Questions from a high school student

[tun]

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I'm going to be a high school senior this year and I really want to pursue a career in pharmacy. I've read the FAQ's and I still have some questions.

1) Do I get into a pharmacy school directly from high school? Or do I have to go to the pharmacy school's undergraduate college and complete the required courses? Is this the difference between a 5/6 year Pharm.D program and a 3 year program?

2) What AP science would be more important to do in preparation for pharmacy, Chemistry or Biology?

3) When do I take the PCAT's?

4) I'm going to be visiting Albany College of Pharmacy very soon. What kinds of questions should I ask while I'm visiting and what kinds of things should I be looking for from of the school.

Those are the only questions I have for now but I'll probably have more after you guys reply. Thanks in advance. 🙂

 

[aya01]

I'm going to be a high school senior this year and I really want to pursue a career in pharmacy. I've read the FAQ's and I still have some questions.

1) Do I get into a pharmacy school directly from high school? Or do I have to go to the pharmacy school's undergraduate college and complete the required courses? Is this the difference between a 5/6 year Pharm.D program and a 3 year program?

2) What AP science would be more important to do in preparation for pharmacy, Chemistry or Biology?

3) When do I take the PCAT's?

4) I'm going to be visiting Albany College of Pharmacy very soon. What kinds of questions should I ask while I'm visiting and what kinds of things should I be looking for from of the school.

Those are the only questions I have for now but I'll probably have more after you guys reply. Thanks in advance. 🙂

1) There are some pharmacy schools which will accept you directly from high school if I remember correctly. Most pharmacy schools require some undergraduate work in which you fufill the necessary pre-reqs before applying. You can fulfill these pre-reqs at any university, but make sure they can transfer over as each school is different. For more competitive schools like the CA ones, a BS is pretty much needed before applying for their PharmD programs.

2) Both APs would be helpful in terms of the PCAT and pharmacy school. I would just choose the subject that you're stronger in.

3) People generally take the PCATs the year that they're applying. For example, if you're applying for Fall 2006, then you would take the Oct 2005 PCAT. Taking the PCAT in the fall gives you another chance to take the PCAT in the January if needed. It really depends though. I know of some people who take it the year before and wait to apply.

4) You could ask them questions 1 & 2 to make sure that your courses would transfer over and if they accept students directly from high school 🙂 . Beyond that, it's really up to you as to what you're looking for in a pharmacy school, so I'm not really sure how to answer that question.

Hope that helped!

 

[tun]

1) There are some pharmacy schools which will accept you directly from high school if I remember correctly. Most pharmacy schools require some undergraduate work in which you fufill the necessary pre-reqs before applying. You can fulfill these pre-reqs at any university, but make sure they can transfer over as each school is different. For more competitive schools like the CA ones, a BS is pretty much needed before applying for their PharmD programs.

2) Both APs would be helpful in terms of the PCAT and pharmacy school. I would just choose the subject that you're stronger in.

3) People generally take the PCATs the year that they're applying. For example, if you're applying for Fall 2006, then you would take the Oct 2005 PCAT. Taking the PCAT in the fall gives you another chance to take the PCAT in the January if needed. It really depends though. I know of some people who take it the year before and wait to apply.

4) You could ask them questions 1 & 2 to make sure that your courses would transfer over and if they accept students directly from high school 🙂 . Beyond that, it's really up to you as to what you're looking for in a pharmacy school, so I'm not really sure how to answer that question.

Hope that helped!

1) Ok, I think Albany accepts students straight from high school based upon their application that I looked over today. If someone could mention others on the east coast I would appreciate it. 😀

2) Alright, I will probably end up taking Chemistry then.

3) So I guess it doesn't concern me at the moment. If I were to go in directly after high school, when would I need to take it?

4) Thanks for replying. 🙂

 

[BTB]

Tun,

USP in Philadelphia PA (www.usp.edu) & Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre PA (www.wilkes.edu) will admit you into their six-year programs directly from high school.

Provided you meet their minimum requirements for promotion to the next grade, you are guaranteed a seat in their professional schools.

Both schools are fully accredited.

 

[craziness824]

I know that Temple & Univerisity of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) accept students from highschool--this being a 6yr program. However, I know that at temple even if you are accepted into their prepharmacy program (2yrs of core classes) you are not guaranteed a spot in the professional program (last four years).

Therefore, a 3yr program is for students that already have a degree (and of course, the necessary pre-reqs for the program).

The FAQ has a list of 6yr programs.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=1700947&postcount=10

I've haven't heard of either philly school making a high school student take the PCAT for prepharmacy program (don't know about other schools though). You may have to take it after your two years of core classes. Definitely check with the individual school.

 

[RLK]

I'm going to be a high school senior this year and I really want to pursue a career in pharmacy. I've read the FAQ's and I still have some questions.

1) Do I get into a pharmacy school directly from high school? Or do I have to go to the pharmacy school's undergraduate college and complete the required courses? Is this the difference between a 5/6 year Pharm.D program and a 3 year program?

2) What AP science would be more important to do in preparation for pharmacy, Chemistry or Biology?

3) When do I take the PCAT's?

4) I'm going to be visiting Albany College of Pharmacy very soon. What kinds of questions should I ask while I'm visiting and what kinds of things should I be looking for from of the school.

Those are the only questions I have for now but I'll probably have more after you guys reply. Thanks in advance. 🙂

University of Pittsburgh accepts students out of high school. I know a couple people who have done this. Both of them first went to a branch campus for 2 years and completed general chemistry, biology, and other classes. Then after that they were automatically accepted into the pharmacy program at the main campus. I don't think either of them had to take the PCATs either because of getting accepted this way.

 

[jamboo54]

I'm going to be a high school senior this year and I really want to pursue a career in pharmacy. I've read the FAQ's and I still have some questions.

1) Do I get into a pharmacy school directly from high school? Or do I have to go to the pharmacy school's undergraduate college and complete the required courses? Is this the difference between a 5/6 year Pharm.D program and a 3 year program?

2) What AP science would be more important to do in preparation for pharmacy, Chemistry or Biology?

3) When do I take the PCAT's?

4) I'm going to be visiting Albany College of Pharmacy very soon. What kinds of questions should I ask while I'm visiting and what kinds of things should I be looking for from of the school.

Those are the only questions I have for now but I'll probably have more after you guys reply. Thanks in advance. 🙂

1. Yes, you can apply to a few of the pharmacy schools directly after high school. I believe there is a 6 year program in Mass. However, you don't have to go to a 5/6 year program to finish earlier than everyone else. One of my friends got accepted into the 6 year program at Mass. ( I didn't know about it at the time); however, I decided to do 2 years of prereqs at ASU (which does not have a pharmacy school) and then applied to other pharmacy schools. I am going into a 3 year pharm program at MWU-CPG. So in the end I will end up with a pharmD one year faster than my friend who thought she was special when she got accepted to the 6 year program.

2. Either of the courses would be fine. But keep in mind that many pharmacy schools do not accept AP credit as completion of a pre-req. So you might have to retake general chem in college even if you got AP credit for it.

3. I think some of the schools that accept you after high school do not require the PCAT. However, others that accept you do not guarantee you admission into the graduate program.

 

[twester]

I'm going to be a high school senior this year and I really want to pursue a career in pharmacy. I've read the FAQ's and I still have some questions.

Your other two questions have been dealt with very adeptly by my fellow co-SNDers.

I'd like to address your question about which science class to take. You've decided to take chemistry and I think that's a good plan. I didn't take chemistry in high school. On my first day of General Chemistry in college, it was immediately obvious that I was in a little trouble. I dropped it and enrolled in a Fundamentals class. I sailed through the next two semesters of Gen Chem.

I would try to fit in as much other science and math as you possibly can.
If you've had chemistry, biology, physics AND (if possible) calculus in high school, you'll have a much easier time than many when you encounter them at college level.

I've found my pre-pharmacy curriculum to be rigorous - not impossible, but challenging and a lot of work. I'm grateful that I had exposure to a broad range of science and math in my earlier education. It's made things more manageable now.

Good luck to you. Keep in touch with this forum. It's full of very bright people who are more than happy to encourage and advise.

Troy