My name is Juliana Cano and I’m studying BSc Clinical Pharmacology at St George’s, University of London.
I chose St George’s because the course really interested me, and I always knew it was a rather good university. However, I did not come in with many expectations.
St George’s has surpassed my expectations completely. I absolutely love my course due to how well I am doing in it and how practical it is. Frankly, the environment of St George’s is very nice as it’s in the hospital. The teaching is superb, and I find a lot of relevance in small group sessions. I do like how there is so many societies; I’m in the Christian Union and the Teddy Bear Society but I hope to do some sports next year.
Tell us about your experience during the Clearing process
The Clearing process was very straightforward. I simply called St George’s with my grades the day after Clearing (on a Friday). By Monday, I was contacted that I was offered a place on my desired course. I’d also received a phone call from a current student, welcoming me to the university and answering questions I may have. I found this reassuring and comforting to know I was not alone.
What is your advice for students navigating Clearing?
Be patient. Silence is sometimes hard to take in the moment, especially when you are reaching out to multiple universities. I had offers from other universities, but I did not make any rash decisions until I had heard back from St George’s. I’d definitely recommend St George’s for Clinical Pharmacology. I don’t think any other university would make the course as fun as it is now. Ask loads of questions about your course make sure you know what to expect from St George’s, such as what the typical academic year seems like.
Why did you choose to study clinical pharmacology at St George’s?
I had gotten into the course through Clearing. The whole application process was very smooth, and I had full support from the university the whole time. I always found it appealing that the university was a healthcare-specific university and, as it was part of the hospital, I knew the quality of teaching was going to be at a high standard given that we will be in the perfect environment. For example, actual nurses delivered a session on correct hand hygiene, while junior doctors and final year medical students delivered sessions on routes of administration. I knew St George’s Hospital was particularly popular given it was where 24 Hours in A&E was filmed and it is in a relatively convenient location where you could get to central London within minutes using the tube. I was able to join the St George’s community knowing that I’d be surrounded by other students with similar interests and career goals as me: healthcare.
What do you enjoy most about the course?
I’m very surprised and impressed with how much I enjoy my time at St George’s studying Clinical Pharmacology. Modules that I predicted would be a challenge to study are some of my favourites, where I also have good grades. I enjoy how practical this course is; every week we are either in the labs or doing clinical trial skills such as electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring or vital signs workshops. I enjoy that our laboratory sessions will follow with a write up where we are provided with that opportunity to consolidate our learning as the laboratory sessions will always have a link to what was taught either that week or the week before. For example, one week we learned about infectious diseases and microbes, then the following week we had a microbiology practical followed by a mini laboratory report. The lecturers make the sessions extremely enjoyable where we are always provided with learning objectives and you can really tell that they not only are experts in their teaching field, but they actually enjoy teaching us personally. I think this is imperative for students to learn. Additionally, they are incredibly supportive and whenever I’ve had an inconvenience or personal circumstances, I have been flooded with support which has meant so much to me.
What key skills have you gained during the course?
You get to build on your communication and teamwork skills where you will get to work with course-mates to deliver presentations and compete for prizes, just like I did in our yearly Dragons’ Den competition. There are various opportunities to build on your reflective skills and set various targets. Additionally, you learn to become comfortable in a laboratory environment using pipettes and organ baths or in a clinical setting learning phlebotomy, data analysis or how to give medication via intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM). You will always have opportunities to learn and gain insight into the types of jobs you could be doing upon employment.
What advice would you give to someone about studying clinical pharmacology?
If you enjoy learning about medications and have a desire to learn how things work, Clinical Pharmacology is for you. Particularly, if you would like to have more opportunities to deal with patients, it is an even bigger reason to do Clinical Pharmacology rather than just a Pharmacology degree. At St George’s, everything you are learning is with purpose, so go to every session and give it 100%. You will have interesting sessions where your learning is applied to real-world scenarios by looking at case studies. Ask questions and make sure you make the most of every session given because they truly are helpful and designed for your own benefit. At St George’s, you are in charge of your learning; the course is designed for you to enjoy and make the most out of the degree. I'd recommend making sure you've got a couple of questions prepared, usually before your entrance into year 1, as a student may call you to answer any questions and provide any support you may need before starting. Make the most of this situation and ensure all your questions are answered. There is no such thing as a silly question and those who call are very supportive and friendly.
Describe St George’s in 3 words
Innovative, supportive, remarkable.