My experiences in Pharmacy
Good Evening all,
I've been asked by many people to summarize my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist. Thus I thought the student room would be good platform to reach out to prospective pharmacy students and pharmacists.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2014 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school with a few disadvantages. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP provided prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present your findings. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure! There are annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros & cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from hepatitis B drugs to fungal nail infection treatment!
Prior to commencing pharmacy I had no idea how much law and ethics I would cover. After completing the course I felt like a semi-solicitor covering a variety of acts and regulations ranging from the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to the Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986. Some people can find law tedious but only now as a practicing pharmacist I realised how essential law & ethics is to my practise as a pharmacist.
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and thorough support for those who seek it!
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
5) A very close group, were people get along really well!
Cons:
1) Location, not much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously (with student ID only) the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand with your name. This can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy issue a 10% penalty for late submissions.
3) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being run by a dual uni has its perks (such as using a plethora of library facilities) there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team and lack of financial support (bursaries are almost non-existent)!
4) Although I really loved the academics and thought they were awesome in every sense of the word.. I often found auxiliary staff such as technicians and academic assistants (particularly in the chemistry department) a very grumpy bunch! They would often exude a sense of arrogance and superiority which was non-existent in our world renowned academics.
Overall I loved my time at medway and wouldn't change it for the world I think they warrant a 9/10!.
Pharmacist Career
Pharmacist Career (particularly in community) is becoming saturated, although salaries are still relatively high compared to other professions (a newly qualified pharmacist can expect to earn probably in between £32-£36K), although salaries in hospital are slightly lower but better career progression.
As a hospital pharmacist I absolutely love my role, my typical day would involve ward rounds, going over discharges, dealing with queries from nurses and consultants. Perhaps the public may still have the perception that pharmacists are "shopkeepers" but in fact they are highly trained individuals with 5 years of rigorous training.
Please feel free to ask any questions!
I've been asked by many people to summarize my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist. Thus I thought the student room would be good platform to reach out to prospective pharmacy students and pharmacists.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2014 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school with a few disadvantages. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP provided prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present your findings. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure! There are annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros & cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from hepatitis B drugs to fungal nail infection treatment!
Prior to commencing pharmacy I had no idea how much law and ethics I would cover. After completing the course I felt like a semi-solicitor covering a variety of acts and regulations ranging from the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to the Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986. Some people can find law tedious but only now as a practicing pharmacist I realised how essential law & ethics is to my practise as a pharmacist.
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and thorough support for those who seek it!
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
5) A very close group, were people get along really well!
Cons:
1) Location, not much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously (with student ID only) the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand with your name. This can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy issue a 10% penalty for late submissions.
3) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being run by a dual uni has its perks (such as using a plethora of library facilities) there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team and lack of financial support (bursaries are almost non-existent)!
4) Although I really loved the academics and thought they were awesome in every sense of the word.. I often found auxiliary staff such as technicians and academic assistants (particularly in the chemistry department) a very grumpy bunch! They would often exude a sense of arrogance and superiority which was non-existent in our world renowned academics.
Overall I loved my time at medway and wouldn't change it for the world I think they warrant a 9/10!.
Pharmacist Career
Pharmacist Career (particularly in community) is becoming saturated, although salaries are still relatively high compared to other professions (a newly qualified pharmacist can expect to earn probably in between £32-£36K), although salaries in hospital are slightly lower but better career progression.
As a hospital pharmacist I absolutely love my role, my typical day would involve ward rounds, going over discharges, dealing with queries from nurses and consultants. Perhaps the public may still have the perception that pharmacists are "shopkeepers" but in fact they are highly trained individuals with 5 years of rigorous training.
Please feel free to ask any questions!
(edited 7 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by jh7687
Good Evening All,
I've been asked by you many people to summarise my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2015 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist mental health hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school but I would not say it was a great School of Pharmacy. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP used to provide prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present and role play. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure as you annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros on cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from specialist drugs used in cancer to fungal nail infection treatment!
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and overall good support
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
Cons:
1) Location, not really much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand, this can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy give you only 10% deduction of coursework.
5) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being ran by a dual uni has its perks there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team!
Please feel free to ask any queries!
I've been asked by you many people to summarise my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2015 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist mental health hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school but I would not say it was a great School of Pharmacy. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP used to provide prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present and role play. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure as you annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros on cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from specialist drugs used in cancer to fungal nail infection treatment!
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and overall good support
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
Cons:
1) Location, not really much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand, this can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy give you only 10% deduction of coursework.
5) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being ran by a dual uni has its perks there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team!
Please feel free to ask any queries!
wow thanks, i wanna be a pharmacist too, but i am not sure!
how long did u spend in uni to get ur degree(Mpharm)?
what are the steps after uni that have to take in order to be a qualified pharmacist?
how long does it take overall?(after you finished ur alevel to becoming a pharmacist)
how much do you get paid? (if u dont mind me asking ofc)
do you enjoy ur job as a pharmacist?
oops am so sorry for overwhelming you with question....but am just so anxious and scared! so i thought i'd ask you everyting ,
thank soo much, you are very helpful!!
Original post by mediaya
wow thanks, i wanna be a pharmacist too, but i am not sure!
how long did u spend in uni to get ur degree(Mpharm)?
what are the steps after uni that have to take in order to be a qualified pharmacist?
how long does it take overall?(after you finished ur alevel to becoming a pharmacist)
how much do you get paid? (if u dont mind me asking ofc)
do you enjoy ur job as a pharmacist?
oops am so sorry for overwhelming you with question....but am just so anxious and scared! so i thought i'd ask you everyting ,
thank soo much, you are very helpful!!
how long did u spend in uni to get ur degree(Mpharm)?
what are the steps after uni that have to take in order to be a qualified pharmacist?
how long does it take overall?(after you finished ur alevel to becoming a pharmacist)
how much do you get paid? (if u dont mind me asking ofc)
do you enjoy ur job as a pharmacist?
oops am so sorry for overwhelming you with question....but am just so anxious and scared! so i thought i'd ask you everyting ,
thank soo much, you are very helpful!!
Thanks for your question
1) The Mpharm course is 4 years long (Although some students who do not meet the entry requirements may wish to do a foundation degree first in which case it is 5 years)
2) Steps to become a pharmacist include;
firstly completion of a 4 year Mpharm degree at an accredited university. After wish you will spend a year working as a trainee this is referred to as the pre-registration year. This can be done either in community (Retail i.e. boots/lloyds etc), hospital or industry. About 70% go into community and 25% in hospital. After you have completed your trainee year, you are required to sit a national exam the GPhC registration exam in which you must attain over 70% to pass. Once you have passed this exam you can now register as a pharmacist.
3) How long does it take? it takes a total of 5 years
4) how much does a pharmacist earn
Retail pharmacist- Starting 32-36k with progression to 40K and possibly 50k with managerial position
Hospital pharmacist- starting- 25-30k but more career progression as you progress thorugh the NHS bands upto band 8.
5) Yes I love my job I make frequent live changing interventions such as spotting interactions that the doctors missed ensuring therapy is safe. I often make recommendations on what drug is best to prescribe, review blood tests and liase with other members of the health team. I also work in an aseptics unit in which I prepare cytotoxic drugs for chemotherapy patients. I genuinely love my job and wouldn't change it for the world.
Original post by Potatoo
Hello
Since you got into clinical pharmacy how competitive is it? Is it very hard to get a place in hospital?
Do you think more people are interested in or are trying to get into clinical pharmacy or retail?
Thank you
Since you got into clinical pharmacy how competitive is it? Is it very hard to get a place in hospital?
Do you think more people are interested in or are trying to get into clinical pharmacy or retail?
Thank you
People have this misconception that hospital pharmacy (or clinical pharmacy as you've put it) is a impossible to get into. The reality is most people want go into community! But from my experiences if you got the grades, right attitude and really want to go into hospital there is no reason why shouldn't be able to.
Original post by jh7687
Thanks for your question
1) The Mpharm course is 4 years long (Although some students who do not meet the entry requirements may wish to do a foundation degree first in which case it is 5 years)
2) Steps to become a pharmacist include;
firstly completion of a 4 year Mpharm degree at an accredited university. After wish you will spend a year working as a trainee this is referred to as the pre-registration year. This can be done either in community (Retail i.e. boots/lloyds etc), hospital or industry. About 70% go into community and 25% in hospital. After you have completed your trainee year, you are required to sit a national exam the GPhC registration exam in which you must attain over 70% to pass. Once you have passed this exam you can now register as a pharmacist.
3) How long does it take? it takes a total of 5 years
4) how much does a pharmacist earn
Retail pharmacist- Starting 32-36k with progression to 40K and possibly 50k with managerial position
Hospital pharmacist- starting- 25-30k but more career progression as you progress thorugh the NHS bands upto band 8.
5) Yes I love my job I make frequent live changing interventions such as spotting interactions that the doctors missed ensuring therapy is safe. I often make recommendations on what drug is best to prescribe, review blood tests and liase with other members of the health team. I also work in an aseptics unit in which I prepare cytotoxic drugs for chemotherapy patients. I genuinely love my job and wouldn't change it for the world.
1) The Mpharm course is 4 years long (Although some students who do not meet the entry requirements may wish to do a foundation degree first in which case it is 5 years)
2) Steps to become a pharmacist include;
firstly completion of a 4 year Mpharm degree at an accredited university. After wish you will spend a year working as a trainee this is referred to as the pre-registration year. This can be done either in community (Retail i.e. boots/lloyds etc), hospital or industry. About 70% go into community and 25% in hospital. After you have completed your trainee year, you are required to sit a national exam the GPhC registration exam in which you must attain over 70% to pass. Once you have passed this exam you can now register as a pharmacist.
3) How long does it take? it takes a total of 5 years
4) how much does a pharmacist earn
Retail pharmacist- Starting 32-36k with progression to 40K and possibly 50k with managerial position
Hospital pharmacist- starting- 25-30k but more career progression as you progress thorugh the NHS bands upto band 8.
5) Yes I love my job I make frequent live changing interventions such as spotting interactions that the doctors missed ensuring therapy is safe. I often make recommendations on what drug is best to prescribe, review blood tests and liase with other members of the health team. I also work in an aseptics unit in which I prepare cytotoxic drugs for chemotherapy patients. I genuinely love my job and wouldn't change it for the world.
ur welcome! i should be thanking u tho! so thanks
just another question on the bold bits:
1.the national exam that u have to sit, do you have to have lessons for it, or is it just thing you have already learnt at uni, or just about ur trainee year? thx. how long is the exam?
2.what happens if u dont get over 70%? can you resit?
3.when you register as a pharmacist, how long does it take you to start working?do you have to find a placement youself, or do you get offers when u apply? thx!
4.i have heard of the pays, but some pharmacists say they get paid lower than what u said?what i wanted to ask is , do you get paid what u thought u would?
in retail pharmacies, is their only one pharmacist and all the others are workers or is there more than one pharmacist at a pharmacy?
Spoiler
i am soo glad u enjoy ur job! it actually makes me less depressed!!
i am so grateful to you
thanks a thousand times 
good luck with everything in ur life! you probably deserve!
Awesome I am hoping to become a pharmacist too! Hoping to go to Kingston uni to study pharmacy this Sep 
Thanks for waiting and sorry if I asked that you already put that in first post.
1) BOOK -
Can you recommend which books useful for pharmacy throughout first year?
Do your university give you the list of books or is it general across UK?
Can you borrow it or pay for it? I have a book called 'Biology of disease' by Nessar Ahmed, Maureen Dawson, Chris Smith and Ed Wood - its for biomedical science and I got this from my summer school. I don't want to waste this book as its not related to pharmacy. I read it and find it interesting and I feel this book will help me on pharmacy. But do you do think I could read it as an advantage?
2) AFTER 4 YEAR DEGREE -
One year placement – is it competitive to apply for a company like GlaxoSmithKline or
Pfizer that make the drugs. Have you applied this before? If yes, how long the process of application? If you were unsuccessful, what was the reason for this? If not, tell me other company name. What did you do?
3) i will add more question if necessary
Thanks for waiting and sorry if I asked that you already put that in first post.
1) BOOK -
Can you recommend which books useful for pharmacy throughout first year?
Do your university give you the list of books or is it general across UK?
Can you borrow it or pay for it? I have a book called 'Biology of disease' by Nessar Ahmed, Maureen Dawson, Chris Smith and Ed Wood - its for biomedical science and I got this from my summer school. I don't want to waste this book as its not related to pharmacy. I read it and find it interesting and I feel this book will help me on pharmacy. But do you do think I could read it as an advantage?
2) AFTER 4 YEAR DEGREE -
One year placement – is it competitive to apply for a company like GlaxoSmithKline or
Pfizer that make the drugs. Have you applied this before? If yes, how long the process of application? If you were unsuccessful, what was the reason for this? If not, tell me other company name. What did you do?
3) i will add more question if necessary
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by mediaya
ur welcome! i should be thanking u tho! so thanks
just another question on the bold bits:
1.the national exam that u have to sit, do you have to have lessons for it, or is it just thing you have already learnt at uni, or just about ur trainee year? thx. how long is the exam?
2.what happens if u dont get over 70%? can you resit?
3.when you register as a pharmacist, how long does it take you to start working?do you have to find a placement youself, or do you get offers when u apply? thx!
4.i have heard of the pays, but some pharmacists say they get paid lower than what u said?what i wanted to ask is , do you get paid what u thought u would?
in retail pharmacies, is their only one pharmacist and all the others are workers or is there more than one pharmacist at a pharmacy?i am soo glad u enjoy ur job! it actually makes me less depressed!!
i am so grateful to you thanks a thousand times
good luck with everything in ur life! you probably deserve!
just another question on the bold bits:
1.the national exam that u have to sit, do you have to have lessons for it, or is it just thing you have already learnt at uni, or just about ur trainee year? thx. how long is the exam?
2.what happens if u dont get over 70%? can you resit?
3.when you register as a pharmacist, how long does it take you to start working?do you have to find a placement youself, or do you get offers when u apply? thx!
4.i have heard of the pays, but some pharmacists say they get paid lower than what u said?what i wanted to ask is , do you get paid what u thought u would?
in retail pharmacies, is their only one pharmacist and all the others are workers or is there more than one pharmacist at a pharmacy?
Spoiler
i am so grateful to you
thanks a thousand times good luck with everything in ur life! you probably deserve!
The trainee year (or pre-registration year) is were you put everything you learnt into uni into practise. The national exam covers pretty much everything you've learnt in uni, so you must no leave any stone un-turned.
After registring as a pharmacist you usually start work imminently most places offer you a full time place on the proviso that you pass your exam.
In terms of pay- it depends were you work and who you work for in community I am yet to come across a community pharmacist that earns less than £30k.
In most retail pharmacies there is one pharmacist who is often referred to as the responsible pharmacist. Although I know of some retail pharmacies (E.g. boots store in the west end which are very busy) which have two pharmacists on the same shift although this is uncommon. Pharmacists will have other auxillar staff such as dispensing assistants and healthcare advisors who work under the strict supervision of a pharmacist. In community the pharmacist will clinically screen prescriptions, provide advice, liase with other healthcare professionals , provide professional services (e.g. hair retention service, sexual health, morning after pill etc) deal with minor ailments, conduct medication review and have a plethora of paper work.
Hope that helps
Original post by jh7687
The trainee year (or pre-registration year) is were you put everything you learnt into uni into practise. The national exam covers pretty much everything you've learnt in uni, so you must no leave any stone un-turned.
After registring as a pharmacist you usually start work imminently most places offer you a full time place on the proviso that you pass your exam.
In terms of pay- it depends were you work and who you work for in community I am yet to come across a community pharmacist that earns less than £30k.
In most retail pharmacies there is one pharmacist who is often referred to as the responsible pharmacist. Although I know of some retail pharmacies (E.g. boots store in the west end which are very busy) which have two pharmacists on the same shift although this is uncommon. Pharmacists will have other auxillar staff such as dispensing assistants and healthcare advisors who work under the strict supervision of a pharmacist. In community the pharmacist will clinically screen prescriptions, provide advice, liase with other healthcare professionals , provide professional services (e.g. hair retention service, sexual health, morning after pill etc) deal with minor ailments, conduct medication review and have a plethora of paper work.
Hope that helps
After registring as a pharmacist you usually start work imminently most places offer you a full time place on the proviso that you pass your exam.
In terms of pay- it depends were you work and who you work for in community I am yet to come across a community pharmacist that earns less than £30k.
In most retail pharmacies there is one pharmacist who is often referred to as the responsible pharmacist. Although I know of some retail pharmacies (E.g. boots store in the west end which are very busy) which have two pharmacists on the same shift although this is uncommon. Pharmacists will have other auxillar staff such as dispensing assistants and healthcare advisors who work under the strict supervision of a pharmacist. In community the pharmacist will clinically screen prescriptions, provide advice, liase with other healthcare professionals , provide professional services (e.g. hair retention service, sexual health, morning after pill etc) deal with minor ailments, conduct medication review and have a plethora of paper work.
Hope that helps
oh right thanks
so u mean u have never seen a pharmacis earning less than 30k, that's good then
yes of course that is very helpful!
btw, u forgot to answer my no 2 question:can u resit the exam if u dont get over 70%? dont worry tho
Original post by mediaya
oh right thanks
so u mean u have never seen a pharmacis earning less than 30k, that's good then
yes of course that is very helpful!
btw, u forgot to answer my no 2 question:can u resit the exam if u dont get over 70%? dont worry tho
so u mean u have never seen a pharmacis earning less than 30k, that's good then
yes of course that is very helpful!
btw, u forgot to answer my no 2 question:can u resit the exam if u dont get over 70%? dont worry tho
In community (retail) it is rare to find a salary below £30k. About 70-80% of pharmacists are in retail. Although hospital salaries start at around £26K but there is better opportunity to progress I would say.
In relation to the GPHC registration exam you are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the exam, failure to do so will mean you cannot register as a pharmacist and in essence you've wasted 5 years. That is probably the one scary fact of pharmacy as last year just under 30% of graduates failed the registration exam and it is expected the exams are getting harder with more clinical emphasis. That is why if you do decide to go to pharmacy school you check the registration exam pass rate of pupils who attended that school of pharmacy. Pharmacy studying is a lot of hardwork you will need to study a lot including during summer breaks to ensure you keep up. IT is very responsible position you are the experts of medicine. A pharmacist drug knowledge is a lot more than a doctor ever will have! Although doctors are amazing act diagnosis I have witnessed horrific prescribing first hand and have made very serious interventions in the past. This profession is not for the faint-hearted you go into work knowing every day you must focus and use your skills to spot errors and rectify them.
Original post by jh7687
In community (retail) it is rare to find a salary below £30k. About 70-80% of pharmacists are in retail. Although hospital salaries start at around £26K but there is better opportunity to progress I would say.
In relation to the GPHC registration exam you are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the exam, failure to do so will mean you cannot register as a pharmacist and in essence you've wasted 5 years. That is probably the one scary fact of pharmacy as last year just under 30% of graduates failed the registration exam and it is expected the exams are getting harder with more clinical emphasis. That is why if you do decide to go to pharmacy school you check the registration exam pass rate of pupils who attended that school of pharmacy. Pharmacy studying is a lot of hardwork you will need to study a lot including during summer breaks to ensure you keep up. IT is very responsible position you are the experts of medicine. A pharmacist drug knowledge is a lot more than a doctor ever will have! Although doctors are amazing act diagnosis I have witnessed horrific prescribing first hand and have made very serious interventions in the past. This profession is not for the faint-hearted you go into work knowing every day you must focus and use your skills to spot errors and rectify them.
In relation to the GPHC registration exam you are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the exam, failure to do so will mean you cannot register as a pharmacist and in essence you've wasted 5 years. That is probably the one scary fact of pharmacy as last year just under 30% of graduates failed the registration exam and it is expected the exams are getting harder with more clinical emphasis. That is why if you do decide to go to pharmacy school you check the registration exam pass rate of pupils who attended that school of pharmacy. Pharmacy studying is a lot of hardwork you will need to study a lot including during summer breaks to ensure you keep up. IT is very responsible position you are the experts of medicine. A pharmacist drug knowledge is a lot more than a doctor ever will have! Although doctors are amazing act diagnosis I have witnessed horrific prescribing first hand and have made very serious interventions in the past. This profession is not for the faint-hearted you go into work knowing every day you must focus and use your skills to spot errors and rectify them.
wow, that's pretty hard, i say! i mean all ur 5 years of work would go in the bin....it's pretty cruel
what do you mean by the thing that is in bold? is there a an different exam for every pharmacy school or sdid u mean how the pupil who were taught in that pharmacy school performed?
thanks for the info, i never thought pharmacists would have more knowlege than doctors in drugs!!!! but when i think of it, it sounds obvious lol
Thanks @mediaya for this! I didnt know that you can do 3 attempts for national exam. It sounds scary and worrying for me - I want to know what will happen to 30% of students who failed this exam - surely there must be alternatives? :/
Original post by jh7687
In community (retail) it is rare to find a salary below £30k. About 70-80% of pharmacists are in retail. Although hospital salaries start at around £26K but there is better opportunity to progress I would say.
In relation to the GPHC registration exam you are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the exam, failure to do so will mean you cannot register as a pharmacist and in essence you've wasted 5 years. That is probably the one scary fact of pharmacy as last year just under 30% of graduates failed the registration exam and it is expected the exams are getting harder with more clinical emphasis. That is why if you do decide to go to pharmacy school you check the registration exam pass rate of pupils who attended that school of pharmacy. Pharmacy studying is a lot of hardwork you will need to study a lot including during summer breaks to ensure you keep up. IT is very responsible position you are the experts of medicine. A pharmacist drug knowledge is a lot more than a doctor ever will have! Although doctors are amazing act diagnosis I have witnessed horrific prescribing first hand and have made very serious interventions in the past. This profession is not for the faint-hearted you go into work knowing every day you must focus and use your skills to spot errors and rectify them.
In relation to the GPHC registration exam you are allowed a maximum of 3 attempts to pass the exam, failure to do so will mean you cannot register as a pharmacist and in essence you've wasted 5 years. That is probably the one scary fact of pharmacy as last year just under 30% of graduates failed the registration exam and it is expected the exams are getting harder with more clinical emphasis. That is why if you do decide to go to pharmacy school you check the registration exam pass rate of pupils who attended that school of pharmacy. Pharmacy studying is a lot of hardwork you will need to study a lot including during summer breaks to ensure you keep up. IT is very responsible position you are the experts of medicine. A pharmacist drug knowledge is a lot more than a doctor ever will have! Although doctors are amazing act diagnosis I have witnessed horrific prescribing first hand and have made very serious interventions in the past. This profession is not for the faint-hearted you go into work knowing every day you must focus and use your skills to spot errors and rectify them.
(edited 7 years ago)
I'm planning on starting pharmacy this year - firmed Nottingham but after finishing A levels I've really gotten a hate for chemistry despite enjoying it at AS and was the main reason I applied for pharmacy :/
I'm not sure if I'll like the course now because of this - how much chemistry and biology is involved in the course and is it more specific or quite broad like at A levels
I'm not sure if I'll like the course now because of this - how much chemistry and biology is involved in the course and is it more specific or quite broad like at A levels
Original post by mediaya
wow, that's pretty hard, i say! i mean all ur 5 years of work would go in the bin....it's pretty cruel
what do you mean by the thing that is in bold? is there a an different exam for every pharmacy school or sdid u mean how the pupil who were taught in that pharmacy school performed?
thanks for the info, i never thought pharmacists would have more knowlege than doctors in drugs!!!! but when i think of it, it sounds obvious lol
what do you mean by the thing that is in bold? is there a an different exam for every pharmacy school or sdid u mean how the pupil who were taught in that pharmacy school performed?
thanks for the info, i never thought pharmacists would have more knowlege than doctors in drugs!!!! but when i think of it, it sounds obvious lol
It may sound cruel but it is in the best interest of patients, I mean would you like to be under the care of a pharmacist who has not reached a national average.
TO CLARIFY IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE REGISTRATION (NATIONAL) EXAM AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REGISTER AS A PHARMACIST IN THE UK!
All pharmacy graduates sit the same national exam, however there are stats available online to show which pharmacy school graduates had the highest pass rate!
Original post by jh7687
Good Evening All,
I've been asked by many people to summarize my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist. Thus I thought the student room would be good platform to reach out to prospective pharmacy students and pharmacists.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2014 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school with a few disadvantages. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP provided prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present your findings. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure! There are annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros on cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from hepatitis B drugs to fungal nail infection treatment!
Prior to commencing pharmacy I had no idea how much law and ethics I would cover. After completing the course I felt like a semi-solicitor covering a variety of acts and regulations ranging from the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to the Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986. Some people can find law tedious but only now as a practicing pharmacist I realised how essential law & ethics is to my practise as a pharmacist.
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and thorough support for those who seek it!
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
5) A very close group, were people get along really well!
Cons:
1) Location, not much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously (with student ID only) the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand with your name. This can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy issue a 10% penalty for late submissions.
3) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being run by a dual uni has its perks (such as using a plethora of library facilities) there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team and lack of financial support (bursaries are almost non-existent)!
4) Although I really loved the academics and thought they were awesome in every sense of the word.. I often found auxiliary staff such as technicians and academic assistants (particularly in the chemistry department) a very grumpy bunch! They would often exude a sense of arrogance and superiority which was non-existent in our world renowned academics.
Overall I loved my time at medway and wouldn't change it for the world I think they warrant a 9/10!.
Pharmacist Career
Pharmacist Career (particularly in community) is becoming saturated, although salaries are still relatively high compared to other professions (a newly qualified pharmacist can expect to earn probably in between £32-£36K), although salaries in hospital are slightly lower but better career progression.
As a hospital pharmacist I absolutely love my role, my typical day would involve ward rounds, going over discharges, dealing with queries from nurses and consultants. Perhaps the public may still have the perception that pharmacists are "shopkeepers" but in fact they are highly trained individuals with 5 years of rigorous training.
Please feel free to ask any questions!
I've been asked by many people to summarize my experience in pharmacy school and now as a pharmacist. Thus I thought the student room would be good platform to reach out to prospective pharmacy students and pharmacists.
I graduated from the Medway School of Pharmacy (University of Kent) in 2014 with a 2.1 in pharmacy. I am currently employed as a clinical pharmacist at a specialist hospital.
My time at pharmacy school was fun, interesting and at points frustrating.
Medway School of Pharmacy overall was a good school with a few disadvantages. Like many I often found lecturers very tedious and by the third year my lecture attendance had fallen <10%. Despite this I often scored very highly in exams due to the support material the SOP provided prior to exams and the lecture notes themselves were very extensive.
Pharmacy is not like any degree, it is not suitable for people who are reserved and shy as you will have frequent workshops in which you have to present your findings. In addition you have annual OSCEs which really test your ability to express what you have learnt in a coherent manner.
At the Medway School of Pharmacy there is overwhelming pressure! There are annual exams in which you have to reach above 70% to pass. Failure to do so will result in your removal from the course. This is has its pros on cons, it is beneficial as it gets you ready for the registration exam (this is an exam pharmacy graduates have to sit and attain over >70% to register as a pharmacist), however it can sometimes be overwhelming as there is so much to learn from hepatitis B drugs to fungal nail infection treatment!
Prior to commencing pharmacy I had no idea how much law and ethics I would cover. After completing the course I felt like a semi-solicitor covering a variety of acts and regulations ranging from the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to the Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986. Some people can find law tedious but only now as a practicing pharmacist I realised how essential law & ethics is to my practise as a pharmacist.
Pros of MSOP;
1) Extensive lecture notes and thorough support for those who seek it!
2) Fantastic Library facilities
3) Prompt feedback
4) Honestly, medway school of pharmacy graduates tend to have superior clinical knowledge and pharmaceutical calculation skills than other graduates that reflects the emphasis of teaching in this area.
5) A very close group, were people get along really well!
Cons:
1) Location, not much to do in the area other than catch the 1/2-45 minute bus ride to london
2) Coursework policy; whilst most unis now submit there coursework online/moodle anonymously (with student ID only) the MSOP still requires you to hand in your coursework by hand with your name. This can be very tricky as often there is a huge queue on deadline day meaning you may have to wait awhile! Additionally if your coursework is even a minute late you automatically get a zero, whilst most school of pharmacy issue a 10% penalty for late submissions.
3) Uni of kent and greenwich fiasco! Although being run by a dual uni has its perks (such as using a plethora of library facilities) there are several disadvantages also; these include frequent changes in the administrative team and lack of financial support (bursaries are almost non-existent)!
4) Although I really loved the academics and thought they were awesome in every sense of the word.. I often found auxiliary staff such as technicians and academic assistants (particularly in the chemistry department) a very grumpy bunch! They would often exude a sense of arrogance and superiority which was non-existent in our world renowned academics.
Overall I loved my time at medway and wouldn't change it for the world I think they warrant a 9/10!.
Pharmacist Career
Pharmacist Career (particularly in community) is becoming saturated, although salaries are still relatively high compared to other professions (a newly qualified pharmacist can expect to earn probably in between £32-£36K), although salaries in hospital are slightly lower but better career progression.
As a hospital pharmacist I absolutely love my role, my typical day would involve ward rounds, going over discharges, dealing with queries from nurses and consultants. Perhaps the public may still have the perception that pharmacists are "shopkeepers" but in fact they are highly trained individuals with 5 years of rigorous training.
Please feel free to ask any questions!
congrats on your 2:1 that is really impressive dude ?
may I ask how much your earn...
Original post by Ordo
Thanks @mediaya for this! I didnt know that you can do 3 attempts for national exam. It sounds scary and worrying for me - I want to know what will happen to 30% of students who failed this exam - surely there must be alternatives? :/
Hi, pharmacy is a lovely profession but is very stringent. If you do not meet the requirements than you cannot lawfully practise as a pharmacist. Thus if you fail the exam three times (national exam) you cannot EVER practise as a pharmacist in the UK,
Original post by jh7687
It may sound cruel but it is in the best interest of patients, I mean would you like to be under the care of a pharmacist who has not reached a national average.
TO CLARIFY IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE REGISTRATION (NATIONAL) EXAM AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REGISTER AS A PHARMACIST IN THE UK!
All pharmacy graduates sit the same national exam, however there are stats available online to show which pharmacy school graduates had the highest pass rate!
TO CLARIFY IF YOU DO NOT PASS THE REGISTRATION (NATIONAL) EXAM AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REGISTER AS A PHARMACIST IN THE UK!
All pharmacy graduates sit the same national exam, however there are stats available online to show which pharmacy school graduates had the highest pass rate!
Hey there can you answer on my first post please thanks
Original post by Ordo
Thanks @mediaya for this! I didnt know that you can do 3 attempts for national exam. It sounds scary and worrying for me - I want to know what will happen to 30% of students who failed this exam - surely there must be alternatives? :/
you're welcome but dont thank me lol, @Jh7687 did it all!
yh i know that's pretty AWFUL, poor them, they must be ruined if they cant do anything else! but i am sure they can, u just cant register as a pharmacist i think you can do more things with a Mpharm degree, i think
Dont take my words for it tho,
what are u studying btw?(if u dont mind me asking)
Original post by tcameron
I'm planning on starting pharmacy this year - firmed Nottingham but after finishing A levels I've really gotten a hate for chemistry despite enjoying it at AS and was the main reason I applied for pharmacy :/
I'm not sure if I'll like the course now because of this - how much chemistry and biology is involved in the course and is it more specific or quite broad like at A levels
I'm not sure if I'll like the course now because of this - how much chemistry and biology is involved in the course and is it more specific or quite broad like at A levels
I have many collegues who went to nottingham and they tell me it is a fantastic pharmacy school. Honestly pharmacy is not as much as chemistry as you think and if you could B or above in A-level chemistry you will have no problem, chemistry is predominantly in the first year.
Original post by jh7687
Hi, pharmacy is a lovely profession but is very stringent. If you do not meet the requirements than you cannot lawfully practise as a pharmacist. Thus if you fail the exam three times (national exam) you cannot EVER practise as a pharmacist in the UK,
Good thing I learn something new today thanks to you.
My heart beat gone faster i will take it very very seriously when I study thisQuick Reply
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