A postgraduate Pharmacy student has broadened her horizons and boosted her skills on a "life-changing" #DMUglobal trip to The Gambia.
Baguiasri Mandane was one of a group of students from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) who helped build a library, learned more about West African culture and undertook a placement.
She is now promoting the benefits of DMU's international experience programme to her fellow postgraduate students.
Baguiasri said: "Education is not just about learning and passing exams, it's about being a good human and learning to help others on this lifelong journey of self-development.
"The humanitarian work was life changing and I would encourage others to do something similar.
"The highlight of my trip was to see how, even today, we have such wide variations between different countries."
Accompanied by lecturers and Global Hands, a non-profit organisation that aims to tackle global inequality, the students took part in various humanitarian activities, helping to build a library in the village of Manduar.
Baguiasri also spent two days at one of the biggest healthcare facilities in the region, the Faji Kunda Community Hospital in Serrekunda, which at the time had only two doctors available and no pharmacists.
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She said: "I was given an opportunity to help with various clinical tasks in the outpatient clinics, including taking patients' blood pressure measurements.
"It was clear that, despite having few resources, the nurse practitioners were determined to provide the best clinical service for all their patients.
"I was directly able to compare the healthcare facilities in The Gambia to the ones we have here. Having that placement really helped me to appreciate even more what we have.
"I've also grown as a person. I would 100 per cent recommend a #DMUglobal experience to other postgraduate students too."
Baguiasri is now promoting the benefits of #DMUglobal as part of her role as Student Representative Co-ordinator, with a key aim to help improve the overall postgraduate student experience.
She is combining this with studying for the PG Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy (Hospital) and her job as a Clinical Pharmacist at the University of Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust.
Baguiasri landed the role, which includes providing a clinical service to hospital wards and an out-of-hours pharmacy service, after graduating with a First in Pharmacy in summer 2014.
The 25-year-old, who was born in Portugal, said: "I originally chose DMU because of the course structure and opportunities. It really stood out for me.
"I decided to further improve my clinical knowledge and aid my clinical real-life practice by enrolling on the postgraduate course."
Posted on Thursday 24 November 2016