Naoko Mitsui, University of Iowa (Sixth-Year Student, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy *at the time)

I experienced a four-week training program at the University of Iowa in the state of Iowa. I had experience living abroad during my childhood, and I feel that what I learned then has greatly benefited me today. With the desire to see and experience overseas medical care with my own eyes, I decided to participate in this program.

During the four-week program, I had many experiences, including participating in local classes, visiting pharmacies, visiting home healthcare facilities, and undergoing hospital training. In the hospital training, in particular, I was able to work alongside local students, which made me reconsider what is expected of a pharmacist. In the United States, many people called technicians work alongside pharmacists, and since technicians handle all dispensing tasks, pharmacists can basically focus on patient-facing duties. Because of this, I felt they were able to devote more time to following up with patients and consulting with doctors. Another thing I strongly felt through this training was the very high level of the local students. In Japan, it is standard for a preceptor pharmacist to be by your side during training, and you practice in a situation where someone will always help you if something happens. In the US, while preceptor pharmacists exist, I was very surprised to see that students often handle everything independently, from interacting with patients to consulting with doctors. Especially during the acute care ward training, students participated in early morning rounds and then, in the subsequent team meetings, they unhesitatingly expressed their opinions in response to a wide range of questions about medications. I felt that experiencing such responsible duties from the student stage leads to higher-quality practical training.

In this program, it was not just about the training; many students and faculty members took us to various places after class and on days off, allowing us to experience American culture. Although it was a short period of four weeks, the days I spent in Iowa—a city so rich in nature that just being there makes you happy—meeting so many kind and wonderful people have become a treasure I will never forget for the rest of my life.