Israel Marfo

Year of Graduation: 2020

  • Course Master of Pharmacy
  • School School of Pharmacy
  • Nationality British
  • Career industry Pharmacy
  • Current job title Pre-Registration Pharmacist
  • Current Company Well Pharmacy

If a 41-year-old ex-London bus driver can secure an MPharm Degree, you can do it too; just put in the required effort! Don't allow the sky to be your limit when there are footsteps on the moon.

I particularly enjoyed how the lecturers taught. To me the TBL method was the best I had ever seen and it makes you pull your weight! Dr Hana Morrissey and Professor Patrick Ball were a very different couple, they had an active interest in every student and it was obvious they were very interested in the success of their students. That is not too say the other lecturers did not care. The best moments were always the scratch-card activities where we had to reveal the hidden correct answers to the TBL questions after the various groups' has been completed. Facilities are great with USB charging ports, plugs and coffee machines in every corner. The library can be easily accessed from home which makes it very helpful because you can access it anywhere you find yourself. I had the opportunity to go on placements that were organised by the University and I also volunteered to get extra experience. I made some really good friends who are almost like family now and though we don't see each other, we still keep in touch. The Pharmacy Ball was always a thing I looked forward to but it's rather unfortunate it did not happen due to the COVID pandemic.
The skills gained through the TBL sessions particularly helped me to work as an efficient member of a team and also taught me to find a special place in my heart for difficult team members. At TBL we were not allowed to switch teams, and as daunting as it was, it turned out to be a good thing because it has furnished me and most of my colleagues with the will power and the skill to live through difficult situations at work.
To communicate effectively with patients and my colleagues, give evidence-based advice to patients that may come in for minor ailments and refer where appropriate thereby recognising my limitations and signpost patients to ensure they receive the appropriate care. I also have the responsibility of organising and requesting repeat prescriptions and interact with prescribers on patients' behalf when necessary. As a pre-registration pharmacist people look up to me and as a result I need to comport myself even in difficult situations, work well under stress, be proactive, have attention to detail, be able to think on my feet and make appropriate judgement just as would be expected of a newly qualified pharmacist. I am also responsible to make up a portfolio of my day-to-day activities to ensure I achieve a list of 76 competencies that would give me the skills and knowledge to the level of at least a newly qualified pharmacist.
Moments where I notified my colleagues of some important information about some particular drugs that could be bought over the counter. I was only able to do this because I spent time reading the inscriptions on the GSL medicines that are readily available to patients. That extra knowledge placed the team in a better position to give crucial information to ensure patient safety.
Pharmacy is a great career and there are tonnes of opportunities out there. I definitely encourage potential students to take the plunge, however it is worth mentioning that you get out what you put in; if you want the best results, see yourself for who you are: a Pharmacy student and not a history student. As a Pharmacy student you cannot afford to leave your revision until examination week, that would be a recipe for disaster! The University of Wolverhampton is full of heroes just without capes and I honestly think some of the universities with big names may not be able to match what lecturers put in at the University of Wolverhampton.