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Medicine vs Pharmacy ( Similarities and Differences)

username1257720

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(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1

theresheglows

You do not learn surgery at undergraduate medicine level, that comes during foundation years after graduation (if you do surgery rotations) and during specialist training after that if you choose, and get onto, a surgical specialty.
The 2 degrees are very different, other than some overlap with pharmacology and possibly physiology (but I don't really know much about the degree in pharmacy). You would probably find out more by researching the course content of these degrees.

Reply 2

Okorange

Original post by sunnyyiu627

What are the similarities and differences of Medicine and Pharmacy in terms of the knowledge of students learnt in their programme?? It is obvious that medicine students learn surgery while Pharmacy students don't. But apart from that, are there any other differences??

My guess is that Pharmacy students will cover the drugs in greater detail, medicine students probably cover the anatomy, pathology and clinical skills more in depth. Physiology will probably be covered similarly.

Considering the vagueness with which most schools describe their contents, it makes sense that OP is asking here.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 3

username1257720

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(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 4

username1257720

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(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 5

Helenia

Original post by sunnyyiu627

I'm quite surprised that we don't need to learn surgery in undergraduate medicine. Isn't that the "S" in the MBBS or the "Ch" in the MBChB imply that students will also learn surgery?

You learn to care for surgical patients. You don't actually learn how to operate on them beyond very basic details.

Reply 6

theresheglows

Original post by sunnyyiu627

I'm quite surprised that we don't need to learn surgery in undergraduate medicine. Isn't that the "S" in the MBBS or the "Ch" in the MBChB imply that students will also learn surgery?

The MBBS/MBChB qualification includes 'surgery' because it qualifies you to learn to carry out surgery - initially under supervision - unlike someone without one. It is also a remnant from the 19th century when the public bodies at the time required qualifying doctors to also be 'qualified' for surgery (requirements to be a surgeon were a little more lax). These days you learn the principles behind surgery at undergraduate level but you aren't actually trained how to do it until you are a graduate.

Reply 7

theresheglows

Original post by sunnyyiu627

Btw, Pharmacist can't prescribe medicine to patients in real life. But assume if they could, do they have enough knowledge to prescribe the correct drugs to patients with the training in Mpharm?

Some pharmacists can prescribe - these are pharmacist independent prescribers who have received additional training and can prescribe for conditions that they are competent to prescribe for - generally this means the simpler/more common conditions.
A pharmacy degree does not contain sufficient content and training for all drug prescribing.

Reply 8

thegodofgod

Original post by sunnyyiu627

Btw, Pharmacist can't prescribe medicine to patients in real life. But assume if they could, do they have enough knowledge to prescribe the correct drugs to patients with the training in Mpharm?

Pharmacists, and some other HCPs like nurses and optometrists, can prescribe as non-medical (supplementary or independent) prescribers post-qualification. Pharmacists most certainly do have enough information with regards to prescribing - that's one of their main roles: advising prescribers on use of medicines, formulations, routes, and dosage.

A 5-year MPharm course is currently being considered by the General Pharmaceutical Council (pharmacists' equivalent of the GMC) for accreditation, where the ability to prescribe will become part and parcel of the degree.

Reply 9

nexttime

The main difference is that a pharmacist has limited training in diagnosing. They are very proficient in pharmacology and drug treatments, but have the distinct advantage that the patient comes with a label as to what is wrong with them already!

Community pharmacists are able to manage simple conditions, but its very limited.

Original post by sunnyyiu627

I'm quite surprised that we don't need to learn surgery in undergraduate medicine. Isn't that the "S" in the MBBS or the "Ch" in the MBChB imply that students will also learn surgery?

Original post by theresheglows

These days you learn the principles behind surgery at undergraduate level but you aren't actually trained how to do it until you are a graduate.

Its a bit more than the 'principles' - the actual chopping is only a part of surgical care. At med school you learn all the important bits about surgery - diagnosing, knowing what treatment is indicated, likely outcomes etc - and at my med school half of the final exams were surgical, and as a foundation (junior) doctor you will run surgical wards and diagnose surgical patients often with very little support.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 10

flux90

Easiest way to think about it is doctors are experts in diagnosis and the use of drugs to treat conditions. Pharmacists are experts in drugs themselves, interactions and so on :smile:

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Reply 11

theresheglows

Original post by nexttime

All these things you have mentioned are principles as they are the things which are necessary for us to know (principles are not the same as basics) - it simply excludes actually carrying it out on a patient until we graduate. I just couldn't be bothered to list everything.

Reply 12

thegodofgod

Original post by flux90

Easiest way to think about it is doctors are experts in diagnosis and the use of drugs to treat conditions. Pharmacists are experts in drugs themselves, interactions and so on :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Yeah, that's true - knowledge of drugs (especially their physicochemical properties like mass, pKa, aqueous solubility / log P, etc.) plays a role in industry, where you will often find that it is the pharmacists who formulate drugs so that they can be administered to patients effectively and safely.