A MARRIED father who took the plunge and surrendered his job to pursue a career in medicine has triumphed by obtaining a pharmacy degree at the University of Wolverhampton (UoW), in the West Midlands.

Israel Marfo, 41, was plying his trade as a bus driver in London, which was his final job in a ten-year journey in which he mixed studying full-time with working part-time at night in a warehouse and in security roles as well as volunteering in community pharmacies.

After qualifying through clearing, after leaving the buses, he has secured a 2:1 Masters of Pharmacy degree.

Registration

Now living in Bilston, the Ghanaian-born graduate is completing his pre-registration training at Well Pharmacies, part of Bestway Panacea Holdings.

I had plenty of support from my wife who has encouraged me and helped me enormously.

Israel told the media that he long had a passion for chemistry but had left school in Ghana with no formal qualifications.

After making the decision to switch his career, he stepped his learning up a gear and started to study at various colleges in London.

He secured an Applied Science qualification at Level 2, passed his English and Maths GCSE qualifications before studying for a Biomedical Science qualification and then studied a three-year Access to Higher Education course to help him to get to University.

Step

He had applied to a University in London to study pharmacy but called the UoW during the Clearing period, securing a place on the BSc Pharmaceutical Science with Foundation Year which would provide a step up to the Master’s of Pharmacy Degree (MPharm) in the University’s School of Pharmacy.

Israel said: “Learning during lockdown hasn’t been easy.  I’ve had to sit my exams at home surrounded by my family, but I had plenty of support from my wife who has encouraged me and helped me enormously.

“My handwriting was terrible when I began studying at the University and the Student Enabling Centre secured me some funding, which I had to pay towards, to help me get assessed – it turns out I was dyslexic. 

“After being diagnosed I got additional support with exams and assessments which really helped me.

“It’s been a long journey but every step was worth it.  Throughout all the studying and working part-time, during the night and during holidays, I also got married and had a child so there was a lot going on in my life – I was funding my studies, and also had a new family to look after.

Lecturers

“I can’t thank the University lecturers enough for all of their support. It feels great to have achieved so much after this length of time. 

“Everyone thought I was stupid to give up my job as a bus driver in London, but now that I’m training to be a pharmacist and have almost achieved my goal.

“I am proud that I have made a better life for myself. It’s an amazing achievement. It’s a very good University and does everything to give you the opportunity to succeed.”

Dr Colin Brown, Head of the Wolverhampton School of Pharmacy, added: “Israel’s story shows what can be achieved through hard work and determination and his drive to succeed in his ambitions had really paid off.

“We are really proud of our longstanding tradition of positive action in the recruitment of, support for, and development of students and staff who represent all groups within society.

“Our students predominately come from the local area and many arrive with disadvantages which we need to address early on. 

“Our students undertake lots of small group enquiry based learning and they benefit from a lot of study and pastoral support.

“The MPharm course, in particular, provides considerable support for students in their transition from further to higher education.

“We recognise the needs and challenges faced by all of our students and we use teaching methods which breakdown barriers, promote inclusivity and develop the skills and attributes needed for success.

Interactive

The UoW is currently ranked third in the UK for BAME attainment gaps in its School of Pharmacy. It has invested millions in interactive teaching spaces offering pharmacy students flexible learning.

First, second and third year students studying on the MPharm course have benefited from the £250,000 Team Based Learning facilities at the University’s City Campus in Wolverhampton.