Advice??

p-nut

Hey i was just wondering which would be a better choice of degree?? Physics and chemistry or pharmacology??

Im in first year physics and chem at the mo but have been offered the chance to take the two extra first year core modules for pharmacology i missed out on next year, turning it into a 5 year degree. which doesnt bother me at all if it would be a better degree.

i suppose im lookin for the one that would have the broadest range of career/postgrad opportunities as im not entirely sure wat i wanna do just yet. like, right now, i wanna go into pharmacy/pharmaceuticals but that could change in a year or two.

j4vier

as i said in another post around here the other day,
go for pharmacology if you want to work in a pharmacy
go for chemistry if you want to work in the actual industry.
id say chemistry would give you a broader level of options

p-nut

Ye it was probably me askin the same question:o Sorry.

I had a strong feelin chemistry would leave a lot more options later on alrite. So lets say i got a degree in chemistry then, is there any way i could eventually go into pharmacy, apart from goin back as a mature student to study pharmacology?

Thanks for your help, im just really curious before its too late to change:o

ArthurDent

p-nut wrote:

Ye it was probably me askin the same question:o Sorry.

I had a strong feelin chemistry would leave a lot more options later on alrite. So lets say i got a degree in chemistry then, is there any way i could eventually go into pharmacy, apart from goin back as a mature student to study pharmacology?

Thanks for your help, im just really curious before its too late to change:o

no post grad pharmacy degree in ireland that will allow ytou to be a pharmacist - you may get exemption from a year in an undergrad course - not sure about here, but certainkly in UK.

I think you might be confusing pharmacology and pharmacy

p-nut

Na i know there is a difference alright, pharmacology is just how drugs affect the body etc. but i didnt get the points to get into undergrad pharmacy, was only 10 off. Thats why i was wondering if there are any other routes i could take that would eventually get me there

ArthurDent

Well if you are looking at being a pharmist in a commercial enviroment it really wouldn't make that much of a difference what your primary science degree was in, if you are applying to be taken on to another undergraduate course.

If you are thinking of going down the industrial pharmacy route you need to think whether you want to be in the synthetic area or maybe be in an industrial enviroment as the QP (Qualified Person - serious money!). IMO and it's only IMO as a chemist, I find that the level of understanding of chemistry can be poor in pharmacists and this can be very limiting if you want work in the syntheic area. You also need to consider -if you do a degree and then go on to do another degree in pharmacy you still would probably need a PhD to get working at research - so you're probably talking 11 years altogether - that's a hell of a lot of time in college.

angeldelight

To whoever said do pharmacology if you want to work in a pharmacy... the only way that makes sense is if you're going to go back and do your undergrad in Pharmacy, in which case your primary degree isn't that important... you won't get an exemption no matter what your degree is in. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland requires that everyone does the full 4 year course no matter what their background is. I'm doing Pharmacy and there are some pharmacology graduates, some chemistry graduates, some medicinal chemistry graduates, some biochemistry graduates, and some arts graduates on my course! They don't necessarily get the best marks in the class in the subjects they already have a degree in, the focus tends to be quite different in Pharmacy.

To the OP, the only way into pharmacy, if that's what you want to do is do the 4 year UG course in either Trinity, RCSI or UCC. If you were only 10 points off and that's what you really want to do, did you apply to the CAO again this year using last years points? You could be lucky with the points, and you said you didn't mind doing an extra years study.

p-nut

angeldelight wrote:

To the OP, the only way into pharmacy, if that's what you want to do is do the 4 year UG course in either Trinity, RCSI or UCC. If you were only 10 points off and that's what you really want to do, did you apply to the CAO again this year using last years points? You could be lucky with the points, and you said you didn't mind doing an extra years study.

Thats the clear cut answer i needed t hear:o

I havn't considered reapplying, partly due to the cost of repeating first year and having to pay so much for it. I suppose i shouldnt worry about that as its only a small amount in the long run.

Thanks a mil angeldelight

angeldelight

p-nut wrote:

Thats the clear cut answer i needed t hear:o

I havn't considered reapplying, partly due to the cost of repeating first year and having to pay so much for it. I suppose i shouldnt worry about that as its only a small amount in the long run.

Thanks a mil angeldelight

No problem, if you have any more questions feel free to pm me and I'll do my best

p-nut

PharmBoyUCD wrote:

.....Also, you can get into pharmacy at the end of the cousre, so that an added bonus.....

This was written on another thread over in the UCD forum. Its about pharmacology, and was written by a second year student. Is this true?? Im completely confused now as i thought you needed the undergrad degree in pharmacy to do so???