Manar Abdalrazk, Clinical Pharmacist at Ain Shams University Hospitals, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Sometimes the most valuable experiences take time to fully reflect on — and this one was truly worth it.
I had the opportunity to complete a training program at the Breast Cancer Hospital and Institute – First Settlement, and it was one of the most enriching training experiences I’ve had so far.
The training started with a solid theoretical foundation, followed by extensive hands-on practice. We rotated through all hospital departments, which made the experience dynamic, engaging, and far from routine. What made it truly special was the perfect balance between theory and real clinical practice.
One of the most impactful parts of the training was the task-based learning approach, where each task represented a real-life professional experience, including:
- Preparing patient-friendly brochures for specific medications
- Case presentations for actual hospital cases after studying treatment protocols, dose calculations, and supportive therapy
- Journal clubs and scientific paper discussions
- Topic-based clinical discussions
- Drug Information Request (DIR) through case scenarios
- Reviewing patient files (supportive therapy, doses, labs, nutritional status) with professional double-checking
- Patient counseling focusing on compliance, drug–drug interactions, and duplicate therapies
- Supporting patients in the day care unit during chemotherapy and targeted therapy sessions
- Exposure to the clinical department, including IV admixture
- Experience in the outpatient department in collaboration with surgeons
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the doctors and pharmacists who supervised us throughout this training. Your guidance, patience, and willingness to share knowledge made us feel like true members of the healthcare team and played a major role in shaping this experience.special thanks for dr Ghada Emam Samar Darwish Zeinab Abdelwhab ,BCOP
Overall, it was an amazing and deeply fulfilling journey, and I truly hope to return to this place one day as a volunteer.”
Emad Shash, Leading Cancer Researcher and Director at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, shared a post by Manar Abdalrazk, adding:
“Proud to re-share this post from Manar Abdalrazk, one of our Oncology Clinical Pharmacy interns, reflecting on a truly meaningful hands-on training experience.
What I love most in her reflection is how early exposure to patient-centered care shapes future clinicians—not only in pharmacotherapy knowledge, but in communication, safety checks, supportive care, and real teamwork at the point of care.
At the Breast Cancer Comprehensive Center, we are committed to 360° care—where the Oncology Clinical Pharmacist is not “supporting in the background,” but an integral team player across the full journey: education, counseling, toxicity prevention/management, treatment optimization, and coordination with physicians, nurses, patient education and patient navigation.
Big appreciation to the mentors who made this experience possible—especially Dr. Ghada Emam, Samar Darwish, and Zeinab Abdelwhab ,BCOP —for investing time, structure, and trust in our young colleagues.
Well done, Manar. This is how we build the next generation of oncology professionals—grounded in science, and driven by compassion. “
