Husson University School of Pharmacy- Doing Rolling Admissions

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Thanks for the link to a site with other pharmacy students. I'm currently an accepted student at Husson. Exciting seeing the renovations going on. Seats are filling fast.
 
That's super cool to have the admissions director posting!

How many spots remain for the fall class?

For accepted students do you have an average of their PCAT & GPAs?

thanks.
 
Mainerforever said:
If you have been wait listed, how about beautiful Maine?
Check out www.husson.edu/pharmacy

You may contact me if you have any questions.
Julie M. Ogden
Director of Admissions and Student Services
[email protected]
207-973-1019
Click to expand...



I read this as: "If you are a reject from other schools come to Maine!" Seriously, is that what you want out of your education?
 
KARM12, I guess I wasn't the only one who thought the same thing.
 
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Rejects rule!

Even Michael Jordan was rejected by 2 teams in the draft. Sam Bowie was taken ahead of him & is like the 4.0 student who has no empathy and can't relate to patients but top schools still select them cause they have more "talent".

And don't forget Tom Brady. He's like the Pharmacist that got rejected to every school but one and ended up becoming one of the best ones ever!
 
TeeRx said:
Rejects rule!

Even Michael Jordan was rejected by 2 teams in the draft. Sam Bowie was taken ahead of him & is like the 4.0 student who has no empathy and can't relate to patients but top schools still select them cause they have more "talent".

And don't forget Tom Brady. He's like the Pharmacist that got rejected to every school but one and ended up becoming one of the best ones ever!
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You forget that Michael Jordan was also one of the best college players of all time and that Tom Brady holds several records at the University of Michigan (on an unrelated note, he also graduated cum laude).

I'll agree with you that grades aren't everything, but there definitely is a limit. If you can't learn the pre-pharm material well enough to maintain around a B/B+ average (at the least), there's a very slim chance that you'll ever be in any position to apply pharmacy knowledge in any meaningful way. You're doing yourself and the profession a disservice by trying to get into any pharmacy school that would take you.
 
TeeRx said:
Rejects rule!

Even Michael Jordan was rejected by 2 teams in the draft. Sam Bowie was taken ahead of him & is like the 4.0 student who has no empathy and can't relate to patients but top schools still select them cause they have more "talent".

And don't forget Tom Brady. He's like the Pharmacist that got rejected to every school but one and ended up becoming one of the best ones ever!
Click to expand...

So you're saying that if we go to Husson, we'll end up on a box of Wheaties?

I don't necessarily think they're "scrounging for rejects". If it's a new school, it may have been an issue where they didn't know if they would have the building ready in time or not. If you don't know if you'll be ready to roll next August, it'd be rather risky for the school to start interviewing people in October. I'm just spitballing there, though, I don't really know for sure.

Also, if they're not yet affiliated with PharmCAS (which I believe someone mentioned on a prior post elsewhere on the prepharm forum), it might be harder for word about the school to get out.
 
I'm fairly sure the original post was to let people know that there is a new school opening up. its newness means many don't know of its existence and this forum is a great way to let people know of its existence. Because of its position in the accredidation process, its unlikely they are "scrounging for rejects" since thisfirst class has great bearing on the successful final accredidation. Either way, getting into a school is better than NOT getting in.
 
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richwayout said:
Either way, getting into a school is better than NOT getting in.
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I can't agree with that. Entering an unaccredited school is a risky move for anyone, especially when the applicant has already received multiple rejections.

The pharmacy boom looks like it's winding down, and with new schools opening left and right, the market will soon become saturated. Graduates from new schools are going to run into problems finding jobs with no extensive school history behind their backs.

I wish everyone nothing but the best, but life will not be made easier being the a member of the inaugural class of a brand new school.
 
Personally, I think it's better to wait a year to get into a good school, or at least the school of your choice, than to get into just any school out of sheer desperation. Maybe several years ago I would have advised against the wait but with the number of diploma mills sprouting up, it might be wise to think about how these new schools will affect the future of pharmacy.
 
richwayout said:
Either way, getting into a school is better than NOT getting in.
Click to expand...

I think getting into any "accredited" school is better than not going anywhere. However, you take a huge gamble when applying to non-accredited institutions.
 
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I totally understand you guys, but when can a new school be "accredited". It needs support from students in order to get "accredited" and without the support, the new schools that no one might go to will never be "accredited."
 
gotmilklol said:
I totally understand you guys, but when can a new school be "accredited". It needs support from students in order to get "accredited" and without the support, the new schools that no one might go to will never be "accredited."
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I can live with this.
 
This school hasn't even gotten "pre-candidate" status yet.
 
Mainerforever said:
If you have been wait listed, how about beautiful Maine?
Check out www.husson.edu/pharmacy

You may contact me if you have any questions.
Julie M. Ogden
Director of Admissions and Student Services
[email protected]
207-973-1019
Click to expand...

Hi. I've wanted to talk to one of you people for a long time. And by "you people", I mean those responsible for opening 40 schools since the flip of the decade.

Obviously, its likely too late to stop your bunch as the spineless ACPE lets anyone start up a school nowadays.

But...as a favor...will you please tell other money-hungry private institutions to stop opening pharmacy schools? Maybe tell them that you are losing a ton of cash on it? (haha...riiiight) Something?

Because at the rate you and your colleagues are opening schools, there will be a saturation of PharmDs and the graduates of the brand-spanking new, future second tier schools won't get a sniff of anything other than maybe being floaters for retail establishments.

Personally, it won't affect me. I'll have the experience, resume, and degree from a top 40 institution to beat out any newly minted grad from Uncle Bob's School of Pharmacy...but for the profession as a whole...you guys are starting us down a slippery slope towards what the JD degree has become.

I know, I know..."there aren't any schools in ME." That won't matter in about 3-5 years. RIGHT NOW the East Coast is approaching saturation. There are going to be enough kids graduating from Jersey/Philly next year that won't find jobs around their schools to staff the entire state of Maine.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
Hi. I've wanted to talk to one of you people for a long time. And by "you people", I mean those responsible for opening 40 schools since the flip of the decade.

Obviously, its likely too late to stop your bunch as the spineless ACPE lets anyone start up a school nowadays.

But...as a favor...will you please tell other money-hungry private institutions to stop opening pharmacy schools? Maybe tell them that you are losing a ton of cash on it? (haha...riiiight) Something?

Because at the rate you and your colleagues are opening schools, there will be a saturation of PharmDs and the graduates of the brand-spanking new, future second tier schools won't get a sniff of anything other than maybe being floaters for retail establishments.

Personally, it won't affect me. I'll have the experience, resume, and degree from a top 40 institution to beat out any newly minted grad from Uncle Bob's School of Pharmacy...but for the profession as a whole...you guys are starting us down a slippery slope towards what the JD degree has become.

I know, I know..."there aren't any schools in ME." That won't matter in about 3-5 years. RIGHT NOW the East Coast is approaching saturation. There are going to be enough kids graduating from Jersey/Philly next year that won't find jobs around their schools to staff the entire state of Maine.
Click to expand...

Huzzah!
 
fhx06 said:
I wonder if anyone will answer WVU's post.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. I'm in full support of WVU. He might be rude and abrasive some times (ok, all the times), but he's assessment is no-bull right on, at least in this matter.
 
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I'm also in full support of WVU's smackdown. :laugh:

I don't expect a response from the school admins but if one happen to respond, I predict the word "shortage" will be used repetitively until it loses its true meaning.
 
bluesickle said:
I'm also in full support of WVU's smackdown. :laugh:

I don't expect a response from the school admins but if one happen to respond, I predict the word "shortage" will be used repetitively until it loses its true meaning.
Click to expand...

Every sentence will contain a noun, and a verb, and the word "shortage".

I wonder how many more schools will be brave enough to try and promote themselves on this forum. Husson seems to have become a whipping boy.
 
I think everyone would agree that there are shortages now in rural areas and will always continue to be - for pharmacists, nurses, PA-Cs & family physicians, etc.

Yes, there might be a glut of PharmDs in 3 years or so in the medium to large cities. Adding a spectrum of prescribing rights (the birth control project in Washington, as an example) will broaden PharmDs place in the health care community, making them even more needed - even in the big cities. Being able to charge copays for routine visits rather than just collecting dispensing fees should boost salaries to 120K or higher. The board certified clinical level pharmacist is the answer to this "too many PharmDs" problem. Access to health care has never been and will never be overstaffed.

And if anyone knows anything about Maine is that there are tons of rural areas. Heck, the whole state outside of a 20 mile radius of Portland could be considered rural.

Sorry, but people from "the East" aren't going to decide to move to Northern Maine to brave the brutally harsh winters and struggling economy.

Husson is geared towards attracting people who plan to stay in the area. The Bangor/Orono area is a hub for northern Maine.

Hopefully the state will follow what MN has done to attract PharmDs to rural areas and offer a loan forgiveness program ($12K per year).

Maine is beautiful for sure, but it's not at all just sightseeing the pretty lighthouses, eating lobsters and wearing LLBean attire. It is far from that. It can be a tough life.

Only had to use the word shortage once. Plus a bunch of nouns, verbs and other stuff.
 
TeeRx said:
I think everyone would agree that there are shortages now in rural areas and will always continue to be - for pharmacists, nurses, PA-Cs & family physicians, etc.

Yes, there might be a glut of PharmDs in 3 years or so in the medium to large cities. Adding a spectrum of prescribing rights (the birth control project in Washington, as an example) will broaden PharmDs place in the health care community, making them even more needed - even in the big cities. Being able to charge copays for routine visits rather than just collecting dispensing fees should boost salaries to 120K or higher. The board certified clinical level pharmacist is the answer to this "too many PharmDs" problem. Access to health care has never been and will never be overstaffed.

And if anyone knows anything about Maine is that there are tons of rural areas. Heck, the whole state outside of a 20 mile radius of Portland could be considered rural.

Sorry, but people from "the East" aren't going to decide to move to Northern Maine to brave the brutally harsh winters and struggling economy.

Husson is geared towards attracting people who plan to stay in the area. The Bangor/Orono area is a hub for northern Maine.

Hopefully the state will follow what MN has done to attract PharmDs to rural areas and offer a loan forgiveness program ($12K per year).

Maine is beautiful for sure, but it's not at all just sightseeing the pretty lighthouses, eating lobsters and wearing LLBean attire. It is far from that. It can be a tough life.

Only had to use the word shortage once. Plus a bunch of nouns, verbs and other stuff.
Click to expand...

I hate using the slippery slope argument. I really do. But it fits in this case.

Yes, northern Maine does have a shortage. The weather there sucks, there's not a lot of bustling social activity, it's rural to the bone and therefore is a hard sell. This school is attracting people who will more than likely stay in the area, and it does have a relatively small class size (65 if I'm not mistaken). Husson will most likely serve primarily as a means of taking local people and preparing to be local pharmacists.

However, not every school that opens can make that legitimate argument. Every open house that I went to, at some point, one or more of the presenters mentioned there being a "shortage", but was very vague and generic, as if to imply that this is still a full-out, nationwide problem. Here is where the problem comes in. A shortage in Maine does not justify opening two new schools in California. Maine has a shortage, you don't. New schools are using the shortage excuse seemingly without even looking to see if their area really needs another pharmacy school or not.

Some schools are opening because their area desperately needs pharmacists. Some schools are opening because they see a dollar sign and they yell out "Me, too!" The latter needs to stop acting like the former.
 
So are they admitting more students from Maine than elsewhere? I'd wager not. They tried to make the same argument when the new school in Charleston opened up. Turns out all of these out of state kids they admitted don't give a **** about WV and every single one I've talked to is "moving back home" when they graduate.
 
TeeRx said:
I think everyone would agree that there are shortages now in rural areas and will always continue to be - for pharmacists, nurses, PA-Cs & family physicians, etc.

Yes, there might be a glut of PharmDs in 3 years or so in the medium to large cities. Adding a spectrum of prescribing rights (the birth control project in Washington, as an example) will broaden PharmDs place in the health care community, making them even more needed - even in the big cities. Being able to charge copays for routine visits rather than just collecting dispensing fees should boost salaries to 120K or higher. The board certified clinical level pharmacist is the answer to this "too many PharmDs" problem. Access to health care has never been and will never be overstaffed.

And if anyone knows anything about Maine is that there are tons of rural areas. Heck, the whole state outside of a 20 mile radius of Portland could be considered rural.

Sorry, but people from "the East" aren't going to decide to move to Northern Maine to brave the brutally harsh winters and struggling economy.

Husson is geared towards attracting people who plan to stay in the area. The Bangor/Orono area is a hub for northern Maine.

Hopefully the state will follow what MN has done to attract PharmDs to rural areas and offer a loan forgiveness program ($12K per year).

Maine is beautiful for sure, but it's not at all just sightseeing the pretty lighthouses, eating lobsters and wearing LLBean attire. It is far from that. It can be a tough life.

Only had to use the word shortage once. Plus a bunch of nouns, verbs and other stuff.
Click to expand...

These are definitely some valid points that serve to justify the school's purpose. That being said, there are a few issues.

You mention that the school is intended to help alleviate the shortage of pharmacists in rural areas, such as might be found in northern Maine. However, what is to ensure that students enrolled would practice in those settings? To a large extent NPs have justified themselves by saying that they would practice in underserved areas, yet those areas remain underserved. I can very easily happening with pharmacy schools like Husson and Touro, who nominally serve a noble purpose, but in practice will not follow through.

You also admit that northern Maine is not the most desirable place to live for many people. What will ensure that students who are desperate to go to any school at any cost would remain in such a harsh environment? It seems odd to claim to be recruiting students who would remain in the Bangor area, yet at the same time openly search for students who have been waitlisted elsewhere.

Finally, the rural shortage of healthcare providers has been around for quite some time. If the school has such altruistic goals, why is it only opening at a time when many students are willing to pay through the teeth to attend? By no means is profit a dirty word, but it seems somewhat contrary to the school's stated goals.

I'd also like to ask what affiliation you have with the school, if you don't mind. You've gone from asking about what stats the school requires for admission to adamantly defending its mission, all within the same thread. Something doesn't add up.
 
Good points by everyone! And good criticism as well - a healthy dose of that is important to this discussion on all the new schools. This thread is geared towards just one of those - hopefully alleviating the pharmacy needs of Maine.

My affiliation? Quite the skeptic eh 🙂.
I'm just a little lowly pre-pharmacy student with strong ties to Maine.

There is no guarantee at all that students that go to this school would remain in Maine, especially the northern half. Many of them will use it to get their PharmD and go on to greener pastures or chase signing bonuses elsewhere.

However, if let's say there are 65 students in the class and only 35 are from the area. The family ties and such make it likely that they will stick around. If they recruit 30 other people from all over the country that has some benefits as well. Maybe 5 of those people will decide they love Central/Eastern/Northern Maine and stay. The other 30 will serve many purposes - including their 4th year as interns and then go spread the word about the school.

There is a symbiotic relationship with those from away. They will use Husson for getting a PharmD and Husson will use them to boost their first few classes of students in preparation for being accredited. Some of the students on waitlists and rejected list at other schools could be ideal candidates.

I would bet that Husson wants to report a certain level of incoming GPA and PCAT. Getting those students that came up short at other schools would be a means to an end.

Maine's economy is built on tourism. To some degree, educational tourism is part of it as well (Bates, Bowdoin & Colby).
 
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TeeRx said:
That's super cool to have the admissions director posting!

How many spots remain for the fall class?

For accepted students do you have an average of their PCAT & GPAs?

thanks.
Click to expand...

We only have 8 spots left. We have accepted students with an average Math/Science GPA of 3.4 and PCAT composite of 65.
For all those negative responses out there; Husson University is known for developing programs to fill a need. We are a non-profit private University. We have only admitted 6 students from outside of Maine.
Thank-you to those of you who are posting your support for new schools out there!😍
 
Mainerforever said:
We only have 8 spots left. We have accepted students with an average Math/Science GPA of 3.4 and PCAT composite of 65.
For all those negative responses out there; Husson University is known for developing programs to fill a need. We are a non-profit private University. We have only admitted 6 students from outside of Maine.
Click to expand...

If this is truly the case, then I wish you nothing but the best of luck. Thank you for the quick and clear responses.
 
Mainerforever said:
We only have 8 spots left. We have accepted students with an average Math/Science GPA of 3.4 and PCAT composite of 65.
For all those negative responses out there; Husson University is known for developing programs to fill a need. We are a non-profit private University. We have only admitted 6 students from outside of Maine.
Click to expand...

GOOD.

Thank-you to those of you who are posting your support for new schools out there!😍
Click to expand...

No, they still are harming the profession long-term, sorry. If you think 120+ schools is a good idea...I disagree...
 
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Praziquantel86 said:
If this is truly the case, then I wish you nothing but the best of luck. Thank you for the quick and clear responses.
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Yes, I do too. From what Mainerforever has said, it looks like Husson is going about this the way it should be done: create a school to educate students in order to fill the much-needed positions in a state that lacks a large pool of potential pharmacists.

If northern Maine is as harsh as people describe, I would think it'd be hard to recruit someone from another state to go there to work so creating in-state schools is definitely a good option.

Best of luck, and hope things work out.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
GOOD.



No, they still are harming the profession long-term, sorry. If you think 120+ schools is a good idea...I disagree...
Click to expand...
120 schools is definitely too much. Places like Florida, California, Texas, New Jersey should not be opening up new schools.
 
I'm looking at the faculty for some of these new schools and they're hiring a lot of inexperienced professors who look like they're straight out of pharmacy school. I suppose that's what happens when 120+ schools are sharing a limited supply of experienced professors.
 
fhx06 said:
120 schools is definitely too much. Places like Florida, California, Texas, New Jersey should not be opening up new schools.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. The fact that the idea is even floating around to open yet another school in New York (in the city, no less) while there are already two unaccredited schools and another in the works is obscene. At this rate, we're going to start seeing pharmacy in ads for vocational schools.
 
Praziquantel86 said:
Absolutely. The fact that the idea is even floating around to open yet another school in New York (in the city, no less) while there are already two unaccredited schools and another in the works is obscene. At this rate, we're going to start seeing pharmacy in ads for vocational schools.
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The day University of Phoenix starts advertising a PharmD is the day I start my fhx06 College of Pharmacy.
 
fhx06 said:
The day University of Phoenix starts advertising a PharmD is the day I start my fhx06 College of Pharmacy.
Click to expand...
Join me. Come to the dark side!
 

I thought about Phoenix, but I really wanted to challenge myself with the accelerated PharmD/Real Estate program.
 
Mainerforever said:
For all those negative responses out there; Husson University is known for developing programs to fill a need. We are a non-profit private University. We have only admitted 6 students from outside of Maine.
Click to expand...
If this is true, then I will go ahead and say that you guys are going to make a good program. The schools opening up next door to three other schools are the ones that I have a problem with.
 
If there are only 8 spots left are you still actively seeking applicants?

If someone were to send in an application now, what would the time frame look like. Would you likely be out of spots by then or down to just one final spot for the best?

:luck:
 
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