Low GPA, what can I do to get into pharmacy school?

SDN Members don't see this ad. (About Ads)

Hi everyone...I'm new to this site, though I have been reading previous threads recently. I'm interested in going to pharmacy school, however I don't think I have the grades to apply. I majored in biology in my undergrad, and graduated with 2.6. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do in my undergrad and I didn't really try to get grades better than a C. Ever since graduation, I have been working 2 part time jobs, one that is in a hospital research setting. I have volunteered in 2 different pharmacies and I even have a pharmacy technician license. After being out of school for a few years and having some experiences in a hospital/pharmacy setting, I have come to realize that I really want to go to pharmacy school. I started taking the pre-reqs that I was missing, such as econ, speech, stats, anatomy and physiology at a local cc and I have received better grades (A's and B's) in those courses.
Although I've read other posts, I'd like to get some more feedback. My question is, can I and should I continue to take the pre-reqs? Including the courses I took (and received C's in) in my undergrad? Or should I do a post-bac? I didn't do well in gen chem or bio (mostly C's) and I have been debating on whether I should retake those classes. I did well in ochem though. And how many times can a person take the PCAT? What can I do this time so I can become a better applicant? I appreciate all suggestions and thanks in advance!

When did you graduate? Many schools stop accepting grades after they are so many years old, so it may be best to just start "new".

It definitely doesn't hurt to take everything over, especially if you can justify the reasons why in an application. That is, provided, you excel in retaking them.

You can take the PCAT as often as you like, but note that the school's have different ways of looking at it. Some only look at your most recent score, some at your best score, and some at your average score.

I graduated in 2009. Would it make sense to spend a year to retake the pre-reqs at a local cc or to do a post-bac? Will the admissions committee look more heavily on my pre-reqs grades or my undergrad grades? Thanks again.

This is VERY school specific and often varies by class. For instance, I graduated in 2006 and hadn't had Calc since 2002 which was not a problem. I enrolled Fall 2011. It can be done, but research the specific school.