MOptom or MPharm

Hello, I applying for university and not really sure whether to do MOptom or MPharm. My main concerns are employability and salary and its progression. I got AAB in A Levels - A's in Bio and Maths and B in Chem so majority of universities are open for me for both courses plus I got A* in EPQ so qualify for lower grade if they offer. I been searching through reddit and other forums and seen that many people hate/regret their pharmacy degree cuz of long hours and boring, repetitive tasks but ik that people usually post their misfortune and not their joy a lot so that could be skewed. Just seeking advice from any1 - students, employees or any1 who has knowledge on the matter. I really like biology and prefer it over chemistry so was leaning towards optometry but I'm not too sure at the end of the day. I was planning to apply to 3 Pharm and 2 Optom to keep my options open and also to use Optom as a safety net as I will be doing some pharmacy work exp in like a month or so. My 3 Pharm Unis are - Aston, UOB, Nottingham (I qualify for contextual) and 2 Optom are Aston and Cardiff. Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Hi,
I’m a third-year pharmacy student now, but I was in the same position a few years ago, unsure whether to go for Optometry or Pharmacy. I’d definitely recommend getting some work experience, researching both courses, and talking to current students, as it really helps you get a feel for what day-to-day life is like in each profession.
Pharmacy has changed a lot recently and is much more clinical, with things like Pharmacy First, independent prescribing, and more opportunities in GP surgeries, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry. There are a lot more patient-facing roles now, which is great to see.
That said, Optometry also offers really good job security and work-life balance. It’s more biology and anatomy focused, while Pharmacy combines chemistry, biology, law, and numeracy. Pharmacy focuses more on how medicines work, how they interact with the body, and helping patients manage their health conditions, whereas Optometry is all about eye health, vision, and diagnosing or managing eye-related conditions.
Both careers can be rewarding, and it really depends on the type of work you see yourself doing long term. I’d also suggest checking out university websites to see what modules you’ll be studying for each course, as that can help you figure out which one interests you more.
If you’ve got any questions about Pharmacy, please feel free to ask on here or through UniBuddy on our course website. https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/35577-pharmacy-mpharm
Hope this helps,
Tayba
Student Rep

Hi, thanks for your message. I am going to be doing some pharmacy work exp but it will just be some basic dispensing so won't truly be the real experience of a Pharmacist. I'm still unsure of which one to pursue, I'm more on the side of Optometry as it's more biology and that's what I like but a career in Industry Pharmacy specifically R&D fascinates me a lot. What helped you decide?

It’ll definitely give you some insight, even if it doesn’t show the full scope of what a pharmacist does. For me, what helped me decide was liking the idea that pharmacy gives you the flexibility to work in so many different sectors. Since I was (and sort of still am) unsure about which sector I’d like to go into, I liked that I’ll get the chance to experience different placements during my degree to help me decide. I also prefer chemistry over biology, but I’d argue that pharmacy still includes quite a lot of clinical and biology-related topics, so it’s a good balance. I don’t want to make it seem like pharmacy is better than optometry in any way, so I’d definitely recommend doing your own research and seeing which feels right for you. It’s also worth reading up on the modules you’ll study at university, as that can really help, you can usually find them on course websites.
Wishing you all the best with your decision, and if you ever have any questions, I’d be happy to help.
Tayba
Student Rep