Course + Year:NUS BSc (Pharmaceutical Science) Y3
Pharm Science teaches us about various topics related to the manufacturing of medicinal products.
It lays the foundation in physical, chemical, biomedical and biological aspects of drugs through modules like medical chem, pharm analysis, pharm biotechnology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, etc.
The modules we take are not only restricted to Pharm Sci, but also life science and chemistry-related with experts in these areas, medical school and regulatory industry experts. It also touches on niche knowledge and skills of the pharmacology industry for students to get to know how pharm science impacts drug discovery, formulation and regulatory aspects of these processes. In a way, it will help build knowledge needed for jobs in the pharmaceutical, biomed and consumer healthcare sectors.
There are common topics like medicinal chemistry, but Pharm Science is more suited for people who want to go into research as we focus on industrial research and don’t learn anything about patient care. On the other hand, Pharmacy has modules that teach them how to deal with patients and how to dispense medicine.
In addition, Pharmacy students get a Pharmacy licence at the end of their 4 years, whereas Pharm Science students do not.
I took Biology, Chemistry, Math and Literature in JC. My subjects helped me choose my course! My favourite subject was Chemistry. In the first year I struggled but I really liked it. Through taking Literature, I realized that the humanities was not for me (writing essays would really kill me!). So I was determined to go into the sciences.
I was thinking of taking Biomedical Science, Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry or Psychology. I decided against Psychology because it has some humanities elements and I felt that I wasn’t strong in that aspect. I knew for sure that I didn’t want to do accounting because I went for an accounting day camp in JC and I really couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. I felt that Business was not for me as well due to my lack of interest.
Since SMU is a business school, I wasn’t considering it. Overseas universities were hard for me to apply to especially since I didn’t really read much about it in JC and I felt that being overseas would be inconvenient for me. Thus, I was mainly considering NUS and NTU.
I applied and received NTU Biomedical Science and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I didn’t do background research on the course only until after they offered me. I didn’t realize that TCM was mainly taught in Chinese and I felt that my Chinese might not be good enough to grasp the content!
When NUS offered me Pharmaceutical Science, I wanted to appeal again for Pharmacy but then I went for the welcome tea for Pharmaceutical sciences. The professor made me realise that if I’m planning to go into research, perhaps I shouldn’t spend too much time getting a pharmacy license.
I felt that research is interesting and I believe that it’s meaningful because researchers help to find out more about novel viruses and gain insights into them. Even though many researchers don’t end up producing a drug, I believe that they all contribute in one way or another, and I would like to build on the existing foundation while studying things that are dynamic and evolving. For example, many researchers are figuring out how to tackle antibiotic resistance.
Entry requirements (from the Pharm Science information page) states that it will require very good foundations in chemistry and biology/physics/math. But personally, I feel that you also need to be interested in these areas, step out of your own comfort zone, and be willing to push your boundaries.
The main factor I considered was my interests. I didn’t want to do something I didn’t like. I would like my job to be something I enjoy doing. I know it’s quite hard because every course is challenging in its own way, and you might not enjoy it entirely. That’s why you need to remind yourself of the passion you had for the course in the first place.
I also looked at career prospects. How relevant will this industry be? I also looked at work-life balance because I don’t want to work every day.
Additionally, I wanted something that wasn’t too niche so that I will have a greater variety of opportunities. Although some people think that Pharm Sci is very niche, I disagree! There are different areas that you can go into with a Pharm Sci degree. These include research, drug development or production, drug regulation, manufacturing formulation, clinical trial management, and biotechnology. You can also go into sales/marketing, entrepreneurship, patency and consumer healthcare!
If that really happens, you can talk to professors/friends first. If it still doesn’t change what you think, you can always switch, but you might have to graduate later or overload your semesters with classes, so you have to take that into consideration. If joining another course really makes you happier, you should just go for it. Do what makes you happy. But every course has its own challenges in one way or another. You need to ask yourself whether going to another course will necessarily make you feel better. The last thing you want to do is to switch and realize you don’t enjoy what you’re doing either.
We emphasize on your foundation in the first 2 years. We learnt statistics, H2 Math, and Biochemistry, which was a recap for H2 Bio. We also learnt medical chemistry, anatomy, physiology and pharmacology.
The Y2 mods will build on the foundation you learnt in Y1. In Y3 and Y4, you will learn about product quality and analysis, regulatory science-related things, and you can choose your electives.
As a Pharm Science student, I would say that the curriculum is quite flexible because there’s a lot of MCs available for electives. You can even take a minor!
I have seen how important it is for the different branches of science to come together. Clear communication between these experts within the various branches of science, together with other stakeholders (like the regulators, pharma companies, commercial partners, etc) is also crucial.
In a way, it really highlights the importance of clear communication and networking skills.
Different modules have different methods of assessment.
We do!
JC lab sessions are very guided in comparison – the teacher will help you through and you do some simple calculation and questions in the worksheets. In Uni, you will be briefed by the teaching assistant (TA), find the results then write and discuss it.
For lab technique modules, the TA will brief us. The lab session takes up the whole day. It’s pair work. You have a lab partner, and you have to figure out how you want to work together. You need to plan well. It’s entirely up to you when to eat lunch. You need to observe your compound for colour changes, and you must be confident that you can leave the compound there and go for lunch, or you need to have your lab partner there while you go for lunch.
In University, we focus a lot on the purity of the compound. So, we have to crystallize the compound to make sure it’s pure. After that, we need to do spectroscopy and weigh the compound to determine whether the compound is really pure.
Pharmaceutical Science is heavily focused on analytical techniques instead of pure Science concepts. You need to write a Lab report which is more professional and more difficult to craft. You need to be accurate and precise in whatever you do in the lab.
Additionally, time management is a greater issue in university because our lab sessions include a longer waiting time. The compounds might take a long time to react, and the time it takes to react might even be the equivalent duration of 1 lab session in JC.
But while some people fake their results in JC lab sessions, in real life when you’re working, you can’t fake your results, so it’s important training to give actual results during labs. The prof will talk us through and get us to think about why there were certain impurities if we do not get the desired answer.
It is really fun though, and there is a great sense of accomplishment when you manage to make your compound successfully!
My favourite was Anatomy. We visited the anatomy museum in NUS, which has cross sections of the body and the systems around. There are microscopes for you to view cells as well! Initially it was quite scary because you see the cadavers in real life. Towards the end, I really appreciated the opportunity to witness the difference between what I see in the textbooks and what I saw in real life. I’m grateful towards the people who donated their bodies for educational purposes.
My least favourite was medicinal chemistry. I really like chemistry but this one was tough in the beginning. I blanked out for the test. There are many mechanisms, which are very tiring to memorize – but it sets the foundation for what you will be learning ahead.
We usually have lectures and tutorials. Some modules like biotechnology have practical sessions once in a while. Pharm Science classes are more interactive, and some profs will make us prepare presentations. It’s quite common to have flipped classrooms (lessons where students do the teaching instead of the teacher) in Pharm Science modules.
From my experience, many mods include graded class participation in their CA so you have to be prepared for that. For example, in drug product development and life cycle management, the prof came in and recapped the previous lesson by engaging the class in group discussion. We were split into different groups, which represented different stakeholders in the pharmacy industry.
I thought I would have a lot of lab sessions. However, I realised that they focus on building your foundation first. Lab sessions come after! Other than that, I didn’t have many expectations.
A lot of people think that it’s very niche since it’s very research-focused, and that there are poor career prospects due to the small market size in SG. However, the course is not only focused on research, and the industry is evolving. Biotech companies are setting up base here and are looking into various areas (e.g. Covid-19, antibiotic resistance).
Students can also venture into consumer healthcare, patenting and licensing, medical writing, or be healthcare entrepreneurs. Our course structure makes it possible for students to take a minor, so prospective students can choose a minor in anything they wish. (I’m planning to try out a psychology minor for this semester! )
You should like learning new concepts! You should also have an interest in Biochem (analytical techniques, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chromatography), and drug development.
Career-prospects wise, with greater investment in the industry, and multiple areas for you to go into, it shouldn’t be an issue. If you are not very interested in drug development, you can go into other areas (mentioned above).
I’m interested in research/biotech/formulation of drugs and I might do further studies/a PhD.
A Masters or PhD will be beneficial in deepening knowledge and critical thinking skills for academia, research, or management. There are people who will recommend it!
Some people might want to further their studies right after graduating but one can always go out to work after graduation, and further their studies later on. I personally feel it really depends on what you want, but if you want to achieve more in the areas mentioned above, a PhD is beneficial.
It really depends on the module. For almost every module, they will ask you to do some projects which involve group work and presentation. Actually, it’s quite manageable until the projects come in. There will be projects/presentations due in the same few weeks, and that might get a little crazy. Plan your time well, if not the stress will be real!
There’s a lot of biochem involved. The journey will be tough. Sometimes you may think of giving up but persevere, and recall why you chose this path in the first place.
Be open to new ideas and spend time studying with your friends. The profs are nice, and the seniors are nice too – make an effort to speak to them!
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the interviewees and do not reflect the official policy or position of any institution. They are also not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, class, individual or organisation.
The information contained in this website is intended to provide general guidance only. It should not be relied upon as professional advice and does not 100% guarantee admission into any course.
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