MCV students travel to Italy in special student exchange

Alyx Duckett
Contributing Writer

The student exchange partnership VCU has with Messina, Italy is different than most – it is a literal student exchange.

Earlier this summer, six VCU pharmacy students and nine medicine students went over to Italy to study these same topics at the University of Messina (UniMe).

This fall, it is UniMe’s turn to send their six pharmacy and nine medicine students over to study at VCU.

Messina’s exchange started earlier this month and will continue through November, while VCU’s exchange groups went over the summer.

Elizabeth Hiett, the program coordinator for International Partnerships at VCU, said the Messina students get to experience courses outside of medical courses such as urban studies, biology, cinema and English classes.

“UniMe students have also come to VCU to enroll in the English Language Program,” Hiett said. “The University of Messina does not offer many courses in English, and not many students have a level of fluency that would allow them to be successful in Italian-only classes.”

The partnership with UniMe started in the late 1980s and includes both students and faculty from the Monroe Park and MCV campuses. The partnership is also a part of the Center for Integrative Mediterranean Studies, a tripartite research and exchange relationship with the University of Cordoba in Spain and UniMe.

According to an annual report by John Accordino, the VCU partnership director for the VCU-UniMe relationship, both universities have expanded in recent years to, “embrace language and literature, biology, cinema and urban planning, while collaboration in neurosciences, medicine and pharmacy continues.”

Hiett says that these specialized programs are a great opportunity for the exchange students to experience an international learning environment.

Fritzie Shinohara, a VCU pharmacy student and a PharmD candidate for 2012, was an exchange student who went to Messina this summer. Shinohara says the trip was very beneficial to her.

“I recommend this trip to any student, as it could be a life-changing event,” Shinohara said. “The program provides intercultural learning experiences that may be beneficial to those who want to learn about Sicilian culture, experience an international academic environment and expand knowledge related to international pharmacy practice.”

Shinohara says she had a good experience overall and thinks the program should continue.

Hiett has talked to students who share the same opinion as Shinohara.

“I’ve only heard positive feedback from the students to whom I’ve spoken,” Hiett said.

She also added that the Messina medical students are eager to participate in the exchange for reasons such as exploring a new city and country, to practice their English and gain knowledge of a medical system different than the Italian structure.

“The same is true for the VCU students who travel to Messina,” Hiett said. “It’s a truly rewarding experience for them.”

For now, the pharmacy exchange program with Messina has been put on hold so that the program’s rotation structure can be reviewed.

Hiett said the program is expected to start back up for the summer of 2013, but the exchange with the School of Medicine will continue with more incoming students next summer.

For more information, visit the Global Education Office’s website at http://www.global.vcu.edu