Career Development

Work Placements and Foundation Training

All students have access to a drop-in service whereby they can submit their CVs or application forms for comments and suggestions.

Jen Boyd and the UCL Careers team support students to apply for summer placements, including practice interviews for students who have had limited pharmacy experience and have been unsuccessful in obtaining previous work experience. Jen is also able to give individual help and advice on careers in pharmacy.

Foundation Training

To register as a pharmacist in Britain, you must undertake a 12-month Foundation Training placement in an approved hospital or community pharmacy, or a split placement across different sectors.

The national recruitment scheme for Foundation Training placements opens in the summer at the end of your third year via the Oriel system. Students will be supported by Tasneem Kapadia as UCL SOP Oriel lead as they complete the application process. If you are unsuccessful in the first round, clearing takes place during your final year. Information explaining how to apply, deadline listings and interview dates will be shared with students.

When our students are in the second semester of their third year, we hold a Careers Fair for prospective employers to come to the School and talk to the students about Foundation Training at their pharmacy or company and the application and interview process. Our students have an excellent track record with employers and most students are offered a place by the end of the autumn term of their fourth year.

Volunteering Opportunities

To find out about volunteering opportunities for Pharmacy students please visit our dedicated volunteering area which can be found by clicking on this link: Volunteering Opportunities.

Work Placements

Hospital Visits and Patient Interviews

The MPharm programme includes visits to clinical wards at the Royal London and St Bartholomew’s Hospitals so that you acquire professional and clinical skills. You will go on ward rounds with a clinical pharmacist and discuss therapeutic patient issues. You will also have the opportunity to interview patients, who come to The School of Pharmacy to take part in learning sessions.

Summer Placements

We also encourage all pharmacy students to gain practical experience in hospital or retail pharmacies in the summer vacations. Certain companies such as Boots, Day Lewis and Tesco operate paid summer training programmes and you will be given guidance about how to apply. Many hospitals also recruit students for the summer, although these are generally arranged as unpaid work experience, and some may only be open to students in their third year of study.

Careers

UCL students and recent graduates are also encouraged to use the UCL Careers Service, part of The Careers Group, University of London, who have a range of services, events and resources.