Qasim Othman Alqasabi, MD, FRCS, FACS, and Dean Johnnie Early, PhD, RPh sign the Memorandum of Understanding at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
In late 2012, Dean Early, along with Drs. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, Sharrel Pinto and Youssef Sari, visited the Middle East to create and support some of the college’s educational and research partnerships. Their journey took
them to Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal Specialists Hospital and Research Centre and to Jordan’s Al-Zaytoonah University.
The college’s relationship with Al-Zaytoonah University in the capital city of Amman, Jordan extends back 10 years and includes the exchange of ideas and knowledge that have strengthened pharmacy practice in Jordan and enhanced research in the United States. Al-Zaytoonah University is a private university that features excellent pharmaceutical science programs. Its faculty members are largely trained abroad, in the United States, India and Europe.
The college co-sponsored a pharmacy conference in Jordan with the faculty of Al-Zaytoonah University. In addition to Dr. Early giving the keynote address at the conference, Drs. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, Sharrel Pinto and Youssef Sari presented, and three UT graduates from the graduate program in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry attended. Dr. Amanda Bryant-Friedrich, associate professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, presented her research on chemical toxicology and the etiology of cancer. Dr. Sharrel Pinto, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Research Director for the Pharmaceutical Care and Outcomes Research Lab, spoke about the impact practicing pharmacists can have on improving patient care and outcomes.
Dr. Youssef Sari, assistant professor of pharmacology, presented his research on the treatment of alcoholism and neurodegenerative diseases. During the conference, Dr. Sari was featured on the PharmaJo website and on Jordanian television. The partnership with Al-Zaytoonah attracts students who are interested in graduate studies in the basic sciences.
The college’s new Memorandum of Understanding with the King Faisal Specialists Hospital and Research Centre allows Doctor of Pharmacy students to complete rotations at the institution. King Faisal is home to the first and only ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency program outside the United States, creating an exciting new opportunity for graduates who wish to practice abroad. The state-of-the-art hospital facilities and government support allow the institution to adopt a patient-centered medical home model and other practices that are merely in the discussion phases here in the United States.
As many of the college’s graduate students come from the Middle East and other parts of the globe, expanding the college’s presence and recruitment efforts beyond the U.S. borders is essential to increasing enrollment in our graduate programs. These partnerships allow the college to reconnect with alumni as well. Buthina Abdallah, a 2011 Medicinal Chemistry PhD graduate and assistant professor in the department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy at Jordan University of Science and Technology, attended the conference. She remarked, “It was my pleasure to meet my UT family in my home country.” The ongoing success of graduates like Abdallah extends UT’s impact across the globe.
Students involved with the college’s Middle Eastern partnerships come to UT with financial support and excellent communication skills, having generally completed international baccalaureate programs. Because the faculty members at each of these partner institutions are largely American or British educated, the relationships and research collaborations are easily facilitated. The commitment to diversity at The University of Toledo and the opportunity for enriching education in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences make international partnerships meaningful.