The Fika Crew welcomes David Steeb, PharmD, MPH - Founding Dean of the College of Global Population Health at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis - to talk about collaboration at the institutional and individual levels.  How and why are they created?  Why are some collaborations sustained and others never seem to get past the initial exploration stage?  In this epidose, we don't have all the answers (well, frankly, we never do), but we have plenty of questions!  

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 4:18

And check out the Australian Open Donut! 

Collaboration: 4:19

Resources

Gray B.  Collaborating: Finding Common Ground for Multiparty Problems.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1991.

Gray B, Wood DJ.  Collaborative Alliances: Moving from Practice to Theory.  J Applied Behav Sci 1991; 27 (1): 3-22.

Wood DJ, Gray B.  Toward a Comprehensive Theory of Collaboration.  J Applied Behav Sci 1991; 27 (2): 139-162.

Partnership Brokers Association.  Resources for individuals and organizations to "broker" partnerships.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

Just prior to cranberry season, the Fika Crew met with Lucinda Maine, PhD. - CEO Emerita, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy - to chat about her preferment (aka retirement) journey. 

Tina also shares her fascination with candied cranberry videos.  If you are curious, be sure to watch Thyme to Cook with Kristi. I Tried the Viral Candied Cranberry. November 20, 2025. [YouTube Video]

Preferment is a modern concept reframing retirement as a proactive, fulfulling stage of life focused on doing what you prefer, rather than simply ending work; it's about pursuing meaningful activities, passions, and purpose with freedom and flexibility, shifting from "retiring from" to "aspiring to" a life aligned with your values, using wisdom and energy for continued growth, contribution, and joy. It emphasizes a planned transition that integrates purpose, relationships, health, and finances, often through gradual changes.

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 4:27

Preferment : 4:28

Resources

Silver MP, Wong JV, Barrett K, et al.  A scope review and synthesis of the literature on retirement among academic health professionals.  Disocver Health Systems 2025; 4: Article 45. 

Goodall J and Abrams D. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times.  New York: Celadon Books, 2021.

And in case you missed it from our last epidose, this book is relevant to those considering or in preferment too:

Le Cunff A.  Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obessed World.  New York: Avery, 2025.

The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

In this epidose, the Fika Crew welcomes Brooke Griffin, PharmD, BCACP, from Midwestern University College of Pharmacy, Downers Grove, to talk about the mid-career / midlife demands that can put you in a rut. Coaching is one approach that can help you regain perspective, clarify values, and move toward actions (tiny experiments!) that positively support the journey.

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 4:17

Midcareer Discussion: 4:18

Resources

5 Minute Pep Talk with Brooke Griffin (Podcast)

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) - Mid-Career Recharge Program

Infurna FJ, Gerstorf D, Lachman ME.  Midlife in the 2020s: Opportunities and Challenges.  Am Pscyhol 2020; 75 (4): 470-485.

Burkeman O. Meditation for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.  New York: Picado, 2024.

Burkeman O. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.  New York: Picado, 2021.

Le Cunff A.  Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obessed World.  New York: Avery, 2025.

Willink J.  Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual.  New York: St. Martin's Press, 2017.

The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew talks about the promise and peril of free open educational resources (OER) and how they might be used to support faculty and students.  OER grants permission to teachers to use teaching and learning materials freely and to adapt them as needed to their specific circumstances.  The team debates the incentives for faculty to create OER, the cost savings for students, and the challenge of establishing a sustainable business model while promoting knowledge accessibility.

Dr. Glaucomflecken supports Open Access!

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 3:25

OER Discussion: 3:26

Resources

Swain BK & Pathak RK. Benefits and challenges of using OER in higher education: a pragmatic review.  Discover Education 2024; 3: Article 81.

Websites:

The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew invited Robin Zavod, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutical Science at Midwestern University, Downers Grove Campus, and AACP President, to share her passion for recognizing and supporting the unique ways learners and colleagues perceive and process information.  It starts with caring and showing compassionate concern for the well-being and success of our students, colleagues, and patients. Compassionate pedagogy asks faculty and preceptors to move towards teaching and learning practices that are flexible, equitable, and sustainable for all.

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 4:23

Resources

Hamilton LG, Petty S.  Compassionate pedagogy for neurodiversity in higher education: A conceptual analysis.  Front Psychol 2023; 14: DOI/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1093290.

Killingback C, Tomlinson A, Stern J.  Compassionate pedagogy in higher education: A scoping review.  Journal of Teaching and Learning Practice 2025; 22 (1): DOI: 10.53761/7yvrw787.

Dwyer P, Mineo E, Mifsud K, et al.  Building neurodiversity-inclusive postsecondary campuses: Recommendations for leaders in higher education.  Austism Adulthood 2023; 5 (1): DOI: 10.1089/aut.2021.00421.

White M, Harrison M, Cohn E, Wood R, StEvens C.  An Evidence Informed Guide to Becoming and Flourishing as a Neurodivergent Teacher: A Guide for Educators and School Leaders.  Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN), December 15, 2024.

University of Melbourne - Neurodiversity Project.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew welcomes Carrie Vogler, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Southern Illinois Edwardsville, and Heather Folz, PharmD, BCACP, Associate Professor of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy at Notre Dame of Maryland University, to talk about the online faculty journal club called "Not Your Mama's Journal Club."  At the AACP Annual Meeting, they described how they engage faculty in interactive discussions about papers related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).  We wanted to learn more!

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 3:48

Resources

Charrios TL, Janke KK, Covvey JR, Aronson BD. Making space for reading as a faculty member. Am J Pharm Educ 2023; 87 (10): Article 100115.

Rubin G. The four tendencies: The indispensable personality profiles that reveal how to make your life better (and other people's lives better, too). New York: Harmony Books, 2017.

McGuire SY, McGuire S. Teach students how to learn: Strategies you can incorporate into any course to improve student metacognition, study skills, and motivation. New York: Routledge, 2015.

Ambrose SA, Bridges MW, Lovett MC, DiPietro M, Norman MK. How learning works: Seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Lang JM. Small teaching: Everyday lessons from the science of learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2021.

Leslie I. Curious: The desire to know and why your future depends on it. New York: Basic Books, 2015.

Palmer P. The courage to teach: Exploring the inner landscape of a teacher's life. 20th Anniversary Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2017.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Pharmacy Fika Crew brought their posh new microphones and their smartphones to the AACP Annual Meeting in Chicago.  We talk with a select few speakers about their presentations and the lessons learned experimenting with new frameworks, techniques, and technologies.  Kristin talks with Alex Isaacs (Purdue) about expectancy value theory and its application to assessments.  Stuart interviews Jennifer Clements (South Carolina) and Kashelle Lockman (Iowa) about implementing greater transparency in their teaching using the TILT framework.  Tina bumps into Professor Louise "Lou" Brown (University College London) and marvels at the curricular changes needed to prepare graduates for a new identity - prescriber!  Jeff was attracted to the session on Smart Leave Practices and tracked down Katelyn Alexander (East Tennessee) to find out how we can be more thoughtful and intentional about time off from work.  Stuart pigeonholes Todd Sorensen (Minnesota), who chaired the 2025 Argus Commission, to discuss the Forecast Report and the trends that may materialize over the next five years.  And Kristin wanted to learn more about how to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a partner to be a more effective educator, and interviewed Jacqui MacLaughlin (North Carolina) about the use of AI to assess learners.

Intro and Fika Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 3:30

Resources

Holdford D, Lovelace-Elmore B.  Applying principles of human motivation to Pharmaceutical Education.  J Pharm Teaching 2001;  8(4): 1-18.

Website:  TILT Higher Ed: Transparency in Teaching and Learning

Ambrose SA, Bridges MW, DiPietro M, Lovett MC, Norman MK.  What Factors Motivate Students to Learn?  In: How Learning Works:  Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching.  Jossey-Bass, 2010: 66-90.

Sorensen T, Cox C, Haines ST, Lin A, Melchert R, et al. AACP Argus Commission Forecast 2025.  2025;89(8):101441.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew welcomes Vibhuti Arya, PharmD, MPH — Clinical Professor, St. John's University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences — who shares her concerns about leadership, systemic tension, and cultivating new voices.  Are we so bogged down in administrative tasks that the system is taking away the time and space needed to think, invent, and be creative?  How might an appreciative inquiry approach enable us to honor the progress we've made while fostering change for the future?

Fika Beverage Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 4:47

Discussion about Leadership:  4:48

Resources

Ashton M. Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff. N Engl J Med 2018: 379 (19): 1789-91.

The Center for Appreciative Inquiry. What is Appreciative Inquiry?.

Merriel A, Wilson A, Decker E, et al. Systematic review and narrative synthesis of the impact of Appreciative Inquiry in healthcare. BMJ Open Qual 2022; 11(2): e001911.

Cockell J, McArthur-Blair J. Appreciative inquiry in higher education: A transformative force. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2012.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew has a wide-ranging conversation about viewing scholarly work beyond the narrow confines of end products but rather how to capture the people, processes, and products to express its full impact.  Use a framework. Consider using visuals.  Speak the language of your audience.

When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax and use more normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock -- to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures.

Flannery O'Connor, Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose

Fika Beverage Snack Sharing: 0:00 to 4:05

Discussion about Scholarship:  4:06

Resources

Albon SP, Cooley JH, and Janke KK.  A tool for creating snapshots of faculty contributions to pharmacy education. Am J Pharm Education 2022; 86 (2): Article 8628. 

Janke KK, Cooley JH, Albon SP. Interrogating our views on education-related scholarship. Am J Pharm Educ 2023; 87 (6): Article 100085.

Simpson D, Fincher RM, Hafler JP, et al. Advancing educators and education by defining the components and evidence associated with educational scholarship. Med Educ 2007; 41 (10): 1002-9.

Educational Leadership Mapping (ELM) Tool.  University of British Columbia Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

Education Performance Standards Framework.  Monash University, April 2019.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika

The Fika Crew contemplates the know-do gap ... the gap between what we know research has documented is a helpful improvement and what we actually do.  It's NOT a lack of knowledge or know-how, but rather a complex mix of factors that prevent us from translating what we know into practice.  We explore some of these factors, but there are likely more!

Fika Beverage Snack Sharing: 0:00 - 2:51

Discussion about the Know-Do Gap:  2:52

Resources

Clear J. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.  New YorK: Avery, an imprint of Peguin Random House, 2018.

Duhig C.  The Power of Habits: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.  New York: Random House, 20212.

Hulme PE.  Bridging the knowing-doing gap: know-who, know-what, know-why, know-how, and know-when.  J Appl Ecology 2014; 51 (5): 1131-1136.

Livet M, Haines ST, Curran GM, et al.  Implementation Science to Advance Care Delivery: A Primer for Pharmacists and Other Health Professionals.  Pharmacotherapy 2018; 38 (5): 490-502.

Winget M, Persky AM.  A practical review of mastery learning.  Am J Pharm Educ 2022; 86 (10): 8906.

Nelson A, Eliasz KL.  Desirable difficulty: Theory and application of intentionally challenging learning.  Med Educ 2023; 57(2): 123-130.

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The Pharmacy Fika podcast is a positive and compassionate “place” (a virtual community) where pharmacy and other health professions educators gather to discuss teaching, learning, scholarship, and academic life… plus the snacks that support their best work. So grab your favorite beverage and listen to the Pharmacy Fika podcast with your colleagues.

The Co-Hosts are:

Disclaimer (inspired by Whad’Ya Know?): All opinions expressed on the Pharmacy Fika podcast are well-reasoned and insightful. Needless to say, they are ours and our guests alone, and not those of our employing institutions.

Even though we don’t accept advertising and don’t have any sponsors, we seem to mention Trader Joe’s snacks and various water-based drinks a LOT.

Not sure what fika is all about?  Watch this brief video:  How a Swedish coffee break can boost your wellbeing and performance.

Got a great idea for a discussion topic?  Drop us a line ([email protected]) or leave us a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/PharmacyFika