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| Preregistration Help |
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Accessing the Website
I am having problems accessing the website.
If you are having difficulties accessing the website, it could be one of a number of problems:
Your Browser
You should be using Microsoft Explorer or Netscape to view the website. Other browsers may be incompatible. You will not be able to successfully access the site using the AOL browser.
Your Security Settings
If you are using Microsoft XP, there is a firewall included in your operating system. This firewall may block information being passed and will not allow the website to function properly. If you are experiencing problems accessing the site and have a Microsoft XP firewall running, disable the firewall while you are working on the site.
Your Professional Status
When you registered with Pharmalife, in order to use the preregistration website, you must have a Professional Status of either Pharmacy Student UK or Pharmacy Student non-UK. If you are eligible for preregistration placement, please make sure that you select one of these options for your Professional Status. You can update this at any time by clicking upon the My Details button at the top of the screen.
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Registering with Pharmalife
How do I register with Pharmalife?
The first thing you need to do to start your preregistration applications is to register with Pharmalife. To register, simply click upon the Register button found in the top part of the screen.
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Earlybird Email Newsletter
I started to receive a daily newsletter, the Earlybird, how do I stop it?
In order to stop receiving the Earlybird email alert, simply send an email to earlybird@pharmalife.co.uk with the subject line of ‘Unsubscribe’. We will unsubscribe you right away and, of course, this has absolutely no impact on your preregistration applications.
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Starting Your Applications
How should I get started?
It is important for you to get started on your applications right away. There are several deadlines that will approach quickly and you will appreciate the high speed of access that your university computers can offer. Remember, you need to have entered your academic referee’s details by 1 July 2004 and you need to have completed and submitted your 4 applications by 31 August 2004, midnight.
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Academic Reference
Who is my academic referee?
Your academic referee is your pharmacy university tutor or other academic at your school of pharmacy who is familiar with your work. If you are an overseas student or you graduated from pharmacy school a while ago, use your discretion to pick the person who would best represent you. This should be a person who is familiar with your abilities as a pharmacist, but, of course, should not be a relative or a friend.
I want to change my academic referee but cannot.
If you are unable to update your academic referee’s details on this page that means that we have already requested a reference from this academic referee. Unfortunately, you are not able to change your referee. If you feel that you have outstanding circumstances, please email us your request at prereg@pharmalife.co.uk. If you made a typo in the address details, do not worry because we are going to contact your referee electronically via email, not through the post.
When I view my application I cannot see my academic referee’s details.
You cannot see your academic referee’s details on your application or your academic reference. Under Data Protection laws you have a right to see your academic reference upon request. In order to view your reference, please request a copy from your academic referee.
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Curriculum Vitae
Which email address should I use?
It is very important that you enter a reliable email address that you can check throughout the summer in the Email Address field. Hotmail is not the best email account to use because oftentimes emails are bounced back because mailboxes are full or Hotmail thinks that the message is spam. If your email address is not reliable, you will miss important information regarding the application process.
Which address should I use?
It is very important that you enter a reliable address where you can be reached in September 2004. Hospitals will contact you in varying ways, some will phone, some email and some send information via post. Make sure that they have an accurate address to send information to you.
I am an overseas student and have different educational details.
If your educational details do not exactly match the format of the UK system, please do the best that you can in the provided space.
What is Other Qualifications?
If you have other degrees or qualifications that you feel are relevant and important to your application, please click on the Other Qualifications button and complete the information as appropriate.
How do I add a new job?
To add a new job, simply click upon the Add New Position button. A new window will pop up where you can add your job details. If for some reason you do not see the new window, it may be hidden behind another window that you have open. To find it, simply minimize the windows that you have open until the employment details window appears.
How do I delete a job?
To delete a job, simply click upon the Delete button for the position that you would like to delete. Be careful, once you delete a position you will not be able to retrieve it.
How do I re-order my jobs?
Jobs are automatically placed in date order (according to the From and To dates that you have entered). You are unable to change this order.
How do I update job details?
To update a particular job’s details, simply click upon the Employer Name. This is a link that will open the details page for this position.
Who should I enter as my non-academic referee?
Your non-academic referee should be an individual who is familiar with your abilities and achievements. Preferably this will be an employer. Alternatively, it could be an instructor or a supervisor from an extra-curricular organisation. It should not be a family member or a friend.
What if I don’t have an email address or fax number for my referee?
Please enter as much detail as possible for your non-academic referee. This information will be passed on to your hospital choices for the hospitals to contact.
When will you contact my non-academic referee?
Your non-academic referee may or may not be contacted by your hospital choices. They will not be contacted to include a reference in your application – only your academic reference will be included in your application.
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Choosing a Hospital
How do I choose a hospital to apply to?
To choose a hospital, find the hospital that you would like to start an application for. When viewing the hospital details page (the page with the hospital name in an orange font at the top of the page), click upon the Create Draft Application button at the bottom of the page. Please note, you need to have first created a first draft of your CV. The Create Draft Application button will not appear if you have not entered a first draft of your CV.
Looking for a Preregistration Position in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Please note: Application deadlines for Scotland and Northern Ireland differ from those of England and Wales.
Northern Ireland
To apply for a preregistration training position in Northern Ireland, please phone the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland on 028 9032 6927. They handle all applications for preregistration training in hospitals. Their programme is slightly different from that of England and Wales in that you must do a six-month hospital rotation and a six-month community pharmacy rotation.
Scotland
To apply for a preregistration training position in Scotland, please phone June Beckett at the SCPPE on 0141 548 4273.
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Profiles
How do I add a Profile?
A Profile is your answers to questions about your experiences and qualities. To add a profile, you must first select a hospital to apply to by clicking upon Choose a Hospital from the left-hand bar. Once you have chosen a hospital, you will see it listed in the Draft Applications box on Your Applications page. To add a profile, click upon ‘Add’ under the profile column. You may create a new profile for each hospital that you apply to or you may re-use a profile that you have already created.
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Submitting Your Applications
How do I know if I have successfully submitted my applications?
Once you have submitted an application, you will automatically receive a confirmation email and the hospital will move from the Draft Application box to the Submitted Applications box on the Your Application page. Additionally, if you go to the home page, you can see how many applications have been submitted in total in the status box.
How many applications can I submit?
You may submit up to 4 applications. You can create as many draft applications as you like, but you will only be allowed to submit 4 applications in total. Please select your hospitals carefully. You will not be able to change your mind once you have submitted an application.
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Rank
How do I rank an application?
Ranking your hospital is the last step in the process. Once you have finalised all of your application details and are ready to submit your hospital application, click upon the Submit button. A small box will pop up and ask you what rank you would like to assign the hospital. After you have chosen a rank and clicked on ‘OK’, you have successfully submitted your applications.
Do I have to assign a rank to an application?
No, you do not have to assign a rank to an application. You may decide to rank all applications, rank some or rank none. It is up to you. If you do not wish to assign a rank, when you submit your application, choose ‘No Rank’ from the ranking list.
Will the other hospitals that I apply to see my application ranks?
Yes, every hospital that you apply to will be able to see the other hospitals that you applied to and the rank you assigned to each hospital.
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Home Page
Why did my status on the home page not change from ‘Incomplete’?
To change the status of your Academic Referee Details from Incomplete to Complete you need to enter your academic referee details by clicking upon Academic Referee in the left-hand bar. Enter your academic referee’s details (including a correct email address) and click upon the Save Details button. It will take one working day to change your status from Incomplete to Complete (so long as you entered your details before the deadline of 1 July 2004). Once your status has changed to Complete we have contacted your referee electronically for a reference.
Why is my status on the home page ‘Late’?
If your Academic Referee Details status is ‘Late’ it means that you have successfully entered your academic referee’s contact details but have done so past the 1 July 2004 deadline. We will use our discretion on contacting your academic referee for a reference. If we feel that there is not ample time to provide a reference, we will not contact your referee and your application will be forwarded onto your selected hospitals without an academic reference.
Why is my Academic Reference status ‘Incomplete’?
If your Academic Reference is assigned an ‘Incomplete’ status, yet your Academic Referee Details is assigned a status of ‘Complete’, we are waiting for your academic referee to complete your reference. We will remind your academic referee of an outstanding reference at least once, however, it would be best for you to follow up with your referee as to why he/she has not completed the reference. If your referee has lost the email requesting the reference, please send us an email on prereg@pharmalife.co.uk and we will resend the reference request.
How do I submit applications?
To submit your applications, you need to have selected your hospitals, finished your CV, written your profiles and submitted your applications by 31 August 2004 (midnight). To submit your applications, go to Your Applications page and click upon the Submit button for the hospital that you want to submit. Assign a rank (or No Rank). Once you have successfully submitted your applications, the hospital name will move from the Draft Applications box to the Submitted Applications box. You may apply to as many as 4 hospitals. The website will not allow you to submit any more than 4 applications.
I submitted my applications but the number is not updated.
If you believe that you have submitted your applications, but the number of applications on the home page has not been updated, it may be your computer’s cache (basically your computer doesn’t refresh your screen for efficiency reasons). To clear your computer’s cache, in MS Explorer go to Tools, Internet Options, on the General tab in the Temporary Internet Files box click upon the Delete Files button to clear your cache. In Netscape go to Edit, Preferences, Advanced, Cache, click on Clear Memory Cache and then click on Clear Disk Cache.
If clearing the cache does not solve your problem, you have likely not submitted your applications. Please try again. If the problem persists, please contact us on prereg@pharmalife.co.uk .
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Preparing for Your Interview
You have made it this far and just one more hurdle lies between you and the preregistration position you want. This is a time to be well prepared and confident.
Before the interview you should remind yourself of the details of your application.
The following sections will help you prepare for those interesting questions and prevent falling into those bottomless pitfalls.
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Common Interview Questions
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Tell me about yourself.
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What is it that you want to do?
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Why do you want to work for us?
· What do you know about us?
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Why did you study pharmacy at university?
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What was your favourite course? Why?
· Which two or three accomplishments have given you the most
satisfaction? Why?
· What contributions could you make in this position?
· How have you handled a major crisis or problem?
· What do you like to do in your spare time?
· Who else are you interviewing with?
· What are your career goals for the next 5 years? The next 10 years?
· How do you work with others?
· Are you a leader or a follower?
· What is your ideal career path?
· What do you think about the current pharmacy-related news (i.e.,
pharmaceutical companies merger, etc.)?
· Is there anything you would like to say to close the interview?
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Questions to ask the interviewer:
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· What are the unique opportunities in this job?
· To whom will I report?
· Who are the key people I would work with?
· On what criteria will I be evaluated?
· What are the organisation's greatest strengths and weaknesses?
· What will be my responsibilities in a typical day?
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Interview mistakes:
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· Poor or inappropriate personal appearance, grooming or hygiene
· Not asking any questions
· Lack of interest or enthusiasm
· Lack of knowledge of the company or industry
· Mentioning of salary and benefits too soon
· Lateness
· Poor eye contact
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Waiting to Hear from your Hospitals
You should hear back from your hospitals in by early October 2004. If you have not heard from your hospitals by 8 October, please phone the hospitals directly. Unfortunately, Pharmalife does not have any data on your application progress – only your hospital does.
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