Khezia Ntomo Asamoah

Recent graduate, Khezia Ntomo Asamoah, completed the MPharm at the Reading School of Pharmacy in 2017 with a 2:1. Khezia also gained a Certificate in Business Administration, an opportunity offered by the School of Pharmacy in conjunction with Henley Business School, which has recently been redeveloped to ensure all MPharm students can benefit from the majority of the course content.

Khezia would recommend the University of Reading to all prospective Pharmacy students, as she found that the friendly teachers and staff treated her like a person and not just a student.

 "Pharmacy is a great degree which opens more opportunities than one could imagine. The Reading School of Pharmacy course in particular does a great job of teaching not only personal skills required for communication, but also the technical skills needed in the science field. The breadth of the course challenges people to apply their knowledge and integrate their learning."

The academics within the Reading School of Pharmacy have some incredible research projects, and are able to assist students with their own research for their dissertations. Through encouragement from the Department, Khezia also secured a placement at the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb. 

"The highlight of my MPharm research experience was my dissertation project, where I chose to investigate temperature differentials in twin screw dry granulation. I loved working on a project that challenged me and pushed me mentally. I was also given an opportunity to work with Bristol-Myers Squibb, giving me an insight into the pharmaceutical industry."

Khezia had the goal of working in industry after completing the MPharm, and found the degree to have a good mix of community work and lab work. After her placement at Bristol-Myers Squibb, she was offered a position with them where she will begin her career in pharmaceutical research. 

"I am a pre-registration pharmacist undertaking a split training year at Bristol-Myers Squibb and St Helen's and Knowsley NHS Trust. Since starting the MPharm degree at the University of Reading, my aim has always been to enter the pharmaceutical industry which then spreads to global health. Lectures, laboratory projects, and our coursework for the Therapeutics and Medicines Optimisation module, where we had to create resources to tackle a public health issue, gave me an insight into these areas."

We don't just teach our undergraduates the MPharm course, we offer support and encouragement to help our students get the most out of their time here. Khezia took part in many of the additional opportunities we present to our students, including the Certificate in Business Administration.  

"I really enjoyed my time at the Reading School of Pharmacy. The course really aims to develop all the requirements needed to be a pharmacist. However, it goes above and beyond; I had the opportunity to learn about business administration with Henley Business School during the summer, which equipped me with the necessary knowledge to take a leadership position. Not only this, but the flexibility of the course allowed me to attend the World Health Organisation Executive Board and World Health Assembly."