Competition in pharmacy school?

[ethyl]

---

Members don't see this ad.

How is the student competition in pharmacy school? Is the school life more teamwork based or is it competitive like in medical or law school? Do most professors curve and promote competitiveness?

 

[Smilescali]

How is the student competition in pharmacy school? Is the school life more teamwork based or is it competitive like in medical or law school? Do most professors curve and promote competitiveness?

I think that this issue is very different from school to school. For example, at my interview with USN, they explained that they don't even give students a grade (A,B,C,etc). There is a 90% pass rate and you get team points (5%) if the team (working together) scores a 95% on the exams. Granted you must take the exams individually first, but these team points potentially allow for you to pass with an 85% if the team passes with a 95%. This encourages teamwork obviously and can minimize the competitive nature of people (within your group anyway!)

I think that this would be refreshing because I am tired of helping people out (beacuse that is what I like to do) and them in turn shunning me when I ask them for help. We are all in the same boat and should help one another if possible. In the end we ALL will benefit and become better pharmacists.

I am sure there will still be a few that will want to know...If you got a score higher than their 98% or whatever....

I hope people will have matured in pharmacy school... Here's to hoping.... 😉

 

[blizz]

I think that this issue is very different from school to school. For example, at my interview with USN, they explained that they don't even give students a grade (A,B,C,etc). There is a 90% pass rate and you get team points (5%) if the team (working together) scores a 95% on the exams. Granted you must take the exams individually first, but these team points potentially allow for you to pass with an 85% if the team passes with a 95%. This encourages teamwork obviously and can minimize the competitive nature of people (within your group anyway!)

I think that this would be refreshing because I am tired of helping people out (beacuse that is what I like to do) and them in turn shunning me when I ask them for help. We are all in the same boat and should help one another if possible. In the end we ALL will benefit and become better pharmacists.

I am sure there will still be a few that will want to know...If you got a score higher than their 98% or whatever....

I hope people will have matured in pharmacy school... Here's to hoping.... 😉

Tell me about it! I truly hate the competitiveness that I went through as an undergrad. I'm sure it's still going around with these pharm school admissions! Granted we all want to get into our respective schools, but it would be nice to help each other sometimes. When I shadowed students at ucsf last year, I was amazed at how much they helped each other out. So here's hoping to that in our class! 🙂

 

[dgroulx]

We all help each other at UF. For certain classes, we are randomly assigned to groups for a case or project. For most classes we work alone but still share any knowledge with our classmates. One of the Orlando students set up a yahoo group during his first year. Anyone can post notes, study charts they made up, old exams they've come across, etc.

The competition was to get into pharmacy school. Now, we all just want to get out. Who cares about grades?

 

[usi]

We all help each other at UF. For certain classes, we are randomly assigned to groups for a case or project. For most classes we work alone but still share any knowledge with our classmates. One of the Orlando students set up a yahoo group during his first year. Anyone can post notes, study charts they made up, old exams they've come across, etc.

The competition was to get into pharmacy school. Now, we all just want to get out. Who cares about grades?

That sounds soo cool!
I really want to get in...!!!!

 

[Glycerin]

I hope people will have matured in pharmacy school... Here's to hoping.... 😉

Not always. This, of course, will vary from school to school, class to class, and person to person. You have to remember that some students entering pharmacy school were still in high school only a couple of years ago. (By the way, I'm generalizing here. I understand that some high school students can be very mature, and some adults in their 30s and 40s aren't. But, we've all heard the saying "High school is cruel," and at times, especially in a small school, it can feel like you're back in high school all over again.) Many students will be leaving home for the first time, and so therefore these students haven't yet had the chance to get things like partying out of their systems.

Getting back to competition, I haven't noticed any in my class. Personally, I am highly competitive, but only with myself. I'm constantly trying to outdo me. 😀

 

[Smilescali]

Not always. This, of course, will vary from school to school, class to class, and person to person. You have to remember that some students entering pharmacy school were still in high school only a couple of years ago. (By the way, I'm generalizing here. I understand that some high school students can be very mature, and some adults in their 30s and 40s aren't. But, we've all heard the saying "High school is cruel," and at times, especially in a small school, it can feel like you're back in high school all over again.) Many students will be leaving home for the first time, and so therefore these students haven't yet had the chance to get things like partying out of their systems.

Getting back to competition, I haven't noticed any in my class. Personally, I am highly competitive, but only with myself. I'm constantly trying to outdo me. 😀

Good point. I am used to being in classes with high school kids (Actual high school kids! It is a night class and they can get AP credit at the CC. Wish I had known that in high school 😉 ) Some are just plain goofy, while others seem to know when to pull it together. When I was their age, I was not the same person and loved to just have fun. My life was just a big party...hence ...the reason I am 29 and still going to school!

 

[gablet]

How is the student competition in pharmacy school? Is the school life more teamwork based or is it competitive like in medical or law school? Do most professors curve and promote competitiveness?

I'm a P1 at Midwestern Glendale and I have only seen and experienced people who help each other out. Some strive for higher grades than others, but I haven't seen anyone who has tried to achieve that at the expense of others. 😍

 

[prepharmacys]

Yes,
I have noticed competitiveness even in a community college. I cant stand it. I think teachers need to change that.

 

[Serenity Now!!!]

Yes,
I have noticed competitiveness even in a community college. I cant stand it. I think teachers need to change that.

They shouldnt change the competitiveness--thats a good thing (to quote Martha Stewart) but, they need too get rid of the back-biting and cattyness between students...Really dont know how they could, but they should. 👍