Current pharmacists, how did you pick your school?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
O

oregonian19

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
May 12, 2017
Messages
344
Reaction score
407
Members do not see this ad.
Hello everyone.

I was wanting to know how you practicing pharmacists were able to pick the school school you attended?

I have currently been accepted to three schools, have one interview coming up, and waiting about two other potential interviews.

Of the three schools I have been admitted to, I'm declining one, have a seat held until March for another, and must put down a deposit by Oct. 30th for the third. One of the two schools I am waiting on for a potential interview is my (believed) first choice.

Because of the time-sensitive aspect of the Oct. 30 school and the fact I haven't had one interview and I'm waiting on others, I was just curious how others have handled selecting their schools.
 
Some good criteria to go by are:
-cost of school
-cost of living in surrounding area
-how 'connected' the school is in terms of residency/research (if this is a road you wanna pursue)

A lot of times at interviews, they have current students give you a tour; you can ask for their contact info, and email them at a later date with any questions. A bit one to ask is how easily they are able to get internships.
 
Cost is one of the biggest factors I have been looking at.

The cheapest option is my state school in terms of tuition and the COL is reasonably cheap for where the school is.

However, my state school is the lowest ranked school I am interviewing with and will be the lowest ranked one I have been accepted to. I know rankings aren't the best criteria to go off of, but I feel like it's something I should consider

Tuition appears to be about the same across all the schools, about $22k-$26k a year. That seems like a small enough difference to not have it matter. Of course, this is after being an out of state student for one year.
 
oregonian19 said:
Cost is one of the biggest factors I have been looking at.

The cheapest option is my state school in terms of tuition and the COL is reasonably cheap for where the school is.

However, my state school is the lowest ranked school I am interviewing with and will be the lowest ranked one I have been accepted to. I know rankings aren't the best criteria to go off of, but I feel like it's something I should consider

Tuition appears to be about the same across all the schools, about $22k-$26k a year. That seems like a small enough difference to not have it matter. Of course, this is after being an out of state student for one year.
Click to expand...
don't go to pharmacy school. it's too saturated. countless people on this forum and on the internet are saying it is difficult to find a job. you're not in this crap hole yet so you still have a chance. of course you're going to ignore all these warnings of people telling you not to go to pharmacy school. and you're going to go to pharmacy school anyway. i'll see you in 6 years when you're vastly in debt and struggling to find work
 
zelman said:
Hmmmm.... It's a tough decision, but I guess this would be the best way to choose that you might follow:

  1. Read this
  2. Reevaluate whether or not you want to go to pharmacy school
  3. Ignore this warning
  4. Pick the cheapest one
Click to expand...

Geez, that reddit post is bleak look into the future for a lot of us. What is scary about it is the economy is doing pretty good, what's going to happen in the next recession?
 
I would appreciate it if those replying could just answer my question.

I see a lot of negativity on this forum and it doesn't exactly match up with the sentiment of the pharmacists I know and work with. For all we know, for every negative comment on here, there's 10 pharmacists ready to say something positive; the negativity is just response bias.
 
oregonian19 said:
I see a lot of negativity on this forum and it doesn't exactly match up with the sentiment of the pharmacists I know and work with. For all we know, for every negative comment on here, there's 10 pharmacists ready to say something positive; the negativity is just response bias.
Click to expand...

Have your pharmacists encouraged you to go to pharmacy school? I have even written letters of rec for people for pharmacy school but I wouldn't say anything positive about pharmacy that you couldn't say about other "white-collar" professions (hey at least you aren't working an oil rig or truck driving). The time they spend at work is already enough of a cautionary tale (if only regarding retail)
 
No one has encouraged me to go, but no one has recommended against it. The only negativity I have gotten is from those who work in retail and talk about how they need more support, but the stores won't give them the money for it. Otherwise, the rest seem to enjoy their job and do not have many bad things to say.

Thank you to Seriously Serious for a reasonable response. Only follow up is how do you gauge reputation? The other factors (cost, location, and rank) are empirical, but reputation seems more subjective.
 
oregonian19 said:
No one has encouraged me to go, but no one has recommended against it. The only negativity I have gotten is from those who work in retail and talk about how they need more support, but the stores won't give them the money for it. Otherwise, the rest seem to enjoy their job and do not have many bad things to say.

Thank you to Seriously Serious for a reasonable response. Only follow up is how do you gauge reputation? The other factors (cost, location, and rank) are empirical, but reputation seems more subjective.
Click to expand...

You're right, it's a subjective evaluation. It may only apply to some schools, but there are some that just have a bad reputation (bad administration, not organized, low-quality university, low funding, etc.). It is surprisingly easy to measure this by talking to current students, and asking how they like being a student at "X COP".
 
I went by strictly location to my college girlfriend (i had 4 to choose from)- it was a bad decision, we broke up before I started, then I met my ex-wife in pharmacy school. If I would have went to the cheapest school that was further from home I would have saved myself a failed marriage and giving away have my stuff.

so to answer your question - go to the cheapest - which is likely a state school which likely has a better reputation.
 
First the school had be 100% accredited, not any pre-candidate shenanigans. Second was cost. This gave me 2 options, my sole state school which was 4 years or a slightly farther away out of state 3 year accelerated program. The state school wanted me to take a bunch more pre-reqs that would make me wait till next year to apply pushing graduation to 5 years away! The 3 year school only required 1 additional pre-req that I could easily take the current year if I got an acceptance making graduation only 3 years away. I only applied to the 3 year school and luckily got in so went there. If I hadn't gotten in I would have taken a few more classes and applied to both schools the following year. I feel like I got lucky and it just worked out for me. The 3 year school was also cheaper when looking at total cost. Win-win.
 
Even in the past, the cheapest accredited school that has at least graduated a class (so not candidate accreditation). I didn't actually socialize much with my classmates (+5 years on me), so it was fine. If you want the social experience, then try getting into the school that has the same social aspects as you did.

If costs are relatively equal, then try to go to the state supported school as there's incentives for retention that the private schools don't. There's pro and con arguments about going to a three year vs four year (I went to a three myself), but you'll have to weigh the differences appropriately.

In practice, the only time I bring up my alma mater is to make it the point of a joke. I actually am proud of putting up with the BS long enough to be a pharmacist, but I certainly did not enjoy pharmacy school and tolerated it as a necessary means to an end. I don't view work that way. Some people though are real cheerleaders and define their social lives still around their school affiliations (UCSF, U of A, Big 10, Texas), and that might work for you too.

There's some regional aspects as well. There is a pointed dislike for Duquesne compared with Pitt in some areas. UF tends to have hiring preference over Nova. You'll also need to figure that out based on where you are, but most places, a PharmD is a PharmD and the candidate's personal aspects matter more than the alma mater.
 
Last edited:
Contrary to what everyone says, I think rank and reputation are important. I went to a school with a good reputation and rank. I choose it for it's strong alumni base ("connections"), research, and affiliation with a large academic medical center. I now work in a state where there are too many pharmacy schools to count (most private). I can feel the difference in quality of education and rotation experiences with some of the the students I precept.

HOWEVER, one may argue that either way the students from both schools will graduate with a PharmD. But I can assure you the quality of your rotations will differ depending on what school you go to. I'd recommend a public, established institution.
 
Last edited:
oregonian19 said:
No one has encouraged me to go, but no one has recommended against it. The only negativity I have gotten is from those who work in retail and talk about how they need more support, but the stores won't give them the money for it. Otherwise, the rest seem to enjoy their job and do not have many bad things to say.

Thank you to Seriously Serious for a reasonable response. Only follow up is how do you gauge reputation? The other factors (cost, location, and rank) are empirical, but reputation seems more subjective.
Click to expand...
why not pick another profession that has more job opportunity and a positive trajectory of growth? seems like you really really like pharmacy
 
When I applied, I was focusing on schools that were within reasonable distance (~3-4 hours) from my home and family. The thought was that I'd be able to visit once or twice a month. The reality is that I never had time for a casual weekend visit, and I would have been just as well on the other side of the country, so I'd say distance shouldn't be a major factor. You should, however try to attend a state school where you qualify for in-state tuition. this profession is no longer worth the expense of private/out-of-state tuition.
 
I'm from a small state with only two options: the state university which is affiliated with a large, tertiary teaching hospital, or the brand new pharmacy school that is part of a Christian university.

There was no choice in my mind.
 
Things were much easier when each state had 1, at max 2, pharmacy schools.

But, I answered this question in your other thread. You are obviously stressing way to much about this, with your multiple threads. Just go Oregon. Don't waste a second even thinking about other choices.
 
oregonian19 said:
Hello everyone.

I was wanting to know how you practicing pharmacists were able to pick the school school you attended?

I have currently been accepted to three schools, have one interview coming up, and waiting about two other potential interviews.

Of the three schools I have been admitted to, I'm declining one, have a seat held until March for another, and must put down a deposit by Oct. 30th for the third. One of the two schools I am waiting on for a potential interview is my (believed) first choice.

Because of the time-sensitive aspect of the Oct. 30 school and the fact I haven't had one interview and I'm waiting on others, I was just curious how others have handled selecting their schools.
Click to expand...
1. Cost (pick the cheapest) there are no Harvard of pharmacy school.
2. Pick the school in the area of lowest saturation. Your degree will mean the most in your local area. That is where your connections will matter.
 
Seriously Serious said:
Tuition, reputation, location, rank (in that order).
Click to expand...

This is it, in a nutshell. Ranking is up to you. I'd also second the notion of contacting current students and see what they think.

Dred Pirate said:
I went by strictly location to my college girlfriend (i had 4 to choose from).
Click to expand...

Geez, I barely had time to date just one...
 
In state. . . can't emphasize enough. The difference between 100/150K and 200-250K (and up?) may not seem like a compelling factor while applying, but it really is. Strictly a value statement about purchasing a pharmD degree.
 
zelman said:
Hmmmm.... It's a tough decision, but I guess this would be the best way to choose that you might follow:

  1. Read this
  2. Reevaluate whether or not you want to go to pharmacy school
  3. Ignore this warning
  4. Pick the cheapest one
Click to expand...
This only applies to metropolitan areas, rural areas are still facing major shortages. So yeah, if you want to work in an area with a Starbucks on every corner, its going to be hard finding a job. I know this because I just talked with employers at my schools job fair and they said rural areas are in big demand. BTW my friend was just offered a job (almost a year before graduation) for $145k in rural cali
 
8turkeys said:
This only applies to metropolitan areas, rural areas are still facing major shortages. So yeah, if you want to work in an area with a Starbucks on every corner, its going to be hard finding a job. I know this because I just talked with employers at my schools job fair and they said rural areas are in big demand. BTW my friend was just offered a job (almost a year before graduation) for $145k in rural cali
Click to expand...
Those shortages will be gone before everyone currently enrolled in pharmacy school graduates. There has been a TON of program expansion and new programs opening.
 
8turkeys said:
Cost, graduation rate, Naplex pass rate.
Click to expand...

You'd really base it on Naplex pass rate? You can breeze by pharmacy school, study hard once you graduate, and still pass the Naplex. I don't think the pass rate determines the quality of the education. Especially since pass rates exceed 80% for most schools.
 
If rural areas have a shortage they don't need that many pharmacists to rectify a shortage especially if they get people to work at least 50-70 hours a week. There's not really a concept of a floater pool in more remote areas. If you go on vacation the pharmacists at the other store in your area will have to cover your shifts.

It works if you are single and don't plan on having a life though
 
hiremeresidency2017 said:
You'd really base it on Naplex pass rate? You can breeze by pharmacy school, study hard once you graduate, and still pass the Naplex. I don't think the pass rate determines the quality of the education. Especially since pass rates exceed 80% for most schools.
Click to expand...
Yes, true, but wouldn't you rather to go to a school that prepares you for the exam? Some schools (top 5 according to USNews) don't even have >90% pass rate which is concerning and reflective that their education was actually not "top 5". This is why many rank schools on their Naplex pass rate rather than USNews rankings.
 
Just go to your state school that has been around for longtime and has lots of alumni in your state.

Pharmacy school ranking are a joke for the most part.

I went to my state school. Cost, location and established university were what I considered. I have a great niche clinical position now, with much thanks to contacts from my school along the way.

I do agree pharmacy is a bad career choice now. I love my job but feel sorry for new grads and those currently in school, the future looks tough for them....
 
My pharmacy school is in the city with tons of work and experiential opportunities. Plus a bunch of my party friends from undergrad were relocating to schools in the same city as well. 😎 Seemed like a no-brainer back then.

But I regret declining an interview with the much cheaper state school. My student loans would be almost paid off my now.
 
8turkeys said:
Yes, true, but wouldn't you rather to go to a school that prepares you for the exam? Some schools (top 5 according to USNews) don't even have >90% pass rate which is concerning and reflective that their education was actually not "top 5". This is why many rank schools on their Naplex pass rate rather than USNews rankings.
Click to expand...
US news is a flawed ranking to say the least - a private non-research institution will never be ranked high - to much of their rankings are not based on career preparation that the majority of their grads will actually do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Side Hustles for Pharmacists
Replies
6
Views
3K
projektreverb
P
M
Are pharmacists leaving $ on the table?
Replies
2
Views
2K
BenJammin
BenJammin
P
Medication administration by inpatient pharmacists: Innovative interdisciplinary care teams
Replies
1
Views
1K
clarkbar
C
F
Does your hospital stock iloprost?
Replies
5
Views
1K
mustang sally
mustang sally
sunnyandseventytwo
For all you pharmacists working retail today
Replies
4
Views
2K
RxPreceptor
RxPreceptor
Top