Case study 1: 'A traumatising placement left my career in tatters' | Case study 2: 'They made me believe no one else would employ me'

Case study 1: 'A traumatising placement left my career in tatters'

My pre-registration placement at a multiple pharmacy company left me traumatised and my doctor has put me on antidepressants as a result.

Right from the start of my placement there was no training plan. In response to my repeated requests for a plan, my tutor's response was: "I'm not going to sign you off if I don't think you are competent." I believe that, within two weeks of starting, my tutor had made up her mind that she was not going to sign me off.

"I believe I was set up to fail"	Education special Quality control of pre-reg tutors needed, pharmacists say We must look after our graduates Overqualified for the position
	I went through a period of six months with no constructive feedback – all I ever got from my tutor was: "Go and look at your competencies." I wasn't allowed to observe my tutor undertake specific counselling and dispensing tasks, such as dispensing emergency contraception.

In fact, I felt completely ignored by my tutor throughout my training period. I believe I was set up to fail as my tutor kept setting up unrealistic training goals and the feedback she gave was very non-specific and punitive. During formal training feedback meetings, the tutor never actually spoke – it was always the area manager, who's not a pharmacist. These meetings felt disciplinary and, during one, I was abruptly told by the area manager: "If you want this pharmacy, then it will hurt and you will cry."

I expressed concerns about my training to the GPhC, who recommended a transfer to a different branch or tutor, but my transfer requests were refused.

Towards the end of the training period, the tutor refused to look at my competencies or sign me off, even though it was my last chance to qualify as I had taken a break. My tutor struggled to find a reason for this – I walked out of the pharmacy branch in tears.

Case study 2: 'They made me believe no one else would employ me'

"I did my first pre-reg placement in 2010-11 but was short on four competencies, so I had to find another pharmacy for six months and a small multiple agreed to hire me. The pharmacy was a three-hour train journey and I informed them this was too far, but they made me believe no one else would employ me due to my circumstances.

My tutor was not based at the pharmacy and, when I questioned this, he said I should not worry. He informed me I would not be paid much – it was roughly £5.50 an hour [below the minimum wage of £6.31].

I was never signed up for any training courses. I received emails from my tutor as means of feedback, but there was no follow-up or measure of progress. On a number of occasions, my tutor asked me how many NMS and MURs I had carried out [MURs must be conducted or supervised by a qualified pharmacist with an MUR certificate], but failed to ask me how my communications skills were developing by undertaking these activities.

I asked the pre-reg manager for a meeting at least every two weeks and he said he did not have the time. On one occasion, I asked for feedback from the locum pharmacists I had been working with, but was not allowed to see it.

After completing six months, I was called to head office and told I had not passed. I was given four weeks to prove myself and, after this, my tutor asked for evidence of when I had delegated tasks.

I showed him a task delegation sheet for a typical day but he threw the piece of paper back at me and said it was "bullsh*t" because I had also included my name on the list. I argued that I had to cover the work when other staff were not available, but he ignored this. I walked out of the office and never looked back.

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