BEYOND THE ASSESSMENT


Amy Biggans' Foundation Training Year Journey


When Scottish Pharmacy first met Amy Biggans, she was finding her feet as a Foundation Training pharmacist. One year on, Richard Stephenson catches up with her to reflect on the experiences that shaped her, the pressures of the registration assessment and why becoming a pharmacist is about far more than passing an exam.


Ask any pharmacist what they remember most about their Foundation Training Year and, for many, the registration assessment stands out. Months of revision, practice calculations and anticipation often come to define the final weeks of training.


For Amy Biggans, however, the assessment was only part of the story. Looking back, it was the conversations with patients, the support of colleagues and the gradual growth in confidence that truly defined her year.


When Scottish Pharmacy first spoke to Amy, she described the move from university to community pharmacy as exciting but unpredictable. Structured case studies had been replaced by real patients, each with different circumstances and expectations. It was a steep learning curve, but one she embraced.


Now, with Foundation Training complete, she can see how those everyday experiences shaped her development.


"I don't think you realise how much you've changed until you stop and look back," she says.


Preparing Steadily


Knowing the registration assessment was always approaching, Amy chose to prepare steadily throughout the year. Rather than relying solely on practice papers, she built her own clinical notes as she encountered different conditions in practice. Revising little and often helped her understand topics rather than simply memorising them.


"The registration assessment came around quickly," she says. "Even though I started my revision early, I still felt overwhelmed at times. Creating my own notes throughout the year meant I already understood the topics, which made the final stages of revision much more manageable."


Revision was only one part of an already demanding year. Alongside studying, Amy balanced a full time role in community pharmacy, completed her portfolio, organised prescribing placements and continued developing her consultation skills.


Instead of trying to study every spare hour, she found a routine that worked. Evenings were set aside for revision, while exercise and time away from pharmacy helped her avoid burnout. In the final weeks before the assessment, she booked annual leave to focus on preparation.


42 scotpharm.com Regular Practice


Like many trainees, there were moments when confidence wavered, particularly around calculations. Rather than avoiding them, she practised regularly and reviewed every mistake until she understood where she had gone wrong.


"The clinical content is so extensive that it's impossible to remember everything," she explains. "Confidence naturally comes and goes throughout the year."


It's a reminder that confidence isn't about knowing every answer. It's about trusting your preparation, recognising your limits and knowing where to find reliable information.


Walking into the registration assessment, Amy felt nervous but knew she had done everything she could to prepare. Walking out, relief was quickly followed by the familiar wait for results.


Yet when she reflects on the year, it isn't the assessment she remembers first.


It's the patients.


The conversations that challenged her thinking, reinforced her knowledge and turned classroom learning into real life practice.


"I found the knowledge I'd applied in real patient consultations stayed with me far better than information I'd only read from notes," she says. "Being able to relate clinical topics back to real patient interactions made it much easier to recall information."


"Even though I started my revision early, I still felt overwhelmed at times. Creating my own notes throughout the year meant I already understood the topics, which made the final stages of revision much more manageable."


Making Safe Decisions


Those experiences also changed how she viewed her role as a pharmacist. At the start of Foundation Training, she felt pressure to have an answer for every question. Over time, she realised professionalism isn't about knowing everything. It's about making safe decisions, using trusted resources and being honest when you need to check something.


"I'm much more comfortable telling a patient I'd like to double check something to make sure I give them the most accurate advice," she says. "Patients really appreciate that honesty and professionalism."


As another group of Foundation Training pharmacists prepares to begin the same journey, Amy's advice is straightforward. Get to know the portfolio early, keep on top of reflections, organise prescribing placements as soon as possible and learn alongside other trainees.


Most importantly, don't panic.


Looking back at the Amy who started Foundation Training twelve months ago, there is one piece of advice she would give herself.


"You'll learn far more than you realise over the course of the year, and your confidence will grow with every patient, every interaction and every opportunity to learn."


The registration assessment may mark the end of Foundation Training, but it doesn't define the year. For Amy, becoming a pharmacist happened much more quietly through the patients she cared for, the lessons she learned and the confidence she built along the way.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48