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[Doctor M]

I am a pharmacist and am going to committ my life to medicine. My question is this: I graduated in 2004 with a Pharm D degree. The Pharm D degree is a 6 year degree which did not require BS degree to get in. It required 2 years of science classes and some non-science courses and I had a 3.5 science GPA and an overall of like 3.2. Anyway, will med schools accept my science GPA's or will they look at my Pharmacy GPA? Or will I just need to retake all? A post-bacc (please elaborate on thismore please)? Thanks for any input!

Dr. M

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[Zagaza]

I believe if you have the pre-req classes that the medical school needs which were probably the ones that you used to get into pharm school that is what they will look at, Most schools require a 4yr degree but since you were in a program that means you have 2 years. But then again you have a Pharm degree you will have to check with the schools ideally to be sure you are on the rite track

 

[DrMidlife]

I am a pharmacist and am going to committ my life to medicine. My question is this: I graduated in 2004 with a Pharm D degree. The Pharm D degree is a 6 year degree which did not require BS degree to get in. It required 2 years of science classes and some non-science courses and I had a 3.5 science GPA and an overall of like 3.2. Anyway, will med schools accept my science GPA's or will they look at my Pharmacy GPA? Or will I just need to retake all? A post-bacc (please elaborate on thismore please)? Thanks for any input!

Your PharmD is only interesting in 2 ways to med school admissions committees.
1. "Nice extracurricular activity! Tell us more about what you learned and experienced."
2. "Hmm, if you're not happy in pharm what makes you think you'll be happy as an MD?"

Not having a bachelors degree might kill you or it might not. The med school admissions process MUST compare you to undergraduates who are doing everything by the book, which means your undergrad efforts will get the most consideration.

Of course you need all the prereqs for med school, and some schools want you to show a lot of English and humanities and psych and computer science and upper division whatever. If you did a couple years of undergrad before you started pharm school, then you didn't show 4 years of breadth and this will come into question. If you can demonstrate that you've been alive and paying attention and reading challenging material most of your life, thus you don't need to take classes in Judeo-Christian tradition and Philosophical Classics and Art History et al, you might be ok. You need to make it EASY for med schools to evaluate you: you are in a pile of 5000 apps and only by chance will you be accepted as an exception to the rules.

A post-bac isn't for you, because you don't have a baccalaureate. If your inquiries to med schools show that they're going to require a bachelors, then you need to enroll in a degree-seeking program (wherever you like). If med schools aren't going to require a bachelors from you, then you are largely on your own to figure out what classes you need and where to take them. Pick up an MSAR book and get familiar with what you're up against.

Lastly, I think you need to demonstrate some excellence in pharm first. You'll be seen as a degree-hopper who isn't happy doing anything, otherwise. Put in some more time so that you didn't just waste 6 years of school (supported by public funds). Involve yourself in research and volunteering, with underserved communities. Make it abundantly clear that pharm is too limiting for your abilities and that med school is the natural extension of your career. Pay off some of those student loans...? Make pharm an asset, not a liability, to your medical career.

Best of luck to you.

 

[pottsy2]

I personally know a guy who graduated with a Pharm D, worked retail for one year and started med school the next, so it can be done. He didn't retake anything. The Prereq's for med school are soft at a lot of places anyway. I really don't think you need to do any other coursework. Even four year degrees aren't absolutely required, it's just that nearly everyone has them, but you actually have more than what most people have. Pharmacy school is plenty good preparation for med school and I think good grades in pharmacy school would outweigh undergrad grades as this is more direct evidence of how you would do in med school. You just need to apply at the right places and spin your pharmacy experience as liking pt care, but wanting to form longer relationships or more hands on pt contact or some other garbage like that. It's all about selling yourself.

 

[GoSouthernGo]

OP: AMCAS/AACOMAS will look at all GPA. There are tons of special cases in applications. Some applicants go to schools where there are no grades!

It will all come down to classification as to how the application services will break up and look at your GPA for UG vs. Grad GPA. I would contact AMCAS and AACOMAS (if you're applying to both MD and DO schools) and ask them how you should categorize your coursework on the application.

As far as which classes you may need to retake: Get an MSAR (Med School Admissions Requirements) and look at the profiles of all the schools you're interested in applying to. They have their basic requirements there.

Most schools of course want the following courses with lab components:
2 semesters BIO
2 semesters Inorganic (Gen) Chem
2 semesters Organic Chem
2 semesters Physics

Some also want Calculus, Biochem, among others so you'll need to make sure you meet their requirements.

Of course you'll also need the MCAT, which differs from the PCAT (if you've taken it) because it offers physics and harder organic chemistry (based on what this year's pharm-D applicants told me).

Completing all of this appropriately I see no reason why you would be turned down, even with a Pharm-D. You'll need to show compelling reason why you want to switch careers, and probably need to work as a pharmacist to back that up.

I don't think a PharmD will hurt you if you have appropriate reasons to switch to medince.

 

[Doctor M]

OP: AMCAS/AACOMAS will look at all GPA. There are tons of special cases in applications. Some applicants go to schools where there are no grades!

It will all come down to classification as to how the application services will break up and look at your GPA for UG vs. Grad GPA. I would contact AMCAS and AACOMAS (if you're applying to both MD and DO schools) and ask them how you should categorize your coursework on the application.

As far as which classes you may need to retake: Get an MSAR (Med School Admissions Requirements) and look at the profiles of all the schools you're interested in applying to. They have their basic requirements there.

Most schools of course want the following courses with lab components:
2 semesters BIO
2 semesters Inorganic (Gen) Chem
2 semesters Organic Chem
2 semesters Physics

Some also want Calculus, Biochem, among others so you'll need to make sure you meet their requirements.

Of course you'll also need the MCAT, which differs from the PCAT (if you've taken it) because it offers physics and harder organic chemistry (based on what this year's pharm-D applicants told me).

Completing all of this appropriately I see no reason why you would be turned down, even with a Pharm-D. You'll need to show compelling reason why you want to switch careers, and probably need to work as a pharmacist to back that up.
I don't think a PharmD will hurt you if you have appropriate reasons to switch to medince.

I have 3 years ecperience so far. may need more? Anyway, here is what i have taken and the grades I got:

Gen chem 101- B+
Gen Chem 102 A-
Organic chem 101 B+
Organic Chem 102 A-
Physics 101 B+
Physics 102 A-
Calculus 1 A
Calculus 2 C+ (ouch)
Biochem 101 B-
Biochem 102 B+
English 101 and 102 A- in each
Philosophy B+
and then some other courses, The only thing that killed me was Biochem! Anyway, thanks for the input!

Dr. M

 

[Doctor M]

I have started reviewing Physics! Vectors and velocity-->translational motion!! It's not as bad as the first time I learned it!

 

[cfdavid]

OP, don't worry about DrMidLife...Crisis. There are always going to be people telling you that it's insurmountable, you should only switch for XYZ reasons, blah blah blah. I'd say that your Pharm D degree is a huge asset. You can SIMPLY indicate that while it's been a rewarding career over the past 3 years, it's been an appetite teaser of sorts. You want to take things to the next level. And, oh, I almost forgot. You should probably pay back any loans you owe the "government" just to satisfy DrMidLifeCrisis.

Good luck. Sincerely. But, you won't need it.

 

[medhacker]

Hi

You should check with the schools in question. Some schools are prevented, by legislature, from accepting students without a bachelor's degree. Best wishes!

 

[Doctor M]

Hi

You should check with the schools in question. Some schools are prevented, by legislature, from accepting students without a bachelor's degree. Best wishes!

Well that sucks!!! You mean ny doctorate would prevent me from getting in to some med schools because I dont have a BS? I have a doctorate! That is ridiculous.

 

[AvocadoLover]

Hey Dr M, I just got my PharmD and am considering going to med school. I think its pretty common actually. I met 4 residents and 2 med students on rotations during the past yr that were pharmds. Depending on what schools u apply to it can be a huge advantage (or disadvantage!)

Ive heard that UMDNJ loves pharmacists! Maybe bc they do alot of research, etc with our faculty.

Anyway, good luck with ur journey.

 

[Doctor M]

Hey Dr M, I just got my PharmD and am considering going to med school. I think its pretty common actually. I met 4 residents and 2 med students on rotations during the past yr that were pharmds. Depending on what schools u apply to it can be a huge advantage (or disadvantage!)

Ive heard that UMDNJ loves pharmacists! Maybe bc they do alot of research, etc with our faculty.

Anyway, good luck with ur journey.

Hey, congrats on your degree! It was a long road! I want to study medicine and dedicate my life to medicine. I am looking at 2 school in florida: University of south Florida school of medicine and University of central florida school of medicine (inaugural class 2009)! Go for the MD avocadolover! Life is all about learning!