June 17, 2024
As a global leader in pharmacy, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy offers a unique opportunity for students to become leaders in pharmacy education and practice on a global scale. While at the School, they can choose to be part of the Global Engagement Organization (GEO), which contributes to the personal and professional development of student pharmacists as globally minded health care professionals.
GEO is an umbrella organization composed of three student organizations including PharmAlliance, the Global Ambassador Program and the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF).
IPSF offers an annual Student Exchange Program and welcomes one to two students from this program for a summer shadowing experience at the UNC Medical Center (UNCMC). Carolina students involved in IPSF lead the effort to set up the experience for a visiting student and welcome them to Chapel Hill.
This summer, Oliwia Smołkowska, graduate of Medical University of Łódź in Poland, is spending two weeks learning from pharmacists at UNCMC to understand what the pharmacist profession looks like in the United States.
In Poland, Smołkowska is a member of the Polish Pharmaceutical Students Association which includes membership of the European Pharmaceutical Students’ Association and IPSF. For many years, she even helped organize IPSF events and exchange students in Poland. However, now it is her turn to have this international education experience and she is already learning new things.
“I am learning a lot especially from clinical pharmacists, because in Poland we have only a few people who do such things,” she said. “I’m observing how pharmacists conduct medication reviews, offer consultations to patients and health care providers, and participate in multidisciplinary teams to ensure safe and effective medication use.”
While at Carolina, she is able to shadow clinical pharmacists at the UNCMC and observe how the inpatient pharmacy and operation departments work. Smołkowska is grateful for this experience because in the next year she plans to pursue a post-graduate study with a specialization in clinical pharmacy.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed this experience, as it has provided me with invaluable insights into the field of clinical pharmacy,” she said. “Observing the dedicated work of clinical pharmacists here has been both inspiring and motivating for my future studies.”
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