Pharmacy schools are only getting more competitive every year, which is why I want to ask if there is ANY way I could have a good chance at a California pharmacy school (USC, Western, UCSF, UCSD, UOP, LLU, and Torro and possible a new one in norcal i heard somewhere?).
I am a junior, haven't finished all the pre-reqs, although I will be able to within my senior year while getting my B.S. in BioSci-medical biology. I need to take Anatomy & physiology series and speech during summer. Unfortunately, I got a C- in Microbiology and a C- in the first quarter of Physics, so I'll totally need to retake it just to get thru all the pre-reqs. As you can see, my grades aren't competitive (currently I have a cum. 2.9 since i sucked at entomology and the 2nd part of bch; my sci. gpa is 3.1) It's horrible, but I know that if I re-take the classes I got a C- in, my gpa will improve.
That brings up one of my questions - can I get into any of the schools with retakes?
Also, should I take a chance and apply this year for fall 2009? By then I will have my BS, and could start right away if I got in. If I get rejected, at least I tried and could do it again the following year with a better gpa and more LORs to choose from and more time to volunteer at a pharmacy (I've jobshadowed 2 pharmacists though). On a somewhat related note, in a kind of explanatory excuse for my shortcomings-my first job was at the Sweet Factory in a mall, which took a lot of time out of my hands for a whole year while I was taking biology and ochem =/ , so I don't have a lot of volunteer hours from the past 2 years -- only this year.
Anyways, I guess my main concern is whether pharmacy schools will accept me although I have classes to re-take in order to fulfill pre.reqs, or not. I plan on having 3 really great LORs, by the way..Have 2 already, just need a professor from this quarter which hopefully I will have by June when the application period opens.
Sorry, one more thing if anyone can answer: CA schools don't require the PCAT, but have any of you taken them anyway since you had a low gpa?
thanks guys, to all of you who might have read this far....
I am a junior, haven't finished all the pre-reqs, although I will be able to within my senior year while getting my B.S. in BioSci-medical biology. I need to take Anatomy & physiology series and speech during summer. Unfortunately, I got a C- in Microbiology and a C- in the first quarter of Physics, so I'll totally need to retake it just to get thru all the pre-reqs. As you can see, my grades aren't competitive (currently I have a cum. 2.9 since i sucked at entomology and the 2nd part of bch; my sci. gpa is 3.1) It's horrible, but I know that if I re-take the classes I got a C- in, my gpa will improve.
That brings up one of my questions - can I get into any of the schools with retakes?
Also, should I take a chance and apply this year for fall 2009? By then I will have my BS, and could start right away if I got in. If I get rejected, at least I tried and could do it again the following year with a better gpa and more LORs to choose from and more time to volunteer at a pharmacy (I've jobshadowed 2 pharmacists though). On a somewhat related note, in a kind of explanatory excuse for my shortcomings-my first job was at the Sweet Factory in a mall, which took a lot of time out of my hands for a whole year while I was taking biology and ochem =/ , so I don't have a lot of volunteer hours from the past 2 years -- only this year.
Anyways, I guess my main concern is whether pharmacy schools will accept me although I have classes to re-take in order to fulfill pre.reqs, or not. I plan on having 3 really great LORs, by the way..Have 2 already, just need a professor from this quarter which hopefully I will have by June when the application period opens.
Sorry, one more thing if anyone can answer: CA schools don't require the PCAT, but have any of you taken them anyway since you had a low gpa?
thanks guys, to all of you who might have read this far....