Mastering the Oriel Process in Pharmacy
My name is Simon Evans, and I am an incoming final year pharmacy student at Cardiff University. In between third and fourth year of university, all pharmacy students undertake the Oriel process which determines where students will be undertaking their foundation year. This can be a daunting process as it decides where a student will end up working after university but with structure and understanding this process is relatively simple. In this article I will guide you through the process for England and Wales.
What is Oriel
Oriel serves as the central IT system facilitating the recruitment process for foundation pharmacist training programs, alongside its support for the recruitment of dentists, doctors, and healthcare scientists. It simplifies the application process by allowing candidates to apply for multiple programs using a single application. You can indicate your preferences for hospital placements, primary care (including community pharmacy and general practice), and Health in Justice (prison pharmacy) programs through the system.
The application process for the Oriel pharmacy foundation training year encompasses two distinct assessments taken by aspiring Trainee Pharmacists: the situational judgement test (SJT) and the pharmaceutical calculations test. The cumulative score, primarily derived from the SJT assessment, is used to establish rankings among applicants (with additional factors considered in the event of a tie). An applicant's ranking and their selected foundation training year program will dictate their placement assignment.
SJT
The SJT is an online assessment which evaluates five attributes drawn from the Foundation Trainee Pharmacist Professional Attributes Framework:
Person-centred care
Collaboration across professions and leadership
Professional integrity and ethical conduct
Problem-solving, clinical analysis, and decision-making
Communication skills
The SJT will comprise 52 scenarios that need to be addressed within a 104-minute timeframe. Within the SJT, there will be two distinct response formats:
Ranking: You will need to rank 5 responses in order of appropriateness in response to each scenario.
Multiple Choice: You will be tasked with selecting the 3 most suitable actions out of a total of 8 in response to each scenario.
Numeracy
Numeracy Test Overview: The numeracy test is specifically crafted to assess an applicant's competence in performing fundamental pharmaceutical calculations. It consists of ten questions, and candidates are allotted a 20-minute timeframe to complete the exercise. The test encompasses various aspects of pharmaceutical calculations, including:
Doses and Dose Regimens
Dosage and Unit Conversion
Concentrations
Dilutions
Utilizing Provided Formulae
Calculating Quantities for Supply
This test is essential to ensure that applicants possess the necessary numerical skills required for success in pharmaceutical roles.
Preferencing and how to navigate it
You will have the opportunity to select your program preferences after submitting your application.
A program refers to the specific training position being offered, and all programs have a duration of 12 months (52 weeks). Each program can accommodate one or more positions, known as "places." Some programs may have only one place, while others can have multiple places, allowing for the training of several individuals simultaneously.
Program information will be accessible starting from the opening date of applications, which is June 7th, 2023. To access program details, ensure you choose the "Pharmacy Programmes" option from the Oriel Menu bar.
I recommend that you start reviewing this information early to become familiar with the various programs being offered. This will help you save time when it's time to select your preferences. During the preference selection window, you will have access to filters that can assist you in refining your choices. These filters include:
The county or area where the program is based.
The type of employer, such as Hospital or Primary Care (which includes Community Pharmacy and General Practice).
The size of the organization (for primary care programs only).
Specialty (relevant to hospital programs only).
The number of placements available within a program.
Whether the employer can provide Skilled Worker sponsorship.
Reviewing this information and using the filters provided will help you make informed decisions when selecting your preferred programs
You will be able to assign programmes to one of three categories: – No Preference: All of the programmes will initially sit in this category. This will mean that you are willing to accept any of these programmes should you not be successful in being offered any of your preferenced programmes. – Not Wanted: You should select all of the programmes that you are not willing to accept into this category. – Preference: You should select the programmes you would be happiest to accept into this category and rank them in order of your preference starting with the number 1 for your most preferred programme.
Preferencing opens in July and closes at 10am on the 31st of October this year.
Offers
Offers are made based on your overall rank in the country which is based solely on your SJT exam outcome. The numeracy component of the exam does not factor into your score unless in the outcome of a tiebreak. Numeracy test still matters as unless you get 3 out of ten you will fail the whole exam and will not be given a pre-registration place via the oriel system. You will be given 48hrs excluding weekends and bank holidays to accept, accept with upgrades or decline an offer. If you do decide to decline your offer or let your offer expire, then you will be removed from the oriel process and as a result will not receive any subsequent offers. You can upgrade offers in certain circumstances, once you have upgraded you cannot go back to your previous offer.
Overall thoughts after completing the process
Initially, I found the Oriel application process quite confusing, with a myriad of programs and preferences to navigate. However, my understanding improved significantly after delving into the handbook provided. One invaluable resource that helped demystify the process was the Oriel mock exam. While other books and examples of situational judgement tests (SJT) proved useful, the mock exam was the closest simulation to the actual test, providing a realistic feel of what to expect. Managing stress during this process is crucial, as it plays a significant role in one's progression as a pharmacist. The fear of not securing the desired placement can be daunting, but it's essential to remember that these programs are only for one year. Keeping this perspective in mind can help alleviate some of the pressure and anxiety associated with the application process, allowing for a more focused and balanced approach to achieving your career goals.
