Bad Advice/ Advisors

[pharm B]

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Since we're all pre-pharmacy here, I was just wondering what your advisors have been like up to this point. Have they been pretty helpful or horribly wrong?

I ended up not really using my advisor too much since I had plotted out exactly when I would do each pre-req, take the PCAT, etc. SDN was my advisor.

 

[pwnttothemax]

the advisors at OSU are really helpful. they helped guide me through the pharmd application process and a couple of other scheduling hangups. they don't exactly make their existence known to students but that's ohio state for you...you're on your own unless you actively seek help. they're a great resource, but discovering them as a student is like stumbling into narnia

 

[andrewsmack05]

I would have to completely agree with you. I am really the one who took care of my own advising as I have went through school. I would recommend taking the PCAT after two years of pre-requisites. There is no sense taking it earlier because it helps to be exposed to ALL of the material before you take the test. As for the pre-requisites I made sure I took all of them the first two years then I started working towards a bachelors degree.
😎

 

[pharm B]

No kidding, I actually know someone that an advisor steered toward a two-semester CPhT program. She'd mentioned wanting to become a tech, so that over-rode everything else for the advisor.

 

[Snipy]

I'm a freshman and so far I've designed my own plan which will take me 2.5 years to complete. I did go to my school's student health profession advisor and she did give me some good information.

I have also been to my general education requirement advisor and they don't know ****. She told me to take college algebra when i'm a biochem major . She even knew i took calculus in highschool and still recommended it to me because "college calculus will be a lot harder"
My school requires Calculus I,II, and III for all science degrees.

 

[pharm B]

I hear ya. I have a Stats professor who asked who in the room had taken College Algebra. When almost no hands went up, she said "then how are you ever supposed to pass my class?" A few of us had taken Cal I&II together, but she still stood by requiring College Algebra "at a minimum" and said we would all be hurting later in the semester. 🙄

 

[FFpharmd]

edit

 

[gtpederson]

The one and only time I visited my advisor, she told me I should wait until I finished the Physics series before I took the PCAT.

 

[SHC1984]

Since we're all pre-pharmacy here, I was just wondering what your advisors have been like up to this point. Have they been pretty helpful or horribly wrong?

I ended up not really using my advisor too much since I had plotted out exactly when I would do each pre-req, take the PCAT, etc. SDN was my advisor.

You are better off doing your OWN work and research. The advisors at my college in undergrad were all pretty useless. They either 1) flat out didn't know the answer and tell me to look it up myself or 2) try to look up the answer after I ask the questions or 3) tell me to ask someone else. 🙄 In general most staff in a university are all pretty useless...If I have 2 or 3 questions...I want to ask them and get them answered NOW. I do NOT want to find three different people to answer my questions! DO YOUR OWN WORK, asking advisors will just piss you off b/c they will not know anything.

 

[AdamSanders]

I didn't discover SDN until my senior year, so I had to do a lot of planning on my own. The biggest mistake I made was assuming that all schools were like OSU (and medical school, and like all other graduate programs) and so I thought ALL schools required a bachelor's degree. Yeah, very stupid. The worst part is that my advisor knew this and didn't tell me, even though I had been planning for pharmacy since freshman year! He told me he thought it would be a waste for me to just leave undergrad without a degree. While I do like having my BS, getting out of school earlier would have been awesome. He actually didn't really want me to do pharmacy at all now that I think about it. He kept pushing me to go to grad school for chem, and would always make comments that I was doing it for the money (both to me and to the class as a whole). To top it off he told me that working in a pharmacy wouldn't add too much to my app and so wasn't necessary. While it wasn't necessary, working in a pharmacy would have helped a lot I am sure.

It may sound bad but I did enjoy undergrad and really liked my advisor. I don't think he ever had an advisee that was planning for pharmacy school before, so I hope he might be able to help future students a little better now.

 

[PharmacyNut]

I found my academic counselor very resourceful throughout the 4 years she advised me. I visited her 1-2 times per semester for planning and things I should be doing to get ahead. She even wrote an LOR for me. So I would say I'd be nowhere without my counselor. I kinda discovered SDN on the way, and it has been tremendously helpful as well. Thanks to all on here!!

 

[RaneyNi]

The advisers at my school are critical for class choices, PCAT retakes, and resume builders. They're very helpful and loves their job. I had a few instances where I was completely lost and stressed out about my courses and they've sat with me to work things through. I would not be where I am without them. I give them two thumbs up! 🙂

I must admit there are a fair share of advisers who do not know what they're doing. Some of the counselors at community college level aren't as knowledgeable about pharmacy schools. But it's all about finding the one person who do. I used to e-mail three different counselors to make sure the information I get back is correct.

 

[phathead]

I have had six different advisors over the years. The only thing I have ever really used them for was release codes so I could register for the next semester. The pre-pharm program here is practicuarlly non-existant so that's what spurred that.