Page 26 - RxBound-Winter2016-extended
P. 26
By Jim Scott, PharmD, M.Ed, FCCP, FASHP, FCSHP
Associate Dean for Experiential and Professional
Affairs
2015 marked a big milestone in our international
rotations. For this first time in 5 years we sent a student
to Khon Kaen University (KKU) for an APPE. While
have regularly been hosting 1 or 2 students per year
from KKU, it has been a while since we sent students
there. We also began a relationship with Taiwan Medical
University (TMU), and sent two students this year. All
three of these students reported learning a lot and were
well-received by their hosts. We also just signed an
agreement in February 2016 with Seoul National
University in South Korea.
2016 looks like it will be a banner year for the students
completing APPE rotations internationally. We are
expecting 11 students to each spend 6 weeks in either
Thailand, Taiwan, or Korea for APPEs this year. These
rotations are all considered “elective” rotations, and are
intended to help the students learn about some of the
diseases states that may be different in those countries,
or even similar diseases that present differently in the
US, but more importantly for students to learn about the
healthcare environment in the country that they visit.
We certainly hope that this momentum continues!!
Brandon Samson, PharmD ’16
“Completing an international health elective is a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to learn about the delivery, challenge,
and day-to-day life of healthcare in another country. I signed
up without knowing what I would learn or do in Khon Kaen
in northeastern Thailand. For five weeks while providing
supportive care for patients suffering from rare forms of
cancer (Thailand has the highest prevalence of liver cancer
worldwide), I met with over 50 pharmacy students and
participated in pharmacy school-specific activities at Khon me with lifelong friends who aim to provide the same care
Kaen University including walking in the equivalent of a and compassion that I’ve been trained to do at WesternU.”
white coat ceremony (in which students bless their teachers),
volunteering in a show for a pediatric cancer ward, and
participating in English-driven lectures and the creation of Above: Brandon Samson, PharmD ’16 (center), with former Thailand exchange
students, Weerapong (Matt) Thumchotang and Tanniti (Jeep) Chaisomkoon.
standardized patient videos. Aside from furthering oncology
knowledge and building independence, Khon Kaen provided
24 WesternU, College of Pharmacy
Associate Dean for Experiential and Professional
Affairs
2015 marked a big milestone in our international
rotations. For this first time in 5 years we sent a student
to Khon Kaen University (KKU) for an APPE. While
have regularly been hosting 1 or 2 students per year
from KKU, it has been a while since we sent students
there. We also began a relationship with Taiwan Medical
University (TMU), and sent two students this year. All
three of these students reported learning a lot and were
well-received by their hosts. We also just signed an
agreement in February 2016 with Seoul National
University in South Korea.
2016 looks like it will be a banner year for the students
completing APPE rotations internationally. We are
expecting 11 students to each spend 6 weeks in either
Thailand, Taiwan, or Korea for APPEs this year. These
rotations are all considered “elective” rotations, and are
intended to help the students learn about some of the
diseases states that may be different in those countries,
or even similar diseases that present differently in the
US, but more importantly for students to learn about the
healthcare environment in the country that they visit.
We certainly hope that this momentum continues!!
Brandon Samson, PharmD ’16
“Completing an international health elective is a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to learn about the delivery, challenge,
and day-to-day life of healthcare in another country. I signed
up without knowing what I would learn or do in Khon Kaen
in northeastern Thailand. For five weeks while providing
supportive care for patients suffering from rare forms of
cancer (Thailand has the highest prevalence of liver cancer
worldwide), I met with over 50 pharmacy students and
participated in pharmacy school-specific activities at Khon me with lifelong friends who aim to provide the same care
Kaen University including walking in the equivalent of a and compassion that I’ve been trained to do at WesternU.”
white coat ceremony (in which students bless their teachers),
volunteering in a show for a pediatric cancer ward, and
participating in English-driven lectures and the creation of Above: Brandon Samson, PharmD ’16 (center), with former Thailand exchange
students, Weerapong (Matt) Thumchotang and Tanniti (Jeep) Chaisomkoon.
standardized patient videos. Aside from furthering oncology
knowledge and building independence, Khon Kaen provided
24 WesternU, College of Pharmacy
