Course Title: Professional Practice in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Professional Practice in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1

Credit Points: 36.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

ONPS2473

Bundoora Campus

Undergraduate

160H Medical Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2015

Course Coordinator: Celine Valery

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99257482

Course Coordinator Email: celine.valery@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 201.9.06

Course Coordinator Availability: per appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

This course is professional practice theory and is intended for final year B Biomed Sci (Pharm Sci) students only. Students must have completed and passed all courses (including electives) in the first 3 years of BP184.


Course Description

This course is a major component of the Pharmaceutical Sciences program and provides an opportunity for students to acquire a range of professional skills which complement the academic courses taken in the university environment. The professional skills are acquired during a period of supervised placement in either a pharmaceutical company, research laboratory, clinical trials organisation or Government regulatory authority. The course covers the first half of the placement year, and aims to provide students with experience, skills, knowledge and attributes that characterise a pharmaceutical science professional that can only be obtained in the workplace.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

  • This course contributes to the following BP 184 Program level outcomes:

     
    • Critically analyse and solve scientific problems (PLO2)
    • Communication and teamwork (PLO3)
    • Investigation and Analysis (PLO4)
    • Accountability for your own learning and professional conduct (PLO 5)


 

Upon successful completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Integrate theoretical and practical skills acquired in an academic environment, with the skills expected of a pharmaceutical science professional
  2. Competently use modern equipment and information technology relevant to your placement position
  3. Relate medical and scientific ethics, professional legislative and regulatory requirements to practice in the pharmaceutical and related industries
  4. Recognise and manage appropriately typical health and safety issues affecting work practices in pharmaceutical industry and associated areas
  5. Display enterprise and personal skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, decision making, initiative and creativity
  6. Reflect upon and critically analyse your experiences during your period of industry work placement


Overview of Learning Activities

 

Students learn through field work in real pharmaceutical industry placements and teacher guided activities . Students will be placed in one of a variety of professional placements in the therapeutic goods industry, where they will undergo mentoring and training in order to participate in professional activities relevant to the workplace. Students will attend a series of lectures, workshops and participate in online discussions and group activities to develop discipline specific professional skills, reflective practice and critical thinking.

Lectures and workshops will introduce the key professional skills required in the therapeutic goods industry; including resume preparation, professional networking, interview techniques, organizational analysis, reflective and scientific writing. These skills will be adapted and integrated into the workplace. Students will reflect on these key concepts and skills in the context of the industry through reflective journals, and communicate the application of these concepts to other students through online discussion forums and group based scenario work, to cover the breadth and variety of applications of these professional skills and concepts across the different industry placements available.

The work placement lasts for 40 weeks full time.


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources available during this course include the library resources of RMIT, plus the full resources of the pharmaceutical organisation in which the student is placed. The course will also have a Distributed Learning System (DLS) site for the conduct of an online conference throughout the semester, and for the access of documents and learning materials related to the course.

Other Resources 
myRMIT will be used to disseminate materials, provide you access to assessment, and for your to participate in online discussion and group work activities


Overview of Assessment

Assessment components may include reflective journals, a contemporary essay and performance appraisals.

 

☒This course has no hurdle requirements.

☐ All hurdle requirements for this course are indicated clearly in the assessment regime that follows, against the relevant assessment task(s) and all have been approved by the College Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Leaning & Teaching).

Assessment components may include reflective journals, a contemporary essay and performance appraisals.

The assessments for ONPS2473(2463) may include:

-          an online asynchronous conference (10%). This assessment covers CLOs 2,3.

-          at least 5 reflective journals (25%). This assessment covers CLOs 3,6.

-          a workplace visit (15%). This assessment covers CLOs 1,3-6.

-          a contemporary issue essay (25%). This assessment covers CLO 1.

-          a performance appraisal (25%). This assessment covers CLOs 1,3-6.

Work Integrated Learning:

Students enrolled in this course will be required to undertake placement as part of the assessment of the course.  A number of requirements must be met by students to ensure eligibility for placement. 

  • National Police Check

Work Integrated Learning:

Students enrolled in this course will be required to undertake placement as part of the assessment of the course.  A number of requirements must be met by students to ensure eligibility for placement. 

Students are responsible for any expenses associated to attending professional placement.  These costs may include, but are not limited to the following: uniform, police check application, first aid training, travel, accommodation and vaccinations.

Further details on each of these are available on MyRMIT.

 

Placement Agreements:

Placement agreements between RMIT and the placement organisation are in place.  Any information required by students contained in the agreement is available on MyRMIT or InPlace.

 

National Police check:

Students may be required to apply for a National Police Record Check at the request of the placement organisation prior to the commencement of placement. 

It is important to note that a disclosable outcome may prevent a student from accessing suitable, or any, professional placement(s) and may therefore be delayed or prevented from satisfactorily progressing through the program.