Preregistration Holidays for exam revision

[mosh_2k7]

Hi everyone

Ive got abit of a problem. Im currently doing my pre-reg with an independent pharmacy and ive got my pre-reg exam at the end of june. I was told at the start of my pre-reg that i had 5 weeks of holiday and 2 weeks for a cross sector placement in a hospital. So far i havent taken any holidays and decided to take 2 weeks off in april, 2 weeks off in may for my cross sector placement and 3 weeks in june for my exam, but my tutor is being very awkward. She wont allow me to take any holidays in april, because shes got no one to cover. Now shes gone and moved my cross sector placement for the first 2 weeks of june without even telling me. shes also told me i can only take one week in may. so im only going to get 2 weeks to revise for the exam. one week in may and one week in june. Is their anything i can do? she goes to me that i need to find someone else to cover, but at the pharmacy we only one dispenser who works full time. When i ask my tutor to find someone she just ignores me and says shes buysy and changes the subject. Ive given her over 2 months notice about my holidays. Should i not come into work on those days? if i dont get my holidays i`ll fail the exam because she doesnt let me look at any books in the shop. please help

[Fleegle]

I have read your post carefully. Firstly..do you have a contract, signed by both parties? Key issue.

Fleegle.

[mosh_2k7]

Thanks for the quick reply. when i started my prereg i didnt sign any contract. The only thing i signed was the learning contract in the pre reg file.

[bleepholder]

in all honesty, 3 weeks off to revise for the pre reg exam seems a little excessive..you'll be bored of revision by the end of week 1.

[roper]

It might be more advantageous to work on getting your tutor to discuss things at work (actually do their job!) or go through sample questions in any quiet moment at work. Surely it reflects on them if you do badly? I can say with confidence that my community pre-reg tutor was useless (it was 16 years ago and I am anonymous on here) but I was on the Bradford sandwich course and we were the 1st lot to take a pre-reg exam so we got plenty of prep for the exam from the uni.

[johnep]

All this reinforces my contention that every prereg should have a mentor away from their place of work. Mentors can be found by attending branch meetings or new forums and asking.
Another one for the new board.
johnep

[DavidS]

Tell her you want your holidays before the exams. End of story. Explain that you know your own limitations and feel you need the time before the exams to catch up on your reading.

You should be making little notes about things you want to read up on while working, and taking the relevant books overnight to look them up at home. It's difficult to learn at work.

Ask her what she intends to do about your cross-sector placement, given that you may not be free in June. Perhaps you can take that after your exam?

Tell her you will take your holidays and the other two weeks whenever she can get someone to cover (co-operative nod in her direction). Tell her you understand that April is a bit close for her to get someone to cover, but June should be OK, and perhaps she will let you know?

Johnep, it does seem obvious with hindsight that if the tutor is bloody-minded, its very difficult for the pre-reg to make any kind of fuss, as the tutor still can fail the pre-reg. This has to be dealt with, as you say.

There is a good case for the inspectorate getting involved in all cases where the pre-reg is not signed off, I think, so it might be something for the GPhC.

If she says she's too busy to discuss it, offer to put it in writing so she can read it later.