Are there any pharmacy colleges that I can transfer to? I am a P2 student

Started by winter32842
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winter32842

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I am going to be a P2 student (or 4th year student) this coming fall at MCPHS. The GPA requirement to graduate and to stay in the PharmD program is 2.5 for my year (the GPA requirement for the year after me is 2.7). My current GPA is 2.52 (professional), so barely made it. I have 3.1 cumalative GPA.

I do not think, I will make it in MCPHS. Are there any colleges that I can transfer to? I am willing to go to other countries to study. I really want to become a pharmacist.

Please give me some advice. I am so depressed right now.

Do not get me wrong, I love MCPHS. It is a pretty easy school in my mind but I did not study much.


Thanks a lot
 
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winter32842 said:
I did not study much.
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Well study more. Transferring schools is not going to help you unless you change your habits and get with the program. Plus if you transfer you may have to go to school an extra couple years because no two schools are the same, meaning you will prolly have to retake a bunch of classes.
 
winter32842 said:
Do not get me wrong, I love MCPHS. It is a pretty easy school in my mind but I did not study much.
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So if MCPHS is already easy and you don't study, what makes you think that you will succeed at another school, which may be even tougher? But to answer your original question, I think you need a life/death reason to transfer to an American school. Professional programs aren't like undergrad where credits transfer easily. Not sure about international...
 
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Open a book n stop being lazy. You are not a history major. You are dealing with human lives. Lame
 
Maxpwer222 said:
Well study more. Transferring schools is not going to help you unless you change your habits and get with the program. Plus if you transfer you may have to go to school an extra couple years because no two schools are the same, meaning you will prolly have to retake a bunch of classes.
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and
inquirer89 said:
So if MCPHS is already easy and you don't study, what makes you think that you will succeed at another school, which may be even tougher? But to answer your original question, I think you need a life/death reason to transfer to an American school. Professional programs aren't like undergrad where credits transfer easily. Not sure about international...
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Well, I did study but not as much as other students. Most of the other students here study like 24 hours, which is like impossible for me. MCPHS is not easy. However, when I look back, I think I could have (and should have) done well.

I heard that next year is going to be really tough. It is too risky for me to stay in MCPHS. Two my friends already got kicked out of the PharmD program.

I don't know what to do right now. Sometimes, I feel like crying because I worked so hard to get here.

ANY REAL ADVICE. I KNOW, I HAVE TO STUDY MUCH HARDER AND PROBABLY HAVE TO CHANGE MY STUDY HABITS.
 
Why don't you think you will succeed if you study harder and change your study habits? It seems to me that you have already identified the problem and solution. Maybe you think you aren't really going to study as hard as your fellow students after all?
 
What about going part-time? Is that possible? You could say that it's for personal reasons.
 
Have some faith in yourself. If this is something that you REALLY want then you will do whatever it takes to pass those classes next year. Read up on time management and see if you can figure out where you are going wrong.

There is no easy out. Work harder if you want better grades. If you take some easy way out it will just end up biting you in the ass later in life.
 
OP, first of all, stop contradicting yourself. Is MCPHS easy or not? You say, "It is a pretty easy school," and then you claim "MCPHS is not easy."

Easy or not, as a previous poster said, you have already identified the problem and its solution. You need to study more, and/or you need to study smarter. You "worked so hard to get [into MCPHS]," so if you really want to be a pharmacist, you must do what you have to in order to stay there. It is not the answer you want to hear, but it is the truth, whether you like it or not.

But if you do want to transfer, you shouldn't be asking us on SDN. You should be contacting pharmacy schools across the country whether you can transfer. It's now only a matter of sending a generic email 100+ times (yay technology!).
 
medicalcpa said:
OP, first of all, stop contradicting yourself. Is MCPHS easy or not? You say, "It is a pretty easy school," and then you claim "MCPHS is not easy."

Easy or not, as a previous poster said, you have already identified the problem and its solution. You need to study more, and/or you need to study smarter. You "worked so hard to get [into MCPHS]," so if you really want to be a pharmacist, you must do what you have to in order to stay there. It is not the answer you want to hear, but it is the truth, whether you like it or not.

But if you do want to transfer, you shouldn't be asking us on SDN. You should be contacting pharmacy schools across the country whether you can transfer. It's now only a matter of sending a generic email 100+ times (yay technology!).
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And if it doesn't work out this time - I would go to a school that does not have a attrition or washout mentality... MedicalCPA has the best advice you are going to find. A major component of transferring to another professional program is your academic standing. If you are not doing well at one program, a different program is less likely to take you.

Our school had one transfer - the protocol to do so is different at each program.
 
PharmDstudent said:
What about going part-time? Is that possible? You could say that it's for personal reasons.
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I really want to take one year off or go part time but like I said previously, the GPA requirement for the year after me is 2.7 where the GPA requirement for my year is 2.5.

If I get kept back for any reason, I am screwed.

Maxpwer222 said:
Have some faith in yourself. If this is something that you REALLY want then you will do whatever it takes to pass those classes next year. Read up on time management and see if you can figure out where you are going wrong.

There is no easy out. Work harder if you want better grades. If you take some easy way out it will just end up biting you in the ass later in life.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the nice advice. I will try my best to study hard but that is what I say every year. All my years (middle school, high school and somewhat my first 2 years of college), I never used to study until the night before the exam and I used get "A"s and "B"s. I was one of the kids that used to study the least and got good grades. I know that is not going to work anymore.
 
aboveliquidice said:
Our school had one transfer - the protocol to do so is different at each program.
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Exactly, most likely you would have to repeat a year or even start from scratch IF they allow it. The amount of money lost in transferring is crazy. Not only are you potentially going to have to go to school longer, you are missing out on years of potential employment.

You can do it OP. Just talk with your teachers and do your best.
 
medicalcpa said:
OP, first of all, stop contradicting yourself. Is MCPHS easy or not? You say, "It is a pretty easy school," and then you claim "MCPHS is not easy."

Easy or not, as a previous poster said, you have already identified the problem and its solution. You need to study more, and/or you need to study smarter. You "worked so hard to get [into MCPHS]," so if you really want to be a pharmacist, you must do what you have to in order to stay there. It is not the answer you want to hear, but it is the truth, whether you like it or not.

But if you do want to transfer, you shouldn't be asking us on SDN. You should be contacting pharmacy schools across the country whether you can transfer. It's now only a matter of sending a generic email 100+ times (yay technology!).
Click to expand...

I am not contradicting myself. MCPHS is easy "IN MY MIND". I could have done better. I believe MCPHS is harder than the average right now. Before, MCPHS used to be easy. With every passing years, MCPHS is becoming harder and harder.

I guess, I will be calling University of Rhode Island and Connecticut and try to get into the school through the New England program.
 
Maxpwer222 said:
Exactly, most likely you would have to repeat a year or even start from scratch IF they allow it. The amount of money lost in transferring is crazy. Not only are you potentially going to have to go to school longer, you are missing out on years of potential employment.

You can do it OP. Just talk with your teachers and do your best.
Click to expand...

I actually do not care about the time or money. The only goal I have is to become a pharmacist.

I know, the best choice is to stay at MCPHS and study much harder but for some reason, I think that choice is too risky. I want to be given another chance; to start my professional GPA over again.
 
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winter32842 said:
I actually do not care about the time or money. The only goal I have is to become a pharmacist.

I know, the best choice is to stay at MCPHS and study much harder but for some reason, I think that choice is too risky. I want to be given another chance: to start my professional GPA over again.
Click to expand...


What are your goals after pharmacy school? Retail, clinical? I am pretty sure you can get a job in retail with a decent GPA. The only time your GPA after pharm school will matter is getting into a residency.

Also, if you get a chance to start over at another school, who is to say you will not do exactly the same thing?
 
Maxpwer222 said:
What are your goals after pharmacy school? Retail, clinical? I am pretty sure you can get a job in retail with a decent GPA. The only time your GPA after pharm school will matter is getting into a residency.

Also, if you get a chance to start over at another school, who is to say you will not do exactly the same thing?
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I'm not even certain how much GPA plays into things... No one from my school has a GPA (we have to have a 90% to pass all of our courses) - and nearly a fifth of our graduating class will begin their residencies this June.

To the OP - the worst thing that can happen is that you are told you cannot transfer - nothing ventured, nothing gained.
 
Maxpwer222 said:
What are your goals after pharmacy school? Retail, clinical? I am pretty sure you can get a job in retail with a decent GPA. The only time your GPA after pharm school will matter is getting into a residency.

Also, if you get a chance to start over at another school, who is to say you will not do exactly the same thing?
Click to expand...

I am worried about getting kicked out from the PharmD program. If my GPA goes below 2.5, I will put on probation and semester later, I will get kicked out from the PharmD program.

My plan to work for the World Health Organization (WHO) after graduating, which I believe requires high GPA.

Like you said before, if I transfer I will be most likely taking the same or similar coarses, which I know I will do good in.
 
winter32842 said:
I am worried about getting kicked out from the PharmD program. If my GPA goes below 2.5, I will put on probation and semester later, I will get kicked out from the PharmD program.

My plan to work for the World Health Organization (WHO) after graduating, which I believe requires high GPA.

Like you said before, if I transfer I will be most likely taking the same or similar coarses, which I know I will do good in.
Click to expand...

OMG... If you don't want to get kicked out, study hard. It is very simple. Plus, you have neither a BS nor high GPA, so transfering to URI, UConn or other schools is as difficult as surviving in MCP.
 
DrugRX said:
OMG... If you don't want to get kicked out, study hard. It is very simple.
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Totally agree with you. While I wouldn't wish for anyone to get kicked out of their pharmacy program, I (and probably most others) do support a minimum GPA. As pharmacists we deal with people's health, and our mistakes have the potential to harm patients. A minimum GPA or grade requirement is a school's way of weeding out those who might not belong in the profession. I know that sounds harsh, but we all know it's true.

OP--it sounds like pharmacy is really what you want to do. I can't say for sure, but I'm willing to bet that any school you want to transfer into is going to have a minimum grade or GPA rule. You may not be better off at another school. If you want to be a pharmacist that bad, find a way to study. I was the same way as you before pharmacy school--little studying produced mostly As. A majority of people have to step up their studying habits when they get into pharmacy school. So step it up--get some help, try different study methods...just do something different.
 
ehh, just talk to one of your deans to discuss your options and for advice. just repeat a year if you can't turn it around. if you do poorly and can't get your gpa up after that, then start worrying.
 
Your posting struck a chord: "I never used to study until the night before the exam and I used get "A"s and "B"s. I was one of the kids that used to study the least and got good grades. I know that is not going to work anymore."

You may want to get tested for a learning disability. Attention Deficit Disorder is something that often doesn't get diagnosed in smart kids/adults. Especially those who don't exhibit the hyperactivity associated with ADHD.

Cramming isn't just being lazy. It's a mesh of bad habits & brain chemistry. For those with low dopamine levels in their brain - the all-nighters & cramming are the only way to focus & study. That adrenaline rush from an oncoming deadline kicks in the brain to focus. Sometimes this works out but with really hard classes it doesn't.

Getting on some meds like adderall or strattera will help to focus during the semester and keep on track for grades. Also working with a coach/psychologist/ tutor on creating positive study habits will help.

I may be way off track with you since I have no idea what you are like. But if you've always done reasonably well in school but have had a hard time with this onslaught of pharmacy school you may have finally met a situation where a learning disability is actually becoming a disability.

You have all summer to gear up for second year (P2). Running away to another school might not be the best solution.
 
I think the OP's only choice is to try to do well at his present school. Transferring within professional programs is very tough, and they won't accept the excuse of wanting to "start over". Good luck and have confidence. If you say most of your classmates study 24 hours a day, you study 26!
 
Thanks guys for giving some advices.

I know it is going to be tough to transfer. I believe, I have a good case for transferring into University of Connecticut or University of Rhode Island through the New England Regional Program. My reasoning will be financial reasons.

If I go to Uconn or URI through the New England Regional Programing, my school tuition will be about $13,000. I am currently paying about $28,000 at MCPHS. My family is kind of poor and my father recently lost his job, so I can make a good case for it.

When I called both Uconn and URI in high school and they told me that I can transfer into their Pharmacy through New England Regional programing in later years.

If I get accepted to URI or UCONN, should I go?


rxconquistador said:
Your posting struck a chord: "I never used to study until the night before the exam and I used get "A"s and "B"s. I was one of the kids that used to study the least and got good grades. I know that is not going to work anymore."

You may want to get tested for a learning disability. Attention Deficit Disorder is something that often doesn't get diagnosed in smart kids/adults. Especially those who don't exhibit the hyperactivity associated with ADHD.

Cramming isn't just being lazy. It's a mesh of bad habits & brain chemistry. For those with low dopamine levels in their brain - the all-nighters & cramming are the only way to focus & study. That adrenaline rush from an oncoming deadline kicks in the brain to focus. Sometimes this works out but with really hard classes it doesn't.

Getting on some meds like adderall or strattera will help to focus during the semester and keep on track for grades. Also working with a coach/psychologist/ tutor on creating positive study habits will help.

I may be way off track with you since I have no idea what you are like. But if you've always done reasonably well in school but have had a hard time with this onslaught of pharmacy school you may have finally met a situation where a learning disability is actually becoming a disability.

You have all summer to gear up for second year (P2). Running away to another school might not be the best solution.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this advice. My adviser told me to take some drugs in the beginning of the fall semester. I did not listen because I was scared of the side-effects and because I thought I did not need.

I am going to my doctor this summer and get tested for ADHD.
 
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I don't understand why you think it is going to be any easier if you just transfer schools? URI and UCONN are just as difficult if not more than MCP. These schools are going to have similar GPA requirements. Plus they might not even accept you if you aren't doing well in your current program.
 
winter32842 said:
I am currently paying about $28,000 at MCPHS. My family is kind of poor and my father recently lost his job, so I can make a good case for it.
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Not to be a "Downer" but at 28k for tuition I think you should seriously consider if pharmacy is the right path for you. Your school will keep you around paying tuition as long as possible. There will be a point where they cannot. Then you are out thousands of dollars and no degree.
 
winter32842 said:
I am going to my doctor this summer and get tested for ADHD.
Click to expand...


I was like you when I started my undergrad. I did nothing in high school and did well so I figured in college I could never go to class/study and I would be fine. Well it did not work and I had to realize that I may need to actually work hard.

Stop looking for excuses. For the amount of times you said you want to be a pharmacist it sure does not seem like you want it.
 
No offense, but with a 2.5 at MCPHS you will not be accepted into either URI or UCONN as they are both superior programs and stricter transfer requirements. MCPHS is fairly easy as long as you do the work. If you know you want to do it, step it up and study. What about academic services such as tutoring or something?
 
AmphoTerrible said:
No offense, but with a 2.5 at MCPHS you will not be accepted into either URI or UCONN as they are both superior programs and stricter transfer requirements. MCPHS is fairly easy as long as you do the work. If you know you want to do it, step it up and study. What about academic services such as tutoring or something?
Click to expand...

MCPHS used to be easy. Not anymore. I bet MCPHS is same or harder than URI or UCON.
 
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winter32842 said:
MCPHS used to be easy. Not anymore. I bet MCPHS is same or harder than URI or UCON.
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Where do you get the idea that pharmacy school is "easy"? What gave you that skewed perception of reality?

Think about it...if you were a patient, would you rather go to a pharmacy that employs a pharmacist who worked hard in school, or one that transferred to an "easier" school because they didn't want to put in the effort and just barely skate by?

Like I said before...step it up. You're in the real world now...being lazy isn't going to get you far.
 
to the op:

I guess you just finished your final exam week as a P2. you've only been spending 2 out of 4 professional years in the program yet concluded that MCP was easy then wasn't easy anymore. sorry for not sugar-coating you: either withdraw or stop whining. feel free to complain if you couldn't survive P3's fall semester. only P2 yet barely meet the minimum professional GPA? amazing, really.
 
OP, you need to work harder. Simple as that. You need to devise a good schedule to start studying better. Pharmacy school is difficult, it's a lot of memorizing and studying. It's not any easier at another school. If you feel that pharmacy school is difficult for you now, then please keep in mind that as a pharmacist you need to do upkeep with new medications and start studying and reading on your own (Continued Education). Do you think you will have the effort, time, or motivation to complete CE's?
 
winter32842 said:
I am going to be a P2 student (or 4th year student) this coming fall at MCPHS. The GPA requirement to graduate and to stay in the PharmD program is 2.5 for my year (the GPA requirement for the year after me is 2.7). My current GPA is 2.52 (professional), so barely made it. I have 3.1 cumalative GPA.

I do not think, I will make it in MCPHS. Are there any colleges that I can transfer to? I am willing to go to other countries to study. I really want to become a pharmacist.

Please give me some advice. I am so depressed right now.

Do not get me wrong, I love MCPHS. It is a pretty easy school in my mind but I did not study much.


Thanks a lot
Click to expand...

OK, I wasn't going to say anything but you're driving me crazy here. Pharmacy school is hard. You should have known this for some time. Stop making excuses and stop trying to find an easy way out of the situation that you put yourself in.

Even if you transfer, you will have to fix your study habits. P2 will not be easier at another school, even if it does give you a GPA reset (and my guess is that it actually won't). You say that you really want to be a pharmacist. Well, this is part of that process. You don't get to sleep through class and then magically become a pharmacist. You're going to have to buckle down and study harder. If you pull a 4.0 in P2, your GPA will be just fine. In fact, if you maintain the 2.54 you have now, you'll be just fine. But if you have doubts about doing that, what makes you think you'll be able to do it anywhere? If you transfer to another school and pull a 2.0 there, you'll get placed on academic probation there. It's not like your GPA is below the requirement now; it's right on the bubble. Just work harder and bring it up gradually over the next year.
 
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