Creighton, NE or U of MN- Duluth campus

[Jssgarden]

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Hi guys, my first post here. I hope I posted in the right forum. I just got accepted to these two pharmacy schools which are my top choice: Creighton, NE campus pathway and U of Minnesota, Duluth campus. Now I'm debating between these two schools and it's so hard to make a decision. Aside from the fact that one is #40 one is #2, all their other stats seems similar including cost of attendance (I'm from Central CA by the way). Could someone who is familiar with either of these schools, please give me some advice on which to choose?

 

[lord999]

A beautiful spring day in Duluth has the birds singing, the sky blue, and the snow just starting to melt. It's not unheard of to have snow on commencement day in the Twin Cities or Duluth. The school is ok and shares most of its classes with the Twin Cities through Tandberg, but the ranking is more for their graduate division and their research prowess than for anything they do in terms of undergraduate teaching. I have a soft spot for Minnesota though, as it's refreshingly different that California in a good way.

 

[Amicable Angora]

How is this exactly a struggle? It's 40 vs 2?

 

[hye345]

I can't speak for Duluth, but I went to the Creighton Campus pathway. The school itself is decent, everything is within walking distance (~15 min walk at the most). The professors (most of them) really seemed to care about the students succeeding. Most classes don't have mandatory attendance, which a lot of people liked (lectures were made available online anyway). Lots of opportunities to get involved in EC's if that's your deal. The academic vibe there certainly encourages residency, and a good portion of my classmates were able to match. I heard from other students that parking on campus can sometimes get a bit pricey (I never dealt with this, as I lived in a studio across the street from campus). The city itself (Omaha) is pretty nice, although once you leave it, you're pretty much in rural NE (unless you wanna drive 1 hour to Lincoln). For a city of almost half a million people, there is surprisingly little traffic, and the cost of living is insanely low (though that's most of the Midwest for you). Getting around in the winter can sometimes get inconvenient with the snow (I came from California), but the main roads are cleared pretty quickly after a snowfall.

 

[Jssgarden]

How is this exactly a struggle? It's 40 vs 2?

I understand. But I'm just not sure how much rankings matter. The Duluth campus is 2 hrs away from the main campus, and the weather is very cold there, i'm concerned about driving in the snow 🙁. I heard that the majority of professors are in TC campus so most of our lectures would be on ITV anyway. Also there is no Asian market there, and I'd have to drive 2 hrs to TC to buy a bag of rice or something. Just something to consider....

Also, I heard that Creighton has a strong alumni network in CA due to their two pathways. They even have preceptors in Central Valley where I live, and I do want to move back here for the summers and after graduation. So that's why it's attractive to me. I'm not sure how connected U of MN is to Central CA.

 

[Jssgarden]

I can't speak for Duluth, but I went to the Creighton Campus pathway. The school itself is decent, everything is within walking distance (~15 min walk at the most). The professors (most of them) really seemed to care about the students succeeding. Most classes don't have mandatory attendance, which a lot of people liked (lectures were made available online anyway). Lots of opportunities to get involved in EC's if that's your deal. The academic vibe there certainly encourages residency, and a good portion of my classmates were able to match. I heard from other students that parking on campus can sometimes get a bit pricey (I never dealt with this, as I lived in a studio across the street from campus). The city itself (Omaha) is pretty nice, although once you leave it, you're pretty much in rural NE (unless you wanna drive 1 hour to Lincoln). For a city of almost half a million people, there is surprisingly little traffic, and the cost of living is insanely low (though that's most of the Midwest for you). Getting around in the winter can sometimes get inconvenient with the snow (I came from California), but the main roads are cleared pretty quickly after a snowfall.

So you're from NorCal. I'm from Central so I can relate. Why did you choose the campus pathway instead of distance? Did you choose this school over your other choices and why? Did they let you do many rotations back in CA?

 

[hye345]

So you're from NorCal. I'm from Central so I can relate. Why did you choose the campus pathway instead of distance? Did you choose this school over your other choices and why? Did they let you do many rotations back in CA?

I'm actually from Southern Ca, but I went to undergrad in Northern Ca, so a little bit of both I suppose.

Honestly, the distance pathway never occurred to me, I was looking forward to living in a new state. As far as other choices, my other choice was Midwestern (Chicago campus), but Creighton had a few advantages: slightly cheaper, much lower COL, and higher-ranked. With rotations, a lot of students did many of theirs out of state (lots of CA and Hawaii students in my class). I forgot the exact number that has to be done locally, but for the others, the school was pretty accommodating.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I understand. But I'm just not sure how much rankings matter. The Duluth campus is 2 hrs away from the main campus, and the weather is very cold there, i'm concerned about driving in the snow 🙁. I heard that the majority of professors are in TC campus so most of our lectures would be on ITV anyway. Also there is no Asian market there, and I'd have to drive 2 hrs to TC to buy a bag of rice or something. Just something to consider....

Also, I heard that Creighton has a strong alumni network in CA due to their two pathways. They even have preceptors in Central Valley where I live, and I do want to move back here for the summers and after graduation. So that's why it's attractive to me. I'm not sure how connected U of MN is to Central CA.

What kind of pharmacy are you interested in upon graduation?

 

[Jssgarden]

What kind of pharmacy are you interested in upon graduation?

I'd like to try to match for a residency in Central Valley CA if possible.

 

[Jssgarden]

I'm actually from Southern Ca, but I went to undergrad in Northern Ca, so a little bit of both I suppose.

Honestly, the distance pathway never occurred to me, I was looking forward to living in a new state. As far as other choices, my other choice was Midwestern (Chicago campus), but Creighton had a few advantages: slightly cheaper, much lower COL, and higher-ranked. With rotations, a lot of students did many of theirs out of state (lots of CA and Hawaii students in my class). I forgot the exact number that has to be done locally, but for the others, the school was pretty accommodating.

Their flexibility is the exact reason that attracts me with the school. I feel a little regret I didn't apply for the distance pathway, as it would save me a lot of money for COL. Is the winter long and cold there? What about tornado or hurricane? Is anything worth noting there?

 

[hye345]

Their flexibility is the exact reason that attracts me with the school. I feel a little regret I didn't apply for the distance pathway, as it would save me a lot of money for COL. Is the winter long and cold there? What about tornado or hurricane? Is anything worth noting there?

I mean, compared to CA, the winters can get cold. I think the coldest I ever experienced there (not counting wind chill) was maybe 0 degrees Fahrenheit give or take 5. Compared to other parts of the Midwest (Chicago comes to mind...), it's pretty mild. The snow starts around the end of November, and lasts until March, maybe April if you count the occasional remnant snow fall. The summers can sometimes get humid, but nothing too crazy.

We did get a few tornado warnings, but because of the geography of Omaha, very rarely would a tornado actually touch down in the city proper;

 

[hye345]

Their flexibility is the exact reason that attracts me with the school. I feel a little regret I didn't apply for the distance pathway, as it would save me a lot of money for COL. Is the winter long and cold there? What about tornado or hurricane? Is anything worth noting there?

I mean, compared to CA, the winters can get cold. I think the coldest I ever experienced there (not counting wind chill) was maybe 0 degrees Fahrenheit give or take 5. Usually, average winter temperature stays in the 30's/20's, sometimes teens. Compared to other parts of the Midwest (Chicago comes to mind...), it's pretty mild. You might get a few blizzards in the winter, so prepare to dig out your car once or twice (my first time took 2 hours, with a tiny windshield scraper, quite a workout). The snow starts around the end of November, and lasts until March, maybe April if you count the occasional remnant snow fall. The summers can sometimes get humid, but nothing too crazy.

We did get a few tornado warnings, but because of the geography of Omaha, very rarely would a tornado actually touch down in the city proper; the closest thing I remember was when a buddy of mine sent me a home video of what he thought was a small tornado touching down on the outskirts of the city. The jury was and is still out on that one though. We did get plenty of thunderstorms in the summer though, those were actually fun to watch (from a safe location of course), spectacular light shows. And no, the Midwest in general does not get many (or any) hurricanes. Really gave away our native state with that last question

 

[Dred Pirate]

go u of m - isn't it a ton cheaper? Creighton is a good school - it is in the hood big time thou

 

[hye345]

Just realized I double-posted... my bad lol.

go u of m - isn't it a ton cheaper? Creighton is a good school - it is in the hood big time thou

That's partially true, the campus is a block of so away from where the 'sketchy' part of town starts, and I know at least one friend who had his car stolen, but those parts of town are easy to avoid. It's definitely not a "Leave it to Beaver" type of vibe, but so long as you practice common sense (leave car door locked, don't leave valuables unattended, etc) you should be ok.

 

[Dred Pirate]

Just realized I double-posted... my bad lol.



That's partially true, the campus is a block of so away from where the 'sketchy' part of town starts, and I know at least one friend who had his car stolen, but those parts of town are easy to avoid. It's definitely not a "Leave it to Beaver" type of vibe, but so long as you practice common sense (leave car door locked, don't leave valuables unattended, etc) you should be ok.

agree - common sense is needed anywhere - but ya - you go under the freeway or north of campus - watch out - don't get me wrong, I love Omaha - it is a really cool city - the old market is awesome - (I went to a similiar school in the hood of another city - Creighton was my backup school - but in today's world, you gotta go to the place that is the cheapest provided it isn't a horrible school.

 

[Jssgarden]

go u of m - isn't it a ton cheaper? Creighton is a good school - it is in the hood big time thou

U of M is more expensive for me though because I'm OOS. The tuition for 4 years is about $10,000 more expensive than Creighton.

 

[Jssgarden]

I mean, compared to CA, the winters can get cold. I think the coldest I ever experienced there (not counting wind chill) was maybe 0 degrees Fahrenheit give or take 5. Usually, average winter temperature stays in the 30's/20's, sometimes teens. Compared to other parts of the Midwest (Chicago comes to mind...), it's pretty mild. You might get a few blizzards in the winter, so prepare to dig out your car once or twice (my first time took 2 hours, with a tiny windshield scraper, quite a workout). The snow starts around the end of November, and lasts until March, maybe April if you count the occasional remnant snow fall. The summers can sometimes get humid, but nothing too crazy.

We did get a few tornado warnings, but because of the geography of Omaha, very rarely would a tornado actually touch down in the city proper; the closest thing I remember was when a buddy of mine sent me a home video of what he thought was a small tornado touching down on the outskirts of the city. The jury was and is still out on that one though. We did get plenty of thunderstorms in the summer though, those were actually fun to watch (from a safe location of course), spectacular light shows. And no, the Midwest in general does not get many (or any) hurricanes. Really gave away our native state with that last question

Is it relative easy to get intern jobs while in school? Not counting the summer because I plan to find a job in CA during the summers. With 2 pharmacy schools in Omaha, how hard will it be to get a job?

 

[hye345]

Is it relative easy to get intern jobs while in school? Not counting the summer because I plan to find a job in CA during the summers. With 2 pharmacy schools in Omaha, how hard will it be to get a job?

That's hard to answer definitively, but I can say that most of my class was able to get their hands on one relatively early on, and worked 1-3 days a week. Some worked less, though a lot of that was probably by choice, so as not to get in the way of schoolwork.

In my case, I was working for Target (though not in the pharmacy) when I got accepted, and so I was able to talk to HR and get them to transfer me to a Target pharmacy in Omaha as a P1 intern. A few months later, I decided to give hospital pharmacy a try, and applied to the major players in town. Over the next 2 months, I interviewed with 3 or so hospitals before getting hired by one of them.

Keep in mind, this was back in 2012-2013, the situation might be different now.

 

[Jssgarden]

Sigh, one would think that the decision is relative easy, but it's insanely hard. It's been the only thing in my mind now. My family is leaning towards Creighton: drivable distance (24 hrs), slightly cheaper tuition, rent seems cheaper, and it seems less cold too, there are also more diversity in Omaha than in Duluth. But I just don't know if I'm missing a lot by ignoring UMN's reputation. It seems like an amazing school. However, this is the Duluth campus we are speaking of, not the TC. I think the ranking mostly has to do with the Twin Cities campus, and most of the professors are in TC too...

On the other note, I've also been accepted to UGA in Athens too. Now just make my decision become much harder!

 

[Dred Pirate]

U of M is more expensive for me though because I'm OOS. The tuition for 4 years is about $10,000 more expensive than Creighton.

why don't you apply to an instate school in Cali then?

PS- Athens is an awesome town - the rest of georgia? well - culture shock probably for you - but if you want a college town - it is for you - if you want intern opportunities - go with Omaha - although there is another pharmacy school in town there to compete with

 

[Sine Cura]

Why would your family drive to Creighton or Duluth? Take a flight and arrive with a suitcase, leave in 4 years with a suitcase...

 

[Amicable Angora]

Sigh, one would think that the decision is relative easy, but it's insanely hard. It's been the only thing in my mind now. My family is leaning towards Creighton: drivable distance (24 hrs), slightly cheaper tuition, rent seems cheaper, and it seems less cold too, there are also more diversity in Omaha than in Duluth. But I just don't know if I'm missing a lot by ignoring UMN's reputation. It seems like an amazing school. However, this is the Duluth campus we are speaking of, not the TC. I think the ranking mostly has to do with the Twin Cities campus, and most of the professors are in TC too...

On the other note, I've also been accepted to UGA in Athens too. Now just make my decision become much harder!

Driving distances are negligible. You and your family should be flying for the majority of trips. Shouldn't you be focusing more on the quality of education and reputation? 40 vs 2 is a big difference...

 

[Varianiq]

why don't you apply to an instate school in Cali then?

Probably because it's still more expensive considering CoL and etc.

Why would your family drive to Creighton or Duluth? Take a flight and arrive with a suitcase, leave in 4 years with a suitcase...

I imagine he/she wants a car there for transportation. I'm from California and went to a school in the Midwest. I drove with family to school and then family flew back home.

 

[PAtoPharm]

why don't you apply to an instate school in Cali then?

PS- Athens is an awesome town - the rest of georgia? well - culture shock probably for you - but if you want a college town - it is for you - if you want intern opportunities - go with Omaha - although there is another pharmacy school in town there to compete with

What about Atlanta? It wouldn't nearly be as much of a culture shock for the OP as the rest of the medium/small towns would. Also, she mentioned wanting to have access to Asian markets. There are lots of Asian markets, restaurants, etc., especially around the Buford Highway area (if you want something super authentic).

 

[Jssgarden]

Hello, thank you so much for all of your inputs. I didn't apply to many in-state CA schools because those schools are more expensive and COL is also very high. I can't get into the 2 public schools here in-state so OOS schools are my safer bets.
Even though I applied to OOS schools, I'm looking forward to the chances of coming back to CA to practice, not because I want the city life (i'm from Central CA, it's kind of undesirable place to live), but because I have family tie here. I'm supposed I'm not the only one in this kind of situation.
So I'm looking for a school that would give me more opportunities to practice in CA and chances for me to build my network in CA, and not too shabby because I want to be able to match for residency.
About driving, Omaha is more drivable, although still far, but Duluth is much further, so I'd have to ship my car back and forth there.
ABout rankings, yes I am really attracted to the fact of UMN has a high reputation, but i'm going to a regional branch not the main campus, so we won't get to enjoy most of the benefits the students at the main campus have. Also, most of our lectures will be through ITV so idk if I like that :/ Also, the tuition and the COL are more expensive in Duluth compare to Omaha too :/ UMN doesn't allow me to take IPPEs and APPEs outside the state of Minnesota either, so less chances for me to build network in CA.
I thought about UGA in Athens, the weather is really nice, but it's too far. I didn't like the interview that I had there (felt rushed and not very welcomed). The school has 4 regional branches, so most of my lectures would be on TV as well.

So yeah, these are my thoughts. Any opinions?

 

[Jssgarden]

Why would your family drive to Creighton or Duluth? Take a flight and arrive with a suitcase, leave in 4 years with a suitcase...

Driving distances are negligible. You and your family should be flying for the majority of trips. Shouldn't you be focusing more on the quality of education and reputation? 40 vs 2 is a big difference...

I was thinking of bringing my car for the initial trip, and during summers, because I plan to apply for internships in CA during summer breaks, so I need a car to drive...

 

[Jssgarden]

Any more inputs, anyone? please help me out 🙁 I feel so weird responding to my own thread...

So far, my summary about these 2 schools are:
#2 UMD:
Pros:
-More prestigious? (rank higher, but isn't that just the TC campus?)
-More research and clinical leaning, seems to benefit for residence placement
-Higher graduation rate (98% as of 2015)
-Other stats are good as well (90% NAPLEX, ~34% residency placements, etc)
-They always improve their curriculum from feedbacks of the students
-has a decent amount of CA students
-Duluth is pretty
-I would feel so proud to be called a U of M student (i know, so vain, but still)

Cons:
-location/weather (too cold and winter being too long)
-driving in the snow for much of the time I'm there.
-more expensive (tuition + COL for OOS) - probably ~10k higher in tuition than Creighton for 4 years, higher rent too it seems, higher cost of traveling as well.
- Being a regional campus so more ITV classes and less benefits than the main campus students
-doesn't allow me to take any rotations in CA, gonna have to travel around MN for the 4th year APPEs. So less chances for me to network in CA, pretty much stuck in MN for all 4 years.
-no Asian market.


#40 Creighton:
Pros:
- Location/weather (less cold and shorter winter)
- Easier to drive, I can even drive there from CA (gonna take 2 days, but it means I can bring my car)
- a bit less expensive than UMD (both tuition and rent), still expensive as it's a private school, but as of right now it seems like it is 20k cheaper than Duluth
- more flexible with rotations, they allow me to take 2 IPPEs and 3 APPEs in Central Valley CA, they have some preceptors here. The rest of them I can take in Omaha or Lincoln, so less driving and less costly.
- have Asian markets.
-a sizable CA alumni.
- other stats seem comparable (89.9% NAPLEX, 8/13 passed CPJE, 23.8% residency placement)
-doesn't have regional branch, so professors are not spread out (distance pathway don't count because I applied to campus pathway)

Cons:
- less prestigious, and being private as opposed to public.
- a harder curriculum it seems, and stricter standard (1 D and you're in probation, 2 D's and you're out)
- less research funding, I don't know about their clinical focus...
- lower graduation rate (81.5% in 2015)
-competing with U of Nebraska also in Omaha



I can't think of anything else right now. I want to come back to Central Valley (CA) to work and also find a residency spot. I know the market is supersaturated right now, so I'm trying to utilizing all my chances to establish a network in CA ,so that's why rotations in CA seem appealing to me. But idk if I'm making wrong decision just based on that alone. Maybe I should expand my horizon beyond CA? But I want to see my family and friends 🙁 I'm asking everybody and it seems opinions are split, but leaning towards Creighton, just because of its location and cheaper cost. Please give me some more inputs, because I'm unfamiliar with both schools. Thank you so much!

PS: sorry for long post!

 

[CUpharmD2013]

As a grad from Creighton in their distance program, I would recommend Creighton for many of the reasons that are important to you. Creighton's database of rotation sites is very deep due to having both the campus and distance pathways. If you want to work in a hospital in California once you graduate, doing rotations in California will give you a step up with those organizations that you rotate with. Creighton is still well respected and I'm going to guess that the difference in reputation is only going to matter if you want to go into research like lord mentioned. If you have any questions in regards to Creighton in particular, feel free to PM me.

 

[Kelp103]

I'm a current distance P3 at Creighton. I'm so glad I made the choice to go to Creighton and LOVE my school. They have a ton of alumni spread out everywhere (I've met several in my area) and several of my distance classmates are currently in California. It's true it'd be better to try to complete your IPPEs and APPEs where you think you'll want to end up afterwards (especially if you decide you want to do residency). That being said, I know several of my distance classmates had a harder time finding California IPPEs (hospital and community) because of the sheer number of Californian schools locking down rotation sites. Two classmates I'm thinking of off the top of my head went to Arizona (Creighton has a site there) instead of California for hospital IPPEs. I don't know how they did for APPEs to be honest. It's possible they had an easier time, I just don't know for sure. Setting up distance rotations takes more work on the student's part, so I'd just be ready for that.

I'd also think about the chance of being able to be involved in extracurricular stuff and research opportunities (to fill up your CV for residency) at a satellite campus. I am not sure if the opportunities are the same or not (I don't have any evidence one way or another, it's an honest question). As a distance student, I have to make more of my own opportunities, but you wouldn't have that problem as a campus student at Creighton (TONS of stuff).
Just stuff to think about 🙂

 

[trailerpark]

My friend went to the Duluth campus. Yes the city is the main one. He said his lectures were TV video broadcasted. I'm guessing from the main campus. But aren't most schools PowerPoint schools? This way you just watch PowerPoint on video? I'm guessing that means no classroom engagement. I wouldn't care too much about rank.


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[Jssgarden]

As a grad from Creighton in their distance program, I would recommend Creighton for many of the reasons that are important to you. Creighton's database of rotation sites is very deep due to having both the campus and distance pathways. If you want to work in a hospital in California once you graduate, doing rotations in California will give you a step up with those organizations that you rotate with. Creighton is still well respected and I'm going to guess that the difference in reputation is only going to matter if you want to go into research like lord mentioned. If you have any questions in regards to Creighton in particular, feel free to PM me.

Thank you for you input. How do you go about setting up sites in your area?

I'm a current distance P3 at Creighton. I'm so glad I made the choice to go to Creighton and LOVE my school. They have a ton of alumni spread out everywhere (I've met several in my area) and several of my distance classmates are currently in California. It's true it'd be better to try to complete your IPPEs and APPEs where you think you'll want to end up afterwards (especially if you decide you want to do residency). That being said, I know several of my distance classmates had a harder time finding California IPPEs (hospital and community) because of the sheer number of Californian schools locking down rotation sites. Two classmates I'm thinking of off the top of my head went to Arizona (Creighton has a site there) instead of California for hospital IPPEs. I don't know how they did for APPEs to be honest. It's possible they had an easier time, I just don't know for sure. Setting up distance rotations takes more work on the student's part, so I'd just be ready for that.

I'd also think about the chance of being able to be involved in extracurricular stuff and research opportunities (to fill up your CV for residency) at a satellite campus. I am not sure if the opportunities are the same or not (I don't have any evidence one way or another, it's an honest question). As a distance student, I have to make more of my own opportunities, but you wouldn't have that problem as a campus student at Creighton (TONS of stuff).
Just stuff to think about 🙂

That's what I'm worrying as well. With the new pharmacy school opened and it's been a while since Creighton has students from my area, so they said it's gonna be challenging trying to set up sites. But at least they let me do that I guess 🙁

My friend went to the Duluth campus. Yes the city is the main one. He said his lectures were TV video broadcasted. I'm guessing from the main campus. But aren't most schools PowerPoint schools? This way you just watch PowerPoint on video? I'm guessing that means no classroom engagement. I wouldn't care too much about rank.

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Is your friend Asian like me? how did he survive the cold in Duluth? How did he commute to work and rotation sites? Did he feel losing out as compare to the main campus students? Was going to Duluth worth it? I know most classrooms are ppt but I do like the direct engagement with professors as I feel like that's what I'm paying for...

 

[CUpharmD2013]

To set up a site in your area, just walk into your pharmacy of choice, introduce yourself as a student and see if they'd be willing to host you for a rotation. If they are willing, let Creighton know and they will complete the process. Look at the list of current sites in your area and see if there are hospitals that aren't on the list and start with them. You could also talk to current sites about adding new rotations. I was able to do this with critical care, infectious disease, and cardiology. If you go to sites that already have a relationship with Creighton, they may prefer to take you over a local student because they've had better experiences with Creighton students (I've heard this at multiple sites that I rotated at)

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[8turkeys]

Duluth is known to be the coldest city in the continental USA, I am from MN and Duluth tends to be about 10 degrees colder than TCities. Personally, I would choose Creighton because at the U you have to watch your professors on TV and can't form relationships with them. Not sure if you have ever been to Duluth, but it is a pretty sketchy town and they have a high crime rate.

 

[Jssgarden]

To set up a site in your area, just walk into your pharmacy of choice, introduce yourself as a student and see if they'd be willing to host you for a rotation. If they are willing, let Creighton know and they will complete the process. Look at the list of current sites in your area and see if there are hospitals that aren't on the list and start with them. You could also talk to current sites about adding new rotations. I was able to do this with critical care, infectious disease, and cardiology. If you go to sites that already have a relationship with Creighton, they may prefer to take you over a local student because they've had better experiences with Creighton students (I've heard this at multiple sites that I rotated at)

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So do I get a Yellow book and go to every pharmacy listed in the book? I didn't have pharmacy experience prior to this because I had another job that is not pharmacy related, and also took classes over the summer. I think it's gonna be hard for me to compete with the students who were already techs before. Where should I start? I assume that it's too late to get a tech license because I'll get the intern license when school starts anyway.

 

[Kelp103]

So do I get a Yellow book and go to every pharmacy listed in the book? I didn't have pharmacy experience prior to this because I had another job that is not pharmacy related, and also took classes over the summer. I think it's gonna be hard for me to compete with the students who were already techs before. Where should I start? I assume that it's too late to get a tech license because I'll get the intern license when school starts anyway.

They have a database of sites that previously took students. So it's probably best to start there, because they took students before (less explaining about what Creighton is and what you want). Even if it was a while ago, they can still have sites listed with contact info.

You're not really competing with other students who were techs before, because other people don't normally set up their own sites. They use their school's sites (through a lottery system or whatever). Though a personal connection definitely helps. I got 3 rotations through my workplace.

 

[Jssgarden]

They have a database of sites that previously took students. So it's probably best to start there, because they took students before (less explaining about what Creighton is and what you want). Even if it was a while ago, they can still have sites listed with contact info.

You're not really competing with other students who were techs before, because other people don't normally set up their own sites. They use their school's sites (through a lottery system or whatever). Though a personal connection definitely helps. I got 3 rotations through my workplace.

Thank you. I'll definitely start there first. So what do you suggest me to do now before starting P1 year in the fall? Should I try to volunteer somewhere? Does that even help because most places don't accept volunteer. So should I just continue my job to earn some money before school starts.

 

[Kelp103]

Thank you. I'll definitely start there first. So what do you suggest me to do now before starting P1 year in the fall? Should I try to volunteer somewhere? Does that even help because most places don't accept volunteer. So should I just continue my job to earn some money before school starts.

You could try volunteering at a hospital and letting them know you are interested in pharmacy, but most places (at least around here) require a year commitment (and there's no guarantee they'd let you in the pharmacy). It's probably better to just relax and make some money with your current job. You can join some local pharmacy associations and attend any meetings they may have in the summer after you start pharmacy school. My state chapter of ASHP for example has a local chapter that has dinners every month or so. Networking locally whenever you can may be your best bet. Networking in general is a good idea (you never know who might know someone in California). Just my opinion 🙂

 

[Jssgarden]

Duluth is known to be the coldest city in the continental USA, I am from MN and Duluth tends to be about 10 degrees colder than TCities. Personally, I would choose Creighton because at the U you have to watch your professors on TV and can't form relationships with them. Not sure if you have ever been to Duluth, but it is a pretty sketchy town and they have a high crime rate.

Are you going to the pharmacy program in MN? I've never been to Duluth, my interview was in TC.

 

[8turkeys]

Are you going to the pharmacy program in MN? I've never been to Duluth, my interview was in TC.

I was accepted, but turned it down. They put me at Duluth, would rather have gone to twin cities

 

[Jssgarden]

I was accepted, but turned it down. They put me at Duluth, would rather have gone to twin cities

Same with me. Where did you end up going if you don't mind me asking?

 

[BluejayRx]

Thank you. I'll definitely start there first. So what do you suggest me to do now before starting P1 year in the fall? Should I try to volunteer somewhere? Does that even help because most places don't accept volunteer. So should I just continue my job to earn some money before school starts.

Current P4 at CU campus pathway from So Cal. Getting IPPEs and APPEs at home are fairly easy due to the database. Also since you want to do a residency I wouldn't worry too much about IPPE1 location. However I would recommend that you do your clinical APPEs in Omaha/Linclon unless you know it will be a good site (ie Kaiser) I was able to do one in LA and had a great time. Had some horror stories of people doing an APPE in a smaller So Cal hospital and just sat around half the day and didn't learn much. CU professors are well networked in my opionion so just reach out and people will help point you to the right direction/ people to speak with. Sorry if this is too late and you already made your decision. PM me if you have more questions.

 

[Jssgarden]

Thank you. It's nice to see a fellow CU campus pathway Californian. I might bookmark you to see if I have anymore questions 🙂. I'm set to go to Creighton, let's see how it's going to turn out for me.