PharmD student applying to med school. What are my chances?

[LakerFan888]

Hi,

I am in a 6 year Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of the Sciences. I'm in my third year of pharmacy school, so this is my first professional year. My cumulative GPA is a 3.34. I think i can get it up to a 3.38 by the end of this year. My extra-curriculars include volunteer time, intramural sports, club soccer, and research.

Do i have a good chance at getting into medical school? I have the opportunity to shadow doctors and get recommendations from them...should I do this? My school requires 6 teacher /faculty recommendations so I don't know if I should get a Doctor one as well.

Will medical schools realize that I am in a difficult pharmacy program? I know I have to do well on the MCATs to show this as well.

Thanks for all the advice

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[HotandCold]

Hi,

I am in a 6 year Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of the Sciences. I'm in my third year of pharmacy school, so this is my first professional year. My cumulative GPA is a 3.34. I think i can get it up to a 3.38 by the end of this year. My extra-curriculars include volunteer time, intramural sports, club soccer, and research.

Do i have a good chance at getting into medical school? I have the opportunity to shadow doctors and get recommendations from them...should I do this? My school requires 6 teacher /faculty recommendations so I don't know if I should get a Doctor one as well.

Will medical schools realize that I am in a difficult pharmacy program? I know I have to do well on the MCATs to show this as well.

Thanks for all the advice

I don't think they necessarily care that you're in a program per say... And you're in one that cuts out undergraduate studies, right? It's more about the class breakdown- of which I'm sure by third year you've got some pretty tough ones. And you've probably got both Orgos, a few bios and physics I and II out of the way right?

You'll need to finish up any pre reqs you haven't met.Unless that is you contact your schools of interest and ask them. This is a really peculiar circumstance. You don't actually have a degree, right? So as it stands, there aren't any "loopholes" for you to avoid the pre reqs... but once again, you should ask the schools.

Your GPA isn't looking to swell though. But that could have to do with your classes. What's your class/grade breakdown?

If you want to go to medical school, you might do well with DO. They're more open towards non-traditional students.

Yes, shadow and get recs if you're considering this. Also do some volunteer work.

 

[LakerFan888]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. You are correct, it is an accelerated program. All the undergraduate studies have been taken care of in the first two years. I opted for a year of physics just in case I did want to go to medical school. At this university we do get a degree at the end of our fourth year, it is a bachelor of science and healthcare degree.

The classes have gotten a lot harder this year. Physiology I and II, Immunology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Biochemistry are among them. Will the admissions board know this?

Will a strong MCAT help my chances? I plan on taking them at the end of the summer.

Below are my grades. The top ones are the most recent, professional year classes. Thanks again for your feedback! I really appreciate it.



BS-358 01 Princ & Applicat Immunology
B

HU-340 01 Sp Top/Philosophy of Medicine
A-

PC-301 01 Physiology I
A-

PH-305 01 Ph'ceutical Calculation
B+

PP-306 01 Clinical Pharmacy Skills
B-

PP-317 01 Orientation to IPPEs
P

CH-346 01 Biochemistry
B

BS-212 01 Funct Human Anat-Histology
B

CH-202 01 Organic Chemistry II
B

CH-204 35 Organic Chemistry Lab II
B

IH-213 02 Power, Democracy & Oppression
A-

PY-202 01 Introductory Physics II
B+

CH-201 02 Organic Chemistry I
B+

CH-203 35 Organic Chemistry Lab I
B

IH-210 06 Belief & Thought
B

PS-101 01 Intro to Psychology
B+

PY-201 02 Introductory Physics I
A-

BS-241 01 Microbiology
C+

BS-104 01 General Biology II
B+

CH-102 01 General Chemistry II
B+

CH-104 39 General Chem Lab II
A-

MA-102 10 Mathematical Analysis II
A


SO-101 03 Introduction to Sociology
A-

WR-102 17 Writing and Rhetoric II
B+

BS-103 03 General Biology I
B

CH-101 02 General Chemistry I
A

CH-103 34 General Chemistry Lab I
A-

MA-101 03 Mathematical Analysis I
A

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Your biggest obstacle after GPA and MCAT would be telling them why you are making a "career" change.

 

[Catalystik]

The classes have gotten a lot harder this year. Physiology I and II, Immunology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Biochemistry are among them. Will the admissions board know this?

These are tough classes, wherever they are taken, and often tackled by premeds. Getting a string of As in these med school-like classes would help your case, as would a very strong MCAT score.

I agree that your best chances with your lower cGPA would be DO schools, which are more lenient about grades. You could also consider doing additional postbac work or an SMP (Special Masters Program) as a GPA booster if MD is your primary goal.

If medicine is really what you want to do, you might also consider transferring out of your current program before doing additional damage to your GPA.

 

[LakerFan888]

Thanks for the replies! Any other advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[pfaction]

I'm a Pharm D student going for a similar thing.

At this university we do get a degree at the end of our fourth year, it is a bachelor of science and healthcare degree.

You lucked out, because I don't get a Bachelor's, which means I'm excluded from a lot of schools.

These are tough classes, wherever they are taken, and often tackled by premeds. Getting a string of As in these med school-like classes would help your case, as would a very strong MCAT score.

Oh, cool. I'm in my 5th year, meaning I've seen the clinical side as well, so if those 2nd-and-3rd year courses really help, hopefully the clinical courses really help. Cat, from your side, have you seen schools really discriminate based on the no bachelors but PharmD-degree thing? Let me tell you, it is the most frustrating thing in the world, to have a PharmD and have them say "no bachelors? Sorry, your PharmD isn't the same."

 

[LakerFan888]

oh man, the no bachelors thing is really killer. I have another question though, I am planning on taking the MCATs at the end of the July. Is this too late? Will I be at a big disadvantage??

 

[Catalystik]

Cat, from your side, have you seen schools really discriminate based on the no bachelors but PharmD-degree thing? Let me tell you, it is the most frustrating thing in the world, to have a PharmD and have them say "no bachelors? Sorry, your PharmD isn't the same."

Did you call and ask, or are you going by what the website of each school says? We are seeing PharmDs get accepted to med schools that aren't among the few not requiring a bachelors degree.

 

[Catalystik]

I am planning on taking the MCATs at the end of the July. Is this too late? Will I be at a big disadvantage??

It's my observation that those whose applications are Complete (MCAT score obtained, transcript verification completed, Secondaries and all supplemental materials sent in) at each school by September 1 are not at a disadvantage. Considering that it will take 4-5+ weeks to verify transcripts by the end of August, further delaying your Completeness, I hope you plan to submit your application long before that. You can further speed the process by prewriting all Secondary essays from prompts you'll find here on SDN so your turn-around time is rapid when invited to submit them.

 

[LakerFan888]

Can I submit everything else ahead of time, maybe in the beginning of August? That way they can verify my transcript earlier and then when I get my MCAT score I can add that in. Is this possible?

 

[Catalystik]

Can I submit everything else ahead of time, maybe in the beginning of August? That way they can verify my transcript earlier and then when I get my MCAT score I can add that in. Is this possible?

I'd suggest you submit the week before August 1, in case it's going to take 5 weeks.

Yes, it's fine to submit without an MCAT score or LORs. Some who aren't confident how the MCAT will go, only apply to one less-selective school at the start. They add more the day the MCAT comes out, depending on how competitive they are (or not). Newly added schools get the entire file within a business day.

 

[pfaction]

Did you call and ask, or are you going by what the website of each school says? We are seeing PharmDs get accepted to med schools that aren't among the few not requiring a bachelors degree.

Between PharMed and myself, both. NYU said on their site, no pharmacy credits, and when I called, they said I'd have to go back 4 years. Other schools were ambigious because they don't understand how a high schooler can emerge with a doctorate degree; my dean said they would call. I am going to call once again and try to speak to the dean of admissions in person in May. (Not sure how possible this is, but I'm not going to be screwed over by an assistant who says either it's okay to apply when it isn't, or vice versa).

 

[Catalystik]

You might PM J DUB and MiniMoo, both PharmDs that got into med schools (UNC and somewhere in Ca, maybe UCI) and see if they might add to your knowledge base from their experiences.

 

[pfaction]

You might PM J DUB and MiniMoo, both PharmDs that got into med schools (UNC and somewhere in Ca, maybe UCI) and see if they might add to your knowledge base from their experiences.

Thanks! I've also been talking to bassvp and fizzjazz. I'll let everyone know somehow of my results.

EDIT: Since you're apparently here, do you know why this is occuring? I can understand a person with NO degree getting rejected, but we clearly have a degree...

 

[Catalystik]

Perhaps it is felt to be desirable to have more general education credits for the sake of well-roundedness.

 

[LakerFan888]

Catalystik thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it.