Medicine vs Pharmacy

sam34

em, you've just contradicted yourself!

points are not based solely on demand, they are also based on minimum requirements

they are a function of both those things, admittedly one has more of an impact than the other

locum-motion

And, tell me, Femur, does it bother you when people who know nothing about teaching give out about how it's a doddle, you finish at 4pm every day, for the 7 months of the year that you actually do any work?

Oh, it does, does it? Good. It is right that such things should bother you.

Just as I get annoyed when people like you (who know nothing about pharmacy) say that a monkey could do my job!

Please don't post in this thread if you can't contribute anything worthwhile to it!

femur61 wrote: »

As a member of the public. I am astounded at the points one would need to do pharmacy. To me,it must be the most boring job in the world. I know people who say a monkey could do it. My friend who is a pharmacist says it is so boring unless you have your own pharmacy, when you obtain all that knowledge what do you with it? Take instructions from somebody else!

Sorry, back to original post, I am a secondary school teacher, but due to health issues had to give it up. I personally loved it, it is your decision ultimately.

tracker-man

sam34 wrote: »

em, you've just contradicted yourself!

points are not based solely on demand, they are also based on minimum requirements

they are a function of both those things, admittedly one has more of an impact than the other

We getting into semantics here? I just wanted to clarify how the system actually works. Don't tell me you knew all that already when clearly a few posts ago you didn't! In fact you fell into the same trap that alot of Leaving Certificate students do when filling out their CAO application. Most Boardsies would just hit the "Thanks" button, but anyway!

femur61

Excuse my ignornace is it not supply and demand that dictates the points? If not so then why do so many apply and get in the UK for a course here that demand 500+ points then in UK they gain their qualification on a lot less points only to come back here to seek work.

mcdermla

Minimum requirements aside, the more the demand, the higher the points. Science has the highest drop out rate because students assume that average points means the course requires average academic ability. Yet students who attain a degree in science have many doors open for them with regard to work and post graduate studies. To say that someone who picks a course that requires 340 points must be of only average intelligence is untrue and frankly insulting. The points system is just a way to fill courses. Lets not forget that the Leaving Cert is essentially a memory test and that college exams are much harder.

Sorry I couldn't answer your question OP, best of luck with whatever you decide.

Sid_Justice

Not to muddy the waters. There are certain courses with massive potential intake (Computer Applications in DCU used to take ~300+ undergraduates a year). However, when interest for this course dropped and only ~100 applicants got over 400 points they reduced the number of available spaces. Thus the points stayed around 400 but they only took 100 people on. Those figures are gross estimates.

If, by some magic, there were 1000 medical places in Irish universites for people applying purely through the CAO (ignoring the HPAT thing) I'm sure the uni's would take the best 1000 whether the points of the lowest entrant was 300 or not. If they're able to pass first year (and ultimately the course) that wouldn't bother me.

The college still gets paid for fees for every drop out student for the year they attend so they don't lose anything, just the admin of failing students.

But in a nut shell, pharmacy points are high purely because of demand, sam34's wriggling on matter aside.

anotherlostie

I studied Pharmacy in Trinity in the 90's. It was far from an easy course. Several people failed a year, despite having a high LC points score and not everyone that started completed their degree - when I started, I assumed that the biggest hurdle was getting in, but this wasn't the case.

One could argue that the most important thing for a teacher is an ability to control a crowd, but I don't see a LC subject covering that, or it being a large part of their college curriculum. It might weed out some of the useless teachers in the system.

angeldelight

Can I ask what were the most popular destinations for those pharmacists? Is emigrating not a difficult option for pharmacy (in comparison to medicine)?

UK - I personally know of 10 out of the 50 odd RCSI graduates currently working in the UK or in the process of registering having accepted jobs. And they're only the ones I've stayed in touch with that I know about

bleg

anotherlostie wrote: »

I studied Pharmacy in Trinity in the 90's. It was far from an easy course. Several people failed a year, despite having a high LC points score and not everyone that started completed their degree - when I started, I assumed that the biggest hurdle was getting in, but this wasn't the case.

Studied pharmacy in UCC, graduated last year, same story.

Miren

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if someone could offer me some advice. I graduated last year with a BSc in Pharmaceutical chemistry and i have being looking for a job/internship (unsuccessfully) ever since. So i have applied to study pharmacy in September, but with the low job prospects in Ireland currently, i'm really unsure what to do. I'm sure i will eventually get a job in a pharmaceutical company, but so many are large multinationals and don't offer much job security. Should i just study pharmacy while I have the option?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
Thank you.

Narkius Maximus

drkpower wrote: »

Have you ever seen some of the neanderthals that get a pass degree in mechanical engineering...?;)

There are plenty of stupid doctors doing half assed jobs too! And a lot of medics only ever 'pass' their degrees! Do we tarnish them as neanderthals?