University of Florida, Rina Kawamura (6th year, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy *at the time)

I had a four-week clerkship at the University of Florida. The training mainly consisted of attending classes in the Faculty of Pharmacy and observing at various institutions such as hospitals and clinics.

In the pharmacist-led clinic, pharmacists took patient histories, performed physical assessments, and created future plans, including dose adjustments, sharing this information with physicians. There was a clear division of roles: physicians were responsible for diagnosis, while pharmacists handled medication management and patient counseling. This allowed me to reconsider the roles and responsibilities of a pharmacist. At the hospital, healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, and occupational therapists were in the same room, and I was impressed by the amount of communication among them. I also experienced the differences in the healthcare system. Through this clerkship, I was able to learn about the various roles of pharmacists, and it made me want to practice interprofessional collaboration and patient-centered care.

Besides the clerkship, they took me to many places, including an American football game, natural parks, and for meals, allowing me to experience the unique culture of Florida.

I was not confident in my English ability and felt anxious about spending a month in a place where Japanese was not spoken. However, in my daily life, the university's faculty and students were always looking out for me, so I was able to live without worry. Also, during the clerkship, they tried to understand what I wanted to say, and if there was something I didn't understand, they would explain it until I did.

Studying pharmacy at an overseas university and medical institution and being able to discuss the differences in pharmacy education and healthcare systems was a very valuable experience. I am glad that I took on the challenge of this clerkship. If you are even slightly interested, I highly recommend you give it a try!