Degree vs. No degree

[170]

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Does having a bachelors help with chances of getting in? Assuming its in biology or chemistry.

I'm going for my bachelors in bio right now, most of my classes are duel for my degree and for the pre pharm standards anyway. I figured why not get the degree while I'm at it.

 

[Swishers]

Yeah, you'll definitely want to get the degree. More and more schools are pretty much only accepting people with degrees.

 

[crazybob]

Does having a bachelors help with chances of getting in? Assuming its in biology or chemistry.

I'm going for my bachelors in bio right now, most of my classes are duel for my degree and for the pre pharm standards anyway. I figured why not get the degree while I'm at it.

Then go for it.

There are people who don't think they need a degree to start pharmacy school, but that differs from person to person. It's much better to feel prepared before starting pharmacy school rather than just do the bare minimum and struggle.

If you spend a little more time in college, you can take that time to grow up more and mature before starting pharmacy school.

I would definitely recommend getting the degree before starting pharmacy school. There are plenty of people who wish they had gotten a degree before starting pharmacy school.

Don't listen to people who say it's a waste of time and money.

 

[Busta919]

I would also like to point out that it offers you a fallback position. There are no job guarantee's when you graduate. A bachelor's degree gives you some options you might not otherwise have.

Also makes you more well rounded. At least one of my classmates has been accepted for 2012 so that she can finish her bachelors.

Once you have it, it cannot be taken from you. If you don't finish, then you really could say that everything you took that was not a requirement for Pharmacy, is a waste. It would really be a shame to have invested 3 years and not complete what you started.

All reasons stated in the posts before this...😀

 

[UFsufer002]

A degree helps a lot. I have a degree in Exercise Science and it really helped me get accepted to Pharmacy School. So go for it! 🙂

 

[owlegrad]

I would also like to point out that it offers you a fallback position. There are no job guarantee's when you graduate. A bachelor's degree gives you some options you might not otherwise have.

Also makes you more well rounded. At least one of my classmates has been accepted for 2012 so that she can finish her bachelors.

Once you have it, it cannot be taken from you. If you don't finish, then you really could say that everything you took that was not a requirement for Pharmacy, is a waste. It would really be a shame to have invested 3 years and not complete what you started.

All reasons stated in the posts before this...😀

That depends on what your focus is. If all you care about is getting into pharmacy, then obviously it is a waste of time. If you want to finish your degree for any reason, that may be right the decision for you. It is a highly personally choice of course. You have to decide for yourself if it is worth the time or not.

Edit: Generic "you".

 

[DrDrugs2012]

My general advice to students is to analyze risk-reward.

If you put in only two years of education, the opportunity to save two years undergraduate tuition, time, and receive two years additional pharmacist-level compensation may be great in your equation. On the other hand, securing a degree with tangible skills training such as learning how to run and interpret all the blots in biology or use advanced analytical equipment in chemistry, would provide you with excellent tools to leverage into a career if you ever chose a science-side research angle (as opposed to pharmacy practice side research angle) for a career, opportunities in research at the pharmacy school, and a career in science if you were ever to leave pharmacy school for any reason.

In my opinion, there is no right and wrong and personal situations will always dictate the decision... but I always advise students to analyze their career decisions from a perspective of concomitant risk minimization/reward maximization.

 

[VeeSee]

No point if you're only focused on pharmacy school IMO

Just makes the process longer ... unless of course you want to up your GPA or something ..

 

[honeybee763]

No point if you're only focused on pharmacy school IMO

Just makes the process longer ... unless of course you want to up your GPA or something ..

I think there is a point. Over 90% of students in my pharmacy class have a 4-year degree. I think it is becoming more common for schools to expect that.

 

[delano2000]

FYI. Please use the search function in the future because this topic has been discussed many times before.

 

[R2pharmD2]

I don't understand why someone would bother getting a degree if they can get in without it, unless they have specific plans that require it or it's just something they have a desire to do. People bring up the fact that you might need it if pharmacy doesn't pan out for you, and that may very well be true, but it's not like you can't complete it later. It's the same amount of time either way. It's silly not to complete it if you're accepted with a semester left to go, but why do an extra year or 2 of school "just in case?" Again, if it's something you want to do, then that's great, go for it.