LECOM: Pharmacy vs. DO HELP

[BurnoutGirl]

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I applied to LECOM in the fall for the PharmD program as back up in case I do not get into any allopathic or osteopathic school of my choice. I was going to fall back on a pharmacy degree and reapply later on. Now the admission cycle is winding down and I have been accepted into a few schools. However, these schools are either (a) very expensive or (b) on the other side of the country.

LECOM's DO secondaries are not due till April 1. I would wondering if I should apply. I know the admissions committee are separate in terms of DO and PharmD. However, do they use the same web portal. If the admissions committee do, do they see that you applied to the other program as well?

In addition, since it is so late in the cycle, is it even worth it to apply?

Below is a breakdown of my stats. Should I apply this late in the cycle?
My MCAT score was a 34
My PCAT score was in the 85th percentile
Overall GPA 3.3
Science GPA 3.2

I have publications in the Lancet Neurology, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, Molecular Biochemistry, American Association of Pharmacy Education, and Journal of Pharmaceutical Science.

I have worked in an inpatient pharmacy for two years with clinical pharmacists and in the past I have worked with various MDs and DOs in various fields.

Thanks in advance

 

[Daedra22]

If you have the money to apply, I doubt it would hurt you. However, getting accepted anywhere else this late in the cycle is not something you should depend on. Is there a reason why you applied to those schools where you were accepted, or were you always against attending them?

 

[scaredoflife]

Do you like the schools that you have been accepted to? If so then I don't think the money or the distance should matter. Unless you prefer to stay close to family. Money is something if budgeted can be re-payed later, you are spending on your future think of it that way.

 

[iatros]

do you want to be a physician or a pharmacist? because the jobs are tremendously different.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Realistically with a 34 mcat if you can get your gpa up a bit more you'd be able to get into midtier md schools. Otherwise a 34 + 3.3 = 67 your stats are fine for most DO schools and some lower tier MD's.

 

[DrHoosier]

Otherwise a 34 + 3.3 = 67 your stats are fine for most DO schools and some lower tier MD's.

I've never seen someone add the two scores together like that to gauge the chance of getting accepted, is there some kind of scale you are using?

 

[JaggerPlate]

I've never seen someone add the two scores together like that to gauge the chance of getting accepted, is there some kind of scale you are using?

Isn't it just LizzyM ???

 

[PunkmedGirl]

realistically with a 34 mcat if you can get your gpa up a bit more you'd be able to get into midtier md schools. Otherwise a 34 + 3.3 = 67 your stats are fine for most do schools and some lower tier md's.

omg.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I've never seen someone add the two scores together like that to gauge the chance of getting accepted, is there some kind of scale you are using?

LizzyM . It doesn't gauge chances of being accepted, its more or less the gold standard on SDN on competitiveness.

 

[marke]

My thought...
1. pharmacy= 3-4 years of ur life...
2. and yes the other schools u got accepted might be expansive.. but just think about how much debt u will be in after pharmacy school? (pharmacy school is NOT cheap!) plus u will be missing out all the salary of a DO that u could have made if u went to DO school directly.
3. there is no guarantee that u'll be accepted to a DO/MD schools after pharmacy school... in addition, after pharmacy school, some of ur pre-req might have exceeded the time frame that school accepts them= u have to retake some of ur pre-req
4. u r taking away a seat from someone who sincerely want to become a pharmacist
5. hypothetically, If u apply after graduating pharmacy school and wasn't accepted to a med school, will u be able to work as a pharmacist as the rest of ur life?
6. I agree with the previous post, what pharmacist do is REALLY different than what a physician dose...

just my 2 cents.

 

[BurnoutGirl]

I want to thank everyone for the great feedback.

I believe I should give a little bit of my background and explain my reasoning.

I attended a pharmacy school for my undergraduate and will receive a BS of Pharmaceutical Sciences. My pre-reqs were finished by my sophomore year. For the last two years I have taken many of the P1 and P2 doctor of pharmacy classes which is very much like P1 and P2 of medical school. They include pathophysiology, toxicology, advance biochemistry, advance molecular biology, pharmaceutics, immunology, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics. As such, many of these courses carry over other pharmacy schools such as Albany College of Pharmacy. If I were to attend, it would be 2 and half years more plus a clinical residency in pediatrics, geriatrics, neuroscience, anestiology, or any other specialization of a pharmacist if were to so choose.

The main difference between a pharmacist and a doctor is the ability of a doctor to perscribe and immunize (even that has become debatable with the new legislation and discussions). While both learned the core basic sciences (such as pathology, anatomy, how to read ECG/EKGs, etc.) they differ in their training. One is more suited elucidating the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions while the other is skilled in patient diagnosis and surgery. In level 1 traunma centers in the recent years, clinical pharmacists work side by side with physicians. Many think of pharmacists as a glorified pill counter. However, that is not the case as the are a part of a system of checks and balances for a physician. The role of a clinical pharmacist differs dramatically from those that you see at a pharmacy.

I want to become a physician to have a bigger role in patient interaction and diagnosis. I like the hands on anatomy labs whereas pharmacists typically work in a sterile gloved environment. The reason why I applied to pharmacy schools in addition to medical school, was to have the financial support thoughout medical school. Unlike physicians, pharmacists make 120K + if they were to work retail right when they graduate and more depending on what special residency they choose in the state of New York. In addition, pharmacy schools in my case give a significantly higher amounts of scholarships and stipends as a teaching assistant. As such, I am not concerned about the financial aspect of pharmacy school. What I am concern about is the financial aspect of medical school which is why I am considering completing pharmacy school prior to medical school.

I do not care if it takes me two and half years extra to reach my goal of becoming a physician.

The question still remains though, how does LECOM admission portal work. Are they separate or not?😕

 

[BurnoutGirl]

I've never seen someone add the two scores together like that to gauge the chance of getting accepted, is there some kind of scale you are using?

I believe the calculator of school selectors was used which correlates a scaled score to the LizzyM score of accredited institutions. I have attached the school selector in Excel format for anyone that is interested.

 

[BurnoutGirl]

Do you like the schools that you have been accepted to? If so then I don't think the money or the distance should matter. Unless you prefer to stay close to family. Money is something if budgeted can be re-payed later, you are spending on your future think of it that way.

I would prefer to stay closer to home as I have a younger sister still in elementary and an elderly grandmother.

Thanks for the response! Money is something that can be repaid later, but I would really hate to take out the full amount (as cost of living in the LA, CA and Sarasota, FL regions are expensive). Making $2,500 monthly payment after 6 months post graduation for loans is mind boggling. I realize that it is one of those sacrifices that will have to be made if I were to accept a seat at a medical school further away. I really do love LECOM Bradenton and Western COM. The main thing is that I want to be close to my family should anything happen.

 

[bleeker10]

I want to thank everyone for the great feedback.

I believe I should give a little bit of my background and explain my reasoning.

I attended a pharmacy school for my undergraduate and will receive a BS of Pharmaceutical Sciences. My pre-reqs were finished by my sophomore year. For the last two years I have taken many of the P1 and P2 doctor of pharmacy classes which is very much like P1 and P2 of medical school. They include pathophysiology, toxicology, advance biochemistry, advance molecular biology, pharmaceutics, immunology, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics. As such, many of these courses carry over other pharmacy schools such as Albany College of Pharmacy. If I were to attend, it would be 2 and half years more plus a clinical residency in pediatrics, geriatrics, neuroscience, anestiology, or any other specialization of a pharmacist if were to so choose.

The main difference between a pharmacist and a doctor is the ability of a doctor to perscribe and immunize (even that has become debatable with the new legislation and discussions). While both learned the core basic sciences (such as pathology, anatomy, how to read ECG/EKGs, etc.) they differ in their training. One is more suited elucidating the pharmacokinetics and drug interactions while the other is skilled in patient diagnosis and surgery. In level 1 traunma centers in the recent years, clinical pharmacists work side by side with physicians. Many think of pharmacists as a glorified pill counter. However, that is not the case as the are a part of a system of checks and balances for a physician. The role of a clinical pharmacist differs dramatically from those that you see at a pharmacy.

I want to become a physician to have a bigger role in patient interaction and diagnosis. I like the hands on anatomy labs whereas pharmacists typically work in a sterile gloved environment. The reason why I applied to pharmacy schools in addition to medical school, was to have the financial support thoughout medical school. Unlike physicians, pharmacists make 120K + if they were to work retail right when they graduate and more depending on what special residency they choose in the state of New York. In addition, pharmacy schools in my case give a significantly higher amounts of scholarships and stipends as a teaching assistant. As such, I am not concerned about the financial aspect of pharmacy school. What I am concern about is the financial aspect of medical school which is why I am considering completing pharmacy school prior to medical school.

I do not care if it takes me two and half years extra to reach my goal of becoming a physician.

The question still remains though, how does LECOM admission portal work. Are they separate or not?😕

I can tell you for a fact that the classes the pharm students take here are not even close to being the same as the ones we take. They take much much more pharm. They even took pharm calculus. They did take anatomy and physio but it was a combined class for a short period of time. We did anatomy for 12 weeks in the fall, physio for 6 weeks in the fall and are doing neuroanatomy for 5 weeks this spring.

There are some people in my class that were/are pharmacists that want to be a DO. I think one of them even teaches some pharm classes. You can do it, but their schedule is much different than our. They do the degree in 3 years and are on a trimester system. We do ours in 4 and are on semesters. Every so often, the pharm students will take finals and get a week off. But they don't get summers off either.

As for the portal, I can access some pharm stuff. There is a "Pharmacy-Erie" tab on mine. So I'm assuming it would be the same portal regardless of program. I'm sure the Adcoms would know you applied to both programs. I have heard that the DO class for next year is filling up quickly so if you are gonna apply then do it ASAP. Otherwise apply early next year

 

[PhoenixR25]

Guys, I have a similar predicament.. I have been accepted to multiple DO schools, and I have always made it my primary goal to become a physician. Anyways, I have been out of college for about three years, and have worked in various jobs, as well as working at the hospital. To ensure that I would receive acceptance into a program, I decided to also apply to the top pharmacy programs (took both PCAT & MCAT).

I have been recently accepted into a top 5 pharmacy program, in-state. I'm unsure of where I want to go, I find pros/cons with both fields. The tuition for the pharmacy program would be 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of the medical school, less years in training, and presumably a better lifestyle. But my heart has always been in medicine, I prefer the work of the physician, although I'm uncertain of what kind of lifestyle/debt that will lead to. I'm unsure at this point which program will open more doors....I know no one can provide an answer to my situation, but I thought I would share.

 

[tideleonheart]

The real question for the OP is whether or not he wants to be a doctor or pharmacist. If your end goal is to to become a doctor, then just do that. Pharmacy school is no cakewalk, and you will run the risk of hitting burnout. You're talking about 3 years of pharmacy school bookwork followed by another 2 years of DO/MD school bookwork. If you just want to be a doctor, skip the extra time and money and either go this year or next year. You won't have a problem getting accepted as long as you jump through the necessary hoops and you don't have a malignant personality.

Guys, I have a similar predicament.. I have been accepted to multiple DO schools, and I have always made it my primary goal to become a physician. Anyways, I have been out of college for about three years, and have worked in various jobs, as well as working at the hospital. To ensure that I would receive acceptance into a program, I decided to also apply to the top pharmacy programs (took both PCAT & MCAT).

I have been recently accepted into a top 5 pharmacy program, in-state. I'm unsure of where I want to go, I find pros/cons with both fields. The tuition for the pharmacy program would be 1/4 to 1/3 the cost of the medical school, less years in training, and presumably a better lifestyle. But my heart has always been in medicine, I prefer the work of the physician, although I'm uncertain of what kind of lifestyle/debt that will lead to. I'm unsure at this point which program will open more doors....I know no one can provide an answer to my situation, but I thought I would share.

Pharmacist and physician are two very very different jobs. I would recommend shadowing or working more in each setting and decide. Then follow your top choice. If you know you can't deal with 7+ more years of training, but you can do 4, then go pharmacy. If you know that you ultimately want to deal with patients as the 1st line, then go medicine.

 

[KingstonPre]

I worked as a Pharmacy Tech for a couple years, pretty sweet gig, but totally different from the DO's I've shadowed...

 

[BurnoutGirl]

I can tell you for a fact that the classes the pharm students take here are not even close to being the same as the ones we take. They take much much more pharm. They even took pharm calculus. They did take anatomy and physio but it was a combined class for a short period of time. We did anatomy for 12 weeks in the fall, physio for 6 weeks in the fall and are doing neuroanatomy for 5 weeks this spring.

There are some people in my class that were/are pharmacists that want to be a DO. I think one of them even teaches some pharm classes. You can do it, but their schedule is much different than our. They do the degree in 3 years and are on a trimester system. We do ours in 4 and are on semesters. Every so often, the pharm students will take finals and get a week off. But they don't get summers off either.

As for the portal, I can access some pharm stuff. There is a "Pharmacy-Erie" tab on mine. So I'm assuming it would be the same portal regardless of program. I'm sure the Adcoms would know you applied to both programs. I have heard that the DO class for next year is filling up quickly so if you are gonna apply then do it ASAP. Otherwise apply early next year

Thanks for the quick response.

The curriculum for pharmacy varies between institutions and states. Students from the state of New York learn a little bit more in depth in certain aspects due to state legislation. In terms of anatomy and physiology, my current institution requires 8 credit hours over two semesters. For pathology and physiology, again, 8 credit hours over two semesters (32 weeks). Our classes are taught by an MD and we study we the MD students from Albany Medical College. While I agree there are vast differences in the overall goals of the DO, MD, and PharmD programs, the core basic sciences learned are virtually the same the first year. How much in depth the institution goes into the subject is up to the institution and state regulations. After the first year, the curriculums do branch off into the specialties that makes the profession unique from each other.

In regards to LECOM pharmacy program, the curriculum is accelerated. It is one of the last of its kind in the northeast due to AACP, AAPE, and PharmCAS regulations. Accelerated programs are gradually being phase out. There are only two that exist in the northeast and 6 in the country compared to a decade ago where there were over 20 accelerated programs across the country. That is one of the reasons I applied to LECOM; not for its quality of education, but for its accelerated degree and low tuition.

Still, it is hard to choose between the two programs. <sighs> 😕