2018 KNAPS SEP Incoming _ Visiting Program
Tan Ying Jie(MyPSA_Malaysia)
Annyeonghaseyo, jeoneun jin young gyeul ibnida. 안녕하세요, 저는 진영걸입니다.
It was really my pleasure to have the chance to participate student exchange programme(SEP) in Korea. I had a great time there! This programme was really an unforgettable experience for me, not only for the learning process but also broadening of horizons. I never regret for choosing Korea for my SEP! At first, I choose Korea SEP because it is nearer to my country so that I no need to travel so long there. As what I know, South Korea is a unique and exciting country with low cost of living, cheap and delicious food as well as a lot of remarkable tourists’ attractions. Besides, the rigorous education system in Korea’s universities which emphasize a ‘work hard, play hard’ culture also attract me to explore more on this country. Furthermore, the healthcare field in Korea is developed well enough. Hence, Korea is indeed a great place for me to learn as well as to experience life in a culture that is completely different from my own country.
I never expect that I can have such a memorable trip with memorable friends within these short 2 weeks while learning. I enjoyed this programme very much! It was definitely a unique, educational and cultural SEP that contribute to my personal and professional development. I was so glad that I had the golden opportunity to meet pharmacy students from different countries such as Austria, Egypt, France, Croatia, Indonesia, Poland, Slovenia and Malaysia apart from Korean students, sharing and caring among each other during the programme. We learnt, played, drank soju and had fun together! There was no best overall visiting place for me because I think that every place was good and had certain things for me to learn in different way.
I really had an eye-opener on the healthcare system as well as pharmaceutical and cosmetic field in Korea during this programme. When I first entered the community pharmacy, I was surprised to see so many different medications and even machine to pack the medications behind the counter which was rather different with those in my country. The community pharmacists in Korea play a very important role in dispensing medication to the patients as outpatients department of hospitals always collaborate with the local pharmacies. They also packed and labelled the patients’ medication that need to be taken at the same time in the same packet for each patient which is rather convenient to the patient especially for the elderly. I really prefer this practice as this not only can ensure the patients’ compliance to the medication, reduce the medication errors, but also can reduce the waiting time for dispensing medication in hospital. In hospital, I also learnt more on its pharmacy department which consist of pharmacy administration team and dispensing team. Certainly, I became more understand on the roles of pharmacists in Korea’s clinical setting as well as their healthcare system through the tour to dispensing unit of Cancer centre, inpatients, outpatients and also Pharmacy Administration unit. I was so honoured that I can have the chance to be exposed more on Korean Hospital’s pharmacist working activities and their hospital facilities.
Apart from that, our tour to pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies also broaden my horizons on Korea’s pharmaceutical field. Their securities, design, manufacturing applying mud on our body and face, playing ball in the water, watching airplanes’ performances as well as doing various activities together. Although the weather was so hot and everyone got tanned, we still enjoyed it very much and had a great time there! Time flies! Two weeks was really too short. We had to separate with one another just when we started to know each other better. It was really sad to say goodbye! I would like to thank all of you for coming into my life and create such a wonderful memories together. It will definitely be one of my best memories in my life. I hope this is not the end but a start for our friendship. May our friendship last forever no matter where we are!
Before I end, I would also like to thank Korean National Association for Pharmaceutical Students (KNAPS) SEP committees for planning, organizing and taking part all the activities with us. Thanks for translating all the way from the start to the end to make sure we understand, thanks for accompanying us all day and night no matter how tired you are, thanks for teaching us some basic Korean languages, thanks for bringing us here and there to let us know more on Korean’s cultures, thanks for welcoming us and introducing us on some essential aspects of life in Korea etc. I was really impressed by your teamwork! Even though you all came from different areas, different universities and different background, you all still managed to work together so perfectly in all aspects. It was really not an easy task but you all did it very well! Your hospitality and commitments touched me so much too! I never come across that someone will join our trip in Korea together after the programme. Thanks for sacrificing your free time and coming all the way to Gyeongju and Busan to accompany us and make our trip more memorable!
I appreciated it so much. It was really my pleasure to meet you all in my life.
Thanks for everything!
