**PHARMACY STUDENTS: Pros and Cons of your PharmD school**

www.westernu.edu/pharmacy/
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I'm planning to apply for the class of 2017 for TTHUSC, preferably the Abilene campus.
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Halewafa said:
Name of school: University of Southern California (USC)

Year you are in (if willing to share): 2

Curriculum: Seems like its very similar to other schools. 1st year feels like a total waste of time. Its pretty much like undergrad all over again, just at hyper speed. You do get your intern license within the first month or so, allowing you to start your IPPEs first semester. You'll also get your certificate to allow you to vaccinate in the first couple of weeks. First years are required to get competencies done both semesters, which consists of attending health fairs and screening participants (cholesterol, DM, HTN, and flu shots).
So far second year has been a lot better. You start the therapeutics modules (which I'm enjoying). Seems a little more laid back than first year, which makes it the year to get involved. A lot of people that hold board positions for the various organizations are second years.
Third year, from what I've heard, is the worst. Classes move quickly, tests almost every week.
Fourth year is all rotations. Don't know too much about it.

Faculty: Same as the person above me. The faculty here are hit and miss. There are a lot of amazingly smart people here who do awesome work. Then there are very few faculty (who still do amazing work) that can't really teach.

Reputation: From what I hear, USC is very respected. It's located in Los Angeles, giving us a lot of opportunities to work with the community. There are health fairs almost every weekend helping some under served area. I'm one of the project directors this year, so I've attended almost every one (18 just last semester). We are very involved in community outreach.

Study areas: Plenty of places to study. There is a large computer lab in the pharmacy building. There is also a library right next to it which is open until midnight every night (I think... I always study at home).

Social Scene: Great social scene. We're not far from downtown LA, Hollywood, Pasadena, Santa Monica, etc. There are a lot of social events going on for pharmacy students. We're about 15 minutes from USC main campus, a lot of people tailgate and go to the football games.

Overall: I would highly recommend this school to anyone thinking about applying. The Trojan family is very strong, a lot of people get intern positions just because the pharmacist working there is a USC grad. I'm extremely happy with my decision and don't regret it one bit. Please feel free to ask any other questions!
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I have been conditionally accepted into USC's PharmD program and am seriously considering attending this school. I spoke to one of my friends who is also a current student there and one of my concerns from talking to her is that the faculty do not hold office hours or review sessions. I am an interactive learner and I like to attend office hours/review sessions to seek extra help. With that said, I have 2 questions:

1) How do you feel about the faculty and the amount of academic help they offer?
2) Do you have any other concerns of your own about USC PharmD program that you'd like to enlighten applicants like myself on?
 
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It's not hype, it's opportunity. I get tired of the pessimism when your going to have to bust your tail no matter what/wherever you are. I've been through graduate work in organic chemistry, and trust me, the amount of time I have in order to manage my work at Tech is more than enough in order to do well (and have time to go out, work out, etc). I know P2 year at Tech is considered the most difficult but if your attitude is negative, it's going to suck wherever you go. If you believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel, then you'll reflect on it and see that things weren't so bad. Tell the next class to brace themselves, just deal with the red tape, and take it one day at a time. That's all it really takes...anywhere.

frogman said:
It;s funny how your opinion changes from the P1 to the P2 or P3 year at tech. P1s are in that period that lasts about six months where they still believe all the hype.


Name of school: TTUHSC SOP

Year you are in (if willing to share): class of 2013:)

Curriculum: Not at all well coordinated. We were led to believe the instructors worked hand-in-hand so that the classes complimented each other. If so why was the curriculum changed so that P1s and P2s were taking classes together (at the same time - class size ~260 students not counting the grad students aslo taking the class) during our first year? there are scheduled test blocks so you supposedly do not have more than two major tests/week. that has not stopped there from being 5+ tests in one week, most of which account for more than 25% of your grade.

Location: Amarillo

Faculty: some are outstanding - Overall, the basic science instructors are great, Dr. Mehvar teaches pk and he is easily the best instructor anywhere.:love: Dr. Stoll teaches biochem and cannot be beat.:love:

Once you get to the pharmacy practice instructors, it is another story.

Some could care less and are only there because it allows them to do research. the instructor teaching drug delivery systems was actually overheard telling this to a grad student.:thumbdown:

There was an instructor who recently left who used to send harassing emails to female students :mad:

Reputation: TTUHSC SOP considers itself to have a great reputation.:cool: Preceptors on rotations consider the students to be so weak on drug knowledge that there is a "high risk drug knowledge assessment" given in the third year. They had to throw out about 20% of the questions this year because over 1/2 of the class got them wrong.:eek:

Clinical Rotations: P3 rotations have actually been great learning experiencers. Wish they had more options available for the P4 elective rotations as they are mostly geared to someone wanting to do a residency, teaching, writing or clinical. How about nuclear, compounding, vet, military, IHS, independent pharmacy???

Housing: Amarillo has adequate housing and is not outrageously priced

Study Areas: Inadequate. plenty of open space, but for guaranteed quiet space there is very little.

Social Scene: Adequate, but certainly less than a big city would have.:thumbdown:

Local Hospitals: Not bad, there are 2 major hospitals, a va hospital, plus many other specific specialty sites, such as cardio, oncology, etc.

Board Prep:supposedly good.

Other: Tech makes many promises when recruiting and fails to follow through on many of them. I have said, and have heard many of my classmates say, that we would not have chosen tech had we known how things really are.Preceptors on rotation have told me that other students are not happy either. I have actively discouraged people from coming here and will continue to do so.

Overall: if you are not convinced that you are going to be a CLINICAL pharmacist, this is not a good school to attend. That is their focus even though 95% of their graduates, or more go to community pharmacy.
The technology is particularly bad. They have students mikes hanging in the classroom that pick up every little noise, but when someone asks a question on another campus it is hard to hear them. The instructor often cannot hear, either.
On the other side, the dean is leaving this summer, and we recently lost the dean of academics. Maybe this will allow some fresh blood to improve the atmosphere.

Grades:

Curriculum: B+
Location: B
Cost: B
Financial Aid: A+
Faculty: Some A+, Some D, one or two F
Reputation: B
Technology: F :thumbdown:
Study Space: D
Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A+:)
Rotations: B
Social: B
Hospitals: B
Post Grad: unknown
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Tuition from Texas schools is so attractive ... too bad I am from out of state (CA) which is even worse
 
michhhe said:
I have been conditionally accepted into USC's PharmD program and am seriously considering attending this school. I spoke to one of my friends who is also a current student there and one of my concerns from talking to her is that the faculty do not hold office hours or review sessions. I am an interactive learner and I like to attend office hours/review sessions to seek extra help. With that said, I have 2 questions:

1) How do you feel about the faculty and the amount of academic help they offer?
2) Do you have any other concerns of your own about USC PharmD program that you'd like to enlighten applicants like myself on?
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1) I can't comment too much about office hours since I've never gone, but I have a friend in my class who goes to office hours ALL THE TIME. I know they all hold office hours, and if you can't make them, a lot of the faculty will set up appointments with you. I've never heard of the office hours being a problem. Very few faculty members hold any sort of review sessions. I only know of two of them, and again, I never went to them so I can't comment on that

2) To be honest, I've never regretted my decision to attend USC. There are some classes here and there that seem pointless and unorganized, but overall it's been a very positive experience. I'm not an LA/big city kind of person, so I can't wait to graduate just so I can get out of here, but that has nothing to do with the academics. I was spoiled going to UC Irvine and living in that beautiful/clean city, lol

Hope that helps!
 
Name of school: Rutgers

Year you are in (if willing to share): P2 (4th year)

Curriculum: Hard. Lots of weeding out classes in pre-professional. Orgo exam averages are in the 50s. Loves pharmacology (3 semesters of it).

Location: Location is good. You got buses to take you everywhere.

Cost: Cheap vs. private universities. EXPENSIVE vs. public universities.

Faculty: Pre-professional = pretty bad. Might get a few good ones in electives

Reputation: GREAT REP! Rutgers Pharmacy strong name,

Clinical Rotations: No one never has a problem getting rotations

Housing: Great now. Rutgers been building new dorms/apartments for a few years

Study areas: Good. Plenty. And various types of study places

Social Scene: Offers big university feel but still has the small knit community like pharmacy

Local Hospitals: There is 3 local hospitals

Board Prep: Out passing rate is VERY high. I think we have a 99% passing rate

Other: Rutgers is combining with UMDNJ next year (maybe) and it will lead to alot of interclasses with the med students. So got opportunity there. Its one of the few 0-6 yr schools that can offer a true college experience.

Overall: Overall its okay. I'll give Rutgers a B.
 
luckyphooey said:
Name of school: University of Maryland

Year you are in (if willing to share): P3

Curriculum: 1st semester is basic science courses plus Principles of Drug Actions. Starting 2nd semester of P1, you will begin Therapeutics as part of the Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, and Therapeutics series, there are 9 of those classes (27 credits) and it is in the span of 3 semesters. P3, you take Pharmacotherapy I & II (managing more than one disease state at a time) and electives. Also in P3, there many non-clinical classes: Pharmacy Management, Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmaco-economics, and Public Health...just to name a few. My class was the first class to have this new curriculum, it has been very intense and a bit frustrating being the trailblazers/guinea pigs.

Faculty: Awesome. We have faculty members that have been here for a loooong time that their some of their students are now our faculty members. Because of partnership with Johns Hopkins Hospital/University, we also have assistant professors from Hopkins. We just got a new faculty member, a senior scientist from the FDA who's coming to open a new research center at our school.

Reputation: We are the 4th oldest pharmacy school and until recently the only school in Maryland so we have a decent reputation.

Study areas: We have brand new building (2010). The Baltimore campus has some great study area: the Health Science Library and even the Law Library.

Social Scene: Lots of bars and dance clubs (Power Plant/Fed Hill) in Baltimore. At Shady Grove, which is close to DC, you have the DC nightlife (Dupont, Adams Morgan, K Street...)

Other thoughts: Great school, the only issue is being the class with the new curriculum. We had to work out a lot of kinks (much to the benefits of the classes behind us). The pharmacy school is in same campus as the medical, dental, social work, nursing, and law school. We are also apart of the University of Maryland Medical System so a lot of our students rotate there. Also next to the school is the Maryland VA and the school of pharmacy runs the Maryland Poison Center. We have a close relationship with Johns Hopkins, in fact, Hopkins has a clinical track program for 4th year rotations for UM pharmacy students, where you can do 4 consecutive rotations at Hopkins. The Shady Grove campus is in the BioTech corridor, many of our students have gone on to get fellowships at MedImmune (which is 10 minutes away). Of course, we are close to the FDA, so many of our students do their rotations at the FDA.

Overall: I am enjoying my experience at this school. Before I got in I heard that it was very cut-throat but I come to find out that the students here are very helpful (we pass around notes and study guides all the time). Baltimore can be sketchy at night, so be careful and always walk with a buddy or use the free Caravan service. If you are a commuter, you have to pay for a parking garage or pay $5 a day to park. Shady Grove campus is in the suburb (sometimes there a gaggles of geese running around) and parking is free.
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Regarding the Hopkins rotations, how guaranteed is that?
And how much is it for a year pass at the parking garage?
Thanks much :)
 
Resurrect this thread !! - skill level 2! (Btw Diablo 3 is coming out on May 15)
 
Bump...Can anyone do more inputs on USC and UCSF?
 
How about Long Island University and Rutgers? :)
 
Sorry... I don't think this is a requested one, but in case inquiring minds wanted to know...

Name of school: University of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City

Year you are in (if willing to share): P1

Curriculum: First semester wasn't too bad for me, but there were a few people who didn't take many upper-division science classes that seemed to struggle a bit. This semester is harder for most of us as it's more new material, but I've heard from most people that it gets better after P1 year.

Faculty: Like others before me have said, it's hit or miss. Some are really awesome and enjoyable, while others have you falling asleep or confused. Honestly though, you're gonna find that anywhere you go. I have yet to hear of a perfect school where every single teacher is amazing at lectures. OU has attracted some pretty great researchers lately, but they weren't all born to teach.

Reputation: When I found out I got an interview at OU, all of the pharmacists I worked with at the time were really happy for me and told me wonderful things about the program. Considering most of them are UT alums, that says a lot. OU is a strong program with a rich history and good reputation that I think is only going to get better with time.

Study areas: There are some quiet rooms within the college of pharmacy and the library is right across the street. The Union is right next door, and the third floor is my personal favorite place. The nicest lady works at the coffee place downstairs too. She's awesome.

Social Scene: Oklahoma City might not be the most exciting city in the world, but it's still a city and there's plenty to do. The Thunder are a lot of fun to watch right now. Bricktown is the most hyped place for restaurants and bars, but there are plenty of other places around the city. McNellies, Edna's, and Speakeasy are personal favorites of mine. I'm not gonna lie... the liquor laws SUCK here, but they're only slightly worse than Texas so I'm used to it. I guess the trade-off is that we have casinos. Even though I'm Texan, Ted's Cafe Escondido is some of the best Tex-Mex I've ever had. (Well I guess technically it's Ok-Mex? I digress.) Various bands come through to play concerts (I hope to eventually check out the Flaming Lips show on New Years - I've heard it's pretty amazing). For the runners, we have a few marathons and 5Ks throughout the year. We also have a couple of museums and a zoo. Basically, there's a little something for everyone.

Other thoughts: We have a pretty nice gym, and the fee is already included in your tuition. We also have a mentoring program where every P1 is paired with an upperclass mentor to go to for advice, notes, hang out, whatever, and in fact one of my best friends since coming here is my mentor. OU also does reimbursements to encourage students to attend regional and national meetings. It won't be for the full amount, but it could help pay for the airfare or hotel. I know these aren't necessarily things unique to my school, but they're things I'm glad to have here.

We have a lot of different places to go on site visits, and one perk Oklahoma has over Texas is that you get your intern license at the beginning of your P1 year. I've already visited an anticoagulation clinic, several independent pharmacies, a pharmacy that's part of a free clinic, and have been interning at a hospital since January.

Fun fact: We're the only college of pharmacy in the US with a nuclear pharmacy on-campus.

Also... the way OU does the two campus thing (Tulsa and OKC) seems to work pretty well. We have a video system where one campus (usually Tulsa) will watch the lecture on TV. When someone has a question, we have a little button you can press and it'll zoom in on your face so the professor can see you. It's a little awkward at first, but most of us get used to it. And the best part... the lectures are recorded and most of the professors will post the videos online. :thumbup:

Overall: I'll admit, this wasn't my first choice. I went somewhere different for undergrad and was hoping to stay there. But I believe in things happening for a reason, and have found OU to be an awesome fit for me. Everyone here is so supportive of each other, and I don't think I'd still be here if it wasn't for all the help I've gotten from classmates and people in classes ahead of me. I just wish it didn't cost so much, but that's how it goes for out-of-state students. :(

Well that was wordy. But yeah, I know I'm just a P1 so I might not be jaded yet, but I love it here.
 
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Name of school: Sullivan University College of Pharmacy
Year you are in (if willing to share): P3

Curriculum: quarterly based-yearly. The first year is basically a review of your Anatomy/Pathophy and Biochemistry. Pharmaceutics and Calculations are basically the "hard" classes. The second year truly tests your desire to be a Pharmacist. Unlike most RX schools, with this being a 3yr program, your Therapeutics courses during your whole 2nd year is very fast paced and difficult. Not to mention trying to balance in your other class exams. Im currently on rotations now and they are going great!
Faculty: Like most people will say, you like some you hate some. However, I will say that the faculty here are very user friendly and some very easy to get a long with. Of course you will have those few prof that put you to sleep. It is however noticeable with the harder classes come the more stringent attitude prof.
Reputation: Well if you havent seen our scores from our first yr students, we got a 95% NAPLEX pass rate and a 100% MPJE pass rate. So this stands and shows Sullivans great start!
Study areas: There are some quiet rooms within the college of pharmacy and the library is right across the street.
Social Scene: Very friendly city!
Overall: I will be totally honest without any bias, I love it here. Yes, I will admit that the 2nd yr took every minute of my life and was very stressful and hectic. But this is Pharmacy school! If you think you can handle the pressure and "no life for 2 years" then yes consider this! Remember what I said about the staff and how I believe that this school is without a doubt a successful/great 3 yr program of Pharmacy studies!
 
Would you please give some info on how hard it is to find internships (community, hospital or research) at your school? It would be very helpful for pre-pharm students
 
CareDD said:
Would you please give some info on how hard it is to find internships (community, hospital or research) at your school? It would be very helpful for pre-pharm students
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This is too subjective to be helpful. I have found it to be almost laughably easy to get internships (I currently maintain active status with three different pharmacy companies, each in different fields), but that cannot be generalized to other students in my class, some of who NEVER found internships for summer jobs. And trying to compare between schools based on everyone's anecdotal evidence is just impossible.

This is a great question to ask during student lead tours and such during interviews/campus visits though. :thumbup:
 
Do we have any NOVA pharmacy students here?
 
With any information regarding the school you attend and what it has to offer will always sound subjective (unless the student just hates it there) But, I will say do NOT let anyone tell you there is still a shortage of Pharmacists. That is not true. 6-7 years ago there was but in the eastern part of the US (bc I do not know a lot about the pacific side) but as of now there are too many pharmacists graduating school and not enough "older" pharmacists retiring. As far as the internships while in school, I can only speak for mine. Sullivan helps you with companies that they are associated with (kroger, walmart, walgreens, rite aid, a few independents are some retailers, University of Louisville medical hospital, Baptist East, Jewish Hospital, Nortons, and Kosair Childrens hospital are a few institutuionals. Sullivan also has a great research field of study within the pharmacy school that they work with students either during classes or on your IPPES/APPES.)
 
nadams0021 said:
With any information regarding the school you attend and what it has to offer will always sound subjective (unless the student just hates it there) But, I will say do NOT let anyone tell you there is still a shortage of Pharmacists. That is not true. 6-7 years ago there was but in the eastern part of the US (bc I do not know a lot about the pacific side) but as of now there are too many pharmacists graduating school and not enough "older" pharmacists retiring. As far as the internships while in school, I can only speak for mine. Sullivan helps you with companies that they are associated with (kroger, walmart, walgreens, rite aid, a few independents are some retailers, University of Louisville medical hospital, Baptist East, Jewish Hospital, Nortons, and Kosair Childrens hospital are a few institutuionals. Sullivan also has a great research field of study within the pharmacy school that they work with students either during classes or on your IPPES/APPES.)
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Ah yes, the only two parts of the United States, haha..
 
Thanks owlgrads and nadam0021, I have a better idea now
 
PolymeraseIII said:
Ah yes, the only two parts of the United States, haha..
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Yes, a lot of people forget that there's roughly 3,000 miles between each coast. As far as they are concerned, this area between the coasts might as well be a wormhole connecting the two :rolleyes:
 
BUMP. I would love to hear more about other schools. :)
 
I wouldn't even dare to post information about my school...haha :smuggrin:
 
gh0lee said:
I wouldn't even dare to post information about my school...haha :smuggrin:
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dont worry, nobody gonna judge you. I know I don't although there maybe some serious pple on SDN who spend hours to read pple's posts as carefully as if they were to take the board exam
 
Current pharmacy students, help out the prepharmers by telling us what you love and hate about your school! Please share anything you would have liked to know. I believe this would be a helpful resource for pre-pharm.

Name of school: Hampton University

Year you are in (if willing to share): Professional Year 1, finished pre-pharm

Comments:

Curriculum: Pharmacy

Location: Virginia

Cost: 18,000 a year

Faculty: Friendly

Reputation: Prestigious HBCU and pharmacy school

Clinical Rotations: Haven't started those yet.

Housing: Off campus

Study areas: Library, at home.

Social Scene: N/A live off campus

Local Hospitals: Veteran Hospital behind the school pharm students practice at

Board Prep: yes

Other:

Overall

Grades: 3.7



Credit to meds forum for making this list
 
may someone do a review on minnesota - duluth? thanks! :)
 
Can someone post a blurb about Mercer college of pharmacy please? :)
 
sunniexdayzz said:
Name of school: Jefferson School of Pharmacy (Thomas Jefferson University)

Year you are in (if willing to share): P1

Comments:

Curriculum: Difficult the first semester because you have to adjust to the course load and learn how to really study for exams. IPPEs are integrated so you don't have to find them on your own. ~16-17 credits per semester. Most of your grades are based on exams, but some classes have group projects and papers. You have 6-7 classes per semester. We also have OSCEs almost every semester (at least the first four we do for sure, not sure about P3 year). We also have a huge interdisciplinary program where we are in a group with medical, PT, OT and nursing students where we follow a single patient for the first two years. Jeff also requires students to maintain a 3.0 GPA, which is higher than other schools in the area (and gives us a claim to higher standards).

Location: Center City Philadelphia. Safer than Temple in North Philly. Close to everything; a part of Jefferson hospitals

Cost: As private school tuition goes, I'm not complaining. It's cheaper than the state schools for out of state students and not that much more than the public schools for in-state.

Faculty: Mostly PharmD's that work in clinics at Jefferson's hospital. We also have professors from the Med School that are MDs or PhD's. Classes are team taught so everyone teaches their specialty. All the faculty are willing to help you learn (much more so than what I've heard about other schools) The other schools in the area (not to be named) like to talk smack on Jefferson but that's because their good teachers came to work at JSP.+pity+

Reputation: Jefferson's pharm school doesn't have much of a reputation as of yet because it's still new. But if the hospital and med school's reputation have anything to do with what our reputation will be in a few years, I think it will be a very popular choice for pharm school.

Clinical Rotations: IPPEs start the first semester and continue each semester. APPEs are in 6 six-week blocks the 4th year starting in May. In the 2nd-4th years you get some say in your assignments as they use this system that ranks all of your preferences and gives everyone what they want to the best of it's ability.

Housing: Jeff offers on campus housing to all first year students and you can keep that housing for the whole four years. It's very, very expensive but also very, very convenient. Finding housing in center city is also very expensive. A lot of students commute with no problems except the occasional down train.

Study Areas: huge library, plus 2+ other campus buildings where you can reserve study space with whiteboards for group studying.

Social Scene: Please, it's center city. There is so much to see, and lots of fun places to go. Philly is historical plus it has all the modern stuff we love like bars in olde city and fancy restaurants like Fogo de Chao

Local Hospitals: Jefferson is known around the country because of its great reputation. In addition, there are many good hospitals in the city like UPenn, Temple, etc.

Board Prep: don't know yet because we are graduating our first class this year!

Other: I love it here. I tell all of my friends that are applying for pharmacy school they should come here. But don't think you can just breeze through. it is challenging but even after the first semester I'm amazed at everything I've learned. One of the things that's great about Jefferson is that they really take into consideration student feedback each semester and try to improve the curriculum. I don't know of any other schools that value student input so highly.

Overall: :)

If you have any questions about Jeff, feel free to send me a msg!
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Does Jefferson give you transportation to go to your IPPEs or do we go by ourselves? Can incoming students get merit scholarships? Thanks for your very informative words on JSP!
 
Can anyone post the pros and cons for Texas Southern University Pharmacy School? Thanks.
 
Can someone please do a review for Pacific University? Many thanks!
 
Starshipp said:
Can someone do MWU CCP?
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Roseman as well, please! I am finding it very difficult to dig up much insider info on Roseman (formerly University of Southern Nevada, I think).

Thanks in advance.
 
I would just like to say thank you to all the contributors to this thread. It's fun to get a student perspective that's not in the PSAR! Many thanks!
 
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) School of Pharmacy
I'm currently a P1 student in my second semester
This is the only pharmacy school on the Delmarva Peninsula, first class started August 2010 and will graduate this May. This is a 3 year accelerated program, and it's nice because as they point out in the interview you will end up shaving a year of your pharmD program off. However it is a bit pricey. I'm local, and an in-state student the tuition is $28k a year. I can't remember the out-of-state tuition costs but you can find all the info on the site www.umes.edu/pharmacy
Con: the mandatory attendance policy. Class is from 8 to 4 everyday with exceptions: every other Tuesday is an 8 hour IPPE day, and assessments are every other Friday. Yes, you will have your first assessment the second Friday you are in school. Assessment Fridays are short days-exam from 8 to 11. The Thursday before, class gets out early to allow you time to study for the following day. Material from that exam stops on Wednesday but from 8 to 11 on Thursday they start new material for the upcoming assessment. From 11 to about 12:30, the professors who taught that material will come in for a brief review to answer last minute questions and give more clarity for some of the more important concepts they'll test you on. It is important to use your free-time out of class wisely! The lowest passing grade is 85%---84 is considering No Pass. But it is possible to score 105% on your assessments-they offer a group assessment right after your individual assessment. If your group scores a 95% or better, they add 5 points to your individual score. So you can end up scoring an 80 on your own, and your group bumps you to your required 85. But don't rely on the group testing! 85 to 94 is Passing, 95 to 105 is Honors. They offer a reassessment for those who didn't "Pass" on Friday the following Monday....it's a different test, but some questions may be repeated but it's not a guarantee. Your group points do carry over, but if you get a 95% on the reassessment you don't qualify for Honors.
I'm not sure what other tidbits to add, but if anyone has any questions please don't hesitate to ask me.
 
Name of school: THE Ohio State University COP

Comments: you need a bachelor degree to get in unless ur in the early admission pathway program str8 from high-school

Curriculum:P1=useless science classes. P2-P3 therapeutics/pharmacology. Electives: some pharmacy electives, but you have the option to take courses in other colleges (Allied Medicine, etc) I wish there is more pharmacy electives in hospital medicine that other COP offers (critical care, hem/onc, etc) I think our curriculum can be greatly improved. Each class has one student on the curriculum committee. I am not sure if they really take students' suggestion seriously or not. Every year students complain about the same course/professor again and again. Curriculum is very ambulatory/outpatient focused, not so much inpatient/acute care focus. Administration still has the mindset that 70% of students will go into retail while they push us to go for residency like crazy. They really need to learn from other school like UNC, which has so many students match into top notch residencies all across the country.

Location: Columbus, OH, area close to downtown (a couple of miles), but if you stay away from East of high street, safety is not a problem. Housing is affordable with many different choices.

Cost:instate 18000ish, out of state=in state x2. HOWEVER, out of state students can apply to be a Ohio resident after one year and pay instate tuition from P2-P4. 99% of applicants obtains instate tuition, it's easy to do.

Faculty:some professors are really good and down to earth with great teaching skills, some can't teach or even can be condescending to students.

Reputation:US News rank us # 7 along with Purdue and Michigan, doesn't really mean anything

Clinical Rotations:there are five pharmacy schools in Ohio competing for rotation sites...go figure. Luckily we have a medical center across the street. Otherwise we would have nothing

Housing:lots of apartments around campus area. Commuter: parking is bad at OSU or any large public university in the city

Study areas:many libraries available, OSU is a huge campus, there are 10+ libraries

Local Hospitals: OSU Med Center, OhioHealth System, Mt Carmel System, and smaller hospitals in smaller cities nearby

Board Prep: our passing rate has been consistently high, you can check NABP website, they have stats from 2007-2011 for each school

Other: I wish there is organized clinical research experience for students like other COPs have.

Overall:pharmacy organizations at OSU are very active. Student affair office staffs are super friendly and helpful. They make sure you get your financial aid on time always.

Grades:You get a letter grade with plus/minus, standard 4.0 scale

Curriculum: B-
Location: A
Cost: A
Financial Aid: A
Faculty: B
Reputation: A
Technology: B+
Study Space/Library: A
Library technology/Resources: A
Rotations: B
Social: A
Hospitals: A
Post Grad: A-

Overall Grade: I would give everything A or A- but quality of education (B at most)


Miller4Heisman said:
Would anyone be able to do a "pros and cons" for Ohio State?
Click to expand...
 
I will try to follow the outlines of previous posts so there is some relativity.

Name of school: Rutgers School of Pharmacy (Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy)

Year you are in (if willing to share): P3

Comments:

Curriculum:
PP1-PP2: You will follow the same courses as pre med students with some exceptions. You will have to complete Chem (1,2,labs) orgo (1,2, labs) Bio (1,2,labs) Math (up to Calculus 1, but if AP credit is taken must do Calc 2 - so better to not use the AP credit for Calculus) Also only 2 courses can be used as AP credit, So better to use it for Bio 1+2. Physics ( 1 semester but is basically physics 1 and 2 all in one semester plus lab). Bio chem and system physiology. All this plus humanities, etc. If credit wise you happen to see your self ahead because you took summer classes than there is an opportunity for you to take 1 of the 5 required professional pharmacy electives during your pp2 year before entering into the professional program as a P1.

P1: You start taking courses strictly for pharmacy students and therefore be prepared to see the same faces all the time. Relative Difficulty compared to other years is Easy if prepared (study). During the summer you will take a community practice rotation ( cvs, walgreens, etc) for 4 weeks

P2: Will see more therapeutic courses, pharmacology,and medicinal chemistry. Relative difficulty : hardest year in Pharmacy school even if prepared. - feels like the rate limiting step in pharmacy school lol. Summer rotation is now at a hospital setting for 4 weeks

P3: Mostly therapeutic courses and clinical labs such a physical assessment. Relative difficulty: Average if prepared but the most annoying year because there is a lot going on especially if group work is not your niche.

P4: officially starts the summer of your P3 year and continues until the following year which is when you will graduate. Must complete 8 out of 9 rotations that are 5 weeks long. the 9th is optional and is done by certain students who wish to work in a state that requires more clinical hours. Also there are some required rotation types that must be completed such as rotations with Faculty, Internal Medicine, Dispensing, etc. The rest can be optional such as industry.

Just to give some perspective of differences between Pharmacy school in the US. Some schools care about students while others care about the prestige of the school (more money). Rutgers is the latter. They make the curriculum extremely difficult and professors have no sympathy if you have family issues, etc. Yes, they have office hours, but it does not mean they will be helpful. Some professors make you feel dumb when asking questions during office hours, whereas others are very helpful. If you are sick and have a valid excuse with documentation then you will be required to take a cumulative exam of the entire semester to replace the exam you missed along with the final exam, which may also be cumulative. SO do not miss an exam. There is NO curving in courses so if you end up with a 69.94 and in some classes 69.999. It is considered a "D" and not passing. I have seen it happen. One person had a 70.01 the other a 69.99. The Latter had to stay back a year. ( Rutgers Pharmacy does not offer make up summer courses, unlike other schools). Also there are no past exams to review, however some professors make them available to students in a chat the night before the exam for last minute questions.This is very helpful. The reason why I said some schools care about their students is because, those are the students that are more prepared to practice as a Pharmacist. During my rotation I shared a site with Pharmacy Students from St. Johns and LIU. Those students were clinically more prepared than us. I suppose their curriculum is more "hands on". However, even with their clear advantage, the name Rutgers places a positive stereotype among its graduates. It is up to you. Do you want to have a more hands/ pragmatic education or an education that focuses more of knowledge and a history of prestige. IMO if you want to be a clinical/ dispensing Pharmacist go with the hands on approach. If you want to pursue industry go with Rutgers because the connections are amazing. "Its who you know not what you know".

Location: New Brunswick, NJ. Very diverse ethnic community. 1 hour train ride away from New York City. A lot of food choices off campus, some unique to Rutgers (Fat Sandwiches)

Cost: Public school tuition. State school so very affordable, however once you reach P3-P4 you will considered a graduate student and thus must take graduate tuition and will no longer have access to federal aid other than federal unsubsidized loans. Subsidized loans are no longer available to graduate students as per Pres. Obama. Also, if you are not a student straight from high school but rather graduated with an under grad degree and then started Pharmacy School, then you too have to pay graduate tuition.

Faculty: A lot of the clinical faculty also work as clinical Pharmacists at nearby hospitals. Others are PhD's and do research on campus. All are highly qualified and very intelligent. Some are helpful, some just want the pay check. Some are easy to understand, some have accents too thick to comprehend.

Reputation: One of the Best. A lot of the graduates obtain high/administrative positions in all aspects of Pharmacy, so it helps a lot when applying for industry, etc.

Housing: On campus and off campus are both available. One is former is convenient the latter is more economical.

Study Areas: Rutgers provided limitless areas of study locations. There are multiple libraries that are open late and quiet study lounges in most buildings as well as the student center. Also, majority of dorms also have study lounges. There are multiple computer labs with a $30 printing limit. Pharmacy Students get an additional $15. This is a lot believe me since each sheet of paper regardless if you print on both sides is $0.04 per page.

Social Scene: A lot of opportunities. Greek life both Pharmacy or non Pharmacy. Student organizations both Pharmacy and non Pharmacy. A lot of bars and restaurants. Multiple gym centers free for students and offers recreational classes like swimming, scuba diving, dance, MMA, rock climbing, etc (some are free the others are very affordable and have multiple time slots so convenient for your schedule)

Local Hospitals: Two local Hospitals. St Peters and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Board Prep: Our exam questions are formatted so that you are well prepared for the boards. But let's be honest, how much can we really remember in the the past 4 years. Having asked many graduates, just study the book you can buy from the APhA, and you are good to pass regardless of what school you attend.

Other: If you have not heard it before, know this. The "RU Screw", and believe me you will be screwed sooner or later when attending Rutgers. But if I could do it all over again I would because for me and my future endeavors the reputation of the school will be in my favor. But for those wanting to do retail, it doesn't matter if you went to the best Pharm school or not or whether you were a 2.8 student of a 4.0 student. Remeber "C's get degrees too" and employers want experience not grades. So get a part time job as a tech if you have done so yet. It is invaluable. Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions.
 
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Can someone please provide input on St.Johns (ny) and MCPHS(Boston).
I have got acceptances from them & need advice on deciding.
 
Can someone do UCSD or Western university please? :)
 
Could someone please do Roseman University and University of Utah? Thanks!
 
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