Graduating with 2 degrees?

[FastLane051]

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Anyone ever graduate college then decide to go to pharmacy school?
I really love pyschology and think it will be very useful in my career in pharmacy, because I really want to understand who I am giving the drugs wo and just an all around veiw of how it helps then or could possible harm them.

Im doing really well at Harding University and I really hope to go to their pharmacy school. Its already sounding pretty good to me. I almost have a 4.0 in college.
I can get out of college in 4years with summer school and a little intersession classes...not to bad right?
Also is the highest degree in pharmacy a Ph.D?
If so how long would it take to obtain that after pharmacy school?

 

[UES Girl]

Anyone ever graduate college then decide to go to pharmacy school?
I really love pyschology and think it will be very useful in my career in pharmacy, because I really want to understand who I am giving the drugs wo and just an all around veiw of how it helps then or could possible harm them.

Im doing really well at Harding University and I really hope to go to their pharmacy school. Its already sounding pretty good to me. I almost have a 4.0 in college.
I can get out of college in 4years with summer school and a little intersession classes...not to bad right?
Also is the highest degree in pharmacy a Ph.D?
If so how long would it take to obtain that after pharmacy school?

I am not sure if I understand your first question correctly - but a lot of applicants actually have a BS or BA degrees before they apply or plan on obtaining them prior to the start of the school. Comtetition in the recent years has gotten higher and higher and it's much more touher to now get in if you only have the basic pre-reqs vs. a degree.

Also what do you mean the highest degree in pharmacy is a Ph. D ? May I ask why you would want to pursue a Ph. D after completing pharmacy shool ?
People who get Ph.D's after pharmacy school are usually interested in pharmaceutical research. These people already had familiarity with science research during their undergrad years or worked in biotech. If you are interested in research and pursuing a science path then your psychology major won't do you much good.

 

[happycow]

I don't understand the part about the "highest" degree in pharmacy. A Ph.D and Pharm.D are two different degrees and paths that one can take. As cheub mentioned, a PhD is more for research. However, I don't see how one would necessarily be higher than the other -- they're just different and are for people with different goals.

 

[FastLane051]

I don't understand the part about the "highest" degree in pharmacy. A Ph.D and Pharm.D are two different degrees and paths that one can take. As cheub mentioned, a PhD is more for research. However, I don't see how one would necessarily be higher than the other -- they're just different and are for people with different goals.

Yeah, I've been looking at different forums with sort of the same questions answered, especially one with someone trying to decided on whether to do a Ph.D program. Im not so sure if I want to go into research or not. I've been set one pharmacy for 3 years now and I intend on getting into pharmacy school.

I talked with my advisor and he told me it would just be easier to get the pre-requisits for pharmacy school then just go to it, so I thought it was impractical to graduate with a degree. But I really liked pyschology and thought it might give me an egde on getting into pharmacy school.
What are your thoughts on the psychology degree?

Im doing fairly well in college right now and I almost have a 4.0 this semester, but I screwed up last semester with a 3.0. This is only my freshmen year but I wish I wouldve done better the first semester. Im a lot more motivated than I was in highschool but still need to raise my grades up.Im about 1% away from a 4.0 in half my classes. And I intend on going to my universitys new pharmacy school...Harding College of Pharmacy if you know of it? It already has a partnership with the Airforce so Im thinking it will turn out well.

Anyways I would like to do reasearch but I would have to give it more thought. More than likely I'll just do a Pharm D. Program. And thanks for your help.

 

[BlueCrayon]

Yeah, I've been looking at different forums with sort of the same questions answered, especially one with someone trying to decided on whether to do a Ph.D program. Im not so sure if I want to go into research or not. I've been set one pharmacy for 3 years now and I intend on getting into pharmacy school.

I talked with my advisor and he told me it would just be easier to get the pre-requisits for pharmacy school then just go to it, so I thought it was impractical to graduate with a degree. But I really liked pyschology and thought it might give me an egde on getting into pharmacy school.
What are your thoughts on the psychology degree?

Im doing fairly well in college right now and I almost have a 4.0 this semester, but I screwed up last semester with a 3.0. This is only my freshmen year but I wish I wouldve done better the first semester. Im a lot more motivated than I was in highschool but still need to raise my grades up.Im about 1% away from a 4.0 in half my classes. And I intend on going to my universitys new pharmacy school...Harding College of Pharmacy if you know of it? It already has a partnership with the Airforce so Im thinking it will turn out well.

Anyways I would like to do reasearch but I would have to give it more thought. More than likely I'll just do a Pharm D. Program. And thanks for your help.

A B.S. in Psychology will definately help you in a very competative field. More and more people getting accepted already have a degree of some sort. Even though it's a pretty long roadand most people will disagree, I personally think the best way to go is to get a 4 year degree, then maybe work a couple years to get some real world experience and then attempt the PharmD.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

If getting a psychology degree is worth it to you, then do it. You could argue that it's two more years of tuition you have to pay and two years of lost wages. However, it's really a personal decision. Like others said, getting a BS can make you more competitive and more likely to get accepted into pharm school.

I suggest you get some experience in pharm and in research. I always thought research would be a really interesting career, but after doing it I knew it wasn't something I could do long-term. I think it really aided my education though.

 

[FastLane051]

If getting a psychology degree is worth it to you, then do it. You could argue that it's two more years of tuition you have to pay and two years of lost wages. However, it's really a personal decision. Like others said, getting a BS can make you more competitive and more likely to get accepted into pharm school.

I suggest you get some experience in pharm and in research. I always thought research would be a really interesting career, but after doing it I knew it wasn't something I could do long-term. I think it really aided my education though.

Well, I've been blessed with parents that will pay for 4 years of college, but Im footing the bill for pharmacy school so ahhh...plus they liked the idea that i was planning to graduate instead of just getting the pre-req's for Pharmacy school, so the pyschology degree is not big deal. Idk maybe its because Ill have a plan to fall back on. Either way Im goin to go to pharmacy school.
This forum is the best forum Im apart of so far lol, and its probably because people on here show a bit more intelligence and less arrogance...Ie. Bodybuilding Forums and Car Forums haha.

But...Ill have to decide on whether its worth it for a Ph.D or not down the road.

 

[happycow]

I think a psychology degree is worth it if you want to do it. DEFINITELY get a B.S. degree for sure; that's the "standards" nowadays. Competition is tough nowadays, and having a B.S. degree won't necessarily make you stand out, but it will at least keep you in the more competitive pool. I also suggest getting a degree in what you want. I majored in chemistry because I wanted to, and it was at least in alignment with what I wanted. However, if I had just wanted to make it easier on myself in terms of taking less extra classes for prerequisites, I would have chosen biology (because more prereqs would have overlapped with major courses). However, I chose the field I was more passionate about, and I don't regret it at all.

Some schools also have dual PharmD/PhD programs that you can apply to after you get into the pharmacy program. I was considering checking out the dual degree program at UCSF myself, since they let you apply for it later down the line (and not necessarily in your first year). Schools do differ in that, however, but I think the dual degree sounds like a good deal if you're motivated and willing to go for both.

 

[UES Girl]

Well, I've been blessed with parents that will pay for 4 years of college, but Im footing the bill for pharmacy school so ahhh...plus they liked the idea that i was planning to graduate instead of just getting the pre-req's for Pharmacy school, so the pyschology degree is not big deal. Idk maybe its because Ill have a plan to fall back on. Either way Im goin to go to pharmacy school.
This forum is the best forum Im apart of so far lol, and its probably because people on here show a bit more intelligence and less arrogance...Ie. Bodybuilding Forums and Car Forums haha.

But...Ill have to decide on whether its worth it for a Ph.D or not down the road.

I like how you are goal oriented and determined to graduate college - good for you ! However if you are interested in research may I suggest something ?


I know you mentioned multiple times - that you really enjoy your major but for career in pharmacetical research it's at best irrelevant at worst useless. Eventially you want to be a scientist right ? Then what you need is a hard core science major like biochemistry, chemistry or molecular biology. The truth of the matter is that pharmacy school won't teach you in depth science classes and most pharm school science classes seem to be more of a brief overview of the stuff covered in undergrad.

If you are interested in pharmacetical research you need a science background - and basic pre-reqs won't do it. Pre-reqs required by most schools are the most basic science classes an average science major completes during his first two years - on top of that science majors usually study upper division sciences for another 2-3 years. These classes are a whole notch up from the basic pre-reqs and these classes are exactly the classes that will provide you with te science background you need.

Also please do not take this personally but I think you are a bit naive about research ( Please do not think i am some arrogant twitch ). You should definately pursue doing research - perhaps you last year of college. It's not all roses as it seems. A lot of people give up on research career after doing research for a while because it's not only challenging and time consuming but it can be very frustrating at times.

For me - I am currently conuting minutes untill my research experience is over this semester - mine is in the area of analytical biochemistry. But it's mostly because my PI is a flaming b****.

 

[FastLane051]

I like how you are goal oriented and determined to graduate college - good for you ! However if you are interested in research may I suggest something ?


I know you mentioned multiple times - that you really enjoy your major but for career in pharmacetical research it's at best irrelevant at worst useless. Eventially you want to be a scientist right ? Then what you need is a hard core science major like biochemistry, chemistry or molecular biology. The truth of the matter is that pharmacy school won't teach you in depth science classes and most pharm school science classes seem to be more of a brief overview of the stuff covered in undergrad.

If you are interested in pharmacetical research you need a science background - and basic pre-reqs won't do it. Pre-reqs required by most schools are the most basic science classes an average science major completes during his first two years - on top of that science majors usually study upper division sciences for another 2-3 years. These classes are a whole notch up from the basic pre-reqs and these classes are exactly the classes that will provide you with te science background you need.

Also please do not take this personally but I think you are a bit naive about research ( Please do not think i am some arrogant twitch ). You should definately pursue doing research - perhaps you last year of college. I think you are a bit naive about it - it's not all roses as it seems. A lot of people give up on research career after doing research for a while because it's not only challenging and time consuming but it can be very frustrating at times.

Haha yeah you put that nicer than Id expect from most in forums; however Im a bit confused about your advice. Are you saying I should pursue research?
Or are you saying I need a chemistry major background before I do research?
Not sure what you meant by reseach either...the feild of research meaning a Ph.D in pharmacy? Don't get me wrong I realize the difficulty involved in research, I just have to think of whether I am up to it...I need to learn and read about it.
All Ive known since 11thgrade is I want to be a pharmacist, I mainly looked into retail and the sale of drugs and all the benefits it holds. For example: Im not sure if this is true or not, but I've heard if you sign a 5 year contract with walgreens that they will pay for your pharmacy school. Also, I've read benefits and salaries from various large enterprises ,such as walmart, and how they can provide a lot of benefits to a pharmacist.Ive talked with a few pharmacists at church about their jobs in pharmacy sales, and not research, so Ill just have to learn about it.
It sounds very interesting

-And are you saying I should look into a chemistry degree?
I really love pyschology and chemistry is my second favorite subject, but I assumed that having taken organic chemistry would suffice for pharmacy.
Ironically, i used to be a pharmacy major lol. But I changed it to pyschology, because I started to like that a lot.
What other chem classes would help me a lot with pharmacy besides organic and college chem?

 

[fenixtnlfan]

For me - I am currently conuting minutes untill my research experience is over this semester - mine is in the area of analytical biochemistry. But it's mostly because my PI is a flaming b****.

I'm trying not to count because it makes it go by much slower

 

[FastLane051]

I'm trying not to count because it makes it go by much slower

Also can I take the PCAT then apply for pharmacy school, and when I get accepted (if I do) can I go to the College of Pharmacy after I graduate with my pyschology degree?