Palm Beach Atlantic?

[madawi26]

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Has anyone been accepted, interviewed at or is currently attending Palm Beach Atlantic yet? If so, would you be able to offer some insight as to what types of questions they asked you during the interview? If you already go there, what is it like? Pros/Cons? Any advice you may have to offer would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[dgroulx]

Has anyone been accepted, interviewed at or is currently attending Palm Beach Atlantic yet? If so, would you be able to offer some insight as to what types of questions they asked you during the interview? If you already go there, what is it like? Pros/Cons? Any advice you may have to offer would greatly be appreciated. Thanks!

I got to know some PBA students during a rotation at the VA. Overall, they were lacking in clinical knowledge and didn't really know how to research, compile data, give presentations, etc. They told me that they don't have any of the in-depth clinical rotations like other students in Florida schools (UF, Nova, FAMU). Also, they only have 8 months of rotations. They also made comments to me like "I heard UF is hard".

It really depends on what you want out of school. Do you want a good clinical program or do you just want to get your PharmD and don't care about the curriculum?

 

[madawi26]

Forgive me for asking such an ignorant question, but when these PBA students mentioned to you that "I heard UF is hard," did they mean that PBA's cirriculum is pretty easy and so are the rotations? Or just the cirriculum being easy compared to UF's cirriculum? Thanks so much for the advice!!!

 

[dgroulx]

Forgive me for asking such an ignorant question, but when these PBA students mentioned to you that "I heard UF is hard," did they mean that PBA's cirriculum is pretty easy and so are the rotations? Or just the cirriculum being easy compared to UF's cirriculum? Thanks so much for the advice!!!

Yes, they felt that PBA had an easier curriculum. They don't have the stress level, either.

The rotations aren't easier, they just don't get nice elective choices. They still have to do Adult Medicine, Community (retail) and Drug Information. The UF students at the same hospital were doing Surgery, Oncology, Pain Management, Infectious Disease, etc. I love elective rotations where you get exposed to different areas of pharmacy that you may not have considered while in school.

Also, one of my friends from FAMU had my surgery rotation the month after I did. He was doing anti-coagulation clinic while I was doing surgery. A PBA student doesn't get those opportunities.

 

[Redmerc]

Yes, they felt that PBA had an easier curriculum. They don't have the stress level, either.

The rotations aren't easier, they just don't get nice elective choices. They still have to do Adult Medicine, Community (retail) and Drug Information. The UF students at the same hospital were doing Surgery, Oncology, Pain Management, Infectious Disease, etc. I love elective rotations where you get exposed to different areas of pharmacy that you may not have considered while in school.

Also, one of my friends from FAMU had my surgery rotation the month after I did. He was doing anti-coagulation clinic while I was doing surgery. A PBA student doesn't get those opportunities.

I'm not exactly sure what PBA's students you speak of, but I am currently attending PBA and let me say that as a P1 we have already been introduced to clinical aspects of Therapeutics (yes in our P1 year) that friends I know in other school's haven't even begun to touch, I know the program has been undergoing some changes, and I'm not touting it to anyone, I think UF and NOVA have a better student support system. I can also agree that elective rotations we may be at a disadvantage because we are a smaller school, but all we are hitting on is clinical, clinical, clinical. And this is our P1 first semester year.

 

[longstech]

Redmerc,
I am applying to PBA, can you tell me what they are looking for? My GPA is not stellar, but I am really interested in going there.

 

[dgroulx]

I'm not exactly sure what PBA's students you speak of, but I am currently attending PBA and let me say that as a P1 we have already been introduced to clinical aspects of Therapeutics (yes in our P1 year) that friends I know in other school's haven't even begun to touch, I know the program has been undergoing some changes, and I'm not touting it to anyone, I think UF and NOVA have a better student support system. I can also agree that elective rotations we may be at a disadvantage because we are a smaller school, but all we are hitting on is clinical, clinical, clinical. And this is our P1 first semester year.

These were 4th year students on rotations. They could not perform basic searches to find literature to answer a drug information question. This one student didn't even know where to begin. I logged onto the UF library and found the for her. One student thought that Colestipol was an anti-coagulant. Their presentations were full of inaccuracies, they read off of their slides and could not answer the questions that other students asked them. They looked like this was their first time presenting in front of a group of peers.

If these students are not typical of PBA, then that would be a good thing. Maybe because the school was new, some people got accepted that should not have been accepted. But, I don't think PBA should have let these students out on rotations. They should have remediated a year.

Does PBA ever kick anyone out of school? UF loses at least 10% per year to remediation. My incoming class was a little worse. We had 54 students there are 46 of us left. Some of them are in the class behind me, but most of them are gone completely.

 

[hmai]

Redmerc,
I am applying to PBA, can you tell me what they are looking for? My GPA is not stellar, but I am really interested in going there.

I just got accepted to PBA. My class starts in fall 2007. I can tell you from my interview with them that they are looking for those who can help them keep their accreditation because they are a very new school. They emphasize on " producing pharmacists that serve the community"( = retail pharmacists). If you want to go to clinical or researches or residency after graduation you should consider other schools.