by Rachel Ward, Student Public Relations Writer
Medical missions trips are offering Cedarville University pharmacy students hands-on clinical experience while shaping their professional purpose in global health care and Christian service.
These experiences are central to the School of Pharmacy’s annual GO Transform showcase, an event designed to highlight student-led medical outreach, strengthen clinical best practices and inspire future participation in international health initiatives.
GO Transform is an annual event to pause and reflect on the students overseas and domestic missions experiences and the impact of their practical, real-world training. Students present field-tested procedures, discuss cross-cultural health care challenges and demonstrate how short-term medical missions can improve patient outcomes and build sustainable global partnerships. The showcase also provides strategies for logistics, medication safety, public health outreach and spiritual preparedness.
GO Transform showcases the impact of global health care outreach
During a recent medical mission trip to Guatemala with Caring Partners International, pharmacy student Thomas Bonifield witnessed a powerful example of long-term impact. He recalled seeing Dr. Adam Reed visibly emotional as eight-year-old Amberly walked through the clinic — the same clinic where Reed and Dr. Lisa Ward had saved her life earlier through emergency CPR. Moments like these underscore the lasting human impact behind clinical care and reinforce the mission of GO Transform.
What Cedarville pharmacy students do on medical mission trips
Students on medical mission trips:
- dispense and counsel on medications, ensuring safe dosing and checking for interactions
- run or support clinics (triage, basic assessments and wound care)
- assist with logistics (setting up supply tents, inventory and cold-chain management)
- provide health education and follow-up planning for local partners
- support public health initiatives (vaccination drives and sanitation education)
At Cedarville University, every pharmacy student participates in at least one medical missions trip prior to graduation, integrating academic training with biblical service and global health engagement.
How GO Transform prepares future pharmacists for international service
GO Transform was launched four years ago by Dr. Thad Franz, associate dean for student affairs, and Angie Wilson, director of community engagement for the School of Pharmacy. Their goal was to expand awareness and participation in medical missions to all pharmacy students.
“Students were having transformative experiences on these trips, but there wasn’t a consistent way to share these stories,” said Wilson. “As a result, other students missed opportunities to learn from the experiences or envision themselves participating.”
This year’s GO Transform, only available for Cedarville’s pharmacy students, will be held on Monday, March 30, during a four-hour interactive showcase featuring 25 student presenters. Following a keynote address from Steve Dye, associate vice president of Christian ministries, who previously served for more than two decades in Berlin, Germany, the pharmacy students will rotate through student-led stations that highlight medical missions work across nine locations. The locations include: World Gospel Mission’s trip to Honduras; Caring Partners International’s GO trip to Guatemala; a GO trip to India; Camp Evangel and King’s Daughters Medical Center in Kentucky; Cahaba Medical Center in Alabama; Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago; St. Vincent de Paul in Cincinnati; and Rising Suns in Ohio.
Student presenters and faculty mentors highlight missions in pharmacy education
“The panel includes faculty from the School of Pharmacy who have led short-term trips, faculty who have lived on the mission field in long-term missions and an alumnus who has served as a preceptor in India with our students,” said Wilson. “Thomas Bonifield will also join the panel so students can hear from a current student who is about to become a missions pharmacist.”
Two prayer rooms will be available during the event. One will be led by Dr. Beth Cappelletti, assistant director of pharmacy practice, who previously served as a missionary in China. The other will be led by a missionary whose name is withheld for security concerns related to international work.
“We want the focus of GO Transform to be on Christ and the higher purpose behind these trips,” said Wilson. “That focus has taken root, and it’s been encouraging to hear students reflect on that.”
Cedarville University prepares pharmacists for service in the U.S. and abroad
Through GO Transform and other missions-focused events, Cedarville prepares future pharmacists to integrate servant leadership, holistic care, and professional excellence into their work, whether serving patients in the United States or around the world.
About Cedarville University
Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences and professional fields. With 7,265 students, it is among Ohio's largest private universities and is ranked among the nation’s top five evangelical universities in the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.
