Pharmacy

[goldentriangle]

Did anybody's child get on a Pharmacy course this year and if so what grades did they get and what were they predicted? Do you know if there were any Pharmacy places in clearing? DS hopes to apply for next year but grades offered look high and at the moment he's scraping a C in Chemistry. TIA to anyone who has any experience.

[Skiiltan]

There are usually lots of places for pharmacy in clearing, as there is a huge over-supply of places.

I've seen people being picked up for pharmacy this year with BCD (D in chemistry). This isn't particularly common but I think anyone with BCC can be reasonably confident of getting a place in clearing. It might not be somewhere they particularly want to go, though.

[goldentriangle]

Thanks for answering, I had got the impression C was an absolute line drawn for Chemistry but maybe not. I know what you mean about where to study though that's so important.

[hellsbells99]

I know someone who got into DMU a couple of years ago with low grades and they are doing well.
But pharmacy is very very heavy on chemistry and if your DS is finding it difficult then it may not be the course for him.

[goldentriangle]

Is DMU DeMontford in Leicester? DS has had some work experience and is set on Pharmacy I'm hoping the Chemistry clicks he got an A at GCSE but has found A level a lot harder.

[Dickybow321]

I would advise any DC wanting to study pharmacy to join some forums where pharmacists talk about how they feel about their career. It's not highly paid compared to other professions and there are high levels of work stress. Some people are working for £15 per hour. Most pharmacists I know would not choose it if they had their time again.

[Dickybow321]

To put it in context in 2001 the course went from three years to four. There was a fallow year where there was a shortage of pharmacists. Since then the number of universities offering pharmacy has exploded and the average salary has not increased. If anything the hourly rate for locums is the same and in a lot of cases lower than in 2001. That's 17 years ago! A quick Google will confirm this. With government cutbacks in the sector the situation isn't going to improve anytime soon.