Hey guys, a couple of questions?

[samurai361]

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Just for the newcomer, for pharmacy, is it like other health professions where it doesn't really matter where you went to pharmacy school, as long as you have a pharmd you're set for employment?

Secondly, do people usually apply after they finish their bachelor's degree? I'm taking this as a yes but I found a lot of dual hs/pharmacy schools...

Thirdly, when are applicants usually notified of their acceptance?

Fourthly, why do some schools not require the PCAT? Do they use another basis of evaluation to determine admission? TOEFL? I thought TOEFL was strictly for non-english speaking foreigners? If we're applying to those schools, must we take the TOEFL or any other type of test to apply to their school? or any grad entrance exam at all? Are these schools generally competitive to get into?

Fifthly, are SAT scores/HS records required at all during the application process (secondary app, any of that stuff?)

I promise I'm really searching schools and their websites but some schools are so different that it's hard getting the big picture.

Oh yeah and how are PCAT scores evaluated (the harcourt site isn't really helpful...). . . I know 200-600 and a writing score, but is that overall or for each section? Overall right? and does the writing portion actually count to schools, do they use it aggressively as to how well you write? is the essay photocopied and sent to schools via pharmcas?

THANKS a billion guys, I'm sorry there are so many questions.

Oh and one more thing, is the number of seats available at each school listed in any easy accessible place? ty

 

[omnione]

1. It doesn't really matter unless your school does something stupid like a former U of Hawaii branch that got its credentials jacked leaving their students looking for another school and more money to pay for it. There may be subtle differences in the alumni base for job connections, but there aren't really "Ivy League" pharmacy schools.

2. The standard in the past was 2 years and the shift toward Bachelor's recipients is a side effect of the increase in number of applications per school. Admissions is increasingly more competitive each year. Still, if you have the stats during year 2, apply by all means.

3. If you are doing early admission/acceptance, then around October-November. For rolling admissions, you can see that some acceptances have begun to roll in. For non-rolling admissions, between February and April. Of course, there's the waitlist where students may be on it until August when a student drops and opens up a spot for the lucky applicant.

4. The PCAT is more of a recent inclusion so the transition hasn't been more complete yet. I predict that most schools will require the PCAT in the near future to deal with the high number of applications. For non-PCAT schools, most only care about the GPA.

5. The SAT/ACT only matters if you are applying to the six-year programs where you essentially start pharmacy school out of high school but take the first two years of courses that match the prereqs taken by people of four-year programs. If you plan to go to college first and then apply, then the SAT won't matter.

6. Go to the PCAT board to get information about the PCAT. I have a thread that provides one perspective on what is a competitive score. Do note that the percentile number is of your main concern.

7. Check the website for class size or call if its not there.