The Student Room Group

Pharmacy vs Teaching

Im going into the second year of sixth form and want to do either pharmacy/teaching but not 100% sure on which. This is because... Pharmacy= harder to get into, people on tsr say save yourself as its pointless in doing, im not sure on how easy it is to become a pharmacist earning 40k+ as i think now theres an excess supply of pharmacists while teaching= start at 20k going up to 30k (or more depends) easier to get into and finally i think its a very stable job as youll always need teachers so cant go wrong :smile: what do you think?


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Reply 1
teaching is more rewarding but there are a lack of jobs :/ pharmacy is also very good and i dont think its as competitive as teaching (jobwise)
Original post by ZeeAli
teaching is more rewarding but there are a lack of jobs :/ pharmacy is also very good and i dont think its as competitive as teaching (jobwise)


Every school is desperate for science teachers; every school.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 3
Original post by Flyteryder
Every school is desperate for sciences teachers; every school.


erm have you not heard on the news about lack of teaching jobs hence why the universities cut down the amount of places on the primary ed. course? :s-smilie:
Reply 4
Original post by Flyteryder
Every school is desperate for sciences teachers; every school.


perhaprs for secondary your right though for primary there are a lack of jobs
Reply 5
Original post by Flyteryder
Every school is desperate for science teachers; every school.


No ... this is not accurate

Many schools are desperate for good science teachers




I am not sure that "easy to get into" is a good reason to go into teaching
Original post by TenOfThem
No ... this is not accurate

Many schools are desperate for good science teachers




I am not sure that "easy to get into" is a good reason to go into teaching


No. Every school is desperate for anyone who has a science degree and a teaching qualification. The amount of science teachers over the years that have joined my school and left after a year shows how they'll take anyone, because they're desperate.

I'm sure the OP won't be a crap teacher, but it's noteworthy that science teachers are in such demand.
Original post by TenOfThem
No ... this is not accurate

Many schools are desperate for good science teachers




I am not sure that "easy to get into" is a good reason to go into teaching


Yeah if i was becoming a science teacher i would go for chemistry, reason i want to become a teacher is because i love helping others in explaining things which they dont know, pharmacy is risky...


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Reply 8
Original post by Flyteryder
No. Every school is desperate for anyone who has a science degree and a teaching qualification.



School that I left at Easter has a full cohort of science teachers

School I am now at has a full cohort too ... as do the other 4 schools in our sixth form groups

Many, yes ... Every, no
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by TenOfThem
School that I left at Easter has a full cohort of science teachers

School I am now at has a full cohort too ... as do the other 4 schools in our sixth form groups

Many, yes ... Every, no


You've obviously not heard of intended hyperbole to show the large scale of a point.
Original post by Flyteryder
You've obviously not heard of intended hyperbole to show the large scale of a point.


But you are making a point that is becoming less real

Not so long ago schools were desperate for Maths teachers ... suddenly we are getting loads of applicants

Ditto a number of other subjects

With more people gaining degrees and fewer jobs more people are moving into teaching and there is not such a shortage


There does remain a shortage of good teachers, as I said but the desperation for anyone to stand in front of a class is reducing ... we regularly get flyers from teaching agencies offering us teachers in all subjects, science included


Add to this the fact that every secondary school I know is making year on year redundancies ... demand for secondary teachers is reducing
Reply 11
Original post by CosmicVengeance
Im going into the second year of sixth form and want to do either pharmacy/teaching but not 100% sure on which. This is because... Pharmacy= harder to get into, people on tsr say save yourself as its pointless in doing, im not sure on how easy it is to become a pharmacist earning 40k+ as i think now theres an excess supply of pharmacists while teaching= start at 20k going up to 30k (or more depends) easier to get into and finally i think its a very stable job as youll always need teachers so cant go wrong :smile: what do you think?


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Teaching is very rewarding financially and intrinsically. Secondary school headmasters can be on 100k+
Perk of teaching = The holidays


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Original post by CosmicVengeance
Perk of teaching = The holidays




Probably not by the time you will have qualified in 5 years


Not if the current government have their way
Original post by TenOfThem
Probably not by the time you will have qualified in 5 years


Not if the current government have their way


True but something tells me in the future there will be shortage of teachers and a pay rise going to 35k or something haha or maybe im dreaming


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Secondary school science teachers are in huge demand, if you're thinking of primary school teaching, jobs are hard to come by. As for pharmacy...a lot can change in four years, however, I'm biased, I'm doing pharmacy in September. :lol:
Reply 16
Original post by CosmicVengeance
Im going into the second year of sixth form and want to do either pharmacy/teaching but not 100% sure on which. This is because... Pharmacy= harder to get into, people on tsr say save yourself as its pointless in doing, im not sure on how easy it is to become a pharmacist earning 40k+ as i think now theres an excess supply of pharmacists while teaching= start at 20k going up to 30k (or more depends) easier to get into and finally i think its a very stable job as youll always need teachers so cant go wrong :smile: what do you think?


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If I were you, I would keep your options open.

DO pharmacy, its a good career and jobs are available...times are tough in every quarter. And if you feel as though pharmacy is not for you then you can do a PGCE and become a teacher in a year.

Plus with that, you can locum as a pharmacist during your PGCE and get £200-250 in a day.

Science teachers are in high demand.

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