Chances of getting in a pharmacy school (English is not my first language)

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xshinse

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Hi guys! I just wanna ask if I should still pursue this field or not? I know pharmacy requires good communication skill and that's one of the things I'm still trying to improve. I just came here two years ago and I am worried about the interviews (if ever I pass lol). Some people around me say my English is good enough, but I'm not as articulate as to what I think the field requires. Any advice? Thank you!

If this helps...
-I'm only finishing my prerqs, not planning to get bachelors (as of now).
- current GPA is 3.8
- I'm a volunteer at a pharmacy

Also, should I go apply for the early admission programs?

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I have friends within the pharmacy program that have classmates that do not speak a speck of english nevertheless being able to converse an entire dialogue with you.

Knowing a good amount - fluent english should be good for pharmacy. As during the years of schooling, youll get to learn more and associate better.
 
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Plus your gpa at the moment is heavenly compared to my abysmal gpa.

Do well at the pharmacy, apply to one as a tech and get experience. During that time, youll get to know more pharmacists and letters of recommendations will fly at you.

Plus PCAT, do well on this as this will be important to get in or even get looked at
 
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Your grammar is really good, and so is your sentence structuring. If you speak the same way you write, I think your English is pretty good! I myself came to the U.S. 7 years ago. I have improved my English through the years, but I still have some difficulties. My Cuban accent is there... and I dont think it will ever go away lol :p
 
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Hi guys! I just wanna ask if I should still pursue this field or not? I know pharmacy requires good communication skill and that's one of the things I'm still trying to improve. I just came here two years ago and I am worried about the interviews (if ever I pass lol). Some people around me say my English is good enough, but I'm not as articulate as to what I think the field requires. Any advice? Thank you!

If this helps...
-I'm only finishing my prerqs, not planning to get bachelors (as of now).
- current GPA is 3.8
- I'm a volunteer at a pharmacy

You will get into a good school. Take the PCAT and get a good score as well 70%+ and you should be set for a high or high/mid tier school.
 
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Your grammar is really good, and so is your sentence structuring. If you speak the same way you write, I think your English is pretty good! I myself came to the U.S. 7 years ago. I have improved my English through the years, but I still have some difficulties. My Cuban accent is there... and I dont think it will ever go away lol :p

Thank you! I do better in writing than speaking though but I will work on that. And yes to the accent! I have tht too! Lol
 
Plus your gpa at the moment is heavenly compared to my abysmal gpa.

Do well at the pharmacy, apply to one as a tech and get experience. During that time, youll get to know more pharmacists and letters of recommendations will fly at you.

Plus PCAT, do well on this as this will be important to get in or even get looked at


Thank you Steve! I will definitely work hard for the PCAT. Especially for the verbal and essay.
 
Hi guys! I just wanna ask if I should still pursue this field or not? I know pharmacy requires good communication skill and that's one of the things I'm still trying to improve. I just came here two years ago and I am worried about the interviews (if ever I pass lol). Some people around me say my English is good enough, but I'm not as articulate as to what I think the field requires. Any advice? Thank you!

If this helps...
-I'm only finishing my prerqs, not planning to get bachelors (as of now).
- current GPA is 3.8
- I'm a volunteer at a pharmacy

dont worry and just take pcat. You do not have to hold undergrad degree to apply. I'd rather apply w/o one. Also, my English is not perfect either. Yet, I get the hang of it in the pharmacy. If I can, you can.
 
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dont worry and just take pcat. You do not have to hold undergrad degree to apply. I'd rather apply w/o one. Also, my English is not perfect either. Yet, I get the hang of it in the pharmacy. If I can, you can.

Thank you so much! And why do you prefer applying without a degree?
I heard those with degrees had better chances of getting in.
 
The staff pharmacist I work with is ESL and everything works out fine. You'll get better so don't let that hold you back!
 
Thank you so much! And why do you prefer applying without a degree?
I heard those with degrees had better chances of getting in.

Because it is such a waste of time. you will get into many schools with your gpa.
 
Because it is such a waste of time. you will get into many schools with your gpa.

Yea many get in to pharmacy (such as yourself it seems) without a degree, but to call it a waste of time is like calling "sleep" a waste of life. xshinse if you want to go straight into pharmacy with what you have by all means do whatever it takes and you will get there one way or another. I attend the most diverse cultural four year university in the united states on the undergrad level , and to add more itinerary to your education can only make you more competitive in the long run (if you ask me, if saturation of pharmacist happens in big cities and rural areas in the U.S. , i wonder what comes next on the agenda for hiring people : pharmacy license, or pharmacy license with a bachelors lol).

focus on the PCAT and if you have a choice school in mind YES go ahead and apply for early admission. If it gets rejected, call the school and see what can make you a better candidate. Your experience and GPA are solid thus far, keep it up and dont let language barrier hold you back you can only get better not worse (speaking a second language, i def. remember the frustration of communicating, but sounds like you are way better off in your second language than me).
 
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Yea many get in to pharmacy (such as yourself it seems) without a degree, but to call it a waste of time is like calling "sleep" a waste of life. xshinse if you want to go straight into pharmacy with what you have by all means do whatever it takes and you will get there one way or another. I attend the most diverse cultural four year university in the united states on the undergrad level , and to add more itinerary to your education can only make you more competitive in the long run (if you ask me, if saturation of pharmacist happens in big cities and rural areas in the U.S. , i wonder what comes next on the agenda for hiring people : pharmacy license, or pharmacy license with a bachelors lol).

focus on the PCAT and if you have a choice school in mind YES go ahead and apply for early admission. If it gets rejected, call the school and see what can make you a better candidate. Your experience and GPA are solid thus far, keep it up and dont let language barrier hold you back you can only get better not worse (speaking a second language, i def. remember the frustration of communicating, but sounds like you are way better off in your second language than me).
hey.. i know i am talking about. once you get into pharmacy school, you will know what i mean. Nobody gives a sh-it about your undergrad education. Yes, it can maybe help you in some way later on in your life. Yet, i just dont see the point that having undergrad b4 pharmD will make someone more competitive (in job market). Also, I am from Rutgers, so i know what diversity is and so on. Dont waste ur time and money in finishing undergrad. If you can get into pharmacy school, apply whenever you can.
 
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hey.. i know i am talking about. once you get into pharmacy school, you will know what i mean. Nobody gives a sh-it about your undergrad education. Yes, it can maybe help you in some way later on in your life. Yet, i just dont see the point that having undergrad b4 pharmD will make someone more competitive (in job market). Also, I am from Rutgers, so i know what diversity is and so on. Dont waste ur time and money in finishing undergrad. If you can get into pharmacy school, apply whenever you can.

I couldnt careless who gives a sh**t about the bachelors, you think you would've had a better momentum in getting the flow in pharmacy if you wouldve had a year of biochem and advanced cellular and molecular courses?? at that, i love how you input "...maybe help you in some way later in your life..." Why the hell would you not do something that would benefit you later on in life as far as your career goes? am i saying you HAVE to get a bachelors? of course not. im only pointing out the fact that the moment you said ITS A WASTE getting a bachelors was the moment you dribbled stupidity onto the prime focus of pharmacy...did your sweet little dean of your college tell you about the possible saturation of the career a decade down the road? well holy hell, to bad you didnt have a bachelors to smooth over yet another job when you find out ten years from now the job you had went under due to insurance funding for patients in that region of the country. My sources? the head dean of mizzou of the department, KU clinical med / pharmacy representatives, the dean of loma linda in california... now...back to my point, you can never overprepare for what ahead and i dont care if your in pharmacy right now or not you aint got the slightest clue of what your path will cross with so get your head straight and stop doggin' on someone that thinks a bachelors on top of the pharmay license is not only the best investment for you and your future family, but sooner or later a fall back career when the economy may go down again...yes sweeheart, in the states we call this "reality."

P.S. Rutgers aint got sh** on cultural diversity only diversity...big difference if you think on it... i should know i visited and turned down "dirty jersey."
 
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I couldnt careless who gives a sh**t about the bachelors, you think you would've had a better momentum in getting the flow in pharmacy if you wouldve had a year of biochem and advanced cellular and molecular courses?? at that, i love how you input "...maybe help you in some way later in your life..." Why the hell would you not do something that would benefit you later on in life as far as your career goes? am i saying you HAVE to get a bachelors? of course not. im only pointing out the fact that the moment you said ITS A WASTE getting a bachelors was the moment you dribbled stupidity onto the prime focus of pharmacy...did your sweet little dean of your college tell you about the possible saturation of the career a decade down the road? well holy hell, to bad you didnt have a bachelors to smooth over yet another job when you find out ten years from now the job you had went under due to insurance funding for patients in that region of the country. My sources? the head dean of mizzou of the department, KU clinical med / pharmacy representatives, the dean of loma linda in california... now...back to my point, you can never overprepare for what ahead and i dont care if your in pharmacy right now or not you aint got the slightest clue of what your path will cross with so get your head straight and stop doggin' on someone that thinks a bachelors on top of the pharmay license is not only the best investment for you and your future family, but sooner or later a fall back career when the economy may go down again...yes sweeheart, in the states we call this "reality."

P.S. Rutgers aint got sh** on cultural diversity only diversity...big difference if you think on it... i should know i visited and turned down "dirty jersey."
lol speechless... good job writing this bs essay. dont know what to say man. reality huh? I am in reality as a pharmacy intern but you aint. Was the word "waste" provoking you that much? aww sorry kid. Oh well, if you value the undergrad that much, kudos to you. My point was that you dont really need bachelors to apply and get accepted to pharm school. You are just wasting money and time if you are sure about going to pharm school. What gives you better chance in such a saturated job market? Residency, connections and experience, NOT FREAKING BA OR BS. I guess you are not sure about getting into pharmacy right? I was referring to ppl who are aiming pharmacy school and I am damn right about this. In real life, money, and time play huge role kid. Have some fun in undergrad. Plus, I have bachelors in biology and psychology. please dont come to east coast, there are already so many dumb ass young kids like you here. ahh i gotta stop wasting my time here.
 
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lol speechless... good job writing this bs essay. dont know what to say man. reality huh? I am in reality as a pharmacy intern but you aint. Oh well, if you value the undergrad that much, kudos to you. My point was that you dont really need bachelors to apply and get accepted to pharm school. You are just wasting money and time when you are sure about going to pharm school. What gives you better chance in such a saturated job market? Residency, connections and experience, NOT FREAKING BA OR BS. I guess you are not sure about getting into pharmacy right? I was referring to ppl who are aiming pharmacy school and I am damn right about this. In real life, money, and time play huge role kid. Have some fun in undergrad. Plus, I have bachelors in biology and psychology. please dont come to east coast, there are already so many dumb ass young kids like you here. ahh i gotta stop wasting my time here.
 
ah cute, u had a thought lol. Yes yes, getting a bachelors must be suuuch a waste of time eh? kid eh? yes i spose my wife being a pharmacist and my three month old son laughing with me as i read how much experience and "connections" I'm going to need to get...oh wait!! Ive BEEN ACCEPTED to pharmacy in the past....oh WAIT!!! i saw the reality of such a field...and yes, thanks to obama care and many other inticing supplements, i decided to go ahead and get a bachelors before i aim to pharmacy so I KNOW i can have something to fall back on....again, to help with your understanding of english comprehension, this convo had nothing to do with getting a bachelors or not, simply the fact that if you tell people its a waste to try is really a loss on YOUR part as a person. When you have a family im sure you can understand...so yes, this "kid" would like to say to anyone on here that ambition will never be superseded by MONEY AND TIME...desire does....according to money and time, it was "dumb" for me to get married while in school...according to your logic with money and time, it was dumb to have a child while still studying...and according to ms. pharmacist intern, ITS DUMB investing money and financial ambition to prepare for future standpoint status....lol

To your logic i have broken every money rule i could do for myself ;) and i wouldnt have it any other way. oh and best of luck with your studies and FB / SDN forum checkups im sure its part of the life of a pharmacist right? lol
 

ah cute, u had a thought lol. Yes yes, getting a bachelors must be suuuch a waste of time eh? kid eh? yes i spose my wife being a pharmacist and my three month old son laughing with me as i read how much experience and "connections" I'm going to need to get...oh wait!! Ive BEEN ACCEPTED to pharmacy in the past....oh WAIT!!! i saw the reality of such a field...and yes, thanks to obama care and many other inticing supplements, i decided to go ahead and get a bachelors before i aim to pharmacy so I KNOW i can have something to fall back on....again, to help with your understanding of english comprehension, this convo had nothing to do with getting a bachelors or not, simply the fact that if you tell people its a waste to try is really a loss on YOUR part as a person. When you have a family im sure you can understand...so yes, this "kid" would like to say to anyone on here that ambition will never be superseded by MONEY AND TIME...desire does....according to money and time, it was "dumb" for me to get married while in school...according to your logic with money and time, it was dumb to have a child while still studying...and according to ms. pharmacist intern, ITS DUMB investing money and financial ambition to prepare for future standpoint status....lol

To your logic i have broken every money rule i could do for myself ;) and i wouldnt have it any other way. oh and best of luck with your studies and FB / SDN forum checkups im sure its part of the life of a pharmacist right? lol
 
I think you should be fine as long as you can improve your communication skills overtime and you will get plenty of opportunities for that down the road in pharmacy school so I don't think it will be a problem. Is English your first language? If not, have you taken the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language)? I know some (if not all) pharmacy schools require it for applicants whose first language is something other than English.
 
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Yea many get in to pharmacy (such as yourself it seems) without a degree, but to call it a waste of time is like calling "sleep" a waste of life. xshinse if you want to go straight into pharmacy with what you have by all means do whatever it takes and you will get there one way or another. I attend the most diverse cultural four year university in the united states on the undergrad level , and to add more itinerary to your education can only make you more competitive in the long run (if you ask me, if saturation of pharmacist happens in big cities and rural areas in the U.S. , i wonder what comes next on the agenda for hiring people : pharmacy license, or pharmacy license with a bachelors lol).

focus on the PCAT and if you have a choice school in mind YES go ahead and apply for early admission. If it gets rejected, call the school and see what can make you a better candidate. Your experience and GPA are solid thus far, keep it up and dont let language barrier hold you back you can only get better not worse (speaking a second language, i def. remember the frustration of communicating, but sounds like you are way better off in your second language than me).


Thank you! Well college is so expensive and I'm a foreign student too so I decided to take the prereqs first and then apply to the school of my choice. If that doesn't work out, getting a bachelors is my "plan B" lol. I know getting into a pharmacy school is really competitive so I know where you're coming from. Thanks a lot BC89! :)
 
I think you should be fine as long as you can improve your communication skills overtime and you will get plenty of opportunities for that down the road in pharmacy school so I don't think it will be a problem. Is English your first language? If not, have you taken the TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language)? I know some (if not all) pharmacy schools require it for applicants whose first language is something other than English.


Thanks! :) And no, English is not my first language.
I'm planning to take TOEFL sometime next year since I'm going to study for PCAT too.
How long do you think should I prepare for it?
 
I would have to agree with @SexiestPharmacist it is def a waste of money to get a BS especially in something like biology or something that you can't get a job with. If it is a BS that you can actually get a good paying job later on then it's not a horrible idea. But every year you wait to try to get into pharmacy school is a year of salary you are missing out on and every year there will be less jobs.
 
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Thanks! :) And no, English is not my first language.
I'm planning to take TOEFL sometime next year since I'm going to study for PCAT too.
How long do you think should I prepare for it?
Honestly I don't have too much knowledge about the TOEFL, but I would suggest studying for it in the same way you would prepare for the verbal section in the PCAT, but just more in-depth in terms of how much you study. I don't think this really helps because I don't know anything about that exam lol
 
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Don't let language hold you back! English is my second language as well, but I pretty much grew up in the US so it's not a big issue for me. The more you interact with people, the better your English will become and the more confidence you'll feel. I used to be very reserved and shy, so I also started volunteering at the hospital and it's really helped me become more social and confident when I help people who are lost or need assistance.

And yeah, your GPA is AMAZING. A good composite score on the PCAT and you're good to go!
 
I would like to take the Toefl next month But I dont know what guide should I use? My english is pretty bad . and I m taking the test in three weeks .I want to apply to UF but they ask me for Toefl since english is my second language ,furthermore I have been living in US for 2 1/2 years . thanks guys
 
I would look online for reviews on TOEFL guides. :)
 
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