Applying to Medical and Pharmacy School

Is it possible to apply to Med School and Pharmacy School at the same time? Of course it is possible, but realistically, and I'm well aware I'd have to take the MCAT and PCAT. Hm maybe dental school too.

My question concerns ECs. I'm not sure how impressed Pharmacy schools would be with physician shadowing, just as I'm not sure how impressed Med schools would be with me working as a pharmacy tech. So I guess maybe I could do chemistry research and general, I don't know, unisex healthcare ECs? Help?

I do like the idea of "unisex" experience as it were . Research would put you in that position. I'd say your on to something in that regard. The question is, would you apply to both (or all three) because you're not sure what you want to do, or because you don't care which one you do? If you're not sure, perhaps it would be less of a wasted effort to find out which way you want to go before you applied to any of them. If you don't care, then more power to you. (I wouldn't care either if it wasn't for the fact that I'm not interested in dealing with bodily fluids: blood, semen, saliva, vomit, etc.)

JackieTreehorn said:

Is it possible to apply to Med School and Pharmacy School at the same time? Of course it is possible, but realistically, and I'm well aware I'd have to take the MCAT and PCAT. Hm maybe dental school too.

My question concerns ECs. I'm not sure how impressed Pharmacy schools would be with physician shadowing, just as I'm not sure how impressed Med schools would be with me working as a pharmacy tech. So I guess maybe I could do chemistry research and general, I don't know, unisex healthcare ECs? Help?

Click to expand...

Yes it is entirely possible. I did that. It's nuts, you waste a LOT of money, and usually by the time you're halfway through, you figure out why you really really prefer one over the other. Any extracurricular involved with healthcare is going to be beneficial to both application processes; i applied with research, general hospital volunteering, and several hours of shadowing for both physicians and pharmacists. But like i said, you waste thousands of dollars in the process, and you'll need to get many different LOR writers because if your LOR writer believes you don't know what you want to do, it's harder to make them realize that you really really want to do one or the other.

You should really spend some time getting more information about both professions. Keep in mind that both are very honorable professions with many different ways to get involved in the healthcare system. If you don't really know, you should find out before you apply. I only did so because I took the PCAT by chance in June and realized I had a really good chance at a top tier pharmacy school, so I actually began focusing more on finding out more about the pharmacy career. Once I did so (over the next couple months), I began to realize it was something I would actually be interested in. Of course, by that time i'd already wasted about $3000+ on application fees on medical school applications. Thank goodness I made my decision before the interview process came along.

Did I mention that it gets really expensive to apply for both?

It's not that I don't care which one, I just don't know. My fathers a doctor and has been advising me to go dental over medical school. At the same time, I volunteered in a hospital and worked under a pharmacist and it seemed interesting. All I know is I'm a science person especially chemistry, and I'd like to study it applied to something in healthcare.

I've been told that dental school admission is somewhat less competitive than med school and pharmacy significantly so (Although that's now, for the Professional school Class of 2015 I'm not so sure). Money doesn't so much concern me, and I'd be an ungrateful sob for scorning the pay of one field over another. But, it would be nice to have my own practice and be my own boss. Thanks for the advice though. Applying to all may be a waste of money and just delay the inevitable decision that will have to be made, now or later. But why put off until tomorrow what you can put off until the next day?

Yeah - you could do both, but your LOR's may spill the beans & let one know or the other.

So, in the best of cases - the schools won't know of your indecision, but you do.

The fact is - you are undecided. Thats not a good thing. You need to pursue your figuring out what way you want to go is best for you.

Good luck!

Do both types of career exploration to figure out what you want. Then, when asked why you did both, you can say you explored your options and reached an educated decision about what is best for you.

I'm not trying to be a smartass or contrary but why would it be bad if my LORs "spill the beans" to one another? Would it make them look down on me or would say, Blank University College of Medicine reject me because they found out I was applying to Pharmacy school?

JackieTreehorn said:

I'm not trying to be a smartass or contrary but why would it be bad if my LORs "spill the beans" to one another? Would it make them look down on me or would say, Blank University College of Medicine reject me because they found out I was applying to Pharmacy school?

Click to expand...

Yes they would & it applies vice-versa. They see this as not being truly committed to a path which is tortuous & difficult & will beat even the best of applicants.

If LOR writers don't sell me out, could the schools find out?

Nope - just you!

Your indecision on your career path will come out in your ps. Its hard to bs that!

But, like the other poster said, if you've got enough bucks, time & the ability to write all those ps & secondaries - got do it.

Doing just one for one year was enough for my daughter - it was a very long, HARD, mentally difficult process....but go for it!

OP, may I ask what year in school you are?

Recent high school graduate (last week)

JackieTreehorn said:

If LOR writers don't sell me out, could the schools find out?

Click to expand...

Yes they can find out, especially when you go to the interview. When they ask you, why pharmacy? Unless you're a terrific liar in person (most people aren't) and you can really sell your words like you mean it every time (really hard to do), it'll come out. The mentality is different when you try to answer a question because you want to be that profession vs. you don't really care as long as you get one. It definitely shows. Not to mention, your LOR writers usually WILL spill the beans because they've been talking to you for a long time. Unless you haven't been talking to them about whether you want to be whatever you want to be, they'll know if you're not sure.

Since you're a high school graduate, you've got plenty of time to find out. Use your college years wisely and determine which path you want to go. Both are terrific paths. Just remember if you're doing it for the money, it's the wrong reason.

If it were about $$$$ I wouldn't be here, I'd major in Finance and try to get a job with Goldman Sachs. I have a genuine interest in healthcare, I just don't really know which path to follow.

JackieTreehorn said:

If it were about $$$$ I wouldn't be here, I'd major in Finance and try to get a job with Goldman Sachs. I have a genuine interest in healthcare, I just don't really know which path to follow.

Click to expand...

That's great to hear =) Too many times I've seen/heard healthcare professionals lose sight of that fact. My girlfriend actually did research that analyzed the prevalence of avoidance defensive behavior...and it's kind of depressing and shows you that healthcare attitudes could definitely be improved.

binghamkid said:

Yes they can find out, especially when you go to the interview. When they ask you, why pharmacy? Unless you're a terrific liar in person (most people aren't) and you can really sell your words like you mean it every time (really hard to do), it'll come out. The mentality is different when you try to answer a question because you want to be that profession vs. you don't really care as long as you get one. It definitely shows.

Click to expand...

Yeah, my interview at OSU. "Why OSU?" um, well, it's a good place to live and um, why not?? (not verbatim, but really, just as lame) Apathy and indecision sound about the same at interview. It's certainly the best way to get rejected. But as mentioned you've got a couple years of prereqs to get through, in that time there's enough time to shadow one, the other, or both. If you get certified as a pharm tech it'll get you work experience, and might assist in shadowing an MD or DDS. (At least that's my guess since it'd put you in a healthcare setting, per se.)

JackieTreehorn said:

If it were about $$$$ I wouldn't be here, I'd major in Finance and try to get a job with Goldman Sachs. I have a genuine interest in healthcare, I just don't really know which path to follow.

Click to expand...

Since I applied to both medical and pharmacy schools, I'll speak from experience.🙂

That "genuine interest in healthcare" drove me during college. It was pre-med the first two years, pre-med and pre-pharmacy the next two years, and mostly pre-pharmacy my last year. Nursing, dentistry, physical therapy never were considerations for me because I simply didn't like how I would practice healthcare in those respective settings.

My LOR writers asked me why they were writing letters to both schools. I told them my reasons that basically revolved around my belief that pharmacy and medicine fulfilled my career goals through what I wanted to do in my life philosophically. Though many people on this forum and the pre-med forum will continue to point out the "night and day" differences between the two professions, and they are significant differences you mustn't ignore, I was able to convey that both professions had the qualities I was looking for, and they were happy to write letters for both. Had I been uncertain, vague, or made it clear that I was just trying to get into something, my LORs probably would have been weak.

Some of the posts in this topic make it sound like there's some unwritten law that schools from one profession will automatically knock you out of consideration if they find out you applied to a school of another profession. This is quite an exaggeration. If adcoms from one professional school type find out, then they could but not always will reject you simply because they doubt your desire to pursue the profession.

Yet, I have had many friends who applied to multiple types of professional schools. Aside from medicine/pharmacy, I know someone who did optometry and pharmacy applications the same year. Some people do it out of necessity, some do it because they have no clue what they want to do, some because they are pressured to by others, and some people like me do it because they feel that both paths can lead to their life goals.

There are two figurative courts that will find out which of the four reasons I mentioned above is the case for you. The interview at the school is like an interrogation by people trained to detect insincerity and faithfulness. Though some people are gullible, most will get an idea if you are full of crap or you believe your own convictions. The second court is your own conscience. If you can't rally yourself to even adequately justify your applications to a professional school, then that uncertainty will show up in a form of weak references, weak test scores, weak personal statements, and weak testimony in the "court" of that interview should you make it that far. If you do somehow slip in because of high stats you may earn, then your life will suck once you get in and out of the school. You may try to deny it or repress it, but it's there.

So, don't worry about the competitive level between professional schools. Don't worry about professors "spilling the beans". Don't worry about the people who say that you are automatically undecided if you pursue two types of professional schooling. Don't worry about how much it costs to apply to all those schools. All those influences will just be side effects you must endure when you must worry about how you want to live your life after college. Worry about that first.

To conclude, I went through my own identity crisis when I finally worried about myself after worrying about all the other stuff first. If you decide that you want to apply to multiple healthcare professions, then you will have to decide which one to pursue if you get accepted into one profession like I did. It's like a guy deciding between two equally fair (and hot🙂) ladies where you must go with one profession in the end. I got into three pharmacy schools, I could have went to graduate school to go for a medical school acceptance instead, but I made my decision to go with pharmacy long before I even got accepted. I don't look back at that decision to convince myself every day that I made the right call. Right now, I'm excited to start pharmacy school. Screw everything else........🙂

Farmercyst said:

Yeah, my interview at OSU. "Why OSU?" um, well, it's a good place to live and um, why not?? (not verbatim, but really, just as lame) Apathy and indecision sound about the same at interview. It's certainly the best way to get rejected. But as mentioned you've got a couple years of prereqs to get through, in that time there's enough time to shadow one, the other, or both. If you get certified as a pharm tech it'll get you work experience, and might assist in shadowing an MD or DDS. (At least that's my guess since it'd put you in a healthcare setting, per se.)

Click to expand...

Lol yea, that was why I applied to so few schools too. I was imagining myself answering "why {insert school name here}?" and there were many schools where I came up with blank answers because there was just absolutely no way i could imagine myself going there. There's just no way to BS your way through an interview when there's no drive backing your answer.

And in response to Omnione's post, I think we're both posting to make sure that people don't have to go down the same worrying pathway as we did. =) Also, the reason that it's implied that adcoms do evaluate indecisiveness as a factor of acceptance is because it's true. It does happen. I've talked to adcoms from medical, dental, and pharmacy schools (working fulltime alongside them) and they frown upon indecisiveness heavily during the interview process. They would much rather take a less-qualified candidate (above the acceptable threshold) who is passionate about the profession and knowledgeable about the commitment required than an overly-qualified candidate who seems like they're playing roulette for their future, especially when it comes down to patients' lives.

well, just to let you know, if pharm school finds out you applied to med school as well, they might assume, logically, that you are primarily pre-med and are applying to pharm school as a back up. the dean of admissions here said a student was called in for an interview and he said he wanted to be a doctor, really, and applied ot med school at the same time, and they rejected him. (and uf usually doesnt reject its interviewees). so just to let you know, at some schools, to some admissions committees, it may be frowned upon.

StringTheorist said:

well, just to let you know, if pharm school finds out you applied to med school as well, they might assume, logically, that you are primarily pre-med and are applying to pharm school as a back up. the dean of admissions here said a student was called in for an interview and he said he wanted to be a doctor, really, and applied ot med school at the same time, and they rejected him. (and uf usually doesnt reject its interviewees). so just to let you know, at some schools, to some admissions committees, it may be frowned upon.

Click to expand...

Wow he's got guts for honesty though.

I wonder, are the pharm schools somehow offended or do they want to keep their % yield up?

JackieTreehorn said:

If it were about $$$$ I wouldn't be here, I'd major in Finance and try to get a job with Goldman Sachs. I have a genuine interest in healthcare, I just don't really know which path to follow.

Click to expand...

I think you've got a good head on your shoulders and that you will figure out what you want to do in time. You have your first year of college coming up and that is an enlightening experience. If you want to do pharmacy, try and get a job at a pharmacy to see what it's like. I believe you said your father is a physician so you probably have a good idea what his field is like (However there are all types of doctors out there so dont let that cloud your ideas of the profession.) I believe it would be very difficult to apply to both med and pharm schools not to mention dental school as well. Since you are so young it's hard to listen to what YOU want to do as opposed to what everyone else wants you to do. When you start school try and figure out what it is that makes you happy and pursue that....even if it isn't what everyone else wants for you. (They aren't living your life, you are!) Best of luck to you and congrats on graduating high school.

The way I see it, and I'm no certified psychologist, I think pharmacy is what I want to do but somehow I feel like medicine is what I should do if I do something in healthcare, given my family background. I appreciate all the advice, I just hope I can take it for a change and not insist on figuring everything out for myself (read:the hard way)

For now, just worry about getting through your first semester of freshman year 😉 You'll have many years and many classes that will guide you in your decision. Since medical school and pharmacy school follow the same science and math route, you won't have to worry about changing your mind and starting all over again. Volunteer, shadow, ask, but most of all, do not let your 'family background' determine what you want to do for the rest of your life. They're not going to have to live with the decision, you are.

I didn't realize you were so young.

Given that, yes, I agree with others - you've got a long, long way to go before you decide on a career path. As it stands now, depending on where you are going in the fall to college, you might be exposed to a variety of many, many aspects of healthcare which are not so clearly defined as physicians, pharmacists or dentists (or many of the others..)

You might become fascinated by biomedical science or biopharmaceutics or molecular chemistry or biology....the point is - each one might point you in a different direction.

Your first few years of college are ones of discovery. You can hasten them to get to an "end" rapidly, but - really - what is that "end"? Some might spend a full career doing research which is fascinating, but they might not ever find anything of particular notworthiness, but it all, individually, contributes to the whole - which then becomes a force for significant change.

We are are cogs in a wheel - it just depends which wheel you want to spin.

If you're only a high school graduate, it is far, far too soon to be thinking about medical school applications. You have miles to go before that. Pharmacy is a different proposition - but, some experience might help you.

Good luck & don't rush your future!

I would recommend getting a job as a phlebotomist at a hospital lab to get experience in both fields. You will get patient care experience and also learn all of the blood tests associated with medications and medical problems. I was a phlebotomist for three years when I was still in college and I learned a ton.

I was pre-med and pretty sure that I was going to be a Dr my first 2 years of undergrad. After talking to some Dr's and seeing how hectic their life was I realized it wasn't for me. I switched my major and started looking into pharmacy. I'm now in my last year of pharmacy school and am very very happy with my decision. I love my career choice and don't need that constant ego stroke so I feel like it's a perfect fit. Pharmacy in many respects is a thankless jobs. Especially what I've seen in hospitals, you don't always get to work closely with patients (as in talking with them although in some positions you can)...many times you're just reading charts. I actually prefer not touching patients so this is fine by me. I know what I'm going to do will be helping people and that's all I need to know. Also in undergrad I did research in an Orgo lab so it could have worked for both schools (med or pharmacy). I recommend doing this if you're not sure what you want to do. After I figured out pharmacy was for me, I volunteered in a retail and hospital pharmacy. Good luck with your freshman year!