A Challenging Journey: A Wife and Mother Shares her Pursuit of Higher Education at IMU

Hi!…… I am Farah Wasim, a Master in Pharmacy Practice student specialising in Clinical Pharmacy. I decided to share my story with you as it might inspire you to continue your journey of study particularly if you have a bunch of responsibilities in your life like me. I am a wife, and I also became a mother during this wonderful journey. I studied pharmacy in the United Arab Emirates, graduated with First Class Honours, and served as a pharmacist for a year before I decided to pursue my postgraduate education in Master in Pharmacy Practice. I have a few specific reasons for choosing this programme. First, I believe that clinical practice is the future of pharmacy practice and as a pharmacist, I can contribute a lot towards patient care and patient safety. Second, a specialised postgraduate degree in clinical pharmacy allows the graduate to work in clinical pharmacy settings in hospitals and also provide an opportunity to do medical research and analyse clinical data from healthcare institutions. As a student of the Master in Pharmacy Practice programme at International Medical University (IMU), Malaysia, I had the opportunity to spend around 2 months of placement in a clinical setting. This experiential learning at various hospitals provided a chance to do case-based learning to help with the development of critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills. I also utilised these clinical attachments to connect with healthcare professionals and patients. For me, the first semester was challenging, yet I gained a lot of experience in pharmacy as well as in my personal life. The second semester was my favourite since it involved more interaction with patients and other healthcare professionals. I also had the opportunity to attend asthma counselling sessions, warfarin counselling sessions, as well as spend a whole day in a drug information centre. In addition, I learned about therapeutic drug monitoring in practice and I had the chance to visit several wards during my attachment. At the end of the day, the honour is mine to be able to meet not only great and helpful doctors but also classmates who became friends and offered support whenever needed. As part of the Master in Pharmacy Practice programme, I also had the opportunity to undertake a research project aligned with clinical pharmacy, which has contributed to my understanding of evidence-based decision making in the clinical practice. All in all, upon completion of my Masters, I will be returning to my country with lots of experience, memories and friends.