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The School of Pharmacy at UCC hosted its second Clinical Pharmacy Summer School in August 2017.
The School of Pharmacy, UCC and Future University in Egypt signed a co-operation agreement in 2014 which has led to the development of this Summer School. The Summer School was attended by 26 undergraduate students from FUE who travelled to Cork to take part in the programme. The students were accompanied by three staff members from FUE, Professor Nabila El Maraghy, Ms Dina Khaled Aboelfadl and Mr Mahmoud Fathy Ibrahim.
The Summer School was led by Dr Margaret Bermingham and delivered by staff members in the School of Pharmacy in co-operation with colleagues from the Pharmacy Departments of Mercy University Hospital, Cork University Hospital and Boots Pharmacy. The Summer School taught clinical pharmacy through interactive workshops, small group teaching and experiential clinical visits to practice settings. The focus was on the role of the clinical pharmacist in caring for patients with chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
The students were initially greeted by Professor Caroline Fennell, Senior Vice President Academic and Registrar. She outlined the importance of the Summer School to both universities and highlighted the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences both from a learning and cultural point of view.
Professor Patrick O’Shea, President of UCC, also visited the students during the Summer School and spoke of how educational exchanges such as this can help to break down global boundaries and enable the transfer of knowledge between countries and cultures.
A cultural programme was also provided as part of the Summer School. This included a tour of the university and Cork city along with a day trip to Killarney National Park and evening of Irish culture at Céilí Cois Locha. The Summer School group and staff from the School of Pharmacy were also invited to visit the Lord Mayor of Cork, Mr Tony Fitzgerald at his chambers in City Hall. The Lord Mayor spoke about the importance of health and wellbeing to us all and his pride that Cork has recently been designated as a Healthy City by the World Health Organisation.
A closing ceremony was held on Friday 25 August at which the students received their Summer School certificates of attendance presented by Professor Stephen Byrne, Head of School and Mr Moustafa, Consul at the Egyptian Embassy in Ireland.
During the course of the two weeks, students commented on the invaluable opportunity of getting practical experience in a clinical pharmacy practice setting in hospitals and Boots community pharmacy.
