Tomorrow's Pharmacist
2007:40-41
January 2007

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The extramural experience

By Leila Tahiri

Pharmacy around the world

Leila Tahiri is a fourth-year student from the London School of Pharmacy

As part of the MPharm course, The School of Pharmacy, University of London, gives its third-year students the opportunity to undertake the mandatory research project abroad. It is known as the extramural placement and each year about 30 students are accepted onto the scheme and have the opportunity either to partake in the ERASMUS scheme where they travel to Europe, or to be more adventurous and organise their own placements in far-away countries such as the US and New Zealand.

I decided upon Canada and set about e-mailing various university researchers asking for a place in their laboratories. Finding a willing supervisor was a difficult task, since the stipulated three months seemed too short for a research project. Eventually, a professor from the Leslie Dan Pharmacy Faculty of the University of Toronto accepted me.

Oddly enough, my excitement levels were unusually contained before leaving — looking back I may have felt slightly apprehensive at being away from home for so long.

I arrived in Canada on a freezing March morning, the six layers of clothing not doing much in the way of retaining body heat. The roads leading away from the airport were desolate and bare, the still winter air and snow covered ground making it all that much more depressing. However, my initial reaction changed as I drove through downtown Toronto to my student accommodation. Gone were the old Victorian houses and green spaces of central London and in came the wide roads, tall buildings and big neon signs so characteristic of north America.

After settling in, I met with my supervisor and a PhD student from the laboratory and we set off to a Chinese Dim Sum restaurant on the harbour front. It was a lovely introduction to Toronto by my supervisor.

My research project was investigating the effect of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 (the active form of vitamin D) on the hepatic removal of the compound bromosulphophthalein glutathione. As part of the research I had to perform liver perfusions that involved injecting rats, and ultimately killing them. For this reason I attended animal training courses. Injecting and killing rats was not something I was initially comfortable with — indeed the experience turned me into a vegetarian for a short while — but in the end I accepted its necessity in research. We were educated extensively on the ethical treatment of animals and how to minimise the stress we inflict upon them. Many of the most important drugs in history were developed using animals, so it is crucial for people to understand their significance in research.

The three and half months I spent in the laboratory made me appreciate the extent of work required for undertaking research. I spent a great deal of time in the laboratory and this gave me a true insight into the level of dedication academics have for their fields of research.

Anyone wishing to take part in such a scheme or, indeed, to do a PhD should be prepared for failing experiments and baffling results. But, as I was constantly reminded, this is the nature of research. You should also be prepared for anything — I was sprayed with cow blood on numerous occasions, and a colleague of mine was bitten by a rat and consequently had to go to hospital.

Canada is a country of great natural beauty and I visited many natural sites including its lakes and forests and, of course, the world-renowned Niagara Falls that did not disappoint. Blue Mountain is another popular destination — in the winter for skiing and in the summer for its cool caves and scenic views. It is also the home of Ontario’s longest (and wobbliest) suspension bridge.

Canada, and Toronto especially, has truly grasped the concept of multiculturalism. Approximately 50 per cent of Toronto’s population were born outside the city and while they all retain the core aspects of their cultures, Canada has managed to integrate the different ethnic groups remarkably well. As a result of this, Toronto has much to offer in the way of “global experiences”. You can explore cuisines from all around the world and venture into parts of the city that have turned into mini countries; Little Italy and the lively China Town are just some examples. Being of Persian origin, it was my new year while I was there. Being away from family and friends at this time was a major issue when I applied, but owing to the large Persian community, there were many festivals and events which kept me from feeling too homesick.

Toronto is big on sport and whereas football rules the screen in Britain, ice hockey and basketball are the order of the day over there. I went to the last basketball game of the season at the Air Canada Centre, where the Toronto Raptors (unusually) won the game.

My experience had many highs as well as lows, but I think I have developed personally in so many ways. I would highly recommend taking part in some kind of overseas placement, either through the extramural scheme or with assistance from the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation. More than anything, you will discover much about yourself as a person and appreciate the truly global community we live in.