On November 5, 2020, Prof. Roderick Salenga, Technical Officer for Port Moresby of the World Health Organization – Papua New Guinea, delivered a webinar for Doctor of Pharmacy students of the Faculty of Pharmacy, as part of UST’s Enriched Virtual Mode of instruction and internationalization efforts.
Salenga’s lecture, entitled “Fit for Purpose: Putting Competencies into Practice,” aimed at developing the students’ personal and interpersonal skills. In the lecture, Salinga emphasized on soft skills that the PharmD students must embrace in their practice “since the workplace requires more of social and emotional skills.” Technical knowledge, intellect, cognitive ability, Salenga emphasized, are only part of the requirements for being effective in the workplace. Being passionate, adaptable, consistent and having the ability to manage relationships and to communicate with others are important intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to be developed.
A total of twenty-nine PharmD students learned from Salenga, whose lecture was joined by Faculty of Pharmacy officials and faculty members. The two-year post-baccalaureate degree Doctor of Pharmacy is offered by the Department of Pharmacy, which has infused the program with internationalization activities, both in the lecture and practice dimensions. Salenga joins the international speakers of the program, which also saw speakers from the University of Illinois in Chicago deliver instruction to students.
