Anyone else finding this insanely hard??

[laura_mideon]

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Hey everyone....I haven't posted in awhile on here...I was just curious if any other first years are feeling as overwhelmed and unsure as I am....I came into this program with upwards of 3.8 gpa (ya...from a CC tho) and I just got my grades for this semester and averaged 78%....I was below the average in half of my courses....I'm feeling really discouraged.....It's alot harder than I expected...

Anyone else with me? Or am I just dumber than I thought ?? 🙁

 

[pinkyrx]

You're not dumb! Pharmacy school is just really challenging. I think its pretty common for students GPA to drop in professional school.

I know its hard to do, but just remember that grades aren't that important anymore. The most important thing is that we can retain the information we are learning and be able to use it in the real world.

 

[ilovelylaydee]

Laura its absolutely normal. The material in grad school is much more challenging and overwelming... I was in the same predictament as you. CC = 3.51 gpa and first semester of College of Pharmacy with 2.76 gpa so you are absolutely fine. Try not to stress out too much. After Fall semester I really learn how to balance my studies. Hopefully that will get me better grades in the Spring. Good luck with everything and don't worry too much because there are MANY MANY MANY people in the same boat as you! Take care missy.

 

[ilovepharmacy]

Yes, you are not the only one! Besides, it was just first semester. I think we all were trying to get accustomed to new kinds of classes and the new pace of things. I did alright for my first semester considering all the other activities I was doing, but I was hoping to do better. Hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes from last semester and change our habits so that next semester goes more smoothly.

Good lucks

 

[dgroulx]

Don't worry about being average. Remember, your fellow students are all really smart or else they would not have been accepted into pharmacy school.

I think about that when they post the class average for each exam. When the class average for an exam is 73% then you know that the exam was difficult.

You'll find that it will be easier next semester. You get used to the hectic schedule.

 

[speednutsII]

Try not to get discouraged. I knew many students who were considered honor students in a special program who after a few months in pharmacy school, received letters from the dean stating their poor academic performance. In fact, studies have shown that the average GPA for first year students is around a 2.7.

And as the old saying goes, C equals PharmD.

 

[laura_mideon]

Thanks you guys....I feel much better...I felt like I was alone in this since all my pharm friends at school are still getting really high grades....But its bad to compare ourselves....all I can do now is try way harder next semester.. And I admit ... I probably did spend a bit too much time watching top model and apprentice last semester... lol ... oops 😳

 

[pharm120]

If you think a 73% class average is bad, you'd hate to be at UoP. Our semester before rotations, we had an infectious disease class with this jerk of a professor. Our class averages before any curves were found out to be 50% on big tests. Yes half the class of over 200 students got 49% or lower. And the syllabus had said 65 and up was passing. Talk about BS. They ended up failing a lot of people too and kicking them out for a year even though they curved. I think the professor should have been fired. He's the one that failed (as a teacher). And I've heard he's going to teach it again next year even though students filed a grievance that went through the entire pharmacy school, the Dean, and the main campus. What a piss poor school. I feel sorry for the incoming class when the administration refuses to admit that they had a bad professor. But I posted about this months ago so if anyone is choosing to go there still when they have other choices, that's their problem.

 

[laura_mideon]

If you think a 73% class average is bad, you'd hate to be at UoP. Our semester before rotations, we had an infectious disease class with this jerk of a professor. Our class averages before any curves were found out to be 50% on big tests. Yes half the class of over 200 students got 49% or lower. And the syllabus had said 65 and up was passing. Talk about BS. They ended up failing a lot of people too even though they curved. I think the professor should have been fired. He's the one that failed (as a teacher). And I've heard he's going to teach it again next year even though students filed a grievance that went through the entire pharmacy school, the Dean, and the main campus. What a piss poor school. I feel sorry for the incoming class when the administration refuses to admit that they had a bad professor. But I posted about this months ago so if anyone is choosing to go there still when they have other choices, that's their problem.

Wow that sucks....I thought 61 average on our practical exam was bad (almost half the class got zero on one part of it that was worth 50% of the exam)... 50% is nuts! They should fire that guy.

 

[pharm120]

Wow that sucks. You reminded me of something though that I forgot to mention, these were multiple choice exams. I mean you could get 25% just from guessing totally randomly. And the avg was 50%.... really sad to be honest. And we as a class did really well on most classes the previous 5 semesters.

 

[laura_mideon]

Wow that sucks. You reminded me of something though that I forgot to mention, these were multiple choice exams. I mean you could get 25% just from guessing totally randomly. And the avg was 50%.... really sad to be honest. And we as a class did really well on most classes the previous 5 semesters.

Wow that is sad......I wonder if he even go reprimanded at all....hopefully he'll be easier on the new class cuz that's just wrong!

 

[pharm120]

I doubt it. They kept boasting how he was voted "professor of the year" by previous classes when he taught something completely different. He's been at the school since 2000 the UOP website says.

 

[laura_mideon]

I doubt it. They kept boasting how he was voted "professor of the year" by previous classes when he taught something completely different. He's been at the school since 2000 the UOP website says.

How did someone like that get prof of the year?? So he only sucks at that one subject? That seems unlikely. How weird..

 

[ilovepharmacy]

And as the old saying goes, C equals PharmD.

🙄 I wish! - its more like, "B equals PharmD" at our school...

 

[pharm120]

I wouldn't worry too much about grades as long as you're trying and learning stuff. I'm not afraid to admit that I got really high grades at UOP, yet I felt totally unprepared for rotations because I didn't study and learn on my own (reading Koda Kimble is never a favorite pasttime for me) You can get A's and B's and not know a thing after graduation. Yet you could also get C's and D's but if you eventually learn the material, you will be way ahead of everyone else.

School doesn't test on who can learn the most and retain it the longest. It only tests who can memorize fastest.

 

[ilovepharmacy]

Yet you could also get C's and D's but if you eventually learn the material, you will be way ahead of everyone else.

pharm120 - what's the min. GPA you guys need(ed) at UOP to get your PharmD?

At USC we have to acheive a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of our 4 years in order to graduate and get a PharmD. In addition to that, we have minimum GPA requirements that we must attain at the end of every school year (that's the reason why i said "B equals PharmD").

 

[pinkyrx]

pharm120 - what's the min. GPA you guys need(ed) at UOP to get your PharmD?

At USC we have to acheive a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of our 4 years in order to graduate and get a PharmD. In addition to that, we have minimum GPA requirements that we must attain at the end of every school year (that's the reason why i said "B equals PharmD").

Wow! So, you can't graduate with less than a 3.0 at USC? Is that common or unusually high? I thought it was usually around a 2.5 or so. I know there would be a lot of people not graduating at my school if we had the 3.0 limit. 😱

 

[dgroulx]

The 73% was just a hypothetical number to explain a point that students with a 90+ PCAT and a 3.5 GPA can easily make C's in pharmacy school.

That sucks about the ID professor. We had a different lecturer (specialist in each disease) every couple of days. They write their own questions, so you won't get just one single professor testing you. But, 1200 pages of notes for 1 exam still sucked. I'm one of the few who loved infectious disease. I can't believe I didn't draw a rotation in it.

 

[laura_mideon]

The 73% was just a hypothetical number to explain a point that students with a 90+ PCAT and a 3.5 GPA can easily make C's in pharmacy school.

That sucks about the ID professor. We had a different lecturer (specialist in each disease) every couple of days. They write their own questions, so you won't get just one single professor testing you. But, 1200 pages of notes for 1 exam still sucked. I'm one of the few who loved infectious disease. I can't believe I didn't draw a rotation in it.

ouch 1200 pages for one exam! That's scary! 😱

 

[dgroulx]

ouch 1200 pages for one exam! That's scary! 😱

When there are only 3 exams, including the cumulative final, there will be a lot of material. But once you understand how the drugs all work, therapuetics isn't that bad.

 

[blueclassring]

I took a pharmacology class recently, and the material itself was not very difficult but the sheer amount that I was required to memorize was overwhelming. We only dealt with 10 classes of drugs. I understand the commitment required to understand these drugs. It will be an undertaking.

 

[JordanP]

You guys are making me really scared - I will be starting Pharmacy School at NSU in the Fall, and I was already nervous, but now, with hearing you guys - I am terrified. I have other commitments too, like a husband and a son, so that will not make it any easier - the only good thing is, in NSU, you need to keep like a 2.4-2.5 to stay in, so that is better than a 3.0. I am still nervous, though. I guess I will cross that mountain when I get to it.

Good Luck to all of you guys this semester.

I took a pharmacology class recently, and the material itself was not very difficult but the sheer amount that I was required to memorize was overwhelming. We only dealt with 10 classes of drugs. I understand the commitment required to understand these drugs. It will be an undertaking.

 

[PMart]

JordanP,
Congrats for getting into NSU. I am currently a P2 at Nova, I have other commitments also ( 2 girls and a husband lol) I will tell you from experience the toughest part of pharmacy school for me was just getting my family and myself to adjust to my new schedule, it really was rough the first semester but after that it got much easier. Now we are all used to the insanity and everything is fine lol Just remember at Nova there are quite a few people in the same situation and it really helps to talk to them. You will be just fine. If you have any questions feel free to pm me. I have 1 more week off until the new semester starts, so I must try to make the most of it
🙂
PMart

You guys are making me really scared - I will be starting Pharmacy School at NSU in the Fall, and I was already nervous, but now, with hearing you guys - I am terrified. I have other commitments too, like a husband and a son, so that will not make it any easier - the only good thing is, in NSU, you need to keep like a 2.4-2.5 to stay in, so that is better than a 3.0. I am still nervous, though. I guess I will cross that mountain when I get to it.

Good Luck to all of you guys this semester.

 

[pharm120]

At UoP you only need a 2.0 to go on rotations. Yet around 1 in every 7 people of the class of '06 didn't make it to rotations on time because of the 1 F and you're out for a year deal.

 

[MWUPharmboy]

You guys are making me really scared - I will be starting Pharmacy School at NSU in the Fall, and I was already nervous, but now, with hearing you guys - I am terrified. I have other commitments too, like a husband and a son, so that will not make it any easier - the only good thing is, in NSU, you need to keep like a 2.4-2.5 to stay in, so that is better than a 3.0. I am still nervous, though. I guess I will cross that mountain when I get to it.

Good Luck to all of you guys this semester.

hey there,

just relax... pharmacy school is hard, i won't deny that, but you got in 🙂 and that says a lot. they don't let just anyone into pharmacy school. it's a lot of work, but it's do-able. there are many students here at midwestern that have families outside of school... and they are doing better than me... and i'm a single guy. 😉 so just take it one day at a time... and try not to stress out about. all the PS 2's and 3's have said to not look at all the tests and studying you have to do. look at what test is coming up, and go from there. i don't know if this helps, but i'm sure you'll do fine! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[meg]

I think the transition is just a shock for a lot of college students, not just for pharmacy school. I graduated from my high school with a 4.0 #1 in my class and then my first semester of college I got a 2.5 GPA.

It just takes a little while to adjust to a new life and a new way of learning things. I'm sure it will be ok as you go on, I ended up with a 3.5... not too shabby.

 

[Smilescali]

Hey everyone....I haven't posted in awhile on here...I was just curious if any other first years are feeling as overwhelmed and unsure as I am....I came into this program with upwards of 3.8 gpa (ya...from a CC tho) and I just got my grades for this semester and averaged 78%....I was below the average in half of my courses....I'm feeling really discouraged.....It's alot harder than I expected...

Anyone else with me? Or am I just dumber than I thought ?? 🙁

Why is it harder? It is the workload? The intensity? Just curious as to how different pharmacy school in your opinion. Here on SDN there seems to be some that say pharmacy is a tad easier than the pre-reqs and some that say it is much harder. What school do you attend?

 

[b*rizzle]

You know, I was talking about this topic with one of my pharmacists the other night. She graduated a few years ago from UK, and she said that she'd be interested to see how I did once I made the transition into pharmacy school. Some people just need to re-evaluate their "system" when they get into pharmacy school; but she told me in her experience, lots of people underestimate the huge step-up in workload.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

With Pharmacy school there is so much material to cover and the professors are definitely not there to spoon feed you the material. The first Biochemistry exam I had in Pharmacy school was short answer and you either got all of the points or none of the points. The reasoning, you could make a mistake as a Pharmacist and kill a patient...the real world doesn't give partial credit and we wont either! Additionally, the average on this exam was basically failing (70%) because at my school we don't use D's so our scale is A,B,C,F. I think you hit the nail right on the head when you ask what causes Pharmacy school to be so hard. I think many of us are used to only having to study a few hours for a test in pre-pharmacy/under grad and now we are forced to start studying for exam a week or more before an exam. This is in part due to the amount of detail we must know and the intensity of the curriculum. The P1 curriculum at Butler for first semester students is as follows: Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology, Pathophysiology, Pharmaceutical Care 1, and an elective. Plus we are all perfectionists at heart which ends up causes our endless studying!

 

[Sosumi]

What I've noticed at my school are that the younger students and students who haven't completed their Bachelor's degree or only went to community college usually struggle much more than others.

I've found pharmacy school to be much easier than my undergraduate university, the only difference being that you take more classes so have to budget your time wisely. My friends who also went to prestigious undergraduate programs (Johns Hopkins, UVA, UCLA, etc.) have the same opinion and haven't had any problems doing well in pharmacy school. It's definitely less cut throat than undergrad, there's easy access to old exam material to help prepare for tests, people are more willing to form study groups, and my classmates are willing to share study material. I just look at it this way: There's more pressure on my school (since it's a state college) to train and graduate you due to the pharmacist shortage than it is on you as a student to pass your classes.

I know it's different at some other schools. I know a fourth year student at Howard who says they started out with 120+ students and now have fewer than 80 in his class.

 

[21JumpStreet]

What I've noticed at my school are that the younger students and students who haven't completed their Bachelor's degree or only went to community college usually struggle much more than others.

I've found pharmacy school to be much easier than my undergraduate university, the only difference being that you take more classes so have to budget your time wisely. My friends who also went to prestigious undergraduate programs (Johns Hopkins, UVA, UCLA, etc.) have the same opinion and haven't had any problems doing well in pharmacy school. It's definitely less cut throat than undergrad, there's easy access to old exam material to help prepare for tests, people are more willing to form study groups, and my classmates are willing to share study material. I just look at it this way: There's more pressure on my school (since it's a state college) to train and graduate you due to the pharmacist shortage than it is on you as a student to pass your classes.

I know it's different at some other schools. I know a fourth year student at Howard who says they started out with 120+ students and now have fewer than 80 in his class.

From what I understand, one must have a bachelor's degree to attend pharmacy school.

 

[bananaface]

From what I understand, one must have a bachelor's degree to attend pharmacy school.

That is not correct. Some places may require an AA. None that I am aware of require a bachelor's.

 

[starsweet]

What I've noticed at my school are that the younger students and students who haven't completed their Bachelor's degree or only went to community college usually struggle much more than others.

I've found pharmacy school to be much easier than my undergraduate university, the only difference being that you take more classes so have to budget your time wisely. My friends who also went to prestigious undergraduate programs (Johns Hopkins, UVA, UCLA, etc.) have the same opinion and haven't had any problems doing well in pharmacy school. It's definitely less cut throat than undergrad, there's easy access to old exam material to help prepare for tests, people are more willing to form study groups, and my classmates are willing to share study material. I just look at it this way: There's more pressure on my school (since it's a state college) to train and graduate you due to the pharmacist shortage than it is on you as a student to pass your classes.

I know it's different at some other schools. I know a fourth year student at Howard who says they started out with 120+ students and now have fewer than 80 in his class.

What school do you go to, so I can apply there? 😛

 

[Sosumi]

What school do you go to, so I can apply there? 😛

I go to Maryland. I didn't mean to give the impression that pharmacy school is easy. 2nd year was a lot of work, and I'm glad I never have to do that again! It's just that I've found that my classmates and I who graduated from challenging undergraduate universities had an easier time transitioning to pharmacy school.

We have a lot of support in pharmacy school, and since we take almost all of our classes with each other, we help each other and feel less isolated and competitive with one another -- unlike as undergraduates who were in competition to get the best grades to get accepted into a professional school or a good job after graduation.

 

[laura_mideon]

Why is it harder? It is the workload? The intensity? Just curious as to how different pharmacy school in your opinion. Here on SDN there seems to be some that say pharmacy is a tad easier than the pre-reqs and some that say it is much harder. What school do you attend?

I go to UBC in Canada.
Ya the workload is definitely a huge part of it. But also the courses, like I did well in O-chem and stats.....but I bombed physiology and anatomy and did fine in the pharm classes. I don't know why but physiology and anatomy just don't come to me as easy as the material in the pre-reqs. For me, if I didn't understand something in physics, chem, calc any of those I would just practice til I got it right, but in these courses I think i understand stuff and I have it all wrong. I think it might be the fact that the courseload is too big to allow me the time I need to grasp this kind of material. The largest semester I ever had doing pre-reqs was 17 credits (calc,chem,phys and bio) and my first pharm semester was 21 credits and alot more concept courses so I guess I just have to get used to that and change my study habits.

But like some people said, you have to adjust to new surroundings. Coming from a CC to not only university, but to the pharm program is a huge change!!

 

[fidelio]

Wow that sucks....I thought 61 average on our practical exam was bad (almost half the class got zero on one part of it that was worth 50% of the exam)... 50% is nuts! They should fire that guy.

Wow, that sounds like my college now. I guess it's kind of good to know that nothings changed so I won't be surprised when I go to a pharmacy school? *shrug*

Anyway, I think it's normal for grades to drop a bit during the first year of pharm school. It's hard stuff. I guess that's why it takes 4 years.

 

[vancouver]

does anyone know who will be the two UBC's interviewers this year. I have an interview coming up, I heard it was quite stressful. I read the interview feedback, but I'm not sure if it will be the same as last year. Anyone here from UBC?

 

[konkan]

Hey everyone....I haven't posted in awhile on here...I was just curious if any other first years are feeling as overwhelmed and unsure as I am....I came into this program with upwards of 3.8 gpa (ya...from a CC tho) and I just got my grades for this semester and averaged 78%....I was below the average in half of my courses....I'm feeling really discouraged.....It's alot harder than I expected...

Anyone else with me? Or am I just dumber than I thought ?? 🙁

Why do you even care about grades? You were accepted to the school - that's what matters. I just finished my first year - I don't have a single A. All Bs and Cs.
Even if you wanna go into residency - grades don't matter.
Good grades don't mean that you'r gonna be a good pharmacist - they only mean that you are faster at learning pharm. school material or that you spend a lot of time for that.

 

[SCCpharm]

Even if you wanna go into residency - grades don't matter.
Good grades don't mean that you'r gonna be a good pharmacist - they only mean that you are faster at learning pharm. school material or that you spend a lot of time for that.

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

I hoping the demand for pharamists remains, because right now job employers don't really care about gpa's. But there has been a very big increase in the amount of entering pharmacy students. One day, they might begin looking at gpa's and having a good gpa would be very beneficial. I graduated with a BS in computer science engineering and everyone i know with a 3.0+ gpa got jobs at the big name companies like Boeing or Honeywell, making $45,000+/yr. Meanwhile people I know with less than a 3.0 had a very hard time getting jobs and got paid considerably less (starting at like $12 - 15/hr). My friend that is a manager at Intel, right now, they don't even consider students with a gpa of less than 3.0. 10 years ago, a degree in computer science basically gauranteed a job and a great salary, now it doesn't really mean much.

 

[konkan]

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

My brother ( he's a physician) knows one guy who barely finished med. school ( I think he had to even repeat one year). He says he's one of the best orth. surgeons he knows.

 

[Phantom_Eclipse]

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

I wouldn't be so absolute. From what I've gathered so far, pharmacy school has a lot of memorization. Therefore, are people with good memory will be better pharmacists than people who try to understand the material and aren't as fast in recalling the materials? I'm also not sure if they would let someone graduate after failing a class either.

Dont get me wrong. Grades are indeed important. But I dont think it is the "be all, end all" in pharmacy schools. There are also instances where I'd rather have a pharmacist who didnt get A's but knew what he/she was doing than pharmacists who got As(mainly with memorization) but barely knows what to do on their own.

 

[konkan]

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

I hoping the demand for pharamists remains, because right now job employers don't really care about gpa's. But there has been a very big increase in the amount of entering pharmacy students. One day, they might begin looking at gpa's and having a good gpa would be very beneficial. I graduated with a BS in computer science engineering and everyone i know with a 3.0+ gpa got jobs at the big name companies like Boeing or Honeywell, making $45,000+/yr. Meanwhile people I know with less than a 3.0 had a very hard time getting jobs and got paid considerably less (starting at like $12 - 15/hr). My friend that is a manager at Intel, right now, they don't even consider students with a gpa of less than 3.0. 10 years ago, a degree in computer science basically gauranteed a job and a great salary, now it doesn't really mean much.

I would have no problem going to a physician who barely finished med. school, did well during residency or is known as a good physician.
Who said spending a lot of time studying is bad?
I am not into computer science therefore don't know what's going on there, but in med. field grades didn't matter , don't matter, and, I think, won't matter.

 

[dgroulx]

Even if you wanna go into residency - grades don't matter.

Unless the residency states that you must have a minimum GPA to apply. The Tampa VA residencies are competitive and have this requirement.

 

[JordanP]

I have grown to known several individuals with almost perfect grades, 3.9-4.0 GPAs, and yes, they do well in school, but outside of school....that is another story. I agree with the person that said good grades mean you know how to memorize and sit in one chair for a very long time while studying. I know a pharmacist who barely passed in school, because she was working 60 hours to support her family, and now she is doing a residency in John Hopkins. Grades do not always mean that a person is intelligent, and knows what they are doing in real life.

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

I hoping the demand for pharamists remains, because right now job employers don't really care about gpa's. But there has been a very big increase in the amount of entering pharmacy students. One day, they might begin looking at gpa's and having a good gpa would be very beneficial. I graduated with a BS in computer science engineering and everyone i know with a 3.0+ gpa got jobs at the big name companies like Boeing or Honeywell, making $45,000+/yr. Meanwhile people I know with less than a 3.0 had a very hard time getting jobs and got paid considerably less (starting at like $12 - 15/hr). My friend that is a manager at Intel, right now, they don't even consider students with a gpa of less than 3.0. 10 years ago, a degree in computer science basically gauranteed a job and a great salary, now it doesn't really mean much.

 

[SCCpharm]

Ok, I agree with some of the things. If we're defining a "good pharmacist", good grades isn't everything. There are many aspects of being a good pharmacist, but I think one of them is a very good understanding of pharmacy. Pharmacy schools should test this understanding and the grades should reflect this understanding. (Even though, this is not always the case.) Yes, grades don't mean that a person is intelligent or is street smart, but how else can schools measure understanding of pharmacy?

I will also agree pure memorization is bad. Understanding the material is considerably better. When I study for test, I understand the material and this also entails "memorizing" the details since I remember and can recall them, as well as understand them.

If grades really don't matter, you should petition your schools to switch to a pass/fail system. There are some med schools that do have this system and it works.

I'm just saying a good gpa can't hurt you. If you have good credentials (gpa being one of them), you could ask for a bigger salary when applying for jobs, so it is a benefit. Additionaly, if someday in the future however unlikely it is to happen, there is more graduating pharmacists then need for pharmacists, a good gpa could distinguish you between other job candidates.

 

[sdn1977]

I don't agree with this. I think good grades are the building blocks for a good pharmacist. Would you feel comfortable going to a surgeon that you know barely passed med school and even failed a few classes? How about seeing a dentist that you knew cheated her way though dental school? Sure, good grades do mean you spend a lot of time learning, but is that so bad?

I hoping the demand for pharamists remains, because right now job employers don't really care about gpa's. But there has been a very big increase in the amount of entering pharmacy students. One day, they might begin looking at gpa's and having a good gpa would be very beneficial. I graduated with a BS in computer science engineering and everyone i know with a 3.0+ gpa got jobs at the big name companies like Boeing or Honeywell, making $45,000+/yr. Meanwhile people I know with less than a 3.0 had a very hard time getting jobs and got paid considerably less (starting at like $12 - 15/hr). My friend that is a manager at Intel, right now, they don't even consider students with a gpa of less than 3.0. 10 years ago, a degree in computer science basically gauranteed a job and a great salary, now it doesn't really mean much.

I've been a pharmacist a long time and have gone thru lots of employment cycles of demand. ABSOLUTELY no employer EVER asked for my transcript nor did they every ask for my grades. I hope you never ask for a raise based on your grades - raises are based on your performance as a pharmacist. Once you've passed the board exam - everything is equal.

Zpack has a few comments on how he can tell when an applicant has potential & when one doesn't & it is not related to grades. Some folks just can't translate what's presented academically to real life. You can tell when you interview them they may be smart, but wouldn't have the ability to relate their information to others in an effective manner.

Oh...btw....I've lived in Silicon Valley for 25+ years & decrease in demand of computer science employment is not GPA related. My neighbors - who are dept heads of some of the most well known companies in the area, don't give a d*^& what an applicants grades are either. They recruit people who bring something unique.

I'd have to say that's true with pharmacy too. If you bring your enthusiasm, desire to want to find a solution to problems, willingness to listen & consider alternatives, an ability to work well with others.....you'll be a better candidate than a 4.0 who has the personality of a turnip.

 

[a504n]

I believe grades are not the number one factor for determining whether or not you will be a good pharmacist or not. Although, they are important. However, what I do believe will determine a good pharmacist is your passion for being a pharmacist and giving the best for your patients, which means learning everything in school, and not just memorizing long enough to pass your exam. A person can be book smart, but that doesn't mean they are street smart or a people person.

 

[ZpackSux]

Ok, I agree with some of the things. If we're defining a "good pharmacist", good grades isn't everything. There are many aspects of being a good pharmacist, but I think one of them is a very good understanding of pharmacy. Pharmacy schools should test this understanding and the grades should reflect this understanding. (Even though, this is not always the case.) Yes, grades don't mean that a person is intelligent or is street smart, but how else can schools measure understanding of pharmacy?

I will also agree pure memorization is bad. Understanding the material is considerably better. When I study for test, I understand the material and this also entails "memorizing" the details since I remember and can recall them, as well as understand them.

If grades really don't matter, you should petition your schools to switch to a pass/fail system. There are some med schools that do have this system and it works.

I'm just saying a good gpa can't hurt you. If you have good credentials (gpa being one of them), you could ask for a bigger salary when applying for jobs, so it is a benefit. Additionaly, if someday in the future however unlikely it is to happen, there is more graduating pharmacists then need for pharmacists, a good gpa could distinguish you between other job candidates.

You may want to shift your paradigm from computer science mindset to healthcare. You're right, good grades can't hurt you. But what does it really say other than our school system really doesn't have an alternative method of evaluating students. Everything else being equal..sure good grades can be handy... I guess. But I have yet to see a good resume that used grades as a focal point.. and if good grades is all you got, then I'll hire a person with a better sense of humor.

Healthcare and pharmacy are all about your ability to communicate with others, taking the initiative to enhance personal growth, and helping your staff and customers to promote well being of patients.

Congratulations and I hope you become a fellow Rho Chi. But if you ever ask for more money because you have good grades, I hope your interviewer has a good sense of humor about it.

 

[AngelEyes82]

I think that in every professional program, you'll find people who are either:

A. Insane overachievers no matter what
B. People who are happy enough just getting by

And then you have people like me:

Overachievers who are insane and then learn to become happy with just getting by. 😛

 

[dgroulx]

I think that in every professional program, you'll find people who are either:

A. Insane overachievers no matter what
B. People who are happy enough just getting by

And then you have people like me:

Overachievers who are insane and then learn to become happy with just getting by. 😛

You forgot people like me - the underachiever. It was on my report cards from elementary school, and I've been that way all my life. I just don't see any benefit from using my brain to the fullest extent. It's better just to fit in with everyone else and not be a brainiac. My 3.3 GPA is about the norm for me, although I made sure I got A's for my pharmacy pre-reqs.