No prior pharmacy work experience and Still Got in to pharmacy school?

Bob_Barker27 said:

I was wondering if any of you got accepted into pharmacy school without any work experience in a pharmacy. The dean at the school that I am apply to seemed to suggest that pharmacy work experience was a big factor. I didn't have much luck getting work in a retail store. I did manage to interview a nuclear pharmacist about his job, and I have a job shadow thing set up with a hospital pharmacist. I made A's in both organic chemistry and both anatomy/physiology courses, and I have an undergrad degree, so I am hoping this is enough to overcome no pharmacy work experience. Any feedback would be appreciated.

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I know of a few students in my class without prior pharmacy experience. Make sure you can at least speak about your conversations with other pharmacists or try to obtain other types of pharmacy experiences before applying. The task is convincing the admissions committee that you know without a doubt this is the career for you and you have something to offer the school more than another candidate. If you do have a relevant explanation for not obtaining experience in the field, you should be okay. Just cover your bases. Grades aren't everything as you will hear many times and it is true.

This is a topic primarily of interest to pre-pharmacy students. Even though it is directed at current students, it still belongs in the Pre-Pharmacy forum. Current students generally visit both forums.

Anna

I don't have any pharmacy experience and neither do many of my classmates. This is because UF only wants brainiacs. They love academic stats. In today's paper, it said that UF was number two in the nation for attracting National Merit Scholars. Harvard was number one. The average GPA of the freshman class for undergrad is 3.95. They take the same approach to their pharmacy school. Those with the highest stats get admission. They can teach anyone (even me!) to be a caring and compassionate pharmacist through role playing.

Bob_Barker27 said:

I was wondering if any of you got accepted into pharmacy school without any work experience in a pharmacy. The dean at the school that I am apply to seemed to suggest that pharmacy work experience was a big factor. I didn't have much luck getting work in a retail store. I did manage to interview a nuclear pharmacist about his job, and I have a job shadow thing set up with a hospital pharmacist. I made A's in both organic chemistry and both anatomy/physiology courses, and I have an undergrad degree, so I am hoping this is enough to overcome no pharmacy work experience. Any feedback would be appreciated.

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I got accepted for Univ of Baltimore, 2009 with no Pharmacy experience, although I had set it up to get some before my interview and I did have other volunteering experience

No prior work experience here....

Some of my classmates are the same way...

I definitely would not say its because Samford wants braniacs....


Since it is a private school i think there are other reasons i got in...

Although not required for admission at my pharmacy school, I find it interesting that so many people can be so sure about devoting 4 years of their life to a program training them in a discipline in which they have no work experience. About half of my class had no work experience, and after our first quarter rotations, a lot of them are second guessing themselves. I would recommend working in a pharmacy both to boost admission chances and for you to know what you're getting into.

I'm certainly hoping it's possible to get in with no experience!

I seriously think you should bring up your non-pharmacy retail experience, especially if it was cashiering. I work in a Kroger as a cashier, and I'm willing to bet there are a whole lot of parallels.

For example, if you cashier, you're already used to getting yelled at over the dumbest things. If you can hold that job down for any more than a few months, chances are you can effectively deal with those types of situations. I don't know how it is elsewhere, but my manager likes to pick on me to make phone calls (mainly when the self-scanners are broken, I get to call the company and explain problems and sometimes set up repair times), which parallels to calling insurance companies and doctors (especially all the time spend on hold, I'm sure pharm calls are just as bad.) Also, any sort of interpersonal communications issues are the same... like getting those people that just want to talk and talk when you've got a line to go away, or telling hicks that hit on you and stare at your chest "no thanks" without offending them so much that they never come back to the store (does that happen in a pharmacy, or do interns tend to get more respect? The Kroger polo shirts aren't low cut enough that people can see down them, so stop leaning over the belt and trying to look!!!!!!! I'm a cashier, not a stripper! Um... sorry. Cashier angst.)

...at least, that's how I'm going to put in in my interview when they ask me how I know I want to work as a pharmacist when I don't have any pharmacy experience. That, and my boyfriend is in pharm school at the moment (2nd year), so I read his notes and I know very well what I'm getting myself in to.

It seems to me that as long as you have a well-prepared and believable reason that you want to get into pharmacy, not having work experience shouldn't be a terrible barrier.

Bob_Barker27 said:

I was wondering if any of you got accepted into pharmacy school without any work experience in a pharmacy. The dean at the school that I am apply to seemed to suggest that pharmacy work experience was a big factor. I didn't have much luck getting work in a retail store. I did manage to interview a nuclear pharmacist about his job, and I have a job shadow thing set up with a hospital pharmacist. I made A's in both organic chemistry and both anatomy/physiology courses, and I have an undergrad degree, so I am hoping this is enough to overcome no pharmacy work experience. Any feedback would be appreciated.

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I am currently looking for a job in retail or clinical setting as a pharm tech. I used to work as a tech for a subdivison of Eli Lily but that was back in the day. Whether a pharm school wants experience or not I am going to get it. It can only help you. Granted I may take a pay cut from my current job ( I'm in the IT field) I believe it would beneficial. Of course that is my opinion but wouldnt like to know what you're getting into before you dedicate 4 years of your life?

Bob_Barker27 said:

I think a job shadow will give me enough information, in addition to reading information about the field. I dont think being a pharmacy tech really tells you if would like bieng a pharmacist, since pharmacists have the responsiblity of running the pharmacy and making the decisions. I have a degree in engineering, and I've worked in industry, and I don't mind going to work for a drug company if I don't like being a retail or hospital pharmacist. I've talked to a nuclear pharmacist already, and that seems like a good way to go as well.

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I believe I remember you saying that you were a ME (well someone on here was). If that is the case then i think you will love pharmacy. After all... the body is just one very complex machine with several different processes. My fiance is a ME and he is absolutely fasinated by everything i am doing in school.

Perhaps you are different and it is way too much of a generalization but there really are parallels in the profession of medicine and engineering.

I agree that some type of exposure would be very beneficial before dedicating your life to something, but so many things go into a job situation that just working at wallgreens might not be a great indication of your future in any field. I am something of a nomad, after being in the military and trust me, a different environment and different people (not to mention a different position/job duties) can really change your whole outlook on something! From love to hate in 60 seconds or something! If you want further examples of this, look at the teaching profession. Everyone loves teaching but hates everything else.
just my thoughts!

Oh-and I think everyone second guesses themselves after making a huge committment of any kind, so I wouldn't really count that as evidence

Shadowing a pharmacist or volunteering in a hospital pharmacy are also great ways to get exposed to the field. I realize that experience isn't required, it's just helpful for many reasons. A lot of universities also have pre-pharmacy clubs, which will give you further chances to be exposed to the profession.

I got in with no direct experience. I've talked with pharmacists and have observed them but have never stepped foot in a pharmacy. Experience doesn't seem to be important as it used to be because there are so many areas in this profession. If you've only experienced retail/community pharmacy, how do you know if you will like hospital, academia, research, or compounding? If you've only experienced hospital, how will you know if you'll like retail?

As long as you convey your interest in pharmacy during the interview, you should be fine.

does anyone know how much EC's/pharmacy experience plays a role in PharmCAS when admissions are looking at it? I'm asking because hopefully I'll get experience between now and the interview in the spring but right now I have none to put on PharmCAS.

bsson said:

does anyone know how much EC's/pharmacy experience plays a role in PharmCAS when admissions are looking at it? I'm asking because hopefully I'll get experience between now and the interview in the spring but right now I have none to put on PharmCAS.

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Depends on your stats and GPA.

bsson said:

does anyone know how much EC's/pharmacy experience plays a role in PharmCAS when admissions are looking at it? I'm asking because hopefully I'll get experience between now and the interview in the spring but right now I have none to put on PharmCAS.

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You haven't been in any clubs or any volunteer services? None at all?

I got into pharmacy school without pharmacy experience and its importance varies from school to school. I would say that GPA and PCAT acts as a major screen for interviews and pharmacy experience comes more into play after an interview.

I got into Pharmacy school with almost no pharmacy experience. I volunteered at my local hospital for a few months only. I think what helped me out a lot were my grades and PCAT score (98%). I also believe the interview is a lot more important than what people think. I did great in the interview of the school that I got accepted. But the 2 schools I got rejected, I knew I didn't that didn't do that good.

I'm in an 0-6 program so they obviously didn't expect us to have pharmacy experience in high school.

it's possible but other students are already ahead of you.

no experience too. Just shadowing.

Personally, I'd prefer it if experience was weighed higher than GPA and PCAT.

I got in with out any experience. But my stats were pretty good. Infact I hadn't even had my first job ever when i got in. But I got a job at Walgreens a few months after I got accepted.

I have no direct experience in the field of pharmacy but I have a decent PCAT(80%) and 3.9 GPA. I volunteered in the ER at a local hospital for a few months and worked on research project for well over a year studying antibiotic resistance. Great recommendations and have talked with a few pharmacists. What are my chances of being accepted to an AR school?

Wow. A thread from 2005 keeps getting revived.... Once in 2008 and now in 2010.

Haha i'm just tryin to keep it alive!!

Nicely played sir

AspiringDrugDoc said:

Nicely played sir

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To other (older) members of the forum, it sounds silly rather than funny to be bringing up an old thread.

I volunteered hella for six years at an arts program (had nothing to do with pharmacy, obviously) and I still got accepted to UNC with no experience.

crazybob said:

To other (older) members of the forum, it sounds silly rather than funny to be bringing up an old thread.

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All I have to say is... at least they used the search function!!! lol

I just got an interview for pharmacy school, and I am trying to set up a job shadowing with a local pharmacy. They asked me how many days I wanted to do it or if I just wanted to do one day and I had no idea what to say. What is the normal amount of time people job shadow? Do people do one day? One week? A few days a week? They said they were going to call me back on Thursday when the manager is back in town but I will probably be able to do it.

PrePharmGirl said:

I just got an interview for pharmacy school, and I am trying to set up a job shadowing with a local pharmacy. They asked me how many days I wanted to do it or if I just wanted to do one day and I had no idea what to say. What is the normal amount of time people job shadow? Do people do one day? One week? A few days a week? They said they were going to call me back on Thursday when the manager is back in town but I will probably be able to do it.

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When I asked to shadow they offered me a 4 hour or 8 hour slot. They told me often times people did 4 hours to get a sense of the setting. I'd recommend the same to you. You don't want to go full out your first day w/ an 8 hour full day. So try four 4 hrs then ask to come back. (That's what I did at least and it seemed to work out perfectly, I've even been offered pharm tech position !) Best of luck!

nicolemsm said:

When I asked to shadow they offered me a 4 hour or 8 hour slot. They told me often times people did 4 hours to get a sense of the setting. I'd recommend the same to you. You don't want to go full out your first day w/ an 8 hour full day. So try four 4 hrs then ask to come back. (That's what I did at least and it seemed to work out perfectly, I've even been offered pharm tech position !) Best of luck!

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Well, that is if you have experience working 8-hour days. If it gets boring, you can start some conversations and ask questions.

Those 8-hours will go by like a typical (or maybe not so typical) day at work.

O hours of pharmacy experience

Accepted to LECOM Erie
Waiting on Pitt, they don't let us know till the begining of April

twinspharm said:

O hours of pharmacy experience

Accepted to LECOM Erie
Waiting on Pitt, they don't let us know till the begining of April

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so what is your first choice? Lecom or Pitt?

....

I have been working as a pharmacy technician for 1 year; did not got interview offer from any schools....

nicolemsm said:

When I asked to shadow they offered me a 4 hour or 8 hour slot. They told me often times people did 4 hours to get a sense of the setting. I'd recommend the same to you. You don't want to go full out your first day w/ an 8 hour full day. So try four 4 hrs then ask to come back. (That's what I did at least and it seemed to work out perfectly, I've even been offered pharm tech position !) Best of luck!

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Thanks for the info. I just wanted to do some type of shadowing so I can have some more stuff to say in the interview.

Tinkerbell22 said:

All I have to say is... at least they used the search function!!! lol

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LOLOLOL


Do you ever wonder what the peeps up there did to get Banned?

nextyearrx said:

so what is your first choice? Lecom or Pitt?

....

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My first choice is defiantly Pitt for many reasons. I've lived in the suburbs of Pittsburgh my whole life, I own my own business which I'd have to give up if I moved, and I think I would just miss the Pens, Steelers and my family if I left. My Bro and Sis will be attending Pitt Pharmacy also so it would be nice to go to school with them

Besides these reasons Pitt has an excellent pharmacy program and reputation. Not only do they have a good reputation, but from visiting the two schools I feel I would fit in much better at Pitt than LECOM. I have also found the people at Pitt Pharm very helpful and accommodating which is another reason I want to go there.

Although if I don't get into Pitt I will gladely attend LECOM.

Pitt's ranked 19th

top 20 = win!

MrMeowphers said:

Pitt's ranked 19th

top 20 = win!

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Ya, I got my fingers crossed!

i had 0 pharmacy experience, and i still got accepted and i definitely know im not the only one.

LovelyGirl98 said:

I didn't have any experience and I got accepted as well.

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you are 6 years late lovely!

veyep said:

you are 6 years late lovely!

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I know. I was going to create a thread about it, but then it popped up as a similar thread so I decided to reply to this instead of clogging the forum.

veyep said:

you are 6 years late lovely!

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I know. I was going to create a thread about it, but then it popped up as a similar thread so I decided to reply to this instead of clogging the forum.