Ream Sabbah

I am the second child of four, and spent most of my childhood in Sydney. In year 7, my family and I moved to Israel for three years, and then moved back to Sydney where I completed Year 11 and Year 12. I completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UTS in 2015.

I decided to study this degree after researching pathways for study after my undergraduate degree. Postgraduate study was my main option, and after further research I became really interested in pharmacy.

I chose to study the Master of Pharmacy at UTS because the university offered a more practical and hands-on approach to teaching and learning, which really caught my attention. The amount of clinical placement hours being advertised is what sets it apart from Pharmacy degrees at other universities. Choosing to continue my studies here at UTS has been the best decision that I have ever made.

The most rewarding aspect of the course is having the opportunity to experience the diversity of roles in pharmacy. Students experience different pharmacy environments such as community, hospital, industry and professional bodies; in both metropolitan and rural areas, as well as interstate.

This degree has given me the opportunity to try new things. It has provided me with new skills in research and helped me to improve my time management and communication. I find myself to be more proactive and productive than ever, as constant study is required. I manage to balance two part-time jobs, a research project, as well as a full-time study load.

There is a major focus on group work and group assessments during this degree. It allows you to experience working with a myriad of personalities, and provides you with skills that are transferrable into the workforce.

I’ve had plenty of great lecturers and tutors, but Professor Charlie Benrimoj, is someone that you never forget. His extensive knowledge of pharmacy, particularly within the community setting, always leads to great discussions and debates amongst the classroom.

The Pharmacy academic team is really supportive. The benefit of being in a small cohort of approximately 60 students means that you have more one on one time with academics. The academics respond to emails promptly, and welcome drop-in visits after class hours.

With the knowledge, and experience gained from this degree, I have managed to secure myself a position in a community pharmacy as a student pharmacist, as well as a position in a hospital pharmacy as a pharmacy assistant.

In the future, I hope to pursue a career in hospital pharmacy, and possibly complete a PhD with the Graduate School of Health at UTS.

My advice for future students: be proactive! There are multiple opportunities out there, in community, hospital and industry if you go out and look for them. Mingle with people in the profession, your academics and your fellow peers as pharmacy is a small world.