I'm a 3rd Yr Pharm Student at UF- Any Questions?

[StringTheorist]

I have been on SDN since undergrad and I found that it really helped me gather information on schools, especially on information that isn't posted on it's website(from difficulty of material to social life to campus environment).

There is a great benefit to getting information from someone who has gone through the same process as you. That is why I would be happy to answer any questions you may have for a 3rd year pharmacy student at the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

I will answer any questions as honestly as possible. This in no way represents my college, but is just my viewpoints and will provide an insight to your possible future life...

I have been getting many private emails and thought I could better answer them in general to anyone who may find this useful...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Namishin]

I have an interview at the Orlando campus coming up. Is it the same interviewers they use in Gainesville and aside from general interview tips, have any advice?

Also, their website says they accepted 300 students from 330 interviews... so to put it bluntly, does getting an interview mean your odds are pretty good?

 

[StringTheorist]

I have an interview at the Orlando campus coming up. Is it the same interviewers they use in Gainesville and aside from general interview tips, have any advice?

Also, their website says they accepted 300 students from 330 interviews... so to put it bluntly, does getting an interview mean your odds are pretty good?

Congrats on getting an interview! Back when I applied that was the first year that interviews were a requirement for admissions. Before that, UF COP didn't do mandatory interviews. So that year, you knew if you got an interview, you were basically in because they didn't waste time at the interview process, it seemed more like a formality they had to do in order to legally accept students.
I don't know what the chances are of getting accepted if you get an interview nowadays, but I'd still say they are pretty good.
When I interviewed, we were made to sign a waiver before interviewing saying not to share the questions with any people, including those from other campuses, so I'm not sure if the questions will be the same, but they will be the usual interview questions(ie, tell me a time when you have overcome an obstacle, how have you shown perseverance, etc...). A quick google search should lead you to almost all the questions you can be expected to ask.
I was interviewed by the faculty and they didn't seem like they were scrutinizing you. I was definitely much more talkative as the interviewee.

Tips:
1. Wear a business suit. Man or woman, get a suit. Not only will you use it then, but also at career fairs(happens every year). Wear dark blue/grey/black and a collared shirt underneath.
2. Talk about how you will contribute to the school. Do research and talk about clubs/organizations. Talk about how you will talk an active role in school.
3. If english is your second language, practice before hand with other people (well, do this anyways, but especially if you are foreign...). This was said to be why many schools conduct interviews... they want to see your mastery of the english language.

Bets of luck though, you will more than likely be accepted. Impress them with your passion for pharmacy and you'll be gold.

 

[John87]

Although there are about 2 more months till the end of interview for most pharm schools, I would like to know the chances of getting accepted if I was given an interview near April...since most seats are occupied already by accepted students.

 

[bottlecap1990]

Hi, I am currently a freshmen in my second semester of college at a brookdale community college new jersey. I am planning on getting my associate degree here and apply straight to pharmacy schools. Since there is only one pharmacy school here in jersey, I definitely need to apply somewhere else. Money is kind of an issue for me so I am trying to take all the prereqs at a community college if possible. I have checked out some out of state schools such as LIU, Buffalo, Lecom, West Virginia, and others. They all have different requirements BUT after I checked my courses requirements for the associate degree, they pretty much cover the whole pre reqs, except maybe anatomy physiology or biochemistry. Do you think it is possible to do what I want to do?. Also, can you give me some advice on what I should be doing?. I am still waiting for a call back from a local hospital to volunteer there. I will also become a member of Phi Tetha Kappa and become a student teacher (PLTL) helping students in chemistry 101.

Thank you.

 

[StringTheorist]

Although there are about 2 more months till the end of interview for most pharm schools, I would like to know the chances of getting accepted if I was given an interview near April...since most seats are occupied already by accepted students.

In 2007, I was given an interview near April(the 2nd round of interviews). As far as I knew, half of the students, if not more, were accepted the first round(interviews in Jan/Feb) and the rest basically in April. Very few students will get accepted after that, but it DOES happen, but I would guess that would be no more than 10% of the class. I know someone who got accepted last minute(almost a month or less before classes started). They also accept students after November interviews, but those are usually for students who are basically a shoe in based on age, experience grades... I know people who had PhDs or Masters who got accepted early early on.

 

[StringTheorist]

Hi, I am currently a freshmen in my second semester of college at a brookdale community college new jersey. I am planning on getting my associate degree here and apply straight to pharmacy schools. Since there is only one pharmacy school here in jersey, I definitely need to apply somewhere else. Money is kind of an issue for me so I am trying to take all the prereqs at a community college if possible. I have checked out some out of state schools such as LIU, Buffalo, Lecom, West Virginia, and others. They all have different requirements BUT after I checked my courses requirements for the associate degree, they pretty much cover the whole pre reqs, except maybe anatomy physiology or biochemistry. Do you think it is possible to do what I want to do?. Also, can you give me some advice on what I should be doing?. I am still waiting for a call back from a local hospital to volunteer there. I will also become a member of Phi Tetha Kappa and become a student teacher (PLTL) helping students in chemistry 101.

Thank you.

As long as you get a B+ average in your community college and cover all the pre-reqs, get pharm experience, and have a decent PCAT, I'd say you're a good contender for any out-of-state school. Of course, some universities are more competitive than others, so a GPA for one out-of-state school may be good to qualify you for acceptance to one college but not another.

What you should be doing:
1. get that math/sci GPA to stay in the 3.5+ range (could I do it, no. but I sure as hell tried!)
2. Get a good PCAT score. At least 80, ideally in the 90s. That shows you paid attention in your pre-req classes.(for me, i didnt study for PCATs and got a 92 based on 1.2 yrs of pre-pharmacy undergrad and common sense when it came to orgo as I had 2 months experience when I took the test)
3. get experience. this will set you apart because not many people will have it. shadow a pharmacist, do some research, work at walgreens, cvs, anywhere. volunteer as a candy striper in the hospital pharmacy. any exposure helps and it will give you a real inspiration for a great personal essay.
4. join student organizations dealing with pharmacy/healthcare. this shows your involvement goes beyond just the mandatory pre-reqs

thats my formula for pharm school success.🙂

 

[ksacayanan]

Hello, I was just wondering based on your admissions experience into UF, if you submitted your application maybe 2 weeks before the deadline and everything (eLORs, transcripts, etc.) got in a few days before the deadline, would you still get a shot in getting an interview? (btw, I'm an in-state student)

My overall GPA is 3.76.
Science GPA is 3.60 and my Math GPA is 4.0.
My PCAT isn't that great, 62. I'm waiting on my January PCAT to come in.

I have good eLORs and a lot of hospital experience and involved as a volunteer with 2 hospitals (I've tried to apply for a pharmacy tech job but it's so hard). I'm also involved with cultural clubs around campus too and was an officer for a 2 years. My personal statement for PharmCAS kicks ass though! haha.

I just feel so distraught with my GPA and PCAT like it's not good enough. 🙁

 

[fenderbiz]

I have an interview coming up in April; I think it's at the Orlando campus. I have already been accepted to Nova.

How do you feel about the quality of education you are getting? I know it's a top rated program, but I'd rather hear it from a student.
How often do you study?
Was it ever nearly too much to handle? The retention rate is high so I imagine not 🙂

I will definitely be going there rather than Nova if I get accepted, but I just like to hear the more personal opinion on the professors/people/day to day stuff.

Thanks.

 

[StringTheorist]

Hello, I was just wondering based on your admissions experience into UF, if you submitted your application maybe 2 weeks before the deadline and everything (eLORs, transcripts, etc.) got in a few days before the deadline, would you still get a shot in getting an interview? (btw, I'm an in-state student)

My overall GPA is 3.76.
Science GPA is 3.60 and my Math GPA is 4.0.
My PCAT isn't that great, 62. I'm waiting on my January PCAT to come in.

I have good eLORs and a lot of hospital experience and involved as a volunteer with 2 hospitals (I've tried to apply for a pharmacy tech job but it's so hard). I'm also involved with cultural clubs around campus too and was an officer for a 2 years. My personal statement for PharmCAS kicks ass though! haha.

I just feel so distraught with my GPA and PCAT like it's not good enough. 🙁

As long as everything is in before the deadline, there shouldn't be a difference between your application and one submitted 3 months prior. If you have the grades, you will be looked at before someone with a lower GPA who submitted their application earlier. At when I mean "looked at" I mean considered for admissions. Make sure everything was received on time. Maybe email Dean McKenzie to make sure. The 2 weeks beforehand submission could spell trouble, especially if you used USPS.
And especially because you are in-state, you take precedence over the out-of-staters. With that being said, there are a TON of in-state students applying and not as many out-of-states, so the competition is still tight.
Your qualifications sound spot on. I hope you can bring that PCAT up, but with that GPA, I'm tempted to say you have a very good chance. If the PCAT can get above 80, I'd say you have a pretty good shot.
Best of luck to you. Remember, if you haven't received an interview yet, don't fret, there are more rounds ahead!

 

[StringTheorist]

I have an interview coming up in April; I think it's at the Orlando campus. I have already been accepted to Nova.

How do you feel about the quality of education you are getting? I know it's a top rated program, but I'd rather hear it from a student.
How often do you study?
Was it ever nearly too much to handle? The retention rate is high so I imagine not 🙂

I will definitely be going there rather than Nova if I get accepted, but I just like to hear the more personal opinion on the professors/people/day to day stuff.

Thanks.

Glad to let you know my opinion:

I applied to both schools. I was so hungry for that PharmD, I would have accepted anywhere. I even considered the Puerto Rico site for NSU... but alas, I was rejected.
So, I can't tell you how NSU's education is, but when I was in high school, I lived 1 mile away from NSU, my high school was across the street from the university, and students did their rotations at the Albertson's grocery store pharmacy where I worked as a tech for 3 years. So what I can tell you about NSU is that the students, for the most part, are fairly competent. The main problem came from international students who were pharmacists in their own countries but didn't know one drug from another in the pharmacy. I don't know whether to fault the student, the university, or the country of origin's education system for that, but for the most part, the graduates are great. I have worked with some graduated even here in Gainesville and they know their stuff.
As a UF student, I can tell you a few things that really stand out about my education. Again, I'm not comparing it to other schools, but just from going here I can tell you a few things with confidence.
I'm going to past you a message I sent a high school student who privately asked me a similar question concerning the education at UF:

"The UF COP is wonderful. There is one thing I can say about our college, and that is that it is not a cakewalk, but damn do you learn how to think. It is a very difficult program. There are 4 years of school. The 1st year is when you go over what you learned in undergrad, learn about disease states, and learn basics about enzymes and such. The 2nd year is the worst. I reached a very depressing point in my life that year because it is straight up drug memorization, and i cant learn that way. I thought I would fail and get kicked out. But I ended up doing just fine, albiet my spiritis were low and I felt beat up by school. That is a tough, tough year. You learn EVERYTHING about drugs. The 3rd year, my current year, is the best year at the university I have had(including undergrad). This is what I expected pharmacy school to be. This is when you apply what you've learned, conduct patient interviews, learn how to evaluate medical literature, recommend therapies, and then you go on rotations for a year from March of your 3rd year to March of your 4th and final year. Rotations are mandatory in order to apply for your pharmacy license. It consists of 10 4-week rotations( ambulatory care, adult med, drug info, community, geriatrics/pediatrics/oncology, and 4 electives- mine are nuclear pharmacy, diabetes camp, asthma and allergies). After that your 4th year consists of 8 weeks of elective then you graduate.

I have heard the saying that pharmacy school is like an umbrella...
in your first year, the try to stick an umbrella up your ass, the 2nd year, they open it up, and the 3rd year they pull it out. it's gross, it's funny, it's accurate. but you know what? I am so much more confident now than i think i would have been anywhere else. I have grown to have the mindset of a healthcare provider and i know my job pays well and i have a bright future.

One thing is that you may not have a social life. I have had a boyfriend for 4 years, all throughout pharmacy school, and all my free time(id say 1.5 hours/day) goes towards spending it with him. therefore, i have lost many friendships simply bc i cant maintain them and a relationship at the same time. you can make time for friends if you want but you may pay for it with cramming material. slow and steady works best for me, so i chose that."

As far as the workload, I studied a LOT in 1st year, but had maybe 1 day on the weekend to chill.
In the 2nd year, I studied 8am-11pm, no weekends free, hated it. There is no way around this unless you want to put in less effort or they revamp the education, and I doubt the latter will ever occur.
(BTW, I still felt stupid after 2nd year. In one ear, out the other... and 2000 index cards later...lol)
3rd year ROCKS. I feel like a mini-pharmacist. This is the year you use what you learn. A lot of people who excelled in 2nd year(bc they have photographic memories) don't do well in 3rd year because they may not be used to thinking this much. It is a lot of problem solving. It's like trying to find a solution to a puzzle, and you have all the tools, you just need to know when and how to use them. I felt better after my 2nd week in 3rd year than anytime in the first 2 years. It really is great, and dare I say it's worth the hell of 2nd year. I have to mention a class called Pharmacotherapy, where students are called on in front of everyone and are asked questions, and must answer and back up their responses. It is recorded and then you and others must review your response afterwards. It's painful, but you learn a lot. I don't know how many other schools do this, but I would say it is a BIG advantage to UF's courses.
I'm about to go on rotations, which I'm super excited about. Then I get to practice in 14 months. And pay off my loans. 😀

So basically, here is MY pro and con list:
UF
PRO:
in-state tuition
top 10 college
went here for undergrad(familiar to system)

CON:
tough!!!!!

NSU:
PRO:
close to home(save $ on housing)
maybe not as tough?

CON:
out-of-state tuition

Overall, I would chose UF basically bc of cost and prestige. What else matters more? 😉
I love the education I have received and the education I am still getting. It is a wonderful program. The professors are more than willing to take time to further explain concepts. There are a lot of resources for students. Students begin to feel like family after we suffer together then begin to climb that hellish mountain. And then, you reach the top.👍

 

[fenderbiz]

Thank you for this. It was a nice read. I'm in the exact same situation you were in. Nova is right next to where I live.
I've heard a few of those stories: getting rejected from Nova and getting accepted to UF. I think they pull names out of a hat 😛

I enjoy my hobbies, but I agree with you about choosing UF.

Thanks again. 👍

 

[Namishin]

Hey, just saying I appreciate all you're doing for everyone. Thanks 😀

I thought Nova offered in-state tuition to Florida residents though? When I last checked their website, it was $23k for in-staters and $30k for OOS.

 

[StringTheorist]

Hey, just saying I appreciate all you're doing for everyone. Thanks 😀

I thought Nova offered in-state tuition to Florida residents though? When I last checked their website, it was $23k for in-staters and $30k for OOS.

You're welcome 🙂

Oops, maybe they do. It's a private school so I was under the impression that tuition was across the board the same for all students. Maybe not(?).

To me, though, that's almost as bad as out-of-state. I pay ~$13,500/yr, which is dirt cheap compared to most other professional degree tuitions. So when comparing the 13k vs 23k, to a poor college student such as myself, that 23k is up there with the 30k. It's all perspective...😛

 

[ksacayanan]

As long as everything is in before the deadline, there shouldn't be a difference between your application and one submitted 3 months prior. If you have the grades, you will be looked at before someone with a lower GPA who submitted their application earlier. At when I mean "looked at" I mean considered for admissions. Make sure everything was received on time. Maybe email Dean McKenzie to make sure. The 2 weeks beforehand submission could spell trouble, especially if you used USPS.
And especially because you are in-state, you take precedence over the out-of-staters. With that being said, there are a TON of in-state students applying and not as many out-of-states, so the competition is still tight.
Your qualifications sound spot on. I hope you can bring that PCAT up, but with that GPA, I'm tempted to say you have a very good chance. If the PCAT can get above 80, I'd say you have a pretty good shot.
Best of luck to you. Remember, if you haven't received an interview yet, don't fret, there are more rounds ahead!

Thank you so much!

Also, I was wondering... if you remember, do you know the stats of your admissions year cycle? Is UF leaning towards accepting more students with bachelor's degrees now?

 

[StringTheorist]

Thank you so much!

Also, I was wondering... if you remember, do you know the stats of your admissions year cycle? Is UF leaning towards accepting more students with bachelor's degrees now?

You're welcome 🙂

I don't remember the stats of my admission cycle. I am thinking probably half of the students, if not more, had at least a bachelor's degree. Though the 2-yr plan is great economically, I think many students are waiting to complete 3-4 yrs of undergrad due to stress and having a higher level of maturity/learning by the time pharm school rolls around.
A bachelor's degree, I would think, would look better than an AA, for the reasons I stated above.
However, good grades, PCATs and experience overshadow any length of time in school prior to applications.

(btw, I was a 2yr undergrad acceptee... I must say, if I had started 2 yrs later, my mindset would have been lightyears ahead than where I was at age 20... it would have been a great advantage. But money is an issue, and I'd like to start working earlier, so that was the best plan for me...)

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Thank you for this. It was a nice read. I'm in the exact same situation you were in. Nova is right next to where I live.
I've heard a few of those stories: getting rejected from Nova and getting accepted to UF. I think they pull names out of a hat 😛

I enjoy my hobbies, but I agree with you about choosing UF.

Thanks again. 👍

I've heard crazy stories. LOL

I actually go to Nova now for my MBA (I'm assuming the OP went to Nova high school? I have friends who graduated there in 2005 & 2006).

Anyway... I've just heard really similar things about Nova's admissions because I have a high school friend who is a P3 there now and I know other people who have applied.

Also... I really took to heart what was said about having a boyfriend and using up all the free time outside of studying to spend with them. I've had a boyfriend myself for the past 3 years and it is the same exact way. I have so little time outside of school/work that I just spend whatever is left with them. I think it actually helps me stay focused though... I can just stay home and hang out without getting bored. LOL

 

[rx0717]

Hi everyone!
I'm taking the PCAT in january, and haven't sent in my pharmcas yet. Just waiting on the LOR's from my pharmacists.
Do you think it might be too late for me to apply?
I have a 3.35 overall gpa, 3 years as a tech at CVS, and volunteering at the hospital for the past 3 months.
I am a florida resident, double majoring in Biology and Neuroscience at FAU.
I would love to get some opinions on whether or not I should still apply this late. I'm currently studying for the PCAT with Dr. collins hoping I can get a competitive score.
Thanks!!