foundation began long before pharmacy school, growing up in a family that owned a car dealership, garage, and autobody shop. During my training, I recognized that independent practice offered something powerful, the ability to make clinical decisions without restriction and to serve patients on my own terms. In residency, I often felt limited in how far I could go to help those in need. Opening Fitchburg Family Pharmacy was the answer. While some pharmacists prefer the structure of chain practice, I sought autonomy, clinical freedom, and the ability to serve as a true point of care for the Fitchburg community. What began as professional independence has grown into a sustained mission to expand access, improve affordability, and elevate patient outcomes.
How does Fitchburg Family Pharmacy ensure students gain meaningful experiences during their rotation?
Although my administrative responsibilities have shifted me away from daily precepting, I remain deeply committed to student development. By entrusting Dr. Bellissimo with full precepting autonomy, I ensure students are immersed in meaningful clinical care rather than limited to dispensing tasks. Learners participate in treatment decisions, practice at the top of their license, and engage directly with patients. Our model prioritizes responsibility, clinical reasoning, and real-world impact, giving students a clear vision of what community pharmacy can become.
What do the pharmacists hope students take away from their experience at Fitchburg Family Pharmacy?
I want students to expand their vision of pharmacy practice. Fitchburg Family Pharmacy was built as a site where pharmacists practice fully, break down access barriers, and create a more just and equitable model of care. With pharmacists now recognized as Medicaid providers and the profession pushing toward broader provider status, I challenge learners to think beyond speed or metrics. It is not about how quickly we complete tasks; it is about how meaningfully we impact patients.
I encourage students to see opportunities within the complexity of modern healthcare. Chaos defines the healthcare marketplace. There are a lot of medications available, but no one knows where things are headed. Insurance dictates healthcare, but within the uncertainty lies opportunity. Where can pharmacists step in to help find solutions? If we are creating solutions, no one is going to tell us to stop.
This philosophy drives my advocacy for PBM reform, affordable medications, and a combined community-based primary care pharmacy model that maximizes patient impact at every encounter.
What should colleagues and fellow preceptors understand about this Community Practice Pharmacy model?
I believe pharmacy must continually evolve. As provider recognition expands, pharmacists must educate patients about the full scope of services they can deliver. Too often, students view pharmacy services narrowly. At Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, we demonstrate a broader model that includes chronic disease management, wound care, blood pressure management, and longitudinal patient care. I encourage fellow preceptors to model this expanded scope and empower students to step confidently into provider roles. By demonstrating value and measurable impact, pharmacy will continue to strengthen its place within the healthcare system.
Fitchburg Family Pharmacy stands as proof that community pharmacy can function as an accessible primary care extension, advocating for affordability, challenging systemic barriers, and serving as a dependable point of care for those who need it most.
Preceptor Insights Series
Challenging Learners
Not every learner will excel immediately on rotation and that is okay. Struggles during clinical rotations are common. The real question is how do we respond as preceptors? This video focuses on turning difficult moments into developmental milestones.
5 Tips for Effective Written Evaluations
Providing your learner with formal, written feedback is an invaluable part of the student’s rotation experience. These evaluations are essential to a learner’s continued growth as they work toward becoming life-long learners and trusted healthcare providers.
This video details five tips to help you write specific, objective, observable, and actionable evaluations.
Trust & Autonomy
As a preceptor, you guide, challenge, and create growth opportunities—but when should you grant more autonomy? How do you build trust while ensuring quality patient care?
Building Trust: The Foundation of Autonomy
Granting autonomy starts with trust—trust in your ability to assess readiness and in your learner’s ability to ask for help when needed. Trust is influenced by your experience, the learner’s strengths and weaknesses, and the task at hand. Understanding these dynamics is key to knowing when and how much autonomy to offer.
View the Full Preceptor Insight Series
View the video seriesPreceptor Resources
Thank you, preceptors!
Our preceptors play a pivotal role in guiding pharmacy students towards becoming innovative and engaging professionals. You provide pharmacy practice experiences that integrate, reinforce and advance the PharmD program curriculum. At the MCW Pharmacy School, we value the commitment and dedication of each pharmacy preceptor and the role you play in shaping the pharmacists of the future. Thank you!
