Fifteen years into his career, the Mount Horeb Family Pharmacy co-owner is still showing student pharmacists what independent pharmacy can be
For many future pharmacists, their first time working in a pharmacy setting, alongside a licensed pharmacist, will be through rotating clerkships, called Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE). These rotations can be transformational, showing PharmD students what real-world practice looks like and giving them access to a seasoned expert in the field: their preceptor.
“I had those opportunities in school, so taking students seemed like a no-brainer to me, to keep the profession moving forward,” says Matt McGowan (PharmD ’10), co-owner of Mount Horeb Family Pharmacy.
McGowan has been showing IPPE students — in their first, second, and third years of the PharmD program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy — the ropes for more than 15 years. And this year, he’s being honored as one of the best.
“Because of its flexibility and impact, I think independent pharmacy is the best way to practice with our license, so it’s helpful if I can show students what a small, independent retail pharmacy can be.”
–Matt McGowan
The School’s PharmD students have chosen McGowan for the School’s 2026 IPPE Preceptor of the Year Award, which recognizes preceptors who go above and beyond to teach and support student pharmacists.
“I think it’s really cool,” McGowan says of the honor. “I love having IPPE students in the pharmacy.”
Precepting since day one
McGowan, just over 15 years into his career, has already experienced a breadth of pharmacy roles, from big box retail to independent community pharmacies. And he’s been precepting for the School of Pharmacy for his entire journey, since he earned his license and started working at Hartig Drug in Darlington, Wisconsin.
“Because of its flexibility and impact, I think independent pharmacy is the best way to practice with our license, so it’s helpful if I can show students what a small, independent retail pharmacy can be,” he says.
McGowan says the benefit for students is exposure to the challenges and opportunities in a real-world pharmacy environment.
“They enjoy the rotation with us, and it’s kind of a working interview, so it’s a great way to get exposure to this type of practice setting,” he says.
McGowan enjoys the networking experiences that come from precepting.
“I like getting to meet them all and hopefully seeing them again down the line in their careers,” he says.
In some cases, the students quickly become colleagues.
“The students know the opportunity is always here if they enjoy working here,” he says. “We’ve hired a few of our IPPE students.”
Student-driven rotations
McGowan is always intentional about the experience he creates for his IPPE students.
“The intention of these rotations are for them to learn as student pharmacists, and I meet with them at the beginning of their rotation and say, ‘I want this to be what you want,’ and ask them what they hope to get out of it,” he says. “I find out whether they’re interested in independent or chain pharmacy, or hospital pharmacy, or administration.”
McGowan tailors his students’ rotations to help them get what they want out of the opportunity.
“If they want to work on projects and sprinkle in some consultations, we do that,” he says. “If they want to eventually manage a community pharmacy, I will guide them along and share what I have learned from my experiences.”
McGowan believes it’s valuable for students to meet pharmacists in positions of leadership and establish relationships that could open doors in the future.
“It’s important to have those connections as people traverse through their early careers,” he says.
McGowan — who was also honored by the School of Pharmacy in 2023 as the Pharmacy Alumni Association’s Young Alumnus of the Year — continues to grow Mount Horeb Family Pharmacy, which he took ownership of in 2022. The pharmacy offers a robust vaccination service and focuses on connecting with community members, a commitment McGowan has deepened by serving for several years on the local chamber of commerce board of directors.
“Our name continues to spread in good ways and develop a good reputation in the community and among pharmacists and healthcare providers in the area,” he says. “As our presence has grown in our community, other opportunities have arisen.”
That engagement extends to the profession statewide: McGowan has served on the board of the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin for two years, supporting the organization’s advocacy for pharmacy practice in Wisconsin.
“PSW is phenomenal,” he says. “The people representing us at the state Capitol are so good. States have been making changes, and the hope is for national reform and that Wisconsin can continue making progress.”
Amid the busy pharmacy and professional service, McGowan and his wife Kayla McGowan (PharmD ‘12), an ambulatory care pharmacist at UW Health, have three boys — ages 12, 10, and 8 — and although life and the pharmacy business are busy, McGowan finds the time to also coach his kids’ sports teams, including football, baseball, and wrestling.
Whether it’s his community, family, or profession, McGowan’s approach is the same: show up, invest in people, and find new ways to move forward.
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