Few questions! Help Pls

[jyhhsieh]

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Hello everyone!

I have a bachelor degree in Biochemistry with overall gpa of 2.54. I'm planning to re-take few courses of pre-req of phamD for those that below B. However, a lot of pre-req that I took was in between of 2003 to 2005. I'm wondering, should I take it again for those above B since it has been more then 5 years or more.
Such as
1st year Chem I & II B+ & B+ took in 2003
Organic Chem I & II B & A took in 2003

1. Should I take those courses again?

2. Does schools look overall mark or just pre-req?
(or really depends on the school you going to apply?)

3. Does PharmCas accept courses took more then 5 years?

4. Does PharmCas look overall mark or just pre-req?
( I have seem couple threads saying they look overall gpa not just pre-req is that true?)

5. Also, I have searched many university they don't offer public speaking course so what should I do?

In addition, I'm a Licensed Practical Nurse now which I don't enjoy it a lot and thinking to changing it to pharmacy. I'm really confuse that wheather I should spend time and money to invest myself into pharmacy or not. I have done many researchs for what pharmacist do but not truely sure I should go for it or not? But the good thing is you don't have to deal with hardish patients and care staffs. Anyone any advise?

 

[johnnytinx]

As far as retaking pre-pharmacy courses, it depends on the school you are going to apply to and not pharmcas. For example, my school I applied to, required 1 recent class in Chemistry and 1 recent class in Biology if your pre-reqs are older than 5 years, so you don't have to take all of them over.

I don't know what Universities you are looking at, but Public Speaking is a very common course. Search local and community colleges also.

I suggest you attain a job in a pharmacy setting to see for yourself if you like the job and the people and things you have to deal with on a daily basis.

cheers and good luck with everything !

 

[Busta919]

I don't know how you were able to graduate from college without taking a speach class. I ended up having to take 2 speach classes before I graduated with a BS in Chemistry.

Isn't speach or some version of a speach class a requirement even for an Associates degree?

As for classes...
Work experience carries some weight. Make sure you have a good reference from your work experiences. Promotions or awards/ recognition will help.

You might want to take a couple science / biology classes to show a commitment to this course of action. I would help if you scored well in these.

You can also select science or biology classes from the pre-req lists. Make your selections from the program that has the largest requirement. UT (Tennessee) requires microbiology, immunology, and biochemistry. I would not apply to UT unless I have taken or in the process of taking those classes. The other schools that I have applied to do not have those requirements. If I am not accepted to the school with the highest course requirements, and I attend one that does not have those requirements, then I will be well prepared for the first year. Win, win.

I graduated 1990 and 1993. All my coursework was accepted. I have been taking pre-req courses this past 2 years.

You will need to enter all classes taken and the grades for those classes, including drops, and re-takes. You will have to have transcripts sent to PharmCAS who will verify that you entered the information correctly. PharmCAS will send all the information directly to the schools you are applying to after all requested information has been received (up to 5 weeks after final submissions).

If your target schools do not participate with PharmCAS, then you will probably have to send all that information directly to the school.

Hope this helped.

 

[jyhhsieh]

For Busta 9191
Well! I have searched many school now and a lot of them request the pre-req no longer 5 years or 7 years. The reason that I didn't take speaking class because I graudated from SFU, university from Canada, is not a requirement. However, in my fourth year of biochem, we do have to do couple presentations in front of whole class and I'm not sure that count too or not.

So for what you were saying, I can send it all information to PharmCas and then they will process my application and tell me what I need to re-take and what I don't have to and then from there I would know what I need to re-take. Is that what you mean?

 

[hillwilliam]

For Busta 9191
Well! I have searched many school now and a lot of them request the pre-req no longer 5 years or 7 years. The reason that I didn't take speaking class because I graudated from SFU, university from Canada, is not a requirement. However, in my fourth year of biochem, we do have to do couple presentations in front of whole class and I'm not sure that count too or not.

So for what you were saying, I can send it all information to PharmCas and then they will process my application and tell me what I need to re-take and what I don't have to and then from there I would know what I need to re-take. Is that what you mean?

PharmCAS just verifies the information you enter and computes GPAs. The individual school's determine what their pre-reqs are and the age of courses that will be accepted. You still need to report ALL of your college coursework, even if it is too old and you need to repeat it.

You should be able to look at the requirements of each school and figure out for yourself what classes you need to re-take. You might want to contact an advisor at your top choice schools since your credits are from Canada.

It has been my experience that most schools require math/science pre-reqs to be retaken. I received my first degree back in the 1990's and I did not have to retake or take many Gen Ed type classes.

 

[R2pharmD2]

You might want to contact an advisor at your top choice schools since your credits are from Canada.

Do this. And don't bother retaking any classes you got Bs in if you don't have to.

 

[velvet75]

As the others have pointed out already: It depends what schools you will be applying to.

For instance, many of my courses are over 5 years old and for some schools I just had to write an email to the dean of pharmacy and ask permission for my older courses to be accepted. One school accepted them and another did not. For the school that did not, they suggested I retake them at their school. I thought that was crazy since I already have two bachelors degrees and I don't want to spend more money retaking these courses. So I just didn't apply to that school.

For the school that did accept them, I went ahead and applied and was invited for an interview. So, again, it depend what schools you are applying to. So I highly suggest you contact each school and talk them.

 

[jyhhsieh]

Thank you for all the suggestions but I would be more appreciate if someone can give me some suggestions for what course that I should re-take by seeing following courses with grade!
FROM SFU
in 2003
Gen Chem I with lab (121)= c+ & retake = B+
Gen Chem II (122 class) = C+ ( 126 lab) = B+
Gen Biol I with lab (101) = B-
Gen Biol II with lab (102) = C-

First class of university of Biochem 221 = B-
Second class of university of Biochem 222 = B

Organ Chem I with lab(281) = B
Organ Chem II (282) = C+
(286) lab = A

Gen Physic I (no lab) = C+
Gen Physic II (no lab) = C+

First year Calculus I= C+
First year Calculus II = C+

Econ (micro) = C

Kinsology 105 Fundamental of Human structure and function = B-
Kinsology 142 with lab Contemporary of health issue = A-

Beside I am a practical nurse so I have taken many courses related to health, I am wondering will that help for consideration?

I am so debating to myself wheather I should re-take for B- and for gen chem II for class components!

Since I'm turning 27 now, so I'm hoping that I can do fast track thus
I have conclude down to 2 schools Lake Eries & Sullivan with lower tuition fee !

For Velvet: do you mind to tell me which school you get accepted so I can get a sense which school will accept courses longer period! Thanx!

Thank you for replies!

 

[R2pharmD2]

Thank you for all the suggestions but I would be more appreciate if someone can give me some suggestions for what course that I should re-take by seeing following courses with grade!

A good rule of thumb to follow when considering a retake is to only retake if you're SURE you can improve your grade. I also think it would be better in your case to pick a few classes here and there to focus on and make excellent grades than to stretch yourself too thin and make crappy grades again.

But again, as has been pointed out by myself and others multiple times now, you should contact the schools you're interested in to find out if your grades are competitive and what they recommend rather than taking what anybody here says as gospel.