MPharm Pharmacy (Hons) – competency-based interview

Graduate View

Recent Ulster University graduate, Fatimah Khan provides a fantastic overview of the course:

• How and why you chose Ulster to study Pharmacy?

  I initially chose to study at Ulster because the Pharmacy course is ranked #1 in the United Kingdom. Upon completion of my first year I definitely understood why. The small class sizes were ideal for getting to know everyone in my course. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and connect with my fellow students and lecturers alike.

  Everyone I've met, both on campus and within the community, have been so friendly and welcoming and it's truly made Northern Ireland feel like home. The lecturers are also friendly and supportive and are keen to get to know you on a personal level. This adds to the student experience and makes you feel a part of the university in a way that is simply unachievable at other universities.

• Key themes within the course - that you enjoyed

  
  The practical aspects of my course are definitely one of my favourite components of the course. From community, hospital and industry placements to on-campus lab and pharmacy skills practicals–these hands on components of my course really allow me to put my learned knowledge into practice and experience a part of what my future career may look like. In particular, I enjoyed extemporaneous dispensing where we were able to formulate medicines from basic components into creams or solutions.

  These experiences are only further aided by the small class sizes, which enable enhanced interaction between my peers and the teaching staff. The course has also enabled me to undertake opportunities both within and outside the university which has enhanced my academic, personal and professional skills.

• Challenges along the way - and how they were overcome

  I had initially struggled with some of the chemistry concepts in the first year of the course. The school offered optional chemistry tutorials, which I attended. The tutorials helped me gain a better foundation of the chemistry concepts, which in turn aided in my understanding of the taught concepts.

  Not only did this help support my chemistry knowledge, but I was able to meet other students at those sessions who eventually became my study partners and now lifelong friends! Furthermore, the staff have an open-door policy and I have always been able to reach out to staff at any time and rectify any academic problems when they arose.

• In a nutshell, how did the course prepare you for your professional career and your professional exams?

  The course is constantly evolving to reflect changes in the profession and ensure we are given the skills and knowledge to support our future careers. For example, our pharmacy practice examinations, known as OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations), were introduced in our second year. This has enabled my peers and I to gain confidence and competence in key skills required of a pharmacist such as counselling, dispensing and medicines optimization.

  In addition to this, the staff have always made a point to illustrate the scientific underpinnings of all our clinical knowledge, which fosters a holistic understanding of a topic. This has given me a thorough understanding of everything I have learned, but also gives me confidence that I am equipped with the knowledge and skills to support my professional training and career.

• What are your plans?

  I plan to undertake my licensing exams to obtain my Canadian pharmacy license. Currently, I am working within community pharmacy as a pharmacy intern where I am able to put my education into practice. Through this, I hope to gain additional practice experience to aid in my licensing exams. Furthermore, as I gain more experience, I hope to apply this to my future pursuits within pharmacy education.