Patrick Moynagh
About
Having been introduced to Pharmacy during work experience at an early stage in Secondary School, I nurtured an extreme interest in the profession. I really enjoyed the every day interaction with patients and also science so this career path was an obvious destination for me.
Deciding to come to Medway was not an easy decision to say the least, leaving home for the first time, coming to a different country at that, and the fact that Medway was a relatively new school of pharmacy were all factors that played heavily on my mind. However I can honestly say now that coming here was one of the best decisions I could have made. The course is very dynamic and clinically orientated linking to the pharmacy world from day one, from your inaugural dispensing lab and the presentation of your pharmacy ‘Bible’ the BNF to your work placements, no day is ever the same.
One of the most valuable aspects of the course at Medway is the diversity and quality of students enrolled in the course alongside you. There is a great mixture of graduate entry students and undergraduate students of varying ages and backgrounds who complement each other to a great extent. Everyone works as a team and you build what I consider lasting friendships very quickly.
In my first year I lived on campus in the new halls of residence, which I thoroughly enjoyed as it allowed me to maintain a healthy balance between study and socialising. The campus improves each year in terms of student life, with the setting up of many new societies and sports clubs. I also studied a part-time French language course in the University of Greenwich one evening a week as I hoped to undertake my Pharmacy research project in my final year in France through the Erasmus program which the school offers.
Medway also has its own society unique to Pharmacy students, Medway Pharmacy Students’ Association. For one year I was the vice president of the MPSA which was a great privilege. I would say they were by far the most proactive and intuitive society on campus but then again I could have been slightly biased!
Overall Medway School of Pharmacy is a great place to study and to start your pharmacy career. The lecturers are extremely approachable and are always available to answer any questions be it course related or otherwise as most operate an open door policy. There is a great sense of community between students and staff alike with a highly personalised approach right down from the head of the school to the administrative and technical staff; no problem is ever too big or too small.