Dr. SOEURN Visal
Cambodian Health Professionals Association of America (CHPAA) is a nonprofit organization that is exclusively humanitarian, working to promote health and social well-being through ongoing services and education to medically underserved Cambodians living in both the United States and Cambodia. The missions of CHPAA are:
1. To strengthen community by promoting healthy lifestyles, regular check-up, and education to local Cambodians and other ethnic groups
2. To maintain an ongoing network of healthcare professionals in the US
3. To offer locals junior highs, high schools, and universities students an opportunity to volunteer and serve their community
4. To conduct annual medical, surgical, and dental mission to Cambodia to provide medical care services and education free of charge to the
under-served Cambodian population
5. To provide scholarships to deserving students and volunteers pursuing careers in the healthcare field
6. To organize local health events & fairs.
This year, 14 pharmacy students volunteered at CHPAA. They really appreciated being granted this opportunity, so they could serve the community with everything they have learned, while getting to know health professionals in the US. These students will share the knowledge they have learned from this volunteer work among their colleagues, and hopefully next year there will be more pharmacy students joining the CHPAA project. UP Pharmacy strongly supports students to take part in humanitarian projects like this one. This kind of project equips them with both hard and soft skills to succeed in the
contemporary pharmacy industry.
