OSPAP Interview - any help appreciated!!

[Shada]

Hi,

Does anybody have any information about the Interview that is given by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society if their degree is from a university that is not recognised as being equivalent to the UK? I have contacted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and they have informed me that I need to arrange in interview to determine whether or not I can be admitted to the OSPAP programme. My concern is that I graduated from university 10 years ago and have been working in pharmaceutical companies ever since. Basically if the interview asked me technical questions about things I learnt in my degree I would probably have no clue how to answer...I've forgotten all of the specifics!! Do I need to study my books before the interview?? Or is the interview just to determine what I have and haven't taken? Has anyone been interviewed for OSPAP?? Please let me know what kind of things they ask and how detailed they are with regards to the questions they ask.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thank you,
Shada

[johnep]

OK don't worry too much. I would fail if asked questions on something I did 50 years ago. Unfortunately, with so many schools of pharmacy in the world, each has to earn recognition by another. It is highly probable that someone in your teaching staff studied in the UK or USA and they could be a valuable point of reference.

Generally, it is a sad fact of life that when people wish to enter another country for what ever reason, barriers will be erected to make it more difficult.

If you have achieved some original research or expertise in a particular field, then this would be to your credit.
johnep

[paul2008]

I have no knowledge of the interview but I would expect that you would have to revise everything from you degree or at least all the basics and any new developments, easier if you have been keeping up to date. You will definitely need to be familiar with undergraduate material to survive the OSPAP and pre-reg in the UK. I suggest you revise pharmaceutics(or possibly not as you have been in industry), pharmacology, a bit of pathophysiology and read a bit of UK law (see the Medicines, Ethics and Practice here) if you can before the interview. It may also be an idea to flip through a BNF and have a glance at the NICE and SIGN guidelines.

If I remember correctly the application pack stated that you should revise the entire syllabus of you degree for the interview, I think you only get one chance so I would do a bit of reading if I were you.

[Pradeep]

Hey i hav approval from rpsgb. am planning to join OSPAP from 2010. am planning to fly to uk in mid oct 2009.
Which city would be ideal to start with.

What kind of jobs would be available to overseas pharmacists like me who are yet to start OSPAP.

i am planning to fly down to brighton or birmingham. which one should be the better choice.

[shan]

Hey i hav approval from rpsgb. am planning to join OSPAP from 2010. am planning to fly to uk in mid oct 2009.
Which city would be ideal to start with.

What kind of jobs would be available to overseas pharmacists like me who are yet to start OSPAP.

i am planning to fly down to brighton or birmingham. which one should be the better choice.

I am confused now. A while ago you said you have an 3 year HSMP visa and now you are saying you are yet to enter the UK

At present am having 3 years HSMP tier1 visa approved. By the time my OSPAP Course & pre reg training would finish my visa will also expire. Wil the current changes in visa rules ie removal of community pharmacist from shortage skills job would affect my chances of renewal of my visa under HSMP Tier 1. Would like to have some info about this.

Can you please be more clear as to what was the basis for your HSMP approval ??? As for the work (if you don't have one) you will be treated as good as any other adult eligible to work in UK. The Pharmacy Degree you already have will have a little or no impact in getting you a job. Your fluency in english and speed of doing the work will surely get you a job till you finish your OSPAP and Pr-reg. You can try to apply for dispenser positions in any pharmacy or in super markets.

Shan

[Pradeep]

hi shan, thanks for reply.
I got HSMP tier 1 approval on basis of my past salary and point bases, from my own country thts india. i suppose ur too an indian.

now am planning to come to UK to start job as well as study.

wud like ur guidance on how to go about job search & settlement in Uk. becoz its the initial few days/ weeks which are difficult to adjust to in a totally new country.

[paul2008]

HI Pradeep,

Please don't post the same post on many threads, as I have contributed to all the OSPAP threads my mailbox ids full of your post today. Most regular contributers will look at new posts so repeating yourself does not help, this is a mistake made by many people new to the forum and can be avoided by reading a few previous posts.

With regard to advice about jobs and settling, much has been posted on the threads you have posted on, I'm not sure what else can be said, except that training requirements are coming into force so getting a temporary job as a dispensary may be more difficult and very shortly you will not legally be able to represent yourself as a pharmacy technician.

Good luck.

[johnep]

First thing to know is that the UK is not paved with gold, and that pharmacists now off the official shortage list so you may not get a visa.
No visa, no work.
johnep

[obaidzaman]

Hi,

Does anybody have any information about the Interview that is given by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society if their degree is from a university that is not recognised as being equivalent to the UK? I have contacted the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and they have informed me that I need to arrange in interview to determine whether or not I can be admitted to the OSPAP programme. My concern is that I graduated from university 10 years ago and have been working in pharmaceutical companies ever since. Basically if the interview asked me technical questions about things I learnt in my degree I would probably have no clue how to answer...I've forgotten all of the specifics!! Do I need to study my books before the interview?? Or is the interview just to determine what I have and haven't taken? Has anyone been interviewed for OSPAP?? Please let me know what kind of things they ask and how detailed they are with regards to the questions they ask.

Any help would be highly appreciated!

Thank you,
Shada

Hi shada
I am going for the same interview. Do u have any idea now about the interview? please let me know.
thanks
obaid

[zinadeeab]

please I am also have to do the same interview and I feel that I am really lost because I do not know what to study so I will really appreciate any help from anyone applied recently for this interview.
Thank you