Can't sleep-Newbie Questions

[PlantMan]

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First off, I'd like to say that this forum has been quite informative for me and I thank all of you who have put the time and effort to create this community.


So, it's 1am and I absolutely cannot sleep 😱. My mind is racing about my future. As we all know, the economy isn't so hot right now, and I'm one of those sad people who got laid off in this downturn. I've been a practicing Landscape Architect for the past 4 years after college and am now 26 (soon to be 27). I've decided to pursue a career in pharmacy. But, my mind stirs...


My Background:

*26 years old
*B.S. Landscape Architecture from UCDAVIS
*Overall 3.204 GPA (poor in early years, great in later years)
*Prereqs from college include Math, Chem, Psych, Stats... but got C's and B's
*No experience in Pharmacy though my father is a UOP pharmD.
*4 years of Landscape Architecture work experience
*Grew up with prescription drugs everywhere... i prob know more than the average joe about pharmaceuticals
*Consider myself capable of being a good student and test taker

My Plan:

*Attend a community college (Solano Community College) for 1.5 years and finish all my prerequisites... even those already fulfilled in college (for better GPA and to brush up)
*WORK MY ASS OFF and ace as many classes if I can
*Ace the PCAT
*Hopefully get some kind of work experience (though it is near impossible to get a pharm tech job in my area according to my dad due to the huge saturation of pharm tech schools/certificates as of lately)
*Apply to pharmacy school in Fall 2010
*get accepted, work my ass off, and pay off my loans, and finally be able to sleep


My Concerns:

1) Is it ok to attend a community college or will that hurt my chances of getting into a pharmacy school?

2) More specifically, I'm looking into Touro University of anything close to the Bay Area in Northern California... will my Plan be feasible?

3) Ideally, I'd love to get into UOP as it's a 3 year program, is that within reach?

4) Will getting some kind of work experience drastically help my chances? If so, what are good opportunities to do so?

5) I also heard about 0-6 programs... I'd like to stay away due to costs, but with my profile and goals, will it be a better choice for me? I really have NO choice but to make this work for me, as you can see I'm getting older and I really want to be stable in the future to settle down.


Do my chances of success in PharmD look good? I'm doing this for my future wife and future family as well as myself... I really need this.😍

Thanks in advance.

-PlantMan

 

[LabbyRatty]

I'll answer your questions as best I can. I always put a disclaimer on my replies that I am not an member of an admin committee so these are just my opinions.

My Concerns:

1) Is it ok to attend a community college or will that hurt my chances of getting into a pharmacy school?

CC is fine. This has been battled extensively on this board and feel free to search for specific threads.

2) More specifically, I'm looking into Touro University of anything close to the Bay Area in Northern California... will my Plan be feasible?

I don't know about Touro or UOP, but your plan sounds more than reasonable. The keys are doing well in your classes to get that GPA up and show some dedication/interest in the profession (see below).

3) Ideally, I'd love to get into UOP as it's a 3 year program, is that within reach?

From what I have heard, all CA schools are very competitive and I dare say that UOP may be extremely so due to the fact that it is a three year program. But I don't see why you wouldn't have a chance - go for it! FYI, you will need an LOR from a pharmacist for UOP so start your schmoozing now 🙂

4) Will getting some kind of work experience drastically help my chances? If so, what are good opportunities to do so?

I agree that finding a job as a tech can be tough, esp. if you aren't licensed, etc. Plus, I don't know your current employment status but techs don't make all that much and if you would have to quit a higher paying job to work as a tech, that would not be too fun. I didn't have any working experience so here's what I did. I talked to tons of pharmacists. I had some good connections with clinical pharmacists as well as retail pharmacists, and even some students. Yak, yak, yak away. Learn as much as you can from them and then talk about what you learned in your essays. Also, hunt around to see if you can volunteer in a pharmacy. It can be a bit dull, but it doesn't have to be forever. Just get your feet wet and get some doors open (remember, you will need that little LOR).

5) I also heard about 0-6 programs... I'd like to stay away due to costs, but with my profile and goals, will it be a better choice for me? I really have NO choice but to make this work for me, as you can see I'm getting older and I really want to be stable in the future to settle down.

I don't know.

Do my chances of success in PharmD look good? I'm doing this for my future wife and future family as well as myself... I really need this.😍
I'd say go for it! Work hard during the next 1-2 years and that's plenty of time to get your application in shape. Apply early.

Oh, and you aren't too old. We are about the same age and I am a P1. There are several people who are in their 30s in my class.

Get some sleep.

 

[PharmD321]

First off, I'd like to say that this forum has been quite informative for me and I thank all of you who have put the time and effort to create this community.


So, it's 1am and I absolutely cannot sleep 😱. My mind is racing about my future. As we all know, the economy isn't so hot right now, and I'm one of those sad people who got laid off in this downturn. I've been a practicing Landscape Architect for the past 4 years after college and am now 26 (soon to be 27). I've decided to pursue a career in pharmacy. But, my mind stirs...


My Background:

*26 years old
*B.S. Landscape Architecture from UCDAVIS
*Overall 3.204 GPA (poor in early years, great in later years)
*Prereqs from college include Math, Chem, Psych, Stats... but got C's and B's
*No experience in Pharmacy though my father is a UOP pharmD.
*4 years of Landscape Architecture work experience
*Grew up with prescription drugs everywhere... i prob know more than the average joe about pharmaceuticals
*Consider myself capable of being a good student and test taker

My Plan:

*Attend a community college (Solano Community College) for 1.5 years and finish all my prerequisites... even those already fulfilled in college (for better GPA and to brush up)
*WORK MY ASS OFF and ace as many classes if I can
*Ace the PCAT
*Hopefully get some kind of work experience (though it is near impossible to get a pharm tech job in my area according to my dad due to the huge saturation of pharm tech schools/certificates as of lately)
*Apply to pharmacy school in Fall 2010
*get accepted, work my ass off, and pay off my loans, and finally be able to sleep


My Concerns:

1) Is it ok to attend a community college or will that hurt my chances of getting into a pharmacy school?

2) More specifically, I'm looking into Touro University of anything close to the Bay Area in Northern California... will my Plan be feasible?

3) Ideally, I'd love to get into UOP as it's a 3 year program, is that within reach?

4) Will getting some kind of work experience drastically help my chances? If so, what are good opportunities to do so?

5) I also heard about 0-6 programs... I'd like to stay away due to costs, but with my profile and goals, will it be a better choice for me? I really have NO choice but to make this work for me, as you can see I'm getting older and I really want to be stable in the future to settle down.


Do my chances of success in PharmD look good? I'm doing this for my future wife and future family as well as myself... I really need this.😍

Thanks in advance.

-PlantMan

1) It is okay to go to community college but the most important thing is to get a good gpa and good results from the PCAT.

2) Any Pharmacy school is good as long you study the materials and get a good gpa and you need to be prepared for the pharmacy license test.

3) I have heard about the University of Pacific and I think it is a good school but remember that it is not about the school, it is about how you are going to study and be ready for the license.

4) Your father is right that the pharmacy tech is getting out of hand in california (it is a huge state!), but that doesn't mean it will be impossible to get the job. You just need to get help from him to study the PTCE (Pharmacy Technician certification exam) and get your certification. Maybe you can work with your father??? Where does he work?

5) It all depends on how well you want to do your license exam for pharmacist. If you really want to be prepared, then start all over. If not, just get some courses done and study all you can and get your license. I would suggest you to use the KAPLAN to practice more and they have seminars and classes to prepare the license....

 

[PlantMan]

i have a 3.244 GPA from UCDAVIS cumulative with B.S. in Landscape Architecture.

I plan on taking community college classes for my pre-reqs... if I get mainly A's with a few B's... I think I'll have a promising G.P.A.

is GPA THAT important for CA schools that don't require PCATs? Seems like a lot of weight put on just GPA.