Extracurriular experience?

[axelz165]

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I'm a senior that is planning on applying in the summer to the pharmacy schools in Florida. I'll be taking an extra Fall semester.

My current extracurriculars include:
-Member of Pre-Health Fraternity (AED) since Spring 2011. Leadership includes: PR Director, Relay for Life Organizer, + 1 more position in fall.
-Member of Pre-Pharmacy society since this semester. (3 by graduation)

Volunteering
- Over 200 hours logged with Alpha Epsilon Delta
- 1 semester of volunteer work at a pharmacy 3 hours per week. Will be volunteering 2 more semester.
-Hopefully will get a research position within the next SPring/summer/fall semesters.

Work Experience
-none.

Is there anything else I can do to strengthen this area? I'll be graduating with ~3.2. cum GPA.

 

[rxtech2012]

What kind if pharmacy do you volunteer at? Hospital I assume?

 

[rxtech2012]

The important thing I think is that you need to understand what pharmacy entails(without googling) but to actually immerse yourself in the field. You are going to want to know things like: what does a pharmacist do in different environments, what kinds of stresses do they deal with, or why exactly you want to be a pharmacist. So many people are applying with gpas like yours so what else is going to set you apart besides volunteering when you have people who have been techs for years. I would suggest finding a job in a pharmacy and getting certified as a tech.

 

[axelz165]

It is a hospital pharmacy. I hear getting a job in a pharmacy/pharm tech position in Florida is actually pretty difficult now. Would just volunteering suffice?

 

[The Recoverer]

It is a hospital pharmacy. I hear getting a job in a pharmacy/pharm tech position in Florida is actually pretty difficult now. Would just volunteering suffice?

axel, I personally know 5 people who get into school fine WITHOUT any volunteer or employment experiences. I have both but I am very grateful to have been offered the chance to work as a tech. It took me 2 years after getting tech certified to actually find a tech job. Not mentioning my state due to confidentiality but I can tell you, it may not be hard to find a tech job, but it sure does take determination and persistence. 😀 (I nagged the pharm manager for 5 months)😳

personally, I think your volunteer experiences are more than enough to show your passion for the field. Volunteering in a hospital pharmacy is certainly an experience that many applicants would die for. There are thousands of applicants nationwide all looking for tech jobs so I have to give it to you, a technician job IS hard to come by. But please do not worry if you have 0 work experience in pharmacy. I can assure you not every applicant has work experience in pharmacy. Just focus on volunteering and on the side maybe continue looking. I will be praying for you! 😉

 

[axelz165]

Thank you Recoverer! Also do you know how they would feel about being Relay for Life captain? It's something I'm really passionate about and have already devoted alot of time to. DO you think this would be a good thing for me to accentuate on?

 

[The Recoverer]

Thank you Recoverer! Also do you know how they would feel about being Relay for Life captain? It's something I'm really passionate about and have already devoted alot of time to. DO you think this would be a good thing for me to accentuate on?

Definitiely. That sounds good. I put the heart walk under my ECs. Relay for life is definitely health related and being involved shows your awareness to disease