Let's form a legal organization of Foreign Pharmacy Graduate.

[knok]

Thank you. Actually, we are looking for about 100 people. Can anyone spread the news please? About information center, we may need all of us to help spread and find information as well, not just wait for the letters.

[ninah]

Babak
Are you Persian?

Knock
Count me in.

Nina

[knok]

If anyone has any questions or any suggestions about the association, please post here. This association will belong to every member. I don't solely own it. Everyone should be able to contribute your opinions.

I am waiting for Rarin about the process and steps of registering the association. She received a doctoral degree in Pharmacology in the USA and worked for companies for years. She knows many professors and should know better on how to do it right. We will have professors as our consultants. I also believe that many of us can share our knowledge and experiences on how to get it done properly.

Also, Trav has a degree in Regulatory Affairs from a prestigeous university in the USA. Many of us have different backgrounds and experiences. We should get it going after we brainstorm. If you are spouses or relatives, you are also welcome to share your inputs.

Thank you.

Knok

[fafy]

Do you think it could be an option to contact an existing organisation like the American Pharmaceutical Association and convince them to create a branch for the foreign pharmacists?

[knok]

Let me find out. The main problem is that most of us have not had the U.S. pharmacy license yet, so we may not be qualified to be members.

[emac]

That's right, a branch is never a good idea because at some point there will be a conflict of interests.
knok,
I think we gonna have good allies in NACDS, big chains, manufacturing companies, research institutions that are always thirsty for foreign talents and workforce. So, once created we should let them know and they can be part of collaborating team.

[fafy]

I think that APA doesn't require to be licensed as students can be member. But this is to check.

[pega]

I'm persian.Are you?

[knok]

Originally Posted by emac

That's right, a branch is never a good idea because at some point there will be a conflict of interests.

knok,
I think we gonna have good allies in NACDS, big chains, manufacturing companies, research institutions that are always thirsty for foreign talents and workforce. So, once created we should let them know and they can be part of collaborating team.

That's what I am thinking.

[knok]

Originally Posted by fafy

I think that APA doesn't require to be licensed as students can be member. But this is to check.

I used to see one article on APhA that put foreign pharmacists down. This article was written by an Indian-born graduate who earned a Pharmacy degree from American Pharmacy school . I also read that many foreign pharmacists responded to her letter published in American Pharmacist Journal. One of the responded letters was from Indian-born professor who is teaching in American pharmacy school.

I just feel uncomfortable to see that kind of environment. Ideally, pharmacists should hold hands, no matter where you came from to help solve the problem of the entire system caused by pharmacist shortages. However, the letter that I mentioned above does not make me angry at this new graduate, but it was just the opinion which came from a different stand point.

The goal of the association is to help foreign graduates to get US license. After a while, we may ally with American Association in some areas. The process of acquiring licenses are so much different. It is more flexible to manage ourselves.

Here is the article I mentioned above:

Pharmacy Graduates from Foreign Countries Flooding US Job Market American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education - Find Articles

I don't mean to offend anybody. This article makes me feel uncomfortable to discuss the issue with American Association even though I personally know American pharmacists and we are welcome to be US licensed pharmacists. Some of them helped me in the FPGEC process and job seeking.