Need some advice about prereqs

[Freedom&Light]

(I've done a search for this and haven't seen this question answered, but if I missed it, I'm sorry!)

I have a BS in another field and am missing a lot of the prereqs (about 50 semester hours of science and math prereqs). It would require me to go to school for 4 semesters full time to complete the prereqs.

To do this, I could:

1. Go to a community college around here to complete my prereqs and then apply to a pharmacy school.
Pros: Cost, Could keep my same job
Cons: Cost isn't that great (since I moved here 10 months ago, I'm not eligible for in state tuition this fall but would be this spring), some pharmacy schools don't look favorably to having comm. college credits (though most do).
Est. graduation date: Spring 2010

2. Move to a university with a pharmacy school to take the prereqs, then apply for pharmacy school at that school.
Pros: Higher chance of being accepted into a pharmacy school, already having established relationship with faculty
Cons: Cost, Still no guarantee I would be accepted to pharmacy school
Est. graduation date: Spring 2010 (at one school) or Spring 2011 (at another)

3. Go to a 6 year program at a school to get all my prereqs and my Pharm.D.
Pros: From what I understand, as long as I keep grades up, I would be almost guaranteed a spot in pharmacy school.
Cons: Cost
Est. graduation date: Spring 2011

Some things to consider:
I'm single and can move anywhere, so that isn't a huge deal. I would have to move eventually to go to pharmacy school. The biggest thing I'm worried about is getting all my prereqs done in a way to help me get into pharmacy school.

Which do you think is the best option to take?

TIA!!

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[OSURxgirl]

I've only researched a few 6 year programs, but those I've searched seem to give STRONG preference to student who are applying out of high school (ie are college entering freshmen). Students already having a BS degree (like myself) have to apply as transfers, and transfer admissions is quite competitive due to the limited availability of spots.

I took three of my prereq's at a community college (physics III, organic III, and anatomy). It didn't really hurt me, but I was asked about why I took some of my courses there during interviews. I told them it was because of the cost, since I had already earned a degree and was no longer elgible for undergrad financial aid. They seemed satisfied with that answer, seeing that I got in.

I guess the question is whether or not they care if credits are community college vs. university credits. If I were you, I'd call schools you're interested in and flat out ask them if it matters in their admissions processes.

Best of luck to you.

 

[dontworry]

I have a BA in Psychology and decided that pharmacy was for me in my senior year. I applied and was accepted to Albany Pharmacy, they gave me 2 options. One was to finish bio and chem over the summer and start in the fall as a second year student, or to take courses at the local community college and enter into the accelerated program, which is 3 years. I chose to attend the community college and do the accelerated program. So instead of paying tuition for year 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, i paid cc one year and there will be 3 years of pharmacy school. I saved alot of money and will graduate earlier and hence work sooner with the accelerated program. Have you thought about accelerated programs, there are a few out there.
What about taking courses over the summer to finish the pre reqs sooner, or maybe some can be taken online?
It seems that most schools dont have a problem with CC courses. Though if you are going to attend the CC, make sure to get really good grades to prove that you can handle the science courses. It probably wouldnt look very good to have a low GPA from a CC.
Hope this helped,
Andrea

 

[laura_mideon]

I don't think there's any problems with community colleges. If the courses are transferrable, the adcom has to treat them the same. So what if you wanted to save some money, I would think that would be a positive thing, not a negative. If it's cheaper and it means you can move later, I would do the community college. (Plus from my experience, the class sizes are smaller and teachers are more accessible, therefore your grades will likely be higher)

good luck!

 

[28657]

(Plus from my experience, the class sizes are smaller and teachers are more accessible, therefore your grades will likely be higher)

good luck!

And you have a better chance for the professor making an exam take home . It's a little pathetic when I hear my classmates who went to a CC talk about "undergrad". CC is usually much easier.
A lot of people will say CC is their only option because of money - that's bull, just get student loans like everyone else. Usually you get what you pay for.

 

[jdpharmd?]

I don't think there's any problems with community colleges. If the courses are transferrable, the adcom has to treat them the same. good luck!

Just FYI, the adcom will absolutely NOT treat them the same. It might vary by school, but I've heard of adcoms rejecting a 4.0 from CC. It's not the same as a 4.0 from a state school, and in their opinion, it's not even a 3.5 or a 3.3.

 

[WildOrchids27]

Just for everyone to know. I just called some Pharm schools in California, Nevada and Hawaii and they all said it doesn't matter where you take your pre-req's. Community college or University, they all look at it the same. What they did say was, during the interview they might ask you why you took the pre-req's at a community college. So I hope that helps, because I know I've been wondering about that too. I have to take most of my pre-req's at a community college, if not go back to a University and get a bio or chem degree. Which will take longer and cost more.

 

[MALA]

Just for everyone to know. I just called some Pharm schools in California, Nevada and Hawaii and they all said it doesn't matter where you take your pre-req's. Community college or University, they all look at it the same. What they did say was, during the interview they might ask you why you took the pre-req's at a community college. So I hope that helps, because I know I've been wondering about that too. I have to take most of my pre-req's at a community college, if not go back to a University and get a bio or chem degree. Which will take longer and cost more.

Most schools will accept credits from an accredited school. Go to whichever school best suits your life. If you're older, have assets, kids..you need to do what's best for you.

 

[laura_mideon]

Just FYI, the adcom will absolutely NOT treat them the same. It might vary by school, but I've heard of adcoms rejecting a 4.0 from CC. It's not the same as a 4.0 from a state school, and in their opinion, it's not even a 3.5 or a 3.3.

Well if that's the case, why do they accept pre-reqs from there at all? Why don't they tell people to just go to a University instead? If you are using the 4.0 scale, you can't get higher than a 4.0 no matter how smart you are, so how do they know the person wouldn't get 4.0 at their school? I know alot
of people who've been accepted into really competitive programs, including pharm and med, with CC pre-reqs.
Maybe it's just different here or something, but that seems really weird. I go to a CC and my gpa is almost 3.9/4 and I don't have any doubt that I would do just as well in a University. It's just way way closer to me.
I'm going to look more into this here, because that seems really unfair.

 

[WildOrchids27]

I agree with laura. Some people who are planning to apply to a Pharm School might have to go to a community college for their pre-req's. Like me for example. I don't have a bachelor's degree in a science field and I already graduated. I'm not going to go back to a University just so I can take pre-req courses. It doesn't make any sense if these Pharm schools don't accept pre-req's from a community college. I think just as long as you do well, and meet all the requirements, you'll be a good candidate no matter where you too your pre-req courses.

 

[BABY_GHOST]

Hi , y'all. As you've said, we can study all the prerequisites in a cc? I 'd like to ask you a question bout my case. I'm studying at HCC and intend to transfer to UH school of Pharm. May i study all the prerequisites in HCC? Cauz they emphasize that i may have to take addtional courses at UH b4 entering the professional program. So, may I study these in HCC or i'd better go to UH to take Chem, Biol, Math...? ( i'm an international student, so the cost for me is very important element to take into account)
Thx for helping me!!

 

[OSURxgirl]

["A lot of people will say CC is their only option because of money - that's bull, just get student loans like everyone else. Usually you get what you pay for."]


Actually, it is not "Bull" in every case. People like myself, who already have a bachelor's degree, cannot qualify for student loans. You must be enrolled in a degree program. I simply needed a few courses to finish my pre-reqs. In my case, the cost difference was 300 dollars per course at CC versus almost one thousand per course at my state university. I think that was a no brainer. And yes, I did get what I paid for...the courses I needed to enter pharm school. They were no worse in quality than any of my undergrad courses and one of them was a lot better.

 

[28657]

["A lot of people will say CC is their only option because of money - that's bull, just get student loans like everyone else. Usually you get what you pay for."]


Actually, it is not "Bull" in every case. People like myself, who already have a bachelor's degree, cannot qualify for student loans. You must be enrolled in a degree program. I simply needed a few courses to finish my pre-reqs. In my case, the cost difference was 300 dollars per course at CC versus almost one thousand per course at my state university. I think that was a no brainer. And yes, I did get what I paid for...the courses I needed to enter pharm school. They were no worse in quality than any of my undergrad courses and one of them was a lot better.

Obviously everyone's situation is a little different. However, if you honestly think CC classes are the same as undergrad in terms of difficulty and competition - you're way off. But then again maybe I'm just a little jealous that I didn't attend a CC so that I could have a 4.0.

 

[OSURxgirl]

In my case, they were the same, difficulty wise. The anatomy class was very challenging because it was a weed-out course for nursing students. I took physics 3 there after taking 1 and 2 at my state university, and I took organic chemistry 3 there after taking 1 and 2 at my state university. The textbooks were the same, and some of the teachers taught at both my state university and the community college.

Community college doesn't guarentee a 4.0, just as courses at a 4 year college do not mean you cannot get a 4.0. You have to put into something what you want out of it. Organic chemistry is organic chemistry...it's not something you can make "easy". Science pre-reqs are not going to be easy A courses anywhere...people have to work for their grades wherever they go.

Meanwhile, it isn't right to frown upon people who do the community college route. They save lots of money...and end up right where the rest of us will...with a PharmD.

 

[laura_mideon]

I don't know if things are different here in Canada then they are in the states, but here, if a course is transferrable, then the curriculum anywhere you go will be 99% the same. That university has to accept the courses as transferrable, if they were "easier" they wouldn't accept them, that wouldnt make any sense. It seems that alot of you are saying that at a CC the classes are easier, I work hard for my grades and I think these classes are tough.
The only reason I say you "may" get better grades in a CC is because the classes are smaller and teachers are more accessible. I don't think that makes a huge difference, but it sure helps make life easier for a student.
There's no way the smaller class sizes and helpful teachers can make someones 4.0 gpa worth only 3.3 to a university though. That doesn't make any sense.
I really don't understand why they would do that.

 

[goheel]

There's no way classes at CC are the same as classes at University. Anybody with a brain can tell you that. I took a class at a CC this summer, and it's freaking easy. Put it this way, I was getting a C for the same class at my 4-year school before I drop it, then I took it at a CC and got an A. If the classes at CC are the same as 4 year colleges, then why wouldn't everybody just go to CC to save money?

 

[dgroulx]

I really think that it depends more on the teacher, than the school. Here's some examples:

I took Biology I at Pasco-Hernando CC. We used the same text book as UF and covered the same material. My teacher had a PhD in pharmacology. The class was hard and there were very few A's given out.

I went to St. Petersburg college for anatomy I & II. The instructor for the 1st semester was tough. She said that 2/3 of the class would be gone by the end of the semester and she was right. But, for semester 2, I had an easy teacher. The class was a breeze. There were students who had this teacher for semester 1 and she was easy then, too. She actually would rap her knuckes on the desk to alert students to a topic that would be on the exam.

The majority of my classes were taken at a 4-year school. Again, there were easy teachers and hard teachers. I preferred the hard teachers because I learned more. The easy teachers classes were easier than the Biology class I took at PHCC. The hard teachers are just as tough as some of my pharmacy teachers in pharmacy school.

 

[Smilescali]

I agree with Dana on this one. The teacher makes a HUGE difference in how easy or hard a class can be. My best friend is a professor at a CC and a university and her teaching style is the same in both settings. The CC students get the same treatment as the university students in workload and grading.

In fact, many professors have worked in both settings, I don't think it would be ethical for them to go easy on the CC students just because they pay less.

I have also heard that the classes at larger colleges have TAs teaching portions of the class, so if you have a TA who doesn't really care about helping you then it might be harder for you to get a good grade.

 

[WildOrchids27]

There's no way classes at CC are the same as classes at University. Anybody with a brain can tell you that. I took a class at a CC this summer, and it's freaking easy. Put it this way, I was getting a C for the same class at my 4-year school before I drop it, then I took it at a CC and got an A. If the classes at CC are the same as 4 year colleges, then why wouldn't everybody just go to CC to save money?

Eeveryone's situation is different. Since you seem to know so much about this, and clearly think that an education at a CC and a University aren't the same, then tell me what I should do in my situation? I already graduated from a University with a Business degree, but now I want to go into Pharmacy. I still have to take a whole bunch of pre-req's before I apply to a Pharm program, where should I take it then? Go back to a Univerisity and pay a much higher tuition or should I just take the calsses at a CC? It doesn't make sense to me to have to take classes at a Unveristy after I have graduated. The only logic thing to do in my situation is to take the pre-req's at a CC, but from what you're saying I won't be getting the same education?

 

[Roxicet]

Eeveryone's situation is different. Since you seem to know so much about this, and clearly think that an education at a CC and a University aren't the same, then tell me what I should do in my situation? I already graduated from a University with a Business degree, but now I want to go into Pharmacy. I still have to take a whole bunch of pre-req's before I apply to a Pharm program, where should I take it then? Go back to a Univerisity and pay a much higher tuition or should I just take the calsses at a CC? It doesn't make sense to me to have to take classes at a Unveristy after I have graduated. The only logic thing to do in my situation is to take the pre-req's at a CC, but from what you're saying I won't be getting the same education?

Really, you don't need anyone to tell you what you should do in your situation. You need to stop caring about what everyone else thinks (especially some people who are still applicants and not pharmacy students or grads), or else your panties are constantly going to be all bunched up. You're on the right track. You've already talked to the admissions offices at schools you're interested in, right? If they said it's ok, then it's ok. You are absolutely right that everyone's situation is different.

I already had a BS in microbiology from my university. I only needed two more pre-reqs: speech and 3 hours of anatomy/phys. I'm not sure if it's the same at your uni, but once you have a degree, they won't let you re-enroll in any classes unless you're pursuing a second bachelor's degree. The only reason I took these two classes at the university and not a CC is because I was working as Staff in the biology research dept, and I was allowed to take 3hrs per semester for free during work hours without having to make up the time after work. So I took anatomy II last summer, and speech this past fall. These classes were not any harder than at a CC. In Anatomy, a lot of people failed the first test (and the test was so easy these people must have been TRYING to fail), and the prof didn't like people to fail, so she made the subsequent tests even easier. One question was "Which of the following factors does not affect blood pressure?," and the answer was "blood color!" You've got to be kidding me! Some people still got that question wrong. And in speech, all of our tests were open-book. Hey but I guess I did get what I paid for....those classes were free for me. I feel sorry for the people that did pay, though. So if you can save some $$$ please do. Do what's best for you, and don't look back.

 

[28657]

WildOrchids27 - obviously your situation is different from a lot of other students' situation. You've already proved yourself by completing a degree at a university. The CC kids most naysayers are referring to are those that couldn't get into a state university. Subsequently, if someone can't get into a state university and are forced to attend a CC, then they have a tough road ahead of them to make it into and through pharmacy school.

On a related note - I have never attended a CC, I've just heard stories through friends. However, I did take a few night classes and internet classes at my university. As a whole, those types of classes were much easier than the regular day classes. Oftentimes night professors are part-time profs who don't really care if students learn the required information. The perceived easiness isn't only due to the professors but also, your fellow peers are much different. They aren't usually the gunners you'd get during day classes. For example, I originally took college algebra at my university during regular day classes. I started to do poorly and withdrew. The next semester I signed up for the same class but took it at night, off campus. I attended class only for tests and I ended up being the top student in the class. My professor actually reprimanded me for being the high scorer and never attending class. Now why do you think I had such a struggle with my first experience with college algebra but excelled the second time around? It sure wasn't because I learned it any better. The fact is the professor was easier and my counterparts weren't as competitive. Oh and by the way - our final was take home. If someone can't ace a take home math test, then that's very sad.

So I guess you guys are right, you never know how easy some kids had it in school. It's a good thing there's the PCAT to equate everyone's knowledge for the prerequisites.

 

[WildOrchids27]

I guess my sarcasm was lost in translation after leaving my last post. Just to clear things up, I was not asking for anyone's advice. I know what I have to do to get into Pharm school, and if I do have any questions I certainly won't be asking someone who clearly doesn't understand my situation. (goheel)

Thanks guys for the insight. At this point I really don't have any other choice but to attend a CC for my pre-req's, and AmandaRxs, you are right. Thank goodness for the PCAT, so thats why I'm not so worried about CC or University credits. Its nice to know people in here are so informative. Thanks! (That wasn't a sarcastic comment.)

 

[goheel]

WildOrchids27,
If I offended you, please accept my apologies. I do understand that different people have different circumstances, but I still think that most people will say that college courses are more difficult than CC courses. With that said however, I would go to CC if I were you. I know how expensive 4-year college tuition is.

 

[WildOrchids27]

Hi Goheel. I wasn't offended at all. I can see why people might say CC courses are totally different from Univerisity courses or else everyone would be attending a CC instead of a University, but I was referring to my individual situation. It was mentioned somewhere that Pharm school looked down upon those who take courses at a CC, but I don't think thats true because some people might not have any other choice but to take pre-req's at a CC. Anyway, enough about that. I guess people have their own opinions and experiences about this subject. =)

 

[JD_USD]

Here is my experience:

I took my second semester of calculus at three universities. First was at UC Berkeley (public Ivy League school). The teacher sucked. As any UC teacher mostly does, he copied his notes onto the chalkboard with a few grunts and moments of talking to himself (ignoring all us students). And when he was finished, so was the lecture. For our 3rd midterm he wasn't even there- bopping one of his graduate students in Brazil on "research" (wonder what kind of Math research could be done there?) instead. So I withdrew from the class and transferred to the University of San Diego (a private school in San Diego, CA). Class was easy but I ended up withdrawing after the 2nd midterm because I had to lighten my load (18 units). But at my local CC (Southwestern CC) I encountered the most difficult teacher of them all. He was a UCSD Chemistry Professor who taught at the CC for some extra money. In California, most professors don't get paid enough to just teach at the University so they go to the CCs close to them and teach. Therefore, someone who pays $450-500/unit is being ripped off when the same education is being provided down the block for $18/unit.