By Brenda Odhiambo

Last Friday, the transitions office in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at USIU-Africa held an internship information session for 22 Scholars in cohorts 2 and 3 of the Bachelor of Pharmacy program. The session, facilitated by Ms. Dolly Mwiti, served as an introduction to the prepare level (non-academic internship), which is taken by all Scholars in 2nd and 3rd year.

The information session delved into the structure, objectives, and expectations of the prepare level internship. Scholars have the opportunity to gain insights into the real-world application of their academic knowledge, setting the stage for a seamless transition from the academic realm to practical, hands-on experiences.

In her remarks, Ms. Mwiti noted that the internship was critical as it provided an avenue for the Scholars to start clarifying their professional interests, as well as building professional networks and basic workplace skills.

The session concluded with a testimonial from Pride Nyando, a Cohort 1 Scholar in the Pharmacy program, who shared his experience during his industrial manufacturing and community pharmacy internship. He shared with the Scholars about the expectations of pharmaceutical organizations, and how best they could align their knowledge to the skills that were needed of them in the workplace.

"My internship was a transformative experience that allowed me to bridge the gap between theory and practice," he shared. "It's crucial for Scholars to recognize the real-world needs of pharmaceutical organizations and actively develop their skills to meet these expectations,” he concluded.