how can i prepare in high school

[PharmChild]

hey everyone

I am finishing up 9th grade this year and starting 10th next fall. I am still to young to work but how can i start preparing for pharmacy school. I know i still got to finish hs and then college which is a long way away but my parents told me i should start now since its very tough and not everyone can get it. i always wanted to be one since a pharmacist visited our school and talked about his job i thought it was cool. so what can i do now besides prepare for college?

thank you

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[byork]

Enjoy high school and don't immediately forget everything you've learned after an exam.

 

[deleted329060]

If you wish, you can prepare for programs that guarantee seating in pharmacy school. I am not sure what the official term is but at my undergrad, University of Illinois at Chicago, they call the program "GPPA"

What is the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions Initiative?

The GPPA program allows a limited number of freshmen per year to be admitted to UIC with guaranteed admission to one of several professional degree programs. Students need only maintain pre-set curriculum and performance criteria to maintain their guarantee.​

With the security of GPPA, students are able to focus on undergraduate studies and have the freedom to pursue many subject areas and disciplines. In addition, participants have early and frequent contact with professional school faculty and advisors. Most students in GPPA also benefit from the facilities and services of the UIC Honors College.​

http://www.uic.edu/depts/oaa/spec_prog/gppa/

I applied for the GPPA program only to get rejected. I went to a prestigious public high school in Chicago and obtained an unweighted GPA of ~3.9 with an ACT of 29. I think my rejection was due to my lack of extracurricular activities. Best of luck to you! Hope this info helps!

 

[owlegrad]

hey everyone

I am finishing up 9th grade this year and starting 10th next fall. I am still to young to work but how can i start preparing for pharmacy school. I know i still got to finish hs and then college which is a long way away but my parents told me i should start now since its very tough and not everyone can get it. i always wanted to be one since a pharmacist visited our school and talked about his job i thought it was cool. so what can i do now besides prepare for college?

thank you

First, keep an open mind about your future. You're still young, etc, etc.

If you don't mind me telling you how to live your life, try to join some clubs (that you would enjoy) / spend time volunteering for various causes. Please remember to enjoy your time in hs as best you can, you can't get that time back. Be as active as you can stand to be, you will be glad you did later on.

OK, now for the "real" advice. Take your science courses seriously. Especially Chemistry and Biology. Specific facts are not so important but try to understand concepts. Wouldn't hurt to be diligent in your math classes ether, although that will mostly help in undergrad. If you hate science and math then pharmacy school will be a tough road. Sense you are in hs you may want to consider a 0+6 school but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. Better to keep your options open IMO. Shadow a pharmacist in their workplace if possible (I say if possible, but this should be a top priority, make it happen). When you are old enough get a job as a tech if possible. Pharmacy is a very obtainable goal as long as you are diligent with your school work, also if you can get some related experience that will put you over the top.

OK now for completely useless info. You are not to young to work, you are too young to work. Two is a number, to is a prepositional phrase (most common use of the work) and too only means "also (as in me too)" or "in excess (as in too many)". For whatever reason this is a pet peeve of mine. They are often mixed up. It used to confuse me too, but once you get used to it, it really is not too confusing IMO.

You should also know that by the time you graduate there will only be 5 available jobs for pharmacists in the entire country. The stress from this will be too (See? It's not too hard!) much for most pharmacists. (I am joking, but the reality is that pharmacists will not be in as high demand by the time you graduate. Please keep an open mind as you get more life experience under your belt.)

 

[sideways]

Enjoy high school and don't immediately forget everything you've learned after an exam.

Enjoy high school and immediately forget everything you've learned after an exam.

 

[Project2015]

Nothing really besides preparing for college. Perhaps in your free time gain more exposure and understanding of the field... and examine the admissions process so that you know what to do once you are in college. No need to worry about it and remember to enjoy the present!

 

[docss26]

OK, now for the "real" advice. Take your science courses seriously. Especially Chemistry and Biology. Specific facts are not so important but try to understand concepts. Wouldn't hurt to be diligent in your math classes ether, although that will mostly help in undergrad. If you hate science and math then pharmacy school will be a tough road. Sense you are in hs you may want to consider a 0+6 school but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. Better to keep your options open IMO. Shadow a pharmacist in their workplace if possible (I say if possible, but this should be a top priority, make it happen). When you are old enough get a job as a tech if possible. Pharmacy is a very obtainable goal as long as you are diligent with your school work, also if you can get some related experience that will put you over the top.

Sense is actually a function of the mind analogous to sensation. For example, senses refer to sight, touch, smell etc. What you should have said was, "since." In the context of your sentence, since would fit appropriately.

Now to some useful information...

My sister is currently in high school and the best extracurricular activities for high school students career exploring, is volunteering. The reason, I say this is because it allows you the flexibility to experience different areas of pharmacy or any other career you may potentially be interested in. Do your research on the 6 year programs some schools offer. If you truly want to pursue pharmacy, this will save you some time. Read SDN and develop good study habits. Good luck!

 

[Zera]

Sense is actually a function of the mind analogous to sensation. For example, senses refer to sight, touch, smell etc. What you should have said was, "since." In the context of your sentence, since would fit appropriately.

LOL I was about to post the exact same thing. Especially after that rant of his on to vs too.

 

[rxlea]

Don't smoke pot.

 

[owlegrad]

Sense is actually a function of the mind analogous to sensation. For example, senses refer to sight, touch, smell etc. What you should have said was, "since." In the context of your sentence, since would fit appropriately.

Thank You! I re-read that post many times since I was correcting grammar. I just knew that at least one would slip through. From this day forward using "sense" incorrectly will be a pet peeve of mine.

 

[Caesar]

Moving to hSDN.

 

[docss26]

Thank You! I re-read that post many times since I was correcting grammar. I just knew that at least one would slip through. From this day forward using "sense" incorrectly will be a pet peeve of mine.

Lol I'm glad to hear that! 👍

 

[BlitzSleep]

Party as hard as you can (srs)

There is absolutely nothing you can do in high school that will make a difference between being accepted or rejected to pharmacy school.

Have fun in high school, when you're in college, you 'll have to juggle too much to be able to party.

 

[bacillus1]

If you feel like, you can look into some 0-6 programs (mostly on East Coast) that provide guaranteed admission to pharmacy school right out of high school (provided you meet a certain GPA, which seems to be constantly going up).
I agree with whoever said keeping an open mind. Pharmacy is becoming more and more saturated. If this is something you think you'd really enjoy doing, go for it. If you're doing it for the money, choose something else.
A few AP classes wouldn't hurt. Your life would be a lot easier in the first year or 2 of college.

Otherwise, enjoy yourself. Chances are you won't have to work as hard in high school as you will in college/pharmacy school. So do things you like before it's too late.

 

[orthomyxo]

Enjoy high school and immediately forget everything you've learned after an exam.

👍 Seriously.

 

[prefarmstu786]

My suggestion to you from my personal experience with pharmacy admission is that the best thing for you to do now is to gain lots of volunteering experience in hospitals or any health care institution (long term care, nursing homes etc). In high school you have more time on hand than college; and school is less stressful so I highly suggest you to get involved as soon as you can. You have to worry about grades but not too much unless you want to go to a direct 6 yr program (in that case you should get mostly straight As). Pharmacy schools don't care about your grades in high school, their major focus is on your undergraduate (college) grades.

When I interviewed at my pharmacy school they really liked how involved I was early on in my life (I was a tutor when I was in 9th and 10th grades and I volunteered at an emergency department in 11th and 12th grades). So there are 4 components that they focus on: Application (personal statement), Grades from college not high school, Extracurricular experience/community service (get started on this as soon as possible), Interview. I think my major strengths were the community service and the interview... my grades were not too good. You don't necessarily have to excel in all 4 criterion they weigh your pluses and minuses.
O yeah forgot to mention, as soon as you turn 18 start applying for pharmacy tech positions some pharmacy schools like that.

I hope this helps, feel free to ask me any questions that you are curious about. Good luck with everything.

 

[echolalia16]

The best thing you can do now is relax and enjoy your youth and not stress yourself out about trying to set yourself for post-undergrad endeavors. You only live once and the 4-5 years in college is plenty of time to get everything set up for Pharm school. Don't waste 4 more.
Right now, you want to focus on getting into a decent college that you'll enjoy. That means do your homework, study, maybe volunteer if you have some extra time on your hands (For what its worth, I didn't do any of the above, but if getting into an Ivy league pharm school is your dream, do what you can now to get into a top tier undergraduate school, including homework, study and volunteer).

Once you're done being a kid and relaxing and having fun and you go off to college, then its time to start focusing on what Pharm schools like. Continue the good stuff from high school ie continue studying and doing homework. If you haven't volunteered before, now is the time to get into a decent program that will give you direct Pharm experience. You also want to look at shadowing experiences while an undergrad. Research with professors or elsewhere is also a good resume booster, and join some clubs that you think you'll be interested in and strive to earn a title in those clubs (President, VP, PR, etc). Get close with your professors and employers because they're the ones you'll be asking for letters of recommedation. You also need to scope out what kind of schools are realistic options for you and specifically what they look for in an application. You'll have plenty of crap on your plate in college. Don't worry about that stuff now.

 

[HouseMD30]

The only real thing you can do is develop GREAT study habits, can't emphasize this enough.

 

[Shipponz]

the school i'm going this fall, Rutgers University(New Jersey) has a 0-6 pharmacy program which is 3 years pre-professional and 3 years pharmacy professional. It is a hard program to get in but its doable. Just relax in HS, do some extracurricular activities, study hard for SAT's during junior year.

Most typical students that get into this program have a 3.8/4.0 GPA with atleast a 1900/2400.

PS. I'm an engineering major not a pharmD. I know this stuff because my brother is starting his 4/6th year in this program

 

[schrizto]

the school i'm going this fall, Rutgers University(New Jersey) has a 0-6 pharmacy program which is 3 years pre-professional and 3 years pharmacy professional. It is a hard program to get in but its doable. Just relax in HS, do some extracurricular activities, study hard for SAT's during junior year.

I'm pretty sure most six year pharmacy programs are 2+4.

 

[ItzYaYa]

First, keep an open mind about your future. You're still young, etc, etc.

If you don't mind me telling you how to live your life, try to join some clubs (that you would enjoy) / spend time volunteering for various causes. Please remember to enjoy your time in hs as best you can, you can't get that time back. Be as active as you can stand to be, you will be glad you did later on.

OK, now for the "real" advice. Take your science courses seriously. Especially Chemistry and Biology. Specific facts are not so important but try to understand concepts. Wouldn't hurt to be diligent in your math classes ether, although that will mostly help in undergrad. If you hate science and math then pharmacy school will be a tough road. Sense you are in hs you may want to consider a 0+6 school but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. Better to keep your options open IMO. Shadow a pharmacist in their workplace if possible (I say if possible, but this should be a top priority, make it happen). When you are old enough get a job as a tech if possible. Pharmacy is a very obtainable goal as long as you are diligent with your school work, also if you can get some related experience that will put you over the top.

OK now for completely useless info. You are not to young to work, you are too young to work. Two is a number, to is a prepositional phrase (most common use of the work) and too only means "also (as in me too)" or "in excess (as in too many)". For whatever reason this is a pet peeve of mine. They are often mixed up. It used to confuse me too, but once you get used to it, it really is not too confusing IMO.

You should also know that by the time you graduate there will only be 5 available jobs for pharmacists in the entire country. The stress from this will be too (See? It's not too hard!) much for most pharmacists. (I am joking, but the reality is that pharmacists will not be in as high demand by the time you graduate. Please keep an open mind as you get more life experience under your belt.)

+1👍

Prepare diligently for your SAT's when that time comes. Set goals for yourself (grades, volunteering, extracurricular activities, etc...) ; enjoy high-school, you have a LOT of time left, and last, but not least, it is still early in your life, you never know, you just might change your mind about pharm.

 

[Saiyo]

Do more research about the pharmacy profession while in HS to be absolutely sure this is what you want to do with your life.

 

[TriagePreMed]

hey everyone

I am finishing up 9th grade this year and starting 10th next fall. I am still to young to work but how can i start preparing for pharmacy school. I know i still got to finish hs and then college which is a long way away but my parents told me i should start now since its very tough and not everyone can get it. i always wanted to be one since a pharmacist visited our school and talked about his job i thought it was cool. so what can i do now besides prepare for college?

thank you

You're too young to enslave yourself into this process. For all you know you'll end up wanting to go into a completely different field. The work you do in High School will be meaningless for graduate school. Focus your attention on getting good grades to go into an undergraduate program that you enjoy. Talk to your school counselor about what volunteering/extracurricular options you have that will help you get into undergrad.

Enjoy your time because it's the only time you'll have it.

 

[deleted202457]

Enjoy high school while you can. Most things you do in high school won't really affect professional school unless you're trying to get into a fast track program (e.g. MD in 7 or something). Really just focus on getting into a good college so that you can set yourself up to do well in your pursuit of your future.

Really focus on volunteering if you're just determined to start now. If you start some EC and continue it through college you may could put it on your app, which could really show some commitment and give you something to talk about in interviews (this is an extreme case).

 

[Medwell]

Don't smoke pot.

Awww why not? 🙁