Hospital pharmacy Pre-registration Applications (Pharmalife) 2017/2018

Original post by MeredithGrey13

Ok thats what I had figured. Any idea which ones are available in second round???????

Hull. RJAH. Probably some Welsh ones, Truro etc

Original post by devochkamolniya

Hey people,*
I need your advice. I am applying to TLC and was thinking about the UCL?
Does anyone know how competitive it is there?*

V competitive as standard and perhaps even more so this year

Reply 42

Original post by MeredithGrey13

Thank you! What were the interviews like, as in, do I need to start prepping and studying stuff in advance?

Any idea when hospitals contact us after August 31st?

Whats needed to pass?????????!!!!!!

Ooooh and what were bizarre circumstances?? :biggrin:

the bizarre circumstances Ill pm you as I can be easily ID'd by them but you can more or less confirm how bizarre they were (in general my last year was messed up and I ended up walking out with a 2:1 (although Im peeved with that)

interviews Id say start prepping asap tbh. but that being said, half of the interviews arent clinical at all (prime example, guys and sts were just personailty questions about why work for guys and sts, talk about CPD, and another question which escapes me atm but it is straightforward). Some hospitals have hybrid questions (e.g. personal and clinical) and some are straight clinical. back when I did them, addenbrookes had the longest (~2 hours mqcs and case studies) and you had to discuss about 2 tdm drugs. papworth wasnt too bad (mainly lifestyle but a clinical question at the end which requred a lot of counselling) although make sure you remember lifestyle advice for clinical stuff (both cambridge based hospitals I was reserve listed I best of the rest but wasnt called up sadly).

to pass interviews, be better than the rest at the end of the day ie dont panic, think clearly , make sure you make small pauses before answering and try and not to get tongue tied (guys and sts has the easiest questions which you can answer but I had a panic attack during the interview (not major physically but was sweating profusely and my tongue was physically paralysed with anxiety).

regarding when hospitals will contact you, it depends on the hospital, some wait 2 weeks, some respond straightaway (e.g. I got a rejection notice via my home hospital on the 1st of September). just make sure you dont pester them

Reply 43

Original post by Farmacee

Hi, were your interviews clinical? and if so any examples please

hi ,refer to my other post later this page.

a good example of a clinical question is quite common is they give you a drug chart for multiple drugs, they omit the name of the ward and certain pathological functions and expect you to say what condition(s) they are suffering from (e.g. MTX 15mg per week, folic acid 5mg per week and an NSAID). what they dont tell you during the clinical questions but ask beforehand is if you can use your BNF for certain places so make sure you have a tagged bnf before entering.

Reply 44

MeredithGrey13

1

I am so scared I will just get 4 rejections. Is this common?

Reply 45

Original post by MeredithGrey13

I am so scared I will just get 4 rejections. Is this common?

It isn't uncommon. But the good thing about pharmalife is you an try again in November. But just hope you ace it in august/september

Reply 46

Did you transfer back to hospital after your community pre reg?

Reply 47

Original post by Farmacee

Did you transfer back to hospital after your community pre reg?

sadly, most hospitals wanted at least 6 months to a year of pre-reg experience in hospital. I know people who do end up there but they usually have to work for 2 years as a pharmacist before being considered (similar case with GP surgeries, which is another avenue I am interested in). So atm, I am stuck locumming for community but the pay isnt too bad

Spoiler

heck I know a few people who are earning

Spoiler

so I should consider myself lucky

Reply 48

Original post by quasa

sadly, most hospitals wanted at least 6 months to a year of pre-reg experience in hospital. I know people who do end up there but they usually have to work for 2 years as a pharmacist before being considered (similar case with GP surgeries, which is another avenue I am interested in). So atm, I am stuck locumming for community but the pay isnt too bad

Spoiler

heck I know a few people who are earning

Spoiler

so I should consider myself lucky

How was your pre reg exam?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 49

MeredithGrey13

1

Do you know the pay for hospital pre reg? Or how it's paid such as monthly or weekly?

Thanks

Reply 50

Original post by MeredithGrey13

Do you know the pay for hospital pre reg? Or how it's paid such as monthly or weekly?

Thanks

Band 5.
Do you have much experience in hospital?

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 51

Is there anyone who applied to Addenbrooke's, London Collaboration, UCL and Kings Lynn? Do you know which questions are they asking you? From which schools of Pharmacy are you guys?

Reply 52

Btw, do you think having a placement with that hospital will help you to get there?

Reply 53

Original post by Farmacee

How was your pre reg exam?

Prereg exam was pretty straightforward but make sure you practice calcs. I didn't do any calc practice and failed clacs by 1 mark so I had to resit ((thanks to 6 hours of practice, the September exam, which had a 60odd percent pass rate, I passed quite easily (completed closed book in 38 minutes and I finished open with ~50 minutes to spare

Reply 54

Original post by devochkamolniya

Is there anyone who applied to Addenbrooke's, London Collaboration, UCL and Kings Lynn? Do you know which questions are they asking you? From which schools of Pharmacy are you guys?

Hi, I applied in 2013 addenbrokes and kings Lynn. Addenbrookes is clinical intervie ad had what I would describe as a mock prereg exam. Know your tdn drugs as you will be asked about it n the oral interview itself, as well as stuff regarding kidney function calculations (they may have changed it however). The kings Lynn interview was seriously u professional. The chief pharmacist kept swearing and was playing on his phone the whole time. They didn't ask clinical questions but the usual stuff like why hospital pharmacy, why that hospital etc. Overall, I would say avoid kings Lynn if rose jerks were interviewing you. Also double check the format as it may have changed in 3 years

Reply 55

Original post by devochkamolniya

Btw, do you think having a placement with that hospital will help you to get there?

It doesn't make the slightest difference. In fact, most of my friends who applied for places in the places they had experience in were rejected save fir a guy at guys and sts

Reply 56

MeredithGrey13

1

Original post by Farmacee

Band 5.
Do you have much experience in hospital?

Which is what like 20K?? 21K?? Is it higher in London??

Yeah about a month, you?

Reply 57

Original post by quasa

It doesn't make the slightest difference. In fact, most of my friends who applied for places in the places they had experience in were rejected save fir a guy at guys and sts

Really? That does not sound right... :/ Do you know the reasoning why they were rejected?*

Reply 58