Becoming a pharmacist was a dream career for Amy Walsh but she had something else on her bucket list as well.
She wanted to be a DJ.
So, by capitalising on her flexible study options while she studied her Bachelor of Pharmacy with Applied Honours, she managed to free up enough time to learn to be a DJ as well.
“I started doing that in my third year, it was something I was always interested in learning to do! It’s my side-hustle now.
“There were opportunities to do summer units, so I did that to reduce my load during the year slightly, and that gave me the flexibility to learn how to DJ during the year.
“I took a DJ course in Hobart that was run by some queer and femme DJs who wanted to diversify the DJ space in Hobart to help support minority groups in that space.
“So, I stepped up to the plate! And I only play music by women.”
Originally from Melbourne, Amy moved to Hobart with her family when she was in grade 9. At that stage she was thinking about studying Law at university – she even did a work placement in Melbourne Children’s Court.
But when she participated in the International Baccalaureate program in grades 11 and 12, she discovered a range of fresh possibilities in the science field.
“That program gives you a taste of everything in all these different subjects and it started me thinking about studying physics,” Amy said.
“I was talking to my parents about it, they both have a nursing background, and mum just said have you considered Pharmacy?
“It was like a light had flicked on for me, I was immediately drawn to the idea, so I switched my study focus to Chemistry.”
Amy was interested in the idea of science with practical applications, rather than something more theoretical, so Pharmacy was a good fit right from the outset.
But she was also impressed by the enviable job prospects for Pharmacy graduates.
100% of our 2021 Pharmacy graduates gained full-time employment within just four months of graduating and enjoy the highest median starting salary of any undergraduate Pharmacy degree in Australia.
“I wanted to be strategic about job opportunities,” Amy said. “With Pharmacy, I knew I would be able to get a job once I graduated. And it’s a good career for having flexibility for a work-life balance as well.”
To ensure graduates are as job-ready as possible, the Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours includes a minimum of 450 hours of professional experience placement.
Amy spent a six-week placement at Alice Springs, working with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress – the largest Aboriginal community-controlled health service (ACCHS) in the Northern Territory – and in remote communities.
“I wanted to go and see something that I hadn’t seen before, and I’d never been to the Northern Territory,” she said. “I figured there was no point doing something I could already experience or organise on my own.
“Working with the Congress, I was doing people’s medications and spending time talking to them about what those medications were, and out to remote communities as well, checking their stores, expiry dates, on-site logistics.
“It was interesting learning to navigate the cultural situations, as well. If someone was going on sorry business, they might need three months’ worth of something and would need to be able to store it properly.”
Amy praised the course’s friendly, engaged teaching staff, as well as its varied focus, covering the clinical, academic and business aspects of Pharmacy, saying she felt well prepared for work by the time she graduated.
“I love that you have the Honours year bundled into the degree but can still finish it in three years. And it includes mandatory hospital placements as well, which is a blessing.”
She loved it so much, in fact, that when her parents relocated to Sydney for work during her first year of study, Amy chose to stay in Hobart to complete her degree. And she chose to remain after graduating as well.
“I love living in Hobart, it’s my home now,” she said.
“I’m working at the Royal Hobart Hospital now as a pharmacy intern. We do rotations every month, so I’m getting a broad range of experience.
“This was my dream job and my first choice.”
And, of course, she always has DJing as her side hustle.
With a 100% employment rate after graduation, our Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours is Australia’s only three-year fast-track Pharmacy degree. and boasts the highest median starting salary of any undergraduate Pharmacy degree in Australia. Yes, you read that properly, here’s some more info.