On Saturday I took the train to Utrecht and met three students from Holland and two other exchange students - one from Barcelona and one from Lisbon. They took us on a tour of the Dome church (the tallest structure in Holland) and we went on a boat ride on the canal that runs through the center of the city. We also went shopping, which I'm not going to be doing much more of since tax is 19%!

There are only two pharmacy schools in Holland and one of them is for pharmaceutical/biological sciences where most students go on to work in research facilities or industry. The other is more like our program and they go on to work in community or hospital pharmacies. Everyone that applies to either program gets in - they've never had more students than available seats. Tuition in Holland is a flat rate of 1600 euro (about $2250) and this doesn't go to the university, it goes to a student board that keeps track of all students. The government will give students 200 euro per year and if they get good grades (points) and go to class on time, this becomes a gift they don't have to pay back.

The other students got wide-eyed when I told them that we take a test every-other week. They only have one test at the end of the year. But they saw the value in having a test more often and said that it would be good if their school changed the way they tested. It would make the students focus and study harder instead of cramming the two weeks before the test. Otherwise, they learn pretty much the same things we learn - with less emphasis on the clinical aspect. They focus more on the sciences - pharmacology, biochemistry, etc. They also have to work for one year with another pharmacist before they can work alone - kind of like an internship except they can get paid.

I wish I had more time to talk with them about their experiences with pharmacy. They were more curious about America - not only the pharmacy program and profession itself, but about American life. They think that it's exactly how they see it from TV shows like Gossip Girl and the OC and movies like American Pie. Kind of scary...