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Pharmacy graduate extends reach on international visit

21/12/2022
Pharmacy graduate extends reach on international visit

A University of Wolverhampton Pharmacy graduate extended her reach as far as Egypt when she attended an international student conference in Hurghada recently. 

Mia Villon, who graduated with a Master’s degree in Pharmacy (MPharm) in September 2022, attended the International Pharmacy Student Federation (IPSF) World Congress 2022, with the trip supported by the University’s School of Pharmacy. 

Read about Mia’s experience in this blog. 

“Pharmacy is a profession with unlimited potential in clinical settings, research and an integral role in society – you just need the passion to unlock it.” 

Attending the International Pharmacy Student Federation World Congress was by far the most enriching experience that I have had the pleasure of attending. On the first day, I was invited to the Opening Ceremony of the World Congress where I was blown away by the numbers of different countries that were connected through IPSF. 

I made my way through the week networking with and learning about different opportunities available to students from different countries that I have had little pharmacy knowledge of before my attendance at the event. I met students from Korea, Algeria and Sudan, amongst others. 

Most importantly, I learnt how privileged I was to have completed my Master’s degree in the UK, given that we are the only country where pharmacists have the opportunity to be qualified to prescribe if we wish to take that route; something all the other countries in the IPSF currently did not have the opportunity to fulfil - even medically advanced countries like Germany, France and Switzerland. 

During the conference, I attended a multitude of workshops and was really lucky to meet renowned professors from across the globe. I attended workshops concerning personalised medicine, industrial skills, medical entrepreneurship, pharmacy transformation, drug safety and design, digital, retail and global pharmacy, social prescribing in the metaverse, pharmacoeconomics, 3D drug design, applied nutritional support, microbiome and neurodegenerative diseases, medical coding and nanomedicine, and many others.  

My favourite seminar was ‘Blue Pharmacy’ where we learned how scientists and pharmacists are currently working together in the search for new drug sources in marine life due to the alarming shortage and thus constant need for new and effective drugs. 

It was fascinating to see the world of pharmacy and research intertwine. To complement this, I had the opportunity to go snorkelling in the Red Sea as well as visit the pyramids of Giza, whilst learning about the rich history of pharmacy in Egypt; where the story began and beyond. 
 
This is definitely an event that I would recommend to future pharmacy students and budding pharmaceutical researchers. Pharmacy is a profession with unlimited potential in clinical settings, research and an integral role in society – you just need the passion to unlock it.  

Special thanks to the overwhelming support from the University of Wolverhampton School of Pharmacy; especially Professor Ruth Edwards, without whom I would not have had the opportunity to undertake such a life-changing experience; and for the heaps of useful advice she has provided for me and fellow students alike. 

Find out more about Pharmacy courses on our website or visit one of our Open Days. 

ENDS 

 

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