First cohort of pharmacy masters students graduate from Kingston University
Summary
With more than 20,000 students, Kingston University is the largest provider of higher education in South West London, offering an extensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes both in the United Kingdom and overseas. The University is renowned for teaching excellence, has established itself as a growing force in research and is widely respected as a pioneer in e-learning.
The first batch of students to complete Kingston University’s new Masters in Pharmacy has picked up their degrees. The awards, which were handed out in a special ceremony at Kingston’s Rose Theatre, marked a major milestone for the University’s School of Pharmacy and Chemistry which launched the MPharm four years ago. Thirty-six students graduated, with five scoring first class honours, and 24 gaining upper second class awards. They are now undertaking further training in hospitals and community pharmacies.
Accredited by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, the course is one of the newest for pharmacy in the country. Professor Chris Cairns, Head of the Department of Pharmacy, said the graduation ceremony was a proud moment for staff and students at the University. “The occasion marks the culmination of four years hard work,” he said. “Our staff have passed on knowledge and experience in a professional and, at times, highly innovative way which must be applauded. Our students have put in an enormous amount of effort and commitment which is demonstrated not only by all of them gaining their degree, but by the number of first class and upper second class awards.”
The MPharm graduates joined almost 600 graduates from the University’s Faculty of Science to pick their awards under the watchful eye of broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough who accepted an Honorary Doctorate of Science. Sir David reminded the graduates of the importance of knowledge and drawing on it to help achieve a greater good in society. “You have worked hard to acquire knowledge, wisdom and rigour of thought and that has enabled you to wear these garments,” he told them. “I’m proud that I should be wearing a version of them with you and I congratulate you on all you have done over the years to become a member of this academic community.”
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Among the graduates taking centre stage was Kenneth Chan, now a pre-registration pharmacist at The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust who said studying at Kingston was definitely the right choice. “I enjoyed the clinical teaching in the final two years of the course which was strongly linked to the scientific theory taught in the first and second years,” he said. “Kingston has a robust link with St George’s Hospital in Tooting and a lot of the clinical modules were delivered by experienced practitioners which gave me more of an in-depth insight from those working in the field. It really made me realise how the pharmacy profession has a critical role to play, transforming the traditional dispensing services by having more clinical input.” |
