Newsletter 94 - SEP

International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation

IPSFNewsletter December2011 IssueN°94

Students Today, Pharmacists Tomorrow

IPSFNEWSLETTER Student Exchange Programme

Since establishment in 1949, IPSF now represents more than 350,000 pharmacy students and recent graduates in 84 countries worldwide.

IPSF is the leading international advocacy organisation of pharmacy students promoting improved public health through provision of information, education, networking, and a range of publication and professional activities.

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International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation

EDITORIAL Publication team Issue 94 December 2011

Dear IPSFers, Welcome to the First edition of SEP newsletter 2011-2012!!!!

Design and layout Ines Harzallah

Chairperson of Media and Publications 2011-2012

Cover photo Amanda Stevens Proofread by Kendell Langrejans

In this edition you will have unique opportunity to meet all members of Student Exchange Committee who are amazing and very experienced SEOs, read about experiences of SEP Grant Recipients 2010-2011.

I hope that you will enjoy this edition. And this is not all; there will be more to come very soon!!

Enjoy!!

Vive la Pharamcy!

Contact publications@ipsf.org editor@ipsf.org

Milanka Marunić Chairperson of Student Exchange 2011-2012

CONTENTS

SEP team 2011-2012 My SEP experience Estonia

9

Peru

NEWSLETTER 1 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

13

Turkey

17

2

2011-2

SEP team

012

Milanka Marunić

Melissa Teo

SERBIA

MALAYSIA & AUSTRALIA

Year of study: 5 out of 5 SEP Backround:

Year of study: Graduated. Now a practising pharmacist in hospital pharmacy.

LEO of BPSA (Belgrade Pharamceutical Students’ Association) 2009

SEP background: 2007-08 as SEO of NAPSA, Australia, 2008-10: Member of SEC and 2010-11: Chairperson of Student Exchange

SEO of NAPSer 2010

Why are you involved in SEC:

SEC Member 2011

Since my involvement with NAPSA, I have always been fascinated by international student exchange and also IPSF. The IPSF spirit is totally infectious!

I attended the IPSF World Congress in Romania in 2008 and met all the fabulous SEOs I worked with then. Since then, I became involved with SEC. The pinnacle of my experience in IPSF was when I was elected as the Chairperson of Student Exchange for 2010-11. I loved every single minute of it! I enjoy seeing and hearing about the joys of students who went abroad on exchange! Their experience is next to none and I am happy to be part of the background team that makes it all happen, working alongside all the hard-working SEOs and LEOs around the world that ensure that SEP runs smoothly! Kudos to everyone!

Chairperson of Student Exchange 2011-2012 Why are you involved in SEC: I have always absolutely loved SEP and what SEC does for this programme. It is great way to continue SEO’s duties and get more involved in IPSF. I joined SEC after a friend suggested to me to do it and I’m very glad that I made that step. It has been unforgettable experience working with numerous experienced SEOs from all around the world!!

Slaviša Stojković

Kerstin Heyder

Elena Fasniuc

SERBIA

GERMANY

ROMANIA

Year of study: graduated, specialized (and still here) :) SEP Background: Exchange student in 2006, SEO for NAPSer Serbia 2006/07 and 2007/08, SEC member since 2007; Why STILL involved in SEC: What to say after all those years spent in SEC? And every year seems to be the last year of my involment... But no...

As far I can see IPSF spirit will never let me go.

Working as a SEC member gives an excellent opportunity to help development of SEP. It is a great feeling when you know that together with your SEC-mates you can make SEP better. Also, helping other SEOs in solving problems they faced during the term makes you feel real good.

And friendships you can make working in SEC are very important. I met so many great people and we became good friends. It is a real wealth! And I just can’t stop!

NEWSLETTER 3 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Year of study: finshed, working at community pharmacy

Year of study 5th out of 5

SEP background: first IPSF congress in Cairns Australia 2006, 2006/07 till 2007/08 SEO for Germany, since Congress 2007 in Taiwan member of SEC

SEP background

Why you are STILL involved in SEC: Well, it started with a little fever back in Australia, the IPSF - SEP - fever, the infection turned out to become quite seriour, I still did not recover from it till today.

member of SEC since 2010

Why I do not take the right pills to let go of this fever?Well, I don’t quite remember whether it was a lost bet or a promise to someone... but I know that I am very happy of still being part of this amazing project with such amazing people around me. AND: I guess there is no properly working medication against the IPSFfever...

2009-2010 LEO for ClujNapoca, 2010-2011 SEO for Romania,

Why you are involved in SEC SEP was the first thing I knew about IPSF. I really enjoyed the experience as LEO & SEO and also as a SEP participant. After knowing the responsibilities and the experience itself I know I can give a hand to others. This is also a great way to discover your abilities and to meet new people. Being part of the Committee is a way if know more about SEP and IPSF.

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

Anzhelika Makinyan

Patrícia Pessoa

Lina Heled

ARMENIA

PORTUGAL

ISRAEL

Year of study: 2/2 Master Degree SEP background: SEO of ArmPSA 2008-present, LS of ArmPSA 2009-present, SEC member 2010-present Why you are involved in SEC: Because I love it!! SEP is a great opportunity for young pharmacist to discover IPSF, to get experience in the different fields of pharmacy, to meet new people and specialists and to have a lot of fun. SEP is part and parcel of my life since 2008 when I got my first experience in IPSF. I am involved in a SEP for a very long time and I think that I have to share my knowledge and experience with younger generations in order to improve and enhance the quality and extent of SEP. That is the main reason because of which I continued my term in a SEC.I enjoy every moment of my IPSF`s life and being a member of SEC is an honor for me.

NEWSLETTER 4 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Year of study: 5 out of 5

SEP Backround: Assistance to LEO in 2007/08; LEO in 2008/09 and SEO in 2010/11.

Attended the 57th IPSF AC 2011 in Thailand

Why are you involved in SEC: Since my first year of Pharmacy School that I’m involved with SEP, which made me have a good overview about the interest of students in it.

My experience with this project couldn’t have been more positive! I had to deal with a lot of different situations concerning both incoming and outgoing students! I love this international environment that IPSF offers us so... how could I stand one year without SEP?

Year of study - finished, doing my internship in community pharmacy SEP background 2009-2011 SEO for ASRN Israel Why you are involved in SEC in my first year of study, when i attended the meeting introducing IPSF and SEP, i was simply amazed by the opportunities this organization has to offer students, since that year i tried to get accepted for SEP, that didnt happen.. :) instead i got an offer to run for the position of seo during my 3rd year of study, so i signed up and i actually got it! since than i just can’t stop engaging in all that is to do in this program, so after i graduated i decided to continue on with my involvement with SEP as amember of SEC, best decision ever!

Kendell Langejans

Haikal Madzhi

Andreas Schittny

CANADA

Malaysia

Switzerland

Year of study: 2011 graduate, currently working as a hospital/ clinical pharmacist SEP background: SEO of CAPSI-Canada 20102011 Why you are involved in SEC: I caught the IPSF bug in Bali in 2009, and have been involved with CAPSI and IPSF ever since.

While I didn’t have the chance to go on an exchange myself, I spent 2 years hosting students in my home province of Alberta and made new friends from all over the world. When my term as SEO of CAPSI ended, I wasn’t ready to give up SEP or IPSF, so I joined SEC! I’m looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible in Egypt this summer! Viva la pharmacie!

NEWSLETTER 5 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Year of study: Finished, currently undergoing 1 year training in hospital pharmacy SEP background: The first SEO for MyPSA from 2008-2010. Went for APPS 2009 Thailand, APPS 2010 Malaysia and APPS 2011 Indonesia Why you are involved in SEC: When I joined APPS 2009 in Thailand, I got to know about SEP. And it was impressive to see that every country has its own SEO. So I decided to take the challenge and bring SEP to Malaysia. Year by year Malaysia’s SEP started to improve. We are hosting more students and sending more students out. Since I wish to bring Malaysia SEP to the next level, I decided to join SEC. To learn from the ‘seniors’ country and to work directly with the chairperson, and understand more about IPSF SEP internally and externally. Besides, I do believe that SEP is a life changing experience, and every students who participate in SEP will have a new outlook about pharmacy. Especially when they travel to developed country. =)

Year of study: 3rd SEP background:

SEO for Switzerland since January 2011.

SEC member since the IPSF Word Congress in Thailand 2011.

Why I am involved in SEC: Being SEO in Switzerland I had the opportunity to go to the IPSF Word Congress in Thailand. I had heard many great things about the congress in advance, but actually being there was greater than anything I had imagined. I was amazed about how things are organized internationally and how problems can be solved together. Feeling this IPSF spirit, I somehow became eager to get more involved, to see more and to try to contribute more. So I couldn’t help but to apply for SEC.

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

NEWSLETTER 8 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Estonia

my SEP experience

Nicoleta Romonti

NEWSLETTER 9 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

After a few summer practices during the first 3 years in my home town, I needed a different view of my future profession as a Pharmacist.

That’s why I decided that this summer it’s going to be different. Student Exchange Program was the perfect answer for me. I immediately applied and, to my surprise and delight, my application was approved.

The University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia was going to be the place to have this experience.

I’m not sure why I decided for Estonia, maybe because, although it is an European country, the people and traditions are very different from those in Romania, my country. I wanted to see how different.

And the day came. After 24 hours of travelling, I finally arrived to Tartu.

This small city from south of Estonia exceeded my expectations. With a population of only 100.000 people, I have to say that it is the city of students. Starting with the fountain of Kissing Students in the central square and finishing with all the great pubs and bars and all its atmosphere, Tartu it is what it is because of the students.

It reminded me a lot of ClujNEWSLETTER 10 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Napoca, the city where I study in Romania. It’s definitely the intellectual and cultural capital of Estonia, since it’s home to Estonia’s oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu. The cultural side of Tartu is also certified by all the festival that take place almost every weekend and the most exciting of all, in which I also participated, is the film festival TARTUFF ( Tartu Film Festival). It is a lovely festival where guests can enjoy films on a big screen se up in the Town Hall Square.

Since I arrived on the 3rd of August and my practice at the University of Tartu, in the Physical-Chemistry Department of the Faculty of Pharmacy was starting only Monday, on the 8th of August, I had 2 free days. I decided to make the most of this time, so, with the help of Birgit, the Estonian SEO, I got to work in a community pharmacy that really helped me see the differences between the health system in Romania from the one in Estonia.

The research practice in the Physical-Chemistry Department was an amazing experience. All the people there, professors, PhD students, researchers were extremely kind and helpful, offering all the guidance I needed to understand better what they were working with. Their main

NEWSLETTER 11 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

focus was the polymorphism of piroxicam, an antiinflamatory substance. They were studying the dehydration and other phase transformations phenomena. The hydrate forms of piroxicam were investigated using Raman spectroscopy.

Another study in which I participated dealt with cellet-coating. The cellets are coated with a solution of different forms of piroxicam using different solvents and then they are tested using also Raman spectroscopy, at different minutes. This study is in progress and hopefully they will publish it soon. This experience in the Physical-Chemistry research was very helpful in learning how to work with laboratory equipments and instruments that I’ve never used before, for example Raman spectrometer or a pharmaceutical coating machine.

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

In Tartu I lived in a lovely dormitory and I shared an apartment with the other exchange student from Spain, Maria and a PhD student from Germany, Janina. In the 3 weeks that I stayed there we became very good friends. We did a little visiting in Estonia, in the free time that we had. We started with Parnu, a town in the southwestern Estonia, which is a popular summer vacation resort. The other destination was, of course, the capital Tallinn. It is a beautiful city with an amazing history. A proof of its rich background is the Old Town that preserves to a remarkable extend the medieval urban narrow streets and burgher buildings. Because it is situated at only 80 km from Tallinn by ferry, we decided to also visit Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

Now, that this experience has come to an end, I am more that greatful that I had the chance to enjoy the small and friendly city with its parks, its streets and unique wooden buildings. I met extraordinary people with great passion for Pharmacy that really enriched the experience of my summer adventure.

NEWSLETTER 12 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Peru

my SEP experience Katharina Huth

NEWSLETTER 13 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

“Mi casa es tu casa, mi país es tu país” - When I think back to my SEP in Peru, a lot of thoughts and impressions are coming into my mind, but one thing is outstanding: the hospitality of the Peruvian people. Thus I’m very happy that I could be a guest for 6,5 weeks in this wonderful country with its amazing landscapes und its cordial people. The first four weeks I did my practical training in Trujillo, in the north of Peru. Afterwards I traveled through the country to get to know also the southern part.

NEWSLETTER 14 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

It was planned that I work in a clinical laboratory for four weeks. On arriving there the boss of the laboratory told me that it was only possible for two weeks. I think that a portion of flexibility is reasonable to have in your suitcase with destination Peru. But as you will always find somebody helpful, problems are quickly resolved. Also in this case the SEO Ines set about organizing an alternative. So it occurred that during the remaining time I could attend the pharmacy of a hospital specialized in cancer.

The first week in the lab I worked in the microbiology. The stuff there was very nice and I didn’t expect that I could do so much on my own, like the analyses of urine samples and the sample receipt. As for the more complex analyses like stool and sperm samples or antibiograms, I did them together with a stuff member. Whenever I had a question, the answers were more than detailed and helpful. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case for my second week in the biochemistry.

I felt a little displaced because people didn’t look after me nearly at all. But taken as a whole I found the work really interesting and the microbiology staff is really cordial.

the Lake Titicaca (even if not so many days as planned, as I made the acquaintance of ”el soroche” like the Peruvians call the altitude sickness) and an oasis with huge sand dunes near Ica.

Peru is a country of contrasts: Rich people live only a short hop from the very poor people. The deserts adjoin with coasts, the high plateaus with rain forests. Small hummingbirds and huge Andean condors, cactuses and vanilla orchids.

Indian people live next to Peruvians with European and Asian roots. But as different as the country and its people are, one thing connects them all: cordiality. The Peruvians are such In the hospital specialized in cancer firstly all the warm-hearted and friendly people and they are departments and the employees were presented so open-minded and interested that you have to me and I also had the chance to accompany no other choice than loving the country and its the pharmacist on her rounds to the patients. As people. she showed me the medical record in advance and explained the history and the medication of The exchange was an incredible and great the patients, I learnt a lot. The rest of the time I experience for that I’m very grateful. Gracias mostly helped to gather ordered medicines. The IPSF, gracias Ines, gracias Perú! inventory is still registered by index cards so that gathering took quite a lot of time. But one of the pharmacists was caringly looking after me and explained me every medicine unknown to me, so that time flied. The time there was Katharina Huth, Germany definitely more than a “replacement”, but a great experience for me.

From time to time I spent a while with Ines at the laboratory of her university. Because of that I had the possibility to see a lot of the daily university life.

Before we organized an accommodation, I lived with Ines’ family for the first days. I really felt welcome there. But in order to have a more central accommodation for my work I moved to a family that rents free rooms to students. From their house I could walk by feet to my work, the university and the city center.

I was especially impressed with how much heart Ines is doing her ”job” as SEO. Although she was involved in many things apart from that, she always took some time for whatever matter you were going to her. With her I attended a Peruvian marriage, sport events and to church service.

She was much more than only a contact person for me; she became a friend during the SEP. After 4 weeks of practical training I seized the opportunity to get to know other parts of Peru.

So I visited the famous Inca site Machu Picchu, NEWSLETTER 15 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

The

new

fresh IPSF

blog k c i l c re he

NEWSLETTER 16 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

Turkey my SEP experience Amanda Stevens

NEWSLETTER 17 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

International Pharmaceutical Student’s Federation

For the entire month of July, 2011, I was in the wonderful country of Turkey. My reasons for choosing Turkey were numerous and varied, including the obvious desire to experience a country and culture different from my own. During my time there I had the opportunity to meet amazing people of diverse cultural backgrounds, discover unique landscapes, taste new foods, and of course learn more about pharmacy and health care.

Red Eczane ‘pharmacy’ signs were a common site throughout Turkey. A street near Kadifekale, an ancient castle, actually had an entire city block lined with nothing but pharmacies! I also came across several unique pharmacies specializing in specific areas of pharmaceutics.

For example, a pharmacist focused on dermatology and cosmetic compounding created personalized products for patients based on their individual needs.

Through the IPSF student exchange program I learned a great deal not only about the profession of pharmacy and pharmaceuticals, but also about myself. Before departing Canada I had thought about what I hoped to accomplish during my student exchange and came up with some goals, both educational and personal. My educational goals for this trip were simple: compare pharmacy in Turkey with pharmacy back at home, and learn something I can apply in Canada. I was placed at a very modern and chic pharmacy in the city of Izmir where the amazing staff ensured the atmosphere of the pharmacy was productive yet fun and comfortable. Though I had the opportunity to visit many other traditional pharmacies throughout the city, this unique pharmacy appears to be at the forefront of a new trend that incorporates style and technology into practice.

In addition to the wealth of education I gained during my exchange, I also met people from all over the world and made a lot of amazing memories. Living in a student residence at a local university I met other exchange program students from numerous countries including Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom, and of course Turkey. Relaxing on beaches and swimming in the Mediterranean sea, soaring over the unique terrain of Cappadocia in a hot air balloon, climbing the limestone travertines at Pamukkale, and staying in a twenty person hostel room while touring the great city of Istanbul, are unique experiences that have given me a new perspective on people, culture and the world in general.

NEWSLETTER 18 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

My IPSF student exchange to Turkey was absolutely incredible! I have met friends from around the world that have changed my life for the better, experienced personal growth, and had a unique look at pharmacy. I would highly recommend the IPSF student exchange program, especially to Turkey, to anyone interested in combining traveling and learning!

-Amanda Stevens, BSP Candidate 2013, College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, U of S

NEWSLETTER 19 IPSF Student Exchange Programme

International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation P.O BOX 84200 2508 AE Den Haag The Netherlands Tel: +31 70 302 1992 Fax: +31 70 302 1999 Email: ipsf@ipsf.org Website: www.ipsf.org

www.ipsf.org Students today, Pharmacists tomorrow