Do we need good grades in pharmacy school

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david05

PharmD/MBA
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Hello everyone, :D

It seems a stupid question, but I heard that grade in pharmacy school doesn't matter; as long as you earn grades that you can pass the classes (maybe Cs), maintain the required GPA to graduate the pharmacy school, and pass the board exam at the end.

Is this true? Does GPA matter when we look for a job? Do employers only look at whether or not you pass the board exam? (i'm not talking about experience)


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Retail - No
Clinical - Yes

If you have a low GPA, you simply omit it on your CV altogether. The idea, however, is to make yourself shine... and without a GPA on your CV, potential employers may realize you weren't the strongest student.

And that's not even taking into consideration residencies. If you want one, GPA matters. And so does being highly involved and showing leadership abilities.
 
Chris co2012 said:
Retail - No
Clinical - Yes

If you have a low GPA, you simply omit it on your CV altogether. The idea, however, is to make yourself shine... and without a GPA on your CV, potential employers may realize you weren't the strongest student.

And that's not even taking into consideration residencies. If you want one, GPA matters. And so does being highly involved and showing leadership abilities.
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Experience beats grades any day of the week. Without the former, your 4.0 impresses no one.
 
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BenJammin said:
Experience beats grades any day of the week. Without the former, your 4.0 impresses no one.
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If you're planning to do a residency or go to graduate school, GPA does matter, but employers DO NOT CARE about GPA. Period.
 
BenJammin said:
Experience beats grades any day of the week. Without the former, your 4.0 impresses no one.
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Well, if you're a new graduate and have no work experience then may God be with you... In our state, we are required to work an extra 500 hours outside of rotations. So most of our students have plenty of retail experience.
 
If you want to do a residency I would keep at least a 3.8 GPA. Good luck! :)
 
cycloketocaine said:
>3.5 is usually fine unless you are completely lacking in other areas.
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That's good to know...I have a 3.6 GPA right now...but I have NO idea what I want to do....I just know NOT informatics! haha
 
PharMed2016 said:
Its getting really competitive now but I think you may just do fine. 1/2 didnt match this year. Actually kind of curious how next year will turn out.
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Yes it is very competitive now. Even a position at Rite Aid is hard to get now! :rolleyes:

Honestly, I have NO idea what I want to do...if my GPA isn't good enough for a residency I am okay with that. If I have to work retail b/c my GPA is too low...I am okay with that...I have no idea what I want to do.

I had a 4.0 GPA my P1 and P2 year...however I BOMBED my P3 year very badly...not sure if that is in my favor or not. I would have a 4.0 GPA if you erase my P3 year...again not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. :confused:
 
SHC1984 said:
I had a 4.0 GPA my P1 and P2 year...however I BOMBED my P3 year very badly...not sure if that is in my favor or not. I would have a 4.0 GPA if you erase my P3 year...again not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing. :confused:
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It's not a GOOD thing. P3 grades (therapeutics mainly) are the grades we considered most closely when evaluating candidates.
 
All4MyDaughter said:
It's not a GOOD thing. P3 grades (therapeutics mainly) are the grades we considered most closely when evaluating candidates.
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Well, my boyfriend dumped me and I was depressed for months my P3 year...is that a valid excuse? :confused:
 
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SHC1984 said:
Well, my boyfriend dumped me and I was depressed for months my P3 year...is that a valid excuse? :confused:
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I wouldn't bring that up, no. I know people who have had a child or spouse pass away, been diagnosed with cancer, lost their home in a fire, who haven't "bombed" pharmacy school. Your GPA is probably not that bad anyway, so blaming it on a boyfriend dumping you isn't going to help matters much.

A candidate with a somewhat lower GPA can usually make up for it with good work experience, quality organizational involvement, community service or leadership.
 
All4MyDaughter said:
I wouldn't bring that up, no. I know people who have had a child or spouse pass away, been diagnosed with cancer, lost their home in a fire, who haven't "bombed" pharmacy school. Your GPA is probably not that bad anyway, so blaming it on a boyfriend dumping you isn't going to help matters much.

A candidate with a somewhat lower GPA can usually make up for it with good work experience, quality organizational involvement, community service or leadership.
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My P3 year I made Bs and Cs...my GPA P3 year was below 3.0. My overall is 3.6 though.

WOW...those are terrible things....and I thought my life was over when I got dumped last year. :oops:

I have retail experience at Target, Walmart, and Walgreens.
I am in APhA, Rho Chi and GSHP.

I hope those things are impressive enough. hahaha...
 
david05 said:
Hello everyone, :D

It seems a stupid question, but I heard that grade in pharmacy school doesn't matter; as long as you earn grades that you can pass the classes (maybe Cs), maintain the required GPA to graduate the pharmacy school, and pass the board exam at the end.

Is this true? Does GPA matter when we look for a job? Do employers only look at whether or not you pass the board exam? (i'm not talking about experience)


Thank
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For retail/outpatient; I honestly think your personality is weighted much more than any academic stats.

For inpatient, depends on the person hiring.

My current director will pass on a Rho Chi or someone with a bunch of academic acheivements on their CV because she'll assume they're eggheads and might be socially awkward. She would rather hire someone "cooL"

My last director wanted to see high grades, quality residency, etc.
 
come on now....gpa matters in the hospital sector....retail not really....if i were you make sure you go to career fair and ace those interviews during p4 year...apply everywhere and keep your options open
 
SHC1984 said:
My P3 year I made Bs and Cs...my GPA P3 year was below 3.0. My overall is 3.6 though.

WOW...those are terrible things....and I thought my life was over when I got dumped last year. :oops:

I have retail experience at Target, Walmart, and Walgreens.
I am in APhA, Rho Chi and GSHP.

I hope those things are impressive enough. hahaha...
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I don't see common sense on that list?
 
SHC1984 said:
My P3 year I made Bs and Cs...my GPA P3 year was below 3.0. My overall is 3.6 though.

WOW...those are terrible things....and I thought my life was over when I got dumped last year. :oops:

I have retail experience at Target, Walmart, and Walgreens.
I am in APhA, Rho Chi and GSHP.

I hope those things are impressive enough. hahaha...
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Have you had any leadership roles in those groups?
 
pharm B said:
Have you had any leadership roles in those groups?
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That would be my question too. Describe your leadership experience, community service projects you've been involved in, or causes you are passionate about (and how you are involved in them). I also want to know more about candidates' work experience and would ask behavioral questions about how they manage conflict in the workplace, prioritize workload, etc.
 
All4MyDaughter said:
That would be my question too. Describe your leadership experience, community service projects you've been involved in, or causes you are passionate about (and how you are involved in them). I also want to know more about candidates' work experience and would ask behavioral questions about how they manage conflict in the workplace, prioritize workload, etc.
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We ask if they are sensitive :D
 
Residency is so competitive now that to be a really competitive candidate you can't afford any major weaknesses. >3.5 GPA, internship experience, leadership or research, glowing LOR, etc...most of the candidates at the VA had all of those. Signifant weakness in any one area pretty much made your score non-competitive.
 
xiphoid2010 said:
Residency is so competitive now that to be a really competitive candidate you can't afford any major weaknesses. >3.5 GPA, internship experience, leadership or research, glowing LOR, etc...most of the candidates at the VA had all of those. Signifant weakness in any one area pretty much made your score non-competitive.
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That GPA part bums me out. :(
 
I work at Walmart (my first job) and they never even asked me what my grades were.
 
30Percent said:
Wow >3.5 now? I thought I read in some older threads 3.3-3.4 was competitive.
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Some of it will depend on the program. The VA I was at was well established, within a major UMC and next to its COP. We resident were given equal vote on the 2011-2012 applicants. There were so many applications that we raised interviews per spot from 6:1 to 7:1. Even then, the minimum score for interview still went up 7%.
 
All4MyDaughter said:
You'd rather be considered stupid than ugly?
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Obviously it's best to be hot and smart....but if left with a choice of hot and stupid OR average looking and intelligent....it's BY FAR better to be hot and stupid.
 
SHC1984 said:
Obviously it's best to be hot and smart....but if left with a choice of hot and stupid OR average looking and intelligent....it's BY FAR better to be hot and stupid.
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No. :laugh:

Beauty fades (I know girls in their late 20's who are already looking rough)... stupid lasts forever.
 
I still have yet to be given any credible evidence that SHC is actually hot.
 
KARM12 said:
I still have yet to be given any credible evidence that SHC is actually hot.
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I been told several times by different people that I look just like this actress in person.
thumbnail.aspx


Someone stop me for an autograph before when I was in Taiwan. lol...
 
KARM12 said:
I still have yet to be given any credible evidence that SHC is actually hot.
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Speaking only in generalities, people who loudly proclaim how hot and smart they are, often have over-inflated opinions of themselves. The most beautiful people I know are pretty humble...
 
I wonder if knowing the residency director would help...
 
Since you posted it...I wouldn't classify as "hot."
 
KARM12 said:
Since you posted it...I wouldn't classify as "hot."
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You are the one and only...billions of fans would disagree. I don't think anyone has ever call this actress unattractive before to be honest and this is the most modest photo that doesn't even do her justice. :laugh:
 
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SHC1984 said:
You are the one and only...billions of fans would disagree. I don't think anyone has ever call this actress unattractive before to be honest and this is the most modest photo that doesn't even do her justice. :laugh:
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you posted up her "modest" pic, therefore u would be a 1 or 2 below the pic. I think you live in an area without a large Asian population and are considered rare, exotic looking so guys gas you up. if you were in Houston, you definitely wouldn't get a second look. The actress isn't unattractive but at the same time pretty normal looking. Just saying...
 
Yes this is an extremely stupid question.

Getting good grades is not a matter of needs. Its a matter of who you are and how you live your life. You have one life to live. Why wouldnt you strive to achieve excellence in a life long investment of education that will be you occupation for the rest of your life?
 
Its Z said:
Yes this is an extremely stupid question.

Getting good grades is not a matter of needs. Its a matter of who you are and how you live your life. You have one life to live. Why wouldnt you strive to achieve excellence in a life long investment of education that will be you occupation for the rest of your life?
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Blah blah blah.....
 
HouTX said:
you posted up her "modest" pic, therefore u would be a 1 or 2 below the pic. I think you live in an area without a large Asian population and are considered rare, exotic looking so guys gas you up. if you were in Houston, you definitely wouldn't get a second look. The actress isn't unattractive but at the same time pretty normal looking. Just saying...
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I am 1 or 2 above. I grew up in an area that's mostly Koreans. LOL...and I get plenty of second looks. I been to Houston twice and had my share there too. :laugh:
 
SHC1984 said:
I am 1 or 2 above. I live in an area that's mostly Koreans. LOL...and I get plenty of second looks. I been to Houston twice and had my share there too. :laugh:
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How long has your longest relationship lasted?
 
Its Z said:
Yes this is an extremely stupid question.

Getting good grades is not a matter of needs. Its a matter of who you are and how you live your life. You have one life to live. Why wouldnt you strive to achieve excellence in a life long investment of education that will be you occupation for the rest of your life?
Click to expand...

Good grades are very important.
School with a great reputation is very important.
Having money is very important.
Looking HOT is even more important.

The point is folks everything is VERY important. :)

You must try to exceed at everything in life to have value. :thumbup:
 
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