A passion for pharmacy and its role in global emergency medicine
Fourth year Pharmacy, MPharm student Hera is passionate about her course. She says it’s a constantly developing profession, where the role of a pharmacist is becoming more patient facing. And it can lead to a varied carer from working in hospitals and industry to being involved in clinical trials and the development of the drug. Read on to hear her study story.
"At interview I was drawn in by the friendly and close-knit atmosphere. It’s been an important part of my time here. Staff are always willing to help you from helping you when you struggle to supporting you with summer placements.
"I’ve learned many things here. How to manage my time, getting the right balance between wellbeing and studies. I gained the confidence to get involved with different activities, such as joining the Pharmacy Society and the BPSA. And my experience with Comensus has taught me that patients are real people with real feelings and they can also be quite fragile. I also learned that you can gain a lot about a patient’s condition from them, which is more valuable than anything you’ll get in a text book.
"We’ve had lots of placement opportunities too, which is key for once we’ve qualified, giving us a taste of the real world."
"I’ve also been to pharmacy conferences in Poland and Czech Republic and I took part in a student exchange programme last summer in Ohio, USA. Through Pharmacy Buddies, I’ve been involved in health melas, carrying out health checks on the public, explaining and interpreting their results and giving advice.
"I’ve also been involved in several health campaigns, such as the Pharmacy Cuts Campaign, Antibiotic Resistance Campaign, Sexual Health Awareness and World Cancer Day.
"My greatest achievement was being one of 20 students from around the world selected to attend the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2017. Representing student pharmacist, we sat with health ministers from all over the world. It’s been a dream of mine since Year 8. Pharmacy has an integral role in the World Health Organisation especially when it comes to emergency medicine. It’s one of my passions to see how pharmacists are involved.
"My advice for anyone thinking of studying here is to attend an Open Day, ask lots of questions, and make the most of finding out what you’ll be studying. The more informed you are the better of a decision you can make.”