Prereqs

[rowerpharm]

Hey All,

I searched forums for prereqs and couldn't find one similar to my post, so I am hoping this is not a repeat question.

i have decided to apply to pharmacy schools this year. However, I am missing organic chem sequence and microbiology for both schools, and public speaking for another school. My school runs on trimesters, so I plan on taking public speaking fall term, microbiology winter term (there was no room left fall term
), and organic chem throughout the year. Will I be at a disadvantage applying without having these courses completed?

Thanks!

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[IrishRxMan]

Hey All,

I searched forums for prereqs and couldn't find one similar to my post, so I am hoping this is not a repeat question.

i have decided to apply to pharmacy schools this year. However, I am missing organic chem sequence and microbiology for both schools, and public speaking for another school. My school runs on trimesters, so I plan on taking public speaking fall term, microbiology winter term (there was no room left fall term
), and organic chem throughout the year. Will I be at a disadvantage applying without having these courses completed?

Thanks!

It depends on the school and how they run their application process. Through PharmCAS, I can't help because I don't have any experience with that system. If it's a school that you physically send the application to them, they shouldn't care. If they like you and want you, they will accept you on the condition that you will take and pass those courses. Can someone else that has experience with PharmCAS give their take on that system?

 

[UTPharm]

completely missing organic chemistry? that's kind of an important prereq. My school would not let you apply if you were missing a SINGLE prerec ( because they took into account a certain set of classes for your "science" GPA.

It depends on the school and how they run their application process. Through PharmCAS, I can't help because I don't have any experience with that system. If it's a school that you physically send the application to them, they shouldn't care. If they like you and want you, they will accept you on the condition that you will take and pass those courses. Can someone else that has experience with PharmCAS give their take on that system?

 

[rowerpharm]

Well I am applying to Creighton and Iowa... I guess I was hoping that it would be the case like IrishRX said, where I could apply and be accepted under the condition that I complete organic chem with decent grades. By the time I would interview, I would have fall term and maybe even winter term of organic chem finished. So I could share my grades with them then, if I get to that point. I know I have to finish them by the time I start pharm school (and at Creighton you have to have science prereqs done by the end of spring term before starting). I just don't want to put all of the time and money into applying if my application is going to be disregarded due to lack of organic chem completion. I would really like to apply this year because I am looking forward to it, but I don't want to submit an incomplete application.

 

[Chem Geek]

Hey All,

I searched forums for prereqs and couldn't find one similar to my post, so I am hoping this is not a repeat question.

i have decided to apply to pharmacy schools this year. However, I am missing organic chem sequence and microbiology for both schools, and public speaking for another school. My school runs on trimesters, so I plan on taking public speaking fall term, microbiology winter term (there was no room left fall term
), and organic chem throughout the year. Will I be at a disadvantage applying without having these courses completed?

Thanks!

I was missing the entire o-chem sequence when I applied. Perhaps that is why I am on the WAITLIST now, not accepted right off the bat. However, that was a risk I was willing to take, the list is moving, and I will reapply if I have to for 2009. Good luck to you whatever you decide!

 

[omnione]

Well I am applying to Creighton and Iowa... I guess I was hoping that it would be the case like IrishRX said, where I could apply and be accepted under the condition that I complete organic chem with decent grades. By the time I would interview, I would have fall term and maybe even winter term of organic chem finished. So I could share my grades with them then, if I get to that point. I know I have to finish them by the time I start pharm school (and at Creighton you have to have science prereqs done by the end of spring term before starting). I just don't want to put all of the time and money into applying if my application is going to be disregarded due to lack of organic chem completion. I would really like to apply this year because I am looking forward to it, but I don't want to submit an incomplete application.

I applied to both schools and I'm at Creighton right now. Both schools just require that you have your prereqs done prior to the end of spring semester. For Creighton, you need to have your science prereqs done by May like you said but the others can be done by August. Iowa's policy is similar.

Neither school will disregard your application if you list your missing prereqs as courses that you will take before May 2009. That can be done in the appropriate section in PharmCAS.

Interviews at both Creighton and Iowa mostly take place during and after January.

 

[rowerpharm]

I was missing the entire o-chem sequence when I applied. Perhaps that is why I am on the WAITLIST now, not accepted right off the bat. However, that was a risk I was willing to take, the list is moving, and I will reapply if I have to for 2009. Good luck to you whatever you decide!

Thank you for sharing your experience, I hope you get in off the waitlist! Hopefully I will luck out like you then.

 

[rowerpharm]

I applied to both schools and I'm at Creighton right now. Both schools just require that you have your prereqs done prior to the end of spring semester. For Creighton, you need to have your science prereqs done by May like you said but the others can be done by August. Iowa's policy is similar.

Neither school will disregard your application if you list your missing prereqs as courses that you will take before May 2009. That can be done in the appropriate section in PharmCAS.

Interviews at both Creighton and Iowa mostly take place during and after January.

Thank you, that's helpful knowing you applied to both as well. I will be finished with one term of o-chem in early November. Should I wait to send my application in then so that I have one term, or can I apply earlier and then send another transcript later as an update so that they can at least see one term of ochem?

 

[steveysmith54]

Maybe slightly. But, if you have high grades, experience, good letters of rec and personal statement, there is absolutely NO reason why you can't be accepted somewhere.

Applying to only two school is EXTREMELY risky. There are people with almost perfect gpa's and pcat scores who get rejected bc of bad interviw etc. Apply to A LOT more than 2 schools.

 

[rowerpharm]

Maybe slightly. But, if you have high grades, experience, good letters of rec and personal statement, there is absolutely NO reason why you can't be accepted somewhere.

Applying to only two school is EXTREMELY risky. There are people with almost perfect gpa's and pcat scores who get rejected bc of bad interviw etc. Apply to A LOT more than 2 schools.

Thanks for your input. However, at this point, I can't really apply to more schools because I don't have room for physics in my schedule until the 09-10 school year and these 2 schools don't require physics. If I don't get in next year, then I will take physics and apply to more schools the following year.

 

[omnione]

Thank you, that's helpful knowing you applied to both as well. I will be finished with one term of o-chem in early November. Should I wait to send my application in then so that I have one term, or can I apply earlier and then send another transcript later as an update so that they can at least see one term of ochem?

Being the procrastinator I am and was back then, my application to both schools wasn't really finished until December. I got into both schools but it was an exercise in near futility I would not suggest to others.

Both schools still consider those students in the second year of college. So, they understand that many applicants may just be starting their organic sequence. Since you don't have many missing prereqs, I would apply now. Though, both schools aren't true rolling admissions (Creighton claims that they are, and while this is true, they don't review as early and often before January like true rolling admission schools), so it wouldn't definitely kill your application to wait. Yet, I find that strategy to be inadvisable.

Remember that every applicant goes through PharmCAS' academic update in December, so schools know that courses will be updated. The rule of thumb I have with prereqs is that you don't want to give schools the impression that you have way too many prereqs to take before planned matriculation. That's when fears of disregarded applications may become reality. That doesn't seem to be a problem for you.