low gpa can i get into pharmacy schools

[tatefoa]

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[RxWildcat]

Well your PCAT is indeed catastrophic, so you'll have to triple or quadruple your current score. Even if you had a 4.0 you'd have a hard time getting into schools that require the PCAT. Have you considered applying to schools that don't require the PCAT? Also, you should try to accumulate some volunteering, extracurriculars, and additional pharmacy experience. What is your science GPA?

 

[tatefoa]

chem 1 b chem 2 c , organic 1 B organic 2 C physic 1 and 2 B B anatomy and physiology A A .
How can i study to impove my pcat ? should i retake classes again ? i am a certicfied pharm tech with 1 year of experience. I have a year to get ready . I am thinking about starting a master in information system this fall

 

[RxWildcat]

Check out the PCAT section, tons of info there

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=133

You could retake the Cs you got, it definitely wouldn't hurt. Do a search of the forums and you can find tons of info if you need it.

 

[jyw003]

well...i wouldnt say your GPA is that bad...people do get into pharm schools with 2.5-2.7, but yes, def take PCAT over. how are your other ec other than working at pharmacy?

 

[cystapharm]

how the heck does one get a 24 on the PCAT? that is the lowest I've heard. did you take it b4 taking any of your prereqs?

 

[tatefoa]

1

 

[jspwinter]

Not much you can do besides retaking the pcat.

 

[SoccerCoach10]

i studied for the pcat only on the website www.pcatprofessor.com . I need to get a googd book and study over the summer.

I took over Chemistry II , Organic I from a C to a B. I took over calculus and went from D to B , precalculus from a C to a A .

I currently have a C in organic II , a C in chemistry 1 , B in physic 1 and 2, A in anatomy 1 and 2.

My sophmore year i had personal issues and my gpa droped from 3.5 ( honnor row) to 2.0. I had a lots of C and failed two classes that i took over
my gpa in senior and junior year is between 3.2-4.0 per semester.

You just need to really buckle down this summer and get a good score on the PCAT (80+). Also, try to apply early to schools so that they can get a look at you first.

 

[kitty84]

i studied for the pcat only on the website www.pcatprofessor.com . I need to get a googd book and study over the summer.

I took over Chemistry II , Organic I from a C to a B. I took over calculus and went from D to B , precalculus from a C to a A .

I currently have a C in organic II , a C in chemistry 1 , B in physic 1 and 2, A in anatomy 1 and 2.

My sophmore year i had personal issues and my gpa droped from 3.5 ( honnor row) to 2.0. I had a lots of C and failed two classes that i took over
my gpa in senior and junior year is between 3.2-4.0 per semester.

Can I ask you something? This may sound stupid, but did they allow you to retake a course with a C?

As you said, you already took the Pcat once? If so, you must have an idea of what you should focus on and how to study for it for the second time. I'm sure you will be fine. Plus, some schools don't require Pcat and some do. I would apply to them all. Just give it a try, you won't lose anything. Good luck!

 

[tomtom101]

Can I ask you something? This may sound stupid, but did they allow you to retake a course with a C?

As you said, you already took the Pcat once? If so, you must have an idea of what you should focus on and how to study for it for the second time. I'm sure you will be fine. Plus, some schools don't require Pcat and some do. I would apply to them all. Just give it a try, you won't lose anything. Good luck!

Some schools won't allow you to retake courses where you got a C or higher, but many schools will allow you to. Check out the handbook for your school to make sure.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

hey there tate, you're in some serious trouble here, i won't lie, it's going to be an uphill battle for you to get any interview, let alone an acceptance. the problem is very obvious, your gpa is on the low end of the spectrum, but, like others have said, there have been people with your GPA accepted, shoot, there was even a guy on here who got accepted with a freakin' 2.4 gpa (which i think is total bulls***).

your pcat is terrible, although im surprised at some people's amazement, believe it or not there are people who get a 1... statistically speaking, for every person who gets a 99, there's a person who gets a 1, it's just a normal bell curve distribution. i got a 99%, so there's a joe shmoe out there who got a 1.

anyway, back to your quarrel. i think it's pretty evident that you need to kick that PCAT up... that's pretty much a no-brainer, personally, i think you can forget about 2009, a PCAT of 24% should tell you that your undergrad experience hasn't prepared you whatsoever, so you will need to study hardcore for a good year. so this is what you should do:

1) Analyze your biggest weaknesses, take some practice tests and figure out where you're lacking big time
2) Pick up a text book from the respective subject and go through it like you would if you were taking the course. I'm not suggesting you retake the course because i think this would take too much time, do it on your own, do every problem in every chapter and learn it well.
3) Take a PCAT course, KAPLAN has a great one, it's going to run you like 1,500 or something.... but it's going to be worth it.

p.s. you're really going to have to want this, because you have an immense amount of studying to do and odds are GREATLY against you! to be entirely frank, i don't think pharmacy is for you, but you're just going to have to prove me wrong.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

 

[tatefoa]

yes they allowed to retake classes me to without any problem . I will focus on getting a better pcat score. I am thinking about working on a master in information technology this fall . My sophmore year was just the worst year in my life and i am in trouble. Can you guys give me a list of schools that i can focus on ?

 

[lee0539]

I dont think there are certain schools you can just focus on... you have to think about maybe improving your chances more than about trying to apply this year. Because like others have said... your application will in a lot of cases not even be looked at.

If you do decide to apply i suggest new schools that have just opened up and aren't accredited... your best bet is to get a high PCAT and then your chances aren't so bad... but schools looking at a low gpa + very low PCAT will likely just pass it up before reading the rest of your application... the thing is schools won't know your PCAT score until maybe october (if you take the one in august), so applying early might actually hurt you as they will only see the PCAT you previously had and very few go from that low of a score to a 80+, so you have to really crack down and try your best on studying for PCAT.

 

[se20001984]

When you guys are talking about low marks.....is it more for the cumulative GPA,

or pre req GPA, or BPM GPA?...

dont schools just look at the pre req gpa?

 

[tatefoa]

I am awared of the fact that i have to retake the pcat and i have started studying for that. I will get back with you guys after my results
thanks

 

[cycloketocaine]

My sophmore year i had personal issues and my gpa droped from 3.5 ( honnor row) to 2.0. I had a lots of C and failed two classes that i took over
my gpa in senior and junior year is between 3.2-4.0 per semester.

Nevermind........

What were your verbal, reading and essay scores?

 

[tatefoa]

i do not remember . i just put it in thetrash . I DID not know that I HAD DONE SO BAD. ANYWAY MAYBE I NEED TO FIND A DIFFERENT CAREER . 3.00 GPA OVERALL WITH 2.9 SCIENCE , AS PHARMACY TECH I MIGHT JUST NOT MAKE THE CUT EVEN IF I SCORE HIGH ON PCAT. I WILL STILL TRY

 

[lee0539]

i do not remember . i just put it in thetrash . I DID not know that I HAD DONE SO BAD. ANYWAY MAYBE I NEED TO FIND A DIFFERENT CAREER . 3.00 GPA OVERALL WITH 2.9 SCIENCE , AS PHARMACY TECH I MIGHT JUST NOT MAKE THE CUT EVEN IF I SCORE HIGH ON PCAT. I WILL STILL TRY

i say give it another year... maybe work as tech part time... take like 3 classes per quarter... get straight A's for a year (retaking any low grades) and take both august and a later pcat like January and really from here on out study as much as you can to get a high score and apply next year. maybe try a few schools this year and i suggest calling them about your chances if you end up improving your pcat... if they sound like you have little chance don't apply (don't ask if you should apply as they will say just go ahead and apply). If you end up getting a worse gpa or don't really improve your gpa or pcat then it might be time to look elsewhere, but only you can determine what profession is right for you.

 

[njac]

Is english your first language? Even if it is, your grammar and spelling is a bit lacking. If you're trying to get advice from your peers they aren't going to want to help you if you come across as a *****.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Well your PCAT is indeed catastrophic, so you'll have to triple or quadruple your current score.

I was thinking that you were exaggerating about tripling or quadrupling his score. Then I realized it's not the MCAT.

 

[Sparda29]

how the heck does one get a 24 on the PCAT? that is the lowest I've heard. did you take it b4 taking any of your prereqs?

That's not the lowest I've heard of. I know someone who got into LIU with a 3 Composite, granted the person had a 3.9 GPA and was pretty active on campus though.

 

[tatefoa]

1

 

[jyw003]

njac ,

you might be a pharmacy student but you have no right at all to criticized me ! you wOULD HAVE , indeed understood that english was a second languague for me if you had simply ask. I am far from being a ***** so before judgind anybody else that comes in this forum do your homework! I am a french speaking student . I START TO BELIVEVE THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE BECAUSE YOU ARE A ***** AND A STUPID ONE AND I DO NOT NEED YOUR ADVISE. YOU WILL MAKE A POOR BAD RETAIL OR HOSPITAL PHARMACIST BECAUSE FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING 40 HRS A WEEK AS A PHARM TECH , PHARMACIST LIKE YOU END UP WORKING BY THEMSELVES . i PLEASE ANYBODY THAT HAS A SMART COMMENT PLEASE SAVE IT. I CAME IN THIS COUNTRY 5 YEARS AGO NOT SPEAKING A WORD OF ENGLISH , WITHOUT MOM OR DAD . i HAD TO HOLD TWO JOBS AND CASH TUITION 50 K. SO IF PHARMACY IS NOT FOR ME I AM NOT STOPPING HERE . HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR ANYBODY TO LEARN , SPEAK AND WRITE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGUE ?

okay, i didnt actually read all this stuff...but you know what...there are a lot of ppl in your boat according to GPA...many ppl have cum of ~3.0 and sci of ~3.0....and one more thing...we are not here to argue with you...if you believe that someone is "making fun" of you, be the smart one and ignore it...you may be living a tough life now or in the past, but you must realize there are many other people out there that are living even harder and tougher than you. good luck...if you really want it, don't give up.

 

[PharmDee2Bee]

njac ,

you might be a pharmacy student but you have no right at all to criticized me ! you wOULD HAVE , indeed understood that english was a second languague for me if you had simply ask. I am far from being a ***** so before judgind anybody else that comes in this forum do your homework! I am a french speaking student . I START TO BELIVEVE THAT THIS WAS A MISTAKE BECAUSE YOU ARE A ***** AND A STUPID ONE AND I DO NOT NEED YOUR ADVISE. YOU WILL MAKE A POOR BAD RETAIL OR HOSPITAL PHARMACIST BECAUSE FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING 40 HRS A WEEK AS A PHARM TECH , PHARMACIST LIKE YOU END UP WORKING BY THEMSELVES . i PLEASE ANYBODY THAT HAS A SMART COMMENT PLEASE SAVE IT. I CAME IN THIS COUNTRY 5 YEARS AGO NOT SPEAKING A WORD OF ENGLISH , WITHOUT MOM OR DAD . i HAD TO HOLD TWO JOBS AND CASH TUITION 50 K. SO IF PHARMACY IS NOT FOR ME I AM NOT STOPPING HERE . HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE FOR ANYBODY TO LEARN , SPEAK AND WRITE A DIFFERENT LANGUAGUE ?

Gosh, I think you're being really harsh. Because I'm sure you know that your english isn't perfect and your grammar somewhat horrific. Though he/she called you a *****, you straight up attacked - how do you think you'll be as a pharmacist? Will you treat your coworkers/customers this way if they say something about your English? I hope not. But aside from improving your PCAT score, you should also evaluate your writing style and how you forumlate your thoughts - this applies to personal essays and application questions. Many schools read into it, if you write your essays the way you have typed on this forum, I would proofread or have someone proofread your essays before submitting.

 

[tatefoa]

i do not have any problems with my co-workers . I am also not stupid to send my essays without going to the writing center twice and having the head of my department checking my essays. I actually just got a star from work as a reward to good customer service. Some days i have customers insulting me , the rest of the staff because of control substances or insurance issues but i do not care . i get pay for smiling and not responding to anything rude. The pharmacy manager calls the store manager in case of emergency and always makes us feel valued. There is a difference between work and coming to a forum to get help from students. I am not looking for sympathy at all which the reason why i did not introduce myself as a second language student or anything else. I appreciate all the advices. Pleasejust give the facts to the people coming to get advices, do not rub it to their face , and please do not make them feel stupid.

 

[Falokis]

hey there tate, you're in some serious trouble here, i won't lie, it's going to be an uphill battle for you to get any interview, let alone an acceptance. the problem is very obvious, your gpa is on the low end of the spectrum, but, like others have said, there have been people with your GPA accepted, shoot, there was even a guy on here who got accepted with a freakin' 2.4 gpa (which i think is total bulls***).

You really crack me up. Did it hurt your pride that bad that I got interviews (and invites) where you couldn't? LOL! Anyways, back on subject......

Truth is what everyone else has said. Your PCAT sucks. You can get in your state school (probably) with that GPA if you study and crush the PCAT. That is what I would focus on. More A's from here on wouldn't hurt either.

 

[fieldkj]

I was in the same situation as you 5-6 years ago. I applied to 6 pharmacy schools the first year i was eligible and i was rejected from all of them. They were all instate and I had a science gpa of 2.5 and overall of 2.9 but i did get in the 90's on the PCAT. I retook some courses, especially organic and I was accepted into a pharmacy school the next year. So it can be done but I wont lie and it was a lot of hard work but it is now paying off. I graduated a year ago, opened my own pharmacy 5 months ago and am in the process of buying my second pharmacy. So Good luck and if you want it bad enough it will happen.

 

[PharmDee2Bee]

I was in the same situation as you 5-6 years ago. I applied to 6 pharmacy schools the first year i was eligible and i was rejected from all of them. They were all instate and I had a science gpa of 2.5 and overall of 2.9 but i did get in the 90's on the PCAT. I retook some courses, especially organic and I was accepted into a pharmacy school the next year. So it can be done but I wont lie and it was a lot of hard work but it is now paying off. I graduated a year ago, opened my own pharmacy 5 months ago and am in the process of buying my second pharmacy. So Good luck and if you want it bad enough it will happen.

Kudos to you! That is really awesome. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

 

[PharmDee2Bee]

i do not have any problems with my co-workers . I am also not stupid to send my essays without going to the writing center twice and having the head of my department checking my essays. I actually just got a star from work as a reward to good customer service. Some days i have customers insulting me , the rest of the staff because of control substances or insurance issues but i do not care . i get pay for smiling and not responding to anything rude. The pharmacy manager calls the store manager in case of emergency and always makes us feel valued. There is a difference between work and coming to a forum to get help from students. I am not looking for sympathy at all which the reason why i did not introduce myself as a second language student or anything else. I appreciate all the advices. Pleasejust give the facts to the people coming to get advices, do not rub it to their face , and please do not make them feel stupid.

There you go again. I'm not attacking you nor did I say you were stupid or incompetent or had issues. I was stating that IF you haven't done so, that perhaps you should get help on your personal essays and application questions. Jeez. Get a hold of yourself. This is a forum where people go to gain insight and ask for help, not to attack anyone who posts. Though you felt that you were attacked for being a non-native English speaker, there was no need for you to turn the table around and attack njac with a bunch of irrelevant crap. Calm down.

 

[njac]

Sorry that came across so harsh. But I think people often aren't realistic here and are a little too positive sometimes.

that PCAT score sucked. and if your essay/personal statement was written in the same manner as your SDN posts (yes, I know it's "just the internet" but as future peers you are being judged) then I wouldn't be surprised between the two if you did not get interviews. I'm bad about not capitalizing when I'm posting online, but my thoughts are, for the most part, conveyed in a coherent manner.

I'm just saying with the current stats, no, you probably won't get in. Retake the PCAT. If your degree is old retake some classes - preferably those you didn't do so hot in. Fill time (unless you're going part time) with classes that aren't required but might help.

ps - you have no idea what kind of pharmacist I will be and I have no idea what kind of pharmacist you will be.