Pre med thinking of Pre Pharm

[iceman132]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am a college graduate with a Biology major and a 3.0 gpa (Bad, I know)

I have taken the MCat twice and have done really terribly and will be going for a third try in January. If I don't do well I think that sticking with medical school would not be prudent.

My friend also did terribly on the MCat and decided to go into Pharmacy school. She's one of the most intelligent people I know and she has persuaded me into thinking of pharmacy school . I want to stay in the medical field and there are many different options with a PharmD from what I understand.

Saying all that..... Can someone explain what I would need to do to get into a pharmacy school from being a pre med. (Besides take the PCat)

I know that a 3.0 is a long shot but I went to a pharm school around my area and the average gpa was a 3.0 (Shockingly)

 

[owlegrad]

We have two threads you might find helpful:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=198059

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=402541

The simple answer though is you need to have completed the prereqs, take the PCAT, and apply to the schools you are interested in, likely through PharmCAS (which we also have a dedicated thread for).

I hope you are successful, but please keep in mind that most of us here are either in pharmacy or working toward that goal because we want to be. Very few people appreciate having there chosen profession referred to as a backup plan in case there stats are not good enough for there first choice.

Good Luck.

 

[iceman132]

We have two threads you might find helpful:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=198059

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=402541

The simple answer though is you need to have completed the prereqs, take the PCAT, and apply to the schools you are interested in, likely through PharmCAS (which we also have a dedicated thread for).

I hope you are successful, but please keep in mind that most of us here are either in pharmacy or working toward that goal because we want to be. Very few people appreciate having there chosen profession referred to as a backup plan in case there stats are not good enough for there first choice.

Good Luck.

Thank you for the links!

I really don't see it as a backup though. I would be just as happy (as far as I know at this point in my life) as a pharmacist or an MD/DO. If I got an acceptance letter from a Pharm school or an MD/DO school right now I would have to talk to a lot of different people in their respective fields before I made a decision.

However, all my connections were with MD/DOs. I just didn't really have any clue how to go on the pharmacy path besides my friend who I recently talked to.

 

[owlegrad]

Thank you for the links!

I really don't see it as a backup though. I would be just as happy (as far as I know at this point in my life) as a pharmacist or an MD/DO. If I got an acceptance letter from a Pharm school or an MD/DO school right now I would have to talk to a lot of different people in their respective fields before I made a decision.

However, all my connections were with MD/DOs. I just didn't really have any clue how to go on the pharmacy path besides my friend who I recently talked to.

I hope I didn't sound too harsh. Most people struggle with decisions that will affect the rest of their lives (it would be odd not to). Just keep in mind saying that you don't think you will get into med school so you want to check out pharmacy school will not endear you to any adcoms. 😉

Shadowing would be a great place to start. Both are great, you just need to find the right path for you. I wouldn't let my GPA decide my life if it were me. 👍

 

[Digsbe]

A 3.0 GPA isn't stellar but it won't make things impossible. If you really want to go into pharmacy I would definitely shadow a pharmacist while doing some research into the pre-reqs for certain pharmacy schools you may be interested in. If you apply and do not get in I'm sure you could always retake some courses to boost your GPA. I would also recommend that you try to get a job in a pharmacy as a technician. Adcoms like seeing pharmacy work experience on applications and it may remove any doubts they might have if they somehow found out that you have taken the MCAT. Think about what path you want to take and then apply to schools. Don't let your GPA wreck your dreams or discourage you.

 

[fluorometholone]

Incidentally, I made the switch from pre-med to pre-pharm because most of my experience had been with pharmacists. I got a job working as a tech because I need to pay for school, and it seemed like an "easy-access" medical-type job. Turns out, I did a 180 and now here I am getting ready to apply. You might consider finding a large retail chain that would hire you at a few hours/week to start with for a few months. But everyone is right, there are tons of options in pharmacy, and a lot more flexibility to bounce around than there is in medicine.

 

[iceman132]

Do I need to take some type of course to become a Pharmacy tech?

 

[ACE Rx]

Do I need to take some type of course to become a Pharmacy tech?

No. You could easily buy a book and self-teach yourself to become a certified tech. No need to spend thousands of dollars for something you can do yourself.

Additionally, you definitely need to do some thing to back up your GPA. Unless you want to go to new no-name school or one without a good reputation, you need at least a 3.5 average GPA whether it is post-bacc or whatever. Some sort of unique volunteering experience would definitely help to make you stand out. 🙂

 

[iceman132]

No. You could easily buy a book and self-teach yourself to become a certified tech. No need to spend thousands of dollars for something you can do yourself.

)

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. I have no clue how I would start the process of becoming a pharm tech. Could someone give me a link or describe the process of becoming one?

 

[Rouelle]

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. I have no clue how I would start the process of becoming a pharm tech. Could someone give me a link or describe the process of becoming one?

The poster was serious. You don't have to take any classes to be a pharm tech...just study for and take a test.

 

[fluorometholone]

I don't know what state you live in, but as I often tell people, in many states you don't need to be certified to become a tech! Just go to the website for CVS/RA/WAG/etc and apply, or go into your local pharmacy and gauge their need for techs. Often, after a few months of employment, the company will pick up the cost of your certification test, and they will have trained you on 50-75% of what you need to know for the test.

 

[pharm B]

Yeah, some companies will definitely do OJT to make you a tech. You get hired as a clerk or tech-in-training at the beginning. I personally just bought a book off of Amazon and studied for the PTCE. If you look up PTCE study books, you can filter through the reviews and pick one that's right for your budget. I studied the book (read through it one time) and took the exam and passed.

I don't know if all states are the same, so visit your state pharmacy board's website and see if they spell out any extra requirements.

 

[owlegrad]

No. You could easily buy a book and self-teach yourself to become a certified tech. No need to spend thousands of dollars for something you can do yourself.

Additionally, you definitely need to do some thing to back up your GPA. Unless you want to go to new no-name school or one without a good reputation, you need at least a 3.5 average GPA whether it is post-bacc or whatever. Some sort of unique volunteering experience would definitely help to make you stand out. 🙂

That is just false. If a school has an average GPA acceptance of 3.5 (which would actually be a high average), that means half the GPA's are below 3.5. Of course higher is better, but to say that is the minimum is just completely false.

I hate when people spread false information, though I am sure you are not doing it intentionally.

 

[ACE Rx]

That is just false. If a school has an average GPA acceptance of 3.5 (which would actually be a high average), that means half the GPA's are below 3.5. Of course higher is better, but to say that is the minimum is just completely false.

I hate when people spread false information, though I am sure you are not doing it intentionally.

Sorry, I worded that wrong -- that was not my intention at all. I didn't mean the OP had to have a 3.5. I was just saying that the average acceptance GPA is around 3.5. If he/she wanted to be more competitive then he/she should consider raising their GPA along with solid volunteering experience instead of just leaving it as is.

Some schools (Texas A&M health science center for example) have an admissions formula that they use where GPA gets X amount points, PCAT gets X amount of points, volunteering gets X amounts of points, etc. and an applicant that scores highest gets first shot at acceptances.

 

[owlegrad]

That is just false. If a school has an average GPA acceptance of 3.5 (which would actually be a high average), that means half the GPA's are below 3.5. Of course higher is better, but to say that is the minimum is just completely false.

I hate when people spread false information, though I am sure you are not doing it intentionally.

This was my 8,001th post. At least it was a post trying to help out, not like "I agree" or some other such thing. I wish it had been more positive though. Or a joke.

Sorry, I worded that wrong -- that was not my intention at all. I didn't mean the OP had to have a 3.5. I was just saying that the average acceptance GPA is around 3.5. If he/she wanted to be more competitive then he/she should consider raising their GPA along with solid volunteering experience instead of just leaving it as is.

Some schools (Texas A&M health science center for example) have an admissions formula that they use where GPA gets X amount points, PCAT gets X amount of points, volunteering gets X amounts of points, etc. and an applicant that scores highest gets first shot at acceptances.

No problem. I just wanted to make sure everyone understands how acceptance GPA works. Keep on posting, your advice is solid. 👍

 

[iceman132]

Thanks for all the info guys.

From what I understand ..... You guys would recommend .... Become a pharm tech, I'll probably need to take economics/ speech and take the PCat

Can someone tell me a little about the PCat? If they know how it compares to the MCat at all....

MCat has a Gen chem/Physics .... Verbal.... and Biology/ O Chem section.....

I'm wondering if studying for the MCat would help me on the PCat at all

 

[iBeast]

Thanks for all the info guys.

From what I understand ..... You guys would recommend .... Become a pharm tech, I'll probably need to take economics/ speech and take the PCat

Can someone tell me a little about the PCat? If they know how it compares to the MCat at all....

MCat has a Gen chem/Physics .... Verbal.... and Biology/ O Chem section.....

I'm wondering if studying for the MCat would help me on the PCat at all

I'd say if you studied well when you took the MCAT, you should have no worries studying for the PCAT... however the PCAT math is much more difficult compared to what you have to do for the MCAT. It's still pretty simple, but just much harder.

 

[NickW9682]

A 3.0 isnt the best but I wouldnt assume it to be bad considering you also have a degree which requires more intensive classes than the prereqs for most schools. If you go to UGA's faq section about applying it states that they only consider the required prereqs when formulating your GPA which may or may not be of benefit to you. You should definitely check out their requirements and figure out what your applying GPA would be with them. I imagine other schools use this method but this is the only one I have come across. Also I think Georgia has a fairly reputable program and Athens is pretty much the best college town in America.

 

[iceman132]

A 3.0 isnt the best but I wouldnt assume it to be bad considering you also have a degree which requires more intensive classes than the prereqs for most schools. If you go to UGA's faq section about applying it states that they only consider the required prereqs when formulating your GPA which may or may not be of benefit to you. You should definitely check out their requirements and figure out what your applying GPA would be with them. I imagine other schools use this method but this is the only one I have come across. Also I think Georgia has a fairly reputable program and Athens is pretty much the best college town in America.

I didn't know they only took prereq GPAs. Thanks!

 

[xtsukiyox]

I didn't know they only took prereq GPAs. Thanks!

It depends on the school, how they calculate the GPA on applications. PharmCAS requires you to report all classes taken and calculates your GPA based on those classes, but it is up to the school how they use that information.

This was my 8,001th post.

So that's 1000 posts in just over 3 months? 😱

 

[owlegrad]

So that's 1000 posts in just over 3 months? 😱

It's not easy, I admit. Coming up with dozens of helpful posts and hundreds of filler posts does keep me busy.

 

[ws2016]

Dont worry about your GPA make the rest of your stats amazing. I got into a top 4 with a 3.2 and ok PCAT

 

[PharmDoner]

We have two threads you might find helpful:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=198059

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=402541

The simple answer though is you need to have completed the prereqs, take the PCAT, and apply to the schools you are interested in, likely through PharmCAS (which we also have a dedicated thread for).

I hope you are successful, but please keep in mind that most of us here are either in pharmacy or working toward that goal because we want to be. Very few people appreciate having there chosen profession referred to as a backup plan in case there stats are not good enough for there first choice.

Good Luck.

Haha... thanks owlegrad for standing up for those pursing their PharmD. I too take great offense at the "If I fail at becoming a Med Student" then there's always Dentistry or Pharmacy mentality. I took a little over a year to make my decision and take great pride in the possibility at becoming part of the profession. I think if the thought process is more like, I would like to help people out because drugs and their effects on the body interest me then that's great! But if it is your failure plan then well maybe you are getting discouraged too easily at becoming a Med student. Nothing worth doing comes easy. If I knew that Med school was what I wanted then I would take the MCAT as many times as it takes. So you took it 3 times, then try a 4th or 5th time. Study harder search out better prep material because the fact is... there are plenty people that had to take their MCATs several times.

Good luck and I hope you make your decision carefully and wisely because it is something that you WANT to do, not because you failed at something else. I think if Med school is where you want to be, then don't give up with that. The last thing anyone wants is to sit down in a class and hear someone say they were there only because they couldn't get into Med school.

 

[CareDD]

Haha... thanks owlegrad for standing up for those pursing their PharmD. I too take great offense at the "If I fail at becoming a Med Student" then there's always Dentistry or Pharmacy mentality. I took a little over a year to make my decision and take great pride in the possibility at becoming part of the profession. I think if the thought process is more like, I would like to help people out because drugs and their effects on the body interest me then that's great! But if it is your failure plan then well maybe you are getting discouraged too easily at becoming a Med student. Nothing worth doing comes easy. If I knew that Med school was what I wanted then I would take the MCAT as many times as it takes. So you took it 3 times, then try a 4th or 5th time. Study harder search out better prep material because the fact is... there are plenty people that had to take their MCATs several times.

Good luck and I hope you make your decision carefully and wisely because it is something that you WANT to do, not because you failed at something else. I think if Med school is where you want to be, then don't give up with that. The last thing anyone wants is to sit down in a class and hear someone say they were there only because they couldn't get into Med school.

At least he/she is being honest 👍

 

[iceman132]

Haha... thanks owlegrad for standing up for those pursing their PharmD. I too take great offense at the "If I fail at becoming a Med Student" then there's always Dentistry or Pharmacy mentality. I took a little over a year to make my decision and take great pride in the possibility at becoming part of the profession. I think if the thought process is more like, I would like to help people out because drugs and their effects on the body interest me then that's great! But if it is your failure plan then well maybe you are getting discouraged too easily at becoming a Med student. Nothing worth doing comes easy. If I knew that Med school was what I wanted then I would take the MCAT as many times as it takes. So you took it 3 times, then try a 4th or 5th time. Study harder search out better prep material because the fact is... there are plenty people that had to take their MCATs several times.

Good luck and I hope you make your decision carefully and wisely because it is something that you WANT to do, not because you failed at something else. I think if Med school is where you want to be, then don't give up with that. The last thing anyone wants is to sit down in a class and hear someone say they were there only because they couldn't get into Med school.

It's not the only reason by far. However, seeing the demands of being a medical doctor it is part of the reason.

Since I'm not in an interview I'm going to be blunt.

Not everyone is meant to be a doctor. Not everyone is meant to be a pharmacist. Not everyone is meant to be a police officer. Not everyone is even meant to be a waiter/waitress.

The best doctor in the world could be the most terrible waiter (Even if that was his life's goal)

I like aspects of becoming a medical doctor and I like aspects of becoming a pharmacist. I think pharmacy might fit my personality better and seems like a better career choice at this point. I've enjoyed talking to pharmacists and learning about the field.

To be honest I've never "dreamed" of being anything. I think I've wanted a super hot girlfriend more than any career. This idealistic notion that you should keep pursuing a goal even if you suck at it just seems silly.

I know someone that was in my position. Sucked at the MCAT and did fine on the PCAT. Is currently a pharmacy student and doing great at it. The person originally wanted to be a medical doctor but just couldn't do well on the MCAT. Doesn't mean that person is crapping all over pharmacy school. (I am rambling a bit here lol 😀_