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Pharmacy student's world-class experience in Brazil

A Medway School of Pharmacy student has broadened both her academic and cultural horizons after undertaking a three-month work placement in Brazil.

Allison Coll, a third-year student reading for her MPharm at Medway, spent her placement at the Federal University of Vicosa, where she helped carry out a range of pharmaceutical research projects. Her duties included helping to develop a vaccine for Dengue fever, a viral infection transmissible to humans through bites from carrier mosquitoes, which represents a constant danger in Brazil.

Allison, a former winner of the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA) Student of the Year competition, said she managed to overcome some initial problems - such as the language barrier - to make the most of her unique opportunity to see Brazilian pharmacy practice in action. 'The first month was quite difficult, knowing little Portuguese and being transported into a different culture, but I persevered and it paid off,' she said.

'Academically, it was a chance of a lifetime, to broaden the scope of my pharmacy-related learning. My placement showed me the benefits of joining forces and sharing knowledge for the cause of progression in the world of science.

'Overall, my experience heightened my international awareness, and my personal and professional growth.'

Allison's trip was part of a programme run by IAESTE UK - the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience - which selects students who can demonstrate they can help develop business opportunities or scientific studies abroad.

Her placement was sponsored by Medway School of Pharmacy, a unique collaboration between the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent which is based at the institutions' shared campus at Chatham Maritime.

Allison also saw off competition from more than 400 students in Britain and Northern Ireland to make the final shortlist of ten for the IAESTE UK Trainee of the Year award, organised by the British Council.

Contact: N.J.Ellwood@kent.ac.uk

Story published at 12:21pm 11 February 2008