Pre pharm student worried about his future

[Cplay7]

So I am a 2nd Semester Sophomore, I transferred from UT-Pan American (4-year university) and I transferred to Texas A&M- College Station in the fall last semester. I could not transfer into A&M as a Bio major or anything related to health or science in the fall because I hadnt taken certain classes yet and I would have had to have wait an entire semester to transfer and I really wanted to come to A&M so I applied as a communication major.

My freshman year of college, I went to school, worked 2 part time jobs and played hockey on the side. So I ended up with a 3.2 freshman year.

So if you dont know a lot about A&M, it is a senior military school with a Corps of Cadets program and I decided to join the Corps... your "fish/freshman" semester in the Corps sucks you are treated like crap and most of my time was dedicated to the corps... I came into A&M with a 3.2 GPA and I got a 2.1 last semester here at A&M and it brought me down to a 3.0 cumulative.

Not only the low GPA but I took pretty much classes that did not count towards the degree I want or pharmacy school.

This semester I am in General Studies on track to switch to Allied Health. But, I was looking at the degree plan for Allied Health and the courses I still need to take for pharmacy pre reqs and I am gonna have to graduate in 5 years...
I plan on taking classes this summer all summer, and with my grades as of now and if I get all A's this summer I'll be able to raise my GPA up to a 3.3

My questions are
What is a good competitive GPA for pharmacy school here in Texas? Is a 3.3 pretty decent considering Im in the Corps and also Pre-Pharm society?
Will it look bad that I took 5 years to get a degree when applying for pharmacy school?

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[Thestrugglez]

As a Texas resident, here's some insight.

Texas has a LOT of schools. With the addition of UT Tyler, we are sitting on 7 public and 1 private pharmacy school.

What is a competitive GPA? A competitive GPA is the highest that you can get. A high GPA means you will have an easier time getting in with lower PCAT scores. Just try to get the highest scores you can.

Why do you even want a degree before you matriculate? I will be entering with a degree, but if you can get in without one, you might as well. As for degree in 5 years, I think the average number of years it takes to get a degree is 4.3 now so 5 isn't that bad.

 

[kevin martin]

Credit to you for realizing your mistake sooner rather than later. I think a 3.3GPA is nice, but obviously getting it higher will help increase your chances, along with a good PCAT. I was told that a 3.5 GPA and a 70 PCAT are competitive, but those stats probably vary depending on who you talk to.From my experience, perhaps taking classes all summer isn't a good idea; it may leave you burned out in the fall semester. But if your one of those guys that can handle that work load, don't let me stop you. I'm a junior at UH for undergrad and I'll enter pharm school without a degree. That's not to say that getting one is a detriment (I think it actually helps), as a health degree with your PharmD may help broaden job opportunities for you. Friend, it absolutely won't look bad that you went and got a degree in 5 years. This may allow you more time to gather the other things necessary for a good application.

 

[Bluesky22]

the length of the degree is not a problem what is the problem is if your semester hours is filled with 15-18 credit hours. This will look good to admission and proves that you are able to handle a 4 year professional program in which most semesters you will be taking 18 credit hours. Most people finish their degree in 5 years anyway due to them taking time off, extra classes, or w.e.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

I think the key is to balance your time wisely and maintain good grades if you want to make impressions for a residency or employment.