May 1, 2019, by Mei Kee Lee
BPSA Super Skills Event Blog
On the 24th and 25th of April 2019, Year 1 and Year 2 students of MPharm had an exciting opportunity to take part in the BPSA Super Skills event. This event was aimed to provide enrichment activities to hone on our skills essential for the MPharm course as well as to prepare us for being pharmacists in the future. This event was run by Khushali Halai, a friendly and approachable 3rd Year Pharmacy student, who is also a member of the Pharmacy Society and is in liaison with the BPSA.
The first session began on the 24th, where we learnt about BPSA itself, which essentially represents all pharmacy students including pre-registration pharmacists throughout the UK. One of the highlights provided by the BPSA that piqued our interests includes the annual BPSA conference which provides a plethora of opportunities to develop our professional skills, explore career paths and even make connections with future employers. We were graced by Anthea and Rachel’s speeches on their journey during the BPSA’s 77th Annual Conference in Nottingham during mid-April. Rest assured, despite the long-haul flights from Malaysia to the UK. It was evident that they had a wonderful time making new friends, participating in debates and enjoying the weather (that’s not scorching hot!).
Anthea telling us about her BPSA conference experience.
The day continued on with the next two sessions which involved a CV workshop and a talk about transitioning to the UK. During the workshop, we were told about the importance of being a ‘well-rounded person’ by being involved with other activities outside the MPharm course, as it shows that we have honed our soft skills that are vital in the workforce. Khushali reminded us that it doesn’t matter what societies we were involved in, even though we think it’s insignificant. Moreover, we also explored the different aspects of what makes a good first impression during an interview; it may seem trivial but factors such as our appearance and body language play a huge role in getting a career later on. Various useful information was given during the UK transition talk where we were told about the importance of finding accommodation that is affordable and reliable, finding clothing that we can help us survive the winter as well as the types of public transport available. It seems like a lot of us are trying to aim for Dunkirk!
Khushali introducing us about the BPSA.
CV writing and interviewing skills workshop.
The sessions held during the second day gave us a chance to interact more with our course mates and our Year 2 seniors. We were split into two groups during the first workshop where each group had to draw a mind map of skills that were necessary to have as an MPharm student and as a pharmacist. The main objective of this session was to improve our presentation skills, which was cultivated when each group had to present their ideas. Khushali and the rest of our peers gave useful feedback on what they thought was good and what could be improved. The workshop then transitioned into an OSCE skills workshop where Year 1 and Year 2 students get to evaluate each other’s OSCE performance. While it seemed a bit daunting, we had a chance to cultivate our communication skills and our OSCE performance. Year 1 students also had a taste of what OSCE would be like in Year 2 – it seems challenging! It was also a wonderful way to end the BPSA Super Skills event.
Group 1 brainstorming on skills important for pharmacy.
At the end of the day, both Year 1 and Year 2 students had learned a lot yet also acknowledge that there’s still so much to learn. This event was a success, and it couldn’t have happened without Khushali, as well as the executives of PharmNotts. We are very grateful for what Khushali has taught us, and we’re also grateful for all the snacks and ‘bickies’ she brought! We wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her when we move over to the UK.
Article by: Sarah Yasmin Sharuddin (MPharm Year 1 student)
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