Dr. Akram Ahmad, PhDIn life’s adventures, there are stories that inspire us to overcome challenges, chase dreams, and persevere against all odds. The story of Vanida Batra, a pharmacist from Thailand who successfully transitioned her career to Australia is one such.
Early Years
Vanida Batra graduated as a pharmacist almost 10 years ago in 2012. For a decade, she diligently worked as a retail pharmacist, gaining valuable experience in her field. However, life had new aspirations in store for her, including a desire to move to Australia—a decision that took her career to new heights.
The Australian Dream
Vanida’s dream of relocating to Australia stemmed from various personal and professional factors. As she thought about her big life move, she realised that to achieve her goal of working in Australia, she needed to pass a tough exam called the KAPS Exam, which is a significant challenge for anyone in the pharmacy profession.
It was during her research on courses and preparation materials that she discovered Academically, an educational platform that would play a pivotal role in her success.
Joining Academically
Undoubtedly, the path to Australian pharmacy certification, the KAPS (Knowlege Assessment of Pharmaceutical Sciences) exam, is a rigorous and demanding one. With a full-time job and other commitments, Vanida faced numerous challenges. However, her resilience and the strategic approach she adopted, with the help of Academically, made all the difference.
Vanida’s Exam Preparation Journey
Vanida’s approach to KAPS exam preparation was methodical and disciplined:
Listening to Recorded Sessions: Due to her work schedule, Vanida primarily attended recorded sessions. This flexibility allowed her to watch lectures at her convenience.
Taking Notes: Taking meticulous notes was her main strategy. She made sure to create comprehensive notes and handouts to aid her understanding and retention of the material.
Studying Regularly: Vanida devoted 2-3 hours a day to studying, dedicating even more time during weekends and holidays about 5-6 hours per day.
Repetition: She emphasised the importance of reading her notes repeatedly, reinforcing her understanding of the subject matter.
Taking Mock Exams: Mock exams played a crucial role in her preparation. Following advice from lecturers, she tackled mock exams first before revisiting her notes and lectures. This method helped her identify areas needing improvement.
Achieving Success
Vanida’s dedication and commitment bore fruit when she passed the KAPS exam on her first attempt—an impressive accomplishment considering the exam’s complexity.
For aspiring candidates, Vanida offers these pieces of advice:
Listen to All Lectures: Pay close attention to all the lectures provided in your course.
Make Your Own Notes: Creating personalised notes is crucial. It enhances comprehension and retention of the material.
Mock Exams: Do not skip mock exams. They are instrumental in refining your knowledge and test-taking skills.
Vanida Batra extends her heartfelt gratitude to Academically and its dedicated lecturers, particularly Dr. Akram, for their invaluable support and guidance. She acknowledges that without their assistance, the road to success would have been difficult.
Conclusion
Vanida is currently working as a pharmacist and has become a permanent resident in Australia.
Vanida Batra’s journey from Thailand to Australia serves as a shining example of what can be achieved with determination, strategic planning, and the right support system.
As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Everyone holds his fortune in his own hands, like a sculpture the raw material he will fashion a figure… The skill to mould the material into what we want must be learned and actively cultivated.”
Vandia’s story is to inspire others to pursue their dreams, no matter how challenging they may seem and demonstrate the transformative power of education and hard work.
Dr. Akram Ahmad, PhD
Academically.ai is the brainchild of Dr. Akram Ahmad. He has done his PhD from the Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney, Australia. He is a self-motivated clinical pharmacist and committed lecturer with over 9 years of teaching and research experience in various subjects of medicine at the leading Universities in Australia, Malaysia, and India.
Dr. Akram is the recipient of prestigious “Best Promising Researcher Award” from the UCSI University (Malaysia). He has also published over 110 papers, book chapters, conference papers including in high-impact journals. In addition to that, he is a reviewer and editorial board member in
several journals of medicine and pharmacy.