UNE College of Pharmacy students gain world view in exchange with University of Granada

On May 20, 2013, eight University of New England College of Pharmacy students embarked on UNE's first academic exchange program with the University of Granada (UG) in Spain.  

The exchange follows an agreement signed in 2012 that aims to explore academic and research opportunities between the two universities.

The University of Granada, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe, has over 80,000 students and many strong programs aligned with those at UNE, such as pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, and social work. 

UNE Associate Provost for Global Initiatives Anouar Majid, Ph.D., says, "I am delighted to see the first implementation of the agreement we signed last year being executed this summer. With the support of UNE College of Pharmacy Dean Gayle Brazeau, Professor Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., has put together an exciting and culturally intensive inaugural exchange program. Our Global Education Program worked with Karen and the Business Office to facilitate the process; we also awarded $4,300 in scholarships to eight participating students. I hope this will be the first step in a more multifaceted partnership between UNE and the University of Granada."

Assistant Professor Leslie Ochs, PharmD, Ph.D., is accompanied  Houseknecht and the students in Spain.

Program Goals

The goal of the program is to enable UNE's doctor of pharmacy students to take some of their elective courses in Granada, and to foster research collaborations between UNE and UG.

The exchange was one of the first Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations of the UNE students fourth year. They began with a two-week Spanish language and Spanish cultural immersion course, followed by a class in European Healthcare Systems they will take alongside UG pharmacy students. The UNE students lived with host families arranged through UG‚Äôs highly regarded Center for Modern Languages.

University of Granada Students in Portland

In July, five pharmacy students from the University of Granada will then travel to Portland, Maine, for their exchange program at UNE. Along with UNE pharmacy students, they will take a class called "Perspectives and Organization of the U.S. Health Care System," co-directed by Houseknecht and Ochs. The course will include experiential trips, such as job shadowing in the hospitals and visiting a typical pharmacy and a compound pharmacy.

Houseknecht says, "This is a true study abroad experience, where the students will learn a tremendous amount from each other and their host countries - from the role of a pharmacist in Spain and the U.S., to how economic austerity policies affect health care policy and patient well-being. We believe the perspectives they gain will make them more culturally-competent healthcare providers."