Bachelor of Pharmacy anyone? (1 Viewer)

[saaamui]

Did anyone hear about the 20-30% increase (compared to last year) in demand for this year's pharmacy course? I read it in a newspaper a few weeks ago. I keep hearing people say the job prospects are terrible though so not sure whether I should consider putting it in my preference or not. The ATAR for 2012 is 85.10 - i have a feeling it might rise to high 80ties or low 90ties if there really is such a high demand this year.

Anyone considering pharmacy here?

 

[golgo13]

It changes year to year the media is quite exaggerated over it but i do believe there is some degree of saturation but what you'll find that the cohort slims down quite dramatically since a lot of people use it as a stepping stone for other health related degrees. I cannot give a proper prediction for the ATAR this year but i believe the move by the faculty to remove the STAT requirement is to boost the mark or allow more places. There is no harm having it as a preference but then again the jump can be quite dramatic since the removal of the STAT is quite unprecedented

 

[ismeta]

My mother is a pharmacist at a hospital in Sydney's west and says that the market is oversaturated with pharmacy graduates - she had one pharmacy intern position available within her pharmacy and had around 50 graduates competing for it.

 

[Safraaz]

My mother is a pharmacist at a hospital in Sydney's west and says that the market is oversaturated with pharmacy graduates - she had one pharmacy intern position available within her pharmacy and had around 50 graduates competing for it.

This. I have also spoken to some other pharmacists who have said exactly the same. The reason why Usyd decreased its Pharmacy atar down to 85 and has taken away the STAT test is because they want to increase the number of students studying pharmacy. In the past, student numbers were quite low due to their fear of the market being over saturated once they graduate. But if you are going for medicine/dentistry after graduating, then it doesn't seem that bad as it will gurantee you a professional career if all goes bad. I might sound a bit biased, but if you turely want to be a pharmacist, then do the course. If you are doing it for medicine or any other future courses; then do something else. Pharmacy without a doubt is not an easy course and you will surely have to study hard for it. If you are the type of person that loves maths, chemistry and biology, then go for it and goodluck with it. Who know about the future, the course is for 4 years + 1 year training, by then things could drastically change and improve. But I highly doubt this.

 

[golgo13]

Well i guess the problem is people limit their scope to purely community pharmacy, but there are positions else where like industry etc, which is quite relatively untapped from what i see LOL

 

[Safraaz]

Well i guess the problem is people limit their scope to purely community pharmacy, but there are positions else where like industry etc, which is quite relatively untapped from what i see LOL

Ye lol
Unless u want to do rural or hospital/industrial pharmacy, then go ahead as its looking better than community pharmacy.