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Enhancing Employability: Improving Core Skills and Professionalism in Pharmacy MPharm Degree

This project focuses on enhancing the core skills and professionalism of pharmacy students in the MPharm degree program. It aims to develop a central monitoring system and integrate existing resources to ensure skills development and professionalism. The project involves student opinions gathered through focus groups and staff views on tutoring and personal development planning. The initial achievements include the identification of at-risk students, student-led skill development, implementation of structures for monitoring, and the design of a professionalism questionnaire for placement facilitators. The project also introduces new modules, workshops, and learning diaries for work placements. The integration of the project with university requirements and the implementation of personal tutoring guidelines are highlighted. The senior tutor plays a central role in coordinating and leading the project, working closely with various teams and stakeholders.

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Enhancing Employability: Improving Core Skills and Professionalism in Pharmacy MPharm Degree

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  1. Improving Employability: Enhancement of Core Skills and Professionalism within the Pharmacy MPharm Degree Results and Perspective of a TQEF Project in the School of Pharmacy Chris Scott, Senior Tutor

  2. Undergraduate Program in School of Pharmacy • Single UG course • MPharm degree • 4 year program • 1 year pre-registration (organised by Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland) • Approx 140-150 students per year group • Staff-student contact is substantial • Practicals, practical demonstrations (dispensing, responding to symptoms), tutorials

  3. Challenges Faced • Large body of students to look after • Although academically excellent, many students may have employability issues • Development of key skills and professionalism upon exit of university system?

  4. Skills Development Module Personal Tutors Personal Development Planning Tools/systems in place already within the School of Pharmacy Advisor of Studies Work Placements

  5. Skills Development Module Personal Tutors Personal Development Planning Improve Employability of Pharmacy graduates Advisor of Studies Work Placements

  6. Goals of TQEF Project • Pilot scheme within the school to develop a central monitoring system to ensure professionalism and core skill development • Integration of existing resources to deliver this

  7. Student Opinions – Focus Groups • Organised by Sharon Haughey, School of Pharmacy • Asked students about their perceptions of the degree, skills development, work placements and PDP

  8. Focus Group Results • Students thought that the degree program was intense • Students felt that the skills training in L1 was useful to bring all students up to speed • Students confused by PDP • Students unclear of the role of tutors

  9. Staff Views • Busy schedule • No more please! • Varying opinions on the tutoring system and PDP • their usefulness and role of staff member

  10. Kick-starting the TQEF Project • Overhaul of the application of tutoring and PDP application in the school • The fact that the TQEF was awarded to us, highlighted what we were doing and its announcement at school board etc., helped gain staff support going forward

  11. MPharm Degree Progression Continual monitoring of key practicals/tutorials/work placement data across degree for each skill Identification of ‘at risk’ students in each skill Student-led development of identified skills

  12. Initial Achievements • Set up of structures and reporting system to highlight ‘at risk’ students to myself • I arrange tutor meeting with student and provide guidance to tutor on setting/doing/reflecting goals for the student to undertake • TQEF support gave me time to undertake this • Design and implementation of professionalism questionnaire for placement facilitators in L1 • TQEF support needed to mail information and materials to facilitators across pharmacy shops in NI

  13. Initial Achievements • Set up of structures and reporting system to highlight ‘at risk’ students to myself • I arrange tutor meeting with student and provide guidance to tutor on setting/doing/reflecting goals for the student to undertake • TQEF support gave me time to undertake this • Design and implementation of professionalism questionnaire for placement facilitators in L1 • TQEF support needed to mail information and materials to facilitators across pharmacy shops in NI • Design and introduction of a new L1 ‘Introduction to Pharmacy Skills’ Module • Further emphasis on career skills • Introduction of CV workshop • Introduction of pharmacy work experience earlier • Introduction of career professionalism – requirements, do’s and don’ts • Introduction of a revamped PDP workshop to L1 pharmacy students • Introduction of learning diaries for work placements – reflection on what have learnt on the career

  14. But then….. • Roll-out of the University Personal Tutoring Guidelines • We felt that a lot of the our TQEF project was line with what the university wanted from personal tutoring service • Perhaps ‘watered-down’ the impact of the TQEF project • But allowed almost seamless integration of new university requirements

  15. Personal Tutoring At Pharmacy • Senior Tutor • Was designated as an individual post within the school; with myself in post • Led team within Education committee to produce working guidelines within School on the basis of university blueprint • Central to this was the integration of the aims of the TQEF project

  16. Current Setup – holistic training Student Entry Module coordinators and course delivery teams Pharmacy Practise Tutors Personal Tutoring System Academic Attainment Professionalism and Skills monitoring Advisor of Studies Senior Tutor Graduate exit with MPharm qualification

  17. Dealing with ‘at risk’ students Skill Deficiency General Discipline Failed Module Professionalism deficiency Senior Tutor Personal Tutor

  18. Implementation of TQEF Goals and Personal Tutoring is an on-going project!! • Want to roll out to L2 • Particularly professionalism questionnaire to clinical and community work placements • This involves consultation with practitioners • Current Hurdles • Current re-structuring of MPharm degree

  19. What have been the main benefits of TQEF funding? • Gave me time and clerical assistance to organise the systems • Provided assistance to attend a national PDP conference • Gave the project emphasis within the school

  20. Thank you!Any Questions?

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