Why offer testing accommodations in Pharmacy School?

[PharmlyDoc]

So there's a guy in my class that needs special accommodations for test taking and never takes any of his tests with the rest of the class. He's intelligent, and gets straight A's, and he wants to do a residency. I feel like he's hurting himself because in the real world there's always going to be something else going on and distractions are commonplace, especially in a hospital.

I have a fairly high GPA, and I know I'd have close to a 4.0 if I had my own quiet personal room to take all my exams in, but the real world isn't quiet. I wonder if its common for other schools to offer their students accommodations for exams?

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[TheBlaah]

Depends what sort of special accommodations we're talking about and why. There's nurses with latex allergies, pharmacists with migraines, ect. But offering accommodations for certain conditions is pretty common from what I've seen. It's not like tests are a real world practice anyway once you've graduated.

 

[AstraZ]

So there's a guy in my class that needs special accommodations for test taking and never takes any of his tests with the rest of the class. He's intelligent, and gets straight A's, and he wants to do a residency. I feel like he's hurting himself because in the real world there's always going to be something else going on and distractions are commonplace, especially in a hospital.

I have a fairly high GPA, and I know I'd have close to a 4.0 if I had my own quiet personal room to take all my exams in, but the real world isn't quiet. I wonder if its common for other schools to offer their students accommodations for exams?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't schools legally have to offer special accommodations within reason to students with documented disabilities of various types? And then of course there are other situations such as the ones mentioned by TheBlaah pertaining to latex allergies or medical conditions like migraines, RA, etc.

I can understand why it might be frustrating, but I know some people who absolutely cannot take exams around other people because it's impossible for them to think with all of the distractions around them. And some people with dyslexia need more time to be able to read and understand the questions.

 

[zelman]

This sort of thing is required to meet ADA requirements. Getting exemptions from meeting those requirements is burdensome, and schools only care about tuition. It's only worth doing when there can be no liberal backlash (like preventing quadriplegics from becoming firefighters).

 

[genesis09]

In real life though, employers won't make special accommodations for those with dyslexia and the like. If the employer needs the project done by Friday, it better be done by then. Making an accommodation for someone with a latex allergy is very different than those who have learning disabilities. These people will have a rough transition to the working world.

 

[steveysmith54]

I think this exists in all schools. I suspect quite a few students take advantage of this. I think even for naplex it's possible to get extra time if you medically qualify. Fair or unfair, it exists and will continue to do so. best recommendation that I can make is not to worry about it

 

[Ackj]

I can understand why it might be frustrating, but I know some people who absolutely cannot take exams around other people because it's impossible for them to think with all of the distractions around them. And some people with dyslexia need more time to be able to read and understand the questions.

I worked with a dyslexic pharmacist and when you would enter a waiter, the computer automatically assigned 30 minutes instead of 15. The customers were all 100% understanding.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I worked with a dyslexic pharmacist and when you would enter a waiter, the computer automatically assigned 30 minutes instead of 15. The customers were all 100% understanding.

Inject 18 units...81 units...whatever. All insulin prescriptions come with a free glucagon kit.

 

[ChalupaBatman86]

I worked with a dyslexic pharmacist and when you would enter a waiter, the computer automatically assigned 30 minutes instead of 15. The customers were all 100% understanding.

That's got to be a weird conversation.

"how long is the wait? I am on way to the airport to catch a flight and my children are sitting out in my hot car unattended."

"30 minutes"

"WTF????"

"Pharmacist is dyslexic"

"Oh! In that case I totally understand and I will wait patiently!"

 

[opinionfree]

Years ago I had a customer with narcolepsy and he'd carry on whenever I told him, "at least 30 minutes" (it was the rarest of days to exceed 20 scripts/day) for the wait. He'd (loudly) go on about his hardship. So with my left arm, I'd sweep the counter clean, tap it twice with my right hand and tell him he now had a place to sleep. Truth be told, I don't think he liked my solution to his questionable concerns.

We have these cash clinics in town, frequented exclusively by rich people, junkies and rich junkies (the waiting room is such a hoot). They'll write anything, for a price. Go to one, don't make eye contact when examined, pay a large sum and they'll craft you a letter for the dean. Otherwise, thank heavens and mind your own business that you're not the buffoon requiring privacy to pee, take a test or anything else.

 

[rph3664]

We have these cash clinics in town, frequented exclusively by rich people, junkies and rich junkies (the waiting room is such a hoot). They'll write anything, for a price. Go to one, don't make eye contact when examined, pay a large sum and they'll craft you a letter for the dean. Otherwise, thank heavens and mind your own business that you're not the buffoon requiring privacy to pee, take a test or anything else.

There are some places like this that will do that for bipolar disorder, especially for toddlers, so the parents can scam SSI for another generation.

That said, chances are, the person described in the OP has an invisible disability that the poster does not know about, and it is none of his or her business.

I have worked with pharmacists who were color-blind. Accommodating that was not difficult.

Has anyone here seen "Being John Malkovich"? When that movie came out, I was working at the grocery store, and one of the biggest clinics in town had a phone nurse who was hard of hearing, if not outright deaf. She didn't last very long.

 

[Mad Jack]

Because of this little thing called the Americans with Disabilities Act. It's illegal not to.

 

[trailerpark]

So what about when they get thrown into a busy arse pharmacy. How the heck could an employer provide accommodations for that.

 

[BenJammin]

What happens if an accommodation is easy for a university but too much of a burden for an employer?

 

[TheBlaah]

That falls under "undue burden".

Here's an excerpt from it regarding that.


Undue burden means significant difficulty or expense. In determining whether an action would result in an undue burden, factors to be considered include --

(1) The nature and cost of the action needed under this part;

(2) The overall financial resources of the site or sites involved in the action; the number of persons employed at the site; the effect on expenses and resources; legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation, including crime prevention measures; or the impact otherwise of the action upon the operation of the site;

(3) The geographic separateness, and the administrative or fiscal relationship of the site or sites in question to any parent corporation or entity;

(4) If applicable, the overall financial resources of any parent corporation or entity; the overall size of the parent corporation or entity with respect to the number of its employees; the number, type, and location of its facilities; and

(5) If applicable, the type of operation or operations of any parent corporation or entity, including the composition, structure, and functions of the workforce of the parent corporation or entity.

 

[zelman]

What happens if an accommodation is easy for a university but too much of a burden for an employer?

The university does the person a major disservice and collects a six-figure tuition.

 

[BidingMyTime]

So, if the person with time/distraction disabilities wants to get a Pharm D and say go into research or something where they would quietly and have lots of time, that would be great. But if the person with the time/distraction disability is being led to think that they will be able to get a job as a pharmacist with no problems, then that is a lot of tuition money they are paying out for a job they may not be able to work in. I agree, test-taking ability really doesn't say how one will work in the real world...but the world of pharmacy is noisy, chaotic, and fast paced, if a person can not develop coping strategies for that, then its probably in their best interests to go into another line of work.

 

[297point1]

What happens if an accommodation is easy for a university but too much of a burden for an employer?

The outcomes by which you measure success in pharmacy school and the pharmacy workforce are completely different. Reasonable accommodations in school are often impractical in many pharmacy employment settings. That's why schools are required to develop and publish Technical Standards for admission, progression, and graduation. ACPE requires them.

Here's an example: https://pharmacy.unc.edu/academics/the-pharmd/apply-now/progression-standards/

Students sign them before they start the pharmacy program- they serve the dual purpose of informing the student and protecting the institution from lawsuits from those unable to find work post-graduation due to a disability.

 

[rph3664]

What happens if an accommodation is easy for a university but too much of a burden for an employer?

He will be like the deaf nurse, and take a job that he's capable of doing.

 

[Son_Goku]

Winners focus on themselves and losers focuses on winners.

 

[PharmlyDoc]

Winners focus on themselves and losers focuses on winners.

You'll make a very altruistic pharmacist.

Focusing on the wellbeing of classmates is important because their performance and aptitude affects the reputation of the school...and the quality of pharmacist it puts out.

 

[brownswissfanatic]

So there's a guy in my class that needs special accommodations for test taking and never takes any of his tests with the rest of the class. He's intelligent, and gets straight A's, and he wants to do a residency. I feel like he's hurting himself because in the real world there's always going to be something else going on and distractions are commonplace, especially in a hospital.

I have a fairly high GPA, and I know I'd have close to a 4.0 if I had my own quiet personal room to take all my exams in, but the real world isn't quiet. I wonder if its common for other schools to offer their students accommodations for exams?

I am not a pharmacist nor a pharmacy student. However, your post caught my attention because while in undergrad I had to take advantage of special testing accommodations. I struggled with test anxiety through college, and if I hadn't gone to counseling and used the special testing accommodations, my grades wouldn't be as great nor would I have learned how to control the text anxiety today. Test anxiety happens the most frequently to the most intelligent, straight A students because of the determination and pressure to continue doing so well in order to achieve their goals. In reality, he could actually hurt himself far worse without these accommodations, and judging him based on his special accommodations will also hurt him greatly. He probably feels embarrassed and ashamed that he has to receive help; I know for sure I never wanted to share it with others. Instead of judging him based on his accommodations and test taking ability, focus on his personality and characteristics. Try brainstorming things about him that could make him a great pharmacist. And if his learning disability is not testing anxiety and is dyslexia or distractions instead, that still shouldn't define if he will make a great pharmacist or not. We all have things we aren't great at. However, I've heard about a blind chef, a deaf doctor, and an Autistic Animal Scientist. If one is determined and willing to defy the odds and overcome the challenges that one faces, anything is possible.

 

[zelman]

I am not a pharmacist nor a pharmacy student. However, your post caught my attention because while in undergrad I had to take advantage of special testing accommodations. I struggled with test anxiety through college, and if I hadn't gone to counseling and used the special testing accommodations, my grades wouldn't be as great nor would I have learned how to control the text anxiety today. Test anxiety happens the most frequently to the most intelligent, straight A students because of the determination and pressure to continue doing so well in order to achieve their goals. In reality, he could actually hurt himself far worse without these accommodations, and judging him based on his special accommodations will also hurt him greatly. He probably feels embarrassed and ashamed that he has to receive help; I know for sure I never wanted to share it with others. Instead of judging him based on his accommodations and test taking ability, focus on his personality and characteristics. Try brainstorming things about him that could make him a great pharmacist. And if his learning disability is not testing anxiety and is dyslexia or distractions instead, that still shouldn't define if he will make a great pharmacist or not. We all have things we aren't great at. However, I've heard about a blind chef, a deaf doctor, and an Autistic Animal Scientist. If one is determined and willing to defy the odds and overcome the challenges that one faces, anything is possible.

You had me on board until the last sentence. How is getting special testing accommodations "...[overcoming] the challenges that one faces..."? That sounds like the opposite to me.

 

[KARM12]

Schools are required by law to provide reasonable accommodation. If they don't they would get sued. It isn't specific to pharmacy. Not sure why this is a discussion, as there is nothing you can do about someone else getting an accommodation. If you feel you have a disbility that needs an accommodation, then you should discuss with your school and pursue the correct avenues to get one. Don't worry about others.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Worry about yourself.

 

[pillpharmer14]

Yeah I had a friend exactly like this in school. Doesn't bother me a bit. I think it was mostly in his head about exams. He had always been able to test alone due to ADHD and would probably test terribly in a room, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't be able to perform in a pharmacy (he's doing well btw).