Is it necessary to have all your pre-reqs done before applying to pharm school?

[aLittleBehind]

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I'm a little behind to say the least.. I basically had not taken any pre-req classes last semester (Freshman 1). It is now Freshman 2, and I'm taking bio 1 and precalc. So after this semester, my schedule will ideally look like this:

Soph 1: Chem 1, Bio 2, Calc 1
Soph 2: Chem 2, Calc 2, Physics 1
Junior 1: Orgo 1, Physics 2
Junior 2: Orgo 2 <<---- and here's where the problems start. I'm told I should be applying to pharm schools and taking the pcat by/before this semester.
Senior 1 and 2: Other unfinished requirements.

My questions:

Will I be able to apply to most schools without having finished Orgo 2?
Will I be turned away from the pcat if I did not finish taking Orgo 2?
Are there additional classes I should be focusing on that are considered pre reqs for many pharmacy schools?


Thanks everyone.

 

[tommyg313]

It is not necessary for you to compelte all your pre-reqs to apply. However, if you are accepted into a pharm school, you must finish all pre-reqs prior to starting the first day of pharm school.

As for not taking orgo 2 and still applying, its sort of a catch 22. You don't need orgo 2 to apply, BUT you need orgo 2 for the PCAT. And we all know, the higher the PCAT scores, the better

 

[aLittleBehind]

It is not necessary for you to compelte all your pre-reqs to apply. However, if you are accepted into a pharm school, you must finish all pre-reqs prior to starting the first day of pharm school.

As for not taking orgo 2 and still applying, its sort of a catch 22. You don't need orgo 2 to apply, BUT you need orgo 2 for the PCAT. And we all know, the higher the PCAT scores, the better

Thanks for the reply tommy. I've read several comments from people who took the pcat, and many claim that it tests you on very base level Orgo 1 questions - comments which can be found in this site, like the following:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=637898

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=406966

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=694645

What I'm more worried about is applying to Pharm school before finishing my pre-reqs. Will my 'not being caught up' be looked at negatively, even if I happen to have done well in most prior pre-reqs?

Plus, can someone recommend the 'optimal' date to take the pcat and/or apply to pharm school?

I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for reading everyone.

 

[misfire200]

It is not necessary for you to compelte all your pre-reqs to apply. However, if you are accepted into a pharm school, you must finish all pre-reqs prior to starting the first day of pharm school.

As for not taking orgo 2 and still applying, its sort of a catch 22. You don't need orgo 2 to apply, BUT you need orgo 2 for the PCAT. And we all know, the higher the PCAT scores, the better

Or....you can try and get lucky...take the PCAT without any orgo/calc/or bio II and get an 87%, which is what I managed.

However, I would not recommend this method. Yet, it never hurts to schedule your first PCAT in August just to experience it(The fall before the year you want to enter). Then take it again in January to hopefully get a much better score. Which was what i had planned, yet when i got my score back, I about passed out🙂

I have been accepted to UGA, and am currently taking Organic II, Calculus I, Japanese II right now, and doing my last pre-req this summer(Macroeconomics). I would recommend having everything scheduled and ready to go if you get an interview. That way if they ask about finishing pre-req's, you can show them that they are already scheduled and what not. That helps to show you are planning ahead and are serious.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

First, its good that you recognize that you are a semester behind. But what you need to do now is identify the schools to whom you intend on applying. Spend this semester working hard on figuring out what pharmacy schools are a good fit for you. And then identify all the prerequisite courses you need to take. Once you do that, you should map out your coursework so that it is both manageable and in a timely fashion.

That being said, it would seem that chemistry is the limiting factor since its a rather rigid four semester sequence of gen chem and organic.

So, your steps are ideally these:

1) If you can, switch out of bio 1 this semester and take chem 1 to catch up on chemistry
2) Regardless of whether you can do step 1, you need to plan on taking some summer classes.
3) Since you make no mention of your senior year, if your goal is to get to Pharmacy school as fast as possible without an undergraduate degree, then you need to increase the workload and prepare accordingly. In pharmacy school, you don't have "fluff" classes to boost your GPA like the gen-ed credits that most people take in undergrad - its all science courses. So while its challenging to take four math/science classes in a single semester, successfully taking on that challenge will prepare you well for pharmacy school.

And remember, it is worth discussing with your advisor if you could substitute undergraduate courses with your coursework at pharmacy school. If you can, then its still possible to enter pharmacy school without a degree and earn your degree by double counting the pharmacy school courses and then walking in your undergraduate graduation ceremonies with your class.

 

[misfire200]

Thanks for the reply tommy. I've read several comments from people who took the pcat, and many claim that it tests you on very base level Orgo 1 questions - comments which can be found in this site, like the following:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=637898

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=406966

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=694645

What I'm more worried about is applying to Pharm school before finishing my pre-reqs. Will my 'not being caught up' be looked at negatively, even if I happen to have done well in most prior pre-reqs?

Plus, can someone recommend the 'optimal' date to take the pcat and/or apply to pharm school?

I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for reading everyone.

With UGA, they had no issues with the fact I was still working on my pre-reqs. I would research your top picks, and check out PharmCAS or their respective web pages for FAQ's about their program. Most will have some information about applying and what is required ahead of time or what to expect. For myself, I only wanted to go to UGA so I only had to worry about one specific path to reach my goal.

If you are looking at multiple schools, then you could have anywhere from 70-90 hours that will be needed going in especially the schools that require Physics I and II and Anatomy and Physiology I and II. Just make sure you make a chart of all the pre-reqs that are required(double check it for any odd ball ones such as cultural requirements, physical education, etc) then plan ahead. Also make sure to schedule your classes the first day of registration so no hiccups arise, especially if your school tends to run out of spots quickly.

Finally, in regards to the PCAT...

It never hurts to take it the fall of your junior year, and then again in Spring January session...i know when i met my advisor last spring, he recommened August or October AND to schedule January in case I was not happy with my scores.

No matter what, just make sure to plan, set goals, and then stick to it.

 

[misfire200]

First, its good that you recognize that you are a semester behind. But what you need to do now is identify the schools to whom you intend on applying. Spend this semester working hard on figuring out what pharmacy schools are a good fit for you. And then identify all the prerequisite courses you need to take. Once you do that, you should map out your coursework so that it is both manageable and in a timely fashion.

That being said, it would seem that chemistry is the limiting factor since its a rather rigid four semester sequence of gen chem and organic.

So, your steps are ideally these:

1) If you can, switch out of bio 1 this semester and take chem 1 to catch up on chemistry
2) Regardless of whether you can do step 1, you need to plan on taking some summer classes.
3) Since you make no mention of your senior year, if your goal is to get to Pharmacy school as fast as possible without an undergraduate degree, then you need to increase the workload and prepare accordingly. In pharmacy school, you don't have "fluff" classes to boost your GPA like the gen-ed credits that most people take in undergrad - its all science courses. So while its challenging to take four math/science classes in a single semester, successfully taking on that challenge will prepare you well for pharmacy school.

And remember, it is worth discussing with your advisor if you could substitute undergraduate courses with your coursework at pharmacy school. If you can, then its still possible to enter pharmacy school without a degree and earn your degree by double counting the pharmacy school courses and then walking in your undergraduate graduation ceremonies with your class.

Excellent post,

I agree with this part especially, and for example my current and last semester course load is as follows:

Spring (Current) : Human Anatomy I and II (Split Session), Organic Chemistry II, Calculus I, and Japanese II

My prior fall semester was Organic Chemistry I, Japanese I, Biology II, American Government, and Public Speaking...

and that includes having an 11 month old, and an 8 year old to add to the challenge of the last 2 semesters so far😀 But I am a bit crazy...hence taking Japanese as my language with that course load instead of something a bit easier...

So...as he recommends if you want to jump into pharmacy school without the undergraduate degree then you might want to try and accelerate your schedule...

 

[aLittleBehind]

First, its good that you recognize that you are a semester behind. But what you need to do now is identify the schools to whom you intend on applying. Spend this semester working hard on figuring out what pharmacy schools are a good fit for you. And then identify all the prerequisite courses you need to take. Once you do that, you should map out your coursework so that it is both manageable and in a timely fashion.

That being said, it would seem that chemistry is the limiting factor since its a rather rigid four semester sequence of gen chem and organic.

So, your steps are ideally these:

1) If you can, switch out of bio 1 this semester and take chem 1 to catch up on chemistry
2) Regardless of whether you can do step 1, you need to plan on taking some summer classes.
3) Since you make no mention of your senior year, if your goal is to get to Pharmacy school as fast as possible without an undergraduate degree, then you need to increase the workload and prepare accordingly. In pharmacy school, you don't have "fluff" classes to boost your GPA like the gen-ed credits that most people take in undergrad - its all science courses. So while its challenging to take four math/science classes in a single semester, successfully taking on that challenge will prepare you well for pharmacy school.

And remember, it is worth discussing with your advisor if you could substitute undergraduate courses with your coursework at pharmacy school. If you can, then its still possible to enter pharmacy school without a degree and earn your degree by double counting the pharmacy school courses and then walking in your undergraduate graduation ceremonies with your class.

No, no, no - haha, sorry I didn't include my senior year in the original post. I am definitely planning on graduating from my 4-year. I just felt I NEEDED to meet all my pre-reqs courses up to that point (junior 2) before applying to Pharm schools, or else I won't get accepted and/or it will look bad to the schools into which I am applying.

So with that in mind, would you still recommend taking summer courses? I'm practically knee-deep in Bio 1/w. lab at this point, and I'm sure the Chem 1 course is fully underway, so it's not really the best idea to switch into it at this point.

 

[DrDrugs2012]

No, no, no - haha, sorry I didn't include my senior year in the original post. I am definitely planning on graduating from my 4-year. I just felt I NEEDED to meet all my pre-reqs courses up to that point (junior 2) before applying to Pharm schools, or else I won't get accepted and/or it will look bad to the schools into which I am applying.

So with that in mind, would you still recommend taking summer courses? I'm practically knee-deep in Bio 1/w. lab at this point, and I'm sure the Chem 1 course is fully underway, so it's not really the best idea to switch into it at this point.

My answer would depend largely on the number of prerequisite courses you need to complete. Unfortunately, every school has different prerequisites. Some require macroeconomics, others require micro. Some require literature, others require composition. Some require microbiology, others require biochemistry, some require neither and some require both.

You really need to figure out the courses you need for the schools you need to apply to. You also want to make sure that in the event you apply your senior year and you do not get admission into pharmacy school, that you have a back up plan.

If you would like to take this backchannel, I would be happy to counsel you personally.

 

[aLittleBehind]

My answer would depend largely on the number of prerequisite courses you need to complete. Unfortunately, every school has different prerequisites. Some require macroeconomics, others require micro. Some require literature, others require composition. Some require microbiology, others require biochemistry, some require neither and some require both.

You really need to figure out the courses you need for the schools you need to apply to. You also want to make sure that in the event you apply your senior year and you do not get admission into pharmacy school, that you have a back up plan.

If you would like to take this backchannel, I would be happy to counsel you personally.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I sent you a pm DrDrugs2012 with a few more questions, feel free to answer at your own time.

 

[R2pharmD2]

First, its good that you recognize that you are a semester behind. But what you need to do now is identify the schools to whom you intend on applying. Spend this semester working hard on figuring out what pharmacy schools are a good fit for you. And then identify all the prerequisite courses you need to take. Once you do that, you should map out your coursework so that it is both manageable and in a timely fashion.

That being said, it would seem that chemistry is the limiting factor since its a rather rigid four semester sequence of gen chem and organic.

So, your steps are ideally these:

1) If you can, switch out of bio 1 this semester and take chem 1 to catch up on chemistry
2) Regardless of whether you can do step 1, you need to plan on taking some summer classes.
3) Since you make no mention of your senior year, if your goal is to get to Pharmacy school as fast as possible without an undergraduate degree, then you need to increase the workload and prepare accordingly. In pharmacy school, you don't have "fluff" classes to boost your GPA like the gen-ed credits that most people take in undergrad - its all science courses. So while its challenging to take four math/science classes in a single semester, successfully taking on that challenge will prepare you well for pharmacy school.

While that may be true, be careful not to get yourself in over your head. It's *much* more impressive to take a manageable course load and make killer grades than to take more than you can handle and end up with mediocre grades (or worse). Don't try and be a hero.

Personally, I like the idea of taking a summer course here and there to lighten your fall/spring course load.

 

[pharmschooler]

But I am a bit crazy...hence taking Japanese as my language with that course load instead of something a bit easier...

...but Japanese *is* easy! 😀

Gambatte, ne!

 

[Cloud 9]

I'm a little behind to say the least.. I basically had not taken any pre-req classes last semester (Freshman 1). It is now Freshman 2, and I'm taking bio 1 and precalc. So after this semester, my schedule will ideally look like this:

Soph 1: Chem 1, Bio 2, Calc 1
Soph 2: Chem 2, Calc 2, Physics 1
Junior 1: Orgo 1, Physics 2
Junior 2: Orgo 2 <<---- and here's where the problems start. I'm told I should be applying to pharm schools and taking the pcat by/before this semester.
Senior 1 and 2: Other unfinished requirements.

My questions:

Will I be able to apply to most schools without having finished Orgo 2?
Will I be turned away from the pcat if I did not finish taking Orgo 2?
Are there additional classes I should be focusing on that are considered pre reqs for many pharmacy schools?


Thanks everyone.

First of all, I'm not really sure how you'll be behind. Ideally you should apply the summer before your senior year, or the summer after your junior year, so you should be finished with everything if you're starting that schedule this fall 2011.

Second of all, the posts you have brought up about not needing Orgo II before the pcat are old and dated and misleading.

I took the August 2010 PCAT and can safely say that you will need to know reactions that you cover in Orgo II because there are questions like esterification etc that are covered beyond Orgo I.

If you don't believe me, there are 2 sources I can point you to that will verify what I'm saying.

One (official) source is to take the latest (2010 released) practice PCAT on Pearson's website. It is the closest you will find to what is tested on the PCAT and there are reaction questions from Orgo II on it.

Second (unofficial) source is to go to the end of the long Dr. Collins thread and see the most recent feedback, where several people verify that the PCAT has changed recently and you need a good knowledge of Orgo II.

But, as I said, all of this should be irrelevant if you are starting the aforementioned schedule this fall because by then you should have completed everything by the end of Spring '13 to apply for entry during Summer '13 for Fall '14.