Am I doing too much...and should I quit my current job?

[nature88]

I need your sincere inputs please.

First of all, I started my extracurricular activities late so right now I'm trying to fill as many in as I can. But my friend warned me that they might backfire and hurt my application because the adcom might think that I am obviously doing everything just to get in. I have very good ec activities and they are mostly healthcare/pharmacy related. It's just that I bascially started all of them at the same time, between February and March. And I plan to apply this December. So as you can see, I only have around 9 months of ec activities by the time I apply and that's why I try to do as many as I can to make up for the short time period. Right now, I am involved in 5 activities. But I just found a couple good ones (one being a TA for a bio class) that I might be able to fit into my schedule. Should I do them as well?

Second, besides doing ec activities, going to school full time to complete my prereqs, I work part time at an university, which happens to be one of the schools I plan to apply to. I have been debating whether it will be more beneficial for me to quit my current job to become a pharmacy tech. I heard it both ways, so I'd really like your inputs. Inputs from current PhamD students or people who have gotten accepted would be great. But anyone, please share your thoughts if you have some. Thanks.

By the way, I already got my first BS in engineering. Yes, I am one of those that decided to switch over after all. I am also doing very well in my prereqs right now.

Additional Info: Thanks all for your inputs so far. I want to clarify a couple of things. I am currently volunteering at an inpatient and an outpatient pharmacy. So I'll have some pharmacy experience by the time I apply although it may not be as extensive as being a pharmacy tech. My current job at the university is not a 'student' job. It's a real part time job. Now, do you think it's still more beneficial for me to become a pharm tech?

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[daydreamerc35]

what EC's are you currently doing now?

 

[dopamine]

If you can manage all the ECs your doing (while keeping your grades up), then keep it up at least until the day you apply.

Before you do anything, look around for pharm tech jobs, and see if there are any openings or if you can get one of the pharmacies interested in you. You don't want to lose your current job because you 'thought' you could get a better one.

I'm not totally convinced that just being employed by the university for around mininum wage would really help you get accepted. Having experience, good testscores, and good credentials are what they're really after. It sounds like you don't "need" your current job for funding anything and if it does nothing to boost your pharmacy application, then you might as well kick it.

That, and if you already quit your job at the university, you could still write it on you application and add it to your list of experience.

Go for the pharm tech job IF its available to you.

 

[SCCpharm]

pharm tech experience > EC's

Schools want to see that you know what pharmacy is about. You don't really have to be involved too heavily in EC's. You can do EC's like 1 or 2 times a month.

 

[b*rizzle]

pharm tech experience > EC's

Schools want to see that you know what pharmacy is about. You don't really have to be involved too heavily in EC's. You can do EC's like 1 or 2 times a month.

What he said.

When I applied to pharmacy school, I didn't have many ECs. I had a few things, but I held a leadership position on an exec board in one of them and was super-involved with it. I also pretty much worked full time throughout undergrad as a pharmacy tech. Especially after having been in pharm school for a while, I really think the tech experience is much more valuable to you...not to say that you shouldn't be involved in ECs, but tech experience is truly bang for your buck.

 

[Tygacil]

Technician experience is not a requirement, its helpful, but not a requirement, but a lot of that depends on who is doing the interviewing. I had never worked in a pharmacy before applying the pharmacy school. One of my interviewers, who was a student, asked me "how did I know pharmacy was right for me, having no experience?" I droned on, and he ended up telling me that he had never worked in a pharmacy either. They called me the next day after my interview to tell me I was accepted.

On the flip side, last year I got to DO the interviewing. I heard one professor/interviewer denouncing students with no experience.

If I were you, just get one shift a week as a tech, or volunteer at a hospital. Just do a few "good" extracurriculars, and make SURE you keep those grades up.

-tigecycline

 

[nature88]

what EC's are you currently doing now?

I am currently volunteering at an inpatient and an outpatient pharmacy.

 

[AggiePharmer]

I'm sorry, but I'm totally confused whether by "working at a university" you're implying that you work as a TA or something else.

Either way, I think working in a volunteer setting like you've been doing already shows your sincerity and interest in Pharm. No one's going to question your motivation for when and how you decided to help out others - that's just jacked up. And don't sweat picking up a teching job! As someone's already suggested above, they're great to have, but aren't a requisite for pharmCAS applications. Keep your job, it's as much an "EC" as the other stuff you do, but use it as a learning experience to catapault you into Pharmacy.

It's all about perspective. Sweat the bigger things and keep your head up.

 

[PharmApp2008]

I didnt have a lot of EC's either. I worked and went to school so obviously if you are doing all that it is better (I think) to get good grades and be healthy (enough sleep and food) so I just told the adcoms I didn't have time.