Pharmacy is a fulfilling career path for those looking to help out the needy. From working behind the glass at a local pharmacy to helping patients with their medicine at a hospital, pharmacists have a very crucial role in helping out the quality of people’s lives. There are many necessary steps to earning the white coat, the core of which revolve around many years of schooling. At the start is recognizing why you are pursuing the path of pharmacy. Even though the career is one in which you are well compensated, having a commitment to the betterment of the public will fuel you with the right spirit to overcome the challenges you will face along your path.

Having a solid foundation in secondary school/ high school of math, science, physics and chemistry will help you properly prepare for the next step. Having good communication skills, both written and verbally, will help you navigate in the workplace. On the extracurricular end, some good organizations to be involved in would be trying to volunteer at a hospital or a Science Olympiad. Being involved in a sport, and doing the research about the anatomy of the human body, will also give you great insight into the workings of the human body. It never hurts to try and reach out to a pharmacist and ask them to shadow them while you’re still in school. Being able to ask personal questions about the pharmacy career path is vital to really understanding what to expect. All of your experience and passion towards your career, all in addition to your GPA, will allow you to have more options when it comes to higher education.

When it comes time to choose an angle of pharmacy, understanding where you want to end up is very important. Here are just a few of the numerous careers related to the profession:

Retail Pharmacist
Poison Control Expert
Clinical Pharmacist
Industry Pharmacist
Chemotherapy Pharmacist

Although the prerequisites may differ from every school to school, a few of the courses need to enroll in are:

General Chemistry
Biology
Biochemistry
Economics
Calculus
Physiology
Organic Chemistry
Statistics

If you are looking to study in the United Arab Emirates, one of the best schools for pharmacy is RAK Medical & Health Sciences University- School of Pharmacy. Winter semester intake starts this month and you too can pursue a career path in pharmacy. Find more about the program here.