ON THE JOB: Pharmacy intern Daniel Flavel will be a fully-fledged pharamacist by the end of the year. Photo: JUDE KEOGH 1012pharmacy2
AS year 12 students finalise their university preferences for 2013, Charles Sturt University (CSU) is promoting its number two ranking on the My University website for employability.
The high ranking comes down to attitude, according to CSU graduate Daniel Flavel, who is completing his final months of a pharmaceutical internship.
Mr Flavel said CSU was a high quality university that aimed to keep students in the bush.
“ As a rurally-based university, CSU has a lot going for it because the learning environment is a bit more intimate and the lecturers are prepared to invest in individual students,” he said.
“CSU is providing a rural focus and the high employability rate is testament to that.
“It’s easier to get a job in rural areas.”
Peter Smith Chemmart pharmacist Kate Gray said she found it difficult to find staff before pharmacy was offered at the university.
CSU has provided specialists for rural areas that would otherwise miss out.
“I have been in business for 30 years and, early on, yes it was hard to find either full-time employed staff or locum pharmacists to come to the country,” she said.
“Most graduates seemed to be city centric. Something needed to be done.”
The university has close to a 100 per cent success rate for pharmaceutical employability.
However, Mr Flavel thinks this figure may drop in the near future.
“In the last 10 or 20 years there’s been a lot more pharmacy schools opening up and people are starting to feel the pressure with more graduates,” he said.