Rachael Clynch, Pharmacy

Rachael Clynch (22) will collected her Master’s degree in Pharmacy on stage in His Majesty’s Theatre on Thursday 11 July.

“After all the effort I put into my degree, I am ecstatic that my hard work has resulted in an amazing degree, with the added bonus of it being with distinction,” said Rachael. “I have to commend my lecturers and personal tutor for helping me through some tough times.

“I really appreciated the teaching style. Nothing was spoon fed, and I had to research things for myself. I felt the lecturers and tutors really wanted us to become great pharmacists and weren't content with mediocrity. This pushed me to put as much as I could into every task and this will ultimately help me when it comes to my own practice.”

Racheal wanted to be pushed outside her comfort zone while earning a vocational degree and saw university as the next logical step that would lead to starting her career.

“I also wanted to experience what it would be like to live away from home and hopefully make new friends for life,” said Rachael. “I’ve always been interested in science and healthcare professions. Pharmacy seemed like the most logical decision for my career progression, but I didn’t expect how much I would enjoy the course.

“Pharmacy is progressing at such a rapid pace and it really made me want to get involved. I was even fortunate enough to become a Royal Pharmaceutical Society Student Champion during my time at university”

Rachael enjoyed the course’s focus on pre-registration preparation, an important step on the journey to becoming a pharmacist, as well as getting students ready to ultimately run their own practice.

“This was done through a lot of practical learning such as talking to patients in hospitals or placements in community pharmacies,” said Rachael. “I was able to go to St Andrews University to be part of a simulation with medical, nursing and fellow pharmacy students. This helped me communicate more effectively with other healthcare professionals.

“Inter-professional learning and experiences between the healthcare professions are extremely important in forming a good team.”

Rachael took advantage of RGU’s Employability and Professional Enrichment Hub to assist with her pre-registration application process.

“They were incredibly helpful when it came to the application process for pre-registration and interview preparation,” said Rachael. “Any questions I had were answered, and took an interview preparation appointment which was extremely helpful.”

In August, Rachael will begin her pre-registration year in pharmacy with Boots.

Rachael adds: “My time at RGU has definitely changed me as a person. It has given me life-long friends and a vocation that I love.”