The Living with Diabetes Assignment

One of my jobs is Camp Director for our local American Diabetes Association. It is a fun and sometimes stressful job but so rewarding! I have the opportunity to meet some amazing, dedicated and passionate people from the camper family side to the volunteer medical side. Last year we were approached by our local University College of Pharmacy to volunteer at camp and also bring some PharmD students that could receive class credit for their participation. It worked brilliantly! The Professors who organized it where fantastic...especially given that they had no idea what to expect. The PharmD students loved helping as well and gained valuable insight about type 1 diabetes and how it affects kids differently. 

This year the Professors offered an advanced diabetes course elective and invited our camp nurses, psychologists and myself to talk about our experiences at camp and in some cases living or caring for people with diabetes. In preparation for the class the students had a Living with Diabetes assignment they had to complete. This entailed living with Type 1 for two days and then Type 2 for two days. The students were required to purchase a glucometer, testing supplies, alcohol swabs and sharps container. They were provided with metformin (in this case candy) and and insulin (in this case saline), syringes and log books. 

For their submersion days they acted as either type live. Counting carbohydrates, testing and logging blood sugars, administering insulin, taking Metformin, they even had to insert and maintain an insulin infusion site and constantly think about diabetes 24/7! 

I was invited  on the day they shared their experiences. All the students were shocked at the constant thought that went into being diabetic. The logging, the counting, the worrying. It opened their eyes to what it must be like. Many of these students already work in a pharmacy and shared they have dealt with diabetic patients and felt more empathy towards them now as they had walked a day in their shoes. They were happy for the understanding of what the burden of diabetes feels like for patients. They also understood the complexity of the disease and how it varies from person to person and why it's not always that easy to be compliant with their care. 

They listened as I shared my frustrations about going into the pharmacy and fighting with insurance and correct coding for billing and I did let with them know that we hate to hear, "do you know how much this insulin costs?!?" every January as we wait for our deductible to be met. It was cool to give them my perspective as a parent on caring for kids with Type 1 diabetes. We talked about camp and the opportunity to see kids age beyond their years because this illness steals their childhood but camp offers them that week of acceptance and to feel normal. 

I believe each student was able to have some understanding and empathy towards those living with diabetes and it will help them be better pharmacists because of the experience. As written in the purpose of the assignment: "the insight you will gain by doing this assignment will be just as valuable, if not more valuable, than any information you will learn out of a textbook or in a lecture."

The next phase is applying to work under the Professors at camp. The applicants undergo an interview process and background check before a position is offered to them. It will be such a hard decision as they were all eager and excited for the chance to volunteer and we can only choose a few of them. As a parent to two type 1 daughters, I can't thank these beloved Professors enough for the experience they have offered these students. They are making a difference in the world! 

Our Pharmacy Team from 2016!