Diary of a Pharmacy student.

Hey guys, currently I am in first year of my Pharmacy degree. I am in Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. I thought it might give some people an idea of Pharmacy and what it involves and the general life of a pharmacy student.

This year I have 5 subjects:
(1) Introduction to Pharmacy
(2) Medicinal Chemistry
(3) Physiology
(4) Physical Pharmacy
(5) Pharmaceutical Biology

So far, the course has been quite easy(having a previous degree in chemistry probably helps). However, second year through fourth are apparently very tough.

Labs are pretty basic, just doing titrations etc. at the moment. I'll update this thread throughout the year and keep you posted. Also I would advise anyone in school who wants to do Pharmacy, take chemistry in school. It will help alot when you get to college.

Timistry

where did you do your degree?

Timistry

Timistry wrote: »

where did you do your degree?

NUI Galway.

tatabubbly

Did they not allow you to skip first year if you already have a degree?? Looks like i won't be applying there then

glaston

tatabubbly wrote: »

Did they not allow you to skip first year if you already have a degree?? Looks like i won't be applying there then

Dont think they will let you skip first year in any of the Irish colleges either.

locum-motion

tatabubbly wrote: »

Did they not allow you to skip first year if you already have a degree?? Looks like i won't be applying there then

Depends on what your first degree is in. A couple of Irish people joined into my second year class there who had Chem/Biochem type degrees from Ireland. Talk to them. See what they say.
My own personal experience there was that I wrote and asked if I could get into 2nd year. After a bit more info was exchanged, they said no, but offered me 1st year. After a bit of soul searching, I took it.

Had the option of going into second year but didn't take it as wanted a year to relax after FYP etc. It is also good for getting to know people in your class which is vital in latter years.

amjon

Deleted User wrote: »

It is also good for getting to know people in your class which is vital in latter years.

How is it vital? The vast majority of people in my class were either bitter idiots who constantly moaned about not getting into medicine or part of the Asain clique. The small remaining lot were ok but in no way would I have classed them as "vital".

amjon

amjon wrote: »

How is it vital? The vast majority of people in my class were either bitter idiots who constantly moaned about not getting into medicine or part of the Asain clique. The small remaining lot were ok but in no way would I have classed them as "vital".

It is a lot easier to get through college when you can ask a friend to explain something that you don't understand. Personally most of my friends are doing pharmacy because they want to be pharmacists. Not because they are "bitter idiots". Maybe it is not vital but I have made good friends in pharmacy this year due to us all being new new to the college. It's not all about the educational experience.

jumpguy

Are you finding the course interesting? Are you a mature student?

tatabubbly

locum-motion wrote: »

Depends on what your first degree is in. A couple of Irish people joined into my second year class there who had Chem/Biochem type degrees from Ireland. Talk to them. See what they say.
My own personal experience there was that I wrote and asked if I could get into 2nd year. After a bit more info was exchanged, they said no, but offered me 1st year. After a bit of soul searching, I took it.

I have chem/bio degree so it ain't too bad.. I'm not looking to do my degree in Ireland. But if 1st yr was my only option i'd take it, i don't really want to be stuck in with 18 year olds TBH

angeldelight

If you were going to do pharmacy in Ireland as a graduate and didn't want to be with a lot of "18 year olds" (although I was 17, would that be even worse ) I'd recommend RCSI - there were 55 in my class, approx. 22 were mature students.

jumpguy

jumpguy wrote: »

Are you finding the course interesting? Are you a mature student?

The course is very interesting. Tough but rewarding at the end of it. I am not a mature student as I am only 21. Second year looks like it is going to be tougher but also seems like there the course is more integrated with the job of a pharmacist.

Blondie1988

Deleted User wrote: »

The course is very interesting. Tough but rewarding at the end of it. I am not a mature student as I am only 21. Second year looks like it is going to be tougher but also seems like there the course is more integrated with the job of a pharmacist.

Hey,
im really interested in doing pharmacy as a graduate (looking into RCSI programme),I have a science degree however my chemistry base is poor enough, am i mad to consider pharmacy without a chem grounding?

bleh!

Blondie1988 wrote: »

Hey,
im really interested in doing pharmacy as a graduate (looking into RCSI programme),I have a science degree however my chemistry base is poor enough, am i mad to consider pharmacy without a chem grounding?

Not really but you've got to be interested in it. I'm in RCSI and I didn't have any chemistry background either (aside from junior cert science) but I'm surviving. First year is meant to put everybody up to the same standard.

Blondie1988

Blondie1988 wrote: »

Hey,
im really interested in doing pharmacy as a graduate (looking into RCSI programme),I have a science degree however my chemistry base is poor enough, am i mad to consider pharmacy without a chem grounding?

Not at all. It's hard work. Pharmacy isn't as chemistry based as people think. Hell. You have to do law modules for it as well.

Blondie1988

bleh! wrote: »

Not really but you've got to be interested in it. I'm in RCSI and I didn't have any chemistry background either (aside from junior cert science) but I'm surviving. First year is meant to put everybody up to the same standard.

thanks for the reply! by "surviving" u mean the chem is tough but do-able yeh? u enjoying the course, labs etc?!:)

Blondie1988

Deleted User wrote: »

Not at all. It's hard work. Pharmacy isn't as chemistry based as people think. Hell. You have to do law modules for it as well.

Really? i always had the impression it was a course built around chemistry? i really like physiology and biology type subjects, is there much of that in it? law sounds cool, keeps it varied!! thanks a mill for ur response.:)

bleh!

Blondie1988 wrote: »

thanks for the reply! by "surviving" u mean the chem is tough but do-able yeh? u enjoying the course, labs etc?!:)

The first few lectures might give you a shock but it's definitely do-able. I actually find it much easier (at the moment anyway) than learning type of modules so you should be fine! The course is nice and broad, definitely requires hard work. Hope you get it!

amjon.

There was a lot of physics/ physical chemistry in the first couple of years of my degree. This shocked alot of people. Once you get the hang of the basic concepts the rest falls into place.

One more year to go!

pfannkuchen

Hi everyone!

Really interesting to hear what it's like in RGU. I went to the open day there a few years back and thought it was fantastic. Almost took the place but decided to stay in Ireland. I'm starting 3rd year in RCSI in October.

My experience in RCSI is that there is a lot of Chemistry. Only one person in my class didn't have it at Leaving Cert level but they seem to be managing ok. There's a lot of tutorials and help available. One of my friends is a mature student and he actually spent a year doing LC Chemistry before starting, not sure if that was actually a recommendation from the college or not. We have at least one Chemistry module per semester. If I'm being honest, I don't really understand a lot of it but I've always done pretty well in exams because it's not impossible to learn it off and fluke the exam :P As times goes by, it is definitely getting easier though!

I really like RCSI as a college. This year, things began to seem more relevant and teaching is 100% up-to-date. The majority of lecturers are extremely helpful. Everyone in Pharmacy seems to know each other too, which is nice. There's a great mix in our class too, between mature students and some international students, as well as those who came straight from school. I don't know of any option of skipping 1st year for those with a previous degree - it's not really possible in RCSI as far as I can see. I'd also agree that 1st year is a really crucial time in getting to know classmates. In my experience so far, this is a huge advantage - my class are really good at sharing resources.. Past exam papers, various exercises from labs etc. and generally just helping each other out!

It's a tough but rewarding course and there are some great job opportunities out there (somewhere!!). I'm interested in pursuing Hospital Pharmacy after college and I've had some amazing experiences this summer after spending a couple of weeks shadowing pharmacists in two different hospitals. I'd really like to go to the UK at some stage, it seems to be the best place for jobs/gaining good experience at the moment.

Not sure that any 5th/6th students will wander over here in search of information about RCSI, but if they do, I'm happy to answer and questions! Ditto for anyone thinking of applying via the graduate route, though I'm not overly familiar with how that works

pfannkuchen

pfannkuchen wrote: »

Hi everyone!

Really interesting to hear what it's like in RGU. I went to the open day there a few years back and thought it was fantastic. Almost took the place but decided to stay in Ireland. I'm starting 3rd year in RCSI in October.

My experience in RCSI is that there is a lot of Chemistry. Only one person in my class didn't have it at Leaving Cert level but they seem to be managing ok. There's a lot of tutorials and help available. One of my friends is a mature student and he actually spent a year doing LC Chemistry before starting, not sure if that was actually a recommendation from the college or not. We have at least one Chemistry module per semester. If I'm being honest, I don't really understand a lot of it but I've always done pretty well in exams because it's not impossible to learn it off and fluke the exam :P As times goes by, it is definitely getting easier though!

I really like RCSI as a college. This year, things began to seem more relevant and teaching is 100% up-to-date. The majority of lecturers are extremely helpful. Everyone in Pharmacy seems to know each other too, which is nice. There's a great mix in our class too, between mature students and some international students, as well as those who came straight from school. I don't know of any option of skipping 1st year for those with a previous degree - it's not really possible in RCSI as far as I can see. I'd also agree that 1st year is a really crucial time in getting to know classmates. In my experience so far, this is a huge advantage - my class are really good at sharing resources.. Past exam papers, various exercises from labs etc. and generally just helping each other out!

It's a tough but rewarding course and there are some great job opportunities out there (somewhere!!). I'm interested in pursuing Hospital Pharmacy after college and I've had some amazing experiences this summer after spending a couple of weeks shadowing pharmacists in two different hospitals. I'd really like to go to the UK at some stage, it seems to be the best place for jobs/gaining good experience at the moment.

Not sure that any 5th/6th students will wander over here in search of information about RCSI, but if they do, I'm happy to answer and questions! Ditto for anyone thinking of applying via the graduate route, though I'm not overly familiar with how that works

I like RGU. It's pretty laid back, just got my hospital pre reg in Edinburgh sorted last night is that is a big relief.

echo beach

pfannkuchen wrote: »

It's a tough but rewarding course and there are some great job opportunities out there (somewhere!!). I'm interested in pursuing Hospital Pharmacy after college and I've had some amazing experiences this summer after spending a couple of weeks shadowing pharmacists in two different hospitals. I'd really like to go to the UK at some stage, it seems to be the best place for jobs/gaining good experience at the moment.

I'm sure you're aware that the embargo on recruitment in the HSE means there are no hospital jobs available here for the foreseeable future. You would have to go to the UK to get a hospital position but here is a lot of competition for them with an ever increasing number of pharmacy graduates coming from the universities there.

echo beach

echo beach wrote: »

I'm sure you're aware that the embargo on recruitment in the HSE means there are no hospital jobs available here for the foreseeable future. You would have to go to the UK to get a hospital position but here is a lot of competition for them with an ever increasing number of pharmacy graduates coming from the universities there.

It's not all doom and gloom. I got my hospital pre-reg in Edinburgh. The numbers will be capped in the UK in the next couple of years.

echo beach

Deleted User wrote: »

It's not all doom and gloom. I got my hospital pre-reg in Edinburgh. The numbers will be capped in the UK in the next couple of years.

Where did you get your information that numbers will be capped in the UK?
I'm hearing the opposite -that new schools of pharmacy are opening up and graduate numbers are increasing. There is a new one at the University of Ulster in Coleraine although Northern Ireland already has an over supply of pharmacists with many of their recent graduates working in the South or over the water.

echo beach

echo beach wrote: »

Where did you get your information that numbers will be capped in the UK?
I'm hearing the opposite -that new schools of pharmacy are opening up and graduate numbers are increasing. There is a new one at the University of Ulster in Coleraine although Northern Ireland already has an over supply of pharmacists with many of their recent graduates working in the South or over the water.

Am. I am not sure if you are familiar with the system in Scotland. Pre regs in scotland are run by an organisation called NES. NES want to ensure a reasonable number of the scottish graduates can get jobs in scotland. It will be run simularly to how doctors and dentist numbers are capped. The reason that the numbers will be capped is due to all the new schools opening.

I've no idea why another school opened up in the north. No demand for it. Although, I have friends who are doing pre regs in the north( although, they will be earning about 5K less than me)

echo beach

Deleted User wrote: »

Am. I am not sure if you are familiar with the system in Scotland. Pre regs in scotland are run by an organisation called NES. NES want to ensure a reasonable number of the scottish graduates can get jobs in scotland.

No, I'm more familiar with NI and to a lesser extent England.
Does NES just deal with pre-reg places?
I don't see how they can control employment for fully qualified pharmacists when there is free movement throughout the EU and a lot of mobility between RoI/NI/rest of UK.

echo beach

echo beach wrote: »

No, I'm more familiar with NI and to a lesser extent England.
Does NES just deal with pre-reg places?
I don't see how they can control employment for fully qualified pharmacists when there is free movement throughout the EU and a lot of mobility between RoI/NI/rest of UK.

It controls pre registration, to do a pre reg in scotland, you have to had studied in the UK. I do agree NI is screwed but majority of people I know would not work there.