Please help! Couldn't finish the uop 3+3 direct pharm program and have to apply!

[watermelonhead8]

Hi guys,

I'm kind of in a complicated situation right now. Here's my background:

Three years ago I was accepted into University of the Pacific's direct 3+3 pre-pharmacy program. As long as I maintained a 2.7 math/science GPA and completed an interview, I was able to get into UOP's pharmacy school. BUT I decided about a month ago that my chances there are extremely slim due to my low math/science GPA. With 2 replaced grades, my math/science GPA at Pacific is only a 2.36. I could have continued at Pacific and taken extra math and science classes to boost my GPA to a 2.7, but I didn't want to take the chance because I had to get straight A's in like 16 units of math/science. One bad test could have wasted my entire year which is why I decided to withdraw from UOP and transfer back home to Texas and finish pre-pharmacy classes there and apply just like everyone else. I will definitely be increasing my GPA by retaking classes this fall, however I am so upset that this had to happen, especially because the only reason I went so far from home was so I could directly go into pharmacy school without any trouble.

I am very apprehensive about applying this year because I feel like I won't be able to get into any pharmacy schools due to my low math/science GPA. I don't know if other pharmacy schools know how Pacific's undergrad is and I know they're just going to look at my numbers and reject me right off the bat. Pacific's undergrad is absolutely ridiculous. Math/science class averages had to be 60-65% other professors made the tests harder. The science classes there are weeder classes. My ochem class had test averages of 35% and my professor was a beast (so many parents have complained about the F's their children got in his class but the school didn't even give a damn). The school makes me so sad and I am pissed that I did my undergrad there. I know if I had gone to another school, my math/science GPA definitely would have been a 3.0 or above.

Right now my cumulative overall GPA with the 2 replaced grades is a 2.76 (it's higher because of elective classes). I am planning on applying to 28 pharmacy schools (23 pharmCAS and 5 non-pharmCAS). I am mostly applying to schools that have a low minimum GPA and ones that only have a cumulative GPA requirement versus a math/science GPA requirement. What I want to know is, what are my chances of getting just a couple of interviews out of the 28 schools? I will definitely be explaining my situation about going from a direct program and having a guarantee to applying just like everyone else and I will talk about how this has changed me and has motivated me even more to become a pharmacist, despite the obstacles I will be facing. I hope this will support me in my application because I know pharmacy schools won't accept me by just looking at my lousy grades.

Also, I would like to know if I can apply to schools that I don't meet the GPA requirement for (especially in Texas, which is my home). Or would they just throw my application away? It would be great to go to pharmacy school near home. =)

I am very dedicated to the profession of pharmacy. I have wanted to become a pharmacist ever since 11th grade and my passion for it has become even stronger ever since all of this happened. I very much want to believe that I will get in somewhere next year (anywhere!) but there is still something inside of me saying that I don't stand a chance with all these 3.5 + GPA applicants.

I have some positive points to include in my application. I have gone through extensive pharmacy job shadowing (my aunt is the chief of pharmacy at a VA hospital), I am a member of an international pharmacy fraternity called Lambda Kappa Sigma, I am pharmacy technician certified, I have received multiple scholarships, etc. I also hope to include a high PCAT score (I am taking it in 20 days!!!). Would all of these things plus a strong personal essay counter my low GPA?

I would love to hear what anyone has to say, whether positive or negative. I don't think any comment will be as bad as I feel right now. =(

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING!

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[SparkLy09]

I'm only applying this year so take my words with a grain of salt.

I was just wondering why you didn't just stay at UoP despite having to earn a year of all straight A's etc. I'm assuming that after 3 years, you would have at least finished with your bachelors after your 4th.. so unless it's financial, it wouldn't have been a complete waste of a year even if you didn't make it straight into the program.

And I'm mostly just wondering because my undergrad classes were pretty similar. Orgo averages were 3x points out of a possible 110 in a class of 300+ students... but I'm thinking that a lot of 4 year uni classes are like this. I would just be worried that Adcoms would think that you couldn't handle it and that's why you moved back. Have you transferred to a 4 yr or are you planning to attend a cc now? If you had a chance to redeem your classes at UoP but opted to take cc classes instead to "up" your gpa... I'm not exactly sure how you would be able to spin that positively. It just really looks like you couldn't handle your pre-reqs, which can reflect on your ability in pharmacy school.

In either case, rock that PCAT. At least with that, you can prove that you did learn something despite your grades and that you've retained some of it. I'd also make sure to explain your grades somewhere with other than, my profs were insanely hard.

And wow, 28 schools.. I thought I was applying to a lot with 13
Good luck though!

 

[keyy200tx]

Stay At UOP and get Straight A's. Where you playing PS3 all year long ? If so stop and play with your books. I think every normal human being who waits for their GPA to drop below a 3.0, before they start working to improve it have issues. And I dont your reasons are valid enough. Alot of student go through the same program and have good GPA's. You really dont have any chance in an Texas Schools so dont waste your time applying. Everything is big in Texas. Try out of state. Texas Schools are hard to get into.

 

[watermelonhead8]

Thanks for the replies, guys! =)

I didn't stay at UOP because it costs around 45,000 a year ($70,000 for pharmacy school!) and plus I'm out of state (transportation to go back home isn't that cheap). And finishing there with 16 units of straight A's is next to impossible. I would have to take calculus 2, calculus 3, genetics, and organic chemistry 2 (again) and get no less than an A in each. When I took ochem 2 in the spring, 0 made an A, 2 made a B-, and the rest were below that. I know for a fact that staying at Pacific would have been a waste. And no, getting a bachelor's there would have been useless when I could go back home and get it much cheaper. This fall I will be attending a four year university, so it's not like I'm going from a 4 year to a 2 year.


To keyy200tx: I knew many pharmacy students at Pacific who were in the 3+3 advantage program who barely scraped by with a 2.7. And the only reason they were able to scrape by was because back then Pacific had grade replacement (now they have grade averaging which really screws us up). 55% of 3+3 pre-pharms didn't make it to pharmacy school this year because of the 2.7 (when I was a freshman I was told by the school that 98% get in).

And no, I did not sit on my ass and play PS3 all day. I didn't study 24/7, but I did work hard. Think about it - a class filled with 60 Asians who are in the pharmacy or dentistry track (no one else takes the sciences at Pacific unless they are a pharm or dent student) who can barely make a B. I think that's saying something...

The direct program was a bad choice. I absolutely KNOW I would have made above a 3.0 at any other school.

I just hope I can get a good PCAT and prove the admissions committee wrong. To be honest, I wish the PCAT was given more weight. GPA is definitely something to be concerned about but the thing is, people come from colleges all over the US and have different professors. Sometimes there is grade inflation, curves, and easy professors that help people with their grades. I think the PCAT truly reveals what a student has learned and that it is the most important thing that will determine how successful a candidate is for pharmacy school. The PCAT is standardized and the test is the same for everyone. As an admissions committee member, I would be concerned if someone had a 3.8 GPA and only a 55 composite on the PCAT versus someone who had a 2.8 GPA and a 95 composite on the PCAT. If you're making a 3.8 GPA, I would expect you to also have a a composite of at least 80. Just what I think...

 

[keyy200tx]

Okay... Then get out of it now and move back to Texas to get your GPA back on track. Just Retake all the classes you got C in to bring your GPA up and also try and kill the PCAT. it will help make your story valid. There is still hope for everyone. So what school you going to now in Texas ?

 

[watermelonhead8]

I am back home and have already registered for classes at University of North Texas. I am retaking ochem and biology II and taking elective courses needed like sociology and English composition.

I won't tell the admissions committee via the personal statement that I didn't do well because the professors were so tough. That's obviously a dumb statement to make. I want to tell them that I have changed because of this adversity. Going from a direct program to applying like everyone else has made me regain my motivation and my desire for pharmacy. In some ways, I believe I might have lost sight of my goal at Pacific and underestimated the 2.7 math/science requirement. Although I did work hard, I might not have worked nearly as hard as I should have because in the back of my mind I knew I had a guarantee. Going through this right now has made me realize how much I want this and who knows? Maybe this was God's way of testing me and making me struggle to find out if I really have the strength and desire to become a pharmacist, no matter the obstacles I face.

Although I am a very weak applicant, I wonder if out of 28 schools I will at least get 2 interviews if I can get a 80+ PCAT and a strong personal essay statement of how I have matured throughout this process.

Does coming from a direct program support me in anyway? Admissions committee members must know that it is tougher, especially since the competition is between only pharmacy and dentistry kids. I know that if I had this bad of a GPA at some other school without being in a direct program, I wouldn't be applying. In fact, I would be choosing a different profession.

keyy200tx: Are you applying this year? Just from looking at your user name, it seems that you are also from Texas. Yeehaw!

 

[watermelonhead8]

Another thing - do schools that view applications or a rolling basis not even wait to look at your fall 2010 transcripts? I am assuming so since they give out interviews early but I was not sure if they held applications to the side and wait. I guess this would be an even further disadvantage to me... 🙁

 

[wsupharmacy]

Thanks for the replies, guys! =)

I didn't stay at UOP because it costs around 45,000 a year ($70,000 for pharmacy school!) and plus I'm out of state (transportation to go back home isn't that cheap). And finishing there with 16 units of straight A's is next to impossible. I would have to take calculus 2, calculus 3, genetics, and organic chemistry 2 (again) and get no less than an A in each. When I took ochem 2 in the spring, 0 made an A, 2 made a B-, and the rest were below that. I know for a fact that staying at Pacific would have been a waste. And no, getting a bachelor's there would have been useless when I could go back home and get it much cheaper. This fall I will be attending a four year university, so it's not like I'm going from a 4 year to a 2 year.


To keyy200tx: I knew many pharmacy students at Pacific who were in the 3+3 advantage program who barely scraped by with a 2.7. And the only reason they were able to scrape by was because back then Pacific had grade replacement (now they have grade averaging which really screws us up). 55% of 3+3 pre-pharms didn't make it to pharmacy school this year because of the 2.7 (when I was a freshman I was told by the school that 98% get in).

And no, I did not sit on my ass and play PS3 all day. I didn't study 24/7, but I did work hard. Think about it - a class filled with 60 Asians who are in the pharmacy or dentistry track (no one else takes the sciences at Pacific unless they are a pharm or dent student) who can barely make a B. I think that's saying something...

The direct program was a bad choice. I absolutely KNOW I would have made above a 3.0 at any other school.

I just hope I can get a good PCAT and prove the admissions committee wrong. To be honest, I wish the PCAT was given more weight. GPA is definitely something to be concerned about but the thing is, people come from colleges all over the US and have different professors. Sometimes there is grade inflation, curves, and easy professors that help people with their grades. I think the PCAT truly reveals what a student has learned and that it is the most important thing that will determine how successful a candidate is for pharmacy school. The PCAT is standardized and the test is the same for everyone. As an admissions committee member, I would be concerned if someone had a 3.8 GPA and only a 55 composite on the PCAT versus someone who had a 2.8 GPA and a 95 composite on the PCAT. If you're making a 3.8 GPA, I would expect you to also have a a composite of at least 80. Just what I think...

Good luck! However I disagree with your opinion on the PCAT: "The PCAT truly reveals what a student has learned and that it is the most important thing that will determine how successful a candidate is for pharmacy school." Getting 95% composite on the PCAT doesn't mean you'll do well in pharmacy school and vice versa.

About your GPA, don't try to blame on school alone. Nothing is impossible. Your GPA wouldn't drop like that if you have tried your best.

Anyway, I hope you can get interviews out of 28 schools.

 

[keyy200tx]

Yeah... I am in Texas too and will be applying this year after i take the october PCAT. I am yet to take MicroBio and O. Chem. I think you can get into a school, just prepare yourself more and kill the pcat.