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EGYPTEGYPTinNewsletter 28October 2012

Egyptian Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation

Newsletter 28October 2012

Student Exchange Officer 3

Our SEPecial flavour 5

The science 6

The adventure 10

We asked our SEP participants 11

Dianna, USA 12

Hanna, Finland 14

Lucie, France 16

Maria, Slovakia 18

Jonah, USA 20

EPSF was founded in 1982 as the national representative of all pharmacy students in Egypt to be the head of all Local Scientific Associations in the Egyptian pharmacy schools. The national Federation now represents more than 50,000 pharmacy students and recent graduates in 25 schools of pharmacy all around Egypt.

EPSF

Contents

Student Exchange OfficerMohamed Essam ElZarei

Hello fellow IPSFers,

My name is Mohamed ElZarei, and I am EPSF SEO for this year. I will be the one making sure you experience the core of Egypt that not many get to see.

First, I would like to welcome you all to my country. The reason I started with the quote above is that SEP in Egypt is a journey that is one of a kind. I believe that you will find it extraordinarily rewarding. We will be very delighted to show you the hidden treasures of our beloved country.

Being a SEP participant in Egypt is not only about meeting people from around the world or exploring pharmacy in a different country; it is mainly about going through a month of full living, learning, networking, going on adventures and discovering a new culture. I can assure you that it will be a once in a lifetime experience.

I would like to thank all the amazing IPSFers who participated in last year’s SEP in Egypt, your enthusiasm is the best reward we can have.

Without further delay, I would like to present to you the first EPSF SEP newsletter for 2012-1013.

A journey is like a marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you can control it.

John Steinbeck

“”

3 Student Exchange Programme in Egypt

f lavourf lavourf lavourf lavourf lavourSEPecialour

Egypt has a LOT of diverse attractions, and incomers each have their favourite places, foods and cultural aspects; however the common feedback we pride ourselves of is what we like to call our SEPirit. People often describe the Egyptians as friendly and welcoming; we agree! EPSFers participating in the SEP all have a shared passion towards pharmacy as well as making friends, learning about other cultures, and sharing all the wonder of our own.

For EPSFers SEPirit means openness, friendliness and passion to living. An exchange experience is all about immersing yourself in learning; learning about other cultures, about pharmacy in different parts of the world, and most importantly about fellow pharmacy students as people. A SEP experience in Egypt is an adventure; one which we are more than eager to share with YOU, our fellow IPSFer, and our future friend. Come to Egypt and xSEPlore EPSFers’ SEPirit!!


Summer 2012

Join us for SEP in Egypt in summer 2013

13 IPSFers have been welcomed in Egypt13 IPSFers have been welcomed in Egypt

Thank you for your motivation

Thank you for your trust

Thank you for your smile


Selman

Philip

Maria Insaf

Lucie

Jonah

Hanna

Johanna

Dianna Ahmet

Hamdiye TalhaMarianna

Turkey

Indonesia

Slovakia Canada

France

USA

Finland

Finland

USA Turkey

Turkey Turkey Portugal

The pharmaceutical training in EPSF’s SEP is mainly in the Clinical Pharmacy department of the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Cairo (CCH 57357), there’s also field visits to a community pharmacy and a major drug factory. You get to spend a week in the CCH 57357, where everyday you are introduced to the work of a different section of the department of Pharmaceutical Services. There is the dispensing area, where pharmacists deal with outpatients, the floor rounds where pharmacists share

in health care for inpatients, the IV admixture unit where IV medicines are prepared for the whole hospital, the PharmacoKinetics lab where quality control and toxicity levels are monitored, and daily short lectures by the head of the department Dr. Sherif Kamal. The CCH 57357 is one of the largest Cancer treatment facilities for children in the world, and the absolute largest in the Middle East region; not a second spent there is a waste.

The science


In addition to the main training in CCH 57357, there are the field visits; one to a community pharmacy, where students can see the dynamics of patient-pharmacist relationships in the community, and check out the facilities of community pharmacies in Egypt.

Last but not least, is the factory visit, where you can get a first-hand look at the processes of manufacturing various drugs at a state of the art facility.


the mega triplivethe mega tripCairo, Luxor, Aswan, Dahab,

Saint Cather ine, and

Alexandria


The adventureEgypt may be well known for its Pyramids and Sphinx, but there is a whole lot more to us than that. SEP with EPSF is an adventure that has something to offer for everyone! Would you like to delve into history and walk the same paths humans have walked over 7000 years ago? Luxor and Aswan are your destination, having more than third of the world’s ancient ruins, being there is like walking into another era where it’s just you and the royalties of the past.

Do you prefer the marine life and outdoorsy hiking trips? Look no further, Dahab is the place to be. From snorkeling in the colourful waters of the Red Sea, to climbing the mountain of Saint Catherine for a magnificent sunrise. Dahab is all about embracing your inner nature adventurer. Looking for a more zen place? The Oasis part of our mega trip will make you the happiest there is. A two-days camping trip in the desert with nothing but you, the vast open spaces and the stars to keep you company; it’s all about peace and quiet. Our Mega Trip is the ultimate traveling experience, where you get to experience and indulge all your adventuring desires, from the crazy to the peaceful.


We asked our SEP participants:

Dianna, Hannah,

Lucie, Maria

and Jonahreplied!

participants:

Dianna, Hannah,

HOW WAS YOUR

SEP EXPERIENCE?


Dianna, USAAlthough I was fully aware that I was traveling across the globe from Baltimore to Egypt, my

education in pharmacy and different cultures began the moment my first flight landed at London’s Heathrow Airport. During my layover at the airport, I wandered around and ultimately found myself at Boots, a popular chain store that sells health and beauty products, including prescriptions.

I am sure I appeared to be an especially strange tourist in the pharmacy. I not only picked up multiple over-the-counter products and read all the ingredients and instructions, I took photos of them! The packaging for the same medications used in England and the U.S. was vastly different. That was not so surprising to me, but the attractive packaging is what drew my eye to the products in the first place. The truly shocking thing I noticed,

though, was that many OTC products in that pharmacy were regulated as prescription-only products in the U.S. I also noted that there was an acetaminophen/ibuprofen combination pain reliever on the shelf. We have never discussed the use of both these medications at once in any of my classes, so this prompted me to ask international student pharmacists about it while I was in Cairo. Simply being in a new store overseas prompted many interesting conversations about what each student used for general pain relief in their own countries.

I like to think that our common link in pharmacy practice opened bilateral diplomatic relations between our countries. I was able to learn through observation, and my own personal direct interaction, how patients in various sections of Egypt sought health care advice and treatment at community pharmacies. I learned from Egyptian student pharmacists that 42% of Egypt’s population lives below


the established poverty level, and that many cannot afford health care. This directly influences pharmacy practice in the community. The average Egyptian citizen does not have the financial freedom to simply go to a physician any time an illness is suspected. He or she will approach a community pharmacist, state their symptoms, and pharmacy personnel will make a medication recommendation to the patient. Many community pharmacies are independently owned, and the prices for medications are rarely set. The obvious benefit to this type of system is that pharmacy personnel can make immediate price discounts and adjustments for patients who could not otherwise afford medication.

My education surpassed pharmacy practice, and “living” in Egypt with the other students, even for this short time, has given me the insight to hopefully become a better practitioner and neighbor. Despite having to become accustomed to the blistering heat and

navigating the nuances of a foreign language, I became quite fond of trying to converse in Arabic. It is amazing to feel so welcomed into a foreign country, simply because I made an effort to learn about a new culture and the people who live there daily. I learned to adapt to many situations, and I am certain that in the future, I will respond appropriately to any cultural or professional obstacles.

I will be forever grateful for this experience, which was only made possible through APhA-ASP and IPSF. I met so many wonderful people from different countries and now have friends literally all over the world.

Lessons are not always learned in the classroom, and traveling to a different country to study pharmacy practice is an enriching, life-changing experience. IPSF is cognizant of this and I enthusiastically encourage anyone in this career field to embark on an adventure such as SEP! To Egypt, Viva la Pharmacie!


Hanna, FinlandI am Hanna Hartikka, a third-year-student of pharmacy in the University of Helsinki, Finland. I had the opportunity to experience SEP in Egypt in July 2012.

The reason I chose EPSF was that I was eager to learn more about hospital pharmacy in Egypt as well as the country and its culture itself. I am very happy to have made that decision and I would not hesitate to do it again anytime.

What made the programme so wonderful were the days of training in the amazing Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357, the community pharmacy and factory visits, the unforgettable megatrip around Egypt, and last but not least, the people – the fellow exchange students, and our Egyptian coordinators. The coordinators were extremely helpful, hospitable, and really did everything they could to take very good care of us. We were fortunate to have such great people to guide us in their country, and to help us learn more about their culture.

One of my favourite parts of the megatrip was the three-day snorkelling trip to Dahab; the lovely coral reefs, and the fish of all different colours and shapes. The river cruise on the Nile from Aswan to Luxor was amazing, and so were the temples


and the Valley of the Kings that we visited on that trip. We also spent two nights camping in the middle of the desert. It was an unforgettable experience; the soft, fine sand, the stars on the sky and the milky way, and the beautiful white rock formations around our camping site. Not to mention the very first time riding a camel and a horse at the desert by the impressive pyramids of Giza, a one-day trip to the beautiful Alexandria etc.

The month of SEP in Egypt was truly an experience of a lifetime. Thank you EPSF!

What made the programme so wonderful were the days of training in the amazing Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357, the community pharmacy and factory visits

“

”


Lucie, FranceDear coordinators,

Thanks to you, I spent one of the most beautiful months of my life! I discovered Egypt for the first time and it is really a great country! Most of the time, the Egyptian people are really friendly. It’s such a different culture from the French one and it was wonderful to discover it, especially during Ramadan, because there is a special atmosphere then. I was very happy even if it was sometimes too noisy during the night ;-).

I discovered the monuments that I have only seen in books.

I can’t be grateful enough for all what you did for us; you organized the visits, accompanied us and sometimes, you were like touristic guides if not even better. The pyramids, the cruise, the snorkeling in Dahab, the trip in the white desert and Alexandria are some of the places that touched me very much!

The week at the hospital was a superb experience. Seeing how the pharmacists work in Egypt was very interesting, and all of them took the time to explain to us their job; many thanks to them!

It was also an amazing experience to meet some foreign students from all around the world, I will never forget you.

Hope we will stay in contact!


I spent one of the most beautiful months of my life!

“”


Maria, SlovakiaSEP is an amazing opportunity to gain very valuable life experiences. It connects improvement of pharmaceutical practice with exploring new places and meeting new friends from all over the world. My

motivation to visit Egypt was very simple. I know that the best way to get to know other cultures and countries is not in books or movies, you should live it yourself.

I think that it is almost impossible to describe by words the spirit and atmosphere of Cairo. In two weeks we visited the Egyptian museum, pyramids, markets, Coptic and Islamic parts, almost every important landmark. We tasted Egyptian food and drinks made right in front of you on the street, we were chilling in cafés during sleepless nights, having long conversations about everything, surrounded by the smell of shisha. We survived Cairo traffic, we learned how to bargain, we had a lot of fun and Egyptians showed us so many places that ordinary tourists would never see. I had a chance to experience a part of Ramadan, which added a special taste to everything we did. Coordinators were absolutely perfect, every single one of them was trying to do his best to make us happy. You have my respect for all the hard work.

A very important part was the training in Children’s cancer hospital - 57357. I have to say that doctors, pharmacists,


nurses and every person that works there is doing a great job. They are one team with the same goal, to help the patients and cure them. And I learned a lot during lessons with Dr. Sherif, about implementation of our knowledge into practise, team cooperation and collaboration and how to be a better pharmacist.

Megatrip, two weeks of traveling around Egypt. Snorkelling in Dahab - splendid coral reefs and blue water, breathtaking view from the peak of Mt. Sinai. Amazing Aswan and Luxor, to see the Nile in all its beauty during sunset and all ancient temples in their immortal glory. You can feel the connection with ancient civilization while walking in the Valley of the Kings or Karnak temple. Oasis, endless desert, sand dunes, palm trees, fresh dates and swimming in the water spring. Dinners with Bedouins, laughter of friends and night sky full of shooting stars. We were lucky, we saw that all.

I recommend this experience to everyone, and I can confirm that this is one of the best SEP programmes. I had a great time in this never sleeping place, where I found true friendship, crazy adventures, delicious food, history, knowledge ... and mango juice!!!

I miss you guys already and I hope I will come back soon.

P.S: Don’t forget that sun is everywhere. :D


Jonah, USASEP in Egypt was truly an amazing experience. I had the opportunity to meet some of the most incredible people of my life that I know will remain good friends. It was a completely different world from what I am used to and I loved everything about it.

I am fortunate to have been given the opportunity to see what pharmacy is like in Egypt. I enjoyed learning about the culture and trying different foods. The busy life of Cairo was always fun with so much to do and see everywhere you look. Traveling around Egypt was the best time of my life from seeing the temples in Aswan to snorkeling in Dahab. I got to see the breathtaking view of the sunset from Mount Sinai with incredible people, my SEP friends. The people I met in Egypt were by far the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. I am so lucky to be part of IPSF and I highly recommend SEP to everyone!


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