Pre pharmacy advice

[rxdreamin12]

Hi guys,
I'm in a very bad predicament. I have been working as a pharmacy technician for 2 years. I will graduate with a biology degree this summer. However my college years have not been so great. I had many obstacles my way being the eldest child I had to work full time as well as be a full time student. I came from a family where domestic violence was an everyday thing and my dad was an alcoholic. He passed away last year and things got worse. But through all these hardships and financial problems I decided to still pursue a degree despite the many times I wanted to give up. But I always wanted to be a pharmacist and it has been a dream of mine ever since I was young. I didn't want the troubles at home to be a reason as to why I didn't achieve my goals. However even though I'm graduating with a biology degree my transcript is not so great. I'm graduating with a 2.1 cumulative gpa. I know for a fact no pharmacy school will take me. Please someone tell me if I can get a second chance at my dreams to be a pharmacist. What should be my next step after graduating with a biology degree? Should I take over all those classes I did poorly in over at a community college and aim for nothing let's than A? But I hear no matter what PharmCAS averages every grade. So if I had an F, then a C and I take the class over at a community college and get an A, how significantly will that change my grade on PharmCAS? People deserve second chances at life and I really wish I can fix my situation. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you!!

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[Lost Pharm]

Hi.

I would suggest retaking some classes to boost your GPA since pharmcas does take the average grade in that class. I would highly recommend taking the PCAT. Don't give up if it's something you REALLY want to do. Since you're near the end of your undergrad, retaking classes will take a lot of time so only do it if pharmacy is your calling.

For my situation, I wasn't really sure why I wanted to do pharmacy. It was near the end of my last year of undergrad that I was trying to figure out what is my next step in life. I came from a poor background and I did not try really hard in school. I remember people telling me in high school to pick biology because they said "once you are done, your career is set". I realized I didn't really like biology (evolution, entomology, plant systematics, etc.), but anatomy and physiology was not bad at all. I didn't want to do lab or field work when I'm done. The next best thing was to do something that would generate a good income because I did not think I would make it in the world as a biologist. I graduated with a cGPA of 3.0 and I felt like my options were limited. I may have chose pharmacy for a different reason than you, but I just want to make sure that it is the RIGHT option for you. NGL I'm doing pharmacy for job security because I know a DoP that offered to help me find a job. I may grow to like the job but I don't think it's worst than me currently working $10/hr. If I had the option of going to med school, I would take it instantly (unfortunately, I didn't think it through before I went through undergrad or else I would've tried harder). What aspect of pharmacy really interests you? I know pharmacy jobs are declining, but I'm putting my faith on the job that is promised to me when I'm done. I'm currently going to a private pharm school and my debt will be ~250k. Make sure you think this through before making this big investment. Sitting behind the counter and counting pills for 6 figs people tell you is a lie. Good luck to you.

 

[rxdreamin12]

Hi.

I would suggest retaking some classes to boost your GPA since pharmcas does take the average grade in that class. I would highly recommend taking the PCAT. Don't give up if it's something you REALLY want to do. Since you're near the end of your undergrad, retaking classes will take a lot of time so only do it if pharmacy is your calling.

For my situation, I wasn't really sure why I wanted to do pharmacy. It was near the end of my last year of undergrad that I was trying to figure out what is my next step in life. I came from a poor background and I did not try really hard in school. I remember people telling me in high school to pick biology because they said "once you are done, your career is set". I realized I didn't really like biology (evolution, entomology, plant systematics, etc.), but anatomy and physiology was not bad at all. I didn't want to do lab or field work when I'm done. The next best thing was to do something that would generate a good income because I did not think I would make it in the world as a biologist. I graduated with a cGPA of 3.0 and I felt like my options were limited. I may have chose pharmacy for a different reason than you, but I just want to make sure that it is the RIGHT option for you. NGL I'm doing pharmacy for job security because I know a DoP that offered to help me find a job. I may grow to like the job but I don't think it's worst than me currently working $10/hr. If I had the option of going to med school, I would take it instantly (unfortunately, I didn't think it through before I went through undergrad or else I would've tried harder). What aspect of pharmacy really interests you? I know pharmacy jobs are declining, but I'm putting my faith on the job that is promised to me when I'm done. I'm currently going to a private pharm school and my debt will be ~250k. Make sure you think this through before making this big investment. Sitting behind the counter and counting pills for 6 figs people tell you is a lie. Good luck to you.

Thank you so much for your input. I am going to graduate in like 2 months. So because pharmacy is something I really want to do I planned to take a year and a half off to just to take over the prerequisites and aim for A's. But I'm nervous because I took Chem and organic chem 2 times already so if I take it the 3rd time at a community college and get an A, would that even be worth it and make a difference? Also I will definatley prepare for the PCATS and aim for the highest grade so that can be something that can stand out.