Do pharmacy schools put great emphasis in courseload per semester?

[nygoblue]

I was just wondering if pharmacy schools put a lot of emphasis in the manner in which prerequisites were completed. For example, last semester I took 9 credits (3.9 gpa) and worked 25 hrs a week at a retail pharm. Would pharmacy schools look down on this light courseload? As a post-bacc, I only need to fulfill science pre reqs in 2 years and it really doesn't make much sense to load up each term.

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[MrMeowphers]

that in itself is a difficult question to answer.

some probably do, while others probably don't.

the reason why many graduate schools, med schools, dental schools, and others put emphasis on the rigor of your course load is because it shows you can do well when pressured.

taking 9 hours is not even meeting the minimum requirements to be a full-time student. now unless you're a part-time student because you have family issues, health issues, or something else, you should at least be taking 12 credit hours...

now again, i'm sure most pharmacy programs wouldn't care about how many hours you take per semester, but in a tight race with so many qualified applicants, you want to make sure to put yourself in a position to stand out. One way is to say, "I took 17 credit hours for 2 years and still have a 3.9 GPA." Along with taking advanced classes.

Good luck.👍

 

[crazybob]

I was just wondering if pharmacy schools put a lot of emphasis in the manner in which prerequisites were completed. For example, last semester I took 9 credits (3.9 gpa) and worked 25 hrs at a retail pharm. Would pharmacy schools look down on this light courseload? As a post-bacc, I only need to fulfill science pre reqs in 2 years and it really doesn't make much sense to load up each term.

If you can show that you can transition from whatever you have no to 18-20 credit hours per semester, then it should be ok.

But going from 9 to 18 within one semester might be a bit much for you to get used to. Try taking on 15 or 16 hours in one semester and see how well you manage that.

 

[nygoblue]

won't pharmacy schools also consider the fact that i am working part-time (25 hrs a week)? i am going to increase the courseload, but i hope i won't be stretched too thin. Believe me, if i didn't have to work, 16+ credits would not be a problem. anyways, thanks for all the helpful responses.

 

[bugg]

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[Monalyce]

They will take this into account, but it is still to your advantage to demonstrate that you can succeed with a full course load. You've shown that you can multi-task, but in pharmacy school you will nearly always have 18+ credit hours...schools will want to be sure that you can handle that amount of schoolwork.