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Pharmacy placement dilemma
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By Helen Caley
2 Jan 2012
I have just received an offer of a summer placement from Lloyds which I am very pleased about, however I am desperate for a hospital placement! I had a week’s hospital placement over the summer and loved it. I now feel I have two options:
1) Accept the Lloyds placement and continue hoping for a hospital placement after my community placement.
2) Decline the offer from Lloyds and focus on just getting a hospital placement.
To complicate matters further I am meant to be going on holiday to Sardinia during the period of the Lloyds placement. Ultimately I am concerned that if I decline the Lloyds placement and do not secure a hospital placement I may well end up with no placement at all!
I have already applied for 4 hospital placements and have also emailed other hospitals with a view to applying. With regard to the application process I find the distinct lack of communication between the community and hospital sectors very unhelpful and believe placements should all be organised at around the same time. I really do not know what I would do if I accepted my Lloyds placement and then got a hospital offer for the same time – I would not want to alienate a potential future employer.
What worries me further is that I have heard that same problem occurs during the pre-registration application process, however at least during this you are almost guaranteed to get a place.
Right now I think I will probably accept the Lloyds offer and keep hoping for a hospital placement starting after the community placement. Wish me luck!
Dilemma
Hey Helen,
I don't know what I'd do in that situation, but it depends on how badly you want to pursue hospital pharmacy. Placements in hospitals and relatively hard to obtain compared to community ones. You could write to other hospitals that don't offer placements, maybe small district ones, and request a period of voluntary work experience. That's what I did in my second year summer.
Also remember that you don't need hospital pharmacy work experience, although it does help, to obtain a hospital pre-reg place. A friend of mine had no hospital experience and community placements following 1st, 2nd and 3rd year; he ended up getting one of the most coveted places in a big teaching hospital (no mean feat). All the best :)
Hi Sadia, Thanks very
Hi Sadia,
Thanks very much for your comment! I have had some good news since posting this blog, a hospital has offered me a weeks placement which I have accepted, but is clashes with the Lloyds placement so I will have to decline the community offer. I am hoping that I will end up getting other hospital offers as well. In first year I had a week in a hospital so hopefully this will all add up to a good amount of experience! And it means I can go on my holiday!
2nd Year UEA Student
Hi Helen and any other
Hi Helen and any other students following this blog
You don't need to have hospital pharmacy vacation experience to secure a pre-registration placement in hospital pharmacy. On your application form you can write about any work experience you have had (pharmacy or non-pharmacy) and / or your university placements. The most important thing is describe what you have learnt from these experiences and how this is relevant to your pre-registration application.
Helen Middleton
NHS Pre-registration Recruitment Scheme Lead (England & Wales)