New to Pharmacy =-)

[Alex1524]

Hello everyone, im new to the forums and just want to introduce my self real quick. My name is Alex and im currently a freshman in college majoring in biology. I have always wanted to do something in the medical field and lately ive really been looking into pharmacy because i think it will suit me well.

If you guys dont mind helping me i would greatly appreciaite it. I dont know if this has been posted before but here it goes...

Where do i start?? Again, i am a freshman in college. What do i need to do in order to become a pharmacist? What path must i pursue? Every website or person i talk to tells me something different so i want to hear it from you the pros! =-)

My school does not have a major in Pharmacy so i choose the next best thing..Biology. As far as school what needs to be done? How many years etc? Any specific tests? Residency? Im just trying to get as much info as i can specificially what steps i need in order to become a pharmacist. Thanks in advance for the replys!!!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[icecream]

first year - work hard on biol /chem.... participate in organizations
which will also help you in knowing different pharmacy schools and their requirements. the difference in most schools is in social science... and biochemsitry

in the summer - take pharmacy technichian exam... start looking to work in a pharmacy

Second year - take only 12 hrs, if you are taking organic. work hard for organic chemistry

summer - practice for pcat exam , may be kaplan or something

third year - take the pcat in august (if available) or the earliest you are ready


now, you can apply... you have an edge over many students cuz you already have your grades from bio/chem/organi/microbio.... and you have your pcat... and you have your pharmacist recommendation letter

you can do it in two years... but that means you have to take pharmacy certification exam in your first year..... prepare for pcat in the summer.... and take the pcat in oct of your second year... when you will also be taking organic... or possibly working in a pharmacy........ lots of load... but hey if you can handle it go for it.

 

[pharmy614]

Hello everyone, im new to the forums and just want to introduce my self real quick. My name is Alex and im currently a freshman in college majoring in biology. I have always wanted to do something in the medical field and lately ive really been looking into pharmacy because i think it will suit me well.

If you guys dont mind helping me i would greatly appreciaite it. I dont know if this has been posted before but here it goes...

Where do i start?? Again, i am a freshman in college. What do i need to do in order to become a pharmacist? What path must i pursue? Every website or person i talk to tells me something different so i want to hear it from you the pros! =-)

My school does not have a major in Pharmacy so i choose the next best thing..Biology. As far as school what needs to be done? How many years etc? Any specific tests? Residency? Im just trying to get as much info as i can specificially what steps i need in order to become a pharmacist. Thanks in advance for the replys!!!

What do i need to do in order to become a pharmacist?
Complete 2 years of undergrad work and the PCAT exam (most schools need it) then get into a 4 years pharmD program at an accredited pharmacy school then pass board exams and then you're pharmacist (total 6 years).

You must fulfill the prerequisites for pharmacy school in undergrad, and they vary for each school and you'd have to check out what they are for the schools you'll apply to. But basically:
1 full year Gen Bio w/ lab, 1 full year Gen chem w/ lab,
1 full year Organic chem w/ Lab, 1 full year english,
1 sem Anatomy w/ Lab and 1 sem Hum Physiology w/ lab,
1 sem or 1 year physics w/ lab (again depends on the school) and
1 full year calculus. + whole bunch electives that vary

What path must i pursue?
Any path..chem major, bio major, english major, sociology major......I'm in cell & molec. biology program right now. It doesn't matter as long as you've fulfilled the prerequisites for pharm school and taken the PCAT exam.

As far as school what needs to be done? How many years etc?
Most importantly, get a GPA above 3.7. You're in 1st year right now. Get As and A+ in all your courses (and trust me it can be done if you put in the effort and don't watch tv) and then it'll be a whole lot easierto get into pharmacy school. ALso, get some experience in a pharmacy (part-time job, volunteer even) or volunteer in a hospital pharmacy.. that's what I'm doing.
It takes 6 years to be a pharmacist.

Any specific tests?
For admission, most pharmacy schools require you to take a PCAT (pharmacy college aptitude test...I think). Its like the MCAT they have for med school but its a bit easier. You take it usually in the summer you apply for pharmacy school. (so after you complete 2 yrs undergrad). Just check their website for info on it..I havent taken it yet so I donèt really know too much about it.

Residency?
Residency is for med school not pharmacy school. You gain experience within the 4 yr pharmacy program and once you graduate from the pharmD & pass the board exams , I think youre a licensed pharmacist who can practice so you dont need to apply for further residence programs like doctors have to.

I hope I answered all your questions, and just remember to work hard, get good grades and do well on the PCAT exam and you should be fine!
Good luck buddy

 

[binghamkid]

Residency?
Residency is for med school not pharmacy school. You gain experience within the 4 yr pharmacy program and once you graduate from the pharmD & pass the board exams , I think youre a licensed pharmacist who can practice so you dont need to apply for further residence programs like doctors have to.

Actually, there are residencies for pharmacy students available. While these are not as in-depth as medical residencies, they are increasingly becoming more and more recommended. There are two types of residency programs, usually taken sequentially if you are interested in specializing. The first year of residencies tend to be a general residency program, while the second year program is usually a specialization type residency program. Of coures, your own respective pharmacy school will have more information as you get closer to that stage of your life.

 

[Alex1524]

Ok cool thanks everyone.. So im basically looking at 6 years of school, take the pcat test, and pass my boards and im good to go right?

 

[binghamkid]

The PCAT is taken before admission to pharmacy school. So it would really be 2 years (at least) of pre pharmacy coursework, then the PCAT, and then if you get accepted, 3 to 4 years of pharmacy school, and then the boards.

That's simplifying quite a bit. In the meantime you'll want to accrue strong extracurricular experiences and do well in school and get good LORs...that sorta thing. Not to mention, once you get into pharmacy school, you have to keep your head above water...because it goes fast. Real fast. But it's rewarding =)

 

[fenixtnlfan]

f you are going to work as a pharm tech and want to do it in the summer, start looking in the spring semester. Trying to get a job in the summer is really hard to do because everyone wants one then to. Try to take around 15 credits every semester. Taking 12 is not recommended; lots of people take o.chem with 15+ credits so don't give them a reason to reject you. You can do it! IMO, its okay in your freshman year but after that, if you don't have some other circumstance, you should be taking 15. A really good thing for you do to is look at the pre-reqs for schools you are interested in. Then make a schedule of what you need to take and when. Don't get discouraged if you don't get in after 2-3 years of pre-reqs; it's getting more competitive every year and people with bachelors are tending to get in more (varies by school though). Really learn your pre-reqs too because that will make studying for the PCAT easy. Best of luck to you!

 

[Alex1524]

fenixtnlfan, i actually am taking 15 credits with a total of 6 classes. I am in a special Honors program at miami dade honors college where they pay for EVERYTHING. Tutition, books, events, studying abroad, everything!! SO0o im really lucky.Right now i am taking English, Sociology, Gen Chemistry, Chem Lab, College Algebra, and leadership. So far i have all A's and hopefully i can keep it up. I am also getting this opportunity through this program where they send me to another state to go internship in what ever career i may choose. (It might be Washington DC) Its a 10 week internship over the summer and this program pays for it all plus i get payed for working there. Again im extrememly fortunate =-) As far as Gpa that shouldnt be a problem because if i dont have a 3.5 or higher ill get kicked out of my program. I graduated highschool with a 4.4 gpa so i should be good seeing that I have all A's now.

So basically my main goal now is to do good in school, get a good score on my Pcats, and hopefully get into pharm school and do my thing. Thanks everyone for all the responces

 

[bananaface]

For electives within your major, I strongly recommend microbiology, biochemistry, and A&P if they are not a part of your core. They are going to be the courses most relevant to pharmacy education, aside from organic chemistry.

 

[PrePharmacyDude]

Make sure those 17-18 credits include at least eight hours of sciences in each semester. The more college credit you take in a semester, the better it looks when you compete with the other applicants. Most people taking 8-10 college credits this semester will not get in, simply because they are not applying themselves enough. You need to constantly take 17-18 college credits every semester. You can take a summer off, to work on your PCAT, as well as obtain Hospital pharmacy experience. You should work 8-10 hours a week at a pharmacy. I would recommend working for Walgreens 8-10 hours a week while in school. This will definitely look good on your application.


To summarize, take 17-18 college credits and work 8-10 hours at Walgreens to make yourself look competitive. Then apply to 20-21 pharmacy schools every year through Pharmcas until you get interviews and acceptance. Never apply less than 20 pharmacy schools because you would lose out on the opportunity of making $95,000 a year as a full time pharmacist.

 

[PharmDstudent]

Make sure those 17-18 credits include at least eight hours of sciences in each semester. The more college credit you take in a semester, the better it looks when you compete with the other applicants. Most people taking 8-10 college credits this semester will not get in, simply because they are not applying themselves enough. You need to constantly take 17-18 college credits every semester. You can take a summer off, to work on your PCAT, as well as obtain Hospital pharmacy experience. You should work 8-10 hours a week at a pharmacy. I would recommend working for Walgreens 8-10 hours a week while in school. This will definitely look good on your application.


To summarize, take 17-18 college credits and work 8-10 hours at Walgreens to make yourself look competitive. Then apply to 20-21 pharmacy schools every year through Pharmcas until you get interviews and acceptance. Never apply less than 20 pharmacy schools because you would lose out on the opportunity of making $95,000 a year as a full time pharmacist.

I think if you can take between 14-18 credits a semester, you'll be competitive. Just remember, if you take less than 16 credits per semester, you'll have to take a class or two during the summer or intersession.
Whatever you do, don't sit out a single semester. You can bull**** around and stay an undergrad longer, but don't drop college all together. It's best to stay full-time all of the time!

Applying to 20 pharmacy schools is little overkill. I wouldn't apply to >10 schools. You need to have solid applications, so don't spread yourself too thin.

 

[PrePharmacyDude]

It is not an overkill, it is to play it safe. Would you want to apply to only 8 schools to find out that you have been only interviewed for two schools, and neither school wants to accept you? You should apply to 20-21 pharmcas pharmacy schools to rack up the interviews at many schools. A rule of thumb...four interviews = one pharmacy school acceptance.

 

[candita505]

It is not an overkill, it is to play it safe. Would you want to apply to only 8 schools to find out that you have been only interviewed for two schools, and neither school wants to accept you? You should apply to 20-21 pharmcas pharmacy schools to rack up the interviews at many schools. A rule of thumb...four interviews = one pharmacy school acceptance.

Where are you coming up with that statistic?? And some of us don't have the $ to apply to 20+ pharmacy schools... if you focus on making yourself a strong enough applicant (as the OP can very well be if he keeps his head in the game), you'll be in a good spot.

 

[PharmDstudent]

It is not an overkill, it is to play it safe. Would you want to apply to only 8 schools to find out that you have been only interviewed for two schools, and neither school wants to accept you? You should apply to 20-21 pharmcas pharmacy schools to rack up the interviews at many schools. A rule of thumb...four interviews = one pharmacy school acceptance.

Applying to 20-21 schools =
You're not "playing it safe" if you water down all of those applications. Most likely, the additional schools will just waitlist you, because they know you're just applying for the sake of applying- they can tell by your personal statements and letter of interest.

The OP should spend some time during the summer after his freshman year in college and start applying to schools that he is most interested in. I would recommend applying to non-PCAT schools first, because he will have a lower score on the PCAT, because he won't have any knowledge of organic chemistry. Once you've taken the PCAT, and you are happy with your scores, apply to PCAT schools.

Why would you apply to so many schools if you could ace your interviews, because you have enough time and resources to do well in the interviews that are most important?