TIPS on Preparing for APEC Pharmacy Exam

[bunny]

hello. . for how many months have u reviewed?. . congrats!!

[Aika]

Are you refering to practice questions by Manan Shroff? If you are studying for APEC i think manan shroff is not applicable because it is for FPGEE exam. They have questions about Federal law and pharmacoeconomics. You may use APPLETON & LANGE REVIEW OF PHARMACY is also good. If you have the book Comprehensive Pharmacy Review by Leon Shargel, you may use Comprehensive Pharmacy Review Practice Exams By Alan H. Mutnick, et al. I used these materials. I just use the computations problems in Manan Schroff practice exam question but they are too easy compared to those that came out in exam which are complicated, i must say.

[bunny]

ah, i c. . thanx . . ill kip in touch coz i still have alot of queries, . blesz u. .

[Aika]

Originally Posted by bunny

hello. . for how many months have u reviewed?. . congrats!!

Almost five months I think. I started to attend review class in Mar 2007. The class is every saturday 9 am to 5 pm and only 17 sessions. I'm working then so if I have free time Im reviewing the book Comprehensive Pharmacy Review and if I'm in night shift duty I bring the book at work because there is less work at night. I quit my job in July 2007 to have full time self study. I woke up between 9 am to 10 pm and I study after taking breakfast until 11 pm. Of course no television. My only rest is to cook our meal. (I read an article about shifting mental work and physical work is very effective) Of course I am jobless and that is the only thing I can help the family. Oh I also talk over the phone to my friends who are also taking the exam if they want to clarify about the computations and they ask for my help. It is useful because it helps me to analyze better. An instructor from the review class told that to evaluate that you learn something is able to teach it to other people. it is so true because in order to teach or discuss the problems with my friends, I have to understand it very well. Before going to bed I also look again to the chemical structures pasted on my wall. When I woke up, I do the same.

I said too much sorry. I'm just happy reminiscing how my sacrifices worth the price.

[bunny]

no,thats something to be sorry about because from that i can get an idea to what im going to do also, i appreciate it very much.. before i can get to that stage, what im worried about right now is the IELTS. actually, i took IELTS last november 2007 for other reasons (not really for APEC). my total band score was 7 but i got 6.5 in my reading. . do i need to take the exam again? can you help with this?. .

[Aika]

Originally Posted by bunny

no,thats something to be sorry about because from that i can get an idea to what im going to do also, i appreciate it very much.. before i can get to that stage, what im worried about right now is the IELTS. actually, i took IELTS last november 2007 for other reasons (not really for APEC). my total band score was 7 but i got 6.5 in my reading. . do i need to take the exam again? can you help with this?. .

Yes you can take the exam because that score is already accepted.

This is taken from the site of APC (click here to go to that page)

Change to IELTS Requirement - Date of Effect: 1 January 2008

From 1 January 2008, APC applicants must achieve an overall Band score of 7 at the Academic level of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6.5 in each of the four components of the test. Until 30 December 2007 the IELTS requirement will remain at an overall Band score of 7 at the Academic level of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and a minimum score of 6.0 in each of the four components will apply.

All IELTS results received from 1 January 2008 must meet the new requirement.

APC requirements in the Occupational English Test (OET) remains unchanged and a score of either ‘A’ or ‘B’ in each of the four sections of the Occupational English Test (OET) is acceptable.

[Kamijee]

hi aika and everyone..i am appearing for sept 2008, i failed it in the first attempt, and studying hard nowadays, i m in karachi pakistan and my name is kamran..if anyone from pakistan are also planning for sept 2008, then we can form a group..:P

[kiranchandra1]

Originally Posted by Aika

I passed the stage 1 exam in sep 2007.
Now I am preparing the requirements for PR application,, probably il be able to lodge it within this month (hopeful)
1. First of all, SACRIFICE, deprive yourself with all the pleasures (such as television, going out, dating, parties...)
2. FAMILIARITY-It is hard to memorize all the chemical structures, study 10 drugs a day. What I did is each day I draw 10 structures (from the Comprehensive Pharmacy Review by shargel) and I stick in the wall of my bedroom so that when I wake up I can see it and before going to sleep. It is all about familiarity. I also got this style from Jose Rizal (National Hero of Philippines). He was a linguistic. He memorizes 10 words a day in the country where he stays (Just a short trivia).
3. EAT RIGHT - Of course, nourish your brain.
4. HOW TO FIGHT SLEEP? I kept on writing and outlining the things I need to study so that I will not feel sleepy when there is physical effort. I did not mean yopu won't sleep at all, but reading makes you sleepy (like a long acting benzodiazepines)
5. SET A TIME TABLE - Be sure you finished the topics you planned to study for each day, or else you will lose time hardly noticed the BIG DAY has come.
6. PRACTICE - practice makes perfect! To improve your calculation skills, answer practice problems daily. It will also make you faster and more accurate. Remember that the calculation problems are difficult because it takes series of solutions before you can get the answer. (the truth is I guess some of the answers because I had no time)
6. PRAY - Have Faith in the divine power of God and you wil be blessed.

STUDY MATERIALS
I am very fortunate to be able to attend a Review Class. (I don't know if there is such thing in other countries)
We know that after graduation and work as a pharmacist, there are some things that we have forgotten. agree? It is a sort of refresher course. the instructors are also from universities, some of them are also pharmacists.
I attended a 17 sunday classes and I also started to study the Comprehensive Pharmacy Review by Shargel. At the same time, I am also reading Lippincotts Pharmacology (the red book)
If you are a still doubtful, consult some topics in the Remington(RPS), Clinical Pharmacology by Katsung

To test my knowledge, I start to answer review questions Appleton, Comprehensive Pharmacy review questions, Manan-Shroff, and Generali (I only borrowed these hehe)

Good Luck to all candidates!

Hi Aika
you are very useful for this forum and people like me who are planning to sit for Stage one. After stage one, for supervised clinicals (2000 hrs) is it good to work in a hospital or in a pharmacy? which way it is beneficial to pass the stage two? during these 2000 hrs are we entitled for any pay?
Thank you so much
Kiran

[Aika]

The supervised practice must be paid and if not it is not valid. I have no idea which field is better (retail or hospital?) but if you want you can divide the 2000 hours to both.

I am not yet having my supervised practice. I am still waiting for my PR visa. Hopefully, my application will be approved soon.

Goodluck

[gautam]

hi
can you plase give me the name of book should i refer fro every subject for stage-1 exam?