Am I Being Realistic?

[pharmdreamer]

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I am a junior in college (psych major) who just had an awakening as to what I want to do with the rest of my life... Pharmacy. I will be graduating in 3 semesters with a GPA around 3.0. I am planning on doing my science pre reqs at a community college after I graduate.

Questions: Do schools like Touro (CA) look at retaken classes? I have quite a bumpy record (w's, retakes) however from here on out I plan on studying my *** off.

Also, what are some things I can do to strengthen my application since their is no such thing as a pharmacy volunteer.

Thanks

 

[Rumplestiltazepam]

I was a pharmacy volunteer, I approached an independent and they let me volunteer as a tech after I got licensed but mostly I just saw what a pharmacist did as an owner/pharmacist. Great experience. Any leadership roles or volunteering that increasing community wellness is solid. Coaching youth teams, volunteering at community events, reading at long term care facilities, tutoring and volunteering at a hospital are all good things to try. Turn in some applications around town at pharmacies to try and get a clerk or tech job so you can see if working as a pharmacist is really for you. If you can, try and see as many areas of pharmacy as you can, shadowing. Sometimes the career services at your school can help you set shadowing opportunities at pharmacies, so that is something to look into.

Schools like to see improvement and a streak of good grades so if you can get solid scores in prereqs from here on out, that will look good.

 

[AngelaCL]

I got my BA in psych and am attending pharmacy school in the fall.

1. There is a such thing as a pharmacy volunteer. Contact your nearest hospital - I volunteered in the hospital pharmacy. However, I found getting a job in retail to be a much better experience.

2. You'll need to prepare really well for the PCAT to make up for your GPA. Aim to take the PCAT the June before you apply - so if you plan on applying in fall 2009 for Fall 2010 admission, take the PCAT June 2009. Then you have time to retake in August and October if you don't do well. Start studying months in advance; be thourough and take timed practice tests.

3. Start getting to know professors now so you'll have good letters of recommendation.

4. The best chance of getting into pharmacy school is applying to rolling admission schools early, so get your personal statement and letters of recommendation taken care of early in the admissions cycle.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

Here's my entirely HONEST opinion:

Your chances of getting into a California pharmacy school with a 3.0 are about as good as you winning the lottery, no joke. My GPA is around the ballpark of your GPA, i have years upon years of pharmacy experience (started way back in high school) with amazing letters of rec. and I wasn't even invited to fill out the supplemental application at Tuoro.

If i were you:

I'd study for PCAT, do as well as you possibly can and apply in the nearby states, i.e Arizona, New Mexico etc...

Good luck to you and keep your chin up!!!

 

[Scrubs Fan]

Your chances of getting into a California pharmacy school with a 3.0 are about as good as you winning the lottery, no joke.

i guess i must have won the jackpot b/c i'm a psych major w/ about a 3.0 and got into a California school.
but i do agree w/ absolute ethanol, it was definitely an uphill battle. I did lots of volunteering, some shadowing, worked as a tech for at least a year, retook a few classes to get a better grade.

all the before mentioned advice is solid advice. call the admissions office to see where you stand (and if you've applied before, ask them to take a look at your app to see which parts are weak so you know where to improve for next year)

apply early, cannot stress that enough. if you're applying for 2009, then you can definitely start now. ask for Letters of Rec by April. Start your personal statements (for Pharmcas ) in march, go through 12 revisions and have everyone you know (who writes well, this should cut it down to 3 people or so) to read it and rip it apart. Start doing supp apps for each school come april or may. I know they may not have it out yet for 2009, but they should still have the old stuff up for 2008, and the questions don't change much from year to year.

this should have you ready to esubmit your pharmcas by end of June or mid july at the latest, and then from there, you work on the rest of the supp apps and submit by end of august mid sept at the latest. 😛

seems early but it'll give you a much better chance if you have an avg gpa, trust me.

good luck

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

i guess i must have won the jackpot b/c i'm a psych major w/ about a 3.0 and got into a California school.
but i do agree w/ absolute ethanol, it was definitely an uphill battle. I did lots of volunteering, some shadowing, worked as a tech for at least a year, retook a few classes to get a better grade.

all the before mentioned advice is solid advice. call the admissions office to see where you stand (and if you've applied before, ask them to take a look at your app to see which parts are weak so you know where to improve for next year)

apply early, cannot stress that enough. if you're applying for 2009, then you can definitely start now. ask for Letters of Rec by April. Start your personal statements (for Pharmcas ) in march, go through 12 revisions and have everyone you know (who writes well, this should cut it down to 3 people or so) to read it and rip it apart. Start doing supp apps for each school come april or may. I know they may not have it out yet for 2009, but they should still have the old stuff up for 2008, and the questions don't change much from year to year.

this should have you ready to esubmit your pharmcas by end of June or mid july at the latest, and then from there, you work on the rest of the supp apps and submit by end of august mid sept at the latest. 😛

seems early but it'll give you a much better chance if you have an avg gpa, trust me.

good luck

congrats! I'd kill to go to western!