Industrial Training versus Hospital Attachment (Part 2)

Hi again. :)
This entry is for those who want to choose and to give you a clearer view for you to make a decision. Just in case you're neutral, any subject to be done first is none of your concern, then this entry is an overview of the new challenge.

For those who haven't read the first part, click here.

First cycle: HOSPITAL

• Duration: 6 weeks 
• Accommodation: provided.Those who'll be attached in HTAA will be staying in mahallah. 
• Documents: A logbook and daily diary will be provided in softcopy. 
• References: Latest CPGs, BNF, Lexicomp, Sarawak Handbook of Medical Emergency, Renal Pharmacy Handbook, Dipiro, etc. 

You'll be assigned to two cases per week but if you wish to learn more, feel free to clerk more patients. The situations differ from hospital to hospital. During my time in HSNZ, 2 cases to be clerked and presented to the hospital and university preceptor each week. You need to prepare in both report form and powerpoint slide form to present - but this depends on the preceptors. In HSNZ, daily diary are to be submitted to the preceptor in charge of the week and they'll read it wholeheartedly. In HTAA, there's no need to submit the diary, in other words, the lazy will only write the diary in the last week before final report submission date. 

Below is the example of schedule given to us and it is conducted on rotation basis.

WEEK	DISCIPLINE
WEEK 1	CARDIOVASCULAR
WEEK 2	GENERAL MEDICINE
WEEK 3	SURGERY
WEEK 4	CNS
WEEK 5	ENDOCRINOLOGY
WEEK 6	NEPHROLOGY

*Week 1: no assessment. (Warm up week)

Second cycle: INDUSTRY 
Duration: 6 weeks
Accommodation: MFZ & MKAW
Documents: A logbook (to be submitted in the 1st week), medical check up form  

These are the departments you're going to be exposed in industrial training. 

1. Production

2. Research & Development (R&D) 

3. Warehouse 

4. Sales and Marketing (S&M) 

5. iBest (Bioequivalence study) 

6. Quality Assurance (QA) 

7. Quality Control (QC - Biology and Chemistry) 

8. Regulatory Affairs (RA) 

9. Engineering 

Depending on your rezeki, you'll be able to look at the real production process of any IKOP products - usually tablet. There are groups that didn't get the chance to observe the whole process. Alhamdulillah, my group was one of the group that involved in the production of paracetamol tablet from dispensing until packaging process. 

Generally, there are sufficient assignments for you to understand how the work is done in each department and the workload is not so bad. The department that gives more assignment over another is RA - one day one assignment, given today submit tomorrow. Others are okay.

Like I said before, industry is more fun and there's plenty of spare time compared to hospital, so use the spare time WISELY!  Hospital is fun too if you really are following your work timeline with all those submissions. Personally, hospital attachment excites me more than industry but at the same time, I hate the deadlines of the reports. Meanwhile, industrial training gives you a whole lot of new experience that will take you out from your typical pharmacy world. It involves more administration, management, and engineering skills. 

SO, WHICH ONE IS BEST TO START THE FINAL SEMESTER WITH?  

Now, this is my PERSONAL opinion regarding the choice I made. 

Looking into the stress and workload to handle in each subject, Hospital Attachment is chosen for my first cycle. Which means, my second cycle is Industry. Those who chose Industry for the first cycle, then they are the second cycle for Hospital. 

To be honest, I came out with this decision because I want my final months to be spent in IIUM and not in Terengganu. (Although you'd be in IIUM for a week or two due to final examination but yeah, in the end - sukahatiakula) 

Nag no more, here's my tabulated reasoning. 

1st cycle: HOSPITAL, 2nd cycle: INDUSTRY	1st cycle: INDUSTRY, 2nd cycle: HOSPITAL
stressed out in early of the semester (the individual work during hospital), more relaxed towards the end of the semester. (group work for industry)	free & easy in early of the semester, hunted by deadlines at the end of semester (case clerkships, ward round, extra reading, patients' interview, reports, daily diary)
fresh knowledge of industry because their cycle is nearer to final exams.	fresh knowledge of PT because their cycle is nearer to final exams.
however, need to read for PT exam and prepare for grand presentation at the end of semester.	prepare for grand presentation directly after finishing attachment.
more time to make extra reading for grand presentation and more time to read for PT since there's more spare time in industry	lack of time in choosing which case to present and doing extra reading. right after you're back from the hospital, you have +- a week to prepare.
2 presentations: industry and grand presentation PT (at the end of semester)	1 presentation only. Industry presentation is done before hospital attachment started.

Prior to that, there are certain conditions that cause you to be put in any cycle regardless of your choice. For instance, unsettle RP, health problems / pregnant / bf baby, repeat banyak paper etc. In addition, genders also play a big role in the placement of the cycle - usually sama banyak lelaki in both cycle. Jadi, selamat berlapang dada ya? 

Nevertheless, you may ask other seniors for their opinion too. There is no right or wrong. :)

p/s: there can be minor or major changes for your batch depending on our feedbacks last year.