Caribbean or Out of Country Pharmacy Schools

[PistonFan531]

I was wondering: are threre any pharmacy schools in the caribbeans? If so, how competive are they? How many are there? Does the same apply for pharmacy Schools in some other countries?


Thanks

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[CrazyFox]

I was wondering: are threre any pharmacy schools in the caribbeans? If so, how competive are they? How many are there? Does the same apply for pharmacy Schools in some other countries?


Thanks

It's only worth it when you're going to stay where you studied. It's really hard to get a lisence here without completing pharm school in US.

 

[Drug Doc]

There was a recent thread on this not too long ago. You should try finding it for more info. Just to fill you in though there is an ACPE accredited school in Puerto Rico. Not quite considered Caribbean but still in an awesome place if you ask me. As for going to school outside the country, just be aware that although it is possible to get licensed in the states with a foreign degree, you will encounter a gagillion obstacles if you take that route.

 

[RxWildcat]

If you know anything about carribean med schools then you already know about their sketchiness.

 

[AsianGuy26]

Actually an increasing number of medical doctors are coming from the carribbean. You take the same test to get licensed in the US so it really doesn't matter.

 

[PistonFan531]

So what is the pharmacy school in puerto rico like? Is it easy to get in compared to the ones in the states?

 

[bacillus1]

I was looking at out-of-country schools (particularly Europe) and many countries have a different degree (BPharm or MPharm instead of PharmD). So I don't know if one can get accredited as a pharmacist if one has a different degree.

I'd love to spend a semester or a year abroad, but I don't think the course sequence would match up with what I have to do to get a degree at my college. It would be so much cheaper (I found a very good pharmacy program in Ukraine with a $3500 tuition per year that is taught in English, and I'd love to do it if I could). I think the 1-semester courses would match up and would be accepted here, but I have no idea how they treat courses there that have a 2,3, or even 4-semester sequence at my school. And there's not a single semester for me where I don't have any courses that have more than a 1-semester sequence.

 

[RxWildcat]

So what is the pharmacy school in puerto rico like? Is it easy to get in compared to the ones in the states?

I think its a branch of University of Florida, but I'm not sure of that.

 

[PharmApp2008]

There is a Nova Southeastern campus in Puerto Rico

 

[genesis09]

This is the school in Puerto Rico.
PR

University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus School of Pharmacy
P.O. Box 365067
San Juan , PR 00936-5067
Lesbia Hernandez, PharmD., M.P.H.
Dean
Tel: 787-758-2525*5427
FAX: 787-751-5680
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web Site: www.upr.clu.edu/
Accreditation History

 

[PistonFan531]

So is this Puerto Rican school a business first and an academic second type university? I would love to get into pharmacy school in my state or even in the US, but currently I don't think I have the grades to get in to a plethora of them.

 

[ruth265]

St Theresa Medical University in St Kitts has a pharmD program.
www.stmu.org

 

[Dr Who]

So is this Puerto Rican school a business first and an academic second type university? I would love to get into pharmacy school in my state or even in the US, but currently I don't think I have the grades to get in to a plethora of them.

The school on Puerto Rico is part of the University of Puerto Rico, and as such is a state supported school. It's fully accredited and as such a graduate is considered a US graduate.
As for the person who asked if it was "easier" there it would have to depend on what you mean by "easier". As part of the accreditation process the school has to maintain a standard of quality of education which is comparable to any other school in the US. It underwent its periodical reaccreditation process and from what I read it did pretty well. If you have any question feel free to check out their website:

http://farmacia.rcm.upr.edu/

 

[WVUPharm2007]

There is *one* foreign school that has ACPE accreditation. LAU in Lebanon.

 

[Gitana]

So is this Puerto Rican school a business first and an academic second type university? I would love to get into pharmacy school in my state or even in the US, but currently I don't think I have the grades to get in to a plethora of them.

NO, IT'S NOT. It's a State University, basically the only one in Puerto Rico (and there's only one private school, NOVA) and it's EXTREMELY competitive. Their PCAT numbers can be misleading, but they know you are competing against students whose first language is not English, so they will judge you accordingly.

Just look at their tuition (what, like $6K a year!!!) and you will know it's not a "business first" place.

 

[cdpiano27]

Also, the Caribbean has some of the strongest medical education, no kidding! Cuba, has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and is ranked only slightly below the US in healthcare, and has a fabulous education system. I bet they have pharmacy school in Cuba as well, and it is extremely competitive.

Any school in Puerto Rico is very good. I know someone in my field who graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and she was learning some of my PhD level classes in her masters program.

 

[mochiko]

There is a clerk and tech in the pharmacy I work at who graduated from pharmacy schools in China and India respectively. From what they tell me, in order to be licensed in the US after graduating from a foreign program they have to become FPGEC certified, take the TOEFL, complete 1500 hours as an intern, and then pass the NAPLEX and any state exams that are required (i.e. CPJE).

 

[2bpharm]

So let say if I got a pharm degree from a university overseas and I want to come back to N.A and practice...does anyone know approximately the time frame that I'm looking at? 1 year max? Is this realistic? does it take longer than a year to get my US lisence?

 

[PistonFan531]

NO, IT'S NOT. It's a State University, basically the only one in Puerto Rico (and there's only one private school, NOVA) and it's EXTREMELY competitive. Their PCAT numbers can be misleading, but they know you are competing against students whose first language is not English, so they will judge you accordingly.

Just look at their tuition (what, like $6K a year!!!) and you will know it's not a "business first" place.

http://www.uspharmd.com/school/pharmacy/University_of_Puerto_Rico.html

Over here it says that the admitted ratio is 2.3:1.

 

[amitels]

Btw....stmu.org no longer exists

 

[OCizzle]

Also, the Caribbean has some of the strongest medical education, no kidding! Cuba, has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and is ranked only slightly below the US in healthcare, and has a fabulous education system. I bet they have pharmacy school in Cuba as well, and it is extremely competitive.

The medical education in Cuba is actually pretty bad. Medicine is one of the easiest careers to get in to, so they end up with a bunch of mediocre students that wouldn't have made it into DO school in the US. Not to mention the lack of resources and teaching materials once they're in school. They might have a lot of doctors per capita, but hardly what I'd consider the strongest medical education.

As far as pharmacy is concerned, pharmacy schools don't exist in Cuba. All you need to work at a pharmacy is 2 months worth of training and a certificate. No need to go to school for 4 years to dispense aspirin and condoms.

 

[isantiago82]

NO, IT'S NOT. It's a State University, basically the only one in Puerto Rico (and there's only one private school, NOVA) and it's EXTREMELY competitive. Their PCAT numbers can be misleading, but they know you are competing against students whose first language is not English, so they will judge you accordingly.

Just look at their tuition (what, like $6K a year!!!) and you will know it's not a "business first" place.

I actually live in Puerto Rico and the tuition at NOVA College of Pharmacy in Ponce, Puerto Rico is not $6k a year. It is actually around the same as NOVA in Florida.

 

[kitsune248]

There is a clerk and tech in the pharmacy I work at who graduated from pharmacy schools in China and India respectively. From what they tell me, in order to be licensed in the US after graduating from a foreign program they have to become FPGEC certified, take the TOEFL, complete 1500 hours as an intern, and then pass the NAPLEX and any state exams that are required (i.e. CPJE).

what michiko said is true! The one pharmacist I work with came from Ireland and she had to do the same.

 

[jun8117]

It is about 6K in UPR which is the state university. Nova is the same in Puerto Rico than in Florida.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Yeah, we definitely need more pharmacy schools with less stringent admissions policies, as if it's particularly difficult to get into pharmacy schools in the mainland...

 

[JBudege]

Yeah, we definitely need more pharmacy schools with less stringent admissions policies, as if it's particularly difficult to get into pharmacy schools in the mainland...

u mad?

 

[busyizzy]

u mad?

A sarcasm font on this board is starting to be a growing must.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

FYI

As of 2001, foreign trained pharmacists must have had atleast 5 years of pharmacy education with significant clincial exposure in order to be even considered for examination and certification purposes by the FGPEC. Even then, it's a case-by-case decision.

 

[delano2000]

u mad?

 

[SHC1984]

Yeah, we definitely need more pharmacy schools with less stringent admissions policies, as if it's particularly difficult to get into pharmacy schools in the mainland...

So true! There are soooooooooooooooo MANY pharmacy schools in the United States and most of them are easy as hell to get into...so you have a problem if you can't get accepted to one.

 

[PharmTech8241]

Why would you even waste your time with a school over seas? With all these idiots putting up new pharm schools getting into school stateside shouldn't be a problem...I work with a tech who was a practicing pharmacist overseas and is still attempting to pass the NAPLEX...I know some schools may offer substantially cheaper tuition but you really can't compare the quality of education you will get stateside...Save yourself the headache and stay stateside

 

[Medwell]

So true! There are soooooooooooooooo MANY pharmacy schools in the United States and most of them are easy as hell to get into...so you have a problem if you can't get accepted to one.

 

[charfdorn]

The longer I think about this thread (and the OP's underlying question - can I get around my crappy grades somehow?) the angrier I get. Hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet, it's easy for me to say this, but OP should NOT be a pharmacist. The reason it is so hard to get into, and through, pharmacy school, is that you have people's lives in your hands. I don't want my pharmacist to be someone who bought his or her way into school and had to go to a different country just to get the degree. If I were a foreign pharmacist, I would be outraged at this OP because it's so hard to convert your foreign degree if you obtained it legitimately, and now this jackass wants to sneak out of the country because he can't get into one of the dozens of newly opened diploma mills here? GRRRRRRR my blood is boiling.

 

[SHC1984]

The longer I think about this thread (and the OP's underlying question - can I get around my crappy grades somehow?) the angrier I get. Hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet, it's easy for me to say this, but OP should NOT be a pharmacist. The reason it is so hard to get into, and through, pharmacy school, is that you have people's lives in your hands. I don't want my pharmacist to be someone who bought his or her way into school and had to go to a different country just to get the degree. If I were a foreign pharmacist, I would be outraged at this OP because it's so hard to convert your foreign degree if you obtained it legitimately, and now this jackass wants to sneak out of the country because he can't get into one of the dozens of newly opened diploma mills here? GRRRRRRR my blood is boiling.

I agree, not to mention I seriously/honestly doubt anyone can have trouble getting into those newly opened diploma mills. Don't they accept pretty much everyone?

 

[Passion4Sci]

The only, only, only reason I am O.K. with the carib MD/DO schools is that the USMLE Step process is so rigorous.

The NAPLEX and even the CPJE pale in comparison to other licensure exams.

 

[Farcus]

Also, the Caribbean has some of the strongest medical education, no kidding! Cuba, has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, and is ranked only slightly below the US in healthcare, and has a fabulous education system. I bet they have pharmacy school in Cuba as well, and it is extremely competitive.

Any school in Puerto Rico is very good. I know someone in my field who graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and she was learning some of my PhD level classes in her masters program.

I'm at the main campus at Nova, and I can tell you from the web-cam/class room interaction i had with them that the students in Puerto Rico are definitely the same caliber as the ones in the States.

 

[Farcus]

Yeah, we definitely need more pharmacy schools with less stringent admissions policies, as if it's particularly difficult to get into pharmacy schools in the mainland...

Not going to lie but if you can't get into a legitimate pharmacy school in the States, there is really no reason for u to be in this profession.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Not going to lie but if you can't get into a legitimate pharmacy school in the States, there is really no reason for u to be in this profession.

That was precisely my point.

Thanks for... emphasizing it... I guess?

 

[PharmTech8241]

you couldn't have said it any better Farcus

 

[Passion4Sci]

you couldn't have said it any better Farcus

Except when I said it way, way up there.

 

[nditebeck]

That was precisely my point.

Thanks for... emphasizing it... I guess?

The pharmacy school in Puerto Rico is harder to get in as you are required to know spanish and english . U S SCHOOL REQUIRE ONLY ENGLISH.

 

[Passion4Sci]

The pharmacy school in Puerto Rico is harder to get in as you are required to know spanish and english . U S SCHOOL REQUIRE ONLY ENGLISH.

Yo hablo espanol.

 

[Wanderinghope]

If your wanting Europe, I do know they have a school in Poland that is a Doctorate program. I have a friend who goes there and shes American. She had an interview in NYC last fall. She's also transferring over there though into the program as its a six year program. No PCAT is not required either and its a lot cheaper.

Its also accredited but its called Poznan University of Medical Sciences.

P.S. I've also been admitted into a few pharmacy programs as an international student, but have delayed my offer to see if I can get into a few schools here in the US and then apply for a license in the UK.

 

[esaezpr]

I was wondering: are threre any pharmacy schools in the caribbeans? If so, how competive are they? How many are there? Does the same apply for pharmacy Schools in some other countries?


Thanks

Since the UPR Medical Sciences Campus' School of Pharmacy is a public, state-funded, university, it gives priority to puerto rican candidates. Graduates from the U.S. must prove they have been living in the island for quite some time. Also, the UPR quality of education can be compared to any top-tier university in the U.S.

 

[Jibby321]

This thread is oldddddddd