My Story in APPS 2015 Thailand by IPSF Asia Pacific Regional Office

Mian Zhang - Australia

Pharmacy graduate from University of Sydney

“My name is Mian Zhang, and I’m the Immediate Past Chairperson for APRO. It’s been a long 5 years

since I’ve gotten into IPSF and I’m probably starting to show my age. Starting in APPS Taiwan, IPSF has given me the opportunities I wouldn’t have imagined, allowing me to travel around the world, attend the prestigious World Health Assembly and see the IPSF headquarters in The Hague, The Netherlands. The memories are countless, experiencing the culture and meeting people on my travels, dancing away on International Nights, long drawn out IPSF assemblies and spectacular gala nights and celebrations with new found friends. I’m honoured this year to remain as an advisor to the current team, watching and supporting them as they work to further the aims and objectives of the region, and see their grand ideas come to fruition. This year, 2015, has been such a year for me, travelling for IPSF, snowboarding an accumulated vertical height equal to Everest, and ending with an amazing APPS in Thailand. I look forward now to 2016, and with APPS in Korea, World Congress in Zimbabwe, and with what little glimpse the new team has given me, I can say I’m super excited for the year ahead! Get pumped for 2016 everyone! I invite you all to come to an IPSF event or get involved and see what there is on offer! See you in APPS in Korea! Viva la Pharmacie!

“

Janet Mirzaei - Australia

4th year student at University of Sydney

“To all my dear IPSFers, hello once again! Some of you may remember me as the Secretary for APRO in

2014 – 2015 and now I will serve as the Chairperson for the upcoming mandate in 2015 – 2016. It’s easy to describe how I first started with IPSF: I was in the middle of my pharmacy degree with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do in life. I felt like I was wasting the days away with absolutely no purpose in life. But one day I decided to do something about it. I saw an online post about APPS Malaysia 2014 and despite not knowing anything about IPSF, I decided to take that chance and register for the event. Now as I sit here, writing this introduction after attending 8 IPSF business trips in the space of one and half years, I can safely say that taking that opportunity and attending APPS 2014, was the best decision I have ever made. I have met many incredible people along the way and even though we may come from different backgrounds, our passion for improving health care and promoting the skills of our profession to the wider community is what unites us, no matter where we are in the world. There have been lots of tiring days and sleepless nights, but there have also been many hilarious moments and wonderful friendships that I will cherish forever, and that definitely makes it all worth it. Looking back at what we have achieved in such a short time makes me certain that this year we will be able to further strengthen APRO with the amazing people within our region who are just as determined and passionate as my team are. Without your efforts we would achieve nothing and for that, we are eternally grateful. I am really looking forward to this year and I hope to see you all at an IPSF event next year. Viva la pharmacie and much love to my IPSF family (:

“

Nathan Ting - Australia

4th year student at Monash University Melbourne

“G’Day everyone, my name is Nathan, and I’m from the land down under ! My first IPSF experience was

APPS ’14 in Malaysia where I met countless amazing people. From there I was lucky enough to become the clinical skills event coordinator for IPSF. From there I met even more amazing people in the very hot and exhausting WC in India. I decided to run for secretary after spending time at WC with the past secretary (Janet) and she was telling me what a wonderful experience it was to work more closely with the student organisations compared to IPSF on a global scale. I felt that there was a lot that I could offer for the position and a lot that I could learn from it as well. A little bit about myself: I’m from Melbourne, I LOVE FOOD and baking is one of my favourite hobbies, I’m an avid gamer (probably too much so). Another question I frequently get asked is “Where are you from!?” so, parents are from Sibu Malaysia, and Taiwan but I was born and raised in Australia. I hope to get to know you all a lot better in this coming year, and if you see me around please say Hi! Viva La Pharmacie! Ps: the photo is my first attempt at going to the gym... It did not end well.

“

Peter Lin - Australia

Recent pharmacy graduate from Monash University Melbourne

“Hey everyone, I’m Peter from Melbourne, Australia and I’ll be the APRO regional relations officer for

2015-2016. My IPSF journey started at the end of 3rd year university. One day at work, it suddenly dawned on me that I only had 1 year left of the “student life” and that I had no significant memories to take with me. By chance, I met a pharmacist that same day who introduced me to IPSF and encouraged me to attend an event. Without knowing anything about the organisation or anyone attending the event, I registered myself to attend APPS 2014 in Kuala Lumpur. APPS 2014 in Kuala Lumpur was the event that kicked off this crazy chapter of my life. In those 6 days I discovered an insane number of friends, a lifetime of memories and an entirely new outlook on life. The morning after my final exam after APPS, I was back on a flight to KL for a much longer Asia trip, visiting friends and making new ones. The incredible APPS 2014 experience made me want to contribute to this wonderful organisation. I joined the APRO Translations subcommittee immediately after APPS 2014 ended, and at APPS 2015 in Thailand, I decided to apply to be the regional relations officer with the intention to bring the wonderful IPSF experience to more people and countries. This year is my intern year. I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry and am now completing the second half of my intern year in a hospital. I have combined this full time work with study, subcommittee work and playing club soccer (football). This busy schedule has made me appreciate all time I get to spend with friends and family. I can’t wait to see you all next year. Viva la Pharmacie!

“

Waranyu Lengwiriyakul - Thailand 6th year student at Khon Kaen University

“SA-WAS-DEE-KAA ~ Dear all IPSFers, my name is Waranyu Lengwiriyakul and I’m from Thailand, you

can call me ‘Kimmy’ ! I’m now a 6th year pharmacy student in Khon Kaen University. I had my first taste of IPSF at APPS 2013 Japan and I couldn’t stop my passion to be a part of this lovely family. In 2014, I continued my IPSF journey at LiT and APPS 2014 in Malaysia and I felt even more motivated to be part of IPSF APRO RWG in last term. One year of working with the great RWG, IPSF team and all lovely APPS RCs was such a wonderful time for me. It has been a part of my inspirations to run my RPO position again, to be involved in this year’s IPSF team and work harder to bring new and more innovative projects for IPSFAPRO. I’m really looking forward to working with all members of IPSFAPRO and together bring our region to the next level! APPS 2015 in Thailand had ended with lots of fun and unforgettable time. I’m sure that it would happen again in APPS 2016! That’s why don’t miss the next APPS in Korea since APPS is a oncein-a-lifetime experience. You have to join it and feel the IPSF spirit within us! Viva la pharmacie! :D

“

Henny Aryani - Indonesia

3rd year student at Padjadjaran University

“Yo guys, I’m Henny (Henny, not Henry, okay?) and I will serve you guys as IPSF APRO RMPO for 2015-

2016! I was never interested in joining any students organisation until I went to 13th APPS in Malaysia, it was a great experience to the point I applied as a design subcommittee last term. It led me to the next level, where I am right now. I’m currently 20 years old (but an eternal 5 years old kid inside) and I’m pretty much a quiet student at uni, but I like to get pretty loud on the weekends. Beside uni and IPSF, I live quietly as a productive member of society whilst trying to fulfill my dream to be an internet meme. I’m looking forward to using my experience, skills, and ideas to enrich APRO in our term with the team and we’ll prove it to you. Some might say I’m expressionless and look scary but I seriously don’t bite so feel free to contact me and give me ideas, suggestions, or critics, I would be very happy to hear that. Hope to see y’all in Seoul for the next APPS in 2015.

“

Jin Ran Kim - South Korea

6th year student at Seoul National University

“Hi, I’m Jin, the chairperson of APPS 2016 KOREA. I know most of you are looking forward to coming and enjoying Korea. My committee members and I are doing our best to make a great Symposium and give you wonderful memories. If you have brilliant idea for the Symposium, please do not hesitate to share your idea with us! Idea of all will make symposium for all. We are expecting your passionate participation! KPharmstar and other recreations are going to be held. Please do not be shy! Your participation may earn yourself some great prizes, and of course, wonderful experiences! We really want to accept all registration, however due to the accommodation, we have to limit the number of participants and the details will be released soon. I feel sorry but don’t be so sad as this won’t be the last chance! Come and enjoy Korea!

“

Words from the Chairperson of 14th APPS 2015 >> BY THANAKRIT SERMPONG, CHAIRPERSON OF 14th APPS 2015 Hello and greetings from Thailand! It has been 2 months since the 14th APPS has ended. APPS 2015 was a precious opportunity for me to make new friends in IPSF and to participate in activities together. I think everyone really enjoyed APPS, especially the recreation activities that allowed participants to get to know one another better.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working together towards access to pharmacy servicesâ&#x20AC;? is the theme of symposium for this year. It allowed us to gain insights into various aspects of pharmacist work and strategies to improve patient access to pharmacy services! It was my first time hearing about the Lagkasuka model from Ph.D.Krisana Kraisin which is an amazing project to increase access to pharmacy services.

It was also the first time I ever got to hold such a big event like APPS and it was a great learning opportunity for me! We received feedback from participants that we did well because we had a great APPS team. Indeed, we had been preparing for APPS for more than a year! The entire Reception Committee worked hard, and we had face-toface meetings at least once a month to resolve any problems and to plan everything for APPS. We had been so stressed about APPS but in the end we did it well and the APRO RWG was always there to assist me throughout the year, advising me on various issues.

This opportunity to organize the APPS has allowed me to hone certain skills - skills that were polished through working in the Reception Committee, APRO RWG and the Executive Committee of my organization.

It has truly been an amazing experience that I would never have experienced in the classroom! Viva la Pharmacie!

I Enjoyed Every Bit of APPS 2015 >> BY CHANBOPHA THO, APPS2015 RECEPTION COMMITTEE Being part of the 14th Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium (APPS) did bring me such an unforgettable experience! It was my first time to meet a lot of people from different countries with different cultures, but we all shared the same destiny; a student today and a pharmacist tomorrow. This APPS was held in Thailand in which I worked as a reception committee member, a group leader to be specific. For your information, I am not from Thailand, my nationality is Cambodian. Since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m studying in Thailand, instead of being a participant, I joined in as one of the committees. At first, I did not know what this was about; I was told that my job involved communicating with the participants in English and accompanying them during their stay. I was scared of making mistakes, and was frightened by the things I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know. Honestly, I am not the communicative type of person and I lack social skills. However, I chose to join because I crave for a new experience. And surely, yet, I do gain a new chapter in my life.

For the first time in my life, I have never been this tired. We had to be in standby position at the event for the whole day, and only rest after all of the events have ended. Before going to rest, all of the group leaders had to gather for a small discussion, discussing about the problems the participants have encountered, along with a solution, and go over our work for the next day. I mostly slept at around 2 am and woke up at 6 am to give a wake-up call for the participants.

Working as a group leader is real exhausting. We also had to inform the participants about the starting time of the event to make sure they will not miss it. This was considered the hardest work among all because we do not want the participants to go right through the

symposia or workshops while they were in a middle of meal, neither do we want them to be engaged in a different activity instead of the ones we have organized for them. Our time is limited and we had to do what we were told, luckily the participants cooperate really well.

Everyone was especially excited and cheerful when it was time for the activity from the recreational team. They danced, sang and played games. The place was full of laughter and joy; I still can picture the image in my mind. It was such an unforgettable memory, when we were all in different places yesterday, and we are together as one today, playing games and sharing our laughter. English might not be our mother tongue, neither do we speak well;

however, languages never define relationships, it is the feeling we have in common which makes us know and understand each other.

Everyone exchanged their stories and cultures, and received something new in return. During the international night, each of the participants was dressed in their traditional costumes representing their own countries. The participants also prepared food from their homes, it was a memorable night. I ate Japanese snack, tried on Canada chocolate, and tasted the drink made with Vodka and soda from New Zealand. It was like we were making countries-shake in a mixer, and we were able to have a full gulp of a variety of different flavors.

I hope to join the next APPS which is going to be held in Korea and looking forward to seeing our pharmacist-to-be friends again soon.

An Exciting and Unforgettable Memory >> BY PALLAPACH RANGSIKITPHO, APPS2015 RECEPTION COMMITTEE Hi everyone, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Pach from Publication Materials Committee of 14th IPSF APPS 2015, Pattaya, Thailand. After I received the great news that Thailand is going to host the 14th IPSF APPS 2015 two years ago, the team and I began to find for volunteers. Preparation was not an easy task and all of these challenged us, committees, to be strong and it also taught us valuable experiences. We began to prepare the plan, create and design publication materials, including logo, posters, souvenirs, t-shirt, bag, booklet, certificates, newsletters, etc. Luckily, I have already known many connections in order to support my work in the committee.

Finally, the day arrived. I was pleased to meet around 300 participants around the world. I was impressed by Thai night on Day 1 where participants joined the Thai night in Temple fair theme. There were so many Thai food such as Tom Yum Sea food, Green curry chicken in coconut milk, Panaeng curry with pork, bean-paste, Thai desserts like Lod Chong Dessert in coconut milk. There were also Thai local whisky, Traditional Thai dresses, Ring toss game, Balloon game, Lucky game, Thai culture performances and musical chair. We enjoyed the Thai Night happily with the participants.

Being part of Publication Materials Committee taught me so many things and I could feel that I have improved already. We are also happy that the participants could learn so many new things about Thailand at APPS 2015, especially during Thai Night.

I hope that the 14th IPSF APPS gave the participants great experiences and unforgettable memories in our life. Let the bonds we have created last forever and we could also be friends forever.

Every night after the event, we had to collect information, photos of participants and also the events, then put them on the daily newsletters. The newsletters were distributed every day to the participants and were also uploaded to the official the 14th APPS Thailand Facebook page.

As part of the committee, we were really grateful, ended with smiles and laughter on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faces.

Together as pharmacists, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work together towards access to pharmacy services!

One of the Best Experiences in My Life! >> BY HYUNJIN (JENNY) KANG, APPS KOREA 2016 RECEPTION COMMITTEE APPS symposium was definitely a turning point in my life as a pharmacy student. I went through hard times understanding some pharmaceutical information, since it had been just 6 months being a pharmacy student. However, please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid of participating in the symposium! I have learned a lot from the symposium and attending APPS symposium was such a huge motivation for me.

What I was so impressed about APPS Thailand was the Thai smiles, which all RC and HC have showed to us.

Especially from my experience, Mork, who was the group leader in my group D, helped us get along well in the events. All social night events were so exciting. We had a ball at Thai night, international night, auction night and gala night. Particularly for international night, I could feel I am with the pharmacy students all over the world. The field trip to the herbal temple was also a new experience at firsthand regarding the content of symposium we had. Moreover, I could learn more about IPSF programs and positions by attending SEP and CP workshops.

Experiences shared by Student Exchange Programme participants were also valuable for students who are willing to take part in the future like me.

It was nice to hear from CPs from other countries and dwell on the roles of CPs regarding global networks of pharmacy students. Although I spent few more extra days for Post Symposium Tour, time flied and 10 days of APPS has gone quickly and I still miss those days.

Beyond the life as a pharmacy student in Korea, I realized there is a bigger world out of the country and I am so excited to host APPS 2016 in Korea!

As working in the Reception Committee for APPS KOREA, I appreciate your interest to be with us and hope to see you all in Korea next year. We have great performances planned for welcoming party, a number of traditional games and food for Korean night. Not only that, you can experience K pharm star only in Korea!

Do not hesitate to register APPS KOREA 2016. We are waiting for you!

Definitely the Highlight of My Year >> BY ELLIOT HARRIS, NEW ZEALAND I don’t know how much you know about Dunedin where I go to university, but the one thing you should know is that it’s cold. In fact, the temperature in Pattaya when we arrived was literally three times of Dunedin’s when we left, so with that in mind you could appreciate how shocked we were after arriving in Bangkok airport. A shuttle ride put us in the beautiful Long Beach Garden Hotel and Spa lobby at 4am, so we had some time to rest before APPS.

I for one didn’t know much of what to expect from the week to come, but what ensued was a truly amazing experience that I will never forget.

One event that really stood out to me was the Thai Night. Before coming to APPS all I knew about Thai culture was that there is delicious food and not all of the pretty girls were really “girls”. After watching some wonderful performances, playing games and eating yummy food I began to get a much bigger picture of what Thailand was about. My only regret from that night is that I wasn’t brave enough to try any of the whiskeys.

Workshops were a lot of fun and informative at APPS, and I only wish I could have gone to them all! My favourite was the Thai Cuisine workshop where I got to try all sorts of flavours that I’d never had before. This

workshop had a focus on teaching us about medicinal properties of different traditional Thai herbs, and required us to move around and sample many of these herbs. New Zealand does not place a large emphasis on herbal medicines and so it was very fascinating to me to hear about all these alternatives to Western medicine. This workshop was also a wonderful chance to meet new people, and I relished the opportunity to make some new friends and learn from them about their own experiences with herbal medicine. The field trip to D-pharmacy was an interesting pharmacy experience for me too. It took us a bit longer to get there than intended because our bus broke down (whoops) but eventually we did arrive and were greeted with smiling faces plus air conditioning! In New Zealand pharmacies we don’t sell much in the way of large medical equipment such as hospital beds and oxygen tanks, so seeing all of these available to buy was new to me.

Later that day we went to a beautiful Chinese temple and some of my Chinese colleagues were able to teach me about some of the deities and heroes from their culture. I drew a strong comparison between the statues and paintings within the temple with New Zealand’s own Māori culture and the way be both honour and remember our pasts with art.

APPS 2015 was one of the best experiences of my pharmacy education and definitely the highlight of my year. Education is only a part of the experience, and getting to know my future colleagues really made me feel like I was a part of something special – the pharmacy profession.

Knowing Other Cultures May Open Our Minds to Understand the Beauty of Differences >> BY CHOIRUN NISA, ISMAFARSI BORNEO INDONESIA Hi everyone, my name is Choirun Nisa from Mulawarman University, Indonesia. I have attended the 14th APPS Thailand which was held on the 21st to the 27th August 2015 in the city of Pattaya. It was truly an honour for me to be selected to represent ISMAFARSI in this regional conference. The journey to being selected as a delegate was definitely not an easy one. I had to juggle between my usual hectic schedule and the selection process.

I am so glad that my hard work finally paid off when I was chosen to represent my association for this prestigious event.

I came from a small regional working group. In order to develop and improve the working group,

I realize the importance of participating in national as well as international events. These events can serve as an eye opener for us to gain more insights as well as experiences that can be used to improve our group. Thus, as the chairperson of external relations of ISMAFARSI Borneo region, I want to have the experience of a delegate for APPS so I could promote IPSF to my region with the use of a more inspiring approach than just giving the usual presentations. This is because I am worried that with the lack of inspiration and motivation, the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interest towards IPSF

would slowly degrade. Thus, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the committee for selecting me to participate in this event.

During the conference, I participated in many activities such as the symposia, workshops, social nights and etc.

There were many impressive activities held during the conference. We had an International Night where each country presented their cultures. The other Indonesian delegates entrusted me to represent our country in presenting a traditional dance, called the Dayak dance. Dayak is a local tribe in Borneo. I spent about 3 weeks preparing for this performance while juggling with my hectic schedule. I learned the dayak traditional dance from my Dayakese friend. I never knew that the dance moves would be difficult but the passion to show my local culture at the international event kept me going. I have had experiences performing the dayak traditional dance in my faculty before so I challenged myself to perform it at an international-scaled event. Dreams do come true.

There were many interesting workshops, however it was unfortunate that the participants could only attend some of them and not all as they were held concurrently. I felt really nervous performing as I was the only one on stage. The other APPS participants applauded me at the end and it was scary! It was a good ending though it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t perfect for me, but everybody kept saying that it was amazing and they really appreciated it. I asked my Japanese and Korean friends to take photos and swap tradi-

tional costumes with me. Both of them agreed and were very happy to wear the Dayak costume.

It was through this moment that I found the meaning of diversity and learned to respect otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culture. The recreation team was amazing. They were very energetic and were the key of our happiness. They were successful in making us miss them at the end of the recreation. A big thank you to the reception committee for making this impressive event.

Lastly, I found the meaning of accepting each other despite our differences and there are no words that can describe my feelings of being an APPS delegate. Since it was my first experience attending APPS, I would never want to forget each and every part of this amazing conference. I recommend everyone, especially members of ISMAFARSI, to participate in these kinds of international events in order to experience for yourself this amazing atmosphere.

I hope I can be an inspiration to the people from my association and to other people reading this article.

APPS, an Experience that Marks Our Lives >> BY MAHDIA OUGRINE, ALGERIA My name is Mahdia. I’m from Algeria. After saying “Nice to meet you” to each other, what many participants that I first met in APPS said was; Algeria! How far it is! They were even more surprised when I said that this was my second time participating in successive two years. That is true, Algeria is far and trip to Asia is tiring.

But the experience I had at APPS was so enjoyable, intensive and loaded with pleasant memories, it has become a powerful addiction to lead me to come back and relive once again.

because friendship allows us to open ourselves to different ways of thinking and reacting, particularly when these friends came from where the lifestyles, cultures, and traditions are distinct from mine.

The wonderful time I had at last year’s APPS made me came back to APPS 2015 Thailand, so I could find new friends as well as strengthen the bonds I had with other participants of last year and share new memories.

APPS offers the opportunity to meet new friends from different countries in addition to the specific experiences. These new friendships are the most valuable experience for me

APPS is a moment that marks our lives even though it briefly lasts and people become different from how they were, but afterall APPS was a valuable experience that you won’t want to miss out.

What is the Hidden Meaning of LIT? >> BY BENYAPHA TANTAWATI & LIT 2015 TEAM I am someone who has always wondered “how” I can become a better leader. The answer is that experience will teach me “how”. Once my friend and my senior told me that “LIT changed them for the better”. I didn’t ask them in return “how much better?”, because I believe that the experience in LIT will be the answer. It is important that I be proactive - not just sitting around waiting for this experience to come, but to find myself the opportunity to join in this experience. I wondered “what is LIT?” It’s easy to just read the LIT description from the web page of 14th Asia Pacific Pharmaceutical Symposium 2015, Thailand.

“Leaders in Training (LIT) is an interactive programme that primarily aims to train pharmacy students who are interested in taking up leadership roles at their local, national or international levels to become better leaders and imbue them with certain standards of leadership, stewardship skills and knowledge.” However, a more difficult, but more pertinent question is: “what is its hidden meaning?” or “what should I explore on my own?”, and this does not feature in the webpage description. One special takeaway that I had was that I was lucky to have met many amazing friends, who are more than happy to share their experience, and to tell you the hidden meaning of LIT.

Mac Ardy Junio Gloria, Philippines

Syawal Pratama, Indonesia

“The Leaders in Training (LIT) was a very humbling experience. Through it, I learnt how to potentially apply creativity, communication and decision-making, organization management and leadership on the IPSF platform. But beyond the knowledge and skills that I had attained from the LIT, I am very happy to have met and known a lot of new and interesting people who share the same vision that I have of elevating the status of the pharmacy profession, and whom I can truly consider as FAMILY. My three words for LIT are ENRICHING, FUN, and MEMORABLE.”

“Leaders in Training was my first involvement in an IPSF event and it was indeed a once in a lifetime experience. It also gave me a really good impression of IPSF. Through it, I have learnt so many lessons, such as leadership skills, event management and organization, the importance of being creative, and many more, that I could not have gotten anywhere else and they could be implemented immediately in real life. LIT has gone beyond my expectations. In addition, the best part of this event was the togetherness of all the participants and committees who brought us joy and excitement. My three words for LIT are WORTHWHILE, EXCITING, and IMPRESSIVE.”

Ayu Tarantika, Indonesia Yunita Dinintia, Indonesia “Joining LIT was a one of a kind experience for me. It's truly unexpected that I should have met such amazing people with amazing visions. I got a chance to know about creativity, leadership, communication, and project handling but beyond that, it’s about how we respect each other and knowing yourself better than before. We're not even friends anymore, we're family! It was one of the best things that has ever happened in my life. My three words for LIT are AWESOME, FUN, and IRREPLACEABLE.”

Anita Liu, Taiwan “Taking part in LIT is one of the most meaningful things that I’ve ever done. During the process, all the lectures and activities were so inspiring and encouraging that I’ve learnt a lot. I used to be a person unwilling to express myself, but LIT gave me abundant, valuable chances to make progress and confront challenges. After LIT, I became more confident in taking risks. I started to rethink lots of plans that I used to consider impossible. Also, I have made a lot of talented friends! Through discussions and trivial conversations, I had a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyed those days with them.They are one of my motivations pushing me forward. This experience will surely stay etched in my mind. The three words are INSPIRING, UNFORGETTABLE, and MEANINGFUL”

“The IPSF-APRO Leaders in Training was a truly exciting experience and the best LIT that I have ever been to. They have given me not only wonderful experiences and great material from a regional officer but also a new family - a real family that shares the same vision to make pharmacy better in the future and to contemplate the master plan of the great pharmaceutical profession together as students. Of course, we also learnt about leadership, which is the crux of the training, how to manage things and lead a team or an organization well. The most exciting point of this LIT was that we could get closer to the APRO family and committees of 14th APPS Thailand. The special three words for LIT are WONDERFUL, BELOVED FAMILY, AND UNFORGETTABLE.”

Stephanie Hunto, Indonesia “This was my first time joining LIT, and I had a lot of fun and gained a lot of knowledge. I learnt a lot about leadership, how to communicate with others effectively, how to carry out a project and how to lead amongst other things. The committee prepared the LIT program really well. Through LIT, I have learnt about IPSF APRO RWG and it drove me to contribute more in APRO. At first, I was really scared, but the recreation team made us feel very welcome. I am really glad that I was able to join LIT. I have also found a new family! I will cherish all the moments that we shared in LIT ^^ Thank you APRO RWG, LIT committees, Mark (APPS 2015 chairperson) and LIT friends! We came together as strangers and walked out as leaders and as a family. My three words for LIT are FAMILY, DIVERSITY, and LEADERSHIP.”

Albertus Ivan Brilian, Indonesia “LIT Leader in Training is a special bundle of activities that you can’t buy in the play store, market or anywhere. Why ? You are trained here to be a leader! The experience is somehing that cannot be bought, and is only for those who dare to join. Leaders in Training (LIT) not only gives people more experience but also soft skills as a leader such as leadership, communication, creativity, time management, people management and so much more! You will be trained by the experts! You shouldn’t have to be alone as a leader because you have a family who will always support you in any condition and LIT will unite you with a new family from different countries. Therefore I definitely recommend everybody to join LIT! My three words are SPECIAL, FAMILY, and UNFORGETTABLE”

Harisatul Hasanah, Indonesia “Everyone has surely had various unforgettable moments in their life, and so have I. Having the chance to join LiT 2015 is something that I have looked forward to since a year ago. It was really my fortune to have met extraordinary people. I have learnt so much about leadership, communication, project management, building imagination, and it even brought back my almost-lost-motivation! ^^ Hopefully one day LITers will be reunited! My three words for LIT are BEST MOMENT EVER.”

Isabella Cynthia Setiawan, Indonesia “I never regretted my decision to join LIT. LIT inspired me and taught me a lot about teamwork, what it takes to be a good leader, how important communication is, and also never to be afraid to be creative and innovative! However, the best part of LIT that I will never forget, was meeting a lot of new friends that share the same passion and spirit! Though now we are miles apart, but the good memories will stay forever. My three words for LIT are FUN, UNFORGETTABLE, and INSPIRING!”

Faya Widyaningrum, Indonesia “LIT is a learning experience to face a more challenging world and to get ready to become a global citizen with soft skills. It woke me up to the idea that as a future pharmacist we’re going to have to work with people who have different values. LIT can upgrade your skills and it’s important to make the most of this kind of opportunity. My three words for LIT are CHALLENGE, WORK, and ENGAGING.”

Citta San, Indonesia “LIT was beyond my expectations! I have learnt a lot of soft skills such as how to boost my confidence, In addition, the feedback they gave was so meaningful and applicable. The best part was that LIT gave me an opportunity to meet amazing people who inspired me greatly! Thank you, LIT Thailand 2015, the committees, RWG, and the other LIT participants. The three words are INTERESTING, FUN, and FAMILY.”

Peggy Kao, Taiwan “Leaders in Training is a meaningful and memorable activity. Through it, we learnt about the capabilities and characteristics that a great leader should have. In addition, we did lots of practice after the lecture such as selling a product in one minute, designing a project for sponsors, planning an activity about pharmacy school, etc. These courses and workshops are extremely special for me because I realize the importance of teamwork and broadening my horizons by communicating with students from various countries. If I have to use 3 words to summarize LIT, they would be MEANINGFUL, MEMORABLE, and MARVELOUS!”

Finally, I sincerely thank you for the amazing experiences, my lovely unforgettable LIT friends, the amazing staff from APRO RWG, and the friendly Thai LIT staffs. I hope that this article will help you understand the hidden meaning of LIT better. At the very least, when you join LIT, you will be able to develop an imagination that goes beyond the boundaries of knowledge. If you are one who wants to find opportunities to develop yourself, join LIT! (only 4 days of your life). After reading this, if you still hesitant, I suggest that you read the three words that participants have used to describe LIT above, and I believe that those powerful words could be part of your experience too, if you so choose to join this amazing program.

My Story in APPS 2015 Thailand APPS2015 Special Edition Magazine October 2015 Created by: Benyapha Tantawati, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Farhan Baharuddin, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Fikrianti Surachman, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Ho Rou Hui, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Nurul Aisyah, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Sheila Pratiwi, IPSF APRO Design Subcommittee Henny Aryani, IPSF APRO RMPO Edited by: Brian Wong, IPSF APRO Editor in Chief Bernice Leow, IPSF APRO Editorial and Translation Subcommittee Kyuree Kim, IPSF APRO Editorial and Translation Subcommittee Leong Wei Qi, IPSF APRO Editorial and Translation Subcommittee WanTing Yang, IPSF APRO Editorial and Translation Subcommittee Zahra Adiyati, IPSF APRO Editorial and Translation Subcommittee Photos contributed by: APPS2015 Thailand Reception Committees Benyapha Tantawati Brian Wong