Joint guidance issued for students on pre-registration training offers
by Pharmacy Life - Published on 24 May 2013
The British Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (BPSA), Pharmacy Voice, and the NHS Pharmacy Education and Development Committee have issued joint guidance for students on accepting or rejecting pre-registration training offers.
Whilst there is currently no universal acceptance date for accepting pre-registration training offers, many students feel it is unprofessional to leave potential employers without a response of acceptance or rejection, and are often left unsure as to how to approach the situation.
The guidance includes answers to common issues that pharmacy undergraduates experience when applying for pre-registration place, what to do if they feel a potential employer is pressurising them into accepting an offer and what to do if they accept an offer but wish to reject it at a later date.
‘Students have been contacting the BPSA with concerns that they are often left unsure whether to accept offers from the community sector early on in the year when hospital applications are dealt with several months later,’ said BPSA Graduate Officer, Lauren Rose. ‘In addition some students are made to feel under pressure to accept offers within a specified time frame when they may have other potential interview dates lined up. Students feel the pre-registration year is an important year in terms of their training and feel it is important for them to ensure they are working within the right training place that they are most passionate about.’
‘Students have felt under pressure to accept training offers for a number of years and since the demerger of the regulatory functions from the RPSGB students have reported such pressure with repeated frequency,’ added Ryan Hamilton, BPSA Honorary Life member and past president of the association. ‘The guidance published today will allow students to understand not just their rights, but also their responsibilities, when it comes to accepting and rejecting offers. The guidance aims to help students make an informed decision and go about this in a professional manner.’
‘We’re pleased to have worked alongside the BPSA and the NHS in producing this useful guidance for both students and employers,’ said Rob Darracott, Chief Executive of Pharmacy Voice. ‘Everyone in pharmacy can remember the feeling they had when applying for their placement, we hope this guidance will help to alleviate any concerns students have and to help them to make informed decisions as well as giving information on where to turn for more information.’
‘The NHS Regional Pre-registration Training Leads welcome this guidance which helps provide clarity and support to students and will also benefit employers by enabling students to make an informed choice in a professional and timely manner,’ concluded Amanda Kemp, Chair of the NHS -Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacist Specialist Group. ‘If a student is unsure about whether to accept an offer or wait to see if they get another offer, it is important that they talk to the employers about their position. Employers in all sectors understand that this can be a difficult choice to make and can help clarify the recruitment process and possible options. The guidance also signposts students to other sources of help and advice, such as the BPSA Graduate Officer.’
The guidance can be downloaded by visiting www.pharmacyvoice.com