Introduction 
This paper is based on the results of a series of focus groups that were conducted with undergraduate pharmacy students as part of a larger longitudinal study on career choices and career expectations of pharmacy students and pharmacy graduates. Subject areas explored included factors that influenced their choice of pharmacy as a degree, choice of University, previous exposure to pharmacy and expectations of a career in pharmacy. Although these subject areas are intrinsically linked, this paper will focus on factors involved in why participants chose pharmacy as a degree. While previous work on this topic has been conducted, much it could be seen as out of date.^1,2,3 In a profession undergoing dramatic changes and which is experiencing recruitment and retention problems, this is arguably an important area in which to have recent data. 

Methods 
Five focus groups were conducted. The mean number of participants involved was eight, plus two facilitators in each. Four of the focus groups were with recent pharmacy graduates while one was with first year pharmacy students. Participants were recruited through using pre-registration study days or contacting people who were already recruited to the study as a whole. Field notes were taken in all focus groups and the discussion tape-recorded. The recordings were then transcribed and the transcripts analysed to identify common themes. 

Findings 
Respondents rarely cited just one factor for choosing pharmacy. The most common factors were: because pharmacy is a vocational degree leading to a guaranteed job; it provides the possibility of a flexible career; had work experience in a pharmacy when younger; member of family is a pharmacist; liked the A-level subjects required to do pharmacy; wanted to work in a healthcare profession and make a difference to people’s lives; had personal experience of the importance of pharmacy such as an illness in the family where a lot of medicines were required; good salary. Also a number of participants claimed that they initially wanted to do medicine, dentistry or optometry but ended up choosing pharmacy. This was because they didn’t get the required A-level grades to pursue their first choice or certain aspects of a career in their initial choice put them off.