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after pharmacy? (need advice)

Hi, is it possible to do a MSc or PhD in fields such as biomedical or chemical sciences after graduating from pharmacy (since it's more of a vocationally subject)? is it worth for someone who wants to apply for grad medicine? ( for example oxford doesn't accept pharmacy for graduated entry.) thanks :smile:
Original post by eagle-nak
Hi, is it possible to do a MSc or PhD in fields such as biomedical or chemical sciences after graduating from pharmacy (since it's more of a vocationally subject)? is it worth for someone who wants to apply for grad medicine? ( for example oxford doesn't accept pharmacy for graduated entry.) thanks :smile:


Yes it is possible
Most of my pharmacy lecturers did pharmacy undergrad but for phd did some next thing.
Pharmacy is not a bad undergraduate degree if you want to move up to a PhD; it's broad enough that you have quite a few potential options for research areas to move into. Although you are learning a profession, in terms of content, it is more of a science degree than vocational, IMHO.

...that being said, if you *know* that you are interested in medicinal chemistry, cell biology, drug formulation, or whatever, then arguably, you are better off doing a more focused degree - or even something like natural sciences, as that way, you at least get more of a choice as to what your degree covers.

And it's not uncommon for qualified pharmacists to move onto graduate medicine once they have finished. I would argue that an MPharm is probably one of the strongest degrees you can have going into grad med.

Edit: I actually looked at the Oxford grad med page out of curiosity, and I'm not sure it says that Pharmacy is strictly excluded. In any case, it seems a little nonsensical that out of two otherwise equal applicants, the one with a pharmacology degree - and no knowledge of human physiology and disease - would be chosen over someone with an MPharm, who would come in with that base knowledge plus an undertanding of pharmacology and scientific processes.
(edited 5 years ago)

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