Do you have any questions about studying Pharmacy? - Kingston University

Hi Amit, what is it like studying pharmacy at Kingston? How is the quality of teaching and lectures? Are the staff supportive and responsive to students? I’ve read some poor reviews on student room but that was 8 or so years ago so I wanted to get a true insight into the quality of teaching and how you are assessed on the Mpharm course.

Hi all,

I'm a third year MPharm student at Kingston, if you have any questions about the course in general please drop them below!

Amit - KU Ambassador

Is it possible to get into Kingston pharmacy through clearing?

Hello Kay_20

I went the foundation route at Kingston so I got to spend an extra year building my knowledge on important topics on Chemistry, Biology and Maths.

The course itself is quite intense, over the years - just as an outline; you will learn about the drugs, mechanisms of actions, various bits of anatomy, the clinical side of Pharmacy and there are a lot of practicals. However the lectures that are given are very easy to understand and having had friends from different year groups, each year the MPharm teachers are always there whenever you are in need of support, whether this be in the lecture or through email. - There is a survey that goes out half way through the year which students fill out and they list any concerns / worries that they have with the course and the academic leads look through this and make improvements based on these suggestions so student feedback is always of importance.

The classes that I have seen are all supportive of each other and help one another out so you will always have that extra support from your classmates too!

In terms of assessment; there are some assignments however every year you will have an OCSE and Calculations exam which are pass or fail.

Mid-module exams and end of year exams are set and have to be passed at 40%+ with the exception of the third year synoptic which has been known to change (last year this was at 50%).

Although it is an intense course as long as you keep on top of your work and make use of all the lecture and workshop resources given to you, you should pass with flying colours!

Let me know if you have any other questions.

- Amit - KU REP -

Hi Amit
A few months ago you provided me with such detailed advice about studying pharmacy at Kingston. I didn’t meet the grades for MPharm but I’ve been offered the Pharmacy Foundation (5 year course) which I’ve accepted.

Can you advise what I can expect on the foundation course, the course content etc and is it easier than A levels? How many exams are there in foundation and I understand the pass mark is 70% to move onto 1st year of MPharm.

I would be so grateful if you can give me some tips and provide me as much info as possible about the foundation year and how it’s assessed and the best ways to pass and keep on top of your work. Thanks so much in advance!

Hi, @Kay_20!

Unfortunately, Amit has moved on from the KU Rep team - so I hope you don't mind that I'm stepping in on his behalf. I'm not a Pharmacy student, but I've had a look into the structure and specification of your course in the hope of giving you a bit more clarity.

From what I've heard from other MPharm students, the foundation route mostly covers the same content as the Biology and Chemistry A-Levels (alongside mathematics for science!), with the curriculum structured to act as a sort of stepping stone towards the first year of the MPharm course. It's not necessarily easier than A-Levels - but if you've spent some time studying the A-Level Bio and Chem material already, you'll probably get your head around it a bit faster.

During the Foundation Year, you'll have four core modules, each worth 30 credits:

Professional and Scientific Skills for Pharmacy: this module helps develop effective study skills for studying Pharmacy, as well as giving you the opportunity to get some more practical and theoretical experience in the field as a whole. Assessment for this module involves 'a portfolio of skills and laboratory-based assessments, a written exam and a short capstone project culminating in a poster presentation which will use the skills developed in this module'.

Biology: Similar content to A-Level Biology, focusing on biological sciences, biochemistry, selected body systems, genetics, evolution and the characteristics of life.

Chemistry: Similar content to A-Level Chemistry, with topics including atomic and nuclear structure, bonding and structure, energetics, thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox reactions and organic chemistry (e.g. isomerism and introduction & reactions of alkanes, haloalkanes, alkenes, alcohols, amines, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids and carboxylic acid derivatives.) Fairly similar to A-Level.

Mathematics for Science: This module mainly develops basic mathematical techniques used in scientific contexts, and how to best make use of these calculations in a practical setting.

Overall, assessment is similar to that of the first year (Level 4) of MPharm, with both formative (taking place in Nov-Dec) and summative (May-June) assessment periods. This means it'll likely be split between coursework, practical work and exams.

70% is the pass mark to move onto MPharm course, but teaching is designed and structured around helping you get there, so you'll have as much support as possible. The best way to keep on top of work is probably to make the most of your personal tutor, who is usually a lecturer/staff member on your course - ask them the areas you can improve and get as much feedback as possible on recent assessments.

Hope this was helpful - and big well done on getting onto the 5 year course! I know not meeting your grades can be disheartening in the short-term, but once you get to university, pretty much no one ever thinks about it again.

- Eve (Kingston Rep).

Hi Eve

Thanks so much for your informative response I really appreciate it. Would it be possible to be put in touch with someone who’s just completed the foundation pharmacy course and gone onto first year Mpharm? I would really appreciate that. Thanks

Hi all,

I'm a third year MPharm student at Kingston, if you have any questions about the course in general please drop them below!

Amit - KU Ambassador

Hi i just got my interview offer for pharmacy MPharm at kingston university, what are the type of questions you get asked and what is the format of how they ask the questions. also I have an online test as part of my interview, what is the test about?

Hey @kpzky!

I'm not a pharmacy student, so unfortunately I don't exactly know, but I'll get in contact with some MPharm students here ASAP to find out what their interview process was like. In the meantime, I've found a few older threads about the interview process that might help!

Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3

Eve (Kingston Rep).