Can someone please be honest with me?

[loserface133771]

I am a student of a university that has a pharmacy school that is very highly ranked. I don't want to say which one, but everyone reading this would know my school.

Here comes a disaster story. I'm going to be a sophomore and my school has an early assurance program. I had mental health problems my freshmen year which started my senior year of high school. I have 2 withdrawals on my transcript, a C and a D. The withdrawals alone got me kicked out of my program, they're not allowed. All the bad grades are prepharm requirements. I spent a week in a mental hospital involuntarily in the spring semester because of my mental health problems, which my school knows about because they put me in there. I'm much better then I was then and I feel as if I'm smart enough to be pharmacist...but is this too bad of a situation to repair? I would like to stay at my school. If I take the PCAT, score in a good percentile, get a good GPA in the prerequisite is it possible I might get in?
(Also I'm considering keeping the C...should I not?)

Or is this a mess that can't be fixed?

I am not a genius but I'm not stupid either. I didn't lift a finger in any of my classes because I was really apathetic, hence my doing so poorly. Before I got sick, I was a very competitive person, had a lot of drive and did well academically.
I am currently a major that is not me. I can force myself to like a lot of things, but this I can't. It requires personality characteristics that I significantly lack. I would appreciate if you could be as honest as possible.

I know talking to an adviser would be ideal but I would like someone from outside to be frank with me.

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[DL44]

Advisors will be frank with you, at least that's how they are at my school. Hence why most people avoid seeking one in the first place. However, this is what I would say. Just because you attend that school now doesn't mean you have to seek admission into the pharmacy program there. I'm sure there are other schools around you that you can apply to. Secondly, just re-take the pre-reqs and do some volunteer work/shadowing to REALLY figure out if this career if for you.

I know plenty of people who have been admitted into Pharmacy school with withdrawals. The school I'm applying to makes you explain them.


That's my two ¢. Hope it helps

 

[LoratadineGuy]

Just because you attend that school now doesn't mean you have to seek admission into the pharmacy program there. I'm sure there are other schools around you that you can apply to.

Definitely agreed. If there is a particular aspect you like about the program in your school, I am sure you can find programs that are similar.

I will also tell you that I had a couple Cs and Ds, and an F by the time I finished my junior year in college, some of which are pre-reqs. However, eventually I managed to bring my gpa back to 3.0, and get into a pharmacy school.

I am not saying that this is the norm, and you will HAVE TO WORK VERY HARD from now on to make up for lost time. There is certainly a chance for you. AS LONG AS you are committed to improving your gpa, getting a stellar PCAT score, and showing continued interest and commitment to the profession (volunteering, certification)

 

[Sofa]

Retake everything you know you can get at least a B in. I don't know your GPA or your ability to pay for those classes but that is my best advice I could give. Some people may say that it won't be worth it or help, but I certainly think that it is worth it. If you are carrying a bunch of Cs and Ds on your application, you aren't going to be attractive.

And don't be like one of those guys who thinks "It's ok, it's ok. I will just get a good grade on my PCAT". What happens if you don't? You gonna try to get in with low grades and an average PCAT?

Fix what you can at the moment, and prepare for the future. Many people make the mistake of just "acknowledging" the mistakes and carrying on.

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2 things about your school:

1) Find out if they are "loyal" to their undergrads. Some schools couldn't care less about their undergrad applicants and take transfers 50/50. Others favor their own. If your school doesn't favor their own students, you might have to face the harsh reality of leaving. I know my got-dang home university wasn't loyal to me with their pharmacy program. I even applied twice, interviewed, and rejected. I had to go to another pharmd school, which thankfully is only 3000ft away . I had a pretty good PCAT (higher than school's avg) and below average GPA.

2) Figure out if your advisors actually know what they are talking about. You have to use your gut-feeling on this. From my experience, some advisors care about you, while others are working on the school's agenda. Think about it from the school's perspective: They WANT you to apply so they can take your money.

So many times I have heard my classmates say their advisors told me to "Apply anyways with your 2.1 GPA, you just need to shine on your interview." Yeah right. If they could even guarantee an interview with a 2.1.
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I really do not mean to sound cynical or negative, I am just telling you what it is like. I would HATE for someone on here to spill you the "If you can believe, you can achieve." spiel and have you waste more time than is necessary.

You are definitely on a downward spiral, but IF you retake your classes to pull your GPA to at least a 3.2, you'll be good to go. Just make sure you have a stronger than average PCAT, 75+.


The dreaded triangle:

High GPA, High PCAT, low worries
Low GPA, High PCAT, medium worries
High GPA, Low PCAT, medium worries
Medium GPA, Medium PCAT, high worries
Medium GPA, High PCAT, medium worries
High GPA, Medium PCAT, medium worries
Low GPA, Low PCAT, new major? (high worries)