Wow, so when did this topic become a lecture for the people that haven't taken the exam to suck it up and deal with the situation. All the people that are pharmacists already are saying that the NABP is doing the right thing. I know you would not be saying that if it was you stuck in the situation where you could not get licensed. None of the licensed pharmacists know what the students that just graduated and are not being allowed to take the exam are going through. Everyone keeps saying in plain terms suck it up and deal with it to us! We all know that NABP knew about Flynn for the longest time. This only has to do with money that's it. NABP wants the money and that's all they care about. It has nothing to do with it being a public health issue. How would all the licensed pharmacists like it if NABP disqualified all your scores, because you know that during your time of taking the exam these same questions were floating around then too and a lot of you guys probably did use those questions to study from! So don't go around telling rest of us to suck it up and deal with the unfair actions of NABP!! You guys would be just as frustrated and angry as rest of us if you guys were in our situation. It is easy for you guys to deal with it because you are not effected by it at all!
How does one answer this?
When I took the exam - it was not the NAPLEX, it was the CA State Board Exam - 2 days, 8 hours each. One 30 min lunch break, two 10 min breaks - otherwise, no other breaks - no excuses - you DID NOT LEAVE THE ROOM.
I had no study sessions, no review sessions & I took the exam 1 week after I graduated & took my final (oral) exams. I took the exam with people from all over the country. I actually met my asst director during the break on the second day - didn't know this until after I was hired. She had come from NY the day before the exam.
If I had not passed (& I think the OP did not passed the exam on her first attempt), I'd have gone back & done a deliberate & complete review of my third & fourth year. Fortunately, I did not have to do that.
But - that was in the day when the test was given in Jan & June. If I had not passed in June, the next time was Jan. It was a given. I would have had 6 months to review without any choice of an earlier exam date.
As I said before, this has happened before with the Morris Cody incident. The penalities are severe and well known, & those who compromised the exam - all the way up to the Univ of GA or however far it went....are complicit. There is much, much more that is not being said.
But - do not ever say that all of us were in that same circumstance. I most certainly was not & neither were any of the colleagues that I've discussed the situation with (one who is very high in the heirachy in the CA state board system). We frankly did not have these kinds of massive review sessions. Our schools trained us to be competent to pass the exam without a review session. This is as much the school's fault (jointly) as the individuals. This has impacted all the states & the abilities to license graduates, which frankly, is worrying right now. Honestly, how do we ever trust that you do indeed know what you are supposed to know???
You are not the first - nor will you be the last. You don't think I'm affected by it? Well - my corporations and I personally was relying on new grads to do the relief work for the flu shot season coming up and higher hospital census. Now, we don't have relief folks. I actually have days that are not covered with relief people and I may need to work more. Fortunately, I don't work full time, so I can pick up the slack, altho I'd rather not. I had a job for a graduate intern which I had to give to another licensed candidate because he took the exam, but compromised it and now has to retake. Why would I give him another chance? Why did he do something which compromised his exam (a nice way of saying "cheating").
But, the beauty of it is...the market has changed so we don't need people like we used to. The part-time people are looking to work more because of the mortage crunch & we don't need new grads like we used to. This may be just the beginning of the lessening need for pharmacists if we get thru this - so when you really do get licensed, you better be really, really good - not just cocky.
So, yeah - there's not much you can do but wait. It is not about the money. NABP was going to get your money no matter what. But, if this guy has compromised the exam, I'd rather have you know your material rather than memorize what this guy has fed you, because if I'm working the shift after you, I want you to know exactly what you're doing and if not, know who to ask.
The fact that NO state board is coming forward to complain about the actions is telling. I do wonder if there is far more to this than just is being scattered about.
I concede it is hard personally, particularly for those who had nothing whatever to do with this situation - perhaps like myself. I'm licensed & don't want to work as much as I have to, but I do because there aren't enough relief rx. But, ask yourself - professionally, what would you rather have? An organization which brushes outright misdeeds under the rug & impacts the validity of our license & the trust placed in us, or the time & effort it might take to find out exactly how widespread this issue really is (which, frankly, I think is going on right now) and deal with perhaps the wider issue of just giving out blanket & perhaps, faulty, licenses?
It does give you some time to think of what being a licensed pharmacist really means. I know how much some of you want it & I do belive most of you are entitled to it, but - you want it honorably & to be able to stand proudly and say you really are capable of all that your school & the profession expects of you.
I wouldn't want any of your licenses to be tainted with a blemish of a scandal of 2007. I hope this all comes around right & your are all entitled to take the exam and pass and enjoy the fruits of all your labors.
Good luck to you all!
