Phar & Wide: Global Pharmacy Scholars, Summer & Fall ’24
Sharing photos and short anecdotes from students’ international rotations
Story by Sarah Clark | Published January 14, 2025
The Lighthouse HIV Clinic
Fourth-year students, Elizabeth Sottung, Roxy Vassighi, and Zoey Harris (L to R in right photo), spent their summer in Malawi working at the Lighthouse HIV Clinic, which aims to provide care services to people living with HIV in Malawi.
The Wildlife of Malawi
While in Malawi, the students made sure to venture into the great outdoors. Center, Elizabeth, Zoey, and Roxy are at the Liwonde National Park in their rugged safari vehicle. Left and right are just a few examples of the amazing Malawi wildlife that was captured by Kinley Jessup during her stay in November.
Dispensing in Malawi
Connor Kirkland, Yara Elmoazen, and Mackenzie Pearsall (left to right) also worked at the Lighthouse HIV Clinic during their time in Malawi in July. This day in particular, they were working on dispensing medications.
The Sunsets of Malawi
There are certainly no shortages of beautiful sunsets in Malawi! Roxy, Elizabeth, and Zoey (center) enjoyed this sunset at Lake Malawi. The sunsets, left and right, were captured by Kinley Jessup during her trip to Malawi in November.
Snorkeling Adventure at Lake Malawi
Left, Francheska Rivera, Elizabeth Preston, and Kinley Jessup (left to right) made sure to bust out of the lab and go on weekend adventures. They traveled all over - from South Luangwa National Park, to Lake Malawi, which offered a refreshing snorkeling session!
The State University of Medicine and Pharmacy
In a different continent entirely is Zachary Richardson, who spent his October in Moldova at USMF, the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
The Beauty of Compounding
The students took a trip to Viorica, a company that makes cosmetics, where they were able to work with Moldovan pharmacy students to compound different cosmetic products. They all now have the certificates to prove their successful compounding! Left is Luke Burton, Eric Gunter, and Zachary (left to right, bottom row). Right is Anna McWatters, Sydney Bradshaw, and Daniela Lopez (left to right).
A Walk in the Garden
The tour guide, Mr. Jon (second from the right), took Zachary, Eric, and Luke on a tour of the Medicinal Garden. During their visit to the Medicinal Gardens, they saw Ginkgo Biloba, a supplement that is also readily available in the U.S.
Compounding in Moldova
In Moldova, UNC students received ample hands-on experience with compounding alongside their Moldovan peers and staff. Left, Daniela Lopez, Sydney Bradshaw, and Anna McWatters (left to right) have been working away at the university pharmacy. Right, Zachary, Luke, and Eric (all wearing blue lab gear) worked on non-sterile compounding at the social pharmacy.
The University Pharmacy
Sydney, Daniela, and Anna (all in blue lab gear) got to work closely with the USMF’s university pharmacy team in Moldova. Here we see the team outside the university pharmacy building.
The Churches of Moldova
Zachary takes us on a brief visual tour of a few of the beautiful churches in Moldova! Center: Zachary outside one of the oldest and most well-preserved wooden churches in the country.
A Commemorative Selfie
A study abroad isn’t complete without a group selfie! UNC students Zachary, Eric, and Luke (back row) pose for this group picture with Moldovan pharmacy students outside the university pharmacy.
Tokyo Women's Medical University
Lindsey Mahn (center) and Megan Earnhart (second from the left) spent their July in Japan. Here, they are at the Tokyo Women’s Medical University Adachi campus, which is a brand-new facility with state-of-the-art technology including smart glasses that help the technicians dispense medications.
Celebrating Tanabata
Lindsey (second from the right) formed a close connection with the other students who would took her sightseeing every day during their lunch hour. They showed Lindsey how to write a wish on the tanzaku (colorful papers) for Tanabata, the Star Festival!
Hands-On with Kampo
One of the amazing things that Lindsey and Megan learned about during their time in Japan is Kampo, or traditional herbal medicine. They shadowed a Kampo physician in his clinic at Keio University and learned more about the dispensing process at Haugen Community Pharmacy. “It was fascinating to see how much trust the Japanese have in this traditional practice and how it coexists alongside Western medicine,” says Lindsey.
The Sights of Tokyo
Aside from their time in labs learning about traditional medicine or listening to inspiring lectures, Lindsey and Megan’s gracious hosts also took them sightseeing across Tokyo. Left is Chinatown in Yokohama; Center you can see part of the skyline of Yokohama; Right is Tokyo Tower.
Dr. Kazuhiko Kido
During their research week, Megan and Lindsey attended a lecture called “Introducing a Career as Clinical Pharmacy Faculty in the U.S.” given by Dr. Kazuhiko Kido (center), which emphasized the importance of English as a second language and highlighted the differences between the PharmD and Japanese pharmacy curriculums. "He even knows a few of the professors that Megan and I work closely with – pharmacy truly is a small world," says Lindsey.
Alfresa
During their stay, Lindsey (center) and Megan (second from the right) learned more about the pharmacy dispensing process in Japan, which ended with a tour of Alfresa, a leading pharmaceutical distribution company. There, they toured a facility that ships an average of 350,000 medications across Japan every day.
Keio University Hospital
Fourth-year students Lindsey and Megan spent one week overseeing pharmacy operations in a variety of different settings at Keio University. There, they were able to shadow pharmacists on the infectious control team, in the operating room pharmacy, and the disaster medical assistance team as well as observe inpatient psychiatry rounds. During their stay in Japan, Lindsey and Megan formed a close bond with the students and faculty at the university. Left, Megan and Lindsey (left to right) are together in front of the university. Right, Megan and Lindsay (center front row) are pictured with the other students and faculty at Keio University, just after their final presentation.
Share Your Travel Photos and Stories!
Do you love to travel? Have you been on some interesting travel adventures? Share them with the Carolina Pharmacy community! We are always looking for stories and photos from faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Reach out to us through our Contact Us page to get started.