Chance Me Please!

[KingTrick]

Howdy y'all, just looking for some confidence after I submitted my app on July 30th.

Applied to:
UCSD
Chicago State University
LECOM Bradenton School of Pharmacy
Loma Linda University
Manchester University
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences-Boston
Midwestern University- Glendale
Belmont University
Creighton University
Lipscomb University


Background:
Male/ Asian

Stats:
Science GPA: 3.12
Cum. GPA: 3.42
Plan to earn B.A. in Economics, completed most science series, need to take Microbiology w/Lab and Anatomy&Physiology Sequence

I plan to take PCAT in October, practice tests indicate I'd score around low or mid-70's.

EC/ etc.
Have a Californian pharmacy technician degree
Shadowed 2 pharmacists (retail and compounding): +120 hours combined
Volunteered: +100 Hours
Leadership in non-academic club

I'm prepared to apply anywhere, so if you guys have more suggestions as to where I should apply too, that will be much appreciated.

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[Dred Pirate]

in today's world of expanding pharmacy school virtually anybody without a felony conviction involving controlled substances can get in - especially to some of the schools in the world

 

[RxAddyCt]

Do you have any work experience? If not I recommend you highly get some especially in retail pharmacy. But yeah you'll get in somewhere with those stats. Don't worry too much.


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[PharmtoCS]

Just be sure to secure $200k+ in loans and you'll be set.

 

[Sine Cura]

Any reason you're applying only to one reputable program associated with a public university?

 

[KingTrick]

Any reason you're applying only to one reputable program associated with a public university?

A few reasons, primarily that I couldn't apply to most public universities in this admissions cycle as I lack a few critical science courses.


My university has a unit limit for graduation and I came in with a litter more than a quarter of useless AP credit.
I switched majors from Mathematics to Economics in the middle of my sophomore year, so it was a bit difficult convincing my academic advisor to fit in the science sequences, (complete Bio, Gen Chem, O.Chem, Physics) and other science courses (MicroBio, Anatomy, BioChem) into my sophomore summer, junior year, summer, and senior year.

I plan to take a post-bacc to complete all other pre-reqs in the event I don't get accepted.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Your science GPA is solid. The reality is that pharmacy school is ridiculously easy to get into nowadays. Many of them couldn't care less about your credentials as much as your ability and willingness to sign away $200k+ in loans. The hard part of pharmacy is landing a job when you graduate, as employment prospects are already terrible and will only get worse as pharmacy schools continue to open with no end in sight.

There are other professions, i.e. software engineering, finance, accounting, engineering, physician assistant, etc. that provide a much better, less risky investment for your education. These professions pay well, have better job outlooks, and have better work environments (read: not in retail) and do not require you to graduate with $200k+ in loans and spend another 4 years.

 

[frozenicecreamDMD]

Your science GPA is solid. The reality is that pharmacy school is ridiculously easy to get into nowadays. Many of them couldn't care less about your credentials as much as your ability and willingness to sign away $200k+ in loans. The hard part of pharmacy is landing a job when you graduate, as employment prospects are already terrible and will only get worse as pharmacy schools continue to open with no end in sight.

There are other professions, i.e. software engineering, finance, accounting, engineering, physician assistant, etc. that provide a much better, less risky investment for your education. These professions pay well, have better job outlooks, and have better work environments (read: not in retail) and do not require you to graduate with $200k+ in loans and spend another 4 years.

PAs graduate with 150k debt now.

 

[exiangwsu]

ucsd is a long shot. I applied last year with 3.5 and got rejected.

The rest should be easy to get into.

I will recommend you to apply to some reputable public university. The schools you apply to have expensive tuition with very few scholarship. For instance, Loma linda has a tuition rate near USC. As for prerequisites, most school required completion before enrollment. You can always enroll now at a community college.

 

[KingTrick]

Your science GPA is solid. The reality is that pharmacy school is ridiculously easy to get into nowadays. Many of them couldn't care less about your credentials as much as your ability and willingness to sign away $200k+ in loans. The hard part of pharmacy is landing a job when you graduate, as employment prospects are already terrible and will only get worse as pharmacy schools continue to open with no end in sight.

There are other professions, i.e. software engineering, finance, accounting, engineering, physician assistant, etc. that provide a much better, less risky investment for your education. These professions pay well, have better job outlooks, and have better work environments (read: not in retail) and do not require you to graduate with $200k+ in loans and spend another 4 years.

Thanks for the encouragement and word of caution! I did consider choosing a different profession, but when I came around and saw that the pharmacist has minimal contact with their manager (or "boss"), and is usually left to their own devices throughout the shift (even more so as a compounding pharmacist,) I felt that this work environment is the best for my personality, and I'm willing to invest +200k .