IPSF Student Pharmacist Spotlight: Whitney Johnston
Whitney
Johnston, a second year student pharmacist & the APhA-ASP Chapter President at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy, shares her experiences from her trip to Armenia.
This past summer, after 24 hours of travel, I arrived in Armenia with
a team of 15 student researchers. We didn’t speak the language and we were unfamiliar
with the culture, but we were determined to make a difference. Our research
team was composed primarily of graduate students from various universities
throughout the country. We had each joined a study abroad program through the
University of Utah’s Division of Public Health. Prior to departing for Armenia,
we spent countless hours designing a research study and survey to assess
diabetes knowledge in Armenia. In addition to research, our goal was to educate
the general population and providers there.
The need for diabetes education in Armenia is very prevalent.
According to the World Health Organization 2011 report, 8 percent of all deaths
in Armenia were due to diabetes. Over the past 25 years, Armenia has undergone
a great deal of change accompanied by public health and developmental problems.
Some of these health changes include an increase in sedentary lifestyles,
excessive alcohol and tobacco use, and unhealthy food consumption. Many
Armenians cannot afford medical care and only seek help for chronic diseases
after they have progressed to life-threatening stages. Our goal as student
researchers was to discover what the Armenian population and providers
understood about Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Our educating efforts were
focused on teaching Armenians how to prevent acquiring the disease and how to
treat it through healthy lifestyle changes.
In order to complete our research we visited four hospitals throughout
the country and provided T2DM education at each location. In order to find
enough people to fill out our surveys we received permission to enter
individual patient rooms. I was very humbled by my surroundings—these rooms
were lined with blank walls and four run-down beds. There was no medical
equipment and several family members were gathered around each patient to feed
and care for them throughout their stay. My desire to help the Armenian people
increased immensely as I entered each patient’s room. I observed as a nurse
entered a room with a dirty cart carrying a few open jars with crusted liquids
lining the sides. This was used for disinfecting a patients wound.
I didn’t speak the language and felt helpless when I didn’t have a
translator at my side. I was later given the opportunity to share my knowledge.
On June 25, three days into
our trip, I found myself standing in front of a crowd of Armenians to give a population
presentation about Type 2 Diabetes. I was provided a translator and given an
hour to present everything I knew. Following the presentation the crowd made
their way to the front of the room with several questions. I am only a student
pharmacist but was treated like an expert. I will never forget the sincere
thanks I received as their individual questions were answered. They seemed to
leave my presentation with a new sense of hope for a healthier lifestyle. These
experiences have changed my perspective on the impact I can make as a single
student pharmacist, and as a pharmacist when I graduate. I truly felt that I had
made a difference.
There
was one particular element of Armenian culture that personally impacted me while
in the country—it was their unique sense of hope. While touring different parts
of the country we were introduced daily to numerous ways Armenians make wishes.
They climb through a small hole in a rock, tie cloth on the branches of trees,
sit between two people with the same name, get rocks to stick to stone walls,
and the list goes on. These customs are an intricate part of the Armenian
culture; they are constantly wishing and praying for something better. This
aspect of the culture instilled in me a feeling of hope. As I adopted some of
their traditions and made wishes on several occasions, my thoughts began to
center on the positive things I wanted in my future, and I was constantly
hoping for positive change.
Sometimes it is easy
to get caught up in studying, trying to pass assessments, and graduate from the
Doctor of Pharmacy program. This experience helped me to step out of my role as
a full-time student and understand how beneficial pharmacy knowledge can be in
helping to improve the lives of people in our own communities, and throughout
the world. I look forward to applying this knowledge and this experience as I
continue in my studies, and eventually as I become a Roseman pharmacy graduate.
For more information about traveling abroad with IPSF, or facilitating IPSF in your chapter:
About The APhA-ASP
APhA-ASP Region 7
The American Pharmacist Association is the oldest and largest professional organization for pharmacists in the country. The Academy of Student Pharmacists is held within APhA and is comprised by student pharmacists throughout the nation who are still taking classes at their respective colleges of pharmacy. APhA-ASP puts a strong emphasis on patient care initiatives, advocacy for the profession, and overall training to become a professional in the field of pharmacy.
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