Please help--No Pre-Pharm help from current school

[CardaRx]

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Hi, I ready could use all the help I can get. So, I would appreciate any advice; here goes:

I have a BS in a different field. I had a 2.99 when I graduated, (really bad)...which means that I have to sustain a consistent A-B to inch my overall GPA up every quarter.
I'm in school taking pre-reqs to apply to pharmacy school.
GPA for science and math averages 3.66
I should complete all pre-reqs by the end of this year to apply for entrance into Fall '09.

Here is my problem, if you haven't notice, I have no EC.
I've been working in a non-related field to pay the bills and now applying for loans so I may work in a pharmacy related field before I apply.
I'm also my own counselor at school, I'm just going to various school websites to find out what classes I should be taking and when I should start to apply. My school does not provide any support for the pharmacy field, we we're pretty much on our own here.
Also, I plan to take the PCAT in January of 09 to increase my application to schools.

This is where I need major advice:
1- I understand the importance of EC, pharmacy experience I just want to know my chances of getting in if I would only have about 7 months worth? What else can I do to increase my chances?

2 - Beside going to various website to figure out what other classes I should be taking (I tried assist.org, but they only had UCSF minimum requirement and other schools were not available), is there another way?

3- I'm on AACP website often looking at schools website to keep updated with what I should be doing -- is there any advise anyone can give me to be a better canidate? -- (ie. when I should start applying)

Any advice anyone could offer would be a great help than nothing at all.😳

 

[moolman]

I don't think a lot of people get counsling help from their schools either. At this point, you finished undergrad so figuring out what you should do shouldn't be a problem. And I don't think you should trust anybody else to let you know what you have to get done. Just look up the requirements of the schools you want to attend and figure it out from there what classes to take. As for, if 7 months is enough experience, that's up to the school, nobody can answer that for you. In general, there's no set standard, your overall application will determine how much is enough, there's people who get into pharmacy school with no experience, people who don't get in with years of experience. Good luck.

 

[RobertZimmerman]

7 months is plenty... keep in mind you're competing against undergrads who maybe have worked for two summers (many get in with no experience at all.

Taking the PCAT in January 09 is a problem if you intend to be applying for the Fall of 09... many schools application due date is before January scores come back.

As to everything else you seem to be in decent shape. The non-related field bachelors is actually a good thing... it shows you are a diverse individual and is also more academic prestige than the non-degree applicants.

BTW... Having no academic adviser is better than incompetent academic advising. My school has a "pre-health" adviser with no concept that students should hammer out the required pre-reqs (for multiple schools) in their first two years (applying after their first) and then complete their bachelors with the fluff and upper levels if they don't get in (meanwhile applying each year thereafter). I think it has to do with the school wanting you to pay tuition for all 4 years.

 

[Farmercyst]

7 months is plenty... keep in mind you're competing against undergrads who maybe have worked for two summers (many get in with no experience at all.

Taking the PCAT in January 09 is a problem if you intend to be applying for the Fall of 09... many schools application due date is before January scores come back.

As to everything else you seem to be in decent shape. The non-related field bachelors is actually a good thing... it shows you are a diverse individual and is also more academic prestige than the non-degree applicants.

BTW... Having no academic adviser is better than incompetent academic advising. My school has a "pre-health" adviser with no concept that students should hammer out the required pre-reqs (for multiple schools) in their first two years (applying after their first) and then complete their bachelors with the fluff and upper levels if they don't get in (meanwhile applying each year thereafter). I think it has to do with the school wanting you to pay tuition for all 4 years.

I agree. I did all my own advising, just like you (OP). Looked at school websites, PharmCAS, assist, and others to look at course requirements, articulation tables, LOR requirements, etc. I'm big on learning by experience. It sticks better that way. As for the experience. Having some is great, but not having it doesn't have to be a deal breaker. I worked in customer service/utilities for 8 years before I applied. I used the similarities to strengthen my application rather than the fact they weren't pharmacy related as a crutch. Utilities are a highly regulated, safety sensitive industry where the information provided to the customer has to be both accurate and timely in order to prevent getting cited by the regulatory agencies that oversee operations. See any similarities?
So yeah, keep doing what you're doing and look for ways that your job experience can give you a leg up on those without any or without as much as you have, despite being in a non-pharmacy workplace.

 

[CardaRx]

Taking the PCAT in January 09 is a problem if you intend to be applying for the Fall of 09... many schools application due date is before January scores come back.

BTW... Having no academic adviser is better than incompetent academic advising. ...). I think it has to do with the school wanting you to pay tuition for all 4 years.

Thank you everyone for you advice. I thought some schools actually have better advisement and support for this particular field. i didn't know that not many have.

I decided on Jan 09 because I would not have completed my O'Chem till then, would you or anyone just recommend me buy something like "exam crackers" to just study that particular portion, so I may take the PCAT earlier?

I looked up the dates, from your experience what would be the latest month I should take the PCAT and apply? October being the latest, since it's the last for the year.

 

[CardaRx]

I agree. I did all my own advising, just like you (OP). Looked at school websites, PharmCAS, assist, and others to look at course requirements, articulation tables, LOR requirements, etc. I'm big on learning by experience. It sticks better that way. As for the experience. Having some is great, but not having it doesn't have to be a deal breaker. I worked in customer service/utilities for 8 years before I applied. I used the similarities to strengthen my application rather than the fact they weren't pharmacy related as a crutch. Utilities are a highly regulated, safety sensitive industry where the information provided to the customer has to be both accurate and timely in order to prevent getting cited by the regulatory agencies that oversee operations. See any similarities?
So yeah, keep doing what you're doing and look for ways that your job experience can give you a leg up on those without any or without as much as you have, despite being in a non-pharmacy workplace.

Thanks I never looked at it that way.

 

[RobertZimmerman]

I decided on Jan 09 because I would not have completed my O'Chem till then, would you or anyone just recommend me buy something like "exam crackers" to just study that particular portion, so I may take the PCAT earlier?

basic Organic is on the test... in my case it seems like it was mainly nomenclature (name this compound) and maybe a "what functional group is this".

Since it is multiple choice these aren't too tough to work through.

At any rate I think it was at most 5 questions.

 

[probablytoolate]

I definitely would NOT wait until January 09 to take the PCAT. A lot of schools do accept it, but that is generally for people who took it in August and October and are trying one last time to get it. I would sign up for at least the october, if not the August date. I used the Cliff's Notes study guide. Kaplan and several other companies make one as well. I know someone who took it in August (right when she was starting organic 1) and still managed to get in the 97th percentile.

Pharmacy experience isn't necessary. It does help though. If you do want to change jobs and work as a tech, I recommend shadowing a pharmacist a few times. It would be especially helpful if you could shadow several, in several different environments. I personally think shadowing in multiple fields would be better than just working in retail for several years and have no idea what hospital pharmacy is like.

Like others have said, pick the schools you are going to apply to and research their requirements. They are on the school's website. That is the best way to find out what classes they want. PharmCAS school pages will let you know more about deadlines and LORs that they require (however, double check the deadlines on the school page).