University of Iowa, Naoko Yoshida (6th year, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy *at the time)

I participated in a four-week practicum at the University of Iowa in the United States. I wanted to learn about the differences between medical care in the United States and Japan and experience firsthand the American culture, characteristics, and ways of thinking of healthcare professionals and patients that form the background of these differences. This led me to apply for the Overseas Advanced Practicum.  

In the first week, I attended classes for pharmacy students and visited community pharmacies. For the remaining three weeks, I participated in a hospital practicum alongside local pharmacy students. While learning about team-based healthcare in the United States, I felt that the roles of healthcare professionals were much more specialized compared to Japan. In particular, there are many professions in the United States that do not exist in Japan, such as pharmacy technicians. As a result, a system was in place where each profession could focus on its area of expertise and delegate tasks outside its specialty to other professions. The way all professions played a significant role for each patient, contributing to the team by leveraging their respective specialized knowledge and strengths, seemed to me to be close to the form of team-based healthcare that Japan is aiming for.  

I also witnessed local pharmacy students making significant contributions to patient treatment as members of the healthcare team. I was very impressed by the pharmacy students who provided pharmaceutical advice while discussing with doctors, even in situations where no pharmacist was present, and I was overwhelmed by their high level of competence. This practicum became a valuable opportunity for me to re-examine my own thoughts on medical care in Japan and the role of pharmacy students.  

For me, with no experience living or studying abroad, this practicum was a major challenge. Although I repeatedly faced language barriers, I was able to have a fulfilling one-month practicum with the help of the professors, pharmacy students, and friends I met there, as well as the three fellow Keio students who participated with me. Based on the experiences and interactions I gained from this practicum, I feel truly glad that I participated.