6-yr Doctor of Pharmacy Program

[Priapism321]

People seem to think that pharmacists have easy jobs. I've heard it before. I know students who still think that way. My friends who do electrical, carpentry, and contracting work say that it's an easy job. They love to say, "Oh, well you get to work in the airconditioning all day, you get to talk to people, and you get to count pills all day." They don't understand what the job entails. Few people do.

In reality, it isn't an easy job. It's challenging. The job is more mental than physical, but that isn't always an advantage. It's hard working under the gun all day long; you can't make mistakes. You always have to focus on two or three different things at the same time while being a perfectionist. If you slip up, you could kill someone. Same thing if you get lazy. You have to stay on top of everything that's going on in the pharmacy. The techs are not the ones who are responsible for the final product, the pharmacist is.

And how long have you been practicing? Have long have you been feeling the "stresses" that it takes to be a pharmacist?

Carpentry seems pretty damn hard to me, I haven't done it though...

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[PharmDstudent]

And how long have you been practicing? Have long have you been feeling the "stresses" that it takes to be a pharmacist?

Carpentry seems pretty damn hard to me, I haven't done it though...

09/2004

 

[Allure]

The OP never said it was his "passion". Duh!

That's why I also told him to go with it and then he will have that 2 years to figure it out. If you read the whole thing, you would have seen that.

 

[JackFruitLover]

That's a ridiculous argument. There are a lot of jobs out there that a person could get with a four year degree and still support their family, e.g. engineer, chemist, actuary, accountant, or financial adviser. The whole problem with this thread is that the OP cannot answer these questions, Why pharmacy? Why are his parents insisting pharmacy?

I never said that people should choose pharmacy if they want to support their family. All I said was certain students do not have the luxury to just spend a couple of years to explore in college and then choose a stable profession. Those students need to choose a profession before college and stick to that profession, whether to become engineer, chemist, actuary, account, or financial adviser. All I wanted to inform Evilolive was that you should not look down upon students who happen to go to these "pharmacist factory" 0-6 year programs just because they did not have a more cultured education that he or she is currently having.

 

[pharmacy123456]

If you do not research enough into pharmacy before doing a 0-6 program i think that is a dumb idea because Pharmacy is a PROFESSION....not just a job. We are committing ourselves to a life of being professionals which is not just a 9-5 job 5 days a week. It is 24/7 profession with an altruistic attitude torwards the patient. When people do not act as professionals then it hurts everyone who is trying to further the future of pharmacy and ensure that there will be a place for us.

 

[Bribriguy16]

Thank you, Jack and Allure, the way some people here have spoken about 0-6 programs has been quite offensive to me. I realize that most of the people on SDN are not involved in 0-6 (well, I suppose that goes for all of pharmacy in general). Of course, I think everyone here agrees that no one should just go to pharmacy school because their parents tell them to. I think we all agree that he should do a lot more research of pharmacy before he commits to doing this. What I have spoken about here is the way some posters have totally degraded students in 0-6 and pharmacists that are graduates of 0-6 unfairly. I think the kid should try it out, pharmacy could end up not being his thing (happens often), or he could end up loving it and it will be the passion of his life. On a side note, I am pretty confident that I would be admitted to a number of 2+4 programs if I had not come to URI as would be the case with a large number of the people in this program.

 

[evilolive]

All I said was certain students do not have the luxury to just spend a couple of years to explore in college and then choose a stable profession. All I wanted to inform Evilolive was that you should not look down upon students who happen to go to these "pharmacist factory" 0-6 year programs just because they did not have a more cultured education that he or she is currently having.

I recognize that not everyone has the same opportunities. That being said, I don't think anyone has really addressed my point. No one can make a rational decision to go into pharmacy as a life long profession at that early of an age. I don't fault the students who fall through the cracks of these programs for taking the path because they have no choice or forcing themselves into believing that is the choice - I fault the institutions for providing this path. You claim that 0-6 programs have excellent retention rates, but it's quite clear that many of the programs have students that drop out preemptively - this is also compounded with the NAPLEX passing rates because attrition is not factored into the eventual number of test takers. School programs should not be created into sink or swim environments, nor should they deliberately anticipate that only a certain number will eventually pass the NAPLEX while being complacent with the fact that some will fail out.

It's business on the school's part and a faulty educational philosophy. If you accept a certain number of students, you should hope that almost person makes it through with the same academic drive and capacity. High schoolers are a huge gamble, and it's not professional to be toying with lives for the sake of putting people on an accelerated PharmD. If we want to eventually progress the PharmD to the same status as our sister professions of medicine and the like, I think that harsher admissions standards should be implemented by the AACP. Perspective comes with wisdom and people should be forced to have a little extra time to find out what they want to do with their lives. Everyone owes it to the profession to provide the best candidates and the respective drive. Yes, some might be left behind and you might be depriving people of the opportunity, but I believe sacrifices must be made in order to advance the profession as a whole. The phasing out of the BS for the PharmD was met with monumental opposition, but it was done for a reason to raise the profession's visibility and credibility; I believe that one day that a bachelors will become mandetory. The fact that people can even enter pharmacy without realizing what the future entails is a travesty. I know that many will disagree with my extreme opinions, but I don't have my reservations without good reason.

 

[bananaface]

0-6 programs aren't going to retain everyone and the credit you get during the first couple of years could be used towards another degree, if desired. Going doesn't mean a commitment to pursue the profession, just a commitment to explore the profession.

 

[evilolive]

0-6 programs aren't going to retain everyone and the credit you get during the first couple of years could be used towards another degree, if desired. Going doesn't mean a commitment to pursue the profession, just a commitment to explore the profession.

An interesting point, I still don't think that should be the focus of a pharmacy school. Medical schools don't open up their doors so that people have an idea of what it's like on that massive of a scale. I understand that exposure is necessary, but it's a very expensive and focused pathway - and schools understand that allure. Many of the 0-6 programs are private and that's how they keep a lot of their programs afloat, through those 40k a year tuition dollars. Say 20-30% of a class doesn't make it, that's a LOT of tuition dollars. Many of these programs don't even have graduate level replacement to keep up with the attrition. I think that's where it doesn't really make much sense to me. A lot of people who don't even like the program will probably finish it because they already have invested so much time and energy - will that necessarily benefit the profession? It's not the students' fault, and I don't blame them for choosing the path given those circumstances. My argument revolves around perception of choice.

 

[yearof08]

First of all, even though i'm only a h.s. senior, i'm not lost and immature..As i mentioned earlier, my parents encouraged me to apply to the school, and after getting accepted, i am actually considering it. I have not decided to Go to pharmacy school.. i think you guys are thinking I have made up my mind b/c i got in. No, i am researching about pharmacy a lot more, getting a job at a local pharmacy, and giving it real thought until confirmation deadline.. I Am unsure about whether to go to pharmacy school or not because I don't know whether I will end up really enjoying it or really hating it. There would be no regrets to give pharmacy school a shot however i have another school, non-pharmacy school in mind that i have always really wanted to go to. I could go to the other school and do Pre-Pharmacy, that way i could just see how i like pharmacy without dedicating 6 years of studies for it, but it would be a waste (of money & time) to not have just gone to the 6-year program if i end up really liking it... & i highly doubt i'll hate it b/c i science is my favorite subject and i really enjoy Chemistry & biology. On this forum, i read that transfering is impossible, esp. to Albany- the school i was accepted into... I feel that i would be able to go to Albany, study really hard and succeed throughout the 6 years.. but i am still undecided.
thanks to those of you that are encouraging me to do pharmacy & believe i can succeed.

MountainPharmD- you think you know everything, but you don't so please just stop replying. you aren't helping at all.

 

[PharmDstudent]

First of all, even though i'm only a h.s. senior, i'm not lost and immature..As i mentioned earlier, my parents encouraged me to apply to the school, and after getting accepted, i am actually considering it. I have not decided to Go to pharmacy school.. i think you guys are thinking I have made up my mind b/c i got in. No, i am researching about pharmacy a lot more, getting a job at a local pharmacy, and giving it real thought until confirmation deadline.. I Am unsure about whether to go to pharmacy school or not because I don't know whether I will end up really enjoying it or really hating it. There would be no regrets to give pharmacy school a shot however i have another school, non-pharmacy school in mind that i have always really wanted to go to. I could go to the other school and do Pre-Pharmacy, that way i could just see how i like pharmacy without dedicating 6 years of studies for it, but it would be a waste (of money & time) to not have just gone to the 6-year program if i end up really liking it... & i highly doubt i'll hate it b/c i science is my favorite subject and i really enjoy Chemistry & biology. On this forum, i read that transfering is impossible, esp. to Albany- the school i was accepted into... I feel that i would be able to go to Albany, study really hard and succeed throughout the 6 years.. but i am still undecided.
thanks to those of you that are encouraging me to do pharmacy & believe i can succeed.

Ok. Let's play a little Devil's Advocate.

Why would pharmacy school be a good option for you...?

What's your high school GPA?

What did you do during high school?

Do you have to work to support yourself/family once you get to college? (Students who work have a harder time maintaining their GPAs, because they have less time to study. Therefore, it may benefit you to go to pharm school now if your GPA's good. It just depends.)

What type of science do you like the most?
(I hated chemistry in high school. We had this picky teacher who would make us measure exactly to the meniscus in graduated cylinders, use slide rules, and your answer wasn't right if the sig figs were off a tiny bit. I enjoyed general chemistry much, much more in college than I did in high school. Although, I hated the second organic chemistry with a passion. There was way too much to memorize!)

Do you like talking to people or would you rather work alone?

Do you like the body and its functions or does it bore you because it's too tedious to learn about it?

Do you enjoy writing?

Does working in the same space bother you or are you more comfortable in familiar surroundings?

I'm asking you these questions so that we can get a feel for who you are. Maybe we can guide you to a particular type of pharmacy that you can research and learn about.

The only thing that we know right now is that pharmacy interests you, you were accepted to Albany, and your parents want you to go to pharmacy school.

 

[evilolive]

Classes like biology and chemistry from high school are not accurate representations of what science is like from a pharmacy perspective, let alone a collegiate one. Liking science isn't always translational towards pharmacy itself. You won't really know until you get to know more about what the pharmacy practice is like and how hard science can be applied to the subject. Pharmacy is very little inorganic chemistry itself as you've probably been exposed to; it's applied physiology.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Classes like biology and chemistry from high school are not accurate representations of what science is like from a pharmacy perspective, let alone a collegiate one. Liking science isn't always translational towards pharmacy itself. You won't really know until you get to know more about what the pharmacy practice is like and how hard science can be applied to the subject. Pharmacy is very little inorganic chemistry itself as you've probably been exposed to; it's applied physiology.

It doesn't have to be accurate. At this point, yearof08 has to make a choice. Regardless of how well s/he can apply what they know to his/her decision, an 18 year-old student can only go by what s/he has done in high school.

In my opinion, pharmacy school chemistry, Med Chem, has very little Organic in it. We haven't reacted any "chemicals" together like you would in Organic. Most of what we've learned consists of drug excretion, which revolves significantly around ionization.

I've never used the Henderson-Hasselbach equation more in my life! Acids are ionized and bases are unionized in basic pH, blah blah blah. Everything's relative to the pH values within the body. Sometimes I want to sing the Ren and Stimpy song during class, [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPHtKarae2Q[/youtube]

 

[bananaface]

I'd suggest job shadowing a few different pharmacists.

 

[evilolive]

I used to hate Ren and Stimpy

 

[PharmDstudent]

I used to hate Ren and Stimpy

Don't worry. I doubt you'll have to use the equation in Med Chem. You'll probably just have to know the concept of ionization. You know... if the pKa of an acidic drug is 3 and the pH of the environment is 6 --> the drug's ionized.
The hardest part is trying to remember the pKas of the functional groups on top of learning the new chemical structures. I always have to review pKa values before I take a Med Chem exam

We touched on that equation a little in Pharmaceutics. We use log and ln a lot in pharmacokinetics.

 

[evilolive]

You have no idea how long I've sat in the middle of a med chem test and wondered if it's ionized or unionized because it depends on an acidic versus basic drug (protonation status before and after!).

 

[yearof08]

What's your high school GPA? 3.79, 4.32 weighted

What did you do during high school? i took more sciences classes than others such as history..

Do you have to work to support yourself/family once you get to college? (Students who work have a harder time maintaining their GPAs, because they have less time to study. Therefore, it may benefit you to go to pharm school now if your GPA's good. It just depends.)
i don't have to work to support myself or family. maybe just work a little bit for some extra cash if i wanted..

What type of science do you like the most?
(I hated chemistry in high school. We had this picky teacher who would make us measure exactly to the meniscus in graduated cylinders, use slide rules, and your answer wasn't right if the sig figs were off a tiny bit. I enjoyed general chemistry much, much more in college than I did in high school. Although, I hated the second organic chemistry with a passion. There was way too much to memorize!)
i enjoyed and aced hon. chemistry, hon. & AP biology, AP environmental science, and did well in math up to BC calculus and hon. physics.

Do you like talking to people or would you rather work alone?
i prefer to work together with people.

Do you like the body and its functions or does it bore you because it's too tedious to learn about it?
i'm interested in the body and it's functions, and i wouldn't mind learning all the details although it may get tedious. i have no problem with memorizing.

Do you enjoy writing?
i don't enjoy writing; i am not a creative writer.

Does working in the same space bother you or are you more comfortable in familiar surroundings?
i prefer to work in familiar surroundings.

 

[Alby]

I am not familar with the first two years of a 0-6 program, but I can imagine they consist mostly of pre-reqs, the calculus, biology, chemistry, O Chem, Physics, stats etc.

Have you considered the benefits of getting a liberal arts education first? As someone said earlier- these are the best years of your life... being truly educated is a lot more than acing bio, chem etc.- learning a variety of subjects builds character - I will never regret my liberal arts education. BTW you can still major in a hard (versus soft) science - my major, for example, was Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

 

[Bribriguy16]

Here has been my schedule in the first two years of the 0-6 I am in. (AP'd out of History and English)

First Semester -- GChem I (w lab), GBio (w lab), Calculus, Music101, Intro to College course

Second Semester -- GChem II (w lab), Anatomy (w lab), MicroEcon, History of Jazz, Communications

Third Semester -- OChem I, Physiology (w lab), Medical Microbio (w lab), Oriental Philosophy

Fourth Semester -- OChem II (w lab), Biochem, Biostats, Foundations of Health

 

[PharmDstudent]

What's your high school GPA? 3.79, 4.32 weighted

What did you do during high school? i took more sciences classes than others such as history..

Do you have to work to support yourself/family once you get to college? (Students who work have a harder time maintaining their GPAs, because they have less time to study. Therefore, it may benefit you to go to pharm school now if your GPA's good. It just depends.)
i don't have to work to support myself or family. maybe just work a little bit for some extra cash if i wanted..

What type of science do you like the most?
(I hated chemistry in high school. We had this picky teacher who would make us measure exactly to the meniscus in graduated cylinders, use slide rules, and your answer wasn't right if the sig figs were off a tiny bit. I enjoyed general chemistry much, much more in college than I did in high school. Although, I hated the second organic chemistry with a passion. There was way too much to memorize!)
i enjoyed and aced hon. chemistry, hon. & AP biology, AP environmental science, and did well in math up to BC calculus and hon. physics.

Do you like talking to people or would you rather work alone?
i prefer to work together with people.

Do you like the body and its functions or does it bore you because it's too tedious to learn about it?
i'm interested in the body and it's functions, and i wouldn't mind learning all the details although it may get tedious. i have no problem with memorizing.

Do you enjoy writing?
i don't enjoy writing; i am not a creative writer.

Does working in the same space bother you or are you more comfortable in familiar surroundings?
i prefer to work in familiar surroundings.

One more question: Do you like learning?
Pharmacists have to learn new information on a regular basis. They have to learn about new drugs that become available, new generics, updated laws/regulations, changes in insurance programs or formularies, and drugs that get removed from the market- just to name a few things.

Maybe you should shadow a hospital, compounding, or long term care pharmacist. In general, these pharmacists usually work with other people, they work in familiar environments at their institutions, and they don't have to write too much.

Some retail pharmacists have to work alone, mainly if they work overnight or on the weekends. I used to work with a pharmacist from 10-5 on the weekends, and it was just the two of us working. She would work alone from 9-10 and 5-6.
It all depends on the company.

It seems like "clinical" pharmacists would have to write a lot, because they do medication management and presentations; many of them teach too.
-- I'm not really sure though. Maybe someone else can chime in on this.

Everyone who works in pharmacy has to memorize pertinent details, but with time, the information becomes more familiar.

Warning: Some people think pharmacy is boring and tedious. After you have enough experience, you can decide for yourself.

 

[PharmDstudent]

You have no idea how long I've sat in the middle of a med chem test and wondered if it's ionized or unionized because it depends on an acidic versus basic drug (protonation status before and after!).

Isn't it soooo much fun?

The pKa sheet that I review from before a test is the handiest thing I own! My scientific calculator is handy too
When I get bored later, I'll type up the values and post it.

 

[evilolive]

I am not familar with the first two years of a 0-6 program, but I can imagine they consist mostly of pre-reqs, the calculus, biology, chemistry, O Chem, Physics, stats etc.

Have you considered the benefits of getting a liberal arts education first? As someone said earlier- these are the best years of your life... being truly educated is a lot more than acing bio, chem etc.- learning a variety of subjects builds character - I will never regret my liberal arts education. BTW you can still major in a hard (versus soft) science - my major, for example, was Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

It's a matter of priorities. I've always been a strong proponent of a study liberal arts foundation as a humanistic preparation for pharmacy school - the heart of the profession behind hard science. Not everyone will agree with us nor has the resources to go through with it, though. Too many people see educations as a means to an end, and thus survival. It's ultimately not as fulfilling to adopt this perspective, but I guess it's better than being on the streets.

 

[mike36]

First of all, even though i'm only a h.s. senior, i'm not lost and immature

All high school students are immature, even seniors. That's ok though. Maturity comes with age and life experiences. (I do not mean to be insulting, it is just the way it is. Wait a few years and you will see how much more mature you will be then compared to now).

I did not have a clue about what I wanted to do with my life at 18 years of age (I thought I did though). It took me until 25 to decide I wanted to be a pharmacist. Maybe it will not take you quite so long to pick a career path, but I think 18 is too soon for most people to choose one.

Best of luck on your journey!

 

[rebelde]

evilolive- i agree with you completely... thanks!!

Want to see a disaster of a program?? look at MCPHS- highest acceptance rate, lowest retention rate. That doesn't mean it's a bad school, but just an example of how flawed 0-6 year programs are. The only reasons they consistently have graduating classes that are equal to the entering class (about 300 seats) is because they accept an assload of people starting at the 1st professional year (many of which already have degrees).

 

[cy19861126]

My suggestion for you is that just go and see what happens. Maybe you'll like pharmacy and maybe not. Whichever the case may be, during the first two years, you will experience something that most other students will experience at other institution. If you happen to drop out, just transfer to other university and transfer the credit along with it. You said you are interested in science right? Thus, if you were to hate pharmacy after two years, then you will probably do something like chemistry and biology. It is not like you will be wasting your time and money. Moreover, the tuition for any private or out-of-state public institution is about the same as Albany CoP. Therefore, in my perspective, you are not going to waste any of your time and money (well, maybe some)

I agree 0-6 program is faulty because many students did not know what they want to do upon graduation. That is absolutely OKAY. Many students do not know their real interest after they actually take some classes. It is part of life and if you don't like it, just transfer. I am telling you that there are tens of thousand of people out there waiting to gain admission to any pharmacy schools in the States. So don't lose your chances. If you think that getting a BS will raise your maturity level, just get a Masters or something else upon graduation from pharmacy school. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

One additional note. Take the words from SDN members (including me) as SUGGESTIONS. We do not know your real situation and only you can make the decision for yourself. Of course, your parents cannot make any decision for you as well.

 

[yearof08]

^ I heard that if i transfer from a pharmacy school into a normal university, it will be a waste of time and classes b/c at pharmacy school i would be taking specific classes just for Pharmacy, classes i wouldn't take at a regular university. Is that true?

 

[BidingMyTime]

Eh, sure teenagers are immature and don't know what they want to do. That doesn't mean they won't be great pharmacists when they graduate at age 24. I knew nothing about pharmacy when I entered a 0-6 program. I have no regrets, my college experience was great, being a pharmacist is great. I'd strongly encourage 0-6 year program for someone wanting to be a pharmacist--right from the start you are intermingling with students at the upper levels and learning from them.

Some courses from 0-6 pharmacy school won't transfer, but the majority of the first and second year classes will transfer out.

 

[AmrieRX]

Hi all,
Here's a little bit of a story. I entered pharmacy school b/c my parents wanted me to go. graduated HS at 16. did 3 1/2 years and I hated it. too much drama with my pharmacy program. I had a 3.9 GPA when I decided to do something else. I became a physical therapist, worked for 8 years but it hindsight I regretted not finishing pharmacy school. I went back to school, finished my pharmD and am now a pharmacist and I love it. Everyone has to find what is right for them. Sometimes it takes a little more time than others.

 

[xxfoolxx]

yearof08,

you sound like me 5 years ago. i was a really good student in HS. i applied to USP and Temple Pre-Pharm during my senior year of HS because my parents and brother told me to and got into both programs. i didn't want to do it cause i didn't want to do what my parents told me to, but my brother, who graduated as an IT major and having a hard time finding a job, told me to think about it because of the money. yes, the money! no one wants to admit it, but that's a big reason why people go into it and why a lot of people never make it through. so, i went to Temple Pre-Pharm which is a 2 year program that does NOT guarantee you a seat into Temple U. School of Pharmacy (TUSP) to save money with tuition, applied to TUSP after working my *** off to get a high GPA, got accepted to TUSP, and now I'm in my 3rd professional year (5th overall), and about to start rotations.

i did not know a thing about pharmacy going into it, but have grown to enjoy it. what really will decide whether pharmacy is for you, is how your outlook on life is. if you're a person that's willing to work/study hard now in preparation for the future, not easily frustrated, and able to adapt, you will make it through pharmacy and learn to like it. i do suggest getting a job at your local retail store, so that you can get a feel for it before you get in too deep.

as far as 0-6 programs go, my first two years consisted of general science classes that would carry over basically to any other health professions field as well as other classes that fulfilled university wide graduation requirements. i think if you decided not to stay with pharmacy, you will be able to switch majors with classes carrying over, but if you do stick with pharmacy, it'll only be advantageous to you in saving you time and money and you'll end up with a really rewarding job in more ways than one. as far as transferring into a 0-6 program goes, it's not likely because those schools have to guarantee seats to their entering freshmen. TUSP is weird, in that it does coordinate somewhat of a 0-6 program but also is a stand alone graduate program.

the one thing i do regret about going the 0-6 program route is that i missed out on the whole college experience, because i was studying most of the time. guess i can make up for the lost fun as a 24 year old pharmacist all because maybe i was mature enough as a high school student to commit myself to 6 years of hard work.

hope this helps, and best of luck on your decision.

 

[tomtom101]

Wow! Everyone is so rough on the OP. After the 6 years, you can either enter residency to get more training or you can take the NAPLEX exam and then enter the workforce right away. If you have more questions, you can PM me, I am in a 6 year program right now.

 

[ToldYouSo]

All high school students are immature, even seniors. That's ok though. Maturity comes with age and life experiences. (I do not mean to be insulting, it is just the way it is. Wait a few years and you will see how much more mature you will be then compared to now).

I did not have a clue about what I wanted to do with my life at 18 years of age (I thought I did though). It took me until 25 to decide I wanted to be a pharmacist. Maybe it will not take you quite so long to pick a career path, but I think 18 is too soon for most people to choose one.

Best of luck on your journey!

I couldn't disagree more, if maturity comes through life experiences then I have a lot of them. A high school student can make a commitment and stick to it, even though a lot of seniors don't there are some that do. I've known what I wanted to do since I was 17 and I have every intention of following through with it. Making generalizations likes that does nothing but annoy people.

 

[njac]

I couldn't disagree more, if maturity comes through life experiences then I have a lot of them. A high school student can make a commitment and stick to it, even though a lot of seniors don't there are some that do. I've known what I wanted to do since I was 17 and I have every intention of following through with it. Making generalizations likes that does nothing but annoy people.

"since I was 17" - how old are you now? Your sig contains high school stats.

A year or less of commitment to a goal is not all that impressive.

 

[HaloKing]

go for it yearof08!!

my dad gave me the idea two months before college started.. $100,000 a year and job security.. i'd say the old man knew what he was talking about... and compared to my first job, its heaven..

 

[evilolive]

Hah, I forgot I even participated in this thread - it's old! My opinions haven't changed though.

I've known what I wanted to do since I was 17 and I have every intention of following through with it.

I thought I wanted to be a pharmacist when I was 17, but I had absolutely NO idea what it was going to take nor what an actual life of a pharmacist is like (and my mother is one!).

 

[Argentium]

I don't see the problem in people entering a 0-6 program. Most of the classes required in the first 2 years are liberal requirements anyways. Most people choose their major at the end of their sophmore year, students in the 0-6 program have the same option. If they choose to be a pharmacist, they will enter pharm school. If they choose something else, then they still have 2 years to finish their major requirements.

Here's the schedule for the two preprofessional years at my school

Freshman Yr Semester 1: Expository Writing, Calculus I, Chemistry I, General Biology I, Chemistry Lab
Freshman Yr Semester 2: Expository Writing II, Chemistry II, Biology II, Pharmacy Convocations (Class about the profession), Two social science/humanities electives
Sophmore Yr Semester 1: Organic Chemistry, Intro to Micro, Physics I, two social science/humanities electives
Sohpmore Yr Semester 2: Organic Chemistry II, Organic Chem Lab, Systems Phys, Statistics, two social science/humanities electives

If you choose not to be a pharmacist (as many do), you can enter any healthcare profession major with ease, and if you focus on a certain elective (economics, for an example), an econ bachelors can be attained as well.

 

[ToldYouSo]

Hah, I forgot I even participated in this thread - it's old! My opinions haven't changed though.


I thought I wanted to be a pharmacist when I was 17, but I had absolutely NO idea what it was going to take nor what an actual life of a pharmacist is like (and my mother is one!).

Your mom is a pharmacist and you had no idea what it was like? Ignorance on your part.

 

[ToldYouSo]

"since I was 17" - how old are you now? Your sig contains high school stats.

A year or less of commitment to a goal is not all that impressive.

I am 18 atm, and sorry for not knowing what I wanted to do when I was 12 Want me to msg you back in 6 years? XD

 

[njac]

I am 18 atm, and sorry for not knowing what I wanted to do when I was 12 Want me to msg you back in 6 years? XD

That's all well and good. And no one expects you to know what you want to do when you're 12. But stating in a matter of fact manner "well this is what I've wanted to do since I was 17" carries very little weight. I was just calling attention the the ridiculousness of that. I wish you the best of luck, I really do. I'm just not impressed with your long-term devotion and dedication. yet.

 

[evilolive]

Your mom is a pharmacist and you had no idea what it was like? Ignorance on your part.

Such cute insolence But to explain further, it was more like I wasn't mature enough to understand what she did, nor could I truly grasp the science behind what pharmacy was like. Sure I knew she managed medications behind the prototypical pharmacist explanations, but to devote an entire career with that one perspective wasn't enough to make an informed decision (and I went on the take your child to work days). It's one thing to be told about a profession and why everyone wanted to be a Doctor at the age of 5 so you could save the world, but until you go through the prerequisites and the maturation of life, I don't think you can really commit to a life long profession as such. To be honest, I'm still discovering every day what a pharmacist is going to be like, but in comparison to what I knew when I was in high school, I couldn't possibly have made an informed choice. I almost became a psychologist, and the realization of what I wanted to do with my life progressed very slowly and shifted several times. Sure I told people that I've always wanted to be a pharmacist, but I didn't really know it in my heart until 3 months prior to matriculating to pharmacy school and even after the first year, I wavered. Sure it might happen to work out for some, but it's still a dicey investment.

I worked hard in high school and gave myself a great undergraduate education - and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. It gave me a sense of humanism for when I become eventually become a clinician.

 

[ToldYouSo]

Such cute insolence But to explain further, it was more like I wasn't mature enough to understand what she did, nor could I truly grasp the science behind what pharmacy was like. Sure I knew she managed medications behind the prototypical pharmacist explanations, but to devote an entire career with that one perspective wasn't enough to make an informed decision (and I went on the take your child to work days). It's one thing to be told about a profession and why everyone wanted to be a Doctor at the age of 5 so you could save the world, but until you go through the prerequisites and the maturation of life, I don't think you can really commit to a life long profession as such. To be honest, I'm still discovering every day what a pharmacist is going to be like, but in comparison to what I knew when I was in high school, I couldn't possibly have made an informed choice. I almost became a psychologist, and the realization of what I wanted to do with my life progressed very slowly and shifted several times. Sure I told people that I've always wanted to be a pharmacist, but I didn't really know it in my heart until 3 months prior to matriculating to pharmacy school and even after the first year, I wavered. Sure it might happen to work out for some, but it's still a dicey investment.

I worked hard in high school and gave myself a great undergraduate education - and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. It gave me a sense of humanism for when I become eventually become a clinician.

I don't see why some people are so opposed to 0-6 programs. All you do is save 2 years of undergrad, and ppl think that they are so important in how you become more "well rounded" and developed as a person. But honestly, the requirements for directly entering into a 0-6 program aren't THAT hard so people with less then stellar stats might be getting into pharmacy school without really knowing what they are doing.., Maybe they should raise the admissions requirements so only people who are serious get in.

 

[meister]

This was one successful troll, and if not, god help us all.

 

[samisab786]

I got accepted into a pharmacy school for a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. After I complete the 6 years of studying, does that mean i can become a Pharmacist right away? (Or- where do the 6 years of studying get you)? Thanks in advance!!

I'm in a 0-6 year program.

First of all, everybody here seems to be freaking out on this kid. Chill guys. It's OKAY to get into a post-high school pharmacy program without knowing much of what it entails. A lot of high school kids DO get into these programs without realizing it's a six-year deal. I remember my freshman mentor saying last semester that she had no idea pharmacy was a six year program upon entering college. She's a P2 now. Anyway, I applied to MCPHS and I got in, but I applied to 20 other schools which I was hoping to go for undergrad. I had no idea what I wanted to truly major in, and everybody is right in that sense, VERY VERY few students who enter college know exactly what they want to do. I didn't get into the schools I wanted to and was going through an emotionally tough time afterwards. I was thinking I'd go to Boston University since that was my next choice in line, but I didn't know if BU would truly be the place I wanted to spend my next four years at. So my parents and I made a deal that for the first two years, I'll commute at home from a public university and then stay if I like it or transfer if I don't. When I came to this school on orientation day, I got into their pharmacy program. I don't even remember applying for pharmacy at all...I just remember applying to MCPHS for pharmacy, but when I got in, I was kinda shocked. They told me that if I reject my acceptance now, I can't turn back to it like I can do with other majors during my first two years, so they told me I could sit in pharmacy and see if I like it and if I don't, I can change my major anytime afterwards. I spent almost 6 months spending a countless number of hours researching careers. I shadowed a pharmacist and still have a few more to shadow, but I don't feel too keen about pharmacy as of now. I know that my parents did get excited about it when I got in for the same reasons: it is a defined and secure job. But when they found out that I'm not really loving school and really not showing much interest in pharmacy, they got a little disappointed. I guess now they're getting over it, but still you know, that feeling persists. With that in mind, I feel even more emotionally distressed than I did in high school. I am constantly worried about my career choice and am not as excited or energetic as compared to most of my peers. Kid, you really gotta do what you like. You can ALWAYS turn back to pharmacy within the next couple of years...sure you gotta take the PCAT and all that, but you should spend at least 2-3 years in college knowing exactly what you want to do. If you cruise around this forum, you will see that some PharmD's ended up going to med school because they went into pharmacy without knowing a whole lot of what it entailed and realized that they wanted a different role in their career. As compared to applicants with a BA degree, they have accumulated quite an expense in making that decision. I suggest you talk to your parents about contemplating on pharmacy later in life when you are more PREPARED to make a decision. I was not prepared to make a decision in high school and I am still very far from prepared, despite being in the pharmacy program (I'm a freshman, btw). And with the amount of distress I'm going through, I advise all future 0-6'ers that they really should think about it a million times over before getting into it. A lot of kids in the PharmD program alongside me are doing it for the money...I have met only one guy who said he likes the study of pharmacy, but really, high school kids don't make good decisions at all. I'm not putting you down, I'm just saying that from my own experiences. Pharmacy school should be pursued after years of thought and consideration unless one is absolutely positively certain about being a pharmacist in their senior year...and that usually is a very rare case, my friend.

To close my case, I'll leave you with some food for thought: pharmacy is a good career for many more reasons than just pay. I'm tired of people bothering me about the salary involved in pharmacy. It's a career that entails a lot of science, especially chemistry and some biology and has elements of business involved with it. If those subjects interest you, then pharmacy is an excellent choice. Moreover, you should shadow a pharmacist to see if you like what he/she is doing. The people who really inspire me are the ones who choose careers because they actually like the subject matter involved in their job-of-interest. I've talked to a couple on this forum and they also think that deciding so early in your higher ed career is really difficult. So really man, take the time.

Hope that helps, please feel free to PM me if you got more to ask, mate.

 

[samisab786]

I don't see why some people are so opposed to 0-6 programs. All you do is save 2 years of undergrad, and ppl think that they are so important in how you become more "well rounded" and developed as a person. But honestly, the requirements for directly entering into a 0-6 program aren't THAT hard so people with less then stellar stats might be getting into pharmacy school without really knowing what they are doing.., Maybe they should raise the admissions requirements so only people who are serious get in.

At St. Johns and the school I go to, I believe the acceptance rate is like 9%-11%. As far as I know, the kids who got in from my school got good grades, good test scores, and many of them were pharm techs (not a requirement, but I'm guessing it helps). Still, a lot of them I don't think "thought it through".

 

[nikkai]

pharmacy school is a fairly torturous process and you have to WANT it....you're going to be hating life otherwise!

I think the same can be said about anything worthwhile in life.

and, if you're not ready for negative comments...DON'T be a pharmacist....that's easily 80% of the job!

Er. I wouldn't jump on that stat too quickly. I get positive comments on my nails and hair all the time at work.

And there is a lot of typing going on in this thread - I think as I speed-scrolled down a page, I saw a survey... something about favorite movie, favorite tv show.

I remember when those were popular chain emails... those were the days.