Masters before Pharmacy?

[Jxr182]

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I am graduating in May with a B.S. in General Studies with minors in Sociology and Criminal Justice. My reason for wanting to go to pharmacy school is the satisfaction from being able to help someone, teach them, and make them feel better. Before I apply to Pharmacy school I am considering working on a Masters in Education majoring in Adult Education/Gerontology. I feel not only would this make my application more appealing, it would both educate me in and show my desire to work with older Americans.

My question: do you think that this would actually help my application? It would show I'm capable of sticking with a program and finishing it, but is there anything you could see that would hurt me in this regard?

Also, when i graduate with my bachelor's my gpa is only going to be around a 3.3, and I know i am capable of higher. So the masters program could be a way for me to demonstrate a higher gpa, right?

 

[omnione]

Some schools may not allow you to matriculate until you finish that degree.

Many people still get into pharmacy schools with the minimum two years of coursework. Having a masters with a good GPA definitely makes you stand out more, but it may be overkill if you have an adequate GPA now.

If you are ready now and have the stats, then you can apply now. If you want to really pursue that masters degree, then follow the path you think suits you the best. The main way that such a degree would hurt is if you get a mediocre GPA.

 

[Jxr182]

I still have to take a few pre-reqs for the pharmacy programs around here, so I thought instead of waisting a year just with pre-reqs, I could be working on a masters program in a field that not only interests me but is relevant as well. (And more importantly I thought if i do well in the pre-reqs AND the masters program, i should have an easy time getting accepted)

 

[omnione]

I still have to take a few pre-reqs for the pharmacy programs around here, so I thought instead of waisting a year just with pre-reqs, I could be working on a masters program in a field that not only interests me but is relevant as well. (And more importantly I thought if i do well in the pre-reqs AND the masters program, i should have an easy time getting accepted)

I dealt with a similar situation. I could've graduated after my fourth year but I couldn't get into a pharmacy school until a year after. I had to decide between taking another year of undergrad where I complete prereqs with psychology classes (for a minor) or go into a masters degree as an at-large student while picking up rarer prereqs. The decision came down to interest and I chose the former option as I as interested in psychology. I was worried that pharmacy schools would think that I wussed out a little but I still had to do well in my classes.

Looking at your GPA in that edited first post, you could benefit a lot by going into that degree.

 

[goinkhead]

I still have to take a few pre-reqs for the pharmacy programs around here, so I thought instead of waisting a year just with pre-reqs, I could be working on a masters program in a field that not only interests me but is relevant as well. (And more importantly I thought if i do well in the pre-reqs AND the masters program, i should have an easy time getting accepted)

i am about to graduate with a masters in marine ecology with an excellent gpa and 1 publication (science, in press..baby). however, im having trouble getting into a pharmacy program because of my undergraduate record. If i could do it all over again, id skip the masters and improve my prepharm gpa.

to you, i would recommend entering a masters only if you really interested in the subject at hand. If entering pharmacy school is your immediate goal, forget the masters and improve your pharmacy application (bulk up your pharmacy experience, improve prepharm gpa etc.)...and you could make significant improvements in 1 year.

because ultimately, the adcoms want to knwo whether you can succeed in their curriculum..most schools use the prepharm gpa as an indicator.

goodluck