Doctor of pharmacy student David Carranza ’16, ’19 has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study health care policy in Finland. “I was looking at countries that have generous health care benefits with reduced cost of medication, reduced cost of health services and better access overall,” said Carranza. “Finland is at the forefront in the utilization of health technology and empowerment of pharmacists.”
The Fulbright Scholar Program was established in 1946 to fulfill the vision of Sen. J. William Fulbright of increasing mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. The program currently collaborates with 155 countries and is overseen by the U.S. Department of State. Carranza is one of approximately 1,600 students from the U.S. who received a scholarship this year.
As an undergraduate student at Pacific, he double majored in pre-pharmacy and economics. Carranza will leave in August to study at the University of Tampere in Finland where he will pursue a master of science in public and global health. Carranza plans to immerse himself into Finland’s health care system to better understand the patient experience. His goal is to apply what he learns to help Americans get access to the health care they need by advocating for changes in public policy.
