Department of Pharmacy

Aisha
Pharmacy MPharm

I chose to study at King's College London after falling in love with the campus during an open day visit. Being located in central London, one of my favourite cities was just the icing on the cake. King's is an established university, well known for its high level of teaching and for the vast job opportunities it brings.

The Waterloo campus is home to a variety of degrees. This allows for socialising with other students who are not on your course. King's offers a wide range of societies, from the Pharmacy Society to the Dance society and I would recommend joining as many as you can. King's halls are very accommodating and located near campuses. I lived at Brian Creamer Halls in Lambeth, just 10 minutes walk from Waterloo.

After the final year of my degree I will be undertaking a pre registration year at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital, in which I will train to become a practicing pharmacist. In the future I hope to further my career as a Hospital Pharmacist and study a clinical specialty. I feel I have been well prepared by my degree to undertake this as there has been practical experience from my first year.

Matthew
Pharmacy MPharm

I chose King's because it is a leading university with a sensational reputation, and has a great atmosphere for learning. I was particularly attracted to the integrated Pharmacy programme because of the teaching by experts in their field and the great links within the Pharmacy sectors. At King's each student is supplied with the ingredients for success and a stepping stone for a fruitful career. After I graduate I plan to carry out my pre-registration year in either community or hospital pharmacy.

In my first year I stayed in Stamford street apartments, which is literally across the road from the Waterloo campus - very convenient for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and it helped me to become much more independent.

The advantage of being in London is that it is one of the most cosmopolitan and multicultural cities in the world; students will be expose to all aspects of life. I have a part-time job and the extra money gained is helpful, while working allows me to get away and take my mind off university. Living in London provides you with phenomenal opportunities and links in whatever profession you are studying for.

Racha
South African
Biopharmaceuticals MSc

I completed my Bachelor degree in pharmacy in 2009 from Witwatersrand in South Africa - I was the overall top student at my university and was granted an Overseas Merit Scholarship for my postgraduate studies. After completing my internship in the pharmaceutical industry I was motivated to pursue a career in Pharmaceutical Research and Drug Development which led me to choose King's for multiple reasons.

First, King's has one of the best postgraduate programs in Europe and the world. Secondly, King's has a great reputation in the biomedical fields and in particular in the pharmaceutical studies. Thirdly, I was impressed by the number of Nobel Prize winners that King's college has produced - five winners were in the Physiology and Medicine field.

I am very impressed with the wide variety of courses and concentrations offered by the Pharmaceutical program. More specifically, I am very enthralled and satisfied by both the theoretical studies and the practical studies. In addition, the faculty has a lot of experience and knowledge in their particular courses. I feel that King's gives me the necessary knowledge and experience.

King's is located at the center of London with great facility and employment opportunities. The location of Stamford Street Apartments has been convenient for me since it is minutes away from campus, shops and amenities. I would recommend King's College to any student, whether locally or internationally, pursuing biomedical studies.

Simranjit
Biopharmaceuticals MSc

I gained my first master's degree (in pharmacology) at King's College London, so coming back for another qualification after working seemed an obvious choice, as I had enjoyed being at King's immensely.
What attracted me this degree programme was the breadth of subject areas covered. I have a background in pharmacology and have worked in academic research environments, but I felt that I lacked knowledge on how the pharmaceutical industry operated, especially with regard to drug discovery, development and delivery. The MSc Biopharmacy covers all these areas, and gives a good overview of how chemical entities go on to become lead compounds and the testing required in order for these to then reach the market. I now feel that I have a good understanding of these areas and doing this degree has strengthened my desire to work in the pharmaceutical industry. The trip to Novartis was the 'icing on the cake' as we got to see things that we had covered in lectures put into practice in the laboratories.
I've been based at the Waterloo Campus, in the Franklin-Wilkins Building, which I absolutely love. The close proximity of the river makes it a lovely location and lunchtime walks are a regular occurrence. I obtained accommodation at Lillian Penson Hall, an intercollegiate hall run by the University of London, and it's been great. The location, Paddington, is central and getting to Waterloo is easy.
London is one of my favorite cities, and being back here after eight years away has been great. There is so much to do and to see that it's almost impossible to be bored. It is not the cheapest city in the world to live in but student discounts help, especially when it comes to travel on the buses and on the underground.

Huiying
China
Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control MSc

I am a master's student studying pharmaceutical analysis and quality control. After graduation, I will commence my PhD study for which I was awarded an Ors scholarship and a King's scholarship. This subject provides a broad depth of knowledge of spectroscopy, chromatography, quality control and quality assurance.

Arjun
India
Pharmaceutical Technology MSc

What a learning experience it has been for me at King’s! Whether it was the teaching delivered by the finest brains in the world, or interacting with students from different parts of the world, the experience has been an enriching one. In fact it is not merely because of the facilities that are offered at King’s but also its superb faculty that I recommend King’s to everyone.



Academics are extremely supportive. They not only encourage you to read widely, to research thoroughly and to question what you learn at every opportunity but they constantly push you to achieve your best and still go beyond.



At Kings it’s not only hard work but a lot of fun too. Located in the heart of London, it offers a myriad of opportunities to suit every taste. From the wonderful museums, sports stadiums, movie theatres, multi-cuisine restaurants, blooming gardens and quaint little streets for a quiet stroll, London has it all.

Monica
USA
Pharmaceutical Technology MSc

I choose King's because I wanted to live in London and the pharmaceutical division at King's had the exact kind of science I wanted to study. London's a fantastic city to live in and the facilities at the various King's campuses are very good.
Teaching undergraduate lab courses has been the most fun so far, and it's a great way to make some extra money. My advice is to get into teaching as quickly as possible so that you meet lots of people and become familiar with all the facilities available.
I funded myself during my first year but was lucky to get funding from a pharmaceutical company in my second year. You can check whether your potential supervisors have access to private corporations that might be interested in funding you. Be sure to research them.
I will live in student accommodation all three years that I am here. It's great to be a senior student in housing because it gives you a place to live and extra money. King's has a pleasant student bar on the river with well-priced drinks. It's a very social part of King's. However, London is a fantastic city and there is plenty to do for free. Always carry your student ID for those plentiful student discounts! After I have completed my study I plan to return to America to and work within the pharmaceutical industry.

Dina Makhecha
Pharmacy Practice MSc, PG Dip, PG Cert

Becoming a pharmacist after completing the MPharm degree at the London School pharmacy and the consequent pre-registration year left me with the tools to become a qualified pharmacist. However, I felt to enhance my professional ability in the community, starting a diploma would aid me in developing these skills. Looking at the course structure, the university and location all helped me decide that this course was for me.

I found that this programme had a good mix of learning styles, including hospital visits and talking to patients from expert patient groups, which really helped to improve my communication skills. I felt that the theory of effective communication was previously neglected at University, however using a tool called motivational interviewing helped to develop my skills in this area, something I find essential when dealing with patients on a daily basis. I have been able to strengthen my knowledge of elderly people and long term conditions by completing the relevant modules taught by experts in their field. One of the most inspiring aspects of the course was being in contact with specialists who had a wealth of practical knowledge, as well as listening to guest speakers, such as Ash Soni, who motivated us with his influential words. This course includes elements and modules which have supported me in becoming a more patient-centred pharmacist.

I initially applied for the 2-year diploma in pharmacy practice. However the course’s flexibility allows students to complete a one-year certificate if they wish, integrate independent prescribing into the two-year diploma or even advance to a Masters. I found the courses face-to-face contact time is manageable with a full-time job and other commitments. The opportunity to interact with fellow student pharmacist and learn from their expertise gave me an unexpected insight into the variations of the pharmacy profession.

I now aim to extend my diploma into a Masters and complete independent prescribing, which was beyond my original intention. During this course I have had the opportunity to enhance relations with the local surgery and GP’s, helping me to understand their wider agenda. This course has given me the enthusiasm to get involved in the various portals of the pharmacy profession to successfully equip me for the future; with the changes occurring in the NHS I feel capable of dealing with any potential tides in the industry.