Medicinal Chemistry

Lucas10101

Anyone here doing this course? I was looking on the prospectus about it and that and just want to know further information about the subject and course.

I understand that you must follow Chemistry, Biology and Maths in First and Second year like through Science then specialise in the Medicinal Chemistry.

What jobs can out get out of this course, and I'd rather work with something in my degree and not do Finance or Management related jobs as prospectuses like to write. Are the prospects good?

As regards the course, what's the Third and Fourth Years like in terms of the work and how long can you spend abroad to do the project? What hours are there and how many labs are there?

What's Biology like in the First and Second years. I'm going to get an A...95% in my Higher Level Biology so I am good at it, but what's the coursework like and in general what's the Biology course like in First and Second years.

I was considering doing Pharmacology in UCD, is there much overlap between Medicinal Chemistry or what?

That's all for now, although I do need to know this as I'm unsure at the moment whether I should put it down as number 1 choice. So your responses and and other information would also be welcomed.

SOL

I am doing Chemistry so I can only answer some of your q's but I can tell you that there are lots of Jobs available, drug research, manufacturing and the like. I am currently on a placement at GSK doing drug research.

In terms of labs and travel, there is an opportunity to spend 3 months abroad in 4th year, there are 9hrs of labs a week for chemists in 3rd year (I think it is the same for med chem) and in 4th year the 1st term is spent entirely on lab work (again same for Med Chem)

In terms of workload, 1st and second year science are very manangeable but you will have ~25hrs a week. In third year there is roughly the same hours but the course gets tougher but it is still manageable, but you are looking spending quite a bit of time studying.

I don't know much about UCD so I can't comment but I would recommend TCD as it is an excellent place to be a student. Not just for the Chemistry, but for the full works.

oconnoao

ooh i do Medicinal Chemistry!

I had written out a long reply to this, but then i lost it all and I can't remember what I said.....Oh well, here goes...

Yep, this is basically the same as science for first and second year, except for an extra class you have sometimes, on general aspects of MedChem. In first year, you do a poster project in small groups. It's supposed to be worth 1% or something, but its mainly to get people to know each other I think.

I'm just finished 2nd year, so I can't really talk for 3rd or 4th year. I thought the hours get less in 3rd year to about 15 a week, I really hope so, because the long hours have really killed me!

Biology for first year consists of all aspects of biology-biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, animal diversity, plants, ecology, and some more. You do about 3 weeks in each course. Then in second year, it's split into Bio1 and Bio2. Bio1 is all the biochemistry, micro, genetics, neurophysiology and some other courses on neurobiochemistry and other things. I think its really interesting! bio2 is all the animal and plant parts.

im sure you've read in the prospectus, in second year you can choose between bio2 and maths, along with bio1 and chemistry. i chose maths, which I found very do-able. Biology is very interesting, much more so than i found for leaving cert, but i found it difficult to learn.

I did all three of biology, chemistry and maths for leaving cert, honours level and got at least a B1 in all. I still found first year tough enough-although i thoroughly enjoyed the college life, and 2 months studying at the end meant i got good grades in my exams. I was more focused this year, and didn't need to do the mad study at the end!

jobs from this degree are pretty varied. Most people who work straight after their degree, go into quality control (testing drugs). Other people will go onto further study, so they can get into the research end of it. there are plenty of jobs available, or so i am told!

UCD or TCD? i don't know which is better. every day I walk through front arch and think 'wow'. i enjoy the atmosphere in my class-having a small group of 20 means we know each other, and from day1 we had our own group in the massive science class (there are 300+ in biology).

On our first class meeting i remember being told 'This is not pharmacy, you won't be pharamcists at the end of this degree', and its true. im sure we cover much of the same material as pharmacology.

im sure i had more in my original post but i cant remember anymore! hope this helps u get some insight into Medicinal Chemistry, if you've any more questions im happy to help!