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Advice wanted for a mature student wanting to study Pharmacy MPharm.

Hello,

I want to get advice about potential entry routes into pharmacy.

I'm a mature student and haven't studied chemistry since I was at school in 2001.
I have a degree (2.1 Hons) however its not in a related area.

Am aware of different entry routes including Foundation Degree courses, Foundation/Access courses and re sitting A Levels.

I wanted to get advice from other students in a similar position. What courses and universities would you recommend and suggest?

Any advice/suggestions welcomed! Thank you :smile:

Reply 1

½+½

I can give you my experience.

I'm 25, undertook an Access to Science course in 2010/11 and got a place on the Brighton MPharm. My offer was 40/60 distinctions.

I can't speak for any other universities as my other offers were for pharmacology and biomedicinal chemistry (wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I applied) but can vouch that Brighton definitely do accept many Access students.

Hope this helps!

Reply 2

jami74

I'm not sure what you want to know really but I'm currently doing an access course and have four offers to study pharmacy (look in my signature).

There isn't a university close to me that offers the foundation year so it wasn't an option for me (can't move, have family) but I feel the access course has been a really great introduction to education.

If you choose the access route research the courses very thoroughly. Not all access courses are the same and not all will cover enough chemistry to satisfy the universities. Also email the universities you want to apply to and find out exactly what they require/suggest. In my experience some of the universities were very welcoming of mature students with alternative qualifications and some weren't, it is important to consider this when you choose your five.

Reply 3

Maturestudent1

Like ½+½ and Jami74 I took an access course.

I readily agree with everything they said, especially contacting the universities you want to go to and asking them if they will accept access or not. Also know that they are entitled to change their mind at the last moment. Some will also say that they will accept access but you my get a feeling that they don't. And once you get the feeling, it's too late.

What Jami74 also said about not all access courses being the same is also something to remember.

I personally believe, though this is not based on any fact and I have no real evidence to back up my statement, that you'll have to work a little harder to get accepted over A Level students at some institutions. And if you are accepted, you'll be put at the back of the queue and be dealt with later on as they may have to consider and request other things based on your circumstances. Though this could still be true even if you do A-levels or it could just be me.

Additionally if you feel it has been awhile since you did chemistry, etc. and want someone to get really detailed with the chemistry, maths etc required for the Pharmacy course, do A-Levels. If feel you can cover it yourself, do access, while also remembering not all access courses are the same.

And not to make access sound really negative, I felt that many things I covered during my access course (at Lambeth College) put me at an advantage over many A-Level students during the selection process and now that I am on the course (I'm at King's). This is because at Lambeth they have a separate Pharmacology subject and it helped get me into a pharmacy mindset (drug dose calculations, terminology and basic concepts).

Reply 4

clare.hughes1

I am currently doing an access course and have been offered a place at Liverpool John Moores.

The access course is mostly self taught, in my opinion (I attend college one night a week for 3 hours) as I work full time and have 2 children.

It is dooable, and I have really enjoyed it. I think that university offers for access seem to be higher than a-levels, not too sure why, as I feel as mature students we have an advantage.