Did anyone get in pharmacy schools with AA degree?

[Baboguy]

Hello there,
Just wanna encourage myself a little bit before applying pharmacy schools this year. Does anyone know someone gets in pharmacy school without BA or BS? The pharmacist at the retail store where I am volunteering said that I should go get a 4 years degree, pharm tech license, and retail pharm tech experience at least 1 year, then I may have a chance to be accepted. It hurts my feeling but I still want to do this. So if someone has obtained AA degree and got in to pharmacy school, please leave me some words. I need to make myself believe in what I am doing. Thank you!

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[PharmDoReMe]

If your grades are awful or something maybe that's why you're being told that. Also, if you get a degree in something you don't have to limit yourself to just pharmacy.

Many incoming pharmacy students don't have any degree, just two years of undergraduate courses required by their pharm school. Experience definitely helps in your application to see if pharmacy is really what you want, and it can show you're actually serious about pharmacy.

 

[Baboguy]

I am very serious about it. That's why I don't want to spend time for 4 years degree and finished all my prerequisites. Any advices from someone who was the same situation would be very appreciated. I want to prepare myself ahead. Thank you!

 

[Apotheosis]

At a previous Top 5 school I attended:

33% of incoming students had no degree
Avg GPA was around 3.4
Avg PCAT was around 75

 

[Litha]

At my school, for my particular class of 75 students that graduated this year:

7 had associate's
33 had bachelor's
1 had a master's

That leaves 33 students (44%) with no prior degree at all.

So no you don't 'need' a degree. You should definitely get experience, though.

 

[Nic24]

I am very serious about it. That's why I don't want to spend time for 4 years degree and finished all my prerequisites. Any advices from someone who was the same situation would be very appreciated. I want to prepare myself ahead. Thank you!

An AA degree is okay, but I think majority of schools want upper level science courses, like the 300 and 400 level. Is it possible to do a year at a university? For instance, of course depending on the school, a lot of them want to see extra science electives, like Cell Bio, Immunology, Genetics, Biochem, which might not be offered at a CC. If they are, they're prob lower level intro courses. That's the biggest problem you'll run into. I did read on here a year ago, of a person with only an AA complaining of not getting into any of the schools she applied to. She got a couple of interviews though. Lastly, since you're competing with people with a Bachelor's, which some schools will give preference to, applying early(like Sept./Oct- or whenever the app becomes open) is the best way to go, and having a good PCAT score. Definitely check out the qualifiers before you apply to any school, so you don't waste your money

 

[Baboguy]

Any pieces of information from you guys are very helpful, I put myself into lottery wheel and see whether I could win This year! Thanks so much

 

[rxtech2006]

I got into several schools last cycles with an associates. I'm actually going to my top choice and I start next month! I've been a pharm tech for awhile and I believe that improved my application. My advice is to apply early as possible. I had applied late before And by that point my application was just getting lost within the pool of other applicants.

 

[Baboguy]

I got into several schools last cycles with an associates. I'm actually going to my top choice and I start next month! I've been a pharm tech for awhile and I believe that improved my application. My advice is to apply early as possible. I had applied late before And by that point my application was just getting lost within the pool of other applicants.

Thanks for your advice. I am trying to apply as soon as I can. But can you let me know your stat?

 

[ldiot]

You don't need a degree for most schools if you hit all the prereqs and have good grades.

If I knew I was going to pharmacy school I would have never got a degree; waste of money and time.

If you grades are marginal then holding a degree would be favorable.

 

[Baboguy]

I got into several schools last cycles with an associates. I'm actually going to my top choice and I start next month! I've been a pharm tech for awhile and I believe that improved my application. My advice is to apply early as possible. I had applied late before And by that point my application was just getting lost within the pool of other applicants.

Wow! Congrats! Which schools did you apply? And did you have a good PCat score too? Mine is low so I might retake or apply schools without pcat requirement.

 

[Baboguy]

You don't need a degree for most schools if you hit all the prereqs and have good grades.

If I knew I was going to pharmacy school I would have never got a degree; waste of money and time.

If you grades are marginal then holding a degree would be favorable.

That's right! I don't want to invest money into a degree that I don't know what I will do with it

 

[Baboguy]

Finally I did apply 8 and got 8 interview invitations, but I made decision to attend 4 and withdraw 4. At 4 schools I applied, they all accepted me. So hopefully this could encourage someone who is lack of confidence like me prior to applying. You will be fine as long as you show them how passsion you are for the field. Good luck!