Pharmacy School Accreditation.. would you go to a non accredited school?

[ACPstu2011]

I am a 1st year professional student at Albany College of Pharmacy and absolutely love it here..

I have a question for those of you looking at pharmacy schools... Would you choose a school that is accepting students and not even accredited yet over a school that has been in operation for 127 years? I have been having this discussion with some peers and have heard some, what appear to me as, outrageous points. I was wondering what your input would be. Specifically speaking St. John Fisher has just opened a Pharmacy school through the help of Wegmans in western NYS. They are not accredited and won't be for some time but they are accpeting students. Why are students applying there when there is no guarantee what their education could do for them... If you can't get licensed what is the point in going through 6 years or 4 years of education?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SoccerCoach10]

For me, it was important to apply to a school that was well established. However, I think that it is a nice concept to be a part of an inaugural class of a pharmacy school.

If a school is not accredited yet, but has a decent reputation with other programs, especially health programs, I really don't see the harm.

For some people, it could also be out of desperation. They want to get in somewhere, and sometimes a new school is one of the best chances they have.

 

[Ethyl Methyl]

Why are students applying there when there is no guarantee what their education could do for them... If you can't get licensed what is the point in going through 6 years or 4 years of education?

Graduates of new pharmacy schools that have candidate status have the same rights and privileges as graduates of fully accredited schools. They can sit for the state law exams and the NAPLEX...Once they pass those they are fully licensed pharmacists. Non-accredited institutions only get accredited when they graduate their first batch of students.

No institution can guarantee your education...You can go to the most prestigious school and party hard...it does not matter. What you learn and how you learn depends largely on the effort you put in it. My two cents...

 

[steveysmith54]

Advantages of going to top established schools are that in the last yr of school you will have opportunity to have rotations at top hospitals, variety of locations and disciplines. Prestige also helps you be more competetive for residencies.

However, if a top 50 school in the nation, that has medical school, dental school, like UCLA, decides to open a Pharm school, i wouldn't think twice about going there.

All depends on the school planning to open, it's administration, etc.

 

[Shprot]

For me, it was important to apply to a school that was well established. However, I think that it is a nice concept to be a part of an inaugural class of a pharmacy school.

If a school is not accredited yet, but has a decent reputation with other programs, especially health programs, I really don't see the harm.

For some people, it could also be out of desperation. They want to get in somewhere, and sometimes a new school is one of the best chances they have.

Many applicants, me included, would go anywhere out of desperation.

 

[faulkner41]

i applied to one nonaccredited school and three accredited... so far i have been interviewed and accepted by the nonaccredited place and am still waiting to hear back from the accredited schools

 

[sellout59]

yeah, I got into midwestern, but I also applied to Chicago State. Its cheaper and a lot closer to my house, but the majority of the people on this board seem to think its kind of a shady school.

 

[doctorpharm2010]

I would like to make a point, feel free to disagree with me. When the school has at least a "pre-candidate" status, it is considered accredited, just not FULLY accredited. It is not easy to achieve "pre-candidate" status. One of my friend is attending a candidate school and he sent me the school's application to the ACPE for pre-candidate status and it's huge + extremely detailed + complicated, stating very clearly the objective, plan, curriculum, etc. And unless you are granted a pre-candidate status, you cannot accept students. So basically there's nothing called "non-accredited", you are either FULLY accredited or on your way there. If you are accepted into a school that has a pre-candidate or candidate status, you are quite safe bc the ACPE already approved the school's plan and program; all they have to do is follow that plan and they will achieve full accreditation when the 1st class graduate.

 

[herpa767]

I think the key is to look at what point of the accreditation process is the school at. St. John Fisher, for example, is at candidate status (I only know this because I applied there ) meaning that once they graduate their first class, they will be eligible to receive full accreditation. From what the professors told me, even if for some reason the school was not to receive accreditation, that graduating class would still be able to sit for their boards and become licensed pharmacists. I would have had no problem going to a school in that stage of the game.

But if a school was at pre-candidate status or no status at all I would look elsewhere.

 

[bekman]

One reason to remain skeptical of new startup pharmacy schools is this story: http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2005/07/25/daily33.html . Like a previous poster said, respectable is key to taking chances with a school that is just beginning.

 

[confettiflyer]

Advantages of going to top established schools are that in the last yr of school you will have opportunity to have rotations at top hospitals, variety of locations and disciplines. Prestige also helps you be more competetive for residencies.

However, if a top 50 school in the nation, that has medical school, dental school, like UCLA, decides to open a Pharm school, i wouldn't think twice about going there.

All depends on the school planning to open, it's administration, etc.

for this post, this about sums it up. You can't just look at accreditation status...you have to look at it in context.

Those random religious schools in TN that are opening one up vs. a major health campus with a 100+ year old medical college will entail a different type of evaluation requirement, even though both schools may hold pre-accred. status.

For example, when UCSD decided to open a pharmacy school, because of the prestigiousness of the UC system/the SD campus, I don't think anyone second guessed their ability to get accreditation, even though the HICP scandal was going on at the time.

Basically, just be smart about it...and don't be desperate to get in, admissions aren't that bad, just think before you submit an application!

 

[confettiflyer]

and doctorpharm2010 is correct. Non-accredited schools aren't even allowed to accept students, I don't know of any school operating right now that has that status.

Pre-accreditation is the most difficult status to attain, and requires schools to generate an "exit" plan. For example, if they fail to meet standards for whatever reason, they need a way to take care of you vs. just throwing onto the street.

Going to a pre-accred. school is still a risk...but, to some extent, so is going to an accredited school depending on local situations. Howard has a low NAPLEX pass rate, some other school in FL is on probation, etc etc...