Are Pharmacy School in California difficult compare to the other states?

[ngynththo]

Many people told me that studying pharmacy in California is more difficult than in the other states? What is your idea?

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[sdn1977]

I'm a graduate of UCSF & altho I graduated a long time ago...I'd say it is as difficult to get into as any of the other top schools in the US & the work is as difficult as any of the top schools in the US.

Given that....you'll be as knowledgable & competitetive as any graduate of any of the top schools in the country & hopefully will follow in the great tradition of good pharmacy practice.

 

[ZpackSux]

how can anyone truly answer this unless they have attended pharmacy schools in different states...and who would do that?

 

[dgroulx]

how can anyone truly answer this unless they have attended pharmacy schools in different states...and who would do that?

Maybe someone flunked out of one school and went to another one? Is it even possible for another school to accept you?

 

[patmcd]

Once in a long while people transfer schools, but its not common.

 

[DHG]

Good grief.

I'm so tired of the attitude of some Californians:

"There's California,... then there's the rest of the country..."
Schools are hard all over. Being a Californian has unique challenges, just as being a Texan or an Illinoisian or being an Ohian has unique challenges. Get over yourseves, Californians! lol
Disclaimer: I am allowed to say this because I have relatives in Cali.

 

[ZpackSux]

Good grief.

I'm so tired of the attitude of some Californians:

"There's California,... then there's the rest of the country..."
Schools are hard all over. Being a Californian has unique challenges, just as being a Texan or an Illinoisian or being an Ohian has unique challenges. Get over yourseves, Californians! lol
Disclaimer: I am allowed to say this because I have relatives in Cali.

Now now... California did have their own Board Examiniation which is much more difficult than the Naplex with the Instate student passing rate of 75%+ compared to 50% out of state. Probably due to test prep process but not due to lack of education in other states.. but which some may argue

That being said..now CA accepts NAPLEX..I think

And having taken both NAPLEX and the CA Board, NAPLEX was a joke.

 

[DHG]

Now now... California did have their own Board Examiniation which is much more difficult than the Naplex with the Instate student passing rate of 75%+ compared to 50% out of state. Probably due to test prep process but not due to lack of education in other states.. but which some may argue

That being said..now CA accepts NAPLEX..I think

And having taken both NAPLEX and the CA Board, NAPLEX was a joke.

Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell Californians to get over themselves.

Didn't know about the CA Board. Interesting.

 

[ZpackSux]

Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell Californians to get over themselves.

Didn't know about the CA Board. Interesting.

Here was my Short Answer Essay type question on Therapeutics on 1995 June CA RX Board Exam.

We had options to choose a chemo therapy regimen..and I can't remember the exact diagnosis but the answer was the regimen with Cyclophosphamide.

After a day of therapy, patient developed red urine. What is the cause? Answer of course is the Bladder cystitis due to chemo.. then the next question asked how to treat it or prophylax against it.. Answer was Mesna.. and we needed to know the dosing in mg/kg.

Then the next question dealt with anti-emetics...and the answer was 0.15mg/kg Zofran before and after the infusion...

This was all a short written answer questions..not multiple choices..

That question I believe was worth 25% or 20% of the written exam... and 75% was considered passing.

And you can only take CA board twice a year... June and Jan...

My best buddy who only worked retail flunked it... I was fortunate to have worked at Childrens..and made chemos out the whack..that I'm still glowing.

 

[sdn1977]

Well - as a Californian......no - I won't get over myself! I'm living here (ok, ok....yes....in a really expensive place, paying state taxes & all...& in some places there is enough crime that some want to have guns )...but - - its sunny & warm - about 80 (or at least was during the day!).....no humidity (did I spell that right - I'm not even sure what that word is until I leave my state).....the ocean is a beautiful blue - like the sky (oh - except in LA & Los Gatos - terrible smog there!)...and there are NO BUGS!

But...seriously....CA is no better nor no worse than anyplace else. There were many years when there were a few states (CA, NY, FL) who had really, really hard board exams deliberately - they said officially it was to "raise the bar", but the unofficial line was they wanted to restrict the #s of pharmacists who moved here. Well...no problem now...its too expensive to move here.

But...the board exam is still hard - don't kid yourself. Yes...they use the NAPLEX, but before they agreed to it, they required the NAPLEX to be rewritten in 2004, I think (hmmmm know your Koda-Kimble....Koda is the Dean of UCSF). Also...they have their own law exam which encompasses not just law, but law & therapeutics - its their way of sneaking in more therapeutics. So...there is still a lower pass rate of out of state students.

The exam is given year round now - not just twice a year. But, if you fail it 3 times (or is it 4 - can't remember) you're not allowed to retake it until you complete a signifcant number of units in a CA school of pharmacy. I've known about 5 out of state pharmacists who found themselves in this position.

It really is best if you ever want to practice here - to take it as soon as you complete your education. That's when the info is the freshest.

Let me know if you want to know anything else about the CA board exam....or CA in general!

 

[ngynththo]

Well - as a Californian......no - I won't get over myself! I'm living here (ok, ok....yes....in a really expensive place, paying state taxes & all...& in some places there is enough crime that some want to have guns )...but - - its sunny & warm - about 80 (or at least was during the day!).....no humidity (did I spell that right - I'm not even sure what that word is until I leave my state).....the ocean is a beautiful blue - like the sky (oh - except in LA & Los Gatos - terrible smog there!)...and there are NO BUGS!

But...seriously....CA is no better nor no worse than anyplace else. There were many years when there were a few states (CA, NY, FL) who had really, really hard board exams deliberately - they said officially it was to "raise the bar", but the unofficial line was they wanted to restrict the #s of pharmacists who moved here. Well...no problem now...its too expensive to move here.

But...the board exam is still hard - don't kid yourself. Yes...they use the NAPLEX, but before they agreed to it, they required the NAPLEX to be rewritten in 2004, I think (hmmmm know your Koda-Kimble....Koda is the Dean of UCSF). Also...they have their own law exam which encompasses not just law, but law & therapeutics - its their way of sneaking in more therapeutics. So...there is still a lower pass rate of out of state students.

The exam is given year round now - not just twice a year. But, if you fail it 3 times (or is it 4 - can't remember) you're not allowed to retake it until you complete a signifcant number of units in a CA school of pharmacy. I've known about 5 out of state pharmacists who found themselves in this position.

It really is best if you ever want to practice here - to take it as soon as you complete your education. That's when the info is the freshest.

Let me know if you want to know anything else about the CA board exam....or CA in general!

It is not the time for me to wonder about the board exam. I am now living in CA and want to apply for next year. People advise me not to expect at CA pharmacy schools....

 

[sdn1977]

It is not the time for me to wonder about the board exam. I am now living in CA and want to apply for next year. People advise me not to expect at CA pharmacy schools....

Not to expect - what? - at CA schools? An easy ride? No - you won't, but you won't get an easy ride at many others I could name either.

"studying in California"....hmmm...well - there are lots and lots of distractions! SF has the fun city life, SD has the beaches, LA has the freeways that go everywhere, & Stockton has well......Stockton. So...again - like anyplace - studying can be difficult because there are lots of places to go & things to think about other than school.

Can you expect it will be difficult to get in - ABSOLUTELY! Why? we have lots and lots and lots of very qualified people who are state residents applying. Not because we have more qualified people - just because we have so many people compare with other states.

Do your very best while you're in school now. Apply in CA for sure, but apply widely to many different schools both in state & out of state. Who knows what life might offer if you go someplace else! You'll know for sure though....you'll get humidity!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

F' that. WVU is the hardest school. When I'm done studying and I want to wind down, what do I do? Cow tipping? At least in California, you can go see a frickin' musical or something. I've spent time literally staring at a wall or widdling a stick with a pocket knife due to bordom. That's why the teen pregnancy rate is so high in WV. What the hell else better is there to do?

 

[TrojanAnteater]

F' that. WVU is the hardest school. When I'm done studying and I want to wind down, what do I do? Cow tipping? At least in California, you can go see a frickin' musical or something. I've spent time literally staring at a wall or widdling a stick with a pocket knife due to bordom. That's why the teen pregnancy rate is so high in WV. What the hell else better is there to do?

You should get into home brewing. Then, not only do you have something to do, but once your batch is done you can fill time drinking mass amounts of beer that costs fraction of what you would pay for even the crappiest beer. Or maybe just make moonshine, being West Virginia.

 

[fidelio]

Just couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell Californians to get over themselves.

Didn't know about the CA Board. Interesting.

I'm from Southern California. Everyone keeps telling me we have one of the worst education in the nation. You know... all beach blondes and surfer dudes... which actually isn't that true at all since being blonde is recessive and it's hard to go surfing in California. Hawaii has better surfing areas.

No one has ever told me to "get over yourself" before. It's kind of flattering actually.

 

[fidelio]

F' that. WVU is the hardest school. When I'm done studying and I want to wind down, what do I do? Cow tipping? At least in California, you can go see a frickin' musical or something. I've spent time literally staring at a wall or widdling a stick with a pocket knife due to bordom. That's why the teen pregnancy rate is so high in WV. What the hell else better is there to do?

That only depends on what part of California you're in. UOP is cow tipping country, so I've heard. And I live in a really boring part of California with really bad traffic and heavy construction.