Clinical Diploma, MSc or other qualifications

[richtagg]

Hi Guys,

Does anybody have a community pharmacy clinical diploma or MSc? I'm debating which qualifications I would like to do in the future and whether they will benefit me in the long term.

Also, is there a big role for PwSI in community?


Thanks
Rich

[Steve G]

I'm currently doing a diploma in clinical community pharmacy at Aston (PgDip/MSc in Clinical Community Pharmacy). It's tough going at times, but I've learnt a lot and the material is well written - some bits were written by people at NPC for example. You can always email Kay Wood (k.m.g.wood@aston.ac.uk) and ask her to send you a sample of the course material.

I think the course will benefit me in the long term - it's not so much what you learn as how you learn to think. It will also open up more doors. I don't think there's much of a role for PwSI at the moment, but then they are fairly new - look at how long it has taken MURs to take off.

Doing a clinical diploma won't hurt you in the long term, and should be a huge benefit (there aren't many community pharmacists with clinical diplomas after all). You should also be able to get your employer to pay for the course, and if you do the aston course you get two residential weeks in birmingham.

[admin]

Steve

Can I ask how much it costs for the course?

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by admin

Steve

Can I ask how much it costs for the course?

I think the fees have just gone up to £700 per module, and it's 6 modules in total over two years.

[ramroum]

Is a newly registered pharmacist allowed to do a clinical diploma or is he/she supposed to have worked for few years before?
can you get half day/ week off work to study?

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by ramroum

Is a newly registered pharmacist allowed to do a clinical diploma or is he/she supposed to have worked for few years before?
can you get half day/ week off work to study?

I registered last summer and got accepted on to the course, although it probably depends on the institution and your application and references (for info I was an undergrad at Aston, got a first and had a couple of very good references - would they have accepted me if I'd got a 2:2 and had some poor references I don't know).

Whether you would get time off to study depends on the employer. For the course I'm on we have to go up to Aston for a study week each year, which my employer pays for (I don't have to take it as leave), but other than that I don't get any paid study time.

[ramroum]

Originally Posted by Steve G

I registered last summer and got accepted on to the course, although it probably depends on the institution and your application and references (for info I was an undergrad at Aston, got a first and had a couple of very good references - would they have accepted me if I'd got a 2:2 and had some poor references I don't know).

Whether you would get time off to study depends on the employer. For the course I'm on we have to go up to Aston for a study week each year, which my employer pays for (I don't have to take it as leave), but other than that I don't get any paid study time.

Thanks Steve for your reply. Good luck with your study.

[kemzero]

[IDoing a clinical diploma won't hurt you in the long term, and should be a huge benefit (there aren't many community pharmacists with clinical diplomas after all). You should also be able to get your employer to pay for the course, and if you do the aston course you get two residential weeks in birmingham.[/quote]


NOT true - quite a few Comm.Pharmacists have post graduate certificates...and thats about £700 for the whole course...it prepares you for the diploma

[imaginegenerous]

I'd really like to do some further study but I'm not sure how I'd actually afford it as I've been told by the lovely people at Head Office that they don't pay for your course because you don't actually HAVE to have in order to work as a pharmacist

For reference I work for quite a big multiple and while I can see their point as it would probably cost them an awful lot of money if they had to pay for everyone who wanted to do it I'm personally starting to feel like I'm getting stuck in a rut now - I need something to challange me a bit but I probably couldn't afford the full course fees alongside the mortgage etc etc!

Suggestions anyone?!?!?

[Pharmanaut]

Originally Posted by imaginegenerous

I'd really like to do some further study but I'm not sure how I'd actually afford it as I've been told by the lovely people at Head Office that they don't pay for your course because you don't actually HAVE to have in order to work as a pharmacist

For reference I work for quite a big multiple and while I can see their point as it would probably cost them an awful lot of money if they had to pay for everyone who wanted to do it I'm personally starting to feel like I'm getting stuck in a rut now - I need something to challange me a bit but I probably couldn't afford the full course fees alongside the mortgage etc etc!

Suggestions anyone?!?!?

How about an MSc in Computer Studies or Medical Informatics and break into the Medical computing industry or a Connecting for Health (CfH) job?
Can do these part time....