Quit my job? - Advice Needed

[FlaPharmChik]

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hey guys!
i'm new to the forum...well..not really..i've been lurking for a while but finally decided to join...anyway...i was hoping to get some advice

i finally got the courage to make a decision about going to pharmacy school...i'm not really worried about passing the classes (pre-requesites) because i've always been "good" in math and science...my issue is this: all of the pharmacy schools that i've been looking at only admit students for fall semesters...meaning, that if i don't complete my prereq's by august 2008, then i won't be able to enter pharmacy school until august 2009 (two years from now!

)...the ONLY way i can see being able to finish my prereqs (and be eligible for Fall 2008 admission) is to quit my job as a teacher (main problem) and go to school full-time...for income, i'll have student loans (which i don't mine taking out at all...lol), a monthly stipend from my dad's (RIP) retirement, and i figured that i could substitute teach on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays (my classes would all be on tues and thurs) and if need be, tutor kids during the school year (pays $20/hour through Club Z who have been blowing up my phone btw...lol)...

also, there's no guarantee that i'll get into pharmacy school (or is there?..lol)...i'm pretty confident in myself...but i guess i'm just scared..or nervous...or maybe just overthinking the whole thing....or just plain NUTS!

what would you do?

 

[firstgeneration]

hey guys!
i'm new to the forum...well..not really..i've been lurking for a while but finally decided to join...anyway...i was hoping to get some advice

i finally got the courage to make a decision about going to pharmacy school...i'm not really worried about passing the classes (pre-requesites) because i've always been "good" in math and science...my issue is this: all of the pharmacy schools that i've been looking at only admit students for fall semesters...meaning, that if i don't complete my prereq's by august 2008, then i won't be able to enter pharmacy school until august 2009 (two years from now!

)...the ONLY way i can see being able to finish my prereqs (and be eligible for Fall 2008 admission) is to quit my job as a teacher (main problem) and go to school full-time...for income, i'll have student loans (which i don't mine taking out at all...lol), a monthly stipend from my dad's (RIP) retirement, and i figured that i could substitute teach on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays (my classes would all be on tues and thurs) and if need be, tutor kids during the school year (pays $20/hour through Club Z who have been blowing up my phone btw...lol)...

also, there's no guarantee that i'll get into pharmacy school (or is there?..lol)...i'm pretty confident in myself...but i guess i'm just scared..or nervous...or maybe just overthinking the whole thing....or just plain NUTS!

what would you do?

Same story here too...Well I guess you have to see how determined you want this...I work as a job developer but I am quitting my full-time job to a part-time to get some of the most rigorous pre-req in like calc, organic chem so I can do well and devote my self to you...I am well....hopefully determined enough...I feel the same way...there's always a what if but hopefully it will work fine. I am also certified as a pharm tech so I will hopefully I can find a part-time job..since I have been volunteering at the hospital for 4 months now. Its a long run, but the self-determination is really up to you as an individual. Good luck on your choices.

 

[HaleyRX]

I don't know if you have had any pre-reqs yet, but to complete approximately 60-65 hours of classes--demanding ones at that, no matter how great you do in science or math--will be a challenge.
On top of that, you will most likely have to deal with the PCAT, and you will also need to secure letters of recommendation. Do you have pharmacy experience?
It is a lot more than finishing pre-reqs. I tried all Tues/Thurs classes one semester, and it didn't work out that well. I would recommend slowing down a little bit and thinking it through more.
Working as much as you are planning on AND being prepared to apply for pharmacy school will be a big challenge.
Good luck with all of it!! 🙂

 

[omnione]

Unless you are super-smart and/or great at always knowing what the teacher will test over, it takes up too much time to be holding two full-time jobs. After all, you probably need to take a full load of coursework which entails at least a 20 hour per week job if you don't need a lot of study time and 30+ hours if you need the study time.

With good time-management, you can do a half-time or part-time job and still keep up in classes. You just have to remember the concept of delayed gratification and know that it'll take a little suffering on your part to get the great gratification the moment you get that PharmD. Of course, do well in courses or else you will waste two or more years of money and your life with no result or reward.😉

 

[kidlove]

i'm not sure it's a good idea because most of the classes are demanding. And maybe you can finish all the pre-req in one year but how would the school look at your transcript with only a few classes to determine whether you are admitted or not.

 

[jemini99]

I worked as a substitute teacher for the majority of the time that I took my pre-reqs. I offered me alot. I never had to take work home, I worked when I wanted to and best of all there is always work. This semester I will be leaving my job as a substitute teacher in order to finish my pre-reqs. I only have 3 classes left to take. The classes are only offered during the day so I will work at night.
While I worked as a sub I paid for my own health insurance which is around $190 dollars a month. I ended up taking a job at an group home for $9 an hour part time(only 20 hours a week) just for the benefits. It is less than half of what I was making before but it also saves me money.
The way I look at it is that you have to make some changes and sacrifices in order to reach your goal. It's ok to stop doing something inorder to reach your goals. I would also like to say that if you need to work inorder to make ends meet than work but keep in mind that if you don't plan it right that your grades may suffer. I hope that helps.

 

[FlaPharmChik]

thanks you guys so much for your feedback!

a few clarifications...lol
i'd be taking 43 credit hours in one year...not 60 -65
i already have a bachelor's degree...w/ upper level (junior and senior) class grades of either an A or B...so i didn't think that they would only have a few classes to base my acceptance on
my current overall gpa is a 2.6 but major gpa was a 3.1 (not sure if that matters...lol)
and i wouldn't be working TWO full-time jobs...i'd be working ONE part-time job (substitute teaching which is about 21 hours/week)

after reading your replies, it seems like my main issue would be the PCAT and deciding when would be the best time to take it and wondering if i'll score high enough...i guess i'll have to make a seperate post for that one directed at UF students though to figure out the deadline, etc...

any more advice?

 

[FlaPharmChik]

I worked as a substitute teacher for the majority of the time that I took my pre-reqs. I offered me alot. I never had to take work home, I worked when I wanted to and best of all there is always work. This semester I will be leaving my job as a substitute teacher in order to finish my pre-reqs. I only have 3 classes left to take. The classes are only offered during the day so I will work at night.
While I worked as a sub I paid for my own health insurance which is around $190 dollars a month. I ended up taking a job at an group home for $9 an hour part time(only 20 hours a week) just for the benefits. It is less than half of what I was making before but it also saves me money.
The way I look at it is that you have to make some changes and sacrifices in order to reach your goal. It's ok to stop doing something inorder to reach your goals. I would also like to say that if you need to work inorder to make ends meet than work but keep in mind that if you don't plan it right that your grades may suffer. I hope that helps.

very encouraging!
i forgot all about health insurance 🙁....right now it's free (through the school system)...you were right about sacrificing....lol

 

[drugdoc]

Current cum GPA of 2.6 will get you in to very, very few schools, if any. You need to raise it up with your pre-reqs. Take your time, slow down, and do well at everything that you do. An extra year is nothing. I had to take an extra year also. I was set on fall 2006 admittance, but couldn't manage all the classes, working, sleeping, etc. It's much better in the long run to get those A's and pull up your GPA than to get C's or B's and not raise your GPA by much. Major GPA doesn't matter at all with PharmCAS. In addition to a low GPA, your schools that you apply to will want to see an upward grade trend, and going from C's/B's to A's will prove to them that you can do it, despite a low cum GPA.

And yes, there is MUCH more to the application process than the pre-req classes. I was astonished at how much, actually. Look over the PharmCAS application, start working on it, and you will see how time consuming that in itself is.

Good luck!

 

[bananaface]

The major GPA is irrelevant to pharm school admissions.

A 2.6 GPA over the course of 4 years is not going to be fixed by 43 credits of prerequisite coursework. Even if you get straight A's, you are going to end up with a 2.87 GPA. Something like 2/3-3/4 of schools require a min cum GPA of 3.0 to apply. And, at others, your GPA will be non-competitive. You will probably need to take more than 43 credits to get your GPA up to a reasonable level. it's probably best to keep your current job and not rack up debt. It's going to be more than a year before admissions are really feasible for you.

Are any of your courses over 10 years old? Some places have academic forgiveness policies that will include only courses completed in the past 10 years.

 

[FlaPharmChik]

The major GPA is irrelevant to pharm school admissions.

A 2.6 GPA over the course of 4 years is not going to be fixed by 43 credits of prerequisite coursework. Even if you get straight A's, you are going to end up with a 2.87 GPA. Something like 2/3-3/4 of schools require a min cum GPA of 3.0 to apply. And, at others, your GPA will be non-competitive. You will probably need to take more than 43 credits to get your GPA up to a reasonable level. it's probably best to keep your current job and not rack up debt. It's going to be more than a year before admissions are really feasible for you.

Are any of your courses over 10 years old? Some places have academic forgiveness policies that will include only courses completed in the past 10 years.

THANK YOU!
really put things in perspective for me (c:

UF (first choice college) only calculates the Pre-req GPA though...not overall...
which is GREAT news!

 

[ViolinChick]

Hi,
Welcome. Isn't this forum full of great ideas!!!

1. Focus on the studies. Attend term after term, if possible.
2. Bring up the GPAs. I would say try to get the GPA above 3.0 so your application can be more competitive.
3. Apply early. Look carefully at the pre-pharm classes of the schools you want to apply to, for example, UF requires Physics I & II and Lecom requires NO Microbio and no Anatomy & Physiology, so you can compare them, and which may cause you to apply early, and complete less classes. But you have to be above average.
4. PCAT score. Aim high.

I know how you feel. I live in Orlando, work as supervisor tech lead in a pharmacy. I want to enter pharm school in Fall 2009. I want to quit my job, but don't want to. It's paying my students loans which I've started to pay off early. This job also pays for my tuition, which I'm not getting any financial aid for. I want to work part-time, and take 2-3 classes for this fall. I've sucked out advice from 2 of my professors, who both gave me 2 different speeches... oh boy....one said that that I would be good in pharmacy, and the other is questioning my drive for pharmacy...(No help here). Deep down inside, I know how rigorous it can get, so I'm starting to toughen up my gut for when I enter pharmacy school.

hey guys!
i'm new to the forum...well..not really..i've been lurking for a while but finally decided to join...anyway...i was hoping to get some advice

i finally got the courage to make a decision about going to pharmacy school...i'm not really worried about passing the classes (pre-requesites) because i've always been "good" in math and science...my issue is this: all of the pharmacy schools that i've been looking at only admit students for fall semesters...meaning, that if i don't complete my prereq's by august 2008, then i won't be able to enter pharmacy school until august 2009 (two years from now!

)...the ONLY way i can see being able to finish my prereqs (and be eligible for Fall 2008 admission) is to quit my job as a teacher (main problem) and go to school full-time...for income, i'll have student loans (which i don't mine taking out at all...lol), a monthly stipend from my dad's (RIP) retirement, and i figured that i could substitute teach on mondays, wednesdays, and fridays (my classes would all be on tues and thurs) and if need be, tutor kids during the school year (pays $20/hour through Club Z who have been blowing up my phone btw...lol)...

also, there's no guarantee that i'll get into pharmacy school (or is there?..lol)...i'm pretty confident in myself...but i guess i'm just scared..or nervous...or maybe just overthinking the whole thing....or just plain NUTS!

what would you do?

 

[Kunsan]

good luck. B/C of your situation, I believe the only way to improve your admissions packet is:

1. First take all the required science classes, BIO, Chem, Ochem, etc... needed to study for the PCAT. Do well on it... "Only take course load you can handle", remember you want high grades for these basic science classes...
2. Score well on the PCAT.
3. Apply to tons of schools. Don't be picky... your main goal is to become a R.ph.
4. Give you alot of credit for pursuing this as a non-traditional student as I am also changing fields myself. It surely is a big committment... Good luck again.👍👍

 

[FlaPharmChik]

Hi,
Welcome. Isn't this forum full of great ideas!!!

1. Focus on the studies. Attend term after term, if possible.
2. Bring up the GPAs. I would say try to get the GPA above 3.0 so your application can be more competitive.
3. Apply early. Look carefully at the pre-pharm classes of the schools you want to apply to, for example, UF requires Physics I & II and Lecom requires NO Microbio and no Anatomy & Physiology, so you can compare them, and which may cause you to apply early, and complete less classes. But you have to be above average.
4. PCAT score. Aim high.

I know how you feel. I live in Orlando, work as supervisor tech lead in a pharmacy. I want to enter pharm school in Fall 2009. I want to quit my job, but don't want to. It's paying my students loans which I've started to pay off early. This job also pays for my tuition, which I'm not getting any financial aid for. I want to work part-time, and take 2-3 classes for this fall. I've sucked out advice from 2 of my professors, who both gave me 2 different speeches... oh boy....one said that that I would be good in pharmacy, and the other is questioning my drive for pharmacy...(No help here). Deep down inside, I know how rigorous it can get, so I'm starting to toughen up my gut for when I enter pharmacy school.

THANKS! I'm in Orlando too...in Apopka actually, about 15 minutes from UF's pharmacy school...hopefully when i apply i'll be accepted there...i debated pharmacy school for a long time too...and someone finally asked me a VERY enlightening question: "If you knew that you wouldn't fail, what would you do?"

What's YOUR answer???

 

[FlaPharmChik]

good luck. B/C of your situation, I believe the only way to improve your admissions packet is:

1. First take all the required science classes, BIO, Chem, Ochem, etc... needed to study for the PCAT. Do well on it... "Only take course load you can handle", remember you want high grades for these basic science classes...
2. Score well on the PCAT.
3. Apply to tons of schools. Don't be picky... your main goal is to become a R.ph.
4. Give you alot of credit for pursuing this as a non-traditional student as I am also changing fields myself. It surely is a big committment... Good luck again.👍👍

thanks!!!! and you're right..it's a HUGE committment....good luck to you as well 😉

 

[bananaface]

THANK YOU!
really put things in perspective for me (c:

UF (first choice college) only calculates the Pre-req GPA though...not overall...
which is GREAT news!

No problem. 🙂

That is awesome news. It's probably to your benefit to go slow and focus on doing as well as possible in your remaining prereqs. Doing it right is so much more important than doing it right away.

 

[binghamkid]

Doing it right is so much more important than doing it right away.

Oh so true....on so many levels in life.😱😉😀

 

[sakigt]

Pharmacy school is stressful enough, you dont want finances to interfere.

Take this time to work, pay down debt, and do well in your PT prereqs. Ive found some of the "easier" courses could be done at night while working and some of the harder courses made me change my hours.

Since you're a teacher, I would suggest taking 2 classes a semester at night, then making a killing over the summer. Since UF doesnt worry about commmunity college credits, I would schedule your classes there. Ive found trying to take courses at a university while working FT is next to impossible.

Most importantly, do well in your classes! Never skimp on a lab report or an extra credit opportunity. If you get A's in Bio, Chem, and math courses, your GPA could afford to slip in the harder areas.

 

[FlaPharmChik]

thanks again everyone...i don't know why, but i didn't expect to get many replies at all...lol

sakigt,
i definitely plan on attending the local community college...even if not for the schedule, tuition is almost 30% cheaper!!!!

i'm interested in your opinion....what would you consider the "easier" courses??