IPSF-SEP Taiwan- Part I

My flight landed in Taipei Taoyuan International Airport last weekend and this marked the beginning of my Student Exchange Program in Taiwan. My hosts were students from Taipei Medical University; they did a wonderful job organizing the program. Prior to my arrival, I received a >100-page booklet with helpful information on dorm location, buying pre-paid phone cards, what to pack, where to eat, where to do laundry, and of course, places to visit in Taiwan.

My dorm is located on the campus of Taipei Medical University. Although this is the smallest college campus in Taiwan, it is located in the very center of Taipei city, within walking distance to the famous Taipei 101 building. The Taiwanese people are extremely friendly and helped me settle in quickly.

I started my attachment at Shuang Ho Hospital on Thursday. It is one of the three hospitals affiliated with Taipei Medical University. Including 2 new towers under construction, this hospital has >1500 beds and is the largest hospital in Taipei County. Even with native fluency in Mandarin Chinese, I was still concerned about language barriers. To me, "pharmacy" is in English; I simply can't talk about drugs in Chinese!!! My mind was put at ease after my first day at Shuang Ho Hospital. As a hospital accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), all drug names and medical records are in English. Also because it is a JCI accredited hospital, its system resembles the American system. I came across familiar terms such as quality improvement, CPOE, P&T committee.....The pharmacy references used here are also those that are familiar to any American pharmacy student- Micromedex, Up to Date, Facts & Comparisons, and not forgetting... DiPiro!

I have 3 rotations in Neurology, Psychiatry and Infectious Disease. During my attachment, I will also be presenting a journal club and a training module as well as preparing a new drug monograph. And of course, I will be doing a lot of traveling in Taiwan!