Semester Information

Having had a good rest over the weekend after the freshers’ party, you’re full of motivation – and perhaps a little nervous – as you embark on this new chapter in your life, and so you try to arrive well ahead of time for your first lecture. After getting lost on campus three times, you finally find the General Chemistry lecture theatre. Here, alongside biology and industrial chemistry students, you’ll learn the fundamentals of chemistry in a clear and accessible way, starting with atomic structure and orbital theory. Even if much of this material is already familiar to some of you, and even though you, as pharmacy students, won’t be sitting an exam in this module, it’s worth keeping up to date, as your main lecture in the afternoon assumes a solid grasp of these fundamentals. In addition, a tutorial is offered once a week by students from higher years, where you can discuss exercises in a classroom-like atmosphere in parallel with the lecture.

By the morning at the latest, things will get a bit more cognitively challenging. This is where all physics enthusiasts will be in their element, as on two days a week you’ll attend a relevant lecture alongside medical and dental students. Over the course of a week, you’ll revise upper-school maths, and then race through the upper-school physics syllabus right up until the end of the year. I can reassure anyone who isn’t particularly keen on physics that you won’t be sitting an exam on this subject either. However, you’ll need this knowledge for the first state examination in two years’ time at the earliest. So you have the choice of whether to acquire this knowledge early on or rather at the last minute. In any case, bear in mind that the coming semesters won’t be ‘quite so relaxed’!

In fact, there are also lectures that you’ll only attend as part of your pharmacy semester. These include‘General Biology for Pharmacists I’with the very friendly Prof. Heilmann. After a rather leisurely start, you’ll be taught the basics of cytology and morphology here. You’ll soon realise that the content goes far beyond what you learnt at school and that it makes sense to engage actively with the material… even though you won’t be sitting an end-of-semester exam here, the first-semester material will account for around 40 per cent of the second-semester exam. To everyone else, let me say that next semester everything will suddenly become crystal clear if you’ve studied hard for the exam.

You’ll spend the majority of the semester – particularly the mornings and afternoons – on ‘General and Analytical Chemistry of Inorganic Medicinal Substances, Excipients and Contaminants (including pharmacopoeial methods)’ with Prof. Pockes. The first few weeks focus primarily on general chemistry and will immediately test your limits. This is not to be confused with the Monday morning lecture, as the pace and scope of the material go far beyond the basic school chemistry course. Once the initial doubts have set in, this brief, intensive period is already over, and you’ll be preparing with renewed motivation for the content of the five-week ‘Quali’ (i.e. Qualitative Analysis) practical, which will then keep you busy in the lab from mid-November onwards, often into the evening. Here, you’ll be putting all sorts of colourful concoctions and mixtures through their paces to uncover their secret nature. At the start of December, you can look forward to a short colloquium on laboratory theory. By Christmas, everyone will have analysed at least five substances in the lab. Alongside this, there’s also a small Christmas party for all pharmacists to organise in early December, and we’ll be on hand to offer you advice and support.
Alongside the lecture, there’s usually a supplementary seminar one day a week, where further chemical fundamentals – such as complex and redox chemistry – are covered, hopefully clarifying most of the unanswered questions from the first few weeks of lectures. In February, you’ll then have the chance to put all the equations you’ve learnt and your accumulated knowledge to the test in the qualifying final exam (provided you’ve passed the practical course beforehand).

To rob you of even more free time, you’ll also be carrying out physics experiments over 10 afternoons (running alongside the qualifying practical course) as part of the physics practical course – for which you must register right at the start of the semester! However, the course is organised in a more than fair manner, so this practical isn’t exactly one of the most stressful modules of the semester.

If you’ve passed everything so far, you can look back on a lovely, exciting semester with your first university parties.

During the first holidays, you’ll then be able to undertake a four-week placement (clinical placement) in a pharmacy, where you’ll gain valuable and useful experience for the coming semesters and gain insight into whether you’ve chosen the right degree programme.

Highlights:

• Physics practical
• Correctly identifying 4 group analyses and 1 full analysis during the qualifying practical
• Organising the Christmas party for the Faculty of Pharmacy
• Exam in General and Inorganic Chemistry (qualifying exam)

Reading list for the 1st semester:

• Jander/Blasius: Textbook of Analytical and Preparative Inorganic Chemistry
  (Reference work covering every conceivable detection reaction and a brief general introduction)
• Mortimer: Chemistry
  (clear, straightforward presentation of the key fundamentals; a good textbook and a must-read for anyone wishing to catch up on or deepen their knowledge of chemistry)
• Reinhard: Pharmaceutical Biology 1
  (Concise presentation of the fundamentals of pharmaceutical biology)
• The Ehlers Series:
  Chemistry I
  Analytical Chemistry I

Towards the end of the first semester, you will be divided into two groups. One group will take Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms ( AFL for short) in the second semester, whilst the other will take Pharmaceutical Biology (PB I + II for short). The practical course not taken by each group will then take place in the third semester. Make absolutely sure you know which group you’ve been assigned to and plan your clinical placement during the semester break accordingly, as the biology group always starts four weeks before the start of the preparatory period for the new semester!

The biology group begins with a two-week microscopy practical on the ‘examination of medicinal substance-producing organisms’ (affectionately known as the ‘plant snippets course’). Here, all plants and plant parts are examined under the microscope, and you’ll learn how to use it. During the practical, you’ll produce and hand in drawings of your microscope observations. These must be submitted in full and correctly by the end of the course in order to be allowed to sit the final practical exam (don’t worry, the teaching assistants will help you with this). In addition, halfway through the practical course, you can expect a short theoretical mid-term exam where you can already earn marks towards the final exam. As with all exams, you’ll have three attempts at the final exam. If you fail after three attempts, you’ll have to repeat the entire practical course. Once you’ve successfully completed the practical course, your first exam – the PB I exam – will take place on the Friday before lectures begin.

During the lecture term, you’ll then move on to the second biology practical on the identification of plant-based drugs. You’ll spend two afternoons a week examining a wide variety of powders – some of which may be toxic – under a microscope to identify the drugs they contain. The aim is to correctly identify 7 powder mixtures, each containing 2 constituents. You must also identify 5–8 constituents in each of 3 tea mixtures. You will need to analyse these outside of practical session hours. To pass the final exam, you must also know the Latin names, source plants, active ingredients, characteristics and areas of application for all the medicinal substances covered (approx. 120). Those who start revising early will have a clear advantage, as marks are deducted for every spelling mistake in the exams. In the final practical exam, you must fully identify an inductive tea, as well as two powdered drugs. For this placement too, passing the practical exam is a prerequisite for sitting the PB II written exam in mid- to late June. If you fail the practical exam on your third attempt, as with PB I, you will have to repeat the placement.

The AFL group will focus on the basics of day-to-day pharmacy operations with regard to compounding.

You can find more details about the AFL placement under the third semester.

Furthermore, the ‘Instrumental Analysis I’ placement takes place for all students in the second semester. Across six stations, you will learn about the latest analytical methods. This placement requires both preparatory and follow-up work. Before each experiment, there are oral examinations in which you must demonstrate that you have mastered the theory (if you are unprepared, you may be barred from taking part in the practical). You must then write a report on each experiment. The stations are only considered passed if the content of the report is correct (great attention is also paid to formalities here). This is a prerequisite for admission to the Instrumental Analysis I exam at the end of the semester. If you keep up with the lecture and work through the recommended reading, the exam should not pose a problem. However, you will only receive the certificate for Instrumental Analysis after completing Part 2 in the third semester.

This is followed by a Quantitative Analysis practical – ‘Quanti’ for short – which runs for the whole semester, during which you’ll once again be trained for around six weeks to transform from a ‘slacker’ into a meticulous analyst through titration. If you’ve scored at least two-thirds of the marks, you’ll be allowed to sit the exam, which is the last one of the semester. You should have a good, well-developed understanding of quantitative analysis, the various titration methods and, in particular, the mathematical evaluation of the results (stoichiometry!).

In addition, your timetable will also include lectures on ‘Pharmaceutical and Medical Terminology’ (compulsory attendance) and ‘Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Pharmacists’. Here, on the one hand, you’ll learn extremely useful medical and pharmaceutical terminology and concepts for your subsequent studies and future career; on the other hand, you’ll reacquaint yourselves with ‘good old’ stochastics. In maths, you’ll then have to work through a weekly exercise sheet covering the topics covered in the lecture, which will be marked and reviewed in tutorial groups (around 5 groups for the whole semester). To be admitted to the exam, you must achieve half the marks on the exercise sheets. At the end of the semester, there will be an exam for both lectures (although in maths you are allowed to bring a formula cheat sheet).

In addition, you can also attend the Organic Chemistry (OC) lecture in English, alongside the (bio)chemists, biologists and teacher-training students. You might even find that you can take something away from this for your OC lecture in the third semester. The exam isn’t compulsory and is poorly timed for pharmacy students; given the tight exam schedule at the end of the semester, you might not have much time to get to grips with this material. But who knows – perhaps you’ll still learn something new and find some inspiration.

Make the most of this semester without letting everything go completely by the wayside. Go to every party you can, because the third semester is going to be tougher.

Highlights:

• Biology exams and practical exams in plant specimens (PB I) and tea drug identification (PB II), as well as the AFL exam
• AFL colloquia and preliminary exams for AFL students
• Practical and exam in Instrumental Analysis I
• Terminology exam
• Exam in Mathematics and Statistics for Pharmacists
• Quantitative practical: achieve at least two-thirds of the marks to pass the practical
• Exam in Quantitative Inorganic Analysis

Reading list for the 2nd semester:

• Ehlers: Analytical Chemistry II
• Dominik, Steinhilber: Instrumental Analysis
  (Ideal for the first semester and if you’d like the material explained clearly once more; includes practice and exam questions)
• Leistner, Breckle: Pharmaceutical Biology Compact
  (Ideal for the first-year exam; also covers in depth the topics only briefly touched upon)
• Eschrich: Atlas of Drug Powders
• Wichtl: Herbal Medicines and Phytopharmaceuticals

Your first year of university is already behind you, and you may well have ticked off both parts of your clinical placements. So head into your third semester full of motivation – because, believe us, you’ll need it for this semester. You’ll soon have to put your leisure activities on the back burner, as university will keep you plenty busy.

Once again, the most important part of the semester is the AFL or PB I/II practical placement. Anyone who has already studied plants in the second semester will now be introduced to the fine art of formulation. What you may have already begun during your clinical placements will now finally be brought into clear focus, and so, one afternoon a week, you’ll learn everything there is to know about powders, granules, capsules, creams, ointments, gels, pastes, sterile dosage forms, suppositories, globules and how to prepare them correctly. If you make sure to prepare well for each session, the daily colloquium won’t throw you off track. You’ll also sit two ‘Antestate’ (interim exams), passing which is a prerequisite for continuing with the practical course. Good organisation and teamwork are worth their weight in gold on this practical course. Towards the end of the semester, there is also a written exam on this subject. The other part of the semester, on the other hand, involves the PB I practical course, which also takes place four weeks before the start of the semester. You can read more about the schedule in the section on the second semester.

So far, however, the second semester would still be considerably more stressful, which is why the following modules are now being added:

First of all, you must attend a compulsory weekly session on nomenclature. You’ll confirm that you’ve been paying full attention by signing the attendance register. The exam on this topic will then take place in mid-December. After that, however, your compulsory commitment continues, as you ’ll be applying the structural formulae you’ve learnt to their stereochemistry . Shortly after the Christmas break, the next challenge awaits you in the form of the stereochemistry exam.

In addition, this semester you’ll be working on rounding off your knowledge of instrumental analysis. In the lecture and the accompanying practical session, you’ll be working with various analytical methods such as NMR, DC, HPLC, UV/Vis, IR, etc., once a week. Your new knowledge will be tested in the next stereochemistry exam. To prepare for this, you should familiarise yourselves thoroughly with the techniques and work your way through the state examination questions.

To ensure you don’t get too bored whilst revising in the afternoons during this exam period, the microbiology practical has been organised. Here, split into two groups, you’ll spend two weeks each focusing on bacterial cultures: their identification, staining, growth on suitable agar media, counting, and the effects of various antibiotics. That brings us round to the next exam in the new year.

There’s one more to go: Physical Chemistry, or PC for short. Alongside the lecture, there’s also a weekly practical session where you’ll learn more about potentiometry, refractometry, polarimetry and UV spectroscopy, as well as cryoscopy, calorimetry and interfacial tension. Your understanding will be tested in the final exam.

Anyone who has established themselves as a fairly successful student by this semester – and, above all, has already completed the chemistry exams – will be called upon by a ‘higher authority’ to attend the histology practical. This means that five more December afternoons are fully booked from 1 pm to 6 pm, and nerves are understandably on edge. Once you’ve developed into genuine tissue identification specialists, you’ll be ready for the final exam just before Christmas and will have truly earned your break.

If you keep at it and perhaps manage to find a bit of a balance alongside the overwhelming amount of revision, then you’ll have got the hardest part of your undergraduate studies out of the way.

Overview

• From around 4 weeks before the start of the semester: PB1 practical with practical exam
• October: PB1 exam
• October/November: PB2 practical with practical exam (tea drug identification)
• December: PB2 written exam
• From the start of the semester, once a week: Afl practical
• Afl written exam
• Nomenclature and Stereochemistry exam
• Instru-II practical and written exam
• PC practical (6 afternoons) and exam
• MiBi practical (3–4 afternoons) and exam
• Only one part: Histology practical (5 afternoons) and Histology exam

Reading list for the 3rd semester:

• Rücker/Neugebauer/Willems: Instrumental Pharmaceutical Analysis (covers all relevant chapters in detail and goes into depth in some areas; includes exam questions)
• Ehlers: Analysis II

The fourth semester also begins during the semester break. The organic chemistry placement starts around four weeks before the official start of the semester. You will spend four weeks in the laboratory with your assigned laboratory assistant, carrying out various syntheses. You’ll need a bit of patience for this practical, as you’ll spend a lot of time waiting by the rotary evaporator or frequently having to carry out column chromatography, which can take quite a bit of time and patience. Generally speaking, however, this is a very relaxed practical course where you get to work in pairs. The final organic chemistry exam takes place in early to mid-May; passing this will earn you the OC certificate.
At the start of the semester, Professor Heilmann’s plant identification course – affectionately known as ‘Blümchenbio’ – also begins. Every Monday afternoon, using the Schmeil-Fitschen guide (also known as the ‘Blümchenbio Bible’), you’ll try to identify fresh plants from the Botanical Garden. You’ll also learn a fair bit about different plant families. By the end of the course, you should definitely have learnt how to use the book, as there is a final exam at the end of the semester in which you’ll have to identify a plant in the practical section and demonstrate your knowledge of plant families in the theoretical section.

As part of the course, you’ll also work as a group to create a short PowerPoint presentation on a botanical topic and give a very brief presentation on it.

The final module of this semester is Physiology. The lectures from the third semester will continue, this time taught by Professor Schlossmann. In addition, there is a practical course in which you will devote one day each to the kidney, the lung, the heart and the blood. At the end of the semester, you will sit an exam consisting of multiple-choice questions.

Finally, anyone who managed to avoid Histology in the third semester will have the chance to tackle the subject over five seminar days this semester. The exam for this takes place in June.

Provided you don’t have too many outstanding modules to catch up on, you’re in for a slightly more relaxed semester. Should you find yourself getting bored, you can still attend the ‘History of Pharmacy’ lecture. You’ll also be organising the Pharmacists’ Summer Party this time round – a task that’s always the responsibility of fourth-semester students.

Once you’ve successfully passed all your exams and obtained all your certificates, you can register for the First State Examination, which always takes place at the end of August, and get stuck into your preparations with enthusiasm.

Overview:

• Approx. 4 weeks before the start of lectures: OC placement (4 weeks)
• May: OC exam
• May/June: Histology practical + exam
• July: Physiology practical
• July: Physiotherapy exam
• Plant identification course (once a week) with an exam in July (theoretical and practical sections)
• Remediation of contaminated sites
• Preparation for the 1st state examination at the end of August

Reading list for the 4th semester:

• Paula Y. Bruice: Organic Chemistry
  (an excellent textbook on organic chemistry, clearly and accessibly written)
• Vollhardt: Organic Chemistry
  (the standard textbook for organic chemistry, but rather confusing)
• Schmeil/Fitschen: The Flora of Germany and Neighbouring Countries (essential for the plant identification course, but otherwise completely useless, so be sure to borrow it)

At last, the main phase of my degree! I’ve finished the foundation year – time for the ‘real’ pharmacy degree? Well… almost.

In the pharmaceutical analysis practical, a lot of it feels like déjà vu at first: Instru, Quanti and Quali are back. But now we’re applying the methods in accordance with the Pharmacopoeia. In the seminars, you’ll be given the tools you need to carry out analyses independently over the coming weeks – and at a whole new level.

In Block A, there are seven content determinations on the syllabus, which you’ll need to carry out and evaluate correctly. Block B goes deeper: you’ll determine the identity, purity and content of two active pharmaceutical ingredients – all in strict accordance with the Pharmacopoeia. IR, UV/Vis, titrations, potentiometry and classical detection methods are now part of your daily routine. It sounds intense – and it is. But you’ll realise just how much you’re capable of once you get started.

In December comes the big exam: around 120 structural formulae of active pharmaceutical ingredients, 20 syntheses and plenty of organic analysis. Yes, that’s a lot – but with a clear understanding and good preparation, it’s absolutely doable.

At the same time, you’ll be studying pharmacology: here, you’ll get a rapid overview of the first half of the most important classes of drugs and their representatives. And here, too, there’s an exam at the end – which will bring you another big step closer to your certificate.

Every other Friday afternoon, there’s also the compulsory seminar on Biogenic Medicines – a compact, easy-to-understand crash course to prepare you for the PB III practical later on.

Also to prepare for the practical in the 6th/7th semester, there is the lecture on Biochemistry, Clinical Chemistry and Biotechnology, which will then continue into the next semester.

In addition, you can attend the lecture series (called a ‘ringvorlesung’ because the topics – which no longer necessarily build on one another – are repeated periodically, meaning that two year groups can always attend the course at the same time; so only every second year group starts with the same subject area!) in Medical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Biology to enhance your knowledge for the upcoming placements and the approaching Second State Examination.

Once the First State Examination is out of the way, you’ll have a relatively quiet life again to start your main course of study. For the rest of you, who unfortunately have to sit it again or are taking it for the first time, the intensive revision period begins with the exam session in January.

Overview:

• From mid-October (start of lectures): AB Analytical Chemistry practical (approx. 5 weeks)
• December: AB Analytics exam
• January: Pharmacology exam
• Seminar on Biogenic Medicines (every two weeks in the afternoons)
• February: AMI-I seminar (2 afternoons)

Reading list for the 5th semester:

• Eger/Troschütz/Roth: Drug Analysis
• Mutschler: Drug Effects
• Aktories: Pharmacology, Toxicology
• Thews/Mutschler/Vaupel: Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology
• Steinhilber/Schubert-Zsilavecs/Roth: Medical Chemistry

To continue the basic study module, the semester is once again divided into two parts. The first part focuses on biochemistry right from the start of lectures. The practical takes place in pairs. Over the course of three sessions, each lasting approximately one week (Fridays are usually free), the topics of enzymes, DNA and proteins are covered. A detailed report must be produced for each session.

After a short break, this part continues with the Pharmaceutical Biology practical. This also takes place in pairs. On the first day, each team attends an introductory colloquium covering the basics of active ingredient classes and the content of the ‘Biogenic Medicines’ seminar. As the practical course progresses, students can expect a further 2–3 unannounced colloquia. To complete the practical course, students must pass 3 modules (identity, purity, content) with sufficient marks. First, the identity of several powders is determined using thin-layer chromatography (TLC). This is followed by a purity determination using TLC, in which the powder is tested for atypical impurities. Finally, the last module involves using HPLC, GC or titration to analyse the extracted and isolated substance class and determine its content in the medicinal product. In addition, each pair of students must carry out three isolations of pure substances from the drug and identify the main class of active ingredients in an unknown extract. Once all this has been ticked off, the final exam follows about three weeks later.

Students not specialising in biology can look forward to the Pharmaceutical Technology practical course when lectures begin, which of course also concludes with an exam. More details on this will be provided in the next term report.

Lectures this semester include Biopharmaceutics, Pathology and Pharmacotherapy II, and the compulsory Quality Assurance seminar, which takes place every two weeks on a Friday.

In addition, the pharmacology lecture is entering its second round. We are now covering the remaining classes of active pharmaceutical ingredients and will then put our knowledge to the test in an exam in mid-July. This also fulfils part 2 of 3 required to obtain the certificate. The exam is often held quite close to the PB3 or Techno exam. Therefore, strategic planning is absolutely essential here.

Overview:

• from the end of April (start of lectures): Biochemistry practical (3 weeks)
• From the end of April (start of lectures): Techno practical (approx. 10 weeks)
• From early June: PB III practical (3–4 weeks)
• Mid/late July: Pharmacology exam
• End of July: PB III exam
• End of July: Technology exam
• End of July/beginning of August: BC exam

Reading list for the 6th semester:

• Steinhilber/Schubert-Zsilavecs/Roth: Medical Chemistry
• Voet: Textbook of Biochemistry
• Löffler/Petrides: Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry
• Hänsel/Sticher: Pharmacognosy, Phytopharmacy
• Voigt/Fahr: Pharmaceutical Technology
• Bauer/Frömming/Führer: Textbook of Pharmaceutical Technology

Just like the third semester of the foundation stage, this one is also the most time-consuming. The pharmacology demonstration course begins two weeks before the start of the lecture term. During these two weeks, you’ll be allocated to a total of five mornings. Once you’ve completed this practical, all the pharmacology modules will have been fulfilled and you can finally call the certificate your own.

The semester now switches focus to completing the remaining practical. You’ll find information on biochemistry and PB III under the 6th semester.

Those who are assigned to the Pharmaceutical Technology practical will first be taught the essentials during a seminar week. Afterwards, you’ll go through three modules (solid, semi-solid, liquid / sterile), during which you’ll work diligently in groups of three to produce sterile dosage forms, creams, suspensions, capsules, suppositories, tablets, coatings, and micro- and nanoparticles. Compared to AFL, the focus here is more strongly on industrial production and the investigation of various properties (viscosity, conductivity, surface tension, content, release, etc.). Provided, of course, that the necessary equipment is working... Before each block, every team must take part in a colloquium, and at the end of the block, each group must summarise the results of an experiment and present them to the others in a debriefing session. This is followed by the project work. Over a two-week period, students work on a research question of their own choosing and document the results in a paper at the end. If they perform well here, they can earn up to 5 bonus marks for the exam. The final week of the practical course is then devoted to biopharmaceutics. Here, each group must give a presentation on a selected topic, and there is a computer course on calculating plasma levels. Once you’ve battled your way through around 10 weeks of long afternoons in the lab or seminar room, you’ll have about two weeks left before the Techno exam.

In the morning lectures, you’ll be greeted by some familiar faces: the lecture series on Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, and Pharmaceutical Biology is also entering its third and final round. New this term is‘Specialised Areas of Law for Pharmacists’. Here you can already learn quite a bit that will be important in the third stage of your training. On Thursdays and Fridays, you’ll have a compulsory seminar on Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacotherapy lasting almost three hours. The subject is actually quite interesting, though, so the time usually passes more quickly than you might fear.

Towards the end of the semester, you’ll also have the second part of the Medicines Information module . This consists of a seminar, which everyone usually attends together, and a practical component at the University Hospital, for which you’ll be divided into groups. The seminar takes place over two afternoons right at the end of the lecture period or right at the start of the semester break. You are free to choose the dates for the practical component, which lasts two mornings. The dates all fall within the first five weeks of the semester break. You’ll therefore need to be mindful of any clashes with your elective placement (see below)! However, the lecturers are usually very cooperative and you’re sure to find a good solution.

As early as the 6th semester, you must choose a specialisation as an elective subject by submitting a list of priorities. The options available are Medicinal Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacy (at the University Hospital or at the Department), Clinical Pharmacology (with Prof. Haen at the District Hospital), Pharmacology (as a course-based placement or a research placement), Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Biology. Don’t worry – there’s a detailed information session before you have to make your decision. The time period (either during the semester break before or after the 7th semester) is either already specified by the relevant subject or can be chosen freely. Be aware of any potential clashes or discuss these with your supervisor! The duration of the placement varies, but averages 3 weeks.

Overview:

• Early October: Pharmacology demonstration course (over 5 days within a 2-week period)
• From mid-October (start of lectures): Technical practical (approx. 10 weeks)
• From mid-October (start of lectures): Biochemistry practical (3 weeks)
• Mid/late November: Biochemistry exam
• From the end of November: PB III practical (3–4 weeks)
• Mid/late January: PB III exam
• End of January: Technology exam
• Early/mid-February: AMI II (seminar, 2 days)
• Between mid-February and mid-March: AMI II (practical, on 2 days of your choice)
• Semester break before or after the 7th semester: compulsory elective placement

Anyone who has not yet completed – or was unable to complete – the compulsory elective placement during the summer may move straight on from the placement to the 8th and final university semester. This is because the Pharmaceutical Analysis placement begins around four weeks before lectures start. The aim of this placement is to identify an unknown mixture of medicinal products.

Following this, you’ll sit the major MedChem exam, which will test your knowledge of the material covered in the last two lecture series semesters as well as the practical course.

This semester is primarily focused on Clinical Pharmacy. The seminar from the previous semester continues, and at the end, most students will sit the final exam. This also fulfils all the requirements for the KliPha certificate.

If you’ve made good progress through the semesters so far and haven’t left too many exams unfinished, you can submit the certificates you’ve obtained and start preparing for the second state examination.

In September and October, hopefully, the rewards for four years of hard work will become apparent, and you’ll finally leave university to enter the world of work. The only thing that might bring you back to university is the two sessions of two-week-long clinical placement support classes.

Highlights:

• Pharmaceutical Analysis Practical
• Pharmaceutical Analysis Information Course II
• MedChem exam (mid-May)
• Remediation of contaminated sites
• Preparation for the 2nd State Examination

Reading list for the 8th semester:

• Jaehde/Radziwill/Kloft: Clinical Pharmacy: Fundamentals and Applications