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Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions section for you high school students who want a career in pharmacy!
1. Who is supposed to read these FAQs?
These FAQs were designed to address the unique needs of high school students who wish to pursue a career in pharmacy via pharmacy school. Though many of these FAQs overlap with those from the main SDN forum, the main set of FAQs were written with the current college student in mind who already some idea of the process to get into pharmacy school.
2. So, how is this board different than the main SDN Pre-Pharmacy board?
Again, the main boards address those already in college who are applying to pharmacy school. Though the intent of the forum is to address any issues during a student's time in a pre-pharmacy track, the majority of the threads and topics talked about in the main forum deal with students currently applying for pharmacy school for the upcoming school year. There are assumptions and fewer explanations about how to start on the path to a pharmacy degree since the people there already have some idea about the process. These boards are designed for discussion for the high school student who is thinking about pharmacy for the first time ever.
3. That makes sense! So, I'm thinking about pharmacy for the first time ever. What is pharmacy?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines pharmacy as "the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs". In layman's terms, the profession of pharmacy revolves around the aforementioned definition and there is more to pharmacy than just pushing pills at a retail chain like Walgreens and CVS.
4. What other types of pharmacy specialties are there?
One of the qualities of the pharmacy profession is the variety of professions. Pharmacists are not restricted to just one specialty. A person working in a retail chain may switch over to hospital pharmacy, vice versa, and to other specialties with some effort.
American Pharmacists Association's "Career Pathways" Descriptions
<insert link and/or description of primary pharmacy specialties - reference Pfizer guide for main specialties>
5. How well does the profession pay the pharmacist?
There are many factors that determine starting and average salary. Factors such as location, specialty, years of experience, etc leads to variations in pay. In general, a typical pharmacist aims for a gross salary of $100,000. Certain specialties and number of years in the profession may have lower salaries and many can earn more. Salary.com reports that most pharmacist make somewhere in between $92,000 and $114,000.
<check reputable numbers>
6. How many hours does the pharmacist work?
Pharmacy offers relatively flexible hours depending on tenure. Many pharmacists work a 40-hour week but others may work more or less depending on needs.
7. All of this sounds good. How does one go about becoming a pharmacist?
The Pharm.D. degree is the official degree one needs to practice any type of pharmacy. You may hear of certain pharmacists who have a B.S. in pharmacy, but that is a legacy degree that has since been phased out in the United States. You will need a Pharm.D. degree from an accredited school of pharmacy as stated by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
The general process is that you apply to a pharmacy school the summer and fall before the school year in which you want to start pharmacy school. Each of these admissions cycles only occurs once per year. That is, the majority of the schools only accept one class per year; one cannot start the pharmacy school curriculum in the spring or summer semester like a person starting college. So, you would go through a process where you submit a primary application to the school followed by a supplemental application and an interview. Many schools require on-site interviews before acceptance.
Once accepted and in pharmacy school, you will take courses on a rigid and set curriculum with the students who were also accepted with you. Youll take all your classes with these people. At the end of three years (or equivalent) in the program, youll go on rotations for the fourth year where youll learn while on the job for certain areas of pharmacy. You may rotate around eight specialties of pharmacy for around five weeks at each rotation site. If all goes well, you get your degree, take the board exam called the NAPLEX and a state-specific law exam, and get licensed as a registered pharmacist if you pass both exams.
8. Okay, how do I go about applying to pharmacy schools?
This is one key question that is different for the high school student. There are really three main pathways you can use to get into pharmacy school, and they are quite different:
a. 0+6 schools
These schools may apply to you if you know right away that you want to pursue pharmacy. Here, you apply to the certain program during the senior year of high school. If accepted, you will actually be in the pharmacy program for six years where youll take science and foundation courses for two years before moving on to the traditional four years of pharmacy school curriculum.
b. Early Assurance schools
These schools are similar to 0+6 schools where one takes a structured pre-pharmacy curriculum prior to the traditional four years of the true pharmacy curriculum. The difference between 0+6 and early assurance is that early assurance school students dont go through a formal admissions process during the last year of high school. Instead, the student goes through a pre-pharmacy like curriculum for two years and gets automatically accepted to the final four years if certain conditions are met. The main conditions are minimum grade point average for the first two years and completion of all necessary courses.
c. 2+4 schools
These schools admit students who are taking courses at other colleges and/or universities and who are not part of an early assurance program (Note: some schools may offer early assurance program for their students while augmenting those students who apply from other schools). In general, students enter college like any other college, take certain pre-requisites courses that these schools require for admission, and apply for pharmacy schools at a certain point in undergraduate studies. One can stay in undergraduate or even pursue advanced degrees before applying to these schools. The admissions process for these schools are similar to 0+6 schools except that the college GPA is considered, a different standardized exam called the PCAT is considered, and the application deals with the events that occurred in college as opposed to high school. Once admitted, the student takes the four years of the pharmacy school curriculum.
Note: The term 2+4 is somewhat of a misnomer given that one may be in undergraduate studies for longer than two years of college if a person is not accepted after the first try and/or just wishes to stay in college for personal reasons. In addition, there are accelerated programs where the four-year curriculum is compressed in three years. These schools require the student to continue with school during the summers.
9. Im a little confused. Why all the different types of pharmacy programs?
The vast majority of pharmacy schools use the 2+4 path with a few schools offering early assurance programs. 0+6 schools represent a minority of pharmacy schools. So, you may want to take the prerequisite courses at a nearby and/or favored college like other traditional college students. Some people may not be able to complete the more time consuming requirements of 0+6 and early admission schools and may wish to spread the course load to accommodate work and/or family.
As a high school student, you have the option of forgoing the more competitive admission process that college students experience during college by applying for 0+6 schools or going to a school with an early assurance program. This simplifies the process if you like the undergraduate component of said 0+6 or early assurance school. You can drop out of either program if you wish. Hence, this board has a greater emphasis on admission to 0+6 and/or early assurance programs as well as information for the college freshman just starting out in college.
10. Specifically, how do I apply for each type of pharmacy program?
a. 0+6 Schools
Each of these schools have their own admissions process with different requirements you must have completed before matriculation. You need to access each schools application either electronically and/or by paper. Here are the 0+6 schools and their admissions websites:
<insert list of 0+6 schools and contact information here>
b. Early Assurance programs
You may need to apply to these schools like other traditional college students applying for other studies within the same school. Afterwards, you may need to indicate that you wish to be a part of the early assurance program. Each program has its own requirements that you need to consider. Here are the schools with early assurance programs and their admissions websites
c. 2+4 schools
Really, you dont need to do anything in the short-term in high school to apply. You apply and attend any undergraduate institution like any other aspiring college student. You need to review potential pharmacy schools of interest to determine the prerequisite courses you need to take in order to be admitted. There are similarities, but there are variations between the perquisites for each school.
In the interim prior to applying, you need to build up your future 2+4 application through components such as good grades, pharmacy experience, volunteer experience, work experience, reference letter writers, and possibly, a good Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) score. You probably will be using the main SDN Pre-Pharmacy forum during your undergraduate years as you prepare and apply for these pharmacy schools. The FAQs and threads in the Pre-Pharmacy forum will be more applicable to you when the time comes and thats where you should direct issues and questions.
1. Who is supposed to read these FAQs?
These FAQs were designed to address the unique needs of high school students who wish to pursue a career in pharmacy via pharmacy school. Though many of these FAQs overlap with those from the main SDN forum, the main set of FAQs were written with the current college student in mind who already some idea of the process to get into pharmacy school.
2. So, how is this board different than the main SDN Pre-Pharmacy board?
Again, the main boards address those already in college who are applying to pharmacy school. Though the intent of the forum is to address any issues during a student's time in a pre-pharmacy track, the majority of the threads and topics talked about in the main forum deal with students currently applying for pharmacy school for the upcoming school year. There are assumptions and fewer explanations about how to start on the path to a pharmacy degree since the people there already have some idea about the process. These boards are designed for discussion for the high school student who is thinking about pharmacy for the first time ever.
3. That makes sense! So, I'm thinking about pharmacy for the first time ever. What is pharmacy?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines pharmacy as "the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs". In layman's terms, the profession of pharmacy revolves around the aforementioned definition and there is more to pharmacy than just pushing pills at a retail chain like Walgreens and CVS.
4. What other types of pharmacy specialties are there?
One of the qualities of the pharmacy profession is the variety of professions. Pharmacists are not restricted to just one specialty. A person working in a retail chain may switch over to hospital pharmacy, vice versa, and to other specialties with some effort.
American Pharmacists Association's "Career Pathways" Descriptions
<insert link and/or description of primary pharmacy specialties - reference Pfizer guide for main specialties>
5. How well does the profession pay the pharmacist?
There are many factors that determine starting and average salary. Factors such as location, specialty, years of experience, etc leads to variations in pay. In general, a typical pharmacist aims for a gross salary of $100,000. Certain specialties and number of years in the profession may have lower salaries and many can earn more. Salary.com reports that most pharmacist make somewhere in between $92,000 and $114,000.
<check reputable numbers>
6. How many hours does the pharmacist work?
Pharmacy offers relatively flexible hours depending on tenure. Many pharmacists work a 40-hour week but others may work more or less depending on needs.
7. All of this sounds good. How does one go about becoming a pharmacist?
The Pharm.D. degree is the official degree one needs to practice any type of pharmacy. You may hear of certain pharmacists who have a B.S. in pharmacy, but that is a legacy degree that has since been phased out in the United States. You will need a Pharm.D. degree from an accredited school of pharmacy as stated by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
The general process is that you apply to a pharmacy school the summer and fall before the school year in which you want to start pharmacy school. Each of these admissions cycles only occurs once per year. That is, the majority of the schools only accept one class per year; one cannot start the pharmacy school curriculum in the spring or summer semester like a person starting college. So, you would go through a process where you submit a primary application to the school followed by a supplemental application and an interview. Many schools require on-site interviews before acceptance.
Once accepted and in pharmacy school, you will take courses on a rigid and set curriculum with the students who were also accepted with you. Youll take all your classes with these people. At the end of three years (or equivalent) in the program, youll go on rotations for the fourth year where youll learn while on the job for certain areas of pharmacy. You may rotate around eight specialties of pharmacy for around five weeks at each rotation site. If all goes well, you get your degree, take the board exam called the NAPLEX and a state-specific law exam, and get licensed as a registered pharmacist if you pass both exams.
8. Okay, how do I go about applying to pharmacy schools?
This is one key question that is different for the high school student. There are really three main pathways you can use to get into pharmacy school, and they are quite different:
a. 0+6 schools
These schools may apply to you if you know right away that you want to pursue pharmacy. Here, you apply to the certain program during the senior year of high school. If accepted, you will actually be in the pharmacy program for six years where youll take science and foundation courses for two years before moving on to the traditional four years of pharmacy school curriculum.
b. Early Assurance schools
These schools are similar to 0+6 schools where one takes a structured pre-pharmacy curriculum prior to the traditional four years of the true pharmacy curriculum. The difference between 0+6 and early assurance is that early assurance school students dont go through a formal admissions process during the last year of high school. Instead, the student goes through a pre-pharmacy like curriculum for two years and gets automatically accepted to the final four years if certain conditions are met. The main conditions are minimum grade point average for the first two years and completion of all necessary courses.
c. 2+4 schools
These schools admit students who are taking courses at other colleges and/or universities and who are not part of an early assurance program (Note: some schools may offer early assurance program for their students while augmenting those students who apply from other schools). In general, students enter college like any other college, take certain pre-requisites courses that these schools require for admission, and apply for pharmacy schools at a certain point in undergraduate studies. One can stay in undergraduate or even pursue advanced degrees before applying to these schools. The admissions process for these schools are similar to 0+6 schools except that the college GPA is considered, a different standardized exam called the PCAT is considered, and the application deals with the events that occurred in college as opposed to high school. Once admitted, the student takes the four years of the pharmacy school curriculum.
Note: The term 2+4 is somewhat of a misnomer given that one may be in undergraduate studies for longer than two years of college if a person is not accepted after the first try and/or just wishes to stay in college for personal reasons. In addition, there are accelerated programs where the four-year curriculum is compressed in three years. These schools require the student to continue with school during the summers.
9. Im a little confused. Why all the different types of pharmacy programs?
The vast majority of pharmacy schools use the 2+4 path with a few schools offering early assurance programs. 0+6 schools represent a minority of pharmacy schools. So, you may want to take the prerequisite courses at a nearby and/or favored college like other traditional college students. Some people may not be able to complete the more time consuming requirements of 0+6 and early admission schools and may wish to spread the course load to accommodate work and/or family.
As a high school student, you have the option of forgoing the more competitive admission process that college students experience during college by applying for 0+6 schools or going to a school with an early assurance program. This simplifies the process if you like the undergraduate component of said 0+6 or early assurance school. You can drop out of either program if you wish. Hence, this board has a greater emphasis on admission to 0+6 and/or early assurance programs as well as information for the college freshman just starting out in college.
10. Specifically, how do I apply for each type of pharmacy program?
a. 0+6 Schools
Each of these schools have their own admissions process with different requirements you must have completed before matriculation. You need to access each schools application either electronically and/or by paper. Here are the 0+6 schools and their admissions websites:
<insert list of 0+6 schools and contact information here>
b. Early Assurance programs
You may need to apply to these schools like other traditional college students applying for other studies within the same school. Afterwards, you may need to indicate that you wish to be a part of the early assurance program. Each program has its own requirements that you need to consider. Here are the schools with early assurance programs and their admissions websites
c. 2+4 schools
Really, you dont need to do anything in the short-term in high school to apply. You apply and attend any undergraduate institution like any other aspiring college student. You need to review potential pharmacy schools of interest to determine the prerequisite courses you need to take in order to be admitted. There are similarities, but there are variations between the perquisites for each school.
In the interim prior to applying, you need to build up your future 2+4 application through components such as good grades, pharmacy experience, volunteer experience, work experience, reference letter writers, and possibly, a good Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) score. You probably will be using the main SDN Pre-Pharmacy forum during your undergraduate years as you prepare and apply for these pharmacy schools. The FAQs and threads in the Pre-Pharmacy forum will be more applicable to you when the time comes and thats where you should direct issues and questions.
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