Pharmacy Students Gain Unique Experiences in Belize Rotation

Pacific School of Pharmacy students are gaining atypical experience as part of international rotations through our Office of Global Pharmacy Education and Research.

Several students spent November and December on rotations in Belize, where they worked as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide care in rural areas of the country.

“Working with PA, medical and PT students, we were able to make recommendations based on a patient’s diagnosis and the availability of resources, as the clinic is run on donations alone,” said Jenn Stanislaw PharmD ‘18. “Learning how to adapt to my surroundings was an important lesson,” she said. “Innovation, like powering a nebulizer with a car battery or building a spacer for someone with trouble using an MDI out of a Fanta bottle and duct tape was an enriching way to find ways to help people with limited resources.”

Students spent long days in a rural clinic and also participated in educational health fairs and home patients — balancing the intense patient care experience with adventures and tourism on the weekends.

They visited Mayan ruins, learned cultural skills, like tortilla and basket-making from community members, and enjoyed snorkeling, fishing and caving in between their work hours.

All told, it was a one-of-a-kind experience, said Alyssa Strohbusch PharmD ’18.

“The wealth of knowledge and practical experience I acquired throughout my time in Belize will forever serve more valuable than any amount of time studying from a textbook.