Linked to EAHP Statements

Section 4 - Clinical Pharmacy Services: Statement 4.8
Section 6 - Education and Research: Statements 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 

ACPE UAN: 0475-0000-21-028-L04-P. A knowledge-based activity. 

Abstract
For many one of the most significant life events, a career, is left to chance. We may start well, a degree in pharmacy followed by hospital specialisation. After which our career and development is left to chance.

It is possible to actively design your career pathway. This seminar sets out an argument that would support a hospital pharmacist to employ career pathway ownership. It will argue for having a systematic approach to gaining, developing and maintaining competencies in a way that stands peer review. Added to which is taken evolving experience together with underpinning learning.

This dynamic learning and guided self-assessment would be under the supervision of a mentor resulting in the creation of a continually evolving portfolio of evidence. This portfolio of evidence would have immediate relevance, enabling an objective assessment of their expertise to be arrived at and in addition a longer-term developmental aim to be worked towards.

Learning objectives
After the session, participants should be able to:
• evaluating the importance of applying a competency framework;
• operate a relevant and productive career portfolio of evidence;
• construct an active career pathway.

Educational need addressed
Career development at best is a matter of chance, with hospital pharmacists finding themselves in posts that may be randomly and opportunistically selected and for which they are often ill-prepared. In this seminar, the benefits of a proactive strategy by which careers are constructed both for short term current needs and to realise longer term aspirational aims, will be presented. A variety of tools and strategies that include competency frameworks, peer review, relevant educational courses and mentoring amongst others will be covered.

Keywords: guided self-assessment, experience, mentoring, linked education, structured career, development, portfolio creation, peer review, qualifications, CTF, learning from patients' cases, professional well-being, management, communication.