The Pharmacy Game Newsletter
Short introduction to who you are.
My name is Mandy Crommentuijn – van Rhenen, a pharmacist who switched to education in July 2020. Before 2020, I worked at the KNMP at the Medicine Information Center on projects about pharmacogenetics, clinical rules and bariatric surgery. Currently I coordinate the course Cardiovascular diseases, a longitudinal course where students experience healthcare from the patient perspective and the Pharmacy Game.
How did you get involved with the Pharmacy Game?
At the Master Pharmacy in Leiden we wanted to integrate the Pharmacy game in the curriculum per September 2022, which was quite ambitious. As a student in Utrecht I loved the Pharmacy game, so I wanted to participate in the development of the Pharmacy Game in Leiden. Luckily a colleague could take over the coordination of one my courses, so I could make time to develop and coordinate the Pharmacy Game.
How many times have you participated in the game?
We have two versions of the Pharmacy Game: one that is complementary to the courses ‘acute and intensive care’ and ‘oncology’ and one that is complementary to the courses ‘infectious diseases and immunology’ and ‘central nervous system’. We have completed one cycle of the first game and started recently with the second version of the game. So both games for the first time!
What do you like the most about the Pharmacy Game?
As a student I liked the commitment in the team, the feeling that you were in another world with its own timezone (1 day = 1 week) and own rules. The competition makes it more fun and encourages creativity to distinguish your pharmacy from the others (and tease each other a little bit). As a teacher, it is beautiful to see the students grow and develop during the game. Also, the enthusiasm and jokes of the students are contagious, which makes it fun to be a part of this intense, but wonderful education.
Would you like to share some interesting moments you remember while playing the game?
The closing drinks of the first session of the game were a lot of fun with a game of 30 seconds, speeches and gratitude that we were able to pull off this first game in such a nice way with both students and teachers. Another fun moment was the ‘Children’s Pharmacy’ Katelyn mentioned; I brought my 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter and the game students took such good care of them. They still have their ’cough syrup’ at home!