QU College of Pharmacy students showcase patient counselling skills

QATAR University College of Pharmacy QU-CPH , in collaboration with the Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Society

QPhUS , recently held the 4th Pharmacy Patient Counselling Competition on campus.

The competition is held annually as an opportunity for the pharmacy students from different professional years to test their drug information and patient counselling skills.

The competition attracted pharmacy students to showcase their skills and knowledge in patient counselling in real-life medical scenarios in two rounds, the first round involved nine students in the English track and nine students in the Arabic track.

A simulated patient with a clinical case was introduced to all the students who gathered information about the case, checked the relevant resources for the right answers and counselled the patient.

The three contestants selected for the final round of the Arabic category were

atifa Alkhayyat from the third professional year, Ola Almasalmeh from the third professional year and Hassan Mohammadian from the first professional year.

The English category finalists were Duha Akasheh from the second professional year, Salma Anas from the second professional year and Nassima

erouali from the first professional year.

A panel of four judges evaluated the participating students based on different criteria, including language skills, communication skills, professional competencies and clinical knowledge.

The panel of judges were Dr Anas Hamad, adjunct assistant professor at QU-CPH and the director of Pharmacy Department at NCCCR; Dr Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, associate professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice at QUCPH; Dr Hesham orashy, professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at QU-CPH; and Ruba Sulaiman, a fourth professional year pharmacy student at QU-CPH and QPhUS contact person. The event concluded with winners’ announcement by Marwa Elshazly, QPhUS president.

First professional year student Hassan Mohammadian won the first place in the Arabic track and first professional year student Nassima erouali won the first place in the English track. Certificates were handed over by QU-CPH Dean Dr Feras Alali and QU-CPH Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Dr Alla El-Awaisi.

Dr Alali said, “Witnessing Pharmacy first professional year students leading the competition this year was a pleasant surprise and speaks to the readiness and early engagement of our students in patient-centred quality education.”

QU-CPH Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice and one of the judges in the competition said, “I was really impressed by the performance of the students. Such competitions do not only harness students’ counselling skills but also enhance their self-confidence.”

QU-CPH first professional year student Hassan Mohammadian, who won the first place in the Arabic track, said “There are absolutely no words that can describe how proud I am now of myself. Winning this competition, especially since I am still in my first professional year, means a lot for me and gives me a push for more success in the future, Insha’Allah..”

QU-CPH first professional year student Nassima erouali, won the first place in the English track, said “This was a truly nerve racking yet exhilarating experience where I was able to apply my patient counselling skills outside the classroom.”