Need Suggestions

Started by Sprinkles
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Sprinkles

Want to be a Pharmacist!
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I need some encouragement and suggestions regarding my grades and background. Below are my most current grades. I however am a bit older and had low grades on my undergrad years from 5 years past. All of these grades below are recent within the past two years. I am getting ready for my PCAT next month and studying my rear end off. I am a certified technician and have 4 years of hospital experience at one large hospital and a smaller specialized psychiatric state hospital. Because of my past grades my overall GPA falls into that dark 3.0 area. I wish I could erase my old grades and start new, but the show must go on....mistakes and all. My recent grades run me into that 3.4 range. I fear PharmCas will really hurt my GPA calculation and I am working on that as we speak. I have Organic 1 and 2, Microbiology and Physics left to take between this fall/spring semesters. My recent grades are not polished because I have held down a full-time job as a technician and time is the enemy for me. Is there any schools that consider non-traditional students and may understand where I am coming from more? I know I am not a polished young 4.0 student. I envy those who have done things right from the start. Knowing what I do know now about pharmacy, I wish I would of taken that route as a young adult. I love pharmacy but as technician you are so limited. I want to be able to take the responsibility of the pharmacy profession to the next level. Any info or suggestions would be great. 😕

English 1: B
English 2: A

Speech: A

Chemistry 1/Lab: C/B
Chemistry 2/Lab: B/B

Physiology: B
Anatomy: C

Psychology: A

Calculus: B

Biology 1/2: A/B

Intro to Pharmacy: A
 
Last edited:
If you keep your recent grades up, they'll override your older (poorer) grades. Besides, some pharmacy schools have a five-year limit on how old your prereqs has to be before applying. Others have about seven. If you can do well in your in PCAT, you'll be a competitive applicant in that aspect. Then your essays & interviews is the other aspect.
 
I need some encouragement and suggestions regarding my grades and background.

How old are you, if I may ask? I'm 26, and I feel like you about making mistakes and thinking I should have taken the right path when I started college years ago. But I tell myself I gotta work with what I've got and improve--that's all I can do. What you may think you lack in grades, you are definitely making up in pharmacy experience. I have a solid post-BS GPA but I'm lacking experience 🙁.

I think if you try to keep your grades up and show improvement, you will be good. All the best 🙂.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
I am 27 and will be 28 this spring. I wish I could erase my past grades, but it is what it is and as my grandmother always said, "Suck it up Buttercup".

I am just going to grind as hard as I can this fall and spring with my classes and try to really increase my GPA and do well with my PCAT. I know the profession and love the profession, it is just a matter of proving myself academically sound to handle the schooling. Let the fun begin....or continue 😳 Good luck to all!
 
I am a certified technician and have 4 years of hospital experience at one large hospital and a smaller specialized psychiatric state hospital. I wish I could erase my old grades and start new, but the show must go on....mistakes and all.

I envy those who have done things right from the start. Knowing what I do know now about pharmacy, I wish I would of taken that route as a young adult. I love pharmacy but as technician you are so limited. I want to be able to take the responsibility of the pharmacy profession to the next level.

Your head is in the right place. What a great feeling, to have found a career you love! I reject that you're not still a "young adult" taking a route to a PharmD. What, you'll be 32 tops when you get out of pharmacy school? That's still 33+ years in a career you know is for you. How many people are that lucky? OK, I'm sure you meant "younger adult before I made mistakes," but how would you have known what path was for you without the experience (& mistakes) you have under your belt now?

Go for it! You can do it! :woot:

(I did cut the original post down to what I felt was the essence - not trying to quote out of context.)