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Arwa Nemir
Research topic
Exploring What Patients Can Teach Us About Pharmacy Student Skills
Research supervisor(s)
Home Town
Alexandria
Country
Egypt
Selected Award(s)
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
I decided to pursue a graduate degree to follow my immense passion for pharmacy and teaching. This is my second time being a graduate student and I am always seeking new challenges. I have been travelling across continents to fulfil my continuous enthusiasm for learning and escalating my interpersonal and professional skills.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I decided to study at UBC because of its prestige and strong reputation as an educational and academic institution. It is also home to a lot of international students like myself. For me, UBC represented the perfect blend of high-quality education along with a unique living and social experience.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
Not only does the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical sciences rank in the top five in North America, but it is also number two among pharmacy schools in Canada. The faculty members have highly reputable training, extensive research experience, high-level teaching and a strong commitment to their students. It truly is a privilege to be working with them.
What was the best surprise about UBC or life in Vancouver?
The breathtaking beaches that we have on campus were such a surprise. It is rare to see a campus surrounded by so much natural beauty.
For me, UBC represented the perfect blend of high-quality education along with a unique living and social experience.
What aspects of your life or career before now have best prepared you for your UBC graduate program?
The experience that I have acquired while pursuing my Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree has strengthened my communication skills with patients, healthcare practitioners and fellow pharmacy students. This will be very helpful since my project involves interacting with patients and students. I also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant after I graduated from the PharmD program. In this position, I was responsible for recruiting study participants including patients and physicians which further enhanced my readiness for a research-based program at UBC.
What do you like to do for fun or relaxation?
Going to Rain or Shine for ice-cream, taking afternoon walks by the beach and watching Netflix with my favourite mango passion fruit tea in one hand and caramel popcorn in the other.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
Enjoy the experience of being a grad student and make the most out of your time at UBC. Make sure to check out the amazing free resources offered by UBC, like workshops and webinars for professional development and for helping graduate students with their research. Make friends along the way, socialize and attend as many social events as you can. Follow your passion and always devote some of your time for self-care.
Learn more about Arwa's research
Patient-centred care is a fundamental approach that aims to keep up with the pressing demands on healthcare. It seeks to empower patients by having them as active collaborators rather than passive recipients of healthcare. This approach has been adopted by multiple health professions educational programs to train their students while aligning with and respecting patients’ preferences, values and needs. Since patients are the heart of healthcare, their perspectives are crucial for enriching students' learning and educational development. However, patients' active involvement in evaluating the skills of pharmacy students who care for them is still not firmly established. My research focus is pharmacy education. My research project aims to learn more about the skills demonstrated by pharmacy students that patients can assess in addition to exploring pharmacy students’ perspectives regarding what feedback they think patients can provide on their skills.