On November 18, 2019, exchange student Ms. Arzu Moosvi presented on ” Internship experience at Gulf Medical University, UAE”. In her presentation, she described her research project that she is undertaking under the guidance of Dr. Syed Gillani, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the College of pharmacy. The project revolves around patients who present with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition on the rise in majority of countries around the globe. These patients would receive three interventions, counseling, educational sessions, and lifestyle modifications, in an ambulatory care practice setting (Thumbay hospitals and clinics) and assessing objective values such as hemoglobin A1c and random plasma glucose via point-of-care testing. Pharmacists revolve their practices around patient-specific care, ensuring that the maximum benefit is being received in addition to the act of dispensing medications; this proposal will help to re-emphasize a pharmacist’s culture in settings such as community and clinics.
Ms. Arzu stated: GMU has provided me with the opportunity to interact with other healthcare professionals to gauge their interest in the proposed study and any additional help that would be needed to maximize the efforts of this research. GMU and the College of Pharmacy have given me a blessing from a million miles away and I appreciate the hospitality that they have provided to me. With help from the clinical pharmacy staff at GMU, I hope to attain the goal of creating and emphasizing the importance of a pharmacist-led free clinic globally.
Dean Khalifa commented: The student exchange program between Colleges of Pharmacy ain GMU and VCU are producing outcomes beyond what was planned and anticipated. In addition to the invaluable international experience for the students from both sides, best practices in pharmacy education and practice are gaining acceptance and popularity and soon we will see a pharmacy practice model in the region that gives the pharmacist an enhanced scope of practice with greater value to our patients.