What can i do with a chem degree

p-nut

Hey i was just wondering what are the job opportuinities for chemistry graduates like. Im only in first year at the minute and i do expect to do a postgrad aswel. I presume it is possible for me to go into pharmaceuticals?? Or would i have needed to have done pharmacology??
Hope yas can help me as i might have to repeat first year to do this. thanks a mil

ArthurDent

Depends on what type of degree you do.....

If you want to go into R&D side of pharma you'll need a postgrad in specific area (mostly likely organic synthetic areas), if you want to do QA /QC a course with a lot of analytical chem best - and again a post grad will come in handy.
To get a decent postgrad you'll need a 2:1, if you need to repeat first year are you sure you'll be heading down that route?

Creature

I'm in the same mind frame as the OP. Just finishing the final year of a pharmaceutical chem degree and haven't got a clue about what to do after. I know I'll probably have to go into QC or whatever for a year or two to pad out my experience but I don't want to be an analyst for the rest of my life. I probably wont get the grade for a postgrad.

j4vier

QA/QC is probably were we all gonna end up to get experience or you might go straight into manufacturing.
i know for sure that a chemist after he gets his experience doesnt necessary stay in the lab but can move into managment

p-nut

j4vier wrote:

QA/QC is probably were we all gonna end up to get experience or you might go straight into manufacturing.

Sorry if its blatantly obvious and im just thick but what is QA/QC:o

ArthurDent wrote:

To get a decent postgrad you'll need a 2:1, if you need to repeat first year are you sure you'll be heading down that route?

Ye at the moment im pretty much set on goin into pharmaceuticals alrite. So am i good t go with a plain old chemistry degree and a postgrad in the right area, or should i repeat first year and do pharmacology???

ArthurDent

p-nut wrote:

Sorry if its blatantly obvious and im just thick but what is QA/QC:o

Ye at the moment im pretty much set on goin into pharmaceuticals alrite. So am i good t go with a plain old chemistry degree and a postgrad in the right area, or should i repeat first year and do pharmacology???

QA Quality Assurance
QC quality control

many pharma jobs are in these areas - basically ensuring that the API/final dosage form are as stated and manufactured according to cGMP


Not too sure why you would want to repeart first year - is it to specifically do pharmacology - if so fine, if it is to get a job in pharma industry you need to decide what area you want to work in - pharma manufacturing, development, R&D syntehsis etc.

p-nut

Im thinking more along the lines of the R&D synthesis or development side of things alright.

j4vier

if you want to go into research and development you definetly need a phd
but a general chemistry degree is fine to get into pharmaceuticals, it just depends on what topic you want to do your phd in.
i think that you need a pharmacology degree only if you want to be a pharmacist.
you have pleantly of time to decide though because between now and your last year , a lot of things might chance in your motivation so i wouldnt worry too much about it at this stage.
a general chemistry degree has the advantage of leaving ur options open

p-nut

Cool thanks a million for the advice. I just wanted to make sure i could go into pharmaceuticals with a chem degree. But say i did wanna become a pharmacist, would i really need pharmacology or would that again depend on what phd i go for??

ArthurDent

To do pharmacy you need to do pharmacy degree - pretty sure you can't do it as post grad degree. Four year degree here in TCD, RCSI and UCC afair, don't think you can skip any of it even with science degree. Had some people with my degree go to Glasgow to do degree and they got exemption into 2nd year nly - still3 more years + 1 year industrial/commercial/hospital experience before qualifying.

You also need to be careful what PhD you choose if you want to go into R&D in pharma - the ones in most demand industrially are synthetic organic / pharmacology based - you'd be best choosing a supervisor that has industrial links to.

dfx-

ArthurDent wrote:

if you want to do QA /QC a course with a lot of analytical chem best - and again a post grad will come in handy.
To get a decent postgrad you'll need a 2:1, if you need to repeat first year are you sure you'll be heading down that route?

Just for reference my course dt203 is heavily from an analytical chem viewpoint, if the OP wanted to go that route

And also correct that you will need a 2:1...which I'm in line for I hope

Dinkie

another point of view. I have never worked in a lab with my degree...I work in Marketing and I love it. I hated lab work at college.

Other people I've known have become sales reps, teachers, lecturers, tech support.

What people forget is that a degree is just to prove you can apply yourself to something. These days (I'm 28) people don't care what i did at college or how I did. Its the experience I've accumulated.

nicardgr

dfx- wrote:

And also correct that you will need a 2:1...which I'm in line for I hope

Actually in general you do need a 2.1 but it is possible to do post grads with lower grads. I for one had a first up til this year was very sick at xmas and dropped down to a low 2.2, right that grade can be pulled up with second semester marks but i have still been offered a phd if they can get the funding; and i'm not the only one in my class with not so great marks being offered stuff, one of my friends for example got told it didnt matter what her final marks were because she had been doing her final year project under him and he knew she was a worker. So if you are applying for a postgrad within your college and know the lecturers you can be lucky.

The other route is, and there is not very many of them but there is taught masters, and these you only need an honours degree for, and they can be taught full time for a year or part time for two (so you can still be working at the same time) These can be good to get you an area that you like working e.g. instrumental analysis, bioinformatics etc, or if like me your final year grades slip you can reapply for phd's using them

Also to the first year that was looking at phds there is funding called IRCSET that is hard enough to get - you need a first its very rare to get it otherwise, but if you are looking into it, your best bet is to settle down for the last two years at least and do well, it will increase your chances And for that i dont mean all study and no play then you will crack up , just try and find a balance! which isnt that hard if you put your mind to it

nesf

Dinkie wrote:

another point of view. I have never worked in a lab with my degree...I work in Marketing and I love it. I hated lab work at college.

Other people I've known have become sales reps, teachers, lecturers, tech support.

What people forget is that a degree is just to prove you can apply yourself to something. These days (I'm 28) people don't care what i did at college or how I did. Its the experience I've accumulated.

Exactly, for most of us we are not defined by the letters after our names (engineering, academics etc are the exceptions). Don't ever feel that by doing a degree that you are restricted to it.


All that said, chemistry is a good degree if you've a healthy interest in it. Otherwise the labs are going to do your head in.

ArthurDent

nesf wrote:

Exactly, for most of us we are not defined by the letters after our names (engineering, academics etc are the exceptions). Don't ever feel that by doing a degree that you are restricted to it.


All that said, chemistry is a good degree if you've a healthy interest in it. Otherwise the labs are going to do your head in.

agree totally- one of the best guys in my undergrad whoflew through with a first - hated lab work and dropped out of PhD because he hated it so much

nesf

ArthurDent wrote:

agree totally- one of the best guys in my undergrad whoflew through with a first - hated lab work and dropped out of PhD because he hated it so much

It was the same in physics, as the degree went on the class separated into the "experimentalists" and the "theoreticians", there's room for both in physics but it was interesting to watch.