Ayoub is a Pharmacist Support ambassador who recently completed his pharmacist foundation training on a multi-sector split placement and passed his registration assessment. Over the past year, he’s been documenting his trainee journey, including:

• his hopes for the year
• balancing workload and learning
• the differences between sectors as well as being an independent prescriber
• preparing for the assessment.

In this final update, he reflects on his key learnings and gives advice for trainee pharmacists following in his footsteps. Prefer to watch? Head over to our YouTube channel to hear directly from Ayoub and gain access to other wellbeing resources!

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on both the assessment and my journey to becoming a newly qualified pharmacist.

When I think about the assessment, the revision technique that made the biggest difference to my confidence was active recall and applying my knowledge to real life scenarios. I found that revising from notes is important, but linking my knowledge to real life cases helped everything stick and made me feel much more prepared.

If I can give one piece of advice to the next cohort, it would be to practise in as many ways as possible. Use your supervisors, your peers around you, past papers and resources to bounce ideas back and forth and constantly test yourself. I’d also say that revision looks different for everyone, so build on the techniques that worked for you during university and adapt them throughout the year.

If I had to sum up the assessment experience in one sentence, I would say it’s a really long day.

It’s challenging and demanding, but it’s a really good opportunity for you to see how much you’ve grown throughout the year.

Looking back at my foundation training year, my favourite memory has to be the people I’ve met along the way. I’ve been incredibly lucky to work across different sectors and alongside different pharmacists, technicians and the wider healthcare team who are shaping the pharmacist I’m becoming.

If I had to sum up my foundation year in three words, I would say growth, resilience and gratitude.

So for anyone about to begin their training year, my biggest advice would be to embrace every opportunity and ask questions throughout the way. The training year is there to help you learn, make mistakes in a safe environment and get supported throughout.

My message to everyone who supported me throughout the year is simply thank you. I wouldn’t be here without the encouragement, guidance and patience you’ve shown me. Every conversation, teaching session, and word of encouragement meant a huge deal to me and I’m incredibly grateful.

As I begin my career as a pharmacist, what I’m most looking forward to is continuing to learn and making a real impact. I’m excited where the professional will take me.

Best of luck to everyone who’s beginning or continuing their own journey.