Just some advice on Pharmacy school/ Starting up late.

[BeyoncesMan234]

To whom it may concern,


I am a 28 year old graduate from UCLA. I didn't do much pharmacy stuff there. I was part of the clubs, and did intern for a phramacist for a while. Just wanted to know since I'm going to be taking my first semester of classes this spring.

What are the classes I should take together? I would like to take four classes and I need all the prerequisites it looks like. I want to take Bio1, Chem, Physics etc... I would just like some advice on how I should take the class. Thanks for everything, I will be taking them at a Community College.

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[Nelcovp]

To whom it may concern,


I am a 28 year old graduate from UCLA. I didn't do much pharmacy stuff there. I was part of the clubs, and did intern for a phramacist for a while. Just wanted to know since I'm going to be taking my first semester of classes this spring.

What are the classes I should take together? I would like to take four classes and I need all the prerequisites it looks like. I want to take Bio1, Chem, Physics etc... I would just like some advice on how I should take the class. Thanks for everything, I will be taking them at a Community College.

My first semester was Biology I, Gen Chem I, Physics I, and English II

However, I personally recommend taking the classes that have subject matter that will be tested on the PCAT. You will most likely take the PCAT a year before pharmacy school starts. You can then take things like physics, public speaking, history, etc towards the end.

 

[ttngu234]

You should start planning your courses out for the next 2 or 3 years, depending on the pre-requisites you must fulfill. Keep in mind that each pharmacy school may have slight variations, so you must also incorporate that when planning it out. I would avoid cramming everything if possible. This way, you have the summer prior to your last year to focus on PCAT and get an early start on applications. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

I am a post-bacc student, myself. Fortunately, I am surrounded by great friends who have helped me tremendously along the way. I am the same age as you now, and have done everything I can to make myself stand out as a strong pharmacy candidate.

You may want to consider getting experience in the pharmacy. This way, you will gain knowledge and can speak from your past experiences in interviews should they ask you any questions pertaining to this subject matter. It will also help you in obtaining a GREAT letter of recommendation, compared to a regular/good LOR.

Since I returned to school, I retook the science courses to freshen up on these subjects to better prepare for PCAT. I also work full time due to financial needs, and became the president of the pre-pharmacy association at my school, which consists of over 300 members. This is like having another full time job.

Regardless of the struggle and nights with minimal sleep, I have learned much from this past 1.5 years. It has been quite the experience, and I believe that it will truly make me a strong candidate for admissions.

Know where you are, know what you have to do to get there, and know how to make yourself a stronger candidate.

Best of luck to you!

 

[xtsukiyox]

Start your biology & chem series right away. You probably have 4 semesters of subsequent chem classes (gen chem I & II, followed by o chem I & II), maybe 5 (if biochem is required). Your biology series is similar - you may need 3-4 classes.

I'd do whichever classes seem hardest or are requirements for other classes first. Math usually falls in both categories (it is often a prereq for physics), so take it alongside your first bio & chem class.

I don't prefer to stack 3 lab sciences in the same semester, so you may want to try to line your physics up after your bio sequence (if you only need 1 physics & 3 bio). Otherwise, I'd take it early, while you're taking general biology & chemistry, because it gets harder.

Ideally, I'd offset A&P and O Chem so you can focus on each, but that makes the prereq path a year longer. I guess this choice depends on your situation - in my case, I was taking classes & working full time, so doing well in each class without going over my work load ability was more important than shortening the overall time. For most students, it is more important to shorten the time because they have more open time and can handle more study time.

To meet your 4 class requirement, add a miscellaneous class to fill a prereq - something like econ, or psych, or sociology. I'm assuming since you graduated, you already have your English sorted. If not, take that first - it's often a prereq for some of your other soft requirements (like public speaking). Since you already have a bachelor degree, you may already fulfill many of these requirements, so check on what will work for your school of choice.

If you want to finish in two years and take 4 classes at a time, you probably will need to take summer classes. Plot out your classes now, so you know if you need the summer or not.

Good luck.