Pharmacy School has gotten harder

[missy1984]

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Has Pharmacy School's curriculum become harder? Several Pharmacists have told me that if they were to do now they would not even get in?

 

[Prepharm1214]

The curriculum is fairly consistent...but yes many current pharmacists wouldn't get in given current standards. Two of the pharmacists I work with were accepted with 3.0 gpas at schools that currently have an average accepted gpa of 3.5ish. This isn't gauranteed of course, but if they were accepted they would certainly be on the lower end of the acceptance spectrum.

 

[Jack555]

School started Sep 1st. 6 ppl have dropped out. 90% to pass. In the last 2 weeks we learned around 180 drugs (and pretty much all general info about them). By some grace of God I passed and they are giving us an extra test on Monday on "basic" pharmacy stuff. Too bad the stuff isn't basic and is really more opinion/ideas than science or fact. Pretty sure I'm going to fail it. good times

 

[Krismeese09]

It may not necessarily be harder. The focus has certainly changed with OBRA '90, PC, and stuff. Also I think there are many more applicants so as the supply of applicants goes up, schools can be more selective.

As long as we all keep up with the changes in the profession throughout our career!

 

[WhiteSnows]

It's certainly getting harder and more stuffs to know compared to many years ago.

 

[PharmDstudent]

It's certainly getting harder and more to know compared to many years ago.

I agree.

The pharmacists that I work with always say that they couldn't have handled pharmacy school today.
Whenever my boss graduated, there was only one HIV drug- AZT.
Whenever the staff pharmacist graduated, he passed because the tests were repeats from previous years. (His "D" in pre-pharm organic chemistry was considered passing. Lol!)

Now, there are more drugs to know for: HIV, anti-coagulation, chemotherapy, and ID. And of course, all of the odd drugs that keep coming out for various diseases like depression, chronic pain, and migraines.

 

[Sparda29]

I agree.

The pharmacists that I work with always say that they couldn't have handled pharmacy school today.
Whenever my boss graduated, there was only one HIV drug- AZT.
Whenever the staff pharmacist graduated, he passed because the tests were repeats from previous years. (His "D" in pre-pharm organic chemistry was considered passing. Lol!)

Now, there are more drugs to know for: HIV, anti-coagulation, chemotherapy, and ID. And of course, all of the odd drugs that keep coming out for various diseases like depression, chronic pain, and migraines.

Isn't a D still considered passing?

 

[PharmDstudent]

Isn't a D still considered passing?

Yeah. Technically. But if you want to get into pharmacy school now, then you have to have a "C" or better (at least for any school that I can think of).

They accepted him with a "D" in organic.

 

[Carboxide]

Yeah. Technically. But if you want to get into pharmacy school now, then you have to have a "C" or better (at least for any school that I can think of).

They accepted him with a "D" in organic.

Seriously? At my school it's a "C not C- or better" to pass.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Seriously? At my school it's a "C not C- or better" to pass.

We'll do you one better...two C's in a sequence means that the sequence gets repeated. Don't get a C in Therapeutics I and IV, or you're graduating two years late...

 

[PharmDstudent]

Seriously? At my school it's a "C not C- or better" to pass.

undergrad and pharmacy school are different

They took his "D" from undergrad.
I don't know what he needed for pharmacy school, but he probably had to make a "C" or better in his classes.

 

[njac]

The old school Pharm.D. actually meant something.

I was not impressed by the difficulty of my curriculum.

 

[SHC1984]

Has Pharmacy School's curriculum become harder? Several Pharmacists have told me that if they were to do now they would not even get in?

Pharmacy school has gotten harder to get INTO b/c of the salary increase. However the curriculum is the same. There are people that graduated a few years ago and they told me they have PCAT in the 50s. Now you need at least a 70 to get in etc. Same with GPA...it has gone up as well.

 

[SHC1984]

The old school Pharm.D. actually meant something.

I was not impressed by the difficulty of my curriculum.

Should have gone to UCSF or UNC maybe?

I have had a few UNC graduates talk badly about my pharmacy school's curriculum...I missed the deadline for UCSF and UNC and they all told me I should have waited a extra year to apply to those schools instead. BUT I didn't want to get any older so I attended Mercer. LOL..

 

[njac]

I wish I would have, but I was a slacker in undergrad. The 97 PCAT can only make up for so much (3.0ish)

 

[SHC1984]

I wish I would have, but I was a slacker in undergrad. The 97 PCAT can only make up for so much (3.0ish)

I always thought PCAT was more important then GPA. I would rather accept a 3.0 and 97 PCAT then a 3.9 and 81 PCAT (ME)! LOL...

But yeah...I just hope the school name doesn't matter when I graduate from pharmacy school...the saturation is getting worst by the day...school name is going to matter sooner or later.

 

[TXPharmDStudent]

Tell that to this guy.

 

[busyizzy]

Should have gone to UCSF or UNC maybe?

I have had a few UNC graduates talk badly about my pharmacy school's curriculum...I missed the deadline for UCSF and UNC and they all told me I should have waited a extra year to apply to those schools instead. BUT I didn't want to get any older so I attended Mercer. LOL..

Those two would have been your top choices had you applied early enough to meet their deadline?

 

[SHC1984]

Those two would have been your top choices had you applied early enough to meet their deadline?

Hell yeah! But since I missed the deadline and didn't take the PCAT until Jan 09, I didn't get to apply to many schools...I only applied to three schools. I was also missing microbiology lab, public speaking and statistics at the time. I had to find a school that didn't require those three classes and that alone was a huge challenge. I am still missing microbiology lab and statistics! 🙄

 

[Sparda29]

Should have gone to UCSF or UNC maybe?

I have had a few UNC graduates talk badly about my pharmacy school's curriculum...I missed the deadline for UCSF and UNC and they all told me I should have waited a extra year to apply to those schools instead. BUT I didn't want to get any older so I attended Mercer. LOL..

Ah, you're @ Mercer. How's Dr. Bauer doing? He was here at Touro last year but had to move to Atlanta so he joined up with Mercer. Consider yourselves lucky, we had a contest last year at the end for Professor of the Year. He shared the 1st place with our ID/Cardio Therapeutics professor. We miss him. 😡

 

[tongiecc]

I think all of you guys have excellent points. Despite the fact that many of the older pharmacists may feel that they would not be competitive in todays academic realm of pharmacy they should realize that they have done well enough to keep up with the numerous changes in the profession and are still highly productive, competent, and active members of the pharmacy community.

In my entering class @ KU I was fortunate enough to have a 4.0 and 99th %ile composite on the PCAT, which I may have needed to be competitive b/c according to the dean on our first day of orientation, around 40% of our entering class had 4.0's and extremely high PCAT scores. However, that did not necesarily mean that you were guaranteed anything, as I heard stories of at least a couple students who had at or near a 4.0, but did not get admitted due to various reasons ranging from a lack of portrayal of patient empathy and altruism in the interview to the mishandling of paper work and deadlines.

So in summation it may indeed be statistically more challenging to get in, but ultimately the grades and stats don't make the pharmacist (nor does the title PharmD vs Bpharm), its all in how you uniquely apply yourself in your actual position, as I have seen many a time a pharmacist who with fewer academic successes outshine others (even such as myself) who were more academically fortunate. I would say once you get in and pass your coursework it all comes down to what passion you have for what you're doing.

 

[SHC1984]

Ah, you're @ Mercer. How's Dr. Bauer doing? He was here at Touro last year but had to move to Atlanta so he joined up with Mercer. Consider yourselves lucky, we had a contest last year at the end for Professor of the Year. He shared the 1st place with our ID/Cardio Therapeutics professor. We miss him. 😡

I haven't had any classes with him yet. But I did hear that he was from Touro and that he was cool.

 

[UES Girl]

Our curriculum changed from what I have observed in my one quarter here. They aparently eliminated one class (2nd quarter pchem), but they added one ( Pharmaceutical calculations) and we can also take electives in the school of medicine and dentistry, so your schooling can be as hard as you make it out to be based on the electives you sign up for.

I don't like that our entire school is on the pass/fail, except for the school of pharmacy. I think the upper class students are trying to change that now.

 

[UES Girl]

I haven't had any classes with him yet. But I did hear that he was from Touro and that he was cool.

Don't stress, Mercer is a good school, I applied there too and I only applied to good schools.

 

[SHC1984]

I don't like that our entire school is on the pass/fail, except for the school of pharmacy. I think the upper class students are trying to change that now.

Yeah, I have a friend at UCSF dental and he is complaining about the p/f grading system ruining his chances of getting into his Ortho residency. He prefers having a GPA to distingush himself when applying to Ortho, which is extremely competitve.

However, I told him he should be fine since all the super competitve dental schools use p/f. Harvard, Columbia and UConn dental is also on the p/f system. Harvard and Columbia medical school is p/f too. So that should work out okay...I think anyways.

P/F would be a great grading system for all that aren't going to apply to residencies and will go straight to the work force..but for those that actually want to go into the most competitive residencies...the grading system could potentially cause a problem.

 

[SHC1984]

Don't stress, Mercer is a good school, I applied there too and I only applied to good schools.

Thanks Chebs. I use to care about the name of the school over ANYTHING else. I am still like that a little bit...but I am getting better b/c now I am realizing the amount of debt coming out is just as important. I can come out of Mercer with 70K to 80K in student loans (b/c I live with a relative for free here and they pay for all my food/living expenses and I got a merit scholarship from the school). If I was to go to UCSF, I am sure I will like their curriculum better and the location is definetly better and the name is better too...but my debt would be 4 years of OUT OF STATE tuition + Rent in San Fransiciso for 4 years + living expenses for 4 years = waaaaay OVER 100K in debt for sure! So I try to reason it out that way and I feel much better after that. But it would have been awesome to be your classmate, you seem really cool. 😍

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Isn't a D still considered passing?

A D was considered failing at my undergrad... I don't even know why they gave out F's. lol

 

[Tinkerbell22]

Hell yeah! But since I missed the deadline and didn't take the PCAT until Jan 09, I didn't get to apply to many schools...I only applied to three schools. I was also missing microbiology lab, public speaking and statistics at the time. I had to find a school that didn't require those three classes and that alone was a huge challenge. I am still missing microbiology lab and statistics! 🙄

Oh man I am the same way. I wanted to apply to some California schools this year but the deadlines are a lot earlier than the Florida schools and Mercer. I'm applying to three schools also (UF, Mercer, and LECOM-Bradenton). I don't have microbio either but it isn't required at any schools in Florida except PBA I believe. If I don't get accepted to any this year I will just keep taking classes and apply to about 7 schools next time. haha

The thing that kills me with the deadlines is the LORs because I'm not in undergrad anymore so it is hard for me to get science professors to write me letters from way back when. It's kind of awkward going back to ask them after some time has passed. Plus I need to give them sufficient time to finish, and I can't easily go in person to remind them because I go to a different school in a different city now. lol 😱

 

[Sparda29]

I haven't had any classes with him yet. But I did hear that he was from Touro and that he was cool.

Yup, very cool. Except you had to attend his lectures if you want to learn, can't self-study in his stuff. Oh yeah, don't be late to his lectures, he'll call you out in front of the whole classroom with the rest of the class involved.

At 9AM one day, he told us, okay whoever walks in after 9:15AM, I want you all to say at once, "Thanks for joining us today, please take a seat."

 

[busyizzy]

Don't stress, Mercer is a good school, I applied there too and I only applied to good schools.

Hey Cheb, mind if I ask which other schools you applied to? 🙂

 

[UES Girl]

Hey Cheb, mind if I ask which other schools you applied to? 🙂

Everything you applied to based on your signature - minus Midwestern and Wash, but plus Oregon State, Mercer & Michigan and Western. My main criteria for selection was whether they offer dual degree programs, so I could have an option to pursue one if I was interested.

 

[rxforlife2004]

pharmacy schools hasn't gotten any harder...it's just the students are getting dumber...lol....j/k

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

pharmacy schools hasn't gotten any harder...it's just the students are getting dumber...lol....j/k

Hah! 👍

But seriously...how can one even compare, if they haven't experienced both. Curricula change with the times and needs of the profession, but doesn't mean they're "harder".

 

[busyizzy]

Everything you applied to based on your signature - minus Midwestern and Wash, but plus Oregon State, Mercer & Michigan and Western. My main criteria for selection was whether they offer dual degree programs, so I could have an option to pursue one if I was interested.

Thanks ... it's kindof fun to find out where people applied to and where they ended up going. What were your top choices after UCSF? UCSF is my top choice but seeing as it is so competitive, I don't see myself getting accepted 😳.

 

[SHC1984]

Oh man I am the same way. I wanted to apply to some California schools this year but the deadlines are a lot earlier than the Florida schools and Mercer. I'm applying to three schools also (UF, Mercer, and LECOM-Bradenton). I don't have microbio either but it isn't required at any schools in Florida except PBA I believe. If I don't get accepted to any this year I will just keep taking classes and apply to about 7 schools next time. haha

The thing that kills me with the deadlines is the LORs because I'm not in undergrad anymore so it is hard for me to get science professors to write me letters from way back when. It's kind of awkward going back to ask them after some time has passed. Plus I need to give them sufficient time to finish, and I can't easily go in person to remind them because I go to a different school in a different city now. lol 😱

Luckily, some of my professors kept a copy of the LOR they wrote for me for dental school...I just call them up and ask them to change "dental" to "pharmacy" and keep everything else the same! 😎

For my personal statement, I used the same exact one too, but I had to change "passion for dentistry" to "passion for pharmacy"!

 

[SHC1984]

Everything you applied to based on your signature - minus Midwestern and Wash, but plus Oregon State, Mercer & Michigan and Western. My main criteria for selection was whether they offer dual degree programs, so I could have an option to pursue one if I was interested.

I applied to Campbell, Mercer and South. I picked Campbell and Mercer b/c they had the PharmD/MBA dual degree. I might be interested in that degree...still debating on it.
I only applied to South b/c 1) its easy to get into and I needed a back-up school b/c I applied soooooo LATE. 2) its only three years long 3) Its near the beach.

 

[SHC1984]

Yup, very cool. Except you had to attend his lectures if you want to learn, can't self-study in his stuff. Oh yeah, don't be late to his lectures, he'll call you out in front of the whole classroom with the rest of the class involved.

At 9AM one day, he told us, okay whoever walks in after 9:15AM, I want you all to say at once, "Thanks for joining us today, please take a seat."

WOW I heard of him now!!! I heard from a P2 that he locks the doors to lecture halls, so people can't come in late. And sometimes, he even call the person out and ask him to stand outside and look thru the windows!!! 😱 But overall, he is really cool (or so I have been told!) I have never actually seen him before.

 

[jonniii]

Has Pharmacy School's curriculum become harder? Several Pharmacists have told me that if they were to do now they would not even get in?

yea..agree.. you guys are learning more drugs than i was in school

blame the FDA for approving too many drugs

 

[UES Girl]

WOW I heard of him now!!! I heard from a P2 that he locks the doors to lecture halls, so people can't come in late. And sometimes, he even call the person out and ask him to stand outside and look thru the windows!!! 😱 But overall, he is really cool (or so I have been told!) I have never actually seen him before.

Wait, what ? This is outrageous ! 😱

With how much you are probably paying for school, no one should be expected to stand outsde. I know I would straight refuse, late or no late.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

WOW I heard of him now!!! I heard from a P2 that he locks the doors to lecture halls, so people can't come in late. And sometimes, he even call the person out and ask him to stand outside and look thru the windows!!! 😱 But overall, he is really cool (or so I have been told!) I have never actually seen him before.

I had a professor who did that at my undergrad but he let you in after you knocked. It was a really small class of like 10 people though for some senior biology seminar thing. The nursing school there had doors that automatically locked at a certain time though. I always thought that was so weird especially at a school where the tuition is 38K a year. (I had a scholarship... TRUST ME I did not pay that lol)

As for South University... my dad lived in Savannah for 8 years and I LOVE that city! I used to ride hunter/jumper horses because his fiance' was a trainer and it was so much fun! They lived out on Wilmington Island which is near the coast and we used to go to Tybee Island all the time to swim. OMG I miss Georgia. lol I would be crazy to pass up an acceptance to UF if I got one, but it is so tempting to go north.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Wait, what ? This is outrageous ! 😱

With how much you are probably paying for school, no one should be expected to stand outsde. I know I would straight refuse, late or no late.

Get to class on time. Problem solved.

I think people say they couldn't get into pharmacy school now, not because it's so much harder but because the competition is much stiffer. Hence why new school as cropping up like fungus.

 

[UES Girl]

Get to class on time. Problem solved.

I think people say they couldn't get into pharmacy school now, not because it's so much harder but because the competition is much stiffer. Hence why new school as cropping up like fungus.

I'm not advocating tardiness 🙄, I'm just saying people can be late for different circumstances and it's kind of very insensitive and borderline ridiculous to treat students so inhumanely when they can have a special reason.

 

[SHC1984]

Wait, what ? This is outrageous ! 😱

With how much you are probably paying for school, no one should be expected to stand outsde. I know I would straight refuse, late or no late.

I think I say it wrong. Dr. B will lock the doors when lecture starts and if people can't make it on time he will not let them into class, so they have to stay outside and look thru the windows.

I don't think he will ask someone thats already INSIDE to go back outside. Sorry for the confusion! 😳

I am sometimes late too...I mean it only takes me around 15-20 minutes to drive to school. I am only around 11 miles alway from school...but the traffic in Atlanta GA is realllly bad sometimes and it could take up to 30-45 minutes at times!!! so my tardiness to class is completely depend on the traffic in the mornings...I usually leave at around the same time everyday!

But I haven't had this professor yet...so I will let you know how that goes next year. LOL...

Our tuition is exactly $14,234.50 a semester. I just look it up on my student account...its not cheap. 🙄

 

[Sparda29]

I think I say it wrong. Dr. B will lock the doors when lecture starts and if people can't make it on time he will not let them into class, so they have to stay outside and look thru the windows.

I don't think he will ask someone thats already INSIDE to go back outside. Sorry for the confusion! 😳

I am sometimes late too...I mean it only takes me around 15-20 minutes to drive to school. I am only around 11 miles alway from school...but the traffic in Atlanta GA is realllly bad sometimes and it could take up to 30-45 minutes at times!!! so my tardiness to class is completely depend on the traffic in the mornings...I usually leave at around the same time everyday!

But I haven't had this professor yet...so I will let you know how that goes next year. LOL...

Our tuition is exactly $14,234.50 a semester. I just look it up on my student account...its not cheap. 🙄

See, I'm not sure if your lecture halls have two doors. Back when we were in a classroom, there was only one way in and it would disturb the class when people came in late. Now we have a door at the rear/top of the lecture hall and we keep that door open so that latecomers can sneak in.

 

[UES Girl]

See, I'm not sure if your lecture halls have two doors. Back when we were in a classroom, there was only one way in and it would disturb the class when people came in late. Now we have a door at the rear/top of the lecture hall and we keep that door open so that latecomers can sneak in.

What is with this nazi regimen, I don't get it. 😕 😕 😕

For our IPPEs for example, we have people doing their IPPEs from let's say 5 or 6 am till 8 am. It's not like they can just ran off in the middle of helping a patient, it's understandable that they can be a few minutes late.

 

[SHC1984]

What is with this nazi regimen, I don't get it. 😕 😕 😕

For our IPPEs for example, we have people doing their IPPEs from let's say 5 or 6 am till 8 am. It's not like they can just ran off in the middle of helping a patient, it's understandable that they can be a few minutes late.

I agree with you that coming in late is NO big deal. I guess some professors just want people to take them seriously and don't want to be seen as a pushover?

My biochem professor was super nice, but was a pushover. He gives us multiple choice exams and there will always be people b*tching about exams after they see the results and they will want him to accept multiple answers! Sorry, but multiple choice is what it is a ONE CORRECT answer exam...but people always try to push him over and make him accept more than one answer...The point is maybe this professor just want people to think that he isn't a pushover?? who knows...

 

[SHC1984]

See, I'm not sure if your lecture halls have two doors. Back when we were in a classroom, there was only one way in and it would disturb the class when people came in late. Now we have a door at the rear/top of the lecture hall and we keep that door open so that latecomers can sneak in.

Our lecture is in a classroom. We have two entrances, but only one level...so if people come in late they will be noticed. It doesn't bother me though...but I guess this professor just wants people to know who's boss! LOL...

 

[Sparda29]

What is with this nazi regimen, I don't get it. 😕 😕 😕

For our IPPEs for example, we have people doing their IPPEs from let's say 5 or 6 am till 8 am. It's not like they can just ran off in the middle of helping a patient, it's understandable that they can be a few minutes late.

I'm not talking about people who come in at 9:00-9:15ish for a 9AM class. I'm talking about those who come in at 9:35AM for a class ending at 9:50AM. What he's trying to get across is that if you're that late, don't disturb your classmates, just come in at 10AM or when he gives the class a break.

And he did really well to put an end to the stupid questions and the repetitive questions.

 

[jonniii]

I'm not talking about people who come in at 9:00-9:15ish for a 9AM class. I'm talking about those who come in at 9:35AM for a class ending at 9:50AM. What he's trying to get across is that if you're that late, don't disturb your classmates, just come in at 10AM or when he gives the class a break.

And he did really well to put an end to the stupid questions and the repetitive questions.

lol...right...and if you are late...use the side door...not the main entrance

seriously...if i am super late for a class, I just skip it. 😴