Chances of Getting In With NO experience or volunteer hours

[youngthug27]

My stats are:

B.S. in Biomedical Science

3.97 GPA (4.0 Science GPA)

99th Percentile PCAT preliminary composite score (took it yesterday)

ZERO Volunteer hours/community service

ZERO experience in a Pharmacy

Never had a job

Was in ONE club in college (racquetball)

I understand my GPA and PCAT are very competitive, but is my lack of extracurricular a red flag? My question is should I LIE on my application about my extracurricular activity? Or should I rely on my scores and hope they overlook the lack of experience?

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[UoCfin]

My stats are:

B.S. in Biomedical Science

3.97 GPA (4.0 Science GPA)

99th Percentile PCAT preliminary composite score (took it yesterday)

ZERO Volunteer hours/community service

ZERO experience in a Pharmacy

Never had a job

Was in ONE club in college (racquetball)

I understand my GPA and PCAT are very competitive, but is my lack of extracurricular a red flag? My question is should I LIE on my application about my extracurricular activity? Or should I rely on my scores and hope they overlook the lack of experience?

This is what you gotta do... go volunteer anywhere...doesnot matter where...as long as you can say you did and if ever verified by a phone call..it won't be a lie.
I did the same.
But I had worked before professionally..change of careers. But no pharmacy experience whatsoever.
So I volunteered for like 10 hours. 2 hours each weekend.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Taking out $200k+ in loans to get into a profession where you have no experience is a terrible idea. You have to actually work in a pharmacy, especially a busy retail one (where the majority of the jobs are whether you lie it or not) to know that this is the right profession for you.

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[sspharmy]

My stats are:

B.S. in Biomedical Science

3.97 GPA (4.0 Science GPA)

99th Percentile PCAT preliminary composite score (took it yesterday)

ZERO Volunteer hours/community service

ZERO experience in a Pharmacy

Never had a job

Was in ONE club in college (racquetball)

I understand my GPA and PCAT are very competitive, but is my lack of extracurricular a red flag? My question is should I LIE on my application about my extracurricular activity? Or should I rely on my scores and hope they overlook the lack of experience?

Depends on the school. I'm applying to a top tier school and they say that while healthcare experience isn't required, nearly all of their admitted students come in with at least 2-3 years or more of healthcare experience. They also require at least one letter of recommendation from a paid employer or a volunteer or research supervisor.

Another program I'm applying to ranks applicant stats by 35% GPA, 35% PCAT, and 30% extracurriculars.

You could get interviewed at some schools with your GPA/PCAT alone, but even so what would you talk about? Why pharmacy? Even if you got 10-20 volunteer hours, why a career in healthcare if you've barely showed any interest in it outside of school? Many established schools prefer well rounded applicants, so even if your GPA/PCAT are super high, with no or even little healthcare experience, they may just write you off as a study hog.

I strongly suggest you get some pharmacy experience because like stoich said most jobs are in retail and it's not for everyone. Take it from someone that's been working in the field, researching the field and actually working in the field are two very different things. Last thing you want is to get a job as a pharmacist and find out you absolutely hate it.

 

[chemistrytrash]

My stats are similar but I have over 3000 hours of combined school involvement, pharmacy work experience, and volunteering. Your grades will catch some eyes but over all I think you will be viewed the same as someone with average grades and lots of involvement. Definitely don't think it will hinder you as long as you kill your interviews!

 

[Apples2Oranges]

You need to step foot in a pharmacy before you choose this career. HEED ALL WARNINGS. With your GPA, you have a lot going for you.

While some pharmacists are more relaxed, some can be stressed out of their minds. You need to work in a pharmacy where the computers don't work for even 5 minutes when they have to verify hundreds of scripts a day. Or when a patient complains that their doctor sent in a prescription 20 min before they got into the pharmacy and expect it to have already been filled...with the rest of the dozens of prescriptions.
And this is coming from someone who works at a grocery store pharmacy. CVS/Walgreens with a drive-thru is another level of stress.

If you don't have experience, you need to really decide on why you chose pharmacy as a career during interviews when you've never stepped foot in one. Some applications require a recommendation letter from a pharmacist, while others just a professor or employer. You never worked, so it's gonna be hard.

 

[statepharmagent]

Why in the world do you even want to do pharmacy with that GPA? My gpa was a little lower and I regret it so much being a pharmacist and not going for something more. I wish I had someone like me telling me to stay the heck away. Don't be dumb, unless you have some crazy passion where you cannot stand to do any other job than be a retail pharmacist or be a hospital clinical pharmacist getting yelled at by lower educated healthcare staff, by all means go for it...if you get a job at all. You have been warned.

So to answer your question, your chances are great. Pharmacy schools are fighting for students with great gpas to keep their average stats high since the quality of students entering pharmacy continue to circle the drain (expected since most good gpa students like yourself stay clear of pharmacy nowadays). Trust me, you will get in and they will offer you a sheet. I know a professor that is on admin at a "top 15" pharm school and he tells me they are just offering admission to specific students right away to keep average stats high.

 

[BelowTheMean]

Youll get into a very good school. Pharmacy is a total joke nowadays so I dont even know why you are worried. Theyll take anyone over 3.3 gpa who have a heartbeat. Shoot, they take 2.5 now and soon would probably lower admissions criteria to 2.0 at this rate. My advice, go volunteer at a hospital and apply to med school or whatever else and dont look back. Leave pharmaCy to C average students, cuz that's where were headed anyways.

 

[LoveWillSaveTheDay]

Why would you ever do any career without working in it first??? Especially a career that will put you in 100k+ debt? There's way too many miserable pharmacist/pharmacy school dropouts that didn't put a toe in the water first and expected pharmacy work to be wayyyyy different than what it actually is. And way too many ppl that worked in a hospital setting and realized too late that a majority of the jobs are retail and end up hating it.