red brick or no red brick - does it matter?

Mustard-man

You are aware that Manchester is the only red brick university to offer Pharmacy, right?

That's what I was thinking.

Reply 3

Sreena

Hiya guys.
I been doin a load of research into trying to find out if attending a redbrick unviersity to study pharmacy affects employability in the future.
Most sources say no, but I was wondering if any of u guys would help me plz?
I jus want to know if going to a red brick as opposed to aston is gonna put me at any sorta disadvantage wen im lookin for jobs!!
Thank u guys!

I'm not too sure. I wouldn't think so. It is however worth bearing in mind that whilst at the top end, 3 or 4 pharmacy schools will ask for grades of ABB, at the bottom end some ask for grades such as BBC maybe even lower at somewhere like De Montford University. Unlike Medicine or Dentistry where the average entry requirements are AAB across all schools, this is not the case for Pharmacy.

Reply 4

Gregorian IV

8

no it doesn't matter up to the extent of learning as a pharmacy degree is taught to the standards of the RPSGB etc etc (you all know about that anyway!).

However, reputation wise then red brick universities can look better when employees look at you qualifications and where you got it from. I kniw for a fact from a pharmacy student a bradford that when they carry out pratical work and they get it wrong, they do not get marks deducted from their overall score.

However, the so called "better" unis deduct points for getting thigns wrong. Therefore, in theory, they should give out a better standard and higher quality pharmacist compared to someone who went to a university that wasn't as good in comparison.

I actually found this quite shocking at first but apparently it is true.

Reply 5

Joffy

6

Aston is an established university and is not an old polytechnic, it's a "traditional" university.

Reply 6

Random.Girl

Gregorian IV

However, reputation wise then red brick universities can look better when employees look at you qualifications and where you got it from. I kniw for a fact from a pharmacy student a bradford that when they carry out pratical work and they get it wrong, they do not get marks deducted from their overall score.

However, the so called "better" unis deduct points for getting thigns wrong. Therefore, in theory, they should give out a better standard and higher quality pharmacist compared to someone who went to a university that wasn't as good in comparison.

What sort of practical work do you mean? I mean it's pretty impossible to do a pharmacology experiment without something going wrong!

Every test we do that's multiple choice or parts of exams that are multiple choice are always negatively marked. Surprisingly the pre-reg exam is all multiple choice but not negatively marked.

Joffy

Aston is an established university and is not an old polytechnic, it's a "traditional" university.

Really? I thought it got its university status in the 1960s?

Not that this really matters cause it's still a damn good uni for a lot of the subjects it offers.

Reply 7

Scuttle

-Emmz-

What sort of practical work do you mean? I mean it's pretty impossible to do a pharmacology experiment without something going wrong!

Every test we do that's multiple choice or parts of exams that are multiple choice are always negatively marked. Surprisingly the pre-reg exam is all multiple choice but not negatively marked.

Really? I thought it got its university status in the 1960s?

Not that this really matters cause it's still a damn good uni for a lot of the subjects it offers.

An "ex poly" is one of the universities that got royal charter in 1992.
Some very good unis came to being in the '60s, in particular some of the big engineering places like Bath and Loughborough, born out of technical colleges.
Warwick, York, Bath, Lboro, Aston were all created in the 60s and are doing very well. Better than some red bricks (especially in some subjects).

In short, it's irrelevant whether it was created in the 60s or the 1860s. For pharmacy though I dont know.

Reply 8

pharmgirl

12

Gregorian IV

no it doesn't matter up to the extent of learning as a pharmacy degree is taught to the standards of the RPSGB etc etc (you all know about that anyway!).

However, reputation wise then red brick universities can look better when employees look at you qualifications and where you got it from. I kniw for a fact from a pharmacy student a bradford that when they carry out pratical work and they get it wrong, they do not get marks deducted from their overall score.

However, the so called "better" unis deduct points for getting thigns wrong. Therefore, in theory, they should give out a better standard and higher quality pharmacist compared to someone who went to a university that wasn't as good in comparison.

I actually found this quite shocking at first but apparently it is true.

Really- take no notice of the negative marking differences. It is purely a difference in marking schemes and it will be factored in somewhere. The external examiners vet all examinable coursework before and after the students take them.

Since qualifying noone I've done locums for has ever asked me where I did my degree, and the only reason they would care is if they want to see if they went to the same place as you to have a banter about their old lecturers! Really, no one cares. I went to Manchester and have lost out to Aston/RGI/Bradford etc grads a fair few times.

Quote-Every test we do that's multiple choice or parts of exams that are multiple choice are always negatively marked. Surprisingly the pre-reg exam is all multiple choice but not negatively marked.

That's right Emmz, and I hate to tell you all this but the pre-reg exam is going to suck wherever you do your degree. Absolutely horrible- start revising now!

Reply 9

Mustard-man

You are aware that Manchester is the only red brick university to offer Pharmacy, right?

Reading is red brick.

Reply 10

Cetomacrogol

OH MY GOD
Red brick, blue brick, no brick, I cant believe what I am reading, I think most of you guys have got out of your prams a little bit too early. You could even do pharmacy in POLAND and it wouldnt make one damn bit of difference, so relax and choose a uni that is suitable for you in all aspects.
Peace Out :cool:

Reply 11

Mustard-man

18

theepw

Reading is red brick.

Not originally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Brick_universities

Reply 12

DimiTheBrave

1

As previously mentioned Alot of universities from the 1960s are doing better then the red bricks. If red bricks were better then places such as warwick, aston, surrey, royal holloway and loughborough should be above them. But these are better then some so called "red brick" unis.

Reply 13

DimiTheBrave

As previously mentioned Alot of universities from the 1960s are doing better then the red bricks. If red bricks were better then places such as warwick, aston, surrey, royal holloway and loughborough should be above them. But these are better then some so called "red brick" unis.

But it's also worth pointing out that none of the unis you mentioned above over the big degree courses like Medicine, Dentistry or Vet Med witht he exception of Warwick who offer graduate medicine.

Shoosing a university should be more to do with the degree you are studying rather than the "ranking" of the university in general.

Reply 14

Mustard-man

Not originally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Brick_universities

It's irrelevant whether it wasn't originally isn't it?

The fact that it is a red brick uni, kinda proves the point to the OP.

Reply 15

Mustard-man

18

theepw

It's irrelevant whether it wasn't originally isn't it?

The fact that it is a red brick uni, kinda proves the point to the OP.

Well, it's only irrelevant if employers recognise Reading as red brick.

Evidently other people didn't either...

Mustard-man

You are aware that Manchester is the only red brick university to offer Pharmacy, right?

British Bulldog

That's what I was thinking.

Reply 16

Employers are not going to be looking on wikipedia to see whether a university is red brick. Employers that do employ those from Reading uni, are aware of its red brick status. They are not stupid, they will have a knowledge of the establishment from which they will employ someone from.

'Other people didn't' - two people who did not know of its status from a web forum isn't really that representative is it?

Regarding the OP, it does not matter whether you go to a red brick uni at all.

Reply 17

Reading was never ia red brick university as far as I'm aware. It was once a federal college affiliated to oxford uni but then again England were the world champions back in 1966 i.e. no one cares anymore!

Reply 18