Do I stand a chance??

[PharmGuy14]

I recently switched to Pre-Pharmacy from Pre-Medicine this past semester. I was initially Pre-Pharmacy, but my family pressured me to do Pre-Medicine. So I decided my senior year to follow my gut and choose Pre-Pharmacy. I have ZERO pharmacy experience, but I did work in a micronutrient proteomic lab, and I will be volunteering in a research lab at Ga-Tech focusing on prion-related diseases like Hutchinson Disease and Parkinson's Disease this summer. I've also tutored Organic Chemistry for UGA and privately. My current GPA is 3.76 and my science GPA is 3.71 or so. I've also taken classes like Human Biochemistry, but I don't know if pharm schools look at that. I want to be admitted to Mercer or UGA if I stay in GA.Sorry for the long post; I'm just worried that my lack of pharmacy experience will hinder me from getting into pharmacy school.

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[Skrumpy]

I recently switched to Pre-Pharmacy from Pre-Medicine this past semester. I was initially Pre-Pharmacy, but my family pressured me to do Pre-Medicine. So I decided my senior year to follow my gut and choose Pre-Pharmacy. I have ZERO pharmacy experience, but I did work in a micronutrient proteomic lab, and I will be volunteering in a research lab at Ga-Tech focusing on prion-related diseases like Hutchinson Disease and Parkinson's Disease this summer. I've also tutored Organic Chemistry for UGA and privately. My current GPA is 3.76 and my science GPA is 3.71 or so. I've also taken classes like Human Biochemistry, but I don't know if pharm schools look at that. I want to be admitted to Mercer or UGA if I stay in GA.Sorry for the long post; I'm just worried that my lack of pharmacy experience will hinder me from getting into pharmacy school.

Do you stand a chance? Yes. Though I would recommend some pharmacy experience, just get ANY experience you can like shadowing, volunteering, etc. It will be incredibly difficult to answer common interview questions such as; why you want to go into pharmacy, what you feel the pharmacy profession is going, what are current issues affecting pharmacy.. etc without some experience. I know people that have gotten in without much experience, I just wouldn't recommend trying to get in without it. It really is so easy to get some basic experience that I think it just looks bad when someone doesn't have any. Try to think about how they would view it from their perspective.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Of course you stand a chance. In fact, you're going to be a very competitive application when you get pharmacy experience in. I wouldn't be worrying if I had a 3.7 GPA.

 

[PharmGuy14]

Do you stand a chance? Yes. Though I would recommend some pharmacy experience, just get ANY experience you can like shadowing, volunteering, etc. It will be incredibly difficult to answer common interview questions such as; why you want to go into pharmacy, what you feel the pharmacy profession is going, what are current issues affecting pharmacy.. etc without some experience. I know people that have gotten in without much experience, I just wouldn't recommend trying to get in without it. It really is so easy to get some basic experience that I think it just looks bad when someone doesn't have any. Try to think about how they would view it from their perspective.

Thanks for the realness! It would really look bad if I didn't get any type of experience. Do you think its best to apply online for a pharm volunteering position in person or should I apply online?

 

[Skrumpy]

Thanks for the realness! It would really look bad if I didn't get any type of experience. Do you think its best to apply online for a pharm volunteering position in person or should I apply online?

Well TBH I think shadowing a couple of different types of pharmacist positions would be better than volunteering at a pharmacy (if you had to choose between the two). That is just my opinion though. That way when they ask you "why pharmacy?" maybe you'll be able to use your shadowing experience to say "well when I shadowed at XXX..." I've even heard of people having the person they are shadowing write a LoR for them. Aside from that, I've heard mixed reviews from volunteers. Some people that have posted here have mentioned that volunteering means you are stuck basically doing menial pharmacy tasks and have little to no interaction with a pharmacist. Still that would at least allow you to observe what is going on. I've never seen a volunteer at our hospital pharmacy before. Perhaps someone else can speak to that process and what it entails. Do you have any connections with anyone in a pharmacy setting? That would be an easy way to get in and shadow/volunteer. As far as applying online vs in person, I've found that it is very easy to ignore/forget/deny someone online. It typically more difficult for someone to say "no" to you in person. If you don't mind doing the legwork you'll probably get better results in person.

 

[y0ssarian87]

Well TBH I think shadowing a couple of different types of pharmacist positions would be better than volunteering at a pharmacy (if you had to choose between the two). That is just my opinion though. That way when they ask you "why pharmacy?" maybe you'll be able to use your shadowing experience to say "well when I shadowed at XXX..." I've even heard of people having the person they are shadowing write a LoR for them. Aside from that, I've heard mixed reviews from volunteers. Some people that have posted here have mentioned that volunteering means you are stuck basically doing menial pharmacy tasks and have little to no interaction with a pharmacist. Still that would at least allow you to observe what is going on. I've never seen a volunteer at our hospital pharmacy before. Perhaps someone else can speak to that process and what it entails. Do you have any connections with anyone in a pharmacy setting? That would be an easy way to get in and shadow/volunteer. As far as applying online vs in person, I've found that it is very easy to ignore/forget/deny someone online. It typically more difficult for someone to say "no" to you in person. If you don't mind doing the legwork you'll probably get better results in person.

Honestly though to get the best of both, volunteer in a good hospital and ask for extra opportunities to shadow various pharmacists. I got to do that as a volunteer, and it worked out well. That way you get broad exposure, but you also get to do regular work.

 

[Skrumpy]

Honestly though to get the best of both, volunteer in a good hospital and ask for extra opportunities to shadow various pharmacists. I got to do that as a volunteer, and it worked out well. That way you get broad exposure, but you also get to do regular work.

Yea I suppose once you get a foothold in the hospital you'll be able to ask for more shadowing opportunities. You may have to go that route if the hospital isn't one to just allow random people off the street to come shadow. I'm not sure if we have students asking to volunteer and if we just deny them or if we just don't have people asking to volunteer. All I know is that I don't ever see them in our area.

 

[wucool33]

If you are just asking if you will be accepted without experience, then yes... Yes you will. The only way you wouldn't be accepted is if you told all your interviewers to F off. If u really want to see what it's like to work in a pharmacy, then go get that experience, but it's not needed for you to actually get in.

 

[PharmGuy14]

If you are just asking if you will be accepted without experience, then yes... Yes you will. The only way you wouldn't be accepted is if you told all your interviewers to F off. If u really want to see what it's like to work in a pharmacy, then go get that experience, but it's not needed for you to actually get in.

Thank you! lol! I still want to gain some type of experience for personal gain.

 

[anakarenina83]

Hi all,

I'm in the same boat. 2.6 oGPA. Thinking about applying to Roseman because they offer academic forgiveness which brings my GPA up to 2.8.
Do you guys think I stand a chance? Anyone got in with a 2.6 GPA? Thank you.