Global Collaboration with St. John’s University Pharmacy Students and Lyceum-Northwestern University, Philippines. Increases Health-Care Skills

Participating in the Global Online Learning Exchange (GOLE) with our faculty partners at Lyceum-Northwestern University in the Philippines was a rewarding and eye-opening experience. As pharmacy faculty members, Maha Saad, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, and Nicole M. Maisch, Pharm.D., collaborated with colleagues abroad to design and deliver a Drug Information Global Collaboration course that brought together 25 learners from different health-care disciplines and educational systems. Participants included second- and third-year medical and pharmacy students from the Philippines and sixth-year (professional year four) pharmacy students from St. John’s University who were completing their Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs).

The course was designed using a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning activities. Educational materials, modules, and case-based assignments were housed in Google Classroom, allowing students to independently develop skills in drug information retrieval, evidence-based medicine, resource evaluation, drug interactions, dosing considerations, medication safety, and therapeutic guidelines. Students were assigned to mixed international groups and worked through drug information challenges that required them to compare resources, clinical recommendations, and healthcare practices across countries.

One of the most unique aspects of the collaboration was navigating the 12-hour time difference between the United States and the Philippines. Coordinating meetings required flexibility from both faculty and students. To ensure fairness, one synchronous session was held in the morning for US participants and the other in the evening. While scheduling logistics and differences in educational expectations presented challenges, these obstacles ultimately became learning opportunities that fostered adaptability, communication, and mutual respect.

The synchronous sessions were particularly engaging. Students first met in small groups to discuss their assigned cases, compare findings, and reflect on differences in drug availability, clinical guidelines, and healthcare systems. Groups then reconvened as a larger cohort to share their conclusions and discuss how recommendations might vary depending on regional contexts. These conversations highlighted the importance of cultural awareness and demonstrated that evidence-based decision making often requires consideration of local resources and health-care realities.

Although student feedback is still being collected, early survey responses have been encouraging. Participants reported that the experience helped them better understand perspectives different from their own, improve communication and collaboration skills, and gain valuable insights from their international peers. Several students also noted that the experience would be beneficial to their future academic and professional careers.

Overall, this GOLE project reinforced the value of global partnerships in health-care education. Despite logistical challenges, the collaboration successfully created meaningful opportunities for intercultural exchange, professional growth, and shared learning. Most importantly, it demonstrated how students can learn from one another while developing the skills needed to serve diverse patient populations in an increasingly interconnected world.