Three busloads of pharmacy students from UCSI studied medicinal plants first hand, at University Malaya’s Herbal Garden.

Spirits were high as the students found hands-on learning more effective and enjoyable than rote learning.

Among the many samples of medicinal plants studied by UCSI’s pharmacy students for the subject Pharmacognosy.

Aloe vera was also found at the Herbal Garden.

The ficus deltoidea – leaves from this plant is used as a tonic for post-natal treatment.

A creeper herb at the Herbal Garden.

KUALA LUMPUR: Going beyond mere rote learning, UCSI University’s (UCSI) Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences recently organised a trip to the Herbal Garden of University Malaya. The trip aimed to familiarise the third year Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) students with live medicinal plants that are featured in the curriculum. 

The trip was organised by Asst Prof Mohamed Saleem Abdul Shukkoor, the Head of Department for Pharmaceutical Biology. A firm advocate of hands-on pharmacy education with years of experience, Asst Prof Saleem gave the students a thorough explanation on the identification and uses of the various medicinal plants available at the garden, prior to the trip. 

The trip was part of the Faculty’s drive to groom pharmacists who are proactive learners, capable of making a difference in the health of their patients and pharmaceutical research. The visit is part of the curriculum for the Pharmacognosy course, which is the study of natural products used as medicines. One of the oldest and most important aspects of medicine and pharmacy, mastery of this field is important. In this, UCSI’s pharmacy students are stringently tested on their ability to identify the various plants used, based on images and the medicinal uses of the plants. 

The hands-on approach is an effective one – the students find themselves better able to understand pharmacognosy compared to merely memorising it from the textbooks. It is also a highly popular approach judging from the students’ enthusiastic response to the trip – three busses were needed to accommodate all the students.