“I also learnt various techniques including the proper use of the ECG, ultrasound and X-ray machines as well as the color code of blood sample tubes.”
The prospect of spending 15 days training rather than enjoying my summer vacation seemed rather gruesome at first. To add on to this, I was posted in Umm al-Quwain and just the thought of the 20 minutes commute from Ajman to Umm al-Quwain seemed tiresome. Needless to say, I was less than enthusiastic on my first day. But everything changed once the work actually began.
Though I was trained in a Community Pharmacy at the end of my 3rd year, this experience is more memorable. The main difference between both trainings was that this training was at a clinic and so I got an opportunity to interact with other healthcare professionals as well as with patients.
I was the first point of contact before patients went in to see the Physician; I would take the patients’ medical, medication and social history and then report them to the Physician. I would then listen in on the Physician’s diagnosis and prescription and accompany the patients to the Pharmacy where I would provide counselling on the proper use of their medications and present them with a customized patient-specific information leaflet.
For the first time, I felt like I was essentially a part of the healthcare team. I also learnt various techniques including the proper use of the ECG, ultrasound and X-ray machines as well as the color code of blood sample tubes. Lastly, I had the opportunity of cutting off a fiber cast with an electric saw!
All in all my training experience was truly educational, informative, memorable and just…… fun.”
Name: Fatiha Hammad
Major: Doctor of Pharmacy
Expected Graduation: 2019
Training Period: Summer 2018, 15 days from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Training Location: Thumbay Clinic, Umm al-Quwain