I'm getting into Pharmacy late?

[JamesHu]

Hello everyone. I'm currently a student at a local community college, and this fall I will become a third year student. It wasn't until recently that I decided on the goal of becoming a pharmacist, after two years of aimlessly taking random classes at CC. I'm 20 years old, and I know that 20 is not very old, but I feel as though it's too late for me to go to pharmacy school; as though I am very behind schedule.

If I do decide to take this route, I would have to spend another two (maybe three) years at my community college. Totaling to four or five years of CC before I can transfer to a University to receive a bachelor degree. By then I should be 24/25 years old.

All my friends will be graduating soon, and their futures look very bright. I've been criticized by many for taking so long in school, especially by my family. Even my friends seem to look down on me now. I could have gone to a University after high school, but I really did not know what I wanted to do, until now. I'll also admit that I'm not very bright, and the Pharmacy route seems very rigorous.

I do not mean to be such a sob story, but the fact that I'm taking so long in school has gotten me down on my hopes lately.

If I start now, then I will be starting from scratch. Taking the basic classes before I can move on to more advanced classes. I feel very behind.

Does anyone think this is worth it? Are there any drawbacks to what I am doing?

Thank you all.

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[yungnaira]

The only drawback is doing what you dont want to do.

Age doesnt mean anything. The distribution of ages from the applicant pool at HU COP 2012 was 19-45.

 

[yungnaira]

You can also take this time to maybe get certified as a PT. (takes less than 4 mos)

 

[FlavyFlav]

I'll be 31 when I graduate next year. I didn't even know I wanted to be a pharmacist until 25. It's not all doom and gloom, trust me, my life is just beginning!

If you want to be a pharmacist, go be one, and don't delay anymore, don't even think about age.

 

[Pharmasheep]

If you're only worrying about age, then you must be so confident that you're going to do very well in undergrad. You're not even questioning whether you'll be a prime candidate for Pharmacy. At 24/25, your stats will be so good that you're basically applying to Pharmacy schools as a formality. So if you're only worried about that now at age 20, then it's worth it and there are no drawbacks. You'll get accepted to Pharmacy school in 4 years, spend an additional 4 years studying, graduate and be a practicing Pharmacist before you're 30.

Not bad.

My point is that there are way too many things you should be worrying about before age even comes into the picture (if at all). Can you keep your GPA strong? Can you involve yourself in some great extracurriculars/get a good picture of how you fit in the field? Are your communication/writing skills at the best they can be? Do you even know yourself well enough to know that this is something you see yourself doing for years down the road?

No use worrying about what's behind you. You need to focus on what you're doing in the present to get to your future. Btw, I'll be 25 when I start my prerequisites, 27 when I apply to schools, and 31/32 when I graduate. This, if the plan goes smoothly without ANY ROADBLOCKS WHATSOEVER , would still put me at a very good place to start living the life I want to live. /whew

 

[jet1]

Personally, it sounds similar to my story. I didn't know exactly I wanted to do until about 3rd year in undergrad. I had doubts, so I took a year off after graduating to figure it out. I took some extra classes, worked at a pharmacy but still applied to pharmacy school at the same time. I didn't get into pharmacy school until I was 23 and lets say I am still one of the younger people in my school. My family hounded me about being in school for such a long time with the added years of pharmacy, but they got tired in complaining and accepted that it will be good for me (except the debt). Don't be so harsh on yourself. Just got for it. Get your bachelor's/take pre-reqs. Apply and see what happens. The worst would to apply the year after. If you need help in anything, just ask.

 

[Corpseman]

Hello everyone. I'm currently a student at a local community college, and this fall I will become a third year student. It wasn't until recently that I decided on the goal of becoming a pharmacist, after two years of aimlessly taking random classes at CC. I'm 20 years old, and I know that 20 is not very old, but I feel as though it's too late for me to go to pharmacy school; as though I am very behind schedule.

If I do decide to take this route, I would have to spend another two (maybe three) years at my community college. Totaling to four or five years of CC before I can transfer to a University to receive a bachelor degree. By then I should be 24/25 years old.

All my friends will be graduating soon, and their futures look very bright. I've been criticized by many for taking so long in school, especially by my family. Even my friends seem to look down on me now. I could have gone to a University after high school, but I really did not know what I wanted to do, until now. I'll also admit that I'm not very bright, and the Pharmacy route seems very rigorous.

I do not mean to be such a sob story, but the fact that I'm taking so long in school has gotten me down on my hopes lately.

If I start now, then I will be starting from scratch. Taking the basic classes before I can move on to more advanced classes. I feel very behind.

Does anyone think this is worth it? Are there any drawbacks to what I am doing?

Thank you all.

Why is it going to take you 4/5 years at a CC? You can get pre-reqs done in 2/3.

 

[The Recoverer]

Yolo

 

[JamesHu]

Thanks for all the kind replies everyone. And to Pharmasheep, I am worried about age, but I am certainly also worried about doing well as an undergrad. You're right, I should be worrying about that more.

Why is it going to take you 4/5 years at a CC? You can get pre-reqs done in 2/3.

During my first two years of CC I finished all my G.E. requirements. I took no math/science classes except Basic Biology (the biology class you need to take before General Bio), and Calculus I.

Now, since I want to transfer, I need to take General Chem. The problem is that I also need to take the Basic Chem class before I take General Chem, in which I'll be taking this Basic Chem class this Fall 2012. You need two semesters of General Chem, so I'll be taking G.Chem I Spring 2013, and G.Chem II Fall 2013. If I've planned it out correctly, I will be at CC for another two years.

I was also talking to a friend a few days ago, and apparently it's too late for me to apply to transfer to a UC for Fall 2013. Even if I did decide to apply, I still do not have anything prepared, such as my personal statement.

Yes, I know, I'm in a bit of a mess right now.



I was also wondering if you all could help me out. Tomorrow, I will be applying for classes, and I really do not know what I should take. The Basic Chem class is top priority of course, but what else do I need? I can't take General Bio yet since I need to take this Basic Chem class before I take General Bio and General Chem.

The only things I have finished are all my General Ed classes, along with Calculus 1. Since General Bio/Chem is out of the picture right now, what do you think I should take? I was going to take Anatomy/Physiology or Statistics, but those classes are already filled up. Even if I can't take classes that are geared towards transferring, it would be nice to knock off some Pharm pre-reqs while I'm at CC.

I am trying to transfer to a UC. Sorry if my explanations were a bit confusing, and I understand that my situation might be a bit vague to you all. I'm still in progress of planning this all out, so feel free to point any faults that I have.

 

[AlPacino]

I'll be 31 when I graduate next year. I didn't even know I wanted to be a pharmacist until 25. It's not all doom and gloom, trust me, my life is just beginning!

If you want to be a pharmacist, go be one, and don't delay anymore, don't even think about age.

This. Similar to my story as well.


OP, 20 years old is nothing. Your still a kid. Take your pre-reqs at CC, complete then in less then 2 years and start applying to pharmacy school(s). You dont need to spend an extra 2 years on an undergrad. Not an economically wise move imo.

Also it sounds like you are still very indecisive. You need to make up your mind on what it is you want to do and commit to it. It also sounds like you care too much of what people think of you. If you like something and know it will make you happy, then forget what anybody else thinks.

 

[smercer]

Hell you sound more competent to me then most the pre-pharm posts on here:


OMG like I will be done with HS next year and I dont know how to handle the PCAT...WHAT SHOULD I DO???

or

OMG...How can I get all pre-reqs done asap???..I just graduated yesterday btw.


Those peeps scare me more then someone who is willing to admit that they really have no idea what they want to spend their life doing. How the hell do they know what they want to do with their life? Guess it must be nice to know how you want to spend the next 60+ years of your life at a time when the governement thinks you are too incompetent to do most things. You cannot do much before you turn 18 for a reason, yet these peeps act like they have to be in the workforce by 24 or their life is over.

Chill out and make some rational decisions. If your friends are being that judgemental on you and not supporting you wanting to be sure what to do with your life...they are not really friends. I have friends who graduated college and still do not know what they want to do. I have friends who graduated and cannot find jobs. I have friends that did not go to college. I also have a friend that graduated school and is now making 150k a year. I think of them all the same. I have do not have any more respect for the 150k friend than the friend who does not know what they want to do. Why? Because I know they are at different places in their life. Just because you did 4 more years of school does not mean crap, beyond that you are more educated in certain areas than the general public.

My advice is to get some experience to be sure the pharmacy is what you really want to do. If it is then great. Yes you will be coming in late, but who cares. They will not look down on you because you did not know pharmacy was the job you wanted to do before you got to highschool. If you cannot take a full load of classes this semester then use the extra free time to really learn your courses and get volunteer/work expereince in pharmacy.

Just take some time and do some research on school reqs. Then you can make a plan for courses to take each semester to get the goal done in a timely manner. Also, applying to courses the day registration opens is a must, unless you like getting dicked out of courses because only one was offered and it is now full.

 

[JamesHu]

Thanks FelixRx and smercer. You both are right. Although I'm pretty sure that I want to go to Pharmacy school, there's still some things that I should really look into before I make a complete commitment.

I apologize if I sound a little arrogant here, but it's a bit difficult to not care about what others think of me when I have friends and family who let me hear it all the time. I guess it just really got to me.

Smercer, if you met me in real life you wouldn't call me "competent" at all. I'm very unorganized!

 

[Pharmasheep]

I was also wondering if you all could help me out. Tomorrow, I will be applying for classes, and I really do not know what I should take. The Basic Chem class is top priority of course, but what else do I need? I can't take General Bio yet since I need to take this Basic Chem class before I take General Bio and General Chem.

The only things I have finished are all my General Ed classes, along with Calculus 1. Since General Bio/Chem is out of the picture right now, what do you think I should take? I was going to take Anatomy/Physiology or Statistics, but those classes are already filled up. Even if I can't take classes that are geared towards transferring, it would be nice to knock off some Pharm pre-reqs while I'm at CC.

Oh man, I have the same problem as you do. I'll be registering a little bit later than expected and so I'm probably going to miss out on classes I really need. This is a legit worry in terms of wanting to finish prereqs in 1-2 years, but we can only work with the hand we're dealt. I think I'll be taking classes this semester that won't count towards prereqs. They'll boost overall GPA instead, and I'll make sure they're fun/interesting. Let me know what you decided to fill up your time with! I need suggestions.

 

[Corpseman]

Oh man, I have the same problem as you do. I'll be registering a little bit later than expected and so I'm probably going to miss out on classes I really need. This is a legit worry in terms of wanting to finish prereqs in 1-2 years, but we can only work with the hand we're dealt. I think I'll be taking classes this semester that won't count towards prereqs. They'll boost overall GPA instead, and I'll make sure they're fun/interesting. Let me know what you decided to fill up your time with! I need suggestions.

Talk to an adviser.

 

[Pharmasheep]

Talk to an adviser.

Thanks! I seriously did not think about doing that, though now it seems like the most obvious thing to do.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Hell you sound more competent to me then most the pre-pharm posts on here:


OMG like I will be done with HS next year and I dont know how to handle the PCAT...WHAT SHOULD I DO???

or

OMG...How can I get all pre-reqs done asap???..I just graduated yesterday btw.


Those peeps scare me more then someone who is willing to admit that they really have no idea what they want to spend their life doing. How the hell do they know what they want to do with their life? Guess it must be nice to know how you want to spend the next 60+ years of your life at a time when the governement thinks you are too incompetent to do most things. You cannot do much before you turn 18 for a reason, yet these peeps act like they have to be in the workforce by 24 or their life is over.

👍

Smercer, if you met me in real life you wouldn't call me "competent" at all. I'm very unorganized!

At the very least, you were professional about it, and you sound as if you did your research beforehand and thought about what to ask before posting.

 

[JamesHu]

Oh man, I have the same problem as you do. I'll be registering a little bit later than expected and so I'm probably going to miss out on classes I really need. This is a legit worry in terms of wanting to finish prereqs in 1-2 years, but we can only work with the hand we're dealt. I think I'll be taking classes this semester that won't count towards prereqs. They'll boost overall GPA instead, and I'll make sure they're fun/interesting. Let me know what you decided to fill up your time with! I need suggestions.

I worry about not being able to take important required classes too. But what can you do when the class you want is already filled up? Just move on and hope you can take it next semester. It's not the end of the world (even I need to tell myself this sometimes).

As for Fall 2012, my schedule includes the current classes:

Basic Chem (Waitlist position #2)
Calculus II
General Physics
Speech

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I will get into that Chemistry class.

Last semester I wasn't able to to take the required classes, so I just took some extra classes to help my GPA. I took Anthropology, and I absolutely loved it. Anthropology would definitely be a cool major if I wasn't into pharmacy. And the extra classes did help my GPA, just make sure you don't choose the bad professors. If you don't already know, then check ratemyprofessors.com . But like Corpseman said, it's best to talk to an adviser if that is a viable option.

I'm taking speech because apparently some Pharm Schools require it. Might as well knock that class off since I have some extra space.

Thanks again for the responses everyone. I really appreciate it.

 

[Corpseman]

I worry about not being able to take important required classes too. But what can you do when the class you want is already filled up? Just move on and hope you can take it next semester. It's not the end of the world (even I need to tell myself this sometimes).

As for Fall 2012, my schedule includes the current classes:

Basic Chem (Waitlist position #2)
Calculus II
General Physics
Speech

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that I will get into that Chemistry class.

Last semester I wasn't able to to take the required classes, so I just took some extra classes to help my GPA. I took Anthropology, and I absolutely loved it. Anthropology would definitely be a cool major if I wasn't into pharmacy. And the extra classes did help my GPA, just make sure you don't choose the bad professors. If you don't already know, then check ratemyprofessors.com . But like Corpseman said, it's best to talk to an adviser if that is a viable option.

I'm taking speech because apparently some Pharm Schools require it. Might as well knock that class off since I have some extra space.

Thanks again for the responses everyone. I really appreciate it.

You also can look into other CCs around your state that have online classes. I was lucky, the CC I went to was extremely large and I never had trouble with a class filling up.

However, make sure that the schools you are applying to accept your online classes.

 

[SeekerofTruth]

I know a 22 year old in a 6 year pharmacy program..think about that.

 

[schmmems]

I'm 35 and am applying for pharmacy school admission for 2013. If you are old at 20 then I am in trouble! Talk with an adviser, contact the school you are interested in. They can tell you what prerequisites you need.

 

[smercer]

I know a 22 year old in a 6 year pharmacy program..think about that.

My god...they will be almost 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How will they ever get that debt paid off before they retire?


Seriously, age does not really matter for pharm school...unless you are past 40. Then you might have issues getting the debt completely gone and being able to build any type of retirement. On the flip side, have y'all never seen the 60+ yr old pharmacists? Many pharmacists work full time until retirement, then just pick up random shifts. Thus even if you start late, once your debt is gone you can easily maintain yourself past retirement. This assumes that you had good luck with health, stayed away from smoking/heavy drinking/other drugs, and tried to be fairly healthy (ie not being 30+ lbs overweight most your life).

 

[smercer]

I'm 35 and am applying for pharmacy school admission for 2013. If you are old at 20 then I am in trouble! Talk with an adviser, contact the school you are interested in. They can tell you what prerequisites you need.

Age is subjective....

At 20 5-10 years seems like a lifetime, because it is equivalent to nearly half your lifetime.


I've said many times that a lot of the pre-pharms around here seem to act like this is some kind of race. There is no need to rush life, for once you get so old certain aspects of life are no longer available. I would much rather be out of pharm school @ 30 and have enjoyed my youth, than to have spent every hour of every day busting my butt so that I could be done at 24. Why? Because you realize all the things that are difficult to do once you get older. Yes you can go out and have fun at 24/25/etc, but it is not always easy. Friends start their families, you start yours, friends move away...etc. Enjoy what you have, while you have it. For if you plan to enjoy it tomorrow, then you may never enjoy it all.

 

[FlavyFlav]

Age is subjective....

At 20 5-10 years seems like a lifetime, because it is equivalent to nearly half your lifetime.


I've said many times that a lot of the pre-pharms around here seem to act like this is some kind of race. There is no need to rush life, for once you get so old certain aspects of life are no longer available. I would much rather be out of pharm school @ 30 and have enjoyed my youth, than to have spent every hour of every day busting my butt so that I could be done at 24. Why? Because you realize all the things that are difficult to do once you get older. Yes you can go out and have fun at 24/25/etc, but it is not always easy. Friends start their families, you start yours, friends move away...etc. Enjoy what you have, while you have it. For if you plan to enjoy it tomorrow, then you may never enjoy it all.

That was very well said...

I have nothing else to contribute, but thought you should know that I enjoyed reading your comment.

 

[AlPacino]

Age is subjective....

At 20 5-10 years seems like a lifetime, because it is equivalent to nearly half your lifetime.


I've said many times that a lot of the pre-pharms around here seem to act like this is some kind of race. There is no need to rush life, for once you get so old certain aspects of life are no longer available. I would much rather be out of pharm school @ 30 and have enjoyed my youth, than to have spent every hour of every day busting my butt so that I could be done at 24. Why? Because you realize all the things that are difficult to do once you get older. Yes you can go out and have fun at 24/25/etc, but it is not always easy. Friends start their families, you start yours, friends move away...etc. Enjoy what you have, while you have it. For if you plan to enjoy it tomorrow, then you may never enjoy it all.

That was beautiful :cry:

 

[jblil]

I'm 35 and am applying for pharmacy school admission for 2013. If you are old at 20 then I am in trouble!

I am 53 and will start my DPT degree in 3 weeks. Age is nothing but a number... As long as the good old neurons keep firing, you're in good shape! (take a look at my profile if you're curious).

 

[JamesHu]

That was beautiful :cry:

I agree, that was well said. As was everyone else's advice on here.

I am 53 and will start my DPT degree in 3 weeks. Age is nothing but a number... As long as the good old neurons keep firing, you're in good shape! (take a look at my profile if you're curious).

That is absolutely fantastic, jblil. A lot of my family members work within the physical therapy field too. Good luck to you!


By the way, I will possibly be having a job interview sometime this week for a pharmacy clerk position. It will be my first job interview, and I will surely be nervous. Whenever I'm nervous I tend to forget words/stutter. Anyone have any advice? Does anyone know what I should expect?

Thanks all.

 

[kalahamel213]

this makes me feel more confident about my choice to go back to school..im 24 and alot of people are telling my i wont be able to do it, that it will be to hard, i dont know the first thing about chemiestry but i had hoped that was the whole point in going to school is to learn it.

 

[Twentytwelve2]

I am 53 and will start my DPT degree in 3 weeks. Age is nothing but a number... As long as the good old neurons keep firing, you're in good shape! (take a look at my profile if you're curious).

While I agree that age is just a number, there is such a thing as age-related cognitive decline which begins around age 30 from what I remembered in HDE class. Although the initial loss is very minimal and probably undetectable, it progressively worsens past 30 and does put a limit onto your potential cognitive ability. This is why they say its age-related rather than caused by age because obviously, like in your situation, its different for everyone.

 

[Uwrf]

My situation is similar, but much worse. I spent a few years in and out of community college until I found an utter passion for pharmacy. I will need two more years to complete my 4 year degree (I'll be 28), then another 4 years to complete pharmacy school (I'll be 32). The worry is that the wasted credits from the first years will ruin my chances at a program somewhere.

 

[Verte]

I'm 27 and applying for pharmacy school now! If I were you, I would transfer into a 6 year pharmacy program if you could. If I had figured it all out at 20, I would have transferred into a pharmacy program. Good luck with your choices!

 

[Lubeckd]

I'm 24 now. 3 years to go, it will make me 27. Most of my classmates were 19 when I entered the program. (professional phase)

 

[Behemoth66]

Im 28 years old and will be starting my pharm D next year lol man im old! I played minor league baseball and decided I hated baseball even though the money was great..Went back home to Italia for 3 years then came back and joined the US Army. Became a veteran and a counselor told me that they would cover my educational expenses and plus , all I had to do was choose a career.. After a month, we decided a pharmacist would be exciting, she got me approved and I get paid to go to school pretty much, finished my pre-reqs this summer and start next fall. My tuition housing books materials are covered so ill be done by the age of 33 years old.. Now thats old haha
But I did enjoy life to the fullest and dont regret it. Because of all this, I have a house, cars paid off, will have no student loans, all I have to do is study and graduate. No regrets on my part, I feel that now i can dedicate myself fully to school and not worry about going out and missing out on life.

 

[Kansas Pharmer]

While I agree that age is just a number, there is such a thing as age-related cognitive decline which begins around age 30 from what I remembered in HDE class. Although the initial loss is very minimal and probably undetectable, it progressively worsens past 30 and does put a limit onto your potential cognitive ability. This is why they say its age-related rather than caused by age because obviously, like in your situation, its different for everyone.

???? - Yes, the normal "peak" of cognitive ability is usually +/-26 but age related cognitive decline is not usually evident until around age 60-65. Whomever your professor is/was needs to talk with a neuropsych and find out what really occurs.

Just thought I would throw a bone for us "seasoned" members in pharm school. We may look like hell but we can still understand small words

 

[usechopstix]

It's not always so easy deciding to go into a field "late" in the game. You have a lot more to lose such as more debt, delayed career, etc. If 3 years from now, you decide pharmacy is not right for you, after all, then you'll be in an even deeper hole both financially and professionally. This is not meant to discourage you, it's only to show you how big of a decision you have to make. If you have considered all of this and still have decided pharmacy is what you want to do, best of luck to you! 👍

 

[PolymeraseIII]

Seriously, age does not really matter for pharm school...unless you are past 40.

Haha, funny.

 

[vasoolraja]

It's not always so easy deciding to go into a field "late" in the game. You have a lot more to lose such as more debt, delayed career, etc. If 3 years from now, you decide pharmacy is not right for you, after all, then you'll be in an even deeper hole both financially and professionally. This is not meant to discourage you, it's only to show you how big of a decision you have to make. If you have considered all of this and still have decided pharmacy is what you want to do, best of luck to you! 👍

Please consider, for example, two persons Person A and Person B:

Person A is 40 yrs old and has a low paying menial job (35-40K per year). The level of satisfaction in his present job is 2 out of 10. He gets into pharm school and graduates at the age of 45. After working a year as a pharmacist he finds out that the job is not all roses and his level of satisfaction as a pharmacist is only 5 out of 10.

He has no choice after becoming a pharmacist, so he has to work as a pharmacist for several years to pay back his loans and save money for retirement. However, the advantages are: although his job satisfaction is low, he is in a better position compared to his past menial job. He is also getting a better salary and has more prestige.

Now let's consider the case of Person B. He is 19 years old and gets into a pharm school and graduates at 24. After working a year as a pharmacist he finds out that pharmacy is not the right career for him. He decides to switch careers.

Although person B is still young, would switching career be a wise decision? He is presently having a huge loan to pay back. Other things to consider are: he is earning a six figure salary, has great prestige, the field has many options like for example he can consider working in a mail order pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, or consider getting a residency or go into research, etc. In this scenario should he risk going after a low paying job with a greater satisfaction? What if after working for a few years in that position he gets bored and starts hating the job? Then he may consider coming back to his old profession - pharmacist! Another thing is: at about the age of 25 he may be planning to start a family and in that instance he is at a greater risk to switch careers. Let's say he wants to get into a higher paying profession like MD. Then he has to spend another several years to study and also accumulate massive loans. He would be around 33 or 34 when he completes residency. If he survives all this and graduates he can start a family. On the other hand, a 40 year old person already has a family and if he has a supportive spouse and if his neurons are still firing (although not as sharp as a 25 year old) shouldn't he consider becoming a pharmacist? The only problem I foresee is the job saturation. If the demand for pharmacists are good, then repaying loans wouldn't be a problem for an aged person.

 

[jdhitch]

Age shouldn't matter when it comes down to a career that you will be in for 30+ years. I'm 29 and I don't think twice about it when considering pharmacy school. It boils down to whether or not you really want to pursue a career that requires many years of schooling to obtain.