The Student Room Group

Pharmacy as a second degree?

I graduated in 2022 with a 2:1 degree in biomedical sciences. I got addicted to weed during my first year of university and put 0 effort into the degree and basically wasted my time at university. I could have gotten a first if I had studied, and would have at least done meaningful work experience, and done extra curricular activities if I wasn't being a mindless zombie. I have been sober since graduating.

I have BCC in A Level Biology, maths and chemistry.

I foolishly selected my degree based on subjects that I enjoyed learning about and didn't think the career that I want when I finish uni.
I still have no direct goal in terms of what career I want but at this point I don't mind what job I do as long as the pay is comfortable/decent.

Since graduating, the jobs haven't been great in terms of pay and finding a job is difficult. I worked as a medical laboratory assistant for a few months and since then I have been working as a community pharmacy assistant for five months doing Dominos deliveries on the side. I am basically just dispensing and doing the dosette boxes all day long and doing the administration regarding the dosettes.

I don't mind my current job but the pay is minimum wage and the job/qualification/pay progression is not what I want. I have seen what the pharmacists do for their job and have spoken to them about it and I feel like I wouldn't hate the job and also enjoy the pay lol. From what I understand, locum community pharmacists make around 27-35 an hour so 40 hours a week would be 56100k-72800k a year + commissions from services etc.

I will turn 24 in January. If I start MPharm in September 2024 I would complete the degree when I am 28 and potentially be a pharmacist by 29. From doing biology at A Levels and biomed at uni, I have some interest in pharmacy/pharmacology/medicine. My job prospects are not good with my current degree, in 5 years I highly doubt my salary will be close to a locum pharmacists salary on the low end of the spectrum. The newly qualified pharmacists I have spoken to seem to be able to fund a nice lifestyle and my dad's uncle and three of his cousins (in their 30s) are pharmacists and seem to be doing very well.

I honestly believe my degree was almost useless, with the only thing being achieved was becoming a graduate., I am prepared to sacrifice a few years of my to guarantee a more than comfortable salary. I do not have what it takes to do graduate medicine nor am I particularly interested in becoming a doctor, but I believe I would be able to do MPharm if I put the effort in.

On that note, would I even be able to get into an MPharm course? They seem to require at least AAB but I only have BCC. The only thing going for me is that I have a biology/medical related degree and work experience in a pharmacy.

I have seen the posts telling people to stay away from pharmacy but I don't think it's as bad as they make it seem, or at least from down here it doesn't seem all that bad.
Reply 1
Original post by bignjuicy
I graduated in 2022 with a 2:1 degree in biomedical sciences. I got addicted to weed during my first year of university and put 0 effort into the degree and basically wasted my time at university. I could have gotten a first if I had studied, and would have at least done meaningful work experience, and done extra curricular activities if I wasn't being a mindless zombie. I have been sober since graduating.

I have BCC in A Level Biology, maths and chemistry.

I foolishly selected my degree based on subjects that I enjoyed learning about and didn't think the career that I want when I finish uni.
I still have no direct goal in terms of what career I want but at this point I don't mind what job I do as long as the pay is comfortable/decent.

Since graduating, the jobs haven't been great in terms of pay and finding a job is difficult. I worked as a medical laboratory assistant for a few months and since then I have been working as a community pharmacy assistant for five months doing Dominos deliveries on the side. I am basically just dispensing and doing the dosette boxes all day long and doing the administration regarding the dosettes.

I don't mind my current job but the pay is minimum wage and the job/qualification/pay progression is not what I want. I have seen what the pharmacists do for their job and have spoken to them about it and I feel like I wouldn't hate the job and also enjoy the pay lol. From what I understand, locum community pharmacists make around 27-35 an hour so 40 hours a week would be 56100k-72800k a year + commissions from services etc.

I will turn 24 in January. If I start MPharm in September 2024 I would complete the degree when I am 28 and potentially be a pharmacist by 29. From doing biology at A Levels and biomed at uni, I have some interest in pharmacy/pharmacology/medicine. My job prospects are not good with my current degree, in 5 years I highly doubt my salary will be close to a locum pharmacists salary on the low end of the spectrum. The newly qualified pharmacists I have spoken to seem to be able to fund a nice lifestyle and my dad's uncle and three of his cousins (in their 30s) are pharmacists and seem to be doing very well.

I honestly believe my degree was almost useless, with the only thing being achieved was becoming a graduate., I am prepared to sacrifice a few years of my to guarantee a more than comfortable salary. I do not have what it takes to do graduate medicine nor am I particularly interested in becoming a doctor, but I believe I would be able to do MPharm if I put the effort in.

On that note, would I even be able to get into an MPharm course? They seem to require at least AAB but I only have BCC. The only thing going for me is that I have a biology/medical related degree and work experience in a pharmacy.

I have seen the posts telling people to stay away from pharmacy but I don't think it's as bad as they make it seem, or at least from down here it doesn't seem all that bad.

Can't you do just a standalone 1 year Master?
Reply 2
Hello,

Pharmacy is a good course but you’ve got to be interested otherwise you’ll struggle to stay engaged with the content, it focuses a lot on drug chemistry and the way the interact in the body. But everything else you will have already seen If you’ve worked in community. You probably have a better understanding than most 1st years I know and definitely more experience.

I think the unis will look at your highest qualification, so your 2:1 which is great. They absolutely love experience in pharmacy since you learn so much so I’d say you have a pretty good chance of getting accepted.

I would look into how you’re going to find it though since it’s a 4 years course and I’m not sure how second degree student finance works- could get expensive if you have to pay it yourself.
Reply 3
Can you afford the fees?
Reply 4
Lmao I wouldn’t do it as a first degree (but unfortunately I did)…definitely avoid, not worth it!

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