Qatar University College of Pharmacy (QU-CPH) in collaboration with the Qatar Pharmacy Undergraduate Society (QPhUS) held recently the 4th Pharmacy Patient Counseling Competition on campus. This competition is held annually as an opportunity for the pharmacy students from different professional years to test their drug information and patient counseling skills gained from their curriculum courses in both English and Arabic languages.
The competition attracted pharmacy students, to showcase their skills and knowledge in patient counseling in real-life medical scenarios. The competition had 2 rounds, the first round involved 9 students in the English track and 9 students in the Arabic track. A simulated patient with a clinical case was introduced to all the students who gathered information about the case, checked the relevant resources for the right answers and counseled the patient.
The three best performing contestants in Arabic and English versions of the competition were selected for the final round. The three contestants selected for the final round of the Arabic category were: Latifa Alkhayyat from the third professional year, Ola Almasalmeh from the third professional year and Hassan Mohammadian from the first professional year. The English category finalists were: Duha Akasheh from the second professional year, Salma Anas from the second professional year, and Nassima Zerouali from the first professional year. During the competition day, students were given ten minutes to review a prescription, provide optimal counseling on the use of the prescribed medication and the associated medical condition which was heartburn for a standardized patient and addressing the patient’s concerns.
A panel of four judges evaluated the participating students based on different criteria including language skills, communication skills, professional competencies, and clinical knowledge. The panel of judges included: Dr. Anas Hamad, Adjunct Assistant Professor at QU-CPH and the Director of Pharmacy Department at NCCCR, Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice at QU-CPH, Dr. Hesham Korashy, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at QU-CPH, and Ms. Ruba Sulaiman, a fourth professional year pharmacy student at QU-CPH and QPhUS Contact Person.
The event concluded with winners’ announcement by Ms. Marwa Elshazly, QPhUS President. First professional year student, Hassan Mohammadian won the first place in the Arabic track, and first professional year student, Nassima Zerouali won the first place in the English track. Certificates were handed by QU-CPH Dean Dr. Feras Alali and QU-CPH Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Dr. Alla El-Awaisi.
Dr. Feras Alali commented: “I was so proud to observe our students perform excellently in the 4th Pharmacy Patient Counseling Competition. Witnessing Pharmacy P1 students leading the competition this year was a pleasant surprise and speaks to the readiness and early engagement of our students in patient-centered quality education. I would also like to thank the organizing committee and the judges for an outstanding job.”
QU-CPH Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Practice and one of the judges in the competition said: “I was really impressed by the performance of the students. Such competitions do not only harness students’ counseling skills but also enhance their self-confidence.”
QU-CPH first professional year student Hassan Mohammadian, who won the first place in the Arabic track mentioned: “There are absolutely no words that can describe how proud I am now of myself. Winning this competition, especially since I am still in my 1st professional year, means a lot for me, and gives me a push for more success in the future, Insha’Allah. Huge appreciation to all the instructors of the "Professional Skills" course for their amazing efforts with us. And many thanks go to QPhUS for this successful competition”.
QU-CPH first professional year student Nassima Zerouali won the first place in the English track and mentioned: “This was a truly nerve racking yet exhilarating experience where I was able to apply my patient counseling skills outside the classroom. It was an honor to win first place but what was more valuable for me was the opportunity to further develop this critical skill and to take on board the beneficial feedback from the panel judges to become a competent pharmacist.”
Source: QATAR UNIVERSITY