My theory on Pharmcas Schools vs. NONpharmcas schools

[Ji the Captain]

This is just an idea that I've been nailing into my brain to make myself feel better about myself lol. It could be completely wrong so please don't flame my pants off lol.

here goes.

So generally, I've been reading the pharmcas GPA calculation rules and things are not looking good for the ship and crew. apparently, they count EVERYTHING!!(no surprising) until it says that they also count EVERY repeated grade. in my case. i failed genetics TWO FLIPPING TIMES!!! that means even if i get an A on the third time, its pretty much a goner.

another thing about pharmcas is that they average all ur grades from every institution into ONE GPA. not a big deal to most of you that have stayed at one University all your life. but when it comes to the clean slate policy of some schools, im screwed. its like this. my GPA at VCU was like a 2(i know right? at this point i bet most of you are wondering "why the ---- is this kid even on SDN) but after i transferred to radford, they implemented a clean slate policy where you start with NO gpa and work from there. my GPA at radfod is pretty solid...until the big bad pharmcas wolf comes along and adds VCU to it. my gpa =3.3 at radford + VCU GPA =FAILLLLL😀😀😀😀 so yea im dead.

so at the end of the day, is it better to apply to schools that DONT use the cas of the farmer??

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[SovietPistol]

So what's the theory?

 

[PharmOl]

So what's the theory?

+1
I was all ready to learn.

 

[ShadowRX]

This is just an idea that I've been nailing into my brain to make myself feel better about myself lol. It could be completely wrong so please don't flame my pants off lol.

here goes.

I'm a failure. I should keep flipping burgers at Burger King.

OP, stop making more than 1 thread. Write a blog, I'm sure more people will care there than here.

And, fixed. GL @ BK.

 

[deleted329060]

so at the end of the day, is it better to apply to schools that DONT use the cas of the farmer??

don't non-Pharmcas schools still request transcripts?

 

[mandydp6]

The thing I don't understand is from what I know, ALL schools, PharmCAS participants or not, look at ALL past transcripts/coursework. That is not something that only PharmCAS does. So if you're under the impression that some schools may not ask for ALL prior coursework, then I'm pretty sure you are misinformed.

 

[PharmaTope]

pharmcas vs nonpharmcas. it dont matter, there are TOO MANY schools of pharmacy in the usa right now.

 

[delano2000]

+1
I was all ready to learn.

 

[Passion4Sci]

The more I read from this guy, the more I'm convinced that truck driving school is for him.

Or maybe Hamburger University.

But definitely not dispensing medication.

 

[Trankuil]

don't non-Pharmcas schools still request transcripts?

MMhmmm. Pharmcas is just a one place database.

 

[Ji the Captain]

bahahahha thanks for the support guys.
the idea is basically this:

Pharmcas will average my bad GPA from VCU with my average one from radford. making my totall GPA very low. if u dont use pharmcas. the schools will lookat ur GPA from the two different schools individually, so ur overall GPA wont suck and adcoms will see that ur no longer a jackass cuz ur GPA at the university u transferred to is better than VCU

 

[Ji the Captain]

The more I read from this guy, the more I'm convinced that truck driving school is for him.

Or maybe Hamburger University.

But definitely not dispensing medication.

what happened to the profile pic with the camel in it 🙁

 

[Humper]

what happened to the profile pic with the camel in it 🙁

The camel was slaughtered to make camel-cheeseburger.

 

[busyizzy]

bahahahha thanks for the support guys.
the idea is basically this:

Pharmcas will average my bad GPA from VCU with my average one from radford. making my totall GPA very low. if u dont use pharmcas. the schools will lookat ur GPA from the two different schools individually, so ur overall GPA wont suck and adcoms will see that ur no longer a jackass cuz ur GPA at the university u transferred to is better than VCU

PharmCAS schools will still see that. You send in all your transcripts, and you put in your grades, so they'll see your older grades are different from your newer grades. The only problem is, some PharmCAS schools have a minimum GPA cutoff point, and if you're below that, your app won't even get a glance. But as long as you're over, why not try?

Besides, there's too few non PharmCAS schools, and when I checked, I wasn't interested in any of them. You're severely limiting your choices. I chose to apply only to PharmCAS schools cuz it made applying so much more convenient.

 

[PharmOl]

The more I read from this guy, the more I'm convinced that truck driving school is for him.

Or maybe Hamburger University.

But definitely not dispensing medication.

If I was you, I'd get in touch with a truck driving school and start collecting commission. They don't even need an employment agency enlistment with you advertising here, lol

 

[diastole]

Are you sure you are right about that? When I applied to my non-PharmCAS school, I had to calculate my GPA myself. It was complicated because I got a degree from a quarter school but retook classes at a semester school. Try figuring out what your science GPA is when you took the third quarter of gen chemistry twice and then retook the second semester once. It was crazy. But I digress. My point is that I had just one cumulative GPA rather than four separate GPAs from all my schools. I just had to figure it out instead of the computer and I have to say, it would have been much easier to have PharmCAS do it.

 

[Passion4Sci]

If I was you, I'd get in touch with a truck driving school and start collecting commission. They don't even need an employment agency enlistment with you advertising here, lol

I know, right! Except I'm not saying any specific school, so not really.

 

[samurai361]

Hey Ji, whats up. I'm actually a Virginian and lived around the Radford area, some of my high school class went there. Anyway I understand we all have mistakes so don't beat yourself up. However, you have to be honest with yourself. If you did so badly at VCU undergrad why would they accept you for VCU grad, when they themselves say on their website that their grad is more difficult than the undergrad? It doesn't look good. However, if you want to maximize your chances of acceptance, I think perhaps you should apply to both pharmcas and non-pharmcas schools and see what happens, if you have the $$ to apply to more schools. Or you may just want to sit this year out and try to raise your GPA since as another poster said, the majority of the schools use Pharmcas.

Good luck!

 

[Ji the Captain]

Hey Ji, whats up. I'm actually a Virginian and lived around the Radford area, some of my high school class went there. Anyway I understand we all have mistakes so don't beat yourself up. However, you have to be honest with yourself. If you did so badly at VCU undergrad why would they accept you for VCU grad, when they themselves say on their website that their grad is more difficult than the undergrad? It doesn't look good. However, if you want to maximize your chances of acceptance, I think perhaps you should apply to both pharmcas and non-pharmcas schools and see what happens, if you have the $$ to apply to more schools. Or you may just want to sit this year out and try to raise your GPA since as another poster said, the majority of the schools use Pharmcas.

Good luck!

hey man thanks! I rely on these forums for help, lol not for people to tell me I should be a truck diver. Anyways glad you are from these parts! that's awesome news! ur right. ive been working my butt of and have like a grand to blow on applications so im gonna apply to a slew load of Pharm/nonPharm cas schools.
I'm not even applying for VCU because I know it's not gonna happen lol.

 

[samurai361]

hey man thanks! I rely on these forums for help, lol not for people to tell me I should be a truck diver. Anyways glad you are from these parts! that's awesome news! ur right. ive been working my butt of and have like a grand to blow on applications so im gonna apply to a slew load of Pharm/nonPharm cas schools.
I'm not even applying for VCU because I know it's not gonna happen lol.

I'm actually a girl lol but you're very welcome. And yeah don't let these people get you down, most of them have already been accepted so I guess they have nothing better to do with their summer time. and stay positive you never know what might happen so definitely apply broadly, even those places you think will not take you may actually take you. I've actually seen it happen on here. so don't let negative thinking limit your choices 👍

 

[Ji the Captain]

I'm actually a girl lol but you're very welcome. And yeah don't let these people get you down, most of them have already been accepted so I guess they have nothing better to do with their summer time. and stay positive you never know what might happen so definitely apply broadly, even those places you think will not take you may actually take you. I've actually seen it happen on here. so don't let negative thinking limit your choices 👍

oh crud. LOL im so sry dont worry im not being sexist i call everyone that 🙁. anyways yeah Im applying to schools with academic forgiveness, studying for the PCATs, volunteering, the usual. I just realized my Pre Req GPA is actaully decent. i know there isnt a shortcut to pharmacy school but some schools look primarily at pre req, while others completely replaced old grades with retakes. my biggest concern is that schhhols who use pharmcas will only see the pharmcas GPA instead of ur individual ones. pharmcas averages my good GPA with my bad one so it turns out to screw me over. im not discouraged and I really have no right to complain that people are being so negative, afterall whose fault is it that my GPA is so low in the first place??

 

[DrPepsi]

I just looked at some non-pharmcas pharmacy school sites and they claim they count everything and have a "no forgiveness" policy for classes, meaning if you make an F in a class then make a D then an A...all 3 grades will count.

 

[Ji the Captain]

I just looked at some non-pharmcas pharmacy school sites and they claim they count everything and have a "no forgiveness" policy for classes, meaning if you make an F in a class then make a D then an A...all 3 grades will count.

"* For example, if you received a grade of "C" the first time you completed organic chemistry, then repeated the course with a grade of "A", we disregard the “C” and calculate GPA using the “A”. This process allows students to demonstrate competency in a course."
from-http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/programs/pharmd/prepharmacygpa.aspx

also
UMKC
Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of maryland
Xavier university
they all will ONLY average in ur LATEST grade in a class in terms of Repeats.

 

[DrPepsi]

"* For example, if you received a grade of "C" the first time you completed organic chemistry, then repeated the course with a grade of "A", we disregard the “C” and calculate GPA using the “A”. This process allows students to demonstrate competency in a course."
from-http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/programs/pharmd/prepharmacygpa.aspx

also
UMKC
Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock
University of maryland
Xavier university
they all will ONLY average in ur LATEST grade in a class in terms of Repeats.

All? Not true, a simple google search got me this gem.

"Students must maintain a 2.00 grade-point average or above to remain in the College of Pharmacy. In computing the grade-point average, courses are counted each time they are undertaken, whether passed or failed. Summer term grades affect only the cumulative pharmacy grade-point average."

From: http://www.swosu.edu/academics/pharmacy/regulations.asp

 

[Ji the Captain]

All? Not true, a simple google search got me this gem.

"Students must maintain a 2.00 grade-point average or above to remain in the College of Pharmacy. In computing the grade-point average, courses are counted each time they are undertaken, whether passed or failed. Summer term grades affect only the cumulative pharmacy grade-point average."

From: http://www.swosu.edu/academics/pharmacy/regulations.asp

Dude what you just wrote is a policy about your grades while you are ALREADY IN pharmacy school.

Im talking about policies about the repeated classes that you take BEFORE u apply for pharmacy school (in undergrad)