The University of Iowa, Hina Chishima (6th year, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy *at the time)

They carefully asked about my preferences even before I traveled, and despite the need for COVID-19 countermeasures, I was able to visit a wide range of medical facilities, including hospitals, pharmacies, and even home infusion services. During my hospital training, there were also opportunities for discussions exclusively between pharmacists and pharmacy students, which was stimulating as we could exchange opinions more frankly. I was surprised by the high level of practical skills of American pharmacy students, who can work as pharmacy technicians while still in school. Seeing pharmacy students handle patient consultations on their own made me feel strongly that when I work as a pharmacist in Japan, I must not be content with only performing tasks within the dispensary.

The generosity of the people in Iowa was also impressive, both inside and outside the medical settings. There were people with various appearances and ways of speaking, and I felt a culture that does not presuppose fixed norms. The atmosphere downtown was very pleasant, with paintings on the pavement in front of shops and music playing on holidays. Also, the pharmacy students were incredibly kind and showed us, who were unfamiliar with the area, around town almost every day.

I believe that practical training in a foreign country requires a certain amount of courage. I myself was worried about whether I could manage well as a budding pharmacist in an environment where Japanese was not understood. However, it's a foreign country, so it's natural to be unfamiliar with everything. Along the way, I realized that asking questions without hesitation leads to the greatest learning, and I came to think that encountering something I didn't know was a gain in itself. Fortunately, the training provided many opportunities for questions. I highly recommend that anyone who is even slightly interested give it a try. I am sure you will not regret taking on the challenge!