As part of study objectives of the Qatar University (QU) pharmaceutics course, the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) played host to third-year College of Pharmacy (CPH) students, who visited the PET/CT Scan Unit (Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography).
The annual trip was supervised by QU’s Professor Nashiru Billa and included a tour of the PET Production Unit by Cyclotron Facility operations manager Dr Ehab al-Momani, who gave a detailed review of the production, quality assurance, storage and distribution of radioisotopes. Students had a first-hand look at the state-of-the-art instrumentation used and were introduced to state regulatory requirements adopted by the unit.
The students then took a tour of the PET-Clinical Unit where technicians explained the key components of the PET scanner and how diagnostic scanning is performed. The students also learned how the Production and Clinical Units synchronise their work in order to achieve the best diagnostic and patient treatment outcomes.
Commenting on this visit, CPH’s Pharmaceutical Sciences Department head Dr Ashraf Khalil said: “The vision of the College of Pharmacy is advancing healthcare in Qatar through excellence and innovation in pharmacy education, research and service. Our approach depends on the integration of the theory with practice.
“This is why the students’ visit to NCCCR was very important and part of the education process to allow them to watch, apply and learn to be ready for the professional practice. We would like to thank our collaborators at the NCCCR for their hospitality and co-operation to reach our mutual goal to graduate pharmacists who are competent and capable of facing the daily challenges of the professional practice.”
Billa said: “The science and practice of nuclear pharmacy has evolved into an important theme in cancer management and diagnosis. It is important for our students to be abreast with the state-of-the-art modalities used in the treatment and diagnosis of cancer. We are very fortunate that the NCCCR provides such excellent services to its patients. This field trip provides a very good opportunity to our students to relate theory with practice of nuclear pharmacy. I know that students benefited significantly from the visit and would like to thank the management of the NCCCR for an excellent hosting.”
CPH Pharmacy student Hiba Mohamed said: “Visiting the NCCCR was a comprehensive and eye-opening experience that covered all aspects of nuclear pharmacy ranging from the production of radioisotopes to the clinical aspects of PET scans. The tours we received from the NCCCR team members truly enriched our knowledge and we were able to see all the concepts we took in the lecture room come to life during the visit. This, in turn, fostered in us an interest in nuclear pharmacy and its ever-developing future.”
