Pharmacy International Opportunities
Cross-Cultural Programs: Serving the Global Community.
As a pharmacy student at Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, you’ll have multiple opportunities to provide healthcare to underserved individuals around the world.
ILAC Summer Program
Serve and learn with other pharmacy professionals in the Dominican Republic. During this faith-based service-learning trip, you’ll leave the comfort of your home to provide healthcare to those in need while learning the Dominican culture, language and lifestyle. You will work side by side with a team of dentists, physicians and nurses to provide care in the rural areas of the Dominican Republic. Students will receive an elective advanced pharmacy practice experience credit when participating in their fourth year or an elective course credit if they participate as a first to third year student as a clinic guide.
Submit your application below or contact Kalin Johnson, PharmD at kalinjohnson@creighton.edu or 402.280.3836 to learn more about the program.
China Honors Immersion Program (CHIP)
Hone your leadership skills and learn to address societal and global concerns through a meaningful immersion experience in China. CHIP is a cross-cultural program that promotes international collaboration between health science schools at Creighton and medical universities and hospitals in China. As a U.S. student, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with healthcare professionals from a different culture and experience a new healthcare perspective.
Prior to traveling abroad, students enroll in a two-credit hour Cultural Immersion and Experiential Learning in China course that increases their cultural competency and leadership potential. Through a series of seminars, you’ll prepare for successful experiential learning during a one-week intensive in China.
Contact Keli Mu at kelimu@creighton.edu or 402.280.5938 to learn more about CHIP.
Course Title: Cultural Immersion and Experiential Learning in China
Credit-Hours: 2
Clock-hour: 2
Required: No - Elective
Prerequisites: Enrolled full-time in a health science program at Creighton University; Satisfactory completion of all professional coursework to date; Minimum 3.2 cumulative grade point;
Approval of IOR (see enrollment application process)
Course Description: The focus of this two credit hour course is to increase participants’ cultural competency and facilitate their leadership development for societal and global concerns through interprofessional experiential learning in China. Participants will engage in a series of seminars centered on preparation for successful experiential learning in China prior to a week-long international experience. Through immersion and engagement in various professional activities such as observation, advocacy for evidence-based rehabilitation practice and consultation, participants are expected to enhance cultural competency and foster leadership skills for international health concerns. Such an experiential learning immersion will prepare participants to provide culturally sensitive care and assume leadership roles at the international level. A professional dissemination of the experiential learning experience is expected at the end of the course.
Relationship of Course to Curriculum Design: The course content fits into the professional practice, professional identity and leadership themes. The course assignments are very pragmatic to familiarize students with the consultation role through advocacy for healthcare services in an international healthcare environment. Students will be expected to demonstrate leadership skills as well as an understanding and appreciation for cultural differences in healthcare.
Relationship of Course to Ignatian Values: This elective course will enable students to experience and exercise Ignatian values of cura personalis, men and women for and with other, and magis. As students immerse themselves in China, engage in experiential learning, interact with different culture and exercise leadership for global health concerns, students are able to exercise these values.
Faculty: kelimu@creighton.edu (Keli Mu, PhD, OTR/L)
Course objectives: At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Demonstrate effective interprofessional team communication and collaboration
- Articulate elements of own cultural values, beliefs, and biases that may influence the delivery of care while in China
- Discuss the heritage of the Chinese culture related to health and healthcare
- Demonstrate knowledge of the social, economic, political, geographic, and demographic factors that influence healthcare delivery, and of prevailing health and welfare needs in China.
- Demonstrate an awareness of culturally competent healthcare delivery while in China.
- Develop a basic/generic hospital-based program based on data collected prior to the experience and recommendations for adaptation based on a needs assessment.
- Promote evidence-based rehabilitation practice in China through advocacy at the hosting medical universities and hospitals.
- Analyze the healthcare delivery observed at the Chinese host clinical site using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health as a framework
- Demonstrate increased understanding of professional responsibility, culturally aware practice, and healthcare related to social justice, as well as of their professional role in China
