Which uni is better for pharmacy?

Hello. I was interested in applying to university for pharmacy for the 2016 entry. At the moment on the league table Cardiff university is no.2 and Kings college london is further down, maybe no. 8. However when I searched top universities in the world for pharmacy - Kings college london came up as no. 3!

Which is the better university to get a pharmacy degree from. Does it make much of a difference where I do it seeing as both are Russel Group and very good.

Any help is very appreciated :smile:

Thanks!

Reply 1

GrimBeast

I'm a pharmacist. Unemployed.I'm one of many 'highly employable' but jobless pharmacists. 1st class masters, 9 years experience and I also hold qualified teacher status and pharmacy-focused post-grad study.

I feel the schools of pharmacy are lying to students, knowing full well the market is saturated, but a 4 year degree brings in a lot of money for them. Some people will find this hard to swallow, and will accuse me of being lacking in some respect or other, but I promise you, this is the way of things at the moment. There are such high numbers of graduates, it doesn't matter your degree class or ability. The jobs just aren't there.

If you have the grades, consider something that's in demand but avoid the pharmacy trap.

King's College London

London

Reply 2

ii.roc

Original post by GrimBeast

Thankyou for replying. I am currently in my second year of A levels and therefore have to decide soon on which course and which universities I will be applying to. My AS level grades were ABBC (a in english, b in geography which i have dropped, b in biology and c in chemistry) However I am resting both chemistry papers and one biology paper in hopes of gaining A*AA/AAA as a final result. I have heard pharmacy is a tough, yet rewarding career and it seems that you don't have to do much work to get in nowadays! e.g. 2 people I know have gone in this year with ABB and BBB! and it seems unfair because i am pushing myself to my limits... literally to get the best possible A levels. The deadline for medics and dentists has gone, in terms of UKcat etc. and besides that I don't want to do medicine (too long for a female who wants a family) and dentistry would not be something i look forward to everyday..I did take chemistry and biology for a reason so choosing a career without them required would be a real pity for me! I really need help as to what to go into. I don't chase the money, otherwise I would have went for medicine or dentistry but I do want a career where I will work and there is a ladder to excel on and a good pay! I don't know what to do :frown:

Reply 3

Coriolantus

Honestly the university you go to for pharmacy isn't as significant as it is for other subjects. And yes, the job market for pharmacy isn't as great as it was a couple of years before I applied, but the thing is, there's no jobs for anyone, anywhere, so looking at it in perspective, the job prospects in pharmacy are still considerably better than other careers. Back to the point, the place you study doesn't have too much weight in terms of people looking at 'prestige' or ratings, and the top ten or so vary from year to year. UEA was number 1 when I first got there, I think it's number 6 now? I love it though. Or a few years before I applied Bath was top and then the year I applied it was around number 6 as well. Also you have to bear in mind that the Russell Group is about research, not teaching, so really it's a case of looking at the course, seeing which campus and which city you like the best, and whether or not you like the way the course is taught, everywhere does it a bit differently. So tempting though it may be, don't pick somewhere based on its reputation.

Reply 4

GrimBeast

Pharmacy doesn't always require straight AAA to get into, but you will work very very hard to stay afloat for the 4 years of study. I got AAA and I found it insanely hard, though I ended up with a first class. I think if I had a choice again, I'd go for something a little more specialist in a hospital setting, like chemotherapy or xray. 70% of pharmacists end up in the community, and it's true that you don't really use your degree there.

There isn't really any progression in pharmacy except management, and being a pharmacy manager is about as far removed as you can be from being a pharmacist. It's horribly tough and stressful.