Why do so many asians study Pharmacy?

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Peer pressure, ideas of future financial security and (in my own experience) a lack of imagination and desire to innovate. You read the book, learn it by rote, apply what was in the book (hard, hard work required, of course) and get £90k a year as a GP.

I'm not Asian, but I spent a lot of my life in a predominantly Asian area, so I can't speak from personal experience, but this is what I can deduce from what I have seen.

Reply 101

frozen_fire

Original post by alevelzzz

I know more about the pharmacy sector and the current situation of jobs than most pharmacy students, believe me. A lot of pharmacy students are complete idiots.
ATM pharmacy is still OK in terms of getting a job, but even then the pay isn't great. This year they opened THREE new pharmacy schools and more will be opening because of the demand for places. The majority of pharmacists work in retail and do not own their own practice.

How can you possibly know more about the pharmacy sector than most pharmacy students? That is illogical. If someone from a non-Biochemistry background was throwing out inaccurate advice to me about the job situation of my own degree, I wouldn't take any notice. Yes, more pharmacy schools may be opening which could lead to increased competition but prospects-wise, these students have far higher employment rates than for example arts degrees.

The fact most pharmacists work in retail doesn't prevent those with the desire or ambition from owning their own practices. Also, with a pharmacy degree you can move into scientific research- one of my sister's friends has got a job in pharma with GSK, so it just proves that there are options out there.

Reply 102

username1118458

Original post by alevelzzz

It seems like all asians study pharmacy, why? I don't see how being a pharmacist would be better than being a dentist or a doctor.
Interested to find out

It's usually pushed by parents, mainly due to the money it pays. It's just an Asian parent thing I guess - I'm Asian and even I still don't understand the concept behind it.

Not ALL Asian parents are like that though, and not ALL Asians study/want to study Pharmacy. I want to do Computer Science, and my parents don't care what I do so long as I'm happy and it's enough to get me a job and through life.

Reply 103

username1333513

the amount of snobbery in this thread is so annoying

Reply 104

nohomo

The weirdest thing about Chinese students studying pharmacy is the way they arrange these meetings where only other Chinese people can go.

Spoiler

Reply 105

username1472093

Original post by frozen_fire

You don't compare a pharmacy degree to an arts degree, you compare pharmacy to other healthcare degrees aka medicine, dentistry etc.

Reply 106

username1472093

Original post by yellowcopter

Pharmacy doesn't pay well for the most part.

Reply 107

Kabulkid

cos they dont get into medicine.

Reply 108

username1118458

Original post by alevelzzz

Pharmacy doesn't pay well for the most part.

Exactly why I'll never understand. :tongue:

Reply 109

username1472093

Original post by Kabulkid

cos they dont get into medicine.

or dentistry

Reply 110

LakAnne

They are less creative than whites and blacks thus prefer rigid stem subjects. :beard:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 111

Kabulkid

Original post by alevelzzz

or dentistry

yupp, or vet med.

Reply 112

j132

Original post by nohomo

The weirdest thing about Chinese students studying pharmacy is the way they arrange these meetings where only other Chinese people can go.

Spoiler

My bf is Chinese, studies pharmacy and doesn't do this...

He didn't choose pharmacy because his parents told him to either.

Reply 113

nohomo

Original post by j132

My bf is Chinese, studies pharmacy and doesn't do this...

He didn't choose pharmacy because his parents told him to either.

It was just a pun...

le-asian...liaison

Reply 114

shashapop

This whole thread is the most aggravating thing I've ever read. I am Asian and I will be a pharmacy student in September. Some of us are not pushed by our parents to do pharmacy and actually want to make a change. It wasn't like I didn't get the predicted grades for dentistry or medicine, I'm predicted A*AA in chem maths and bio. Got 14 GCSE's (4A*s, 8As, 1B and 2Cs). English isn't even my first language.
Screw anyone who thinks we're less academically able. Some of us actually care about the profession and want to lead the field and discover drugs and help society xoxooxooxox ARGH

Reply 115

kotori

I don't know the answer but do you think there's racism towards Asian people because there's so many of them?

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 116

Look Squirrel!

Pharmacy is a really respectable course, its a pity more of our sl@gs dont do it. Too busy with their travel and tourism btecs.

Reply 117

crazy.chemist

Don't do pharmacy whatever colour or race you are. The degree is interesting, but the job at the end is stressful, a corporate wage slave, at the beck and call of the rude general public, all for 30k a yr. Easier ways to earn that kind of money. Plus too many graduates now, 3000 a yr, and hardly any jobs or locum work.