Re: Atar predictions for b.pharm usyd this year? it dropped like 10 last year apparen
I suspect the reason for the decline in demand for Pharmacy is the fact that there are very few job prospects after graduation. A couple of years ago, it was a lot easier to get employed after completing a B.Pharm but nowadays, many graduates have to move to rural areas to find good employment. Many end up in retail pharmacy which isn't what the majority of graduates aim for. I think ultimately people who graduate with B.Pharm want to work in a hospital (or perhaps work their way up a big pharmaceutical company) but limited funding means there are very few available positions making them super competitive and only the cream of the crop are successful.
I for one, am so glad I did not end up doing Pharmacy. It was definitely a serious consideration when I was in Year 12 and it was something my parents wanted me to do. When I was in Year 12, the job prospects were very good (it was perceived as the go to degree for a science student if you want a 'guaranteed' job) so it was a very attractive option (UAI cut off was around 96 back then) but by the time my cohort graduated, the good jobs were very difficult to come by. A lot of my friends ended up doing further study (e.g. medicine, dentistry) or ended up finding employment in other industries. Those who stuck with pharmacy were often those who really excelled in the area or moved out to rural areas. Also, apparently the average starting salary of a pharmacy graduate at the moment (not necessarily back then) is one of the lowest of all the disciplines (see the Graduate Survey) possibly because a lot of them end up in retail pharmacy at best or work in some entry level position completely different to pharmacy.
Not trying to turn anyone off pharmacy or anything lol (who knows, the employment prospects might pick up by the time you graduate
) but at the end of the day, it all comes down to doing something you are genuinely interested in.