Pre-pharmacy bad situation

[tj_thesouthernbelle]

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So I recently got my pcat scores. I am sooooo disappointed. 🙁 I got a composite score of 20. I used kaplan to study and it seemed the exams from them were a piece of cake, so you can imagine my surprise. The good thing is my gpa is 3.96 with strong LORs plus two years of pharmacy experience. I prefer schools in TN, but at this point WHEREVER. What are my chances?

 

[blueheron]

Need more info. What is your academic background? Some prereqs, prereqs only, science BS/major? There are 6 pharm schools here in TN, and about half of them only require a pulse and a bunch of money... I'll let you figure out which ones. You will have to step it up if you want to get into the other two.

 

[tj_thesouthernbelle]

All of my background is bio and chem related with an AS. I took the pcat without any anatomy (seeing as it isn't required for hardly any of the schools, I figured there wouldn't be much) and also only one organic chemistry course.

 

[blueheron]

If you'll notice, those that don't require biochem, microbiology, or anatomy will make you take it the first semester. UT requires them as a prereq, but by requiring more prereq hours, they are able to do 18 months of rotations instead of just 12, and require a minimum of 11 instead of 6. They also have several sites where you can do rotations, as well as study abroad rotations in several countries and government rotations such as Fort Campbell.

You are also MUCH more likely to find a job from the top two if you want to stay in TN. You don't have to worry about networking issues because UT is in all the cities as the other 4 for rotations, and the other one is a good school so you don't have to worry about it.

 

[Jibby321]

A 20 composite won't meet the Min for pretty much every school that requires the PCAT. Find Dr Collins used and take it again. Kaplan is horrible.

 

[tj_thesouthernbelle]

A 20 composite won't meet the Min for pretty much every school that requires the PCAT. Find Dr Collins used and take it again. Kaplan is horrible.

Is Dr. Collins really good? Thanks for your advice.

 

[Jibby321]

Is Dr. Collins really good? Thanks for your advice.

Yes. Collins will get you where you need to be. The material is not hard on the PCAT it's the constraints such as time, amount of material etc that is hard. If you've taken the pre Reqs you have the knowledge somewhere in your head. The hardest part I thought was the time constraints.

 

[Jibby321]

Collins exposes you to questions that are VERY similar to actual test questions. Also the Pearson practice tests are helpful.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Kaplan is horrible.

I agree. Kaplan is just atrocious IMO. Math was terribad, biology was just off-the-walls with their non-human bio crap (that you don't even need to know) and the chemistry section gives you crap (again, stuff that you don't even need to know).

Go with Collins. IMO it's worth spending even 300 bucks to get a very good chance at a high 80+ composite. Get it from someone else for much cheaper, if you can.

 

[blueheron]

+1 on the practice tests. Without them I would probably have been in the 70s.