How to find the right pharmacy class for you?

by Senarath Maldunnarachchi
    ☰ 7th Sept. 2021

Are you a post-A/L science student looking to pursue your further studies in community pharmacy practice? Are you stuck, trying to find the most suitable pharmacy teacher for you to guide you to pass the Pharmacist (Ext.) examination in your very first attempt? Then, this article is just for you. There are many classes conducted by many teachers around the island today, but if you do not choose the right teacher for you, you may not succeed in passing the exam on your first attempt. Below are some points that you should consider when choosing the right teacher for you.

Every pharmacy teacher may not be a good teacher

Teaching is a noble profession that can make or break a student’s academic life. A notable indication of a good teacher is the explanations of the most complex subject matters in simple, understandable terms, where you can easily grasp the knowledge. There are many teachers who have good subject knowledge but are unable to explain lessons in a way that the student understands. A good teacher will revise your pre-acquired knowledge and add to that in a constructive way in which you will broaden your knowledge in the field as a student. So, if you do not understand clearly, you probably leave the class and look for the right teacher.

Look for a teacher’s skill in the profession

The exam is focused on community pharmacy practice. Hence your teacher should ideally be someone with years and years of experience in the field, who has trained students and is sure of his/her skills. An experienced teacher will help you get a real understanding of the demands of the profession, how you should prepare for the profession and how to pass the exam in an organized manner. The skills you gain from an experienced teacher will always make you stand out of the crowd when you pass out and go out to work in the field. So, in selecting a good teacher with experience, you will never go wrong.

See if your interest in the subject matter gets broadened

When you’re in the right class, under the guidance of the right teacher you will realize that after each class, your interest in the subject has been enlarged, you will try to question more and study more as a result. A good teacher is sure to pique your interest in the subject matter without merely loading students with course content at a fast pace to reach a deadline. When you are interested in the subject and learn something new out of the contents of the syllabus every day, you will automatically feel at ease with the study material, and you would start considering the course as a way to broaden your knowledge and not as a burden. When you like something, it naturally becomes easier. If you do not feel like coming back to the next lesson, you may have chosen the wrong class.

Following the crowd is not always the right option

The popularity of a teacher or the number of students in a class says almost nothing about the quality of education or the teaching ability of the teacher. A teacher that may work for one student may not work for another. Be clear about your goals and the guidance you require from the teacher to get through the exam on the first attempt. Select a teacher who gives a quality education rather than following the popular trend only to realize in the end that you have been wrong. Popular doesn’t necessarily mean better.

Language skills

The exam is conducted in English. Hence the teacher must be fluent in explaining the lessons in English in a way that you would be able to write the exam in the same language. A good teacher will sharpen the students' English language skills which will help them perform to their best at the exam. If your language skills are broadened by the way the tutor conducts the class and you can develop your confidence in the language over time, there is good evidence you have chosen the right class.

Personalized attention

Mass scale classes may have worked for your A/Ls but there is great doubt that you will succeed in such an environment in this sort of professional study course. This exam demands not just thorough subject knowledge from a student but many other skills. Therefore small-scale group classes, where the teacher can assess each individual student’s skills and weaknesses in learning would be a good fit if you aspire to pass this exam on the first attempt. A class where the student gets personalized attention and guidance to improve their skills is a good way to gain confidence as a student to face the exam successfully.

Post-learning evaluation

Many teachers cover the theory components but do not carry out paper discussion sessions. A good teacher not only teaches students but assesses them so that they can have a good understanding of the lessons they may find difficult to grasp or need more help from the teacher. Always opt for a class that carries out discussion of not only past papers but model questions as well. A teacher who delivers this kind of evaluation procedure helps you build your confidence in answering the actual exam questions and gives you a clear understanding of whether what the teacher taught you in the class is relevant or not and helps you understand whether with the taught knowledge you can actually answer questions or not. So, always look for a teacher who covers not only the theory but evaluation as well.

Senarath Maldunnarachchi
Pharmacist Trainer - Colombo / Gampaha / Wennappuwa
Contact: 071 017 0525

Senarath is a pharmacy tutor with over 20 years of experience in the field. He conducts small group classes and individual classes for students. In his classes, he covers all the theory and discusses past papers from the past 20 years.