BPSA Elections are coming online this October!

The BPSA will be conducting elections online this October, as part of its virtual Annual Conference. So, if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, then keep reading and also see our official announcement for formal details!

What is the BPSA Executive? 

We asked our current Student Exchange Officer, Sebastien Bailey to explain. 

"The Executive is a team of 19 officially elected individuals who hold various diverse roles. The main five are the “core” roles such as President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Public Relations Officer (External partnerships) and the Secretary General (admin, minute taking, document creation). The rest of the roles are not defined in our constitution and have adapted to the needs of the members over the last 78 years, these roles are defined in the regulaitons. We’re all elected by the members at the BPSA Annual Conference (our flagship event) and stay in our roles throughout the mandate, which usually runs from July – July."

Hear from two of our current Executive member's what being on the BPSA is like! Sebastien and Bella Shah give a candid reflection of their time on the BPSA below.

How would you explain what the BPSA is to someone who has never heard of it before? 

Bella

The BPSA is a student-led association which represents and advocates for student and pre-registration pharmacists all over Great Britain. It is led by an executive team and local representatives who encompass five areas across the country. Together we work to amplify your voices. The Executive is made up of 19 official volunteers who are elected by the members. They each have their individual roles and also work together to manage the functions of the BPSA. 

Sebastien 

The BPSA is kinda like your university's pharmacy society, but it represents the whole of Great Britain and all the students in the 28 schools of pharmacy at really important events with the big names in pharmacy nationally and internationally. As well as being a social hub for pharmacy students, the professional and formal side of the BPSA raises real concerns and hopes of the members (you) and drives real change within the pharmacy profession.

Why did you apply for your position?

Bella

I was successfully elected into the position of the Competitions Coordinator for the 2019/20 Executive after having been a BPSA National Representative for two years and attending two Annual Conferences, I felt prepared to move up the BPSA ladder and give something back. I’ve worked with my School of Pharmacy to almost quadruple the number of Cardiff BPSA delegates over my two years involvement with the BPSA, I had also helped as a Competitions Representative and even entered the ‘Responding to Symptoms’ competition to make it as a finalist. Having seen competitions through the eyes of a competitor and an organiser, I was well placed to take on the role!

Sebastien

So I ran for the role of Student Exchange Officer which is kind of like two roles in one. I work closely with the International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), which the BPSA is a Member Organisation of. I have always been passionate about the BPSA and genuinely wanted to share the opportunities it offers. I saw a real opportunity to improve the role and bring the benefits of the IPSF to the members.

What kind of things have you done during the mandate?

Bella

This year, alongside the sponsors that the BPSA team up with and my team of Competitions Representatives, we were able to hold 8 competitions, including 2 new launches. These were: ‘Reckitt Benckiser Responding to Symptoms’, ‘Boots Clinical Competition’, ‘Alliance Healthcare and Alphega Pharmacy Business and Enterprise Competition’, ‘Reckitt Benckiser Student of the Year Competition’, ‘Well Essay Competition’, ‘Lloyds Public Health Campaign Competition’, ‘GSK Science Research Poster Competition’, and the ‘RPS Clinical Research Poster Competition’. The Nottingham University campus in Malaysia also held the ‘Reckitt Benckiser Responding to Symptoms’ competition. 

In addition to competitions, I have also worked on writing a petition on including BAME representation in pharmacy schools’ teaching, presented roadshows to reach out to students, and attend meetings and conferences. 

Sebastien

During the mandate, my biggest responsibility is to be the IPSF Contact Person for the BPSA. I’m pretty much half and half a representative of the IPSF and the BPSA. My duties are to make sure the IPSF and the international student committee know about the work the BPSA is doing, as well as to inform the BPSA members about the IPSF. My other role in the BPSA as the Student Exchange Officer is to run an IPSF project called the ‘Student Exchange Programme. It essentially gives students from Great Britain the opportunity to get work placements in other countries and for us to provide work placements to international students abroad. This is incredibly popular, and a large amount of my time has been spent acquiring hosts and organising exchanges. Despite COVID, the BPSA has had a pretty successful year and we will be able to send more students next year (if it’s safe) than we have in previous years. Another important part of my role is representing the BPSA at the European Regional Assembly and at the General Assembly. These are very important decision making bodies within the IPSF and it’s my duty to vote on motions and elections on behalf of all the members of the BPSA as an Official Delegate.

What have you got out of your time on the Executive?

Bella

I believe there is much more to Pharmacy than the degree course and this is just one of the many ways Pharmacy students can enhance their learning whilst revising and having fun. It has been a pleasure to be able to provide opportunities to our members. It has also been a privilege to work with some of the big names in Pharmacy.

Sebastien 

My role is very unique in that I have made a lot of friends and contacts internationally. Due to wanting to innovate on my role so much, I have had the opportunity to work on new projects and ideas, which has taught me some really invaluable skills to take forward with me in the future. My confidence has also grown a lot and I feel like I am empowered to take the next step in my career.

How do elections run?

Bella

If you are thinking of applying to be on the 2020/21 mandate, elections will run virtually this year. You will be required to make a speech explaining why you believe you are fit for the position and have a proposer and seconder. Elections seem like the difficult part until you get elected. It is a very time-consuming role, so think carefully before applying, read the job descriptions, and reach out to previous Executive members for some insight into the role you are applying for. Good luck! 

Sebastien

Elections are a very formal, scary, but fun and rewarding part of the BPSA Annual Conference. It usually takes the whole day and very tough decisions must be made to decide who to vote for. Running for elections is probably one of the best experiences you can have, winning and losing does not matter. I lost two elections before I ran for the Student Exchange Officer and it was an invaluable lesson for me and also greatly increased my confidence! Remember, there are plenty of other ways to be involved with the BPSA other than the Executive!

Interested in Joining the Executive?

You can read about how to join the BPSA Executive in the October 2020 elections here.