A lot could be learnt from the corporate organisation of large community pharmacy chains. Good presentations make a favourable impression on undergraduates, as the information they require is given to them in a form they find easy to assimilate. Hospital teacher-practitioners based in universities should be given an insight into how the application process for preregistration placements works. To be competitive, hospitals must match this timescale. Many students may accept a pre-registration placement that was not their primary choice simply because they are given short offer periods for competitive positions.
All large companies try to present a corporate image.
Any information that is given to undergraduates in printed form reflects this image. Information given must include details of career structure and an idea of the pay scales in order to overcome the impression that hospital practice is poorly paid and not as rewarding as community pharmacy. In 1998, all second year pharmacy undergraduates at Aston university were given the opportunity to take part in a pilot scheme consisting of three hospital visits of three hours duration. The visits took place in 10 hospitals in the West Midlands region. The aim of the visits was to give the students an opportunity to experience hospital pharmacy and to be given information on the potential of hospital pharmacy as a career before they applied for their preregistration placements.