Is a 3.1 too low???

[DrugPusher]

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Seriously, someone please give me an honest answer? I know its more than GPA, im well rounded, clinical experience out the butt, research experience, practice PCAT at ~93% composite. I really want to go to UIC, and if i cant get in there, probably wont go anywhere else, because I cant leave chicago. I only want to do retail for ~3-5 years, then move into industry. THinking also dual MBA at UIC.

Please tell me there are others out there that get in. I looked and the average GPA is 3.2-3.6. So it looks like im sub 25%, but I know im just as good as everyone else that gets in, I just slack a little in college a few years ago, but am more mature and driven now.

 

[goheel]

not too low, but you gotta have a high PCAT score. Also, the later you apply, the more competitive it's gonna get.

 

[xfactor1127]

goheel have said and done MANY things that are just Untrue
.

He Created an issue of Racism where one was Unneeded , and made people think that Racism in the pharmacy Community were all Bigots , in the Effort to make pharmacist look like some "Hero" for "Fighting the Power" and "Fighting Racism" . I know Whites , AND BLACKS - In America AND the world , that were in pharmacy .

I feel that in the stead of making pharamcy look good , this has served to feed the Racism , and make ppl; think that pharmacist are Racists on some sort of Broad Scale .

That’s SO Unfair .

 

[kayjay]

I know ppl who have gotten into UIC with 3.0/.1/.2 and have scored in the 90's on their PCAT. I wouldnt say you have a pretty good chance, but with all your research experience (since UIC is a research-based school) and if you do as well as you did on your practice PCAT, I'd say you have a shot at getting in. Do you have any pharmacy experience? Are you done with all your pre-req's? If not, try pushing ur GPA up a bit by getting A's in the easy core classes.

*edit*
UIC does not go by rolling admissions, so I don't think it would matter if you apply early..just as long as you get your materials in by the deadline... (unless they changed that for next year's incoming class..you may wanna check to make sure 😉 )

 

[DrugPusher]

I know ppl who have gotten into UIC with 3.0/.1/.2 and have scored in the 90's on their PCAT. I wouldnt say you have a pretty good chance, but with all your research experience (since UIC is a research-based school) and if you do as well as you did on your practice PCAT, I'd say you have a shot at getting in. Do you have any pharmacy experience? Are you done with all your pre-req's? If not, try pushing ur GPA up a bit by getting A's in the easy core classes.

*edit*
UIC does not go by rolling admissions, so I don't think it would matter if you apply early..just as long as you get your materials in by the deadline... (unless they changed that for next year's incoming class..you may wanna check to make sure 😉 )

I dont have all my pre reqs done. I need to go back and take econ, speach, anatomy II, and another english class. I plan to take 2 courses each semester and a community college, so it shouldnt be too bad. I dont have any pharmacy experience, but I do hope to get a part time job in the evenings at one.

 

[chocoholic]

Don't worry too much about your stats right now... it's not too bad, really... (it's good that you scored in the 90's 😉 )what you should focus on:

1. Finish your pre-reqs and study hard to pull up your gpa a little more
2. Get some experience (a part time job or volunteer's great too!)
3. Write a kick-ass personal statement 👍

Like kayjay mentioned, UIC does not go by rolling (as of this year though, so be sure to check with them again when you are applying) so you can really concentrate on your academics and perhaps your EC's.

Good luck!

 

[drhemi70]

Drugpusher,
If you only want to do retail for 3-5 years and then go into industry you are going for the wrong degree my man. I work for a pharma company now the types of jobs a person with a pharm d would apply for in the pharma industry would involve clinical trials or something like that. Is this what you plan to do? If so get a pharmacology phd. You can get paid to go to school(stipend) and get school paid for if they are interested in you. That said you would make more with a phd than a pharm d. From what I see most pharma companies have not seen the value of having a pharm d on staff yet. I think with the phd you would be able to apply for a more broad variety of jobs in industry where as witha pharm d you would be stuck in the clinical side of things.
DR

If you do want to go into pharmacy and get the pharm d there has been a thread started specifically for you. It is a sticky in the prepharm forum called PSST wanna get into pharmacy school.
DR

 

[DrugPusher]

Drugman,
If you only want to do retail for 3-5 years and then go into industry you are going for the wrong degree my man. I work for a pharma company now the types of jobs a person with a pharm d would apply for in the pharma industry would involve clinical trials or something like that. Is this what you plan to do? If so get a pharmacology phd. You can get paid to go to school(stipend) and get school paid for if they are interested in you. That said you would make more with a phd than a pharm d. From what I see most pharma companies have not seen the value of having a pharm d on staff yet. I think with the phd you would be able to apply for a more broad variety of jobs in industry where as witha pharm d you would be stuck in the clinical side of things.
DR

If you do want to go into pharmacy and get the pharm d there has been a thread started specifically for you. It is a sticky in the prepharm forum called PSST wanna get into pharmacy school.
DR

I actually just left a PhD program in Biochemistry. I can stand laboratory research any longer. So a PhD in Pharmacology is out for me.

 

[kayjay]

I dont have all my pre reqs done. I need to go back and take econ, speach, anatomy II, and another english class. I plan to take 2 courses each semester and a community college, so it shouldnt be too bad. I dont have any pharmacy experience, but I do hope to get a part time job in the evenings at one.

Anatomy II was not a requirement when I applied this year. I just took 1 semester of Anatomy/Physio w/lab. So you could get those done in 1 semester! 🙂 Pharmacy experience is a plus! Schools want to see that you know what you are getting yourself into.

 

[drhemi70]

Drugpusher,
Did you or are you going to get the master's booby prize? If so I would just get started in industry. If industry is your final goal why bother with 3-5 years in retail? What do you want to do in industry? You also may have a hard time with getting into pharmd program b/c you have now been in a grad program and dropped out. You will probably get asked do you think you can handle the course load of pharm school, if you couldn't finish the phd.
DR

 

[Serenity Now!!!]

not too low, but you gotta have a high PCAT score. Also, the later you apply, the more competitive it's gonna get.

Totally agree...its not impossible, Just understand that you have your work cut out for you

 

[lgooden]

I had a 3.19 on pharmcas ( a little lower than the gpa at my school), got an 83% on my 1st PCAT and a 95% on the second. I also have an engineering degree though, and was super involved in undergrad and I had some pharmacy/health related experience. I'm not sure what your undergrad degree was in. I got an interview at UIC, and I'm out of state. It also helped me that UIC seems to just look at your pre-req gpa. They actually have you calculate it out and send it to them. Mine was a 3.4 something. So the better you have done in the pre-req's, the better chance you have. All hope is not lost....

God luck with everything. 👍

 

[PhD2MD]

Drugpusher,
Did you or are you going to get the master's booby prize? If so I would just get started in industry. If industry is your final goal why bother with 3-5 years in retail? What do you want to do in industry? You also may have a hard time with getting into pharmd program b/c you have now been in a grad program and dropped out. You will probably get asked do you think you can handle the course load of pharm school, if you couldn't finish the phd.
DR

Please dont compare a PharmD to a PhD. A PhD is the ultimate degree one can acheive, higher than medicine or law or whatever. A PhD is the only degree where you have to contribute something completely novel to the field. PharmD is just some schooling. You dont need to discover anything. Just memorize a bunch of stuff. I am leaving a PhD program to, not because I cant handle it. but because research sucks, and the pay does too. After 6 years of PhD work, in genetic, you need to get a post doc. The very best of which only pay 45k, most are usually around 37k. Screw that. Plus if pusher applies with a masters, it doesnt says PhD drop out on the transcript. It will read Masters of Science, period.

Also, there really is no "course load" in a PhD program. you take class for a year, maybe 2, but the classes are a joke. No i didnt go to a crap school. The real learning comes through your research. I think graduate level classes are a waste. Everyone gets As

 

[drhemi70]

phd2md,
I was not comparing the two and saying one was better than the other. I was simply suggesting that if pusher wanted to do something in industry that he should consider something besides pharmd, maybe even going to work with the degree he has. I agree that research can be tedious, but if you were going for a pharm d and then to industry you wouldn't be doing bench work anyways. If industry is pushers final goal, I think he would have an easier time getting into industry with a different degree. That is all I am saying.
DR

 

[Requiem]

I think it's a commonly held idea that if you do a PhD in any subject matter that it's not for the money rather your passion for the area itself. God knows a sane person would not spend ~10 years of their life trying to get a PhD then postdocotoral fellowship / associate prof to eventually being a prof making what, 70k? You don't do it for the money.

And I agree, research is ridiculously tedious and it's very very hard to achieve a PhD.

 

[DrugPusher]

I just calculated my pre-req GPA, since someone said UIC weighs more heavily on that than overall, and it was a 3.32. I still need to comlpete a few more like econ and speech. If I get As in the 4 classes I need to take, I could get my pre-req GPA up to 3.47. I think this should give me a much better shot. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[dstormz]

I just calculated my pre-req GPA, since someone said UIC weighs more heavily on that than overall, and it was a 3.32. I still need to comlpete a few more like econ and speech. If I get As in the 4 classes I need to take, I could get my pre-req GPA up to 3.47. I think this should give me a much better shot. Keeping my fingers crossed.

🙂 Sounds like you'r on your way.

But why don't you just take everything in one semester and get it over with, assuming that you'r not working?

 

[DrugPusher]

🙂 Sounds like you'r on your way.

But why don't you just take everything in one semester and get it over with, assuming that you'r not working?

Oh how would i love to get it all out of the way in 1 semester, but I am working full time. so I'll be taking 2 courses each for 2 semesters

 

[kayjay]

Oh how would i love to get it all out of the way in 1 semester, but I am working full time. so I'll be taking 2 courses each for 2 semesters

Again, if you are planning to apply only to UIC, you only need 4 credits of anatomy (perhaps 3 credits for lecture + 1 credit for lab). Assuming you've already taken Anatomy I for 4 credit hours, you dont need to take Anatomy II..just trying to save you some time and $. 🙂

 

[DrugPusher]

At my college, and I was under the impression that at most, Anatomy is a 2 semester sequence. I took the second semester and missed out on muscles, bone, circulatory. My class was more resp, digest, repo. The UIC website says something about the anatomy class covering the entire system. You still think I can get away with 1 semester? I hope so, because Id love to save the time and money, to invest into PCAT prep.

 

[OtherGuy]

Hi, everybody
I got BS in Microbiology from UCSB in 98. I have recommendation from a pharmacist, but I have been working fulltime after graduation as network specialist, nothing to do w/ my BS. My total GPA is 2.7 from UCSB, 3.49 from community college, my pre-req GPA is about 3.1, and I just got A in Anatomy last Spring, still need Speech, Econ, Physiology. I plan to take PCAT in 10/05. Does anybody know if UIC or any school you know will accept my other pre-req courses which were taken over 7 years? Please advise. Thanks

 

[Pharmalli]

This is what UIC have on their webpage: "If science coursework was taken more than five years prior to admission application, students must have their transcripts evaluated by a College of Pharmacy admissions counselor." 🙂

 

[hitch123]

A PhD is the ultimate degree one can acheive, higher than medicine or law or whatever.

I don't know about a phD in pharmacy, but (from my experience) anybody with enough time and money can get a phD in engineering!