An eye-opening experience
IN semester six of the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programme at International Medical University (IMU), students are offered an elective module where they are given the opportunity to explore their areas of interest with specified learning objectives.
For this, one of the students, Charmaine Caryn Teo Cher Ern, decided to carry out her elective at Hiroshima University, Japan and spent four weeks at the university. The four weeks comprised two weeks of hospital attachment and two weeks of research exposure. She relates her experience in Japan here.
“During the first two weeks, I was assigned to the Department of Pharmaceutical Services at Hiroshima University Hospital under the supervision of Prof Hiroaki Matsuo. There are a total of seven divisions under this department, including dispensing and compounding, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM), drug information services (DI), medicine management (clinical pharmacists), clinical trial, department of infection control and general risk manager.
“I was intrigued by the technology and system applied in the compounding area. A digital system is implemented where physicians can upload prescription information into the software system. Upon receiving the prescription, the pharmacists will prepare the medicine with the help of the software system. They must scan the bar codes on the prescription sheets and labels from the drug bottles in order to make sure that the medicines tally with the prescription. This works as a double-checking system to prevent prescription errors.
“The following two weeks, I was attached to the pharmacology research laboratory led by Prof Norimitsu Morioka. The research carried out in this laboratory focuses on pain mechanisms which largely relies on animal studies, hence I had the chance to work in the animal facility. I learnt how to habitat a mouse before using it for experimental procedures and also tried to perform an intrathecal injection.
“In summary, the one month in Japan has provided me with an in-depth experience of the healthcare system in Japan. At the same time, I had the chance to broaden my horizons, particularly regarding the unique Japanese culture and lifestyle as well as gaining valuable friendship from the trip.”
At IMU, students have the options to complete the entire pharmacy programme locally at IMU or credit transfer pharmacy programmes to the University of Otago, New Zealand or University of Tasmania, Australia.
These international partnerships are a clear testament of the alignment of IMU’s innovative education to global standards.
Additionally, students who opt to complete the entire degree in Malaysia also have the opportunity to go overseas for elective placement or course.
The commencement for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) programme is in July and September. If you are interested in a diverse career that involves the safe and effective use of medicines, make an online application today to study IMU’s pharmacy programme.
If you have just completed your SPM and do not have pre-university qualification, consider enrolling in the one-year IMU Foundation in Science, the preferred foundation and direct route for entry into any of the university’s degree programmes.