|
|
Join The Student Room TodayBe part of the UK's largest and fastest growing student community. It's free to join and a lot of fun - Get inspired, express your ideas, interact and share Pharmacy DegreeFrom The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a Subject > University Courses > Pharmacy Degree
IntroductionModern medicines are very powerful and have a great potential for relieving suffering and curing disease, but also for misuse and inducing dangerous side effects. The pharmacist is the focus for all strands of knowledge which support the rational and safe use of medicines. This is reflected in the professional aspects of pharmacy which have a commitment to people as patients or as clients and to their well-being. Practising pharmacists are part of the health care team along with doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dietitians and others. - Kings College London Course StructureThe MPharm (Hons) degree consists of a 4 year full-time study, followed by a pre-registration year spanning a year supervised by a professional pharmacist. In which the pre-registration year placement can be in a hospital, community or in industry. After the pre-registration year, an additional exam set by the RPSGB must be taken and passed for the final award of the MRPharmS post nominal letters. The University of Bradford offers a 5-year sandwich course. Instead of doing the pre-registration year altogether, it is split up into two periods of 6 months. These two periods are integrated into the normal four years as part of your third and fifth year. It can give you experience in two different areas of pharmacy. AdmissionsAcademic RequirementsIn general, entry requirements range from AAA - BBB depending on the institution. The details of these requirements for the current 26 Schools of Pharmacy are shown below:
Key
There are also a number of 5 year courses run by a selection of universities for those applicants who do not have the required subjects to apply for Pharmacy at A level. The first year is a foundation year, in which the student will reach an acceptable academic level in which they can begin the standard Pharmacy course. The entry requirement are normally the same as the standard 4 year MPharm requirements.
An applicant would require Chemistry as an A level subject, taken at AS and A2, where almost all universities require a minimum of a B at A level. The addition of a science, such as Biology, is greatly preferred and would strongly bolster the application. Maths is also looked upon favourably by all institutions offering pharmacy. Haven't achieved the grades to study Pharmacy?If you haven't achieved the A levels grades required for the standard route, it may not be the end of the world! There are some options that you can take: such as clearing, resitting your A levels or if you feel that going back to 6th form is not for you, a foundation course. These are not like the standard pharmacy foundation courses, which accept students with ABB or more, as the ones below accept students with lower A levels grades than normal, where some of these can be as low as 240 points.
More soon to come... Also there are some universities that allow students to transfer internally from a similar background course to the MPharm course, these are not stated on the syllabus or on the website, so please double check with the admissions tutor/s before applying.
Common Interview QuestionsEach school of pharmacy will have their own set of questions on what to ask potential undergraduates and it can vary slightly within each school. Some common ones include:
--Cousto University of Hertforshire: Standard questions for UCAS cycle 10
Liverpool John Moores University: The interview is in small groups of about 5-6 students, the following questions are not exclusive to this university:
UCAS Form & Personal StatementWork experience within a pharmaceutical, or health care related facility would be looked upon favourably by any institution, although not massively vital. It would be advised to seek out some sort of experience in order to boost your chances on the competitive course. In addition, a personal statement suggesting the importance of pharmacy in society, and how subject choices relate to the subject would be advisable. There are some examples of pharmacy personal statements which can be found here Course StructureEvery university must fulfill the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain's (RPSGB) required subjects. But the order in which theses subjects will be within the MPharm degree, will differ slightly from one university to another. YEAR 1 Normally the first year is a foundation year, where the theory behind pharmacy is first taught. You will get to interview a few patients and possibly go on a pharmacy placement.
Life as a Pharmacy StudentGraduate Destinations and Career ProspectsMost pharmacists are employed in general practice community pharmacies, or in hospital based pharmacy departments. Pharmacists are also involved in research, manufacture, analytical control, marketing and administration within the pharmaceutical industry; others teach in schools of pharmacy or hold administrative and scientific posts in the National Health Service. Also, a small number of pharmacists have the opportunity to work as a pharmaceutical journalist. There remains a shortage of pharmacists not only in the United Kingdom but also in many other countries. Graduates in pharmacy readily obtain employment. Opportunities also exist for graduates in European countries, where the mutual recognition of EU member states' pharmaceutical qualifications enables British pharmacists to practise in Europe. Adapted from the Universities of Strathclyde and Cardiff Recommended ReadingHere are a list of books and other related sources that you can look at to learn a little bit more about pharmacy: See AlsoThe Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain - A Career in Pharmacy |
|
|
|