my chances are....??

[DoctorAJ]

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Greetings all,

this is my first time posting here, so lemme introduce myself...

Im 22 yr old student, just finished a Bacholers of Science in Biology degree, took me 4 years, I originally planned on going to medical school but messed up my MCAT, so now I'm left with a 5th year of undergrad and I am definitely gonna apply to pharmacy schools for fall 06, since I dont kno much about the whole pharmacy thing, considering my age (22), my 4 year bacholers degree, my 3.41 cumulative GPA (I only have one dropped class and retook it) how are my chances in general? I kno there's a lot more to it than just what I mentioned above, but relatively speaking, am I considered competitive among most applicants? Plus, I'm worried that since I am taking the PCAT in October its a bit too late to be considered competitive since it takes 6-8 weeks for the results of the PCAT to come, so thats another factor to consider...forgive me for being so uninformed about the whole pharmacy thing but I am in desperate need for some input, most of u know more than I do about the whole pharmacy deal, so any input at all is greatly appreciated!! 🙂

 

[DownonthePharm]

Before I start, a disclaimer:

Please dont go into pharmacy because you think you cant make it into medical school. There are plenty of people in the premed section of this forum that really screwed up the MCAT and improved themselfs and got in the next year. You are only 22, its not the end of the world if you dont go to professional school next year.

Now for the helpful advice:

Your GPA is fine.

You have plenty of time to study for the October PCAT if you start now. Get the Kaplan PCAT book and know everything in it. Take the practice tests but ignore them, they will make you feel like an idiot. pcatprofessor.com has practice questions that you can try too. Realize that there is calculus and an essay on the exam that itsnt covered in the Kaplan book.

I believe PharmCAS, the national application site, closes in November, so you arent too late. But some schools dont accept PharmCAS, so I would research directly the schools you are interested in. Finally I would work on getting some pharmacy experience shadowing or working in a pharmacy and find some strong letters of recommendation. Read this guide about pharmacy and its various career options:
http://www.pfizercareerguides.com/pharmacy.html

 

[38ctk]

Hey AJ

Thank you for making PHARMACY YOUR "BACK UP PLAN" for not getting into Med school.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I'd try medicine again because you'll get ripped to shreds in any interview you'll have with the "crap I didn't get into med school now what do I do" mentality. It's something you can't BS. Trust me, they will know. Your GPA is also below the mean so if you do persue pharmacy you had better do well on the PCAT to balance it out.

 

[jky007]

agreeing with the above, don't go into pharmacy because it's your back-up choice.. schools absolutely hate that and will be able to tell with your college extracurriculars/volunteering/etc. i would suggest that you think hard about what you really want, and eventually you'll get there. if it is pharmacy, get some experience first before deciding on it.. schools want to know that it's your first choice and your main focus!

 

[Glycerin]

There are people that take the MCAT more than once...

If you truly have an interest in pharmacy, I suggest that you begin by reading our forums FAQ section thoroughly.

 

[DoctorAJ]

Thanks guys, ur advice and help is greatly appreciated....actually I have worked at as a technition at a Walgreens pharmacy for 10 months now, but speaking of that, I was wondering, does any of you know if the pharmacy schools make you give contact information of the pharmacy you worked at in your secondary apps, because unfortunately I have an employer that I really would rather not speak with my pharmacy schools (rude, arrogant) its truly a miracle that I've put up with him for 10 months...anyhow, does any of you know that the contact info of the pharmacy you worked/volunteered at is required at any stage in the application process?

once again, imput is greatly appreciated! 🙂