I am extremely grateful to have been awarded the opportunity to be part of the C+D team for a two week placement. Not only am I a pre-registration pharmacist but, at this point in time, also a reporter for the C+D - a very exciting prospect!

Changing from an independent pharmacy setting to a journalistic atmosphere is a huge metamorphosis for me but I'm going to make the most of my time here. I have been invited to write this blog to offer you all an insight on my placement. If you want to ask me anything, just log-in to the site and post a comment.

After a few IT problems I am now able to log on and start writing my blog for C+D, so hello and stay tuned!

I'll be keeping the blog updated every day if possible and since I've already been here three days, here's a quick round-up of my experiences so far.

Well, it's been pretty much non-stop from the moment I arrived at the office in Tonbridge on Monday. I've attended an accreditation meeting at the Society in Lambeth and I've also been speaking to independent contractors over the phone about the impact category M has had on their business.

Through these conversations, the chats I've had with my colleagues at the C+D and the articles I've read, I'm starting to realise the problems category M has caused some pharmacists...

Slowly but surely, I am catching on to the pace of the weekly magazine!

Wednesday was press day and I could feel there was a slightly different atmosphere in the office. As the day unfolded, I got a better picture of the occurrences on a typical week.

For me, the greatest part was that I played a role in the hustle and bustle of the office environment. I was involved in all the meetings between members of the news and production team. This gave me a picture of how articles and images are laid out and made to fit over the pages of the magazine. Complicated, I know, but absolutely fascinating!!

I enjoyed chatting to my colleagues and contributing ideas to construct a captivating front cover for the magazine. Believe me, grabbing the reader's attention on the hottest topic of the week is not an easy prospect.

Everything seems to move so fast here that I'm a little behind with the blog so here is a quick update on last week's exciting events.

I was given the privilege to attend an Avicenna press conference on Thursday morning and it was absolutely incredible! Being requested to carry out a video interview with the CEO of the company was a thrilling prospect, and one which I have never experienced before. I really enjoyed it!

Islington was the afternoon's destination. We spoke to several independent contractors and multiples as part of research for a feature going in C+D. Not only did I learn a great deal about the commercial side of pharmacy, but I was also enlightened on several facts about London and the differences between Greek and Roman pillars from my well-informed colleague. Strange but true!

The icing on the cake was getting back to the office to find this week's issue of the magazine sitting on my desk with my name in the staff column!! It was a spectacular day!

It has been pretty quiet in the office for the past couple of days, but the weather has not managed to break our spirits! Everyone is still on the ball and working harder than ever.

Impressively, there has been no lapse of communication between colleagues, whether they are working from home, from the London office or from Tonbridge. Thanks to technology, we have had regular conference meetings and we have been able to keep track of every member of staff’s whereabouts. The co-ordination is brilliant!!

I have been working on an audit project, and had the opportunity to interview a few contractors for our weekly dispensary talk column, which went well so look out for it in this week's C+D.

With the snow gradually melting and the trains starting to work, I will be attending a meeting at Westminster later today. The adrenaline is slowly kicking in and I can’t wait for another fascinating experience! I will definitely keep you informed on my thoughts and observations.

Tonbridge to London and back twice in the snow!! Let me update you on the past couple of days.

I was gobsmacked when I arrived at the Houses of Parliament for the All Party Pharmacy Group meeting on Tuesday. Initially I felt like a tourist. Before I went through the gates I grabbed my phone and took a snapshot of the building. After going through the security checks, I was directed to the room where the meeting was to be held. I walked through the beautiful extended halls and corridors - it was somehow nerve-racking but mesmerising at teh same time. The architecture is astounding!!

As time goes on, things seem to get better and better. I was asked to represent the C+D at the RPSGB’s council meeting yesterday. After ploughing through the snow in my heels and nearly slipping several times, I finally made it to Lambeth on time in one piece. Some good points were brought up in the meeting and the discussions were informative. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and a great opportunity to meet the Society members.

Once I was back in the office at midday, I quickly briefed my colleagues on the morning's occurrences, after which I confined myself to my desk in an effort to catch up on the events of press day. Once again, it was rewarding to be involved in the discussions, meetings and briefings, and to contribute my opinions and ideas. 

Time has flown! I can’t believe my placement with the C+D has come to an end.

The final day was hectic! I had plenty of work to finish off but I eventually managed to do it. It finally sunk in that I was leaving and I was overcome with sadness. I bid my farewells to the members of staff in Tonbridge and set off to the office in London.

I was amazed at the size of the London office and the view was astonishing. The Thames looked beautiful and I was able to see down the river from the London Eye at one end and St Paul’s Cathedral at the other. It was brilliant! After my tour and a heartfelt goodbye, I made my way home.

I have learnt a great deal from everyone on this placement. From writing the news or developing training programmes to blogging on the internet and discovering how Word documents are converted into pages of the magazine. I have had the time of my life.

Every member of staff has been very supportive and encouraging. The faith and confidence that the entire team has had in me has been reassuring. The team has added great value and broadened my knowledge. Thank you for this memorable experience!!