Is it too late to apply?

[KappaKingRamen]

Hey guys I was wondering if it is too late to apply to pharmacy school (specifically LECOM and NEOMED). I know the deadlines are in February and March, but I'm unable to find out if they do rolling admissions. I'm also late in registering for the January PCAT. I want to stress that I had never intended into becoming a pharmacist until my church buddy sat down with me to discuss the pros and cons and why he thinks its a great field to go into. I was originally pre-med, but after my conversation with him, i feel like pharmacy is my calling. I've discussed this with my pre-health adviser and he thinks I'd be better suited for it over becoming a doctor.

Here are my stats: 3.5gpa, around a 3.4some sgpa. I've participated in many clubs such as economics club, investment, muslim student society, pre-health club, asian pop cul, ect. I've also volunteered at homeless shelters and in a leadership position interacting with mentally challenged individuals. I had a co-op experience in retail pharm and in hospital during high school too if that helps my application. Unfortunately my volunteer work isn't consistent because my father developed cancer during my freshman year of college. He had many complications after surgery which brought a lot of stress to my family and i (which is why my gpa isn't as high as it could be).

Thank you.

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[NativePharm]

It's never too late to apply. As long as the cycle is open, you have a chance to get in. I know people that submitted their applications a few days before the deadline & still snagged a spot.

 

[PromisedNeverland]

early bird gets the worm

 

[IndyPrePharm]

Both schools you mentioned have rolling admissions, but if they haven't filled their class then there's always a chance. GPA would qualify you. Also, you may consider schools that don't look at PCAT if you haven't taken it yet. If you throw in an app at CVS/Wags and talk to the mgr at the store, you'll probably start by end of month. Work experience helps and especially during conversation talk at interview time.

 

[futurepharmer2016]

I think you have a good chance since you have a very competitive GPA/sGPA.

I was also pre-med but switched, like you, after realizing pharmacy was a better fit for me. Some advice I've received when I go into my interviews is to make sure they understand that pharmacy was not your back-up plan but something you "fell into" and it "clicked" as the right career choice since it still integrates healthcare, interaction with people, and science! I would submit your apps on PharmCAS and the supplemental apps ASAP and then take the PCAT in January..that way schools already have your info and are just waiting for your PCAT score.

They also have good tips of looking for schools that don't use the PCAT.

Either way, I think you have a very good chance! Best of luck

 

[Pheelz]

Your GPA is fairly average to slightly above average so you'll definitely have a good chance of getting in if you can get good LORs, write a good personal essay and stand out in your interview. The volunteer work is nice but getting some actual pharmacy experience as a tech could really put your application over the top

I want to stress that I had never intended into becoming a pharmacist until my church buddy sat down with me to discuss the pros and cons and why he thinks its a great field to go into.

Also, i'm not sure it's wise to change your entire career path because a buddy of yours told you. Actually go out and spend some time in a busy pharmacy as a tech and experience the workload/atmosphere for yourself.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Also, i'm not sure it's wise to change your entire career path because a buddy of yours told you. Actually go out and spend some time in a busy pharmacy as a tech and experience the workload/atmosphere for yourself.

I cannot stress this more. A lot of people change their minds about the profession when they see what retail pharmacy (which makes up the vast majority of jobs) is really like. The job market is also very saturated, and it's only going to get worse as more schools graduate their first class. It's going to be very difficult to find a job once you graduate.

There are other fields, i.e. computer programming, engineering, accounting, finance, physician assistant, etc. which you can earn decent money for a lot less effort as you enjoy a better quality of life and job security without the $200k+ in loans and 4 years of lost time required to become a pharmacist.