After years of hiatus from writing, I have promised myself that I will start to write.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Dr. Tom's Top 10 Tips: Passing the Pharmacy Boards
Dr. Tom's Top 10 Tips: Passing the Pharmacy Boards
Dr. Tom O’Connor is associate professor of pharmacy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He has taught clinical pharmacy and pharmacy management at 4 different schools of pharmacy and serves as the career counselor on the Pharmacy Times Web site.
The pharmacy boards are your last hurdle to a pharmacy license. You should do several things to prepare for these “finals.” I would wish you good luck, but “luck” won’t help. Your success is up to you. If you have prepared for your college exams, then this is just another final. You will do fine. Remember these tips as you progress through your pharmacy curriculum:
1. Keep copies of your old pharmacy exams, and use them as a refresher course.
2. Do not cram for pharmacy exams. You will quickly forget most of what was crammed.
3. Go to a board review session. They are usually conducted by your school or a private education company. Ask your adviser for dates and times.
4. Get a good night's sleep before you take your boards. Forget an "all-night cram session." There is just too much to review, and you have been preparing for the last 4 years.
5. Pay particular attention to studying and reviewing pharmacy law. For many, this is the most challenging part of the boards.
6. Obtain and review a board study guide so that you will know what to expect.
7. Take practice exams from the National Board of Pharmacy's Web site.
8. Remember that the vast majority of graduates pass the boards on their first try. If you have taken your pharmacy studies seriously, you should have no problem.
9. Relax the day before the boards and do whatever you do to reduce stress—read, listen to music, exercise, or meditate—whatever works for you.
10. Stay focused and do not worry about missing a few questions. You do not need an "A," just a passing score.
Dr. Tom O’Connor is associate professor of pharmacy at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. He has taught clinical pharmacy and pharmacy management at 4 different schools of pharmacy and serves as the career counselor on the Pharmacy Times Web site.
The pharmacy boards are your last hurdle to a pharmacy license. You should do several things to prepare for these “finals.” I would wish you good luck, but “luck” won’t help. Your success is up to you. If you have prepared for your college exams, then this is just another final. You will do fine. Remember these tips as you progress through your pharmacy curriculum:
1. Keep copies of your old pharmacy exams, and use them as a refresher course.
2. Do not cram for pharmacy exams. You will quickly forget most of what was crammed.
3. Go to a board review session. They are usually conducted by your school or a private education company. Ask your adviser for dates and times.
4. Get a good night's sleep before you take your boards. Forget an "all-night cram session." There is just too much to review, and you have been preparing for the last 4 years.
5. Pay particular attention to studying and reviewing pharmacy law. For many, this is the most challenging part of the boards.
6. Obtain and review a board study guide so that you will know what to expect.
7. Take practice exams from the National Board of Pharmacy's Web site.
8. Remember that the vast majority of graduates pass the boards on their first try. If you have taken your pharmacy studies seriously, you should have no problem.
9. Relax the day before the boards and do whatever you do to reduce stress—read, listen to music, exercise, or meditate—whatever works for you.
10. Stay focused and do not worry about missing a few questions. You do not need an "A," just a passing score.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pharmacist labeled a "recession proof" job
Pharmacist labeled a "recession proof" job
Posted: Mar 10, 2009 3:09 PM Updated: Mar 13, 2009 8:54 AM
By Michelle Paynter - bio | email
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - While we are all hoping the recession ends soon, the reality today is folks are losing their jobs and new jobs are hard to come by.
But there are jobs out there that have been labeled by financial experts as "recession proof". Dozens of health care jobs top the list of recession proof jobs, but becoming a pharmacist in particular seems to be a very wise career choice.
Even in a down economy, customers lined up at the LoCost Pharmacy in midtown Savannah.
Pharmacist Jacque Cole has been busy all day filling prescriptions. "It doesn't look like there's going to be a huge recession in the pharmacy profession."
Cole said where ever you go, pharmacists are in high demand.
That's good news for the pharmacy students at South University in Savannah. Several students, like Lauren Werts and Kyle Saunders, are going to graduate and enter the job market in June.
"When I first chose pharmacy the economy wasn't in the state it is in now, so it wasn't really a deciding factor being as secure as it is," said Werts. "Now I'm definitely happy that it is."
"People are always going to get sick, be in pain, need something to relieve their conditions like diabetes; it's not going away," said Saunders.
Most of the third-year pharmacy students already have a job waiting for them. And they do realize just how lucky they are. "I have a lot of friends with business degrees and they say it's really hard right now to find jobs," said Saunders. "So it's real nice to be able to have something already lined up. I know what I'll be making and where I will be."
The average salary for a pharmacists is $95,000 a year.
Cole said, "It's a great profession, it's wide open, it has equal pay and equal opportunities for male and female, part time opportunities are also available. I don't want to say its recession proof but overall health care jobs tend to stay pretty well filled."
Which is a bright spot in this gloomy economy.
According to the book "The 150 Best Recession Proof Jobs," by Laurence Shatkin, there are many jobs that pay well and are still in high demand.
The top ten "recession proof" jobs include:
1. Computer Systems Analysts
2. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
3. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
4. Registered Nurses
5. Teachers, Post secondary
6. Physical Therapists
7. Physicians and Surgeons
8. Dental Hygienists
9. Pharmacists
10. Medical and Health Service Managers
©2009 WTOC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: Mar 10, 2009 3:09 PM Updated: Mar 13, 2009 8:54 AM
By Michelle Paynter - bio | email
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - While we are all hoping the recession ends soon, the reality today is folks are losing their jobs and new jobs are hard to come by.
But there are jobs out there that have been labeled by financial experts as "recession proof". Dozens of health care jobs top the list of recession proof jobs, but becoming a pharmacist in particular seems to be a very wise career choice.
Even in a down economy, customers lined up at the LoCost Pharmacy in midtown Savannah.
Pharmacist Jacque Cole has been busy all day filling prescriptions. "It doesn't look like there's going to be a huge recession in the pharmacy profession."
Cole said where ever you go, pharmacists are in high demand.
That's good news for the pharmacy students at South University in Savannah. Several students, like Lauren Werts and Kyle Saunders, are going to graduate and enter the job market in June.
"When I first chose pharmacy the economy wasn't in the state it is in now, so it wasn't really a deciding factor being as secure as it is," said Werts. "Now I'm definitely happy that it is."
"People are always going to get sick, be in pain, need something to relieve their conditions like diabetes; it's not going away," said Saunders.
Most of the third-year pharmacy students already have a job waiting for them. And they do realize just how lucky they are. "I have a lot of friends with business degrees and they say it's really hard right now to find jobs," said Saunders. "So it's real nice to be able to have something already lined up. I know what I'll be making and where I will be."
The average salary for a pharmacists is $95,000 a year.
Cole said, "It's a great profession, it's wide open, it has equal pay and equal opportunities for male and female, part time opportunities are also available. I don't want to say its recession proof but overall health care jobs tend to stay pretty well filled."
Which is a bright spot in this gloomy economy.
According to the book "The 150 Best Recession Proof Jobs," by Laurence Shatkin, there are many jobs that pay well and are still in high demand.
The top ten "recession proof" jobs include:
1. Computer Systems Analysts
2. Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
3. Network and Computer Systems Administrators
4. Registered Nurses
5. Teachers, Post secondary
6. Physical Therapists
7. Physicians and Surgeons
8. Dental Hygienists
9. Pharmacists
10. Medical and Health Service Managers
©2009 WTOC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Better late than never..
Despite the intention to keep this blog updated throughout the years of pharmacy school, due to lack of time as well as sheer laziness, the promised was not delivered. Well, time to move passed all that excuse and now it’s time to unveil how the third year of Pharmacy School has been and what lies ahead, aka fourth year (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience).
My classmates and I have been looking forward to our third year as we assumed that the schedule would be less demanding. Well there is some truth in that. While Therapeutics has been a somewhat challenging course to most of us, I think most of us were relieved that we had a day off from school every other week, which meant that we had one whole day to catch up on the rest of the classes that have been neglected because of Mr. TP (Therapeutics). So that is how our first semester of P3 lingered and before we realized it, it was time for final exams and I must say the scheduling was horrible. I don’t know if the administrators purposely scheduled all the exams back to back with the aim of failing some of us or they wanted to get rid of us and let us go home early before the P1’s and P2’s.
The second semester of P3 year is a constant struggle to stay motivated. After having taken hundreds of exams the past two years and half, most of us are simply tired and exhausted but we are still roaming around our lecture halls like zombies in a white coat. I believe this is the only weekend where we are finally are able to take a breath. I must stay it is somewhat refreshing not being able to spend my weekend in the library. For once it feels good not to think about any upcoming exams as there are none anytime soon.
I am currently taking Therapeutics, Drug Literature Evaluation, Patient Care Management, Early Practice Experience-Pharmacy Service, and Pharmacoepidemology/Pharmacoeconomcis. So many classes, huh!! Well that is my reality.
So far, we have had exams in each course, two in TP. Speaking of TP, we just completed the module on STD’s and HIV. And what of the exam??? Hmm, what is there to say? You study until your brains fry and you get to the exam only to realize some of the questions emphasized on concept/material that was not emphasized in class. Now, yes it was a fair game to ask on material that was covered; however, with the amount of information we are loaded with, it comes to point where you can only remember so much and when you get to the exam every answer for a question appears a potential answer. So that is how the exam went and we will see about the results. At least it is over, right!!! Alright, let me be lazy and stop here…next topic..Rotation Schedule!
Despite the intention to keep this blog updated throughout the years of pharmacy school, due to lack of time as well as sheer laziness, the promised was not delivered. Well, time to move passed all that excuse and now it’s time to unveil how the third year of Pharmacy School has been and what lies ahead, aka fourth year (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience).
My classmates and I have been looking forward to our third year as we assumed that the schedule would be less demanding. Well there is some truth in that. While Therapeutics has been a somewhat challenging course to most of us, I think most of us were relieved that we had a day off from school every other week, which meant that we had one whole day to catch up on the rest of the classes that have been neglected because of Mr. TP (Therapeutics). So that is how our first semester of P3 lingered and before we realized it, it was time for final exams and I must say the scheduling was horrible. I don’t know if the administrators purposely scheduled all the exams back to back with the aim of failing some of us or they wanted to get rid of us and let us go home early before the P1’s and P2’s.
The second semester of P3 year is a constant struggle to stay motivated. After having taken hundreds of exams the past two years and half, most of us are simply tired and exhausted but we are still roaming around our lecture halls like zombies in a white coat. I believe this is the only weekend where we are finally are able to take a breath. I must stay it is somewhat refreshing not being able to spend my weekend in the library. For once it feels good not to think about any upcoming exams as there are none anytime soon.
I am currently taking Therapeutics, Drug Literature Evaluation, Patient Care Management, Early Practice Experience-Pharmacy Service, and Pharmacoepidemology/Pharmacoeconomcis. So many classes, huh!! Well that is my reality.
So far, we have had exams in each course, two in TP. Speaking of TP, we just completed the module on STD’s and HIV. And what of the exam??? Hmm, what is there to say? You study until your brains fry and you get to the exam only to realize some of the questions emphasized on concept/material that was not emphasized in class. Now, yes it was a fair game to ask on material that was covered; however, with the amount of information we are loaded with, it comes to point where you can only remember so much and when you get to the exam every answer for a question appears a potential answer. So that is how the exam went and we will see about the results. At least it is over, right!!! Alright, let me be lazy and stop here…next topic..Rotation Schedule!
Treatment for Peanut Allergies Shows Promise
March 16, 2009
Treatment for Peanut Allergies Shows Promise
By TARA PARKER-POPE
A medically supervised daily dose of peanuts may help children with peanut allergies greatly increase their tolerance to the food, according to two new studies that raise the possibility of a cure for this potentially life-threatening condition.
The findings, presented on Sunday at a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Washington, suggest that a treatment for peanut allergy may be developed in two or three years, said Dr. Wesley Burks, the chief of the division of pediatric allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center, who helped conduct the research.
An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies, including about 2.2 million children. About 3.3 million people are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. While drugs can be used to treat an allergic reaction, there are no approved treatments for food allergies.
Because even a minor exposure can set off a reaction, many people at risk strictly avoid foods that contain an allergen or were prepared in places where nuts or other allergens might have been used.
Nearly half of the 150 deaths attributed to food allergies each year in the United States are caused by peanut allergies, according to Duke University.
The new treatment uses doses of peanuts that start as small as one-thousandth of a peanut and eventually increase to about 15 peanuts a day. In a pilot study at Duke University and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, 33 children with documented peanut allergy have received the daily therapy, which is given as a powder sprinkled on food. Most of the children are tolerating the therapy without developing allergic reactions, and five stopped the treatment after two and a half years because they could now tolerate peanuts in their regular diet. But four children dropped out because they could not tolerate the treatment.
In a related study of just 18 children, the researchers gave the treatment to 12 children and a placebo powder to 6. After 10 months, the children were given a medically supervised test exposing them to peanuts. In the placebo group, the children developed symptoms after ingesting the equivalent of one and a half peanuts. In the treatment group, the children tolerated 15 peanuts without symptoms.
Far more study is needed before the treatment can be used outside of a research setting, Dr. Burks said. The Duke/Arkansas study plans to enroll at least 80 children in the next few years to compare the treatment to the placebo.
Researchers in Britain have reported similar results in small studies in which children were given daily peanut doses to build their tolerance. The Consortium of Food Allergy Research, which includes five major research centers in the United States and is financed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is conducting similar treatment studies for both egg and peanut allergies.
Dr. Burks pointed out that the children in the studies were under a high level of medical supervision, and that parents should not try the approach on their own. “These studies do give us hope that there will be a treatment in the next two or three years,” he said. “It’s not something to do in practice or at home yet.”
Treatment for Peanut Allergies Shows Promise
By TARA PARKER-POPE
A medically supervised daily dose of peanuts may help children with peanut allergies greatly increase their tolerance to the food, according to two new studies that raise the possibility of a cure for this potentially life-threatening condition.
The findings, presented on Sunday at a meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Washington, suggest that a treatment for peanut allergy may be developed in two or three years, said Dr. Wesley Burks, the chief of the division of pediatric allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center, who helped conduct the research.
An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies, including about 2.2 million children. About 3.3 million people are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. While drugs can be used to treat an allergic reaction, there are no approved treatments for food allergies.
Because even a minor exposure can set off a reaction, many people at risk strictly avoid foods that contain an allergen or were prepared in places where nuts or other allergens might have been used.
Nearly half of the 150 deaths attributed to food allergies each year in the United States are caused by peanut allergies, according to Duke University.
The new treatment uses doses of peanuts that start as small as one-thousandth of a peanut and eventually increase to about 15 peanuts a day. In a pilot study at Duke University and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, 33 children with documented peanut allergy have received the daily therapy, which is given as a powder sprinkled on food. Most of the children are tolerating the therapy without developing allergic reactions, and five stopped the treatment after two and a half years because they could now tolerate peanuts in their regular diet. But four children dropped out because they could not tolerate the treatment.
In a related study of just 18 children, the researchers gave the treatment to 12 children and a placebo powder to 6. After 10 months, the children were given a medically supervised test exposing them to peanuts. In the placebo group, the children developed symptoms after ingesting the equivalent of one and a half peanuts. In the treatment group, the children tolerated 15 peanuts without symptoms.
Far more study is needed before the treatment can be used outside of a research setting, Dr. Burks said. The Duke/Arkansas study plans to enroll at least 80 children in the next few years to compare the treatment to the placebo.
Researchers in Britain have reported similar results in small studies in which children were given daily peanut doses to build their tolerance. The Consortium of Food Allergy Research, which includes five major research centers in the United States and is financed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is conducting similar treatment studies for both egg and peanut allergies.
Dr. Burks pointed out that the children in the studies were under a high level of medical supervision, and that parents should not try the approach on their own. “These studies do give us hope that there will be a treatment in the next two or three years,” he said. “It’s not something to do in practice or at home yet.”
Saturday, July 29, 2006
My First Time
I first wrote this on Saturday, December 24, 2005
My First Time
Lately, I have had the urge to become a blogger and finally found the time to start one. My first entry should have been right after I finished my finals but for some reason I was reluctant to write. Instead, I used today as the day to start a post. So what now that I have joined the cyber space as a blogger? I am not sure where the urge came from but I can speculate. To be honest I have been feeling lazy about having to writing for personal. I don’t know what it is but I have been trying hard to escape the task of putting my thoughts on writing.
Ever since mankind learned to write, people have used writing as means of self reflection. The usage of writing has not much change. When people want to take out some time to reflect, they normally write it down on their journal, well in this tech savvy generation, people’s ego wont’ allow them to keep a journal the old way. I guess I am no different in that perspective. A pen and paper seem so old school. Well not that there is anything wrong with it but it just does have not the same appeal to me. For instance as I write this blog, I am constantly thinking why I prefer to write on a computer…I don’t know, perhaps it might be just a fad that I am falling into or maybe this will be a good chance for me to constantly right and craft my writing in a way that satisfies my soul. Don’t ask me if I have been there yet…maybe few times…like when I had to write my personal statement for Pharmacy School.
Oh dear, did I just dare to utter the word Pharmacy School. Indeed I have and I am just going to end it this blog right about now and pick up next where I left off. Pharmacy School topic…
My First Time
Lately, I have had the urge to become a blogger and finally found the time to start one. My first entry should have been right after I finished my finals but for some reason I was reluctant to write. Instead, I used today as the day to start a post. So what now that I have joined the cyber space as a blogger? I am not sure where the urge came from but I can speculate. To be honest I have been feeling lazy about having to writing for personal. I don’t know what it is but I have been trying hard to escape the task of putting my thoughts on writing.
Ever since mankind learned to write, people have used writing as means of self reflection. The usage of writing has not much change. When people want to take out some time to reflect, they normally write it down on their journal, well in this tech savvy generation, people’s ego wont’ allow them to keep a journal the old way. I guess I am no different in that perspective. A pen and paper seem so old school. Well not that there is anything wrong with it but it just does have not the same appeal to me. For instance as I write this blog, I am constantly thinking why I prefer to write on a computer…I don’t know, perhaps it might be just a fad that I am falling into or maybe this will be a good chance for me to constantly right and craft my writing in a way that satisfies my soul. Don’t ask me if I have been there yet…maybe few times…like when I had to write my personal statement for Pharmacy School.
Oh dear, did I just dare to utter the word Pharmacy School. Indeed I have and I am just going to end it this blog right about now and pick up next where I left off. Pharmacy School topic…
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