teacher thinking of changing profession

[johnep]

Suggest you try to live at home and if work in holidays, should be doable. You will have to check with chosen college. Best of all would be wealthy parents or wealthy and understanding wife/husband to support you. I supported my daughter for a year to take a masters at local college. I was retired and was able to locum.
johnep

[AimingHigh]

Yes that sounds encouraging. my family are firm on the property ladder so i think they may set aside funds from a rental property.

Thank you very much Johnep.

[johnep]

Good luck, perhaps you will become a lecturer at college and locum in the holidays.
Best of both worlds.
johnep

[kemzero]

Hi everyone... I'm new to the forum and joined mainly to get some direction and also to get a better understanding of the pharmacy world.
i am currently a secondary School Science teacher, but I have always had an ambition of becoming a Pharmacist i am now seriously considering taking on a 4 year degree. I have A-levels in Chemistry, Biology and English at (B,B,B) I also have a BSc degree in Pharmaceutical sciences.
Can anyone tell me the chances of getting a place on a pharmacy degree starting 2011? I feel it may be hard as i will be competing with young student who have just finished their A-Levels. Also would there be anything else that may help me getting a place i.e any otherq ualifications i may need?
I have worked in a pharmacy before and also completed the NPA interact course.

I think its a good idea as you might get exempted from year 1 ( currently techies with a foundation degree in pharm sciences are so I,m sure you will as you've got a degree in pharm science) you can locum as a tech loads of 100-hour pharmacies about, it won't be easy but it might be worth it in the end ..depends on what you are currently doing I don't think pharmacists earn much more than teachers , but community pharmacists earn a bit more than their technician colleagues and you can also have your own shop without having to pay a pharmacist .Good luck anyway whatever you decide to do. 2010 is a new decade, chase and achieve your dream as you obviously have the ability. Lack of funds is a problem but not an insurmountable(sp) one as hard graft, family or banks can always help

Just as a matter of interest why didn't you opt for pharmacy the first time around as you obviously had the grades , ( two sciences ,one of which must be chemistry)

[AimingHigh]

I think its a good idea as you might get exempted from year 1 ( currently techies with a foundation degree in pharm sciences are so I,m sure you will as you've got a degree in pharm science) you can locum as a tech loads of 100-hour pharmacies about, it won't be easy but it might be worth it in the end ..depends on what you are currently doing I don't think pharmacists earn much more than teachers , but community pharmacists earn a bit more than their technician colleagues and you can also have your own shop without having to pay a pharmacist .Good luck anyway whatever you decide to do. 2010 is a new decade, chase and achieve your dream as you obviously have the ability. Lack of funds is a problem but not an insurmountable(sp) one as hard graft, family or banks can always help

Just as a matter of interest why didn't you opt for pharmacy the first time around as you obviously had the grades , ( two sciences ,one of which must be chemistry)

Hi Kemzo thak you for your reply really appreciate it.
I applied for pharmacy but fell into a catch 22. The School of pharmacy i applied for as first choice declined me and my insurance then declined me on the basis that they were not my first choice and other student who put them as first choice (and had same grades) had priority.
So it fell down to pure Luck in the end i know people with lower A-Level grades who got into pharmacy. I had the option of trying to get a transfer to pharmacy but i must admit my imaturity at the time made me lose ambition which i so regret now.

Yeh what you have written sounds like a good plan. I Definately feel more encouraged. I may work an extra year just to ensure i have sufficient funds. And hopefully will get some help form fam.

Once again Thanks Kemzo

[culchie82]

My advice is not to, you'll regret regret it when you're stuck in a community position that you absolutely hate due to the conditions, stress because of unreasonable customers etc. The school boy error is that everybody thinks you have to go along the academical/ professional route in order to obtain success. I know remedial massage therapists working from home earning 35- 45 quid an hour, and booked out from morning to night! Do you think the taxman is even seeing a tenth of this? Not on your life. All this after a one year course at night school!

[johnep]

I visited a chiropodist who charged £30 for half hour and was fully booked for a fortnight.
johnep

[culchie82]

Johnep - Relexologists, masseurs, chiropodists etc charge what they like and depending on how good they are generally get repeat custom. People will pay anything when they're in pain. The common misconception is that all Lawyers, accountants and other professionals earn a fortune, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The majority of newly qualified solicitors earn crap money, somewhere in the region of 24 thousand. A decade later they might be earning 35 thousand if they're lucky and with double the stress for good measure. My point is that people need to look beyond professions.

[Fleegle]

Hi
i am a teacher(31 year old single female woman) who is thinking (and has been for several years) of doing pharmacy. It has now changed to 5 years i realise this and i am no spring chicken. I do enjoy my job as a teacher and it is very rewarding however it just doesn't pay very well for the amount of time you have to put in. If i worked it out i am getting paid less than 10 pounds an hour! and that is not including the extra planning and marking time. When i was 18 years old i got onto a pharmacy course but as the first time away from home i messed around and ending up having to change my course as i screwed up. To cut a long story short I often think of this mistake i made and that what if i was a pharmacist, how much better my life(financially) would be. I know it would be a lot of studying but i am mature and sensible now. However, the question is do you think it would be wise for me to take this step in my life now, or do you think it is too late bareing in mind i would have to support myself for five years without a wage being single.
thanks for your responses in advance.
teacher,

Strangely, I have been thinking of giving up pharmacy to become a teacher...is ten quid an hour honestly the going rate for teachers?

[johnep]

Combining the two was what I did in early sixties. Teaching during the week and locums sometimes at the weekends and during the holidays. My pay as a teacher was £660 a year, at the time pharmacy was paying £1,400/year.
johnep