Advice Please. Frustrated. Regret.

[pharmacyrx90]

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I do not know what to do anymore about my situation. In the beginning of my college career, my grades were not that great. This was due to my health problem. Now my grades have been better and my health issue hasn't been affecting me. I still have it but it isn't deterring me in school So I had put that in my pharmcas application and in some of my supplemental essays. I regret doing that now. I wanted to be honest, but that has been a huge mistake for me. I have gotten a few rejection letters already and when I call the schools they say that my health problem will not let me handle the stress of pharmacy school. I do not know what to do, I hope that at least one pharmacy school gives me a chance. I just do not want to be rejected by every single pharmacy school. I regret being honest on my application.

 

[Pojman]

I do not know what to do anymore about my situation. In the beginning of my college career, my grades were not that great. This was due to my health problem. Now my grades have been better and my health issue hasn't been affecting me. I still have it but it isn't deterring me in school So I had put that in my pharmcas application and in some of my supplemental essays. I regret doing that now. I wanted to be honest, but that has been a huge mistake for me. I have gotten a few rejection letters already and when I call the schools they say that my health problem will not let me handle the stress of pharmacy school. I do not know what to do, I hope that at least one pharmacy school gives me a chance. I just do not want to be rejected by every single pharmacy school. I regret being honest on my application.

Are you comfortable sharing what the health problem is? Perhaps we can come up with a creative solution as to how you can deal with this health problem. Did you offer a clear description as to how you are dealing with this issue in a proactive and effective way?

 

[tommyVoltage]

I think your Pharmcas is locked in for the year now. You can try applying to schools that don't require Pharmcas? UNT, Wilkes, Rutgers, Rhode Island. But that will require you spending the $20 per school to resend your PCAT scores and you have to ask for copies of all of the LoR from professors and pharmacists.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

Are you comfortable sharing what the health problem is? Perhaps we can come up with a creative solution as to how you can deal with this health problem. Did you offer a clear description as to how you are dealing with this issue in a proactive and effective way?

I have a enlarged heart. May need surgery in a few years. In the beginning of my college career, I had struggled alot with my grades. Health was bad, missed alot of school. Had alot of C's. All I said in my essays was that I have a health problem that had affected my education in the beginning. Then I tried being inspirational and saying how I have been fighting my way back to get better. I didn't specify too much. On the supplemental apps I had said specifically about my heart problem. I said that there would not be any surgery needed while I am in pharmacy school. If there is any surgery required then it would be after I leave pharmacy school.

I should have never said anything at all about my health problem. Is it better to lie about stuff like that or be honest? Idk how, but if they did find out about my health issue then it would be really bad for me because they would know that I am lying.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

I think your Pharmcas is locked in for the year now. You can try applying to schools that don't require Pharmcas? UNT, Wilkes, Rutgers, Rhode Island. But that will require you spending the $20 per school to resend your PCAT scores and you have to ask for copies of all of the LoR from professors and pharmacists.

Yeah I applied to UNT and Rutgers, going to apply to more schools that are not PharmCAS. I am not going to say anything about my health problems on those applications.

 

[The Recoverer]

Yeah I applied to UNT and Rutgers, going to apply to more schools that are not PharmCAS. I am not going to say anything about my health problems on those applications.

My advice: Your health problem is not something you caused and is a legitimate reason for poor grades. you NEED and SHOULD mention and go into your health situation in detail. It,s not like you goofed off in school, an enlarged heart is a seriously health issue and admissions committes coupold poptentionally cut you a lot of slack.

Also (not trying to sound bad,) but this special circumstance could make you stand out as an applicant!

 

[RN2RPh]

I think that you should NOT disclose your health condition in the apps. You may say that you had health problem in the past and it caused you having bad grade but you are in a good shape now. They don't need to know in details about your problem.

 

[JCzap]

I think that you should NOT disclose your health condition in the apps. You may say that you had health problem in the past and it caused you having bad grade but you are in a good shape now. They don't need to know in details about your problem.

I would agree w/ RN2RPh. Personally, I have a health condition that I did not mention in any of my applications because it is none of their business. If it becomes a concern, I will deal with it then. Unfortunately your PharmCAS is locked in for the year, but definitely submit to non-PharmCAS schools without mentioning it. If asked, you had a health issue and you recovered and fine.

 

[cheepcheep]

Crap. I have a health condition and I wrote about it on my personal statement. 😱

 

[pharmerbird]

Crap. I have a health condition and I wrote about it on my personal statement. 😱

I have a health condition also and put it into my personal statement for two reasons. One, it solidified my decision to pursue pharmacy, and two because I had extensive withdraws during that time period and had stayed in the hospital so I submitted the hospitalizations documents. My application was still good enough to get me an interview and acceptance to my top choice, so I don't know...

 

[pharmacyrx90]

My advice: Your health problem is not something you caused and is a legitimate reason for poor grades. you NEED and SHOULD mention and go into your health situation in detail. It,s not like you goofed off in school, an enlarged heart is a seriously health issue and admissions committes coupold poptentionally cut you a lot of slack.

Also (not trying to sound bad,) but this special circumstance could make you stand out as an applicant!

Originally my thinking was that my bad grades in the beginning of college was due to my health. I thought that was a good and legit reason but I was wrong. I don't think that did anything to convince the admissions committee, seemed like it just scared them away from me.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

I think that you should NOT disclose your health condition in the apps. You may say that you had health problem in the past and it caused you having bad grade but you are in a good shape now. They don't need to know in details about your problem.

Yeah I should have kept my mouth shut and be quiet about my health problem. It wasn't necessary to say anything but I mentioned it in my personal statement and well now I am suffering for my mistake. Regretting my decision a lot, can't stop thinking about my horrible mistake. Really frustrating.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

I would agree w/ RN2RPh. Personally, I have a health condition that I did not mention in any of my applications because it is none of their business. If it becomes a concern, I will deal with it then. Unfortunately your PharmCAS is locked in for the year, but definitely submit to non-PharmCAS schools without mentioning it. If asked, you had a health issue and you recovered and fine.

I just was trying to show that I am not a bad student and that my bad grades were actually attributed to my health suffering but I guess that is not a excuse to get bad grades. I will apply to the non-PharmCAS schools, I don't care how much it costs, I am determined to get in somewhere.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

Crap. I have a health condition and I wrote about it on my personal statement. 😱

You and I both made the same huge mistake. Regretting my decision so much.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

I have a health condition also and put it into my personal statement for two reasons. One, it solidified my decision to pursue pharmacy, and two because I had extensive withdraws during that time period and had stayed in the hospital so I submitted the hospitalizations documents. My application was still good enough to get me an interview and acceptance to my top choice, so I don't know...

Maybe you are just a better candidate than me. I guess I am not a good candidate at all, idk anymore. Just so down right now. Anyways, Congratulations on getting accepted into pharmacy school. Wish you the very best in pharmacy school. Good Luck.

 

[pharmerbird]

Maybe you are just a better candidate than me. I guess I am not a good candidate at all, idk anymore. Just so down right now. Anyways, Congratulations on getting accepted into pharmacy school. Wish you the very best in pharmacy school. Good Luck.

That could be the problem. I don't mean that in an offensive way, but I don't think ADCOMs would dismiss you because of the health condition (wouldn't that be illegal anyways?) How is your GPA? PCAT? Do you have a bachelors or pharmacy experience??

 

[Pojman]

That could be the problem. I don't mean that in an offensive way, but I don't think ADCOMs would dismiss you because of the health condition (wouldn't that be illegal anyways?) How is your GPA? PCAT? Do you have a bachelors or pharmacy experience??

I am getting the feeling that this might be more of the issue. Whoever you talked to might have just been more comfortable saying that the health issue is what caused the denial.

 

[pharmacyrx90]

Overall GPA: 3.4
Math/Science GPA: 3.2

Many C's in my science classes, a lot of repeats. Was able to get my GPA back up, used to be really low in the beginning of college.

PCAT: highest score is 65, taken 3 times.

 

[beargirl200308]

If you have to lie to get into pharmacy school I don't think that is a good thing. You did the right thing and gave full disclosure. Pharmacy schools could come back and reject your acceptance if they found out that you did not give them full disclosure. Btw not telling the whole truth IS lying. I went a head and put in my ps that I found out that I had ADD in my senior yr in college which would explain my undergraduate work being poor and my graduate work as high. I know that I don't stand a good chance but as my dad says when he plays the lottery, "all I need is one shot." All you need is one acceptance, & who cares what the other schools think. Don't doubt yourself; you did the right thing.

 

[PrepharmUCD]

Yeah I agree with the other people. This should have made you stand out more. Maybe try to think of a way to solve it like explain to them that your condition does not hinder your studies or mind state. It made you strong-willed and that is something a pharmacist should have. Or something like that.

 

[The Recoverer]

A pharmacy program that rejects you because you had a pre-existing condition isn't worth going to in the first place. That is out right discrimination.

 

[pharmdream7078]

your stats are pretty good I would say. Maybe you're not applying to the right schools? I know many people who had lower stats than you and got into pharmacy school. Applying early is the key, which you did. Don't lose hope. I'm sure you'll get in. Hang in there.