USC Pharmacy Class of 2019

[PharmtoCS]

LOL @ All the hate on the tuition and fees. You guys are obviously not financially savvy if you think you can't pay off that much money with a pharmacist's salary.

That is assuming that you can even land a job in the extremely saturated LA region and that pharmacist salaries do not fall due to oversupply, which is likely to happen as 4 more pharmacy schools in the area are expected to graduate their first class within a few years.

There are other fields that can net you a much better return on investment for your education. Take engineering (some disciplines), finance, or computer science for example, where graduates are in very high demand and you can earn the equivalent of a pharmacist salary or more without the additional $250k+ student loans and 4 years of lost earning potential. Physician assistants are also in very high demand and do not require nearly the amount of loans needed for pharmacy school.

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[RxStudentatUB]

That is assuming that you can even land a job in the extremely saturated LA region and that pharmacist salaries do not fall due to oversupply, which is likely to happen as 4 more pharmacy schools in the area are expected to graduate their first class within a few years.

There are other fields that can net you a much better return on investment for your education. Take engineering (some disciplines), finance, or computer science for example, where graduates are in very high demand and you can earn the equivalent of a pharmacist salary or more without the additional $250k+ student loans and 4 years of lost earning potential. Physician assistants are also in very high demand and do not require nearly the amount of loans needed for pharmacy school.

Going to pharmacy school with this tuition and disorganization sounds like an adventure!

 

[intekmdma]

I just got accepted from the March 14 interview today! I'm so happy and so excited! Good luck everyone!

Congrats! Welcome to the Trojan family if you decide to choose this school!

Me too! Congrats! Time stamp 3:53PM

Congrats again! If you haven't joined the facebook group yet: https://www.facebook.com/groups/432433190266708/

Accepted! After being placed on AC for two months. I interviewed in January, and I'm excited to meet all who are attending!

Congrats!

As all of you are making your decision on what school to attend, I'd figured i chime in as a P2 aka second year at USC School of Pharmacy. Probably my biggest regret is choosing this school over UCSD and UOP when i applied 2 years ago.

The negatives of the school are well documented. You can read on and on on this forum
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/usc-pharmacy-school-–-the-truth-no-one-will-tell-you-about.1052814/

The administration is still very unorganized. As you probably know they take forever in the admission process. They finally decided to change the interview process and include food, tour, and Q&A. Before it was just interview and essay and you're out in less than 2 hours lol The first year course biosystems from what I heard from class of 2018 is still a mess despite Kathy Besinque not being in charge of it. There are people barely starting their internships in their second year because they are so hard to find in SoCal. The oversaturation of pharmacists is real. I know many of class of 2015 dont even know if they'll have jobs and many are going to be floaters. $250,000-$300,000 in debt when you factor in interest, how long before they pay off those loans? Rotations are being cut and residency match rates are still very low.

I made this post just for fyi purposes and hope all you P1's this fall make a well informed decision on what school to attend because you're going to be there for the next 4 years. and whichever school you choose to attend, you're going to carry on for the rest of life with the loans you're going to take out etc. USC is the most expensive school in the whole US and with the pharmacy profession the way it is right now, unless you're rich, factoring in the cost differences between each school is a must.

AT, I know you're active on the forum here. I'd figured i give my 2 cents

Haha! I've been less active this semester.

Great to hear your side of the story. Objective and not #rage like some of the other posts from our classmates. I think if more people gave a good argument (i.e. pro's/con's) then it would be much more helpful for prospective applicants to make a better decision. I definitely agree that people who read these forums should make well informed decision from current students. People who have privately messaged me have had the opportunity to listen to my take. None the less I am here and am being optimistic as my path is a bit different from others. Kathy Besinque is still in charge of the 1st year biosystems course (the new coordinator decided to hold out this semester to get their lab rebuilt and completed before taking over).

That is assuming that you can even land a job in the extremely saturated LA region and that pharmacist salaries do not fall due to oversupply, which is likely to happen as 4 more pharmacy schools in the area are expected to graduate their first class within a few years.

There are other fields that can net you a much better return on investment for your education. Take engineering (some disciplines), finance, or computer science for example, where graduates are in very high demand and you can earn the equivalent of a pharmacist salary or more without the additional $250k+ student loans and 4 years of lost earning potential. Physician assistants are also in very high demand and do not require nearly the amount of loans needed for pharmacy school.

I definitely agree with you- I noticed LA is super saturated compared to back home (NorCal). Also agree with you about other fields such as PA, but not engineering or computer science. I came from that career in the heart of Silicon Valley- you'd need to have plenty of years of experience to get to a good salary and job security is no bueno unless you work for the big boys (Google, Apple, MS)- they now use temp agencies to fill their positions as well.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I definitely agree with you- I noticed LA is super saturated compared to back home (NorCal). Also agree with you about other fields such as PA, but not engineering or computer science. I came from that career in the heart of Silicon Valley- you'd need to have plenty of years of experience to get to a good salary and job security is no bueno unless you work for the big boys (Google, Apple, MS)- they now use temp agencies to fill their positions as well.

This has changed in recent years, though. Jobs are booming right now, and new computer science grads are getting multiple offers offers of $100k or close with the potential to grow that to $120-150k within a few years not including stock options and benefits.

 

[BMBiology]

It is unfortunate to hear this school keeps on deteriorating.

Students at this school need to demand to know what is the administers doing with their tuition. They kept on raising tuition and fees while also increasing size class from 185 to 200.

Seriously, what are they doing with your money? They need to find rotation sites for 200 students but yet they only have one faculty member running the show? That doesn't cut it. This disorganization needs to end. The administers need to be held accountable. Only when they know their incompetence has consequences then they would change. Let everyone know what is going on at this school.

 

[Rose1367]

Did you guys get an email for Pharmcas academic update? Wasn't it supposed to start on April 15th?

 

[TheCourageWithin]

Did you guys get an email for Pharmcas academic update? Wasn't it supposed to start on April 15th?

Yes, I got an email on 4/16 from PharmCAS stating that the Spring Academic Update is from April 15 to June 26. I thought that it's open for everyone, but the first sentence says, "The Spring Academic Update is a window of time that allows accepted applicants (those offered admission from a pharmacy school) to update grades on coursework completed since you originally e-submitted your application."

 

[Rose1367]

Did anyone get acceptance email today? I got an email to confirm my waitlist position.

 

[sczonal]

Got an email saying the class is full. Oh wells, I'll be attending my backup school. Good luck for those attending this school

 

[kpop lover]

Is the June welcome reception mandatory?

 

[TheCourageWithin]

Is the June welcome reception mandatory?

The email says the welcome reception isn't mandatory.

 

[kpop lover]

Is it hard to get to experiential/IPPE/APPE sites without a car if you attend USC School of Pharmacy? Are sites usually held on campus or close distance that is manageable by bus? What other transportation options are there in LA?

I am also from NorCal, so I need suggestions other than flights to get back home? Is there shuttles, trains that travel to NorCal at decent prices?

Any suggestions on where to live when going to USC?

Any help is appreciated thanks!!

 

[Doc Hawaii]

It may be very difficult to get to IPPE/APPE sites w/o a car. Not sure if Kathy Besinque takes vehicle status into the assignments. Most rotations are off site, although there are some near or on campus. Alternative transportation could involve the buses, carpooling with roommate or friend(s). Not sure about a train to NorCal, but you can take trains from Union Station to San Diego. There are usually carpools at breaks that are advertised on the main campus whereby you can pitch in some cash and you'll earn a seat to SF, or other points northward. Seaver Hall has a limited # of apts, and some pharmacy students do live there. The vast majority of students commute from the San Gabriel Valley (as far as Azusa), and all over LA, with most living in South Pasadena, Pasadena, Monterey Park, Alhambra, Downtown LA, West LA, and the San Fernando Valley.

 

[kpop lover]

what do they have at the Health Sciences campus in Alhambra? I thought the keck school of medicine was on the HSC campus with the school of pharmacy?

 

[Rose1367]

Did anyone on the waitlist hear back from the school?

 

[TheCourageWithin]

Did anyone on the waitlist hear back from the school?

My friend from the March interview got accepted April 22. My other friend from the November interview got accepted about a week ago. Both were on the alternate list.

 

[isw845]

Does anyone have a parking permit they no longer need?

 

[kpop lover]

I am still undecided on what I want to do with pharmacy. What club or professional organization should I join that would give me a broad exposure to different fields of pharmacy so I can choose what I would like to pursue? I might want to do a residency, so I am already considering joining APSA. When you join APSA do you have to choose which of the professional organizations to join with it: American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Students of Pharmacy (APhA-ASP), American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), California Pharmacists Association (CPhA), California Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (CSHP) and International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF)?

 

[toidalente]

Good luck to those who have to take out full loans paying it back.

 

[Riskittogetthebiscuit]

I just received an email placing me on active consideration from the Feb 20 interview. Does USC send out rejection emails at this time too? Or is it either acceptance or active consideration? And how long until active consideration becomes acceptance/rejection/wait-list?

I'm bummed.

Hello, I just got AC'ed at USC. But I'm reading posts from 2015 and it's 2017... so for those of you have were put on AC, did you end up getting accepted? And how long did you wait till you got accepted or not? I interviewed less than two weeks ago and it seems like they AC'ed me pretty quick, as if they didn't want me at all

 

[bkdanny225]

Hello, I just got AC'ed at USC. But I'm reading posts from 2015 and it's 2017... so for those of you have were put on AC, did you end up getting accepted? And how long did you wait till you got accepted or not? I interviewed less than two weeks ago and it seems like they AC'ed me pretty quick, as if they didn't want me at all

I got accepted today from Feb 17th Interview so it doesn't mean they only sent out emails to those who were on AC. I'm sure they will eventually pull you off the AC list. Best of luck to you!