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Explore…Your Recommended Reading General: The Keele MPharm programme has been designed to be accessible to all students and is guided by the principle of placing the scientific aspects of the course firmly in the context of pharmacy practice. This helps to ensure that you realise the relevance of the topics you are studying, even when they seem somewhat removed from your knowledge of what a pharmacist does and the skills they use. All of you are expected to have acquired some core knowledge of the basic sciences and mathematics as a result of your education thus far. Those of you who do not have a formal qualification in some subjects beyond GCSE, or if you gained a lower than expected grade at A level, are recommended to undertake private study in key areas. Once you arrive at Keele you will all be supported by academic staff who will provide expert guidance and help with any aspects of the course that are unfamiliar or challenging. The following texts are amongst those that have been chosen to support the course and each of them have associated web-based resources. To find the web-based resources please visit the website of the publisher. All students who do not have a B grade in Chemistry, Biology and/or Mathematics at A-level are strongly recommended to purchase copies of these texts before embarking on the course: Chemistry: An Introduction to Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (3rd Edition) Biochemistry (6th Edition) Foundation Maths (4th Edition) An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry (3rd Edition) Once you have enrolled at Keele and registered with the School of Pharmacy we will give you a Module Study Guide for the first year of the course. This will give you a more complete summary of the modules taught during the first year of the course. It will also give you the contact details for the member of staff responsible for each module, an outline of the assessment for the module and a more extensive book list. You DO NOT need to purchase every book recommended in the reading list. Many of these are available in the resource room in the School of Pharmacy or in the main library. Alternatively you may decide to share a pool of books with your friends. Subject Specific: Students without a strong pass at A-level in Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics should also use a supplementary text to support their studies, especially those students who do not have a formal qualification in these subjects beyond GCSE Science. The sections that follow contain details of supplementary texts that have been selected to support a particular aspect of the course. Of course, you may feel more comfortable using other, more familiar texts but you should note that the books that are described below have been selected because they are either used already to support Keele’s Foundation Year programmes or are established texts proven to be fit for purpose. Chemistry Knowledge of Chemistry is fundamental to your studies in Pharmacy. The following modules are particularly rich in aspects of Chemistry, or contain material that may be best understood in terms of the underlying chemical principles: PHA-10002 Calculations for Pharmacy (Autumn Semester) Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Metabolism: Major Metabolic Pathways run during the Autumn Semester, and all students will be provided with the help and support needed to acquire a sufficient level of knowledge of the subject to be able to access the module material. Students without a strong pass in Chemistry at A level will certainly be expected to purchase the recommended Chemistry text by Housecroft and Constable. This is a very readable text and covers the Chemistry required in an accessible style. The text is supported by comprehensive web-based tools and students are strongly recommended to use them. Such students may also be required to undertake structured reading and submit brief assignments for formative assessment. The following supplementary texts are strongly recommended to students to support their studies; both texts are used currently in our foundation year courses: Chemistry: Molecules, Matter and Change (4th Edition) Chemical Principles: The Quest for Insight (4th Edition) Biology The 1st Year of the Keele MPharm course contains many modules that are allied to the Life Sciences, including: PHA-10004 Human Physiology and Pathology I (Autumn Semester) Whilst it is not necessary to have knowledge of Biology to be able to access the initial content of these modules, some background reading would certainly help all students who do not have a B grade in Biology at A-level. The recommended Biochemistry text will be useful throughout the course and covers many aspects of Biology, Biochemistry and even Mathematics. The supporting website is well worth a visit. The following text has been highly recommended by the Life Science staff as a good introduction to the biology of the human organism; this is the standard text in the field, is used to support our foundation year programmes and is thus recommended for purchase: Human Biology (10th edition) Mathematics The 1st Year module PHA-10002 Calculations for Pharmacy will lead you through the fundamentals of Mathematics and develop your knowledge of the subject, including a study of chemical kinetics and the typical calculations demanded of the pharmacist in practice. The module also supports your further studies, particularly the 2nd Year modules in Pharmaceutics. The lectures for this module will be supported by a comprehensive programme of examples and problem classes, and the laboratory component will help you place your studies in context. Several texts are recommended to support the mathematical content of the programme, and the Calculations in Pharmacy module in particular. Foundation Maths by Croft and Davison is recommended for purchase to support the module: this book has been written for students who have not specialised in Mathematics at A-level but is also a very useful revision guide for those who have more confidence. Web resources are available to support this text and, whilst not as comprehensive as other sites, the material provided is useful and can be downloaded. Foundation Maths (4th Edition) Please do not hesitate to contact us for further advice regarding the content of the course, and the various scientific aspects in particular. You will receive further information concerning background reading and assessments during the introductory sessions in Week 1. |
