|
HANDS ACROSS THE WATER, HANDS ACROSS THE SKY
PROGRAM BUILDS GLOBAL BRIDGES
PharmD students interested in global health have an opportunity to learn how to make a difference in the world, thanks to a new program offered by the College. Several elective courses and advanced pharmacy practice experiences are building global bridges between students and underserved populations.
Hazel H. Seaba, ’71 MS, clinical professor and assistant dean for assessment and curriculum, said, “The next generation of pharmacists will practice in a world that expects the profession to contribute to the health of the public at large. Patient-oriented care and population-based care each have a local and a global face. The knowledge and skills of tomorrow’s pharmacists must benefit all segments of the population.”
The College seeks to develop and publish a model curriculum in drug-management for underserved populations. “We really would like to offer PharmD students the opportunity to participate in global health initiatives, to get them thinking that this is an area they may want to pursue a career,” Seaba added.
While other college students were taking time off, in 2007 for the first time a group of PharmD students spent a week in Xicotepec, Mexico. The culmination of a new course called International Perspectives: Xicotepec—listed jointly between the colleges of Pharmacy and Engineering—the course sought to create an opportunity for students to promote global citizenship through service learning projects. During the semester before visiting Xicotepec, students learned how to partner with nonprofit organizations and local communities to address health care, social service and environmental quality needs in less developed countries. Multidisciplinary teamwork, reflection and appropriate professional behavior are key objectives, according to the course syllabus.
Students planned and organized a program to improve the health of a community. Carried out in collaboration with Rotary International’s District 6000, pharmacy students administered about 2,000 doses of chewable albenadazole to de-worm schoolchildren. Students also raised money to benefit health services in that town.
Additional elective courses teach pharmaceutical management for underserved populations (Hazel Seaba) and health
disparities and cultural competence, taught by Chris Catney, ’96 PharmD, assistant professor (clinical) of clinical and administrative pharmacy. These principles are becoming increasingly important. The cultural competence course is cross-listed with the colleges of Nursing and Public Health, giving students an opportunity to connect with other disciplines.
In addition to the Xicotepec project, students can gain hands-on experience through additional advanced pharmacy practice experiences electives. These include the Proteus Migrant Health Project in Des Moines, the Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service Pharmacy rotations, Zuni Comprehensive Community Heath Center and the Santa Fe Indian Hospital. The College has recently signed an agreement with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that will place faculty and students in clinical sites in Dar es Salaam.
The Global Health Webpage can be found at:
http://www.pharmacy.uiowa.edu/globalhealth/index.htm
|
