Pharm School Class 2014/15 - Guidance Needed!

[Maximum404]

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I posted this in the WAMC thread as well, but am elaborating here in hopes of some guidance now that I am 7 months from getting out of the military J.

a. Schools you are applying to: MCPHS, USD, UNC, UoP, etc
b. Overall GPA: 3.0
c. Math/Science GPA: 2.7
d. GPA in last one or two school years: ~3.4
e. Complete PCAT scores (or just composite): Not taken yet, plan on
taking the exam ASAP (do I need this for a 2+5/3+3 program?).
f. Pharmacy experience obtained: 1.5yrs at CVS (tech), Manager at Rite Aid, Shadowing Military pharmacists at two hospitals for ~6mo.
g. Date of application submission (PharmCAS/primary and secondary) : Not sure.
h. Number of LORs and source of LORs: One supervisor, One Lead pharmacist, two military pharmicists
i. Non-pharmacy work and/or volunteer experience:
- Naval Officer (4yrs): In charge of 60+ people and over 15 million in resources
- Responsible for the safety of $750 million in equipment and 300 people (see above).
- Martial Arts Instructor (free to local kids)
- Numerous volunteer events for local charities
- Ran/volunteered in over 20 5ks for local charities
j. Self-perception of interview skills: Excellent
k. Overall impression of personal statement quality: Average.

I have been out of college for 4 years due to my military commitment and plan on returning to school in the Spring of 2010. I only have 4 classes to take to be eligible for the accelerated 3 year programs (I have my B.S. in Humanities from Worcester Polytechnic Institute), but I am looking at completing a whole year to be more competitive. Any assistance form those more experienced with this process would be greatly appreciated. I still have a lot to learn about how to sell myself in this profession and get into Pharm D. school! I will also submit this in my own thread and hope for more discussion.

As I see it I have two major courses of action:

1) Go to one year of school to boost my GPA and work on my pre-reqs then apply to a 3-year accelerated program.
2) Apply for a 2010 start of a 2+3 program

Again, any guidance/thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[BelmontUSOP2]

You have a range of assets that would make you an attractive candidate for many programs. However, as you certainly appreciate, you are an a-typical applicant (that is not always a negative) and many of your questions are ones that you may find a challenge to get answers to with satisfaction if you go through the normal applicant channels. These systems are geared to meet the needs of inquiries that fall within a "normal" range, while many of your questions (and paperwork) falls into the decidedly "unique" range of the military experience.

For example, not that many ad coms will have experience reading military personnel assessments and/or discharge documents, etc. Yet, these can be powerful sources of supporting information.

My advice always is to do research about programs and to look in depth at the issue of "fit" for your needs to the program. For example, you should look carefully at the student demographics for programs of interest. As an older, experienced applicant, you may want to target programs that enroll primarily older students.

Eric H. Hobson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean
Belmont USOP

 

[Maximum404]

What would be the most efficient way to find out the demographics of a certain school? I have found little data on Pharm D. websites on this. Does anyone have a recommendation on schools that fall within the "older" or "experience" applicant demographic?

 

[WhiteSnows]

I do not think you will have any problem of getting in since you are active officer. School will prefer you, even though your GPA under their average GPA.