Time off after pre-reg before starting work?

[BellaNotte]

This is for any pharmacists and also current pre-reg students, just wondering what other people did/are thinking of doing;

After finishing the pre-reg year, did you have a break before starting work or go straight into it? I.e have a weekend off, a week, a month or more? And does anyone think it matters how soon after you start?

I was just thinking in terms of remembering how work systems operate, retaining all the material from the exam (i forget a hell of lot very soon after exams quite worryingly..) that would starting sooner be more beneficial to get into the swing of things?

Or have people had a bit of a break before working as a qualified pharmacist and found it totally fine?

Also I'm not certain of this but with the society change, is it correct that we can only really start work on 1st and 15th of each month aslong as we have registered? So if i miss the deadline of 1st i'd have to wait till the 15th anyway..?

Would appreciate anyones views, i'm overthinking all of this..meh..

[_Rob_]

I continued in the same hospital and went from Pre-reg to basic grade. Took a fortnight off between, it gave me a nice break as I left a pre-reg and came back as a basic grade (new pre-regs had then started). Wouldn't worry about forgetting things, you'll soon pick it up again quickly enough and will end up wondering what happened to your post-holiday rested feeling.

[amjon]

I took the best part of three months off after my pre-reg. I started working in after a few weeks shadowing to get back inot the swing of things.

[sugarcake888]

I'm thinking about going travelling after pre-reg for 2 months, but with the current job situation I'm thinking it might not be a good idea as work may be taken by others by then. Any advice?
Forgetting knowledge is not an issue, you can always shadow someone for a few days.

[vanquish s]

get the job, then take a 'lifestyle break'

[Pharmanaut]

get the job, then take a 'lifestyle break'

Get the job, but say you have a holiday booked and give them the dates up front.

Also top tip from the 'newly registered in 1981' - make sure that you have an interest outside of pharmacy; one that gets you out in the open air at least once a week for a three or four hours.

[hibernia]

Also top tip from the 'newly registered in 1981' - make sure that you have an interest outside of pharmacy; one that gets you out in the open air at least once a week for a three or four hours.

+1
There may be others ways of staying sane, well relatively sane, at this game but that tip is hard to beat.

[vanquish s]

or if its that bad, change career