Getting Into Pharmacy?

Started by dramaQueen16
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dramaQueen16

dramaQueen16

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So, did all of you Pre-Pharmers get straight A's in high school? If not, what type of grades did you get? Honour roll?

I'm just wondering what kind of grades during your Pre-Pharmacy are necessary to get into a Pharmacy school. For someone who got A's & B's - maybe a C+ in Math - throughout high school, I know it'll be difficult but is there a fighting chance of gaining acceptance?

Also, I'm looking specifically at the University of British Columbia. Is acceptance harder there than most Pharmacy schools or is it easier? I'm in Canada so I have limited options.

Thanks in advance! (I just want a wake up call so I can decide if I'm capable of making it through school to become a Pharmacist or if I should look at something different)
 
dramaQueen16 said:
So, did all of you Pre-Pharmers get straight A's in high school? If not, what type of grades did you get? Honour roll?

I'm just wondering what kind of grades during your Pre-Pharmacy are necessary to get into a Pharmacy school. For someone who got A's & B's - maybe a C+ in Math - throughout high school, I know it'll be difficult but is there a fighting chance of gaining acceptance?

Also, I'm looking specifically at the University of British Columbia. Is acceptance harder there than most Pharmacy schools or is it easier? I'm in Canada so I have limited options.

Thanks in advance! (I just want a wake up call so I can decide if I'm capable of making it through school to become a Pharmacist or if I should look at something different)
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I did horrible in high school. I didnt realize the importance of school until after graduation. I had a revelation after high school and got my act together. If your interested in a 0-6 program, then high school grades are important. You might want to refer your question to accepted students in 0-6 year programs if your looking to apply to that right out of high school.
 
dramaQueen16 said:
So, did all of you Pre-Pharmers get straight A's in high school? If not, what type of grades did you get? Honour roll?
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I wasn't a Straight A student. I had a 3.9 (weighted) when I graduated from high school.

dramaQueen16 said:
what kind of grades during your Pre-Pharmacy are necessary to get into a Pharmacy school[/B]. For someone who got A's & B's - maybe a C+ in Math - throughout high school, I know it'll be difficult but is there a fighting chance of gaining acceptance?
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If you work hard in college and make an effort to get A's and B's in your college courses and show the admissions committee that you understand the material you have learned, and that you can learn new material very well, and do well on the PCAT (which will mean you learned well from your pre-requisites), then you'll have a good chance of getting accepted.
 
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crazybob said:
I wasn't a Straight A student. I had a 3.9 (weighted) when I graduated from high school.



If you work hard in college and make an effort to get A's and B's in your college courses and show the admissions committee that you understand the material you have learned, and that you can learn new material very well, and do well on the PCAT (which will mean you learned well from your pre-requisites), then you'll have a good chance of getting accepted.
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Good advice. If you would rather do two years of pre-reqs or get your bachelors then high school grades will not matter. If your applying for a guaranteed acceptance program then you obviously need stellar high school grades.
 
My grades in high school didn't look too spectacular, but I took a ton of AP classes (7 in my senior year). The problem with my school is they didn't have weighted grades so an A in AP Chem II counted the same as an A in shop.

Bunch of BS if you ask me.
 
docss26 said:
Good advice. If you would rather do two years of pre-reqs or get your bachelors then high school grades will not matter. If your applying for a guaranteed acceptance program then you obviously need stellar high school grades.
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Yeah, that's what I hope to do. I'm thinking of doing my 1-2 years at SFU then apply to UBC. So I guess my high school grades are only relevant to gaining acceptance to SFU?

Also, I live in a small town so I don't have the option of taking AP courses.. I hope that doesn't effect my chances too much.
 
dramaQueen16 said:
Yeah, that's what I hope to do. I'm thinking of doing my 1-2 years at SFU then apply to UBC. So I guess my high school grades are only relevant to gaining acceptance to SFU?
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That depends. Even if you do just one year, there might be a requirement for you to take a certain number of courses while in college. When I applied to pharmacy school, I could only let 4-5 courses from my AP credits count for my pre-requisites. Everything else was from my undergrad.
 
dramaQueen16 said:
So, did all of you Pre-Pharmers get straight A's in high school? If not, what type of grades did you get? Honour roll?

I'm just wondering what kind of grades during your Pre-Pharmacy are necessary to get into a Pharmacy school. For someone who got A's & B's - maybe a C+ in Math - throughout high school, I know it'll be difficult but is there a fighting chance of gaining acceptance?

Also, I'm looking specifically at the University of British Columbia. Is acceptance harder there than most Pharmacy schools or is it easier? I'm in Canada so I have limited options.

Thanks in advance! (I just want a wake up call so I can decide if I'm capable of making it through school to become a Pharmacist or if I should look at something different)
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Meh. High school grades aren't important at all unless you are applying for 0-6 programs directly out of high school. I did horrible in high school (had like ~8 C's on my transcript). Got my act together in college and never looked back at high school. Now everything is good. :meanie:
 
to OP, I'm not sure i'm in yet...but my high school grades were shocking. Luckily the university I go to will accept just about anyone. I also did bad my first year at college, but I changed things and did well on the PCAT, so I have a great chance of getting in. Good Luck!
 
Well thanks everyone! I'm in BC so I'm definitely not doing a 0-6 program.

I feel a little more confident about my grades now that I know so many of you have had success with average grades as well. Wish you all the best! 🙂
 
did bad in high school---->intervention around the time I graduated without being an honor student---->academically doing significantly better in college
 
dramaQueen16 said:
So, did all of you Pre-Pharmers get straight A's in high school? If not, what type of grades did you get? Honour roll?

I'm just wondering what kind of grades during your Pre-Pharmacy are necessary to get into a Pharmacy school. For someone who got A's & B's - maybe a C+ in Math - throughout high school, I know it'll be difficult but is there a fighting chance of gaining acceptance?

Also, I'm looking specifically at the University of British Columbia. Is acceptance harder there than most Pharmacy schools or is it easier? I'm in Canada so I have limited options.

Thanks in advance! (I just want a wake up call so I can decide if I'm capable of making it through school to become a Pharmacist or if I should look at something different)
Click to expand...

In high school? No - In pre-pharmacy? Mostly As, one B (Org I), one C+ (Org II) 😀

Can't speak about BC - but being an academically sound, well rounded, mature student would certainly increase your chances.
 
aboveliquidice said:
In high school? No - In pre-pharmacy? Mostly As, one B (Org I), one C+ (Org II) 😀

Can't speak about BC - but being an academically sound, well rounded, mature student would certainly increase your chances.
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I see that lacking in some of my classmates :laugh: and it annoys every single person in class. Your classmates will not take you seriously if you are not mature enough to handle situations like a professional student.
 
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TeRRaNoXiC said:
i assume you're british?
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Haha, I'm Canadian. We also spell everything like that - Honour, colour, flavour, favour, neighbour, rumour etc. It's the correct way to spell them here.

As I type those words my internet spell check tells me I'm wrong... 🙁
 
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It probably depends on the high school - there's such a variation in quality and HS grading policies that a 4.0 in HS doesn't always predict much at the college level. SAT/ACT scores might, at least in math. Maybe registering for a pre-calc class at a local college this spring/summer would be an option for you - that would give you a better idea of whether you're up to par or need to work on study skills, etc.

I think it's always good to have a backup plan - we're 18 years old and think we would make good pharmacists, but really most of us need to explore some other options too! I was accepted at three 0-6 schools but decided on a university with early assurance for pharmacy so I'd have more options and be exposed to other majors - even though I'd thought pharmacy was a good fit for me for a few years and did several months of hospital and retail shadowing in high school. Right now my backup plan is school psychology and I'm thinking of doing a few days of shadowing in that area this spring. Luckily, most of the first and second year pre-reqs for pharmacy apply to many BS programs.🙂

Good luck with your decision...oh, and try not to get too much exposure to the humanities and business majors when you actually get to college - the amount of free time they have can make you crazy!
 
I was thinking of taking a Pre-Calc class because I know it would be good; I'm just worried about doing terribly and dropping my GPA...

I also think in case Pharmacy doesn't work out - for whatever reason - that Psychology would be a good backup...I can't really think of anything else. I'm glad the pre-reqs are similar, that would be useful for time management.

Ugh, I won't - thanks for the tip! Haha, thanks for the post, though 🙂
 
dramaQueen16 said:
I was thinking of taking a Pre-Calc class because I know it would be good; I'm just worried about doing terribly and dropping my GPA...

I also think in case Pharmacy doesn't work out - for whatever reason - that Psychology would be a good backup...I can't really think of anything else. I'm glad the pre-reqs are similar, that would be useful for time management.

Ugh, I won't - thanks for the tip! Haha, thanks for the post, though 🙂
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Since I have (two) 4-year degrees in Psychology related fields I just have to ask... what do you think you'll do with a BA/BS in Psych.?
 
I'm not a psych major but couldnt you get a job in HR, business, social services, sales, public positions (FD, police, post etc.), councillor?
 
yappy said:
I'm not a psych major but couldnt you get a job in HR, business, social services, sales, public positions (FD, police, post etc.), councillor?
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Well, you can get a job in HR, business, social services, sales, and public positions (And really, even counselor jobs) without a Psychology degree too.

For most worthwhile jobs in the Psych. field you'll need a Master's degree. That's really the industry standard... Either an MSW leading to an LCSW or an MFT leading to a license in MFT. The Ph.D for CLinical work has fallen out of favor because MFT and LCSW charge ~30/hr less and have thus become known as the insurance goldenchild.

If your life's dream is to work in HR or whatever, an AA/AS in Lib Arts would suffice, or any 4 year degree (Soc., Communications, etc). A Psychology BA/BS for any purpose other than continuance to graduate school is completely useless.
 
Passion4Sci said:
Well, you can get a job in HR, business, social services, sales, and public positions (And really, even counselor jobs) without a Psychology degree too.

For most worthwhile jobs in the Psych. field you'll need a Master's degree. That's really the industry standard... Either an MSW leading to an LCSW or an MFT leading to a license in MFT. The Ph.D for CLinical work has fallen out of favor because MFT and LCSW charge ~30/hr less and have thus become known as the insurance goldenchild.

If your life's dream is to work in HR or whatever, an AA/AS in Lib Arts would suffice, or any 4 year degree (Soc., Communications, etc). A Psychology BA/BS for any purpose other than continuance to graduate school is completely useless.
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Sadly a BA/BS in any science field is pretty worthless unless you plan to do further studies, e.g. MD, DO, DDS, PharmD, OD, RN, PA, PhD, MA/MS, etc.... otherwise you'll most likely end up as a technician somewhere or maybe in sales. 🙁 Maybe you'll get a lucky break and we'll be partners after P-school.
 
I still have a problem with the 0-6 pharmacy schools out of college. It really makes pharmacy seem lower than it actually is. H.S. pursuing a doctoral degree...?

I feel you grow as an individual when you're able to let your mind roam and explore all the different paths in life (e.g. in college). I'm a strong believer that college is good in that it sets a strong foundation for showing your true aspirations (which might change later, like me for example). After firmly choosing your profession, then you should specialize as you can see fit.

I know Passion4Sci would like to enter pharmacy and eventually specialize in Oncology 👍. And he well deserves it with all his hard work.
 
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MrMeowphers said:
I still have a problem with the 0-6 pharmacy schools out of college. It really makes pharmacy seem lower than it actually is. H.S. pursuing a doctoral degree...?

I feel you grow as an individual when you're able to let your mind roam and explore all the different paths in life (e.g. in college). I'm a strong believer that college is good in that it sets a strong foundation for showing your true aspirations (which might change later, like me for example). After firmly choosing your profession, then you should specialize as you can see fit.

I know Passion4Sci would like to enter pharmacy and eventually specialize in Oncology 👍. And he well deserves it with all his hard work.
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I'd like to specialize in whatever I can. 😛

I'm focused on getting through school with the best grades I can to get a good residency. What I get to specialize in later will probably largely depend on where I get hired (Judging by the experience I have seen from many RPhs with whom I work and volunteer).
 
MrMeowphers said:
Sadly a BA/BS in any science field is pretty worthless unless you plan to do further studies, e.g. MD, DO, DDS, PharmD, OD, RN, PA, PhD, MA/MS, etc.... otherwise you'll most likely end up as a technician somewhere or maybe in sales. 🙁 Maybe you'll get a lucky break and we'll be partners after P-school.
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Well, I've been regaled by stories of folks graduating from science programs and getting great jobs, such as a Chemical Engineering degree and working at Dow, etc in industry making great money.

But yeah, I suppose that's fair... Bachelor's degrees in general are useless on their own. Thanks to all the degree inflation in the last, what, decade?
 
Passion4Sci said:
Well, I've been regaled by stories of folks graduating from science programs and getting great jobs, such as a Chemical Engineering degree and working at Dow, etc in industry making great money.

But yeah, I suppose that's fair... Bachelor's degrees in general are useless on their own. Thanks to all the degree inflation in the last, what, decade?
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I blame it on Devry and Phoenix University. They are really competitive and worth more than Ivy League Schools.
 
MrMeowphers said:
I still have a problem with the 0-6 pharmacy schools out of college. It really makes pharmacy seem lower than it actually is. H.S. pursuing a doctoral degree...?

I feel you grow as an individual when you're able to let your mind roam and explore all the different paths in life (e.g. in college). I'm a strong believer that college is good in that it sets a strong foundation for showing your true aspirations (which might change later, like me for example). After firmly choosing your profession, then you should specialize as you can see fit.

I know Passion4Sci would like to enter pharmacy and eventually specialize in Oncology 👍. And he well deserves it with all his hard work.
Click to expand...

I agree.

High school grades are often really inaccurate predictors of college performance. A lot of people who do horrible in high school get a wake up call and buckle up for college because they regret passed decisions. Then some people who do amazing in high school don't feel the pressure because they probably got accepted to their dream school and it's time to relax.

I made straight A's in high school and graduated with 32 college credits from dual enrollment and advanced placement. I did well my first two years in college, but because high school was always so easy for me and I never had a job until I was almost a junior in college (age 19-20), when I finally did have hardship in my life I didn't do so well right away.

I think students need to go to college and do some pre-reqs and maybe even a bachelor's degree before they can really know what they want and what they're good at.
 
I remember when I was looking for a job after graduation to use my psych degree. They wanted to pay me 12.00 an hour. I laughed at the interviewer because I was already making 14.00 as a pharm tech. Psych degree = was a great program where I learned a LOT, but in the real world, I had to accept that I was not going to use it.
 
delano2000 said:
That is how we type too where I am from (jamaica). Colour, honour, favour etc. It was really weird when I first moved here because most of my peers believed I just could not spell since they were not used to it but my English professors were ok with how I spelled the words until I started to drop the 'u'.
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it's almost like everywhere (that speaks English) but the U.S. does it. LOL.
 
I did terrible in high school. I rebounded however and obtained my Bachelor's of Biological Sciences and am currently pre-pharm. I have a 3.4 so far.
 
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delano2000 said:
That is how we type too where I am from (jamaica). Colour, honour, favour etc. It was really weird when I first moved here because most of my peers believed I just could not spell since they were not used to it but my English professors were ok with how I spelled the words until I started to drop the 'u'.
Click to expand...

Okay, well I'm not the only one on here then... 😛
 
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