Mercer C/O 2017

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I posted an outline of the interview day above. Read that first. Like SincerelyMe said, go over some basic pharmacy school interview questions and you should be ok. Use youtube I'm sure there is hours of videos on there about pharmacy school interviews...
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If I have a 2.63 GPA but have retaken all the courses and did very well in them, do you think they will consider me? PCAT is in november...I also have letters of recommendations and pharmacy experience
 
There's nothing you can do about your GPA but as long as you have shown improvement in the courses you took that shows you are willing to work hard and are ambitious to make up for previous GPA. Knock that PCAT out of the park. I think you can definitely make up some ground with the PCAT and ask your advisor too. Show them your resume too because they consider that important in the processes and is just as important as GPA and PCAT. Good luck!
 
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The minimum GPA to apply is 3.0. I don't mean to discourage you but what they will look at is how well you did towards the end of your undergrad. I screwed up my sophomore & part of my junior year but made good grades for the remainder of my undergrad, so they will consider that. No one is perfect and the admissions committee understands when students make mistakes. If you want a chance to get in this is what I recommend:
1) With a low GPA make sure you have some type of bachelors degree (+80% of admitted have degrees)
2) Study, study, study for the PCAT. Make sure you do well on this test.
3) Apply early!

You have one thing going for you and that is pharmacy experience. Stick with it. Good luck
 
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thanks for the info!
I got the interview 11.9th @ 1pm.

Anyone else going?
 
MSUPharmacy2012 said:
Hey, how long after you guys had all your materials received did you find out about your interview date?
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They emailed me saying my file was complete on the 31st of October and told me about my interview date on November 2nd..so less than 2 days?
 
They told me on September 4th that my materials were in and I got an interview invitation on September 6th, they are quick with that and also pretty quick about getting bak to you after the interview. I waited about a week and they gave me a call, which is really personal and one of the many things that I liked about Mercer. It made the experience feel all that more genuine and personal. Good luck!
 
SincerelyMe said:
Hey Spenser,

Can you describe maybe a day in the life of your Pharmacy School experience so far? I have several friends who are in medical school and I was wondering how Pharmacy School would compare to Medical school in terms of difficulty, how much time you devote to studying vs. social time, ect. One of the pharmacists at the retail pharmacy I work at said she had the best time of her life in Pharmacy school because she was able to have a social life and study enough to comprehend and pass her courses with exceptional grades. I guess I just wanted to get your personal perspective and see what a day in the life would be for a typical pharmacy student in comparison to undergraduate studies and also in comparison to medical school studies.
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I certianly can! Sorry for the late response by the way. Haven't been checking this thread all that much!

So, I am a current P2, and since P1 year feels like aeons ago, I will describe how my day is now! :)

We have afternoon courses P2 year, so on 3 out of 5 days I don't arrive to campus until afternoon. (The other days are 10 AM). We average about 4-5 hours of classes a day, featuring lectures, organization meetings, and quizzes/exams etc.

Monday - Exam day, we are on block scheduling, so we have an exam every Monday, excluding a few a semester. After the exam we get a 1-2 hour break, and then have a 2-3 hour lecture on the material for the next exam. After class, I go to work (CVS pharmacy), from 4-10. Monday nights consist of catching up on Dexter and The Walking Dead!

Tuesday - Class starts at 10 AM because I have an elective on tuesdays. Relatively uneventful day because the test is done for the week. Elective, lunch, 1 hr lab lecture, 3 hour nervous systems lecture. Home by 5:30. We use Tuesday nights as our relax nights, maybe have some drinks.

Wednesday - Class starts at 10 AM again, but it's lab this time. Really easy, usually done by 11, have a couple hours to go out with friends for a nicer lunch. Home by 5:30 again. I usually start reviewing monday and tuesday's material by this evening, but just the big picture.

Thursday - Class starts at 1 today, and it's just 3 hours of nervous systems lecture. I generally work 4-10 on thursdays, or take this day to do some community service. After work I do some more reviewing, but start getting into the details.

Friday - Class starts at 1 again, and ends at 3, very easy day! If I did community service on Thursday, I'll work from 3-10, and go home and study for the rest of the night. If I worked thursday, then I use Friday afternoon to study, and we go out or do something fun Friday night!

Saturday/Sunday - Only work if my store absolutely needs me. These days for me alternate between studying, and football watching. Since I had been reviewing during the week, I don't have to cram an excessive amount, so I can watch football and do well on the exams. But if you're a crammer, you can see how your weeks could be more fun-filled.

Monday - repeat.

Hope this gave you some insight. I generally work 10-15 hours a week, and still have time to study effectively, and do things that are nice stress relievers. I have other responsibilities though as the President of my class, but those occur at various times, so I didn't add them!

Let me know if you have anymore questions.
 
Wow...you seem as if you have a lot of free time! I heard that the second year is the worst but you make it seem like its nothing! When I did my interview, I was told that most people do not work because its so demanding...
 
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BobbyV said:
Wow...you seem as if you have a lot of free time! I heard that the second year is the worst but you make it seem like its nothing! When I did my interview, I was told that most people do not work because its so demanding...
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Well, I wasn't trying to make it seem like a cake-walk. I do have some free time, but most of the days are devoted to developing yourself as a student in the form of learning lecture material, working, being involved in organizations, and community service. I was trying to provide an actual look into the life of a real pharmacy student so you can see you don't have to just turn into a study robot to be successful!

You always hear it, but time management is key. If you have good time management, be proactive with studying, and find effective ways to manage stress, you will be a successful pharmacy student.

I will say this though, the P2 year has been much more challenging, but much more rewarding as well. It's nothing to be feared, but nothing to be taken lightly either. Just with everything in life, you need to have balance! No need to be intimidated, but don't underestimate it!

Hope some of these things are helpful. I remember being where you guys are a couple years ago and wishing someone would do what I'm doing now! There's really no substitute for someone who has firsthand knowledge
 
for my interview tomorrow, should i bring my resume or anything with me?
 
Thanks!

I am searching Mercer's website and the internet, and I cannot find out where Mercer's IPPE and APPE site locations are...? Do you (or anyone else!) know where I can find that information? Do they have any locations outside the USA? Do they have any student based trips, as well?
I am assuming that you are a student at this school btw!
 
I have a question about the supplemental. I'm applying to like 10+ schools.. and it asks for a list other pharmacy schools which you are considering for attendance.. Should I put all of them..?
 
Kobe said:
I have a question about the supplemental. I'm applying to like 10+ schools.. and it asks for a list other pharmacy schools which you are considering for attendance.. Should I put all of them..?
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I put some of the schools that I also applied to when I filled out my app...I don't think you have to put all 10+ but at least a few; they already assume that you are applying to other schools. I'm pretty sure this doesn't affect your chances for a interview/admissions; I think it's more of a statistical question.
 
I put all 4 schools I was applying to. They don't penalize you. They just want to know with your stats what kinds of schools you are applying to so they can use it for statistics about their school and such.
 
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I wrote all 12 schools I was applying to. It was fine. :laugh:
 
Just got the call..I got accepted to Mercer! :D woohoo!
 
Congrats!!! looks like whatever you did has worked! relax and celebrate!!
 
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aggies said:
Just got the call..I got accepted to Mercer! :D woohoo!
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Hey, just interview yesterday, thought it went really well :love:

Did anyone else?

Also, how long did it take for you to hear back from them after your interview date?

@spencer - They said they don't meet over Thanksgiving Break to discuss Pharmacy Acceptance Offers, do you know when they will most likely be making calls?
 
awesome! my interview was on november 9th and I heard back from them on the 15th. good luck and i hope to seeya in the fall!
 
Submitting my supp soon

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Received an invite for interviewing on 11/30, but I already had an interview scheduled that day. Now I will have to wait until 1/18/13 for the interview, but definitely glad to have gotten an interview from them.
 
Who's coming to the Nov 30th Interview this Friday? Also, for those who got an interview, did most/all of you get accepted?
 
gator1one said:
Who's coming to the Nov 30th Interview this Friday? Also, for those who got an interview, did most/all of you get accepted?
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I got an interview for the 30th! I actually JUST received the email about half an hour ago. Such short notice!
 
Was anyone asked about health care or health care reform?
 
I ended up getting a wide assortment of questions. Everything from ethics to personality questions to the typical pharmacy questions. They also asked about my experience in pharmacy. Depends the interviewer so prepare for all. It really doesn't hurt to do some research tonight on some current events in case! The election was just around the corner so it wouldn't hurt to brush up in how pharmacy will be affected with the new laws!
 
Got my acceptance Wednesday the 28th, interviewed on the 16th. :D

My stats. are as follows:

PCAT
Verbal Ability - 82
Biology - 92
Reading Comprehension - 91
Quantitative - 51
Chemistry - 76
Composite - 87

GPA - 3.1

Biology Degree from a small Liberal Arts school.
 
Good luck to those who have yet to interview! They are VERY nice and welcoming at Mercer.

Also, congrats to all students accepted to Mercer! I look forward to meeting y'all!

Make sure to join the Facebook page that was put together for the class of 2017.:)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/277363769033653/
 
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Hey everyone! My name is Brian and I, like Spenser, am a P2 at Mercer. I am also an admissions ambassador and work in the admissions office, so I know my way around the process! I would be happy to field any questions as well. I will check the thread and try to find questions within it, but the best way to get a specific answer directly to you is to private message me on here. If you feel the answer will help everyone, feel free to post my response to the thread!

Congrats to all those who have been accepted and I hope you do choose to become a part of the Mercer family we have down here, it is an amazing place to develop both as a professional and an individual. For those awaiting a response or considering application, remember that although the numbers play a role and naturally we have some preferred statistics, we understand that it takes a lot more than just academic ability to become a great pharmacist. What is the use of a 4.0 if you cannot communicate with patients or act as part of a healthcare team? The knowledge is the prerequisite every pharmacist will need to have - our job in admissions is to determine whether or not a student can handle the work necessary to gain this knowledge, and then additionally does this student have the personal, cultural, and emotional awareness and skills necessary to make him or her GREAT. So do not be discouraged from applying just over numbers - if you feel you have that something extra that would convince us of your aptitude as a pharmacist, make sure you display this in your essays and if invited, your interview! Show how you would be a great addition to our University.

A parting note - just to show we aren't all science and math, here is a video we made to compete at the national American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists conference in March. Each school makes a minute and thirty second video, the top 10 are played at the conference, and then a winner is picked. Hope you enjoy ours, and good luck with the rest of the admissions process!

Video Link to "The Pharmacist" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFQIFNyxurU
 
Just got the call. Officially accepted!!!! I can't wait to start in the fall!!!!! So excited!!!! Yay!!!
 
Congrats to those recently accepted and good luck to those of you who are still waiting on a decision!

My name is Elizabeth Lai and I am currently a P1 serving as a pharmacy ambassador. As my friend Brian mentioned, outstanding test scores and GPA are only a part of the interview process.

I will check SDN periodically to try to answer any questions you all have. Good luck on finals if you have any and most importantly best of luck with the admissions process!
 
Anyone interviewing on February 8th? I'm a little worried since Mercer has rolling admissions and my interview seems much later than the rest of you. But congrats to everyone who got in! Looking forward to meeting anyone who ends up interviewing on the same date as me. So excited! It also looks like you hear back pretty quick. Has anyone heard back about being wait listed or rejected yet, or have they only send out acceptances?
 
anb2017 said:
Anyone interviewing on February 8th? I'm a little worried since Mercer has rolling admissions and my interview seems much later than the rest of you. But congrats to everyone who got in! Looking forward to meeting anyone who ends up interviewing on the same date as me. So excited! It also looks like you hear back pretty quick. Has anyone heard back about being wait listed or rejected yet, or have they only send out acceptances?
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They take apps until March 1st and interview until May, so you are not too far back.
 
Got an interview coming up next Friday! Only interviewed at one other school so far and hoping this one is as relaxed as others have stated in the past! :)
 
jpatel05 said:
Got an interview coming up next Friday! Only interviewed at one other school so far and hoping this one is as relaxed as others have stated in the past! :)
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it's super relaxed so don't worry about it! let me know if you have any questions
 
I just interviewed Friday (1/18). I thought it went extremely well and am confident I should hear something from them. The typical response time I have heard from others is a week and a half to two weeks. Is that what everyone else has noticed with Mercer?
 
sneedsha said:
I just interviewed Friday (1/18). I thought it went extremely well and am confident I should hear something from them. The typical response time I have heard from others is a week and a half to two weeks. Is that what everyone else has noticed with Mercer?
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From my understanding, the AdCom meets every 2 weeks. A decision about any interviews between the meetings is made and the parties are notified in the next few days if they were accepted, waitlisted, or declined. Dr. Bartling said he was not sure if they met this week or next. Thus, I would be on the lookout until next friday (2/1). After that you could call and ask if they have made any decisions on the 1/18 interview.
 
I think I remember you from the 18th in the interview. Last name Mercer, right?
 
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