Getting into pharmacy school (sort of)

[pharmacology]

Many pharmacy students talk about Pharm school like med school....or at least very similar...requirement similar, class difficulty similar....just similar. For those that would like to see what med schools look for...and possibly pharm school - I found this at an undergrad institution with a pre-professional program: (just thought some of you might find this interesting)

Some comments made by the heads of Admissions at both --- med school and --- med school at a meeting of pre-medical advisors throughout the state of ---

"We look hard at the 'BCPM' GPA. That's the Biology-Chemistry-Physics-Math GPA. A high overall GPA but a low BCPM GPA doesn't look good to us."

"We never look at the total GPA at our school."

"What do the above two statements mean?" you ask. Well, this was brought up by Dr. --- in our prehealth meeting in January. Frankly, after talking with the folks at the prehealth advisors meeting, I believe I can honestly say the following as a general guideline:

I interpret the above statements to mean that you need to have a BCPM GPA that is equivalent to Dean's List at your school if you are serious about medical school. If you can't pull that off while taking those tough BCPM courses, then think about another career. … that means you need to have a BCPM GPA of around 3.5.

This may be disheartening to many of you, but med school is a serious thing. If you're not willing to work hard enough for this career, then don't do it.

"I'm more impressed by a 'B' in, say, quantum physics, than an 'A' in Art History."

"Biochemistry is impressive. If they avoid the hard courses then we see that on their transcript and, frankly, we're not impressed."

"If the applicant has no clinical [volunteer, etc.] experience, we just don't consider them a serious candidate for our program."

"Even though I was in a [fraternity/sorority], none of us consider [fraternity/sorority] leadership roles to count so far as the 'leadership' we're wanting to see. We want community leadership, volunteerism, and things like that."

"One candidate said he wanted to practice rural medicine. I then asked him to define 'rural.' Well, turns out he had no idea what 'rural' meant; he was just trying to tell us what he thought we wanted to hear. You want to guess if he got in?"

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[Russell7]

Many pharmacy students talk about Pharm school like med school....or at least very similar...requirement similar, class difficulty similar....just similar. For those that would like to see what med schools look for...and possibly pharm school - I found this at an undergrad institution with a pre-professional program: (just thought some of you might find this interesting)

Some comments made by the heads of Admissions at both --- med school and --- med school at a meeting of pre-medical advisors throughout the state of ---

"We look hard at the 'BCPM' GPA. That's the Biology-Chemistry-Physics-Math GPA. A high overall GPA but a low BCPM GPA doesn't look good to us."

"We never look at the total GPA at our school."

"What do the above two statements mean?" you ask. Well, this was brought up by Dr. --- in our prehealth meeting in January. Frankly, after talking with the folks at the prehealth advisors meeting, I believe I can honestly say the following as a general guideline:

I interpret the above statements to mean that you need to have a BCPM GPA that is equivalent to Dean's List at your school if you are serious about medical school. If you can't pull that off while taking those tough BCPM courses, then think about another career. … that means you need to have a BCPM GPA of around 3.5.

This may be disheartening to many of you, but med school is a serious thing. If you're not willing to work hard enough for this career, then don't do it.

"I'm more impressed by a 'B' in, say, quantum physics, than an 'A' in Art History."

"Biochemistry is impressive. If they avoid the hard courses then we see that on their transcript and, frankly, we're not impressed."

"If the applicant has no clinical [volunteer, etc.] experience, we just don't consider them a serious candidate for our program."

"Even though I was in a [fraternity/sorority], none of us consider [fraternity/sorority] leadership roles to count so far as the 'leadership' we're wanting to see. We want community leadership, volunteerism, and things like that."

"One candidate said he wanted to practice rural medicine. I then asked him to define 'rural.' Well, turns out he had no idea what 'rural' meant; he was just trying to tell us what he thought we wanted to hear. You want to guess if he got in?"

Pharmacy and Med school similar? Med school is a million times harder to get into up here. Basically, you need a 3.7 flat to get into Pharm, and about a 3.9 with tons of volunteer experience and a good interview for med. As for difficulty... there is no way that they are that similar. Med school is much more grueling.

 

[iheartpandp]

I have to agree that med school is much more difficult to get into so this article isn't all that relevent to pre-pharm students. But I do agree with the general idea that GPA isn't everything. Still, I think someone with a steller GPA and not much experience is more likely to get in than someone with a C average and has been a Pharm tech for a couple years.

 

[Pharmwannab]

Yeah, from the research I've done it seems that med school is way harder to get into than pharmacy school. I believe it was on USCD's site where the average GPA for those matriculated into pharm. school on a nationwide basis was actually 3.2 to 3.6 (not as high as some may think, you don't need a 3.7 to get in), and for med schools nationwide the average was 3.5 to 3.7 - quite a difference. If you check out MDapplicants.com, I believe I found maybe 2 or 3 applicants around 3.2 of the hundreds I scanned, and no one below 3.1. Yet, I hear of people with 3.0's, 3.1's, 3.2's getting into pharm. school all the time. Not to mention pretty much all of those med school applicants have a ton of extracurriculars - from research to EMTs to various honor's socieities - and pharm. students don't seem to have many at all on average, from what I can tell (usually working as a tech or volunteering in a pharmacy is about it.). So yeah, it appears that getting into med. school is a whole different ballpark, unless of course you're aiming for the Caribbean, where as long as you have a 3.0 and a decent sized checkbook you're almost guaranteed a position.

 

[pharmacology]

I personally never said that med school and pharm are similar. This is just what I have heard from others on the board for the last year and a half.

Take it or leave it. I'm not saying you need to get as high a GPA as someone trying to get into medical school. GPA is important if you want to get into any health professional school...be it med, nursing, dentistry, or pharm. However, the information I posted IS important in the admissions process at many pharmacy schools

 

[WVUPharm2007]

In West Virginia, it's WAAAYYY easier to get into med schoool than pharm school.

 

[DHG]

Regardless of which is harder to get into where... I think these are all good things to consider for both Med and Pharm school applicants.

 

[Russell7]

I believe it was on USCD's site where the average GPA for those matriculated into pharm. school on a nationwide basis was actually 3.2 to 3.6 (not as high as some may think, you don't need a 3.7 to get in)

If you were referring to my post, I never said you need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in the USA. You need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in Canada. Everything up here is more competitive.

 

[Requiem]

If you were referring to my post, I never said you need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in the USA. You need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in Canada. Everything up here is more competitive.

True, true.

Actually I'm pretty sure if you managed only a 3.0 GPA in pre-pharm courses you'd fail out of our program, same goes for russell's school as well.

But, we're in different countries than you so it might not be that relevant to you.

 

[PHARMDhope2b]

Why do these threads keep coming up?!!!!!!!!!
Who cares which is harder to get into? These type of threads seem to always ignite fires between pharmacy students and med students. Im suprised some pre-med hasnt blasted pharmacy as a profession yet. Med school is med school, and pharmacy school is pharmacy school. They are two different professions, so adcoms may look at different things. A better comparison would be between two med schools or two pharm schools. I know that you may not have meant to start any quarrels with this thread. But after reading a lot of threads like this in other forums that turn into boxing matches between professions, I just dont want it to happen in here!


Just my two cents.

 

[usi]

BTW...Is Law School harder to get into than Pharm School?

 

[ultracet]

Why do these threads keep coming up?!!!!!!!!!
Who cares which is harder to get into? These type of threads seem to always ignite fires between pharmacy students and med students. Im suprised some pre-med hasnt blasted pharmacy as a profession yet. Med school is med school, and pharmacy school is pharmacy school. They are two different professions, so adcoms may look at different things. A better comparison would be between two med schools or two pharm schools. I know that you may not have meant to start any quarrels with this thread. But after reading a lot of threads like this in other forums that turn into boxing matches between professions, I just dont want it to happen in here!


Just my two cents.

oh please....
pharmacology was in no way trying to ignite a debate about this....

they were just trying to inform you all about what med schools look for in applicants. and suggesting that since people often compare the two (when i did my pre-pharm work I was classified as "pre-med" and i'm not old people....) perhaps the adcoms at pharmacy schools look for similar things as the adcoms in med schools...

They were trying to show you what the adcoms look for....

apparently you all dont like it and are attempting to degrade the quality of the post (very high) by suggesting there was a comparison intended....

Did you even read the entire thing??


the irony of this whole thing is.... this person is obviously not a pre-pharm and knows something about the process....
and you would rather have advice from other pre-pharms and students who don't know crap about the process....
sounds like a plan to me!!

 

[Russell7]

BTW...Is Law School harder to get into than Pharm School?

In Canada Law school has pretty similar requirements to Pharmacy. Some schools it is a bit higher, around 3.8, some it's a bit lower, like 3.6.

The differences:

You pretty much need a degree to get into Law School, but there's no prerequisites. So pretty even in my eyes.

 

[Russell7]

Why do these threads keep coming up?!!!!!!!!!
Who cares which is harder to get into? These type of threads seem to always ignite fires between pharmacy students and med students. Im suprised some pre-med hasnt blasted pharmacy as a profession yet. Med school is med school, and pharmacy school is pharmacy school. They are two different professions, so adcoms may look at different things. A better comparison would be between two med schools or two pharm schools. I know that you may not have meant to start any quarrels with this thread. But after reading a lot of threads like this in other forums that turn into boxing matches between professions, I just dont want it to happen in here!


Just my two cents.

I wasn't trying to make it a war, I was just getting the facts straight. BTW I'm not pre-med either. But my sister went through it, and it was extremely tough.

 

[Pharmwannab]

If you were referring to my post, I never said you need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in the USA. You need a 3.7 to get into Pharmacy in Canada. Everything up here is more competitive.

Nope, didn't even read yours until just now. Was basically just agreeing with the original post. I just see a lot of people on here thinking that you need a 3.7 or above (or thereabouts) to get into pharm. school (in the US).

 

[pharmacology]

Thanks bbmuffin. I wasn't attempting to say one is better than the other or one is more difficult to get into. My point wasn't really about the GPA either. My point was about the other stuff. This is what admissions committees actually may look at when making a decision

I think many schools like it when a potential student has had some experience in the field through work or shadowing. It may not be essential but two equal students, one without experience and one with....admissions committees like that.

they look at transcripts and they like a student who chose a more academically difficult route. It may not mean as much for prepharm as you only have two years vs four for med school. Prepharm students may not have had as much of a chance to take numerous electives as a four year premed. But fluff is fluff and difficult is difficult. If I were in an interview I sure would consider mentioning that fact...especially if one did well.

Leadership in a frat or sorority is one thing but if you took the opportunity to extend that though leadership in the area through volunteer is one step better whether it was done individually or through the frat/sor.

and when you got to an interview I would think it is better to know what one is talking about if the person is asked "What do you mean by that?" or "Why do you want to go into community pharm...what is community phar?"

Sure much of this may seem obvious...I was just attempting to show that adcomms may really consider these things.

 

[Abilify]

the irony of this whole thing is.... this person is obviously not a pre-pharm and knows something about the process....
and you would rather have advice from other pre-pharms and students who don't know crap about the process....
sounds like a plan to me!!

It makes way too much sense to listen to pharmacology, he actually knows what he's talking about....

 

[Pharmwannab]

Thanks bbmuffin. I wasn't attempting to say one is better than the other or one is more difficult to get into. My point wasn't really about the GPA either. My point was about the other stuff. This is what admissions committees actually may look at when making a decision

I know, I understood, but I do believe that med school is harder to get into. I do however feel that this is good info. for pre-pharm. students as thinking about things like this will help one to be quite well prepared. I know you weren't trying to say that med. school is better either. Heh, that's just a ridiculous argument - both pharmacists and physicians have very important roles to fill (duh).