Introducing the new pharmaOSPAP service here at www.pharmascholar.co.uk

“Thank you Mike for helping me in my OSPAP journey.” Mrs DF, NW England, April 2024.

“Dr Davies provided excellent advice on how to prepare for my OSPAP interview. A great service and one that I would really recommend to anyone seeking help and reassurance.” - Mrs TM, Cheshire, United Kingdom, November 2023.

We can support you in the following ways:

  1. Completion of admissions documents

  2. Direction with the OSPAP personal statement

  3. Our OSPAP personal statement template for purchase

  4. Preparation for the OSPAP interview

  5. Tutorial support during the OSPAP course

More detail may be found below…

Book your bespoke session today by contacting Dr Davies via mike@pharmascholar.co.uk

1. OVERVIEW

Applying for the OSPAP Course at University and Qualifying as a UK-based Pharmacist

Before applying for registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in the United Kingdom (UK), you must have completed the education and training that is needed in the country from which you originate.  All records and qualifications must be up-to-date and valid.  In addition, you must be sure that you have the right to live and work in the UK.  In relation to this, you must review and verify all documentation from the UK Borders Agency (UKBA) to confirm that you will be able to obtain the necessary visas and work permits for future employment.

To achieve Pharmacist registration status in the UK you must complete:

  • The Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP) at university

  • A 52 week ‘Foundation Year’ placement in England, Scotland or Ireland with related sign-off

  • The GPhC Pharmacist registration assessment

You will need to complete all steps and successfully apply to be registered within 4 years of your OSPAP course start date.

The OSPAP Course

The OSPAP course is a full-time, postgraduate qualification that is delivered by 4 UK-based universities over a period of one year.  The universities involved are the University of Brighton, the University of Sunderland, the University of Hertfordshire and Aston University.  The overarching aim is to prepare those students enrolled for life as a UK-based Pharmacist and allow preparation for the ‘Foundation Year’ training experience / examination.

To register and complete the OSPAP course you will have to pay relevant university fees.  For example, the University of Brighton are currently charging £16,700 for the OSPAP course (September 2023).  You must also be able to fund yourself during the period of study in terms of accommodation and other living costs.  The GPhC will verify and confirm your eligibility to complete the OSPAP course.  At this present moment in time, the cost of this service is £687.00 (September 2023).  This fee is non-refundable, even if the application you make is unsuccessful. 

It is important to conduct research into the OSPAP courses available for study within the UK.  This is so as the GPhC will ask you to state where you would like to complete the course and you will likely have to justify your choice at the university interview stage.  Extensive research is key to make the best decision and consultation with Dr Davies at www.pharmascholar.co.uk can support this.  If the GPhC decides that your experience and qualifications are fine, then you can make the application for OSPAP study at your chosen university / universities.  It is imperative that you start the OSPAP course within the next 2 academic years from the point of decision. 

Should your qualifications and experience meet the eligibility criteria of the GPhC, the regulator will then inform the university / universities that you have listed in your application.  Here, the GPhC will contact the OSPAP course provider and could indeed send some information you provide across.  At this point the university may get in touch with you but it is advisable that you maintain good communication with the Admissions Lead to ensure all is going to plan.  The timeline is important to ensure that you do not miss out.  To ensure that you can apply for the OSPAP course then you need to send your application to the GPhC by 31st of July.  In relation to this deadline, the OSPAP course normally starts at the beginning of the UK academic year, namely September or October.

The OSPAP course will differ slightly between each university within the UK.  You must look at each website individually and understand the elements on offer and whether they interest you and will support your personal development for the future.

Typical topics within the OSPAP course include:

  • Pharmacy Practice within the community / hospital settings

  • The science underpinning Pharmacy  

  • The application of drugs to support acute and chronic patient care

  • Drug delivery to the body  

  • Professional studies  

  • Healthy living activities within Pharmacy

  • The execution of a Pharmacy relevant research project

One suggestion from www.pharmascholar.co.uk would be to contact the Admissions Lead at the university of interest to find out more information about the specific course on offer to ensure it is the right one for you.  An added advantage of doing this is meeting with a key decision maker ahead of the selection process, hence setting yourself above your competitors.

2. Support

Here at www.pharmascholar.co.uk we can help with various aspects in relation to the OSPAP course application process and progression at university.  The following section provides a brief overview of our 5 service elements, for more detailed information - tailored to your specific needs - please contact our Lead Tutor via mike@pharmascholar.co.uk for a FREE 15 MINUTE informal video-link discussion.

1. Admissions Document Support

At the outset, we can help you complete your documentation for enrollment onto the OSPAP course at university.  For instance, we can guide you through the GPhC ‘Applying for eligibility to complete an Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP)’ form that has the following 7 sections:

  • Personal details

  • Proof of identity

  • Registration qualification

  • Proof of eligibility to register

  • Registration with other healthcare regulatory bodies

  • Employment history

  • Referees

For further detail, the form may be located here.  A document such as this can appear overwhelming but our Lead Tutor, Dr Davies, can make the process both very simple and easy to minimise stress levels whilst maximising impact on those key academic decision makers.  We can help with all aspects and the cost for this service element is £39.99 / hour.

Moreover, we can help you with the following GPhC documentation to ensure effective transition throughout the application process.  Once again, the price for this service is £39.99 / hour.

  1. OSPAP preference form

  2. Application cover sheet

  3. Photograph certification form

  4. Statutory declaration form

    2. OSPAP Personal Statement Template

In a similar fashion, Dr Davies can help and support with the university application process.  Direction for completing each part of the relevant university form(s) is available upon request and importantly advice on the personal statement completion is accessible for you to book today.  In terms of the later point, our OSPAP personal statement template can be confidentially purchased.  The price for our template is £50.00, which is a flat fee.  However, should you wish, you can book an appointment(s) with Dr Davies and actively modify the text to suit your direct needs.  The rate for this service element is £39.99 / hour.  The OSPAP personal statement template is approximately 500 words in length and contains specific sections to insert information of direct relevance to the applicant (i.e. the home country university).  Additionally, we have our ‘OSPAP Personal Statement Support Package’ as outlined below.  The OSPAP personal statement template has been prepared by our Lead Tutor, Dr Davies, who has the following relevant experience:

  • A UK national who is fluent in the English language and has had extensive exposure to academic writing (i.e. PhD thesis / paper publications).

  • A UK registered Pharmacist with recent real-world experience in the community pharmacy and primary care settings.

  • A sound understanding of the student selection process from the viewpoint of a Pharmacy Academic / Admissions Tutor (i.e. following time spent at Edge Hill University Medical School as Admissions Lead for Medicine).

  • A healthcare professional who works with patient-centred care at the forefront of clinical / educational practice.

To purchase the template, you can contact Dr Davies via mike@pharmascholar.co.uk where an invoice will be prepared for the full amount and PayPal details provided for easy payment; PayPal is used throughout the www.pharmascholar.co.uk platform to ensure the easy and robust payment for services of interest.   The OSPAP personal statement template will be delivered direct in both a convenient and confidential manner.

        3. OSPAP Personal Statement Support

 Our ‘OSPAP Personal Statement Support Package’ takes the following form:

  •  An initial 1 hour discussion to understand your background and motivation for study

  •  A further 1 hour meeting to populate our personal statement template

  •  A dedicated 1 hour review by our Lead Tutor, Dr Davies

  •  A final 1 hour meeting to agree the personal statement ahead of submission

Key aspects for consideration are:

  • Important elements to include within the personal statement as a whole

  • Key pieces of information within the introduction, body of the text and conclusion

The integrated support package is priced at £159.96 (i.e. £39.99 x 4).  We also offer sessions tailored directly to your needs, so please email to detail these via mike@pharmascholar.co.uk. Once again, the rate is £39.99 / hour.  We are always here to support you along your way in a friendly and relaxed manner. 

           4. OSPAP Interview Preparation

We are able to support you with our OSPAP interview preparation service such that your chances of acceptance onto the course are amplified.  Our Lead Tutor, Dr Davies, has significant experience of interviewing candidates applying for university healthcare study and has also held the role of Admissions Lead for Medicine at the Edge Hill University Medical School, based in the North West of England.  As such, we are suitably placed to help prepare you for the OSPAP interview and can indeed arrange mock interview sessions to assess your performance and offer guidance ahead of the big day.  Aspects for consideration include:

  • Your motivation for wanting to study on the OSPAP course

  • Your rationale for choosing the university of interest

  • Your experience to date and how this has applied you for the future

  • Values-based qualities that support your role as a imminent UK Pharmacist

Our constructive feedback and development proposal framework will support your understanding of how to effectively complete the OSPAP interview to progress through to university admission.  The cost for this service element here at www.pharmascholar.co.uk is £39.99 / hour.

              5. OSPAP Course Support

Whilst the exact OSPAP course content will differ between the 4 universities currently offering the postgraduate study programme, the core content will be largely similar in nature.  In brief, you should expect to study aspects such as pharmacy practice, pharmaceutics and clinical pharmacy.  In addition, all universities will deliver material around pharmacy law and ethics in conjunction with modern elements of UK healthcare provision (i.e. the new Pharmacy First Service to be released within the UK in January 2024).  Moreover, opportunity will present for a research project such that you can develop your skill set along a divergent pathway.  Once again, we can support you with your understanding and development in these fields over the 1 year study programme.  Here, we can help you with:

  • Course content (i.e. understanding lecture slide and handout material)

  • Assignments (i.e. helping with the understanding and preparation of assessed work)

  • Exam preparation (i.e. the material that may be assessed alongside the assessment strategy)

  • Portfolio completion (i.e. the completion of documentation to demonstrate competence)

The price point for this service element is £34.99 / hour and you can easily book your appointment(s) direct with our Lead Tutor, Dr Davies, via mike@pharmascholar.co.uk to suit your schedule.  The clear advantage of booking such an appointment(s) is the reduction in overall stress levels and the attainment of higher grades in your assessment pieces.

For further information and an informal FREE 15 MINUTE discussion please ‘Contact Us’ today and we will we be in touch to arrange a suitable point to speak with you.

We wish you all the best with your OSPAP experience!!