As part of an international student exchange program, two pharmacy students from Virginia Commonwealth University, Victoria Vo and Tryphena Frimpong, recently participated in a Journal Club activity at Gulf Medical University in UAE. The students traveled to UAE to complete a month-long clinical training program at Thumbay University Hospital, which is part of the longstanding partnership between the two universities.
During their training program, the pharmacy students completed a one-week rotation in critical care, during which they presented two articles as part of a Journal Club activity. The students presented the articles “Prophylactic melatonin for delirium in intensive care” and “Hydrocortisone in Severe Community Acquired Pneumonia” and engaged in critical appraisal and discussion with their APPE interns peers from Gulf Medical University.
The Journal Club activity provided an opportunity for the students to engage in critical thinking and discussion around important clinical topics, as well as to share their knowledge and experience with their peers from Gulf Medical University. The students from both universities benefited greatly from this exchange of knowledge and ideas.
The international student exchange program between Virginia Commonwealth University and Gulf Medical University has been a fruitful partnership that has provided students with unique opportunities to gain valuable clinical experience and learn from different healthcare systems and cultures. The Journal Club activity is just one example of the many ways in which this partnership has benefited pharmacy students from both universities.