My SEP (18 July – 15 August 2015)
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
I had never thought of having my first experience travelling alone for a month during my university life until I came across with IPSF SEP.
After the surprise traditional welcome party, “Tumpengan” with the committees and SEP participants from France and Slovakia, my first week of internship had started in two community pharmacies. I learned about how the pharmacists there receive prescriptions, prescribe, store and compound medicines. I am glad that I can speak some Indonesian when giving patient counselling to the local people.
During my two weeks in private hospital, I went to each pharmacy department in the hospital such as ward, ICU, blood donation centre, outpatient and inpatient department, sterilization for medical tools centre. I learned about the operation and management of each department and I helped them to prepare medicines. The last week was to meet with the staff and students in Sanata Dharma University and I presented about the pharmacy system in Malaysia.
My weekends were not bored. I went to a traditional herbal factory, beaches, waterfall, volcano hiking, and zoo. Tourist spots such as Borobudur, Prambanan, Malioboro Street, Merapi Volcano and Prawirotaman were not missed out from my to-visit-list. I also had socializing events such as gym, karaoke, bar, and dinner quizzes.
I had many first time experiences such as harvesting the paddy and chili field, celebrating my birthday overseas, holding a snake and iguana, having a motorbike riding lesson, experiencing slight shaking of the bed at night due to volcano eruption, climbing till the top of a dead volcano mountain, and going to bar. Because of so much fun, I had a terrible “Post Exchange Depression” after my SEP! Our experiences together had created a very special bond between us, the bond that linked us between countries. I am sure that we will meet again and I am looking forward to it!
By: Chong Jue Xin
