Anyone with OSPAP experience plz help!!

[ssarah_k]

Has anyone recently done OSPAP? What was it like? how about finding a pre-reg placement?
Thanks
Sarah

[geekay]

Has anyone recently done OSPAP? What was it like? how about finding a pre-reg placement?
Thanks
Sarah

Hi Sarah,

I am also one of those who is interested to embark on the OSPAP, possibly this year if not next year. There are some discussions going on in another thread:

Come! Join me for OSPAP!

Perhaps you could read some of the things there and hopefully it helps.

[doc_blue]

hey sarah,where do you come from ?! all the information you need you will find in The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and dont worry about the preregistration training,its availabe and most of the universities where u will attend ur OSPAP arrange it...Adel

[ramroum]

I have done my OSPAP at Aston. It was a good course, I have learnt a good deal of knowledge. It was also hard work. My friends who did it at the other universities worked hard too. Now I feel that I wish I went to a medical school and done 3 or 4 years (reduced because you have a degree..) instead of spending: 1 year preparing for the society's interview and passing the IELTS exam, and 1 year OSPAP and 1 year pre-reg (total 3 years) and now I don't feel that I like pharmacy that much. If you make a dispensing error (having checked hundreds of prescriptions) you are scared of being struck off while doctors see about 20 patients in their clinics all day (at hospital) so the number of mistakes will be less than checking 500 items 1 mistake/ 500 compared to 1 mistake/ 20 patients and the punishment is nearly equal.

[doc_blue]

hey ramroum,where do u come from ?! and do u have an idea where is the best place to have the ospap ? aston or brighton or sunderland,in terms of cost of living,the course,the city itself,something like that..and did u have to study alot when u were in the course ?! aproximately how much hours in the week ?could u tell me plz what are the opportunities of work for the pharmacist in UK beside pharmacy work ? i mean what about medical companies like PFizer and Astrazenica,do they recruit pharmacistS?? thanks alot ...

[ramroum]

For cost of living look on the internet and find out the accomodation's rent these days. If you want to work and study go to Brighton as it is 2 days at uni and the rest study at home although you should be spending the days at home studying not working as it is considered a full time course. However there is a long waiting list for Brighton.
If you want to be close to London for any reason don't go to Sunderland as it is far away.
If you are a home student (lived in the UK for 3 years or more but not as a student) you can get a reduced fee (half) at Sunderland.
It was very hard work and I had to study and work hard to pass this course.
I don't know much about jobs opportunities with these companies.

Good luck.

[aussiepharmer]

I have done my OSPAP at Aston. It was a good course, I have learnt a good deal of knowledge. It was also hard work. My friends who did it at the other universities worked hard too. Now I feel that I wish I went to a medical school and done 3 or 4 years (reduced because you have a degree..) instead of spending: 1 year preparing for the society's interview and passing the IELTS exam, and 1 year OSPAP and 1 year pre-reg (total 3 years) and now I don't feel that I like pharmacy that much. If you make a dispensing error (having checked hundreds of prescriptions) you are scared of being struck off while doctors see about 20 patients in their clinics all day (at hospital) so the number of mistakes will be less than checking 500 items 1 mistake/ 500 compared to 1 mistake/ 20 patients and the punishment is nearly equal.

But don't you need to go through a training of 4 or 5 years after you graduate with a medical degree to become a GP?

[ramroum]

you don't have to become a GP unless you want to, but it is worth the training and study with almost earning the highest salary in the country.
When you are working at a hospital as an F2 (SHO) you earn more than a pharmacist and you have lots of study time, and time back for your on call...etc.
Hospital pharmacists need to do a 2 years clinical diploma (very very hard work), earning rubish salary, do on call but get very little time back in return compared to doctors. I don't know why hospital pharmacists are paid so little although academically they come second after doctors in a hospita setting. Even a junior sister (nurse) earn as much as a newly qualified pharmacist which I feel is not fair but the nurses trade unions and their representative bodies are very strong and always ask for higher pay for them. Even the hospital technicians earn good salaries not much less than hospital pharmacists whereas nurses never dream of earning as close salaries to doctors (nurses to doctors similar to technicians to pharmacists)

[aussiepharmer]

you don't have to become a GP unless you want to, but it is worth the training and study with almost earning the highest salary in the country.
When you are working at a hospital as an F2 (SHO) you earn more than a pharmacist and you have lots of study time, and time back for your on call...etc.
Hospital pharmacists need to do a 2 years clinical diploma (very very hard work), earning rubish salary, do on call but get very little time back in return compared to doctors. I don't know why hospital pharmacists are paid so little although academically they come second after doctors in a hospita setting. Even a sister (nurse) earn as much as a newly qualified pharmacist which I feel is not fair but the nurses trade unions and their representative bodies are very strong and always ask for higher pay for them. Even the hospital technicians earn good salaries not much less than hospital pharmacists whereas nurses never dream of earning as close salaries to doctors (nurses to doctors similar to technicians to pharmacists)

Thanks for your input. But what's F2 (SHO)? Do you still earn a very high salary(how much average?) without becoming a GP?
If so, then what do you do after you graduate from a med school(i.e. 3 years after your pharm degree)? I thought GP was the lowest hierarchy of the med field here? I looked up in wikipedia and it said that you need to go 5 years of postgrad training after med school.

[ramroum]

I am not very sure about all the details but F2 is the lowest grade for doctors then it goes up to reach the highest grade(consultant) who earns a very high salary add to it the private sector he/she can work at (private operations or clinics= lots of money).
When the NHS hospitals start trying to reach their targets (x number of patients must be seen or operated on by a specific dates), managers sart asking doctors to do extra clinics or theatres paying them much higher fees than what they normally earn.
GPs in te UK are spoilt these days because of their shortage (not any more recently); they don't have to do on calls unless they want to, and they earn as much or higher than hospital consultants depends on other factors.