PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION: Experiential training during COVID-19 pandemic: a virtual attachment experience from a college of pharmaceutical sciences in the United Arab Emirates

Authors

  • Syed Arman Rabbani Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8454-8158
  • Tarun Wadhwa Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates
  • Sathvik B Sridhar Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates
  • Javedh Shareef Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates
  • Areeg Anwer Ali Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates
  • Padma GM Rao Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2021.211.5155

Keywords:

COVID-19, Experiential training, Online, Pharmacy, United Arab Emirates, Virtual

Abstract

Description: The COVID-19 pandemic compelled the traditional higher educational institutions to make a quick transition to the virtual instruction model. Considering the COVID-19 restrictions, the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology at Ras Al Khaimah College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, United Arab Emirates restructured their original onsite experiential training for final year Bachelor of Pharmacy students as a virtual online experience to ensure educational continuity.  

Evaluation: The virtual experiential training was conducted over two weeks and was imparted employing different virtual platforms like Google Classroom, Google Meet, Google Forms, Google Docs, etc. As a part of the community pharmacy training, the students were given different e-activities and tasks like e-case scenario analysis and interpretation, e-prescription screening, virtual patient education and were shown various 3-D animated videos related to community pharmacy. For the hospital training, the students were given different e-cases for developing pharmaceutical care plans, e-case scenario analysis, e-drug information query and were shown different animated videos related to rounds of different hospital departments.   

Conclusion: The virtual experiential training was successfully conducted achieving the desired learning outcomes and was well received by the students. Based on this experience, it is recommended that efforts should be made to develop an integrated model for experiential training in the future, which can be an amalgamation of online tools and traditional experiential methods.

Author Biographies

Syed Arman Rabbani, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Associate Professor - Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, RAK College of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tarun Wadhwa, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Sathvik B Sridhar, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Javedh Shareef, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Areeg Anwer Ali, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

Padma GM Rao, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates

Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology

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Published

08-06-2021

How to Cite

Rabbani, S. A., Wadhwa, T., B Sridhar, S., Shareef, J. ., Anwer Ali, A., & GM Rao, P. (2021). PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION: Experiential training during COVID-19 pandemic: a virtual attachment experience from a college of pharmaceutical sciences in the United Arab Emirates. Pharmacy Education, 21, p. 51–55. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2021.211.5155

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Programme Description