Help... experts!!

[newpath]

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My Dear Pre-Pharmacy friends,
I'm thinking about become a pharmacist but I'm clueless of what I'm getting into. I don't want to go to pre-med for 2 years and not be able to pass the PCAT...don't know how hard is the test!!!
Some about my BG:
I wasn't good in Chemistry in high school (B average student) but my pharmacist friend told me not to be worried about the chemistry too much. My previous degrees are in Accounting and website design which I mostly enjoyed graphic design than web design. The problem is that the field of print is dying and the money does not pay the bills, so I have to learn more about web design and programming which I rather die than do programming. My hobby is to listen to XM radio ( Doctor Radio from NY University )...it's so interesting how little we know about our body!!!
The only option for Pharmacy school is Mercer ( Atlanta, GA - Private ) unless you guys know another school in Atlanta . I have no choice of moving around, searching for different universities ( have young children ).
Can you guys help me out here??? Am I doing the right thing, can I pass the tests? Or this is a suicide????
Love to hear back from you guys.

 

[rxlea]

First, read the stickies at the top of this forum- they will answer many of your questions. Then, look at Mercer's requirments on PharmCAS.org It is advisable to pop in on the Mercer thread to talk to current pre-pharm students who are applying or were accepted there. They will have some insight into the process. Also, if the money is what you're after, you need to understand that pharmacy isn't as easy as lots of people make it out to be. It is more than just standing behind the counter at Wags. There are many things you can do with a PharmD. You need to come up with a good reason as to why you're going into this field. You need to learn more about it first. It's not "suicide" as you put it, but it is not an easy blow through 4 years of school and get straight into a 100K+ job with sign on bonus 🙂

Are there specific questions that you have, though?

 

[kinipela35]

My Dear Pre-Pharmacy friends,
I'm thinking about become a pharmacist but I'm clueless of what I'm getting into. I don't want to go to pre-med for 2 years and not be able to pass the PCAT...don't know how hard is the test!!!
Some about my BG:
I wasn't good in Chemistry in high school (B average student) but my pharmacist friend told me not to be worried about the chemistry too much. My previous degrees are in Accounting and website design which I mostly enjoyed graphic design than web design. The problem is that the field of print is dying and the money does not pay the bills, so I have to learn more about web design and programming which I rather die than do programming. My hobby is to listen to XM radio ( Doctor Radio from NY University )...it's so interesting how little we know about our body!!!
The only option for Pharmacy school is Mercer ( Atlanta, GA - Private ) unless you guys know another school in Atlanta . I have no choice of moving around, searching for different universities ( have young children ).
Can you guys help me out here??? Am I doing the right thing, can I pass the tests? Or this is a suicide????
Love to hear back from you guys.

You may want to shadow a pharmacist in different settings or volunteer a little to see if you even like it. Otherwise, you'll be wasting your time and money going to school for something you won't be happy with.

 

[laweerdo]

first off, why do you wanna be a pharmacist? i hope it's not solely because the print field is dying and you wanna be a pharmacist for the money. if you're truly interested in science and your passion is to help others in need through a healthcare profession, then what are you waiting for! definitely look into pharmacy...it's a stable profession with many options for one degree!

and your friend told you not to worry bout chem? that's insane man! you need gen chem and o-chem! and you need to know these chem concepts for the PCAT...which, btw, isn't too hard if you took all the pre-req courses and studied the material.

one last thing, another school you could consider is Creighton's distance program. you basically take online classes that they film and post...this would be ideal if you already have a family and are rooted in another location. BUT, this program is super competitive. they only accept 85 ppl each year for the distance program. their website says the 2009 class has stats like 3.5 cum gpa and 83 composite PCAT.

 

[newpath]

Thank you all. I will be dead honest: Money place a major roll. I have a family to support and I'm already 35, can't effort jumping from one degree to another to find out my passion can't feed my children!!!
Why I'm going toward Pharm: Unlike IT jobs, health care is one of the fields that I found you actually CAN keep up with the changes and update yourself. With Pharm. I'm thinking 6 years of hell, but at least at the end of the tunnel, you have a field that can survive till I'm 80. May be I go to research area...but I don't know that much about it. I'm from a family with too many cancer issues and know alot about different drugs and their interaction with each other ( the ones that we were introduced to )....may be that is why my family is telling me that I should go toward the field of medicine!!!
Going to Mercer forum was a good advice. ( Tnx RXLEA)
regarding : Creighton's distance program...is this accredited???

Thank you all for not making fun of my Q. Your friendly comments are greatly appreciated.

 

[kinipela35]

Creighton's distance program...is this accredited???

Yes, fully accredited. Someone actually in the program can probably give you more specific details. As far as I know, though, it requires travel to Omaha a few weeks out of the summer to complete labwork so you may want to keep that in mind.

 

[twinspharm]

and your friend told you not to worry bout chem? that's insane man! you need gen chem and o-chem! and you need to know these chem concepts for the PCAT...which, btw, isn't too hard if you took all the pre-req courses and studied the material.

.

I think if someone is determined to become a pharmacist, they won't let a little Gen Chem and Ochem stop them. Gen Chem is a joke if you study, and Ochem isn't bad at all.

This is coming from a student who dislikes chem extremely. Yes I dislike chem extremely and I want to be a pharmacist, and I'm not changing careers if any one think I should LOL.

 

[IrishRxMan]

and your friend told you not to worry bout chem? that's insane man! you need gen chem and o-chem! and you need to know these chem concepts for the PCAT...which, btw, isn't too hard if you took all the pre-req courses and studied the material.

I think what his friend was saying was once you get into pharmacy school, the undergrad chem doesn't really get used much, at least not in the same way it was in undergrad. You still need to have a solid base in them, but you're not going to be synthesizing reactions and such with your o-chem, only looking at chemical structures and how side chains alter the activity of a chemical.

 

[newpath]

WOW...that sounds convincing enough....I've been a B average my entire life....never got a good grade in chem and that is one of biggest fear.
Thank you "twinspharm"

 

[newpath]

How much chem will be used on a daily basis as a pharmacist?
I guess a lot!!! Right?

 

[Zekecb]

How much chem will be used on a daily basis as a pharmacist?
I guess a lot!!! Right?

As a retail pharmacist, you probably will never use it. The only time when you use any kind of biology or chemistry is knowing the drug-drug (or food etc..) reactions and things of that nature. Even then you can simply look up any drug-drug interaction from a computer.
I know nothing about being a research pharmacist, but I'm sure there's chemistry involved.

 

[busyizzy]

Just a note, you don't "pass" the PCAT. There is no pass/fail grade. The PCAT is not that difficult - it is like the SATs with basic bio and chem thrown in (and calc for the math). If you study for your prereqs and do well in those (which you need to do to get accepted), then you should be fine. If you're worried about doing poorly on the prereqs and PCAT, then you gotta think to yourself, is this really the profession for you? There's many more tests down the line AFTER acceptance to pharmacy school. You can't let a test get in the way of your career.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Why do people who are bad at chemistry (by OP's own admission...) or do not enjoy chemistry want to explore fields that are based in chemistry?

Oh, right, it pays an easy six-figs after a few years post-graduate study!

Or maybe I'm just cynical.

 

[MrsAppleseed]

.

 

[newpath]

As a retail pharmacist, you probably will never use it. The only time when you use any kind of biology or chemistry is knowing the drug-drug (or food etc..) reactions and things of that nature. Even then you can simply look up any drug-drug interaction from a computer.
I know nothing about being a research pharmacist, but I'm sure there's chemistry involved.

Thank you...that helps!!

 

[newpath]

ETA: I love how the title of this post is "Help... experts!!" Experts? On what? How to squeak by?

Expert:a person who has special skill or knowledge in some particular field (Dictionary.com)
I guess those who post on this site have special skill and/or knowledge of pharmacy. I agree...there are a lot of people out there in EVERY field that don't know what they are talking about...and that's why I'm asking around...I don't want to be one of them. Anyone who wants to make a major change in life has to know what is exactly he/she is getting into and asking from those who have done it is the best way. Agree?

🙂

 

[newpath]

If you're worried about doing poorly on the prereqs and PCAT, then you gotta think to yourself, is this really the profession for you? There's many more tests down the line AFTER acceptance to pharmacy school. You can't let a test get in the way of your career.

I don't know whether I need to be worried about it or not. As I said...all I know is from other people. Friend of Friend didn't pass it after 2 try, Other one had to do it 3 times... I haven't find anyone who actually did go to Mercer and finish the job...not any first hand news.
I have an appointment with an advisor ( Mercer ) and I will find out how many major tests one has to pass. PCAT, Board exam....

Tnx

 

[busyizzy]

I took a psych class on expertise, and the general idea was you had to immerse yourself in that specific topic for about 10 years before you could be considered at an "expert" level, at least professionally.

haha, just something I found interesting...

 

[dreezy10]

Why do people who are bad at chemistry (by OP's own admission...) or do not enjoy chemistry want to explore fields that are based in chemistry?

Oh, right, it pays an easy six-figs after a few years post-graduate study!

Or maybe I'm just cynical.

I would say just because someone was bad in chem in the past doesnt mean that they cant be great at it in the future. People change over time, develop new passions, and new desires, people learn and grow. I failed chem in high school, and excelled and basketball. once I got to college, I realized that hoops was not going to be my future, I switched gears, and aced every class with the mention of chem in it in college. but Im way worse at hoops now. No one's skills are set in stone, with work ethic and desire, you can turn a weakness into a strength.

don't assume because you did great in your undergrad, that someone who did worse than you wont pass you up in graduate work. soon as you underestimate someone they will surprise you.

Then again, I agree with you in some aspect, if people enter this field for the wrong reasons, they will fail, or become a horrible professional.

Good luck newpath!

 

[newpath]

Thank you for wishing me luck. I know I should have done this years ago but was scared of the amount of work/study it would take. I tried so hard to find the short cuts to success but I realized there is no short cut. If you would have asked me 3 years ago, I would laugh at the idea of going back to school, but I did try all the possible ways and didn't work...I think this would be one hell of a path that I have to go through.
Please give me as much comments as possible. It does help a lot.

 

[harordr]

I am not a big fan of chem either but its just something you have to get through. Don't worry about the PCAT, just study your bio and chem and you will do just fine. I didn't even take a orgo class when I took the PCAT and I score a 68 in the chem portion and it was mostly orgo because I just bought a PCAT book and studied some things on my own and a 68 in chem was good enough to get me into a couple schools so far. As for knowing if this is the profession for you...you can't possibly know if you haven't shadowed a pharmacist for more than a week at least. This profession shows you new things every day you work, and trust me, its not for everyone.

 

[MrMeowphers]

I might just be stating the obvious here, but has the OP possibly considered other professional degrees other then Pharmacy?

Pre-med, Pre-dental, and Pre-optometry also have a handful of pre-requisites that can be finished in 2-3 years (and you already have a degree in Accounting). If you're thinking about $$$, then Dentist's have the potential to make heeps more then pharmacists, especially if you start your own practice with one or two other dentist's. I have 3 close friends who are already dentists, at the age of 30-35, and only work 4 days a week for between 150-215K a year...

You could also try being a Physicians Assistant (PA); note, however, that this program is also highly competitive and also currently pays quite well.

I always have admired Nurses too, so this could also be something you think about.

Or you could skip all the pre-requisite work and go back for your MBA since you have heeps of practical experience (work-experience) and knowledge in your respective fields already.

I'm only hoping you're considering ALL opportunities for you and not just saying "I'm going to pharmacy because I heard from someone that it makes X amount of dollars." A quick search on these forums will show that the "huge demand" in pharmacists are coming to an end in certain locations (e.g. the bubble is bursting) thanks to the massive expansion in Pharmacy programs in the past decade.

I wish you the best of luck and hope the best for you and your family. 🙂

 

[newpath]

I might just be stating the obvious here, but has the OP possibly considered other professional degrees other then Pharmacy?
newpath: None of the other Med-field makes me excited!! Dentist: I hate put my hand even in my own mouth!!! hahaha
...
You could also try being a Physicians Assistant (PA); newpath: Honestly, I think a PA is cheating on patients. I don't even go to them, they go 2-3 years to school and start treating people and collect the same amount of money that patient will pay to a specialist who really went through hell to become a doctor and they don't have the same knowledge either. I had bad experience every time I ended up working with them.
.....
Or you could skip all the pre-requisite work and go back for your MBA ...

I never liked accounting....that was not my choice of study to begin with. ( long story )
I love graphic design but it doesn’t pay the bills anymore. The filed is already dying. For the past 2-3 years employers want you to know programming ( website ) in addition to graphic softwares. Trust me, I took several classes in programming and sadly, I have no IQ in programming...
Pharmacy sounds like a possibility: 6 years of hell ( I assume ) but it would be the end of field change. That would be a field that will be active for another 200 years.
Any comment?

 

[MrsAppleseed]

Pharmacy sounds like a possibility: 6 years of hell ( I assume ) but it would be the end of field change. That would be a field that will be active for another 200 years.
Any comment?

Not to bring up any sort of "the sky is falling" controversy, but this isn't necessarily true. I have several friends who are pharmacists in their early 30s and several have told me, "I honestly don't know where this profession is going. It's very uncertain." A few wonder if they'll be retiring from the profession, not because of their will, but due to the future of the profession.

Also, it's a little disconcerting that you think of the education as 6 years of hell. It really isn't that bad when you want to learn about the material. No one likes exams, but the material is enjoyable, not hell.

I'd do a little more research and give it a little more, thought, to be honest. It doesn't really sound like you're going into it for the right reasons.

 

[Passion4Sci]

By 2060 we'll all be replaced by Skynet anyway... engineers, police, fire fighters, EMTs, McDonald's employees, you name it.

The sky is truly falling.

I guess I should go drink myself to death.

Seriously, pharmacy is a fine decision for a career, as would be a LOT of other things.

Stop beating the dead caballo.

 

[busyizzy]

Also, it's a little disconcerting that you think of the education as 6 years of hell. It really isn't that bad when you want to learn about the material. No one likes exams, but the material is enjoyable, not hell.

I agree.... and it's not ONLY 6 years. You'll constantly have to learn new things because there are different drugfs and research that come out and update the information you initially learned. It's not "6 years and I'm done!" It's more of a lifetime of learning ... or that's how I see it.

 

[jkru]

I'm 28 and starting pharm school this fall, so I can relate to these worries. I like how you have an interest in "how the body works." That's how I got through pre-pharmacy... I love science and have a genuine interest in what I am learning.

PCAT is nothing to worry about if you study hard. You already know that going into pharmacy is a big risk because of the time commitment and competitiveness of getting in. Just tell yourself you'll do whatever it takes to get in. It worked for me.

Study hard, study hard, study hard!! And be prepared to be >100k in debt after your 6 years.

 

[Endospore]

"One hell of a path?" "6 years of hell?" You are seriously in the wrong place. What exactly are you going to say when in an interview they ask "Why pharmacy?" Try 6 years of the most fun you will ever have. Or 6 years of challenge to excel. Or the opportunity to make a major shift in following your passion for science.

Sounds like strictly money here which motivates many. Is it enough to motivate you? Sounds like a really bad attitude to make it on.

 

[newpath]

I'd do a little more research and give it a little more, thought, to be honest. It doesn't really sound like you're going into it for the right reasons.

I won't start on reasons...my reason is surviving! and I leave it there...my concern is: can I handle 6 years of 24/7 studying ? can I pass the tests? The rest won't matter. No body knows exactly what he is getting into, till he is actually do it. The main idea is : do not quit!
All of these posts simply help me out.

 

[Passion4Sci]

It's not 24/7 studying, even for someone like me who wasn't science-oriented when he started.

 

[pharmwannebe2]

I won't start on reasons...my reason is surviving! and I leave it there...my concern is: can I handle 6 years of 24/7 studying ? can I pass the tests? The rest won't matter. No body knows exactly what he is getting into, till he is actually do it. The main idea is : do not quit!
All of these posts simply help me out.

no you really don't understand. You should check out pharmacy...shadow at least....most students do this. Yes surviving is imp. but you can survive on 40,000. you don't have to be a pharmacist if you are in it for the money. Trust me, if you don't have a desire for this you are just going to make yourself miserable.

 

[Endospore]

You really do not have a clue here. If you do not have the IQ for computer programming (math) and were poor at chemistry, and just want to survive and make lots of money this is not for you. Better you figure it out now.

Pharmacy is not just about passing the PCAT. Do you have any idea how competitive interviews are even if you get an offer? Adcoms see right through applicants like you. How are you competitive? What are your grades from previous school work? Do you think you could do a heavy load of pre-req's for 2 years and maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher? The PCAT is the least of your worries.

If you are interested in medicine after listening to a radio program, then look at EMT training or perhaps nursing. You just do not sound like you have any type of motivation or energy level. If you really want it, you would do what it takes, no questions asked, and move whereever you get in. Yes, that means uprooting your family. Again, what motivates you? Money? Fear of exams?

Taking pre-req's is the easy part. Thinking a high salary would be nice is the easy part. Why would a university give you a highly sought-after seat in a program over someone else? What do you have to offer? This may sound unkind, but wanting to survive just does not cut it. The life-long path of learning does not end after your degree - it starts. Pharmacy is not sitting on your butt in retail making loads of money anymore. No school would ever admit you on that idea.

Do yourself a favor. Find something you have the ability to do. If you are challenged by computer programming, you would not make it the first semester of 16-18 credits of science.

 

[Endospore]

😴

 

[MrsAppleseed]

Just another tidbit, the PCAT is a drop in the bucket. It's all about taking 15-17 hours of classes for 2 years and maintaining a 3.5 GPA. That's what Mercer is looking for. They don't care if you've taken your time to take the 60something hours of pre-reqs over 4 years and maintained a 4.0, that doesn't prove you can handle the courseload that is pharmacy school. I know a good number of Mercer professors, and that's their biggest emphasis for admissions.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Just another tidbit, the PCAT is a drop in the bucket. It's all about taking 15-17 hours of classes for 2 years and maintaining a 3.5 GPA. That's what Mercer is looking for. They don't care if you've taken your time to take the 60something hours of pre-reqs over 4 years and maintained a 4.0, that doesn't prove you can handle the courseload that is pharmacy school. I know a good number of Mercer professors, and that's their biggest emphasis for admissions.

UoP is the same way.

 

[diastole]

I won't start on reasons...my reason is surviving! and I leave it there...my concern is: can I handle 6 years of 24/7 studying ? can I pass the tests? The rest won't matter. No body knows exactly what he is getting into, till he is actually do it. The main idea is : do not quit!
All of these posts simply help me out.

Why not just try it and see? Go enroll for a semester and see what happens. If you learn your prereq material well, you can succeed on the PCAT. If you struggle with the prereqs then maybe the field isn't for you. But you won't know until you try, right?

 

[newpath]

Why not just try it and see? Go enroll for a semester and see what happens. If you learn your prereq material well, you can succeed on the PCAT. If you struggle with the prereqs then maybe the field isn't for you. But you won't know until you try, right?

Sounds like a plan!! I may actually go and work as a volunteer at a pharmacy before moving forward.
All of you are correct in your ways but just a little FYI none of my pharmacist friends are constantly updating themselves the same way IT people have to do. If they are good pharmacists or not...don't know the answer. All I know they are in practice for +10 year.

 

[newpath]

It's not 24/7 studying, even for someone like me who wasn't science-oriented when he started.

Can you be more clear about your comment please? how many hours per day do you study??

Tnx

 

[newpath]

ONE MORE THING...
It is not like everybody are lucky enough to find their passion or can follow what they love to do.
If you know what your passion is, have the option to follow it no matter what and enjoy every second of the way....consider yourself the luckiest person on earth. GOOD FOR YOU.

 

[Zekecb]

Can you be more clear about your comment please? how many hours per day do you study??

Tnx

It probably depends on the person and the school. One of my pharmacists graduated from University of Southern Nevada. She said she had no time for a social life while in pharmacy school.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Can you be more clear about your comment please? how many hours per day do you study??

Tnx

I adhere to Carnegie Rule, which I got used to while in undergrad.

Essentially, it states that for every 1 hour of class, you spend approx. 3 hours outside of class studying / preparing / etc.

So, a 5 unit class will require ~15 hours outside of class studying during the week.

It turns out that during the height of my most difficult terms, I spent about 35 hours a week studying. That's nowhere near 24 hours a day.

I still had time for a social life and everything. I was just very circumspect about how and when I spent my time. I tutored several subjects and one thing I noticed was that people said they studied a lot, but when asked to specify what exactly they did it ended up being something like: "Oh um, I read the book for a couple hours... or stare at the pages..." and such.

and for the record, I was very non-sciency, so it's not like I'm just a math wiz. or something and I'm telling you it'll be easy because that's not the case. But 24/7 is way beyond even hyperbole.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

I don't know whether I need to be worried about it or not. As I said...all I know is from other people. Friend of Friend didn't pass it after 2 try, Other one had to do it 3 times... I haven't find anyone who actually did go to Mercer and finish the job...not any first hand news.
I have an appointment with an advisor ( Mercer ) and I will find out how many major tests one has to pass. PCAT, Board exam....

Tnx

The PCAT is not that hard if you get the basics down in your science pre-reqs. Your friends probably retook the exam because many people do better on their second try, but you can't actually pass or fail the exam since it's standardized on percentiles.

By 2060 we'll all be replaced by Skynet anyway... engineers, police, fire fighters, EMTs, McDonald's employees, you name it.

The sky is truly falling.

I guess I should go drink myself to death.

Seriously, pharmacy is a fine decision for a career, as would be a LOT of other things.

Stop beating the dead caballo.

LOL at caballo.

I agree.... and it's not ONLY 6 years. You'll constantly have to learn new things because there are different drugfs and research that come out and update the information you initially learned. It's not "6 years and I'm done!" It's more of a lifetime of learning ... or that's how I see it.

Hey I wrote about that in my supplemental! lol I definitely see it the same way... if you really care about the profession and the material outside of a paycheck then it's not hell, but actually very rewarding and fun.

It's not 24/7 studying, even for someone like me who wasn't science-oriented when he started.

Whaaaaaaat? 😱

Just another tidbit, the PCAT is a drop in the bucket. It's all about taking 15-17 hours of classes for 2 years and maintaining a 3.5 GPA. That's what Mercer is looking for. They don't care if you've taken your time to take the 60something hours of pre-reqs over 4 years and maintained a 4.0, that doesn't prove you can handle the courseload that is pharmacy school. I know a good number of Mercer professors, and that's their biggest emphasis for admissions.

Mercer's curriculum does require you to handle a rigorous courseload. You have to manage your time and digest the information in a timely manner... you can't be the type who will fall behind or can't handle a lot of science type courses at once.

 

[newpath]

Mercer's curriculum does require you to handle a rigorous courseload. You have to manage your time and digest the information in a timely manner... you can't be the type who will fall behind or can't handle a lot of science type courses at once.

My GPA was always 3.7 above but I never took more than what I could handle. So probably that doesn't count anymore. you guys are scaring me....So...you have to take 18 credits each semester and can't take it slower??

 

[diastole]

My GPA was always 3.7 above but I never took more than what I could handle. So probably that doesn't count anymore. you guys are scaring me....So...you have to take 18 credits each semester and can't take it slower??

In pharmacy school, you'll have to take that many units I think. For your pre-reqs, fifteen units should be fine. I think what one of the previous posters meant was don't take one or two classes a semester because that doesn't show that you can handle the load in pharmacy school. I'm not sure that is entirely true though. I couldn't take my classes full time until the semester when I applied. During that semester, I took all science and math classes and got all As. I figured that that was enough to show that I could handle the rigors of pharmacy school. But you have just one school in mind so it might be different. Maybe they want to see you taking all those classes full time for two years straight.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

My GPA was always 3.7 above but I never took more than what I could handle. So probably that doesn't count anymore. you guys are scaring me....So...you have to take 18 credits each semester and can't take it slower??

No everything counts, but I'm assuming you still need to take most of your pre-reqs since your original major was accounting... and I know that Mercer re-calculates your pre-req GPA also to see how you do in those specific classes.

Don't be scared, but since you are going back to school specifically for your pre-reqs you should definitely go full time. I'd say ~15 credits is the norm. Mercer is 18 credits per semester, but they are on a block schedule where certain classes are several weeks and you focus on that material all at once, but you move more quickly than you would if you spread everything out all semester. Sorry I can't explain it that well, I'm just going to be a P1 in the fall but I know a little bit about the school/curriculum from going to the interview, talking to students, reading the material, etc. There are students here who could probably tell you more.

I'm not going to lie, once or twice I took 12 credits in undergrad, but I still fulfilled my major, two minors, pre-pharm requirements, and I'm about one class away from a third minor in economics... so yeah I guess the rare semester that I took 12 credits didn't hurt me too much, but my senior year I took nearly all sciences with 17 credits, worked, and stayed with my competitive sports team to prove that I wasn't a slacker. lol

 

[newpath]

Mercer is 18 credits per semester, but they are on a block schedule where certain classes are several weeks and you focus on that material all at once, but you move more quickly than you would if you spread everything out all semester.

Good to know this. I have an appointment with an advisor ( I guess ) at Mercer today. I will ask about this. Thank you so much.

 

[PharmyMen]

Good to know this. I have an appointment with an advisor ( I guess ) at Mercer today. I will ask about this. Thank you so much.

That is a good idea to meet with someone. When in doubt, ask an expert or an adcom from one of the schools where you might apply. The adcom q&a site has been really helpful to me to if you want to ask her for advice:

 

[newpath]

When in doubt, ask an expert or an adcom from one of the schools where you might apply. The adcom q&a site has been really helpful to me to if you want to ask her for advice:

What is an adcom???
I did go to Mercer yesterday. The numbers were crazy: 1800 application from world wide, 600 can pass PCAT and only 145 will be accepted. WOW!!
I don't know this is once a year or each semester.

 

[MrsAppleseed]

adcom = Admissions Committee member

Yes, pharmacy school admissions are once, yearly.
I hope your meeting answered some of your questions. If you have any other questions, I can ask some of my Mercer professor contacts.

 

[adma826]

J They don't care if you've taken your time to take the 60something hours of pre-reqs over 4 years and maintained a 4.0, that doesn't prove you can handle the courseload that is pharmacy school. I know a good number of Mercer professors, and that's their biggest emphasis for admissions.

Working under the assumption this is fairly standard, I am wondering if I should plan on carrying a bigger load next year. Help me out here....

I am nontradtional - most of my pre-reqs are old, but USN (where I will be applying) will take them. I am re-taking A&P this year just to refresh my memory (and b/c I love A&P so I am very happy to re-take it), and, after moving over the summer, 2010-11 I will take the Orgo 1 and 2 sequence, as those are the only courses I am lacking, and I have to wait til then to be able to take them in person. I will be applying in the late fall to USN.

Would it look better to add in some non-required but fairly relevant courses instead of just going part-time (esp only 4 hrs)? Any ideas? Retake some science classes (like microbiology?), take physics (not required but something I have always been interested in)....