Really Need Advice, Please!!!

[H7779]

I just finished high school and I am starting summer at Glendale Community College in Arizona by the end of June. And I will continue there for two more years to complete my pre-req for Pharmacy, I currently have a full ride scholarship there because of my high GPA in high school and I am also eligible for pell grants, so my first two years at GCC are basically free. However, I need advice on getting ready for pharmacy school. I want to go to the University of Arizona for pharmacy school since the tuition rate there is around $21,000 a year. Nevertheless, the requirement there is massive, for me, a competitive science GPA (which I looked it up on the wiki and the average GPA for student admitting is around 3.63), a good PCAT score, at least 50 hours of work or volunteer in a pharmacy setting, three strong letters of recommendation, and community involvement. I really need advices on getting all of these requirement. My backup plan if I don't get into U of A is Midwestern University in Glendale Arizona. However, the tuition rate there is $50,000 A YEAR!!! I would like to avoid that if possible but if that is the only opinion that I have left then I will take it. I looked into other Pharmacy Schools outside Arizona, most if not all of them requires a 4 years degree prior to admission into Pharmacy School and since I am going to a community college....yeah. I really need your guys help, people who are currently in pre-pharm, in Pharmacy School, or currently a Pharmacist. I really need your guys' advices, tips, and recommendation. I know I am worrying WAY too much right now. But that how I "work" I like to have plan(s) way ahead of time so I don't end up with a "surprise". I look at getting into Pharmacy School as like winning an Olympic I one shot and I have to make that shot count or else all of my effort is waste.

P.S I have all of my classes ready for summer and fall and I have an orientation ready for John C. Lincoln so hopefully I can get a volunteer position in pharmacy this Thursday.

Thank you for taking your time in helping me.

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[oldstock]

I just finished high school and I am starting summer at Glendale Community College in Arizona by the end of June. And I will continue there for two more years to complete my pre-req for Pharmacy, I currently have a full ride scholarship there because of my high GPA in high school and I am also eligible for pell grants, so my first two years at GCC are basically free. However, I need advice on getting ready for pharmacy school. I want to go to the University of Arizona for pharmacy school since the tuition rate there is around $21,000 a year. Nevertheless, the requirement there is massive, for me, a competitive science GPA (which I looked it up on the wiki and the average GPA for student admitting is around 3.63), a good PCAT score, at least 50 hours of work or volunteer in a pharmacy setting, three strong letters of recommendation, and community involvement. I really need advices on getting all of these requirement. My backup plan if I don't get into U of A is Midwestern University in Glendale Arizona. However, the tuition rate there is $50,000 A YEAR!!! I would like to avoid that if possible but if that is the only opinion that I have left then I will take it. I looked into other Pharmacy Schools outside Arizona, most if not all of them requires a 4 years degree prior to admission into Pharmacy School and since I am going to a community college....yeah.

that is not true. Go to PharmCAS website link for schools and check for the admission requirements,

http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolpages.htm

I really need your guys help, people who are currently in pre-pharm, in Pharmacy School, or currently a Pharmacist. I really need your guys' advices, tips, and recommendation. I know I am worrying WAY too much right now. But that how I "work" I like to have plan(s) way ahead of time so I don't end up with a "surprise". I look at getting into Pharmacy School as like winning an Olympic I one shot and I have to make that shot count or else all of my effort is waste.

P.S I have all of my classes ready for summer and fall and I have an orientation ready for John C. Lincoln so hopefully I can get a volunteer position in pharmacy this Thursday.

Thank you for taking your time in helping me.

check out this thread,

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...er-pharmacy-experience.1060955/#post-15032844

 

[H7779]

that is not true. Go to PharmCAS website link for schools and check for the admission requirements,

http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/schoolpages.htm




check out this thread,

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...er-pharmacy-experience.1060955/#post-15032844

In your honest opinion do you think the job market for pharmacy is oversaturated? I can see from your sig that you are in the class of 2018 (I wish you the best of luck), does reports of oversaturated pharmacy even stopped you for a sec. One thing I worried most is the time and effort that I put in for 6+ years to end up jobless with 100k+ of debt always above my head at all times. Thank you for those two links they were really helpful.

 

[tehshield]

Well with new schools popping out like bunnies in mating season, there is indeed saturation especially in desirable metropolitan areas. However that being said. it should be still possible to get a job just with more competition.

 

[H7779]

Well with new schools popping out like bunnies in mating season, there is indeed saturation especially in desirable metropolitan areas. However that being said. it should be still possible to get a job just with more competition.

Thank you, I live in Arizona and here there are only two Pharmacy School, does that play a big factor in Pharmacy employment?

 

[oldstock]

In your honest opinion do you think the job market for pharmacy is oversaturated? I can see from your sig that you are in the class of 2018 (I wish you the best of luck), does reports of oversaturated pharmacy even stopped you for a sec. One thing I worried most is the time and effort that I put in for 6+ years to end up jobless with 100k+ of debt always above my head at all times. Thank you for those two links they were really helpful.

Well with new schools popping out like bunnies in mating season, there is indeed saturation especially in desirable metropolitan areas. However that being said. it should be still possible to get a job just with more competition.

I agree with tehshield. However, I wanna add that, we do not know that 4 - 5 years from now. Advance in computer engineering and robots are jumping leaps and bounce will probably chance a lot of the pharmacy landscape in the next 5-10 years. Schools are opening at alarming rate like ~ 3-4 schools per year (we are at 130 mark at the end of this 2014); if there is no way to control this crazy grow, I truly believe we are heading the way laws and business did, i.e. top students from top schools with top gpa, EC + net working, etc will get jobs while everyone else will only have a nice looking diploma to hang on their walls in the living room. Adding to to insult is that the long years we are going to put in our pharmacy education and work plus the huge debts on our shoulders, I think the risks are too much and thinking of walking away.

You see in other threads (check for HobbitJane's ACPE response-Leave pharmacy http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...he-acpe-leave-pharmacy.1077650/#post-15330606 ) that some of us are trying to take proactive actions by writing to governning bodies in pharmacy and also state or federal governmental agencies or people to see if we could do something. If I see that we could not change anything then and pharmacy will have to be like law and business, i.e. left to the force of Mother Market, then I will leave pharmacy. It is not worth it then. But go check those threads out and see if you can do something too. Do not wait for others to do anything for you !!

 

[H7779]

I agree with tehshield. However, I wanna add that, we do not know that 4 - 5 years from now. Advance in computer engineering and robots are jumping leaps and bounce will probably chance a lot of the pharmacy landscape in the next 5-10 years. Schools are opening at alarming rate like ~ 3-4 schools per year (we are at 130 mark at the end of this 2014); if there is no way to control this crazy grow, I truly believe we are heading the way laws and business did, i.e. top students from top schools with top gpa, EC + net working, etc will get jobs while everyone else will only have a nice looking diploma to hang on their walls in the living room. Adding to to insult is that the long years we are going to put in our pharmacy education and work plus the huge debts on our shoulders, I think the risks are too much and thinking of walking away.

You see in other threads (check for HobbitJane's ACPE response-Leave pharmacy http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...he-acpe-leave-pharmacy.1077650/#post-15330606 ) that some of us are trying to take proactive actions by writing to governning bodies in pharmacy and also state or federal governmental agencies or people to see if we could do something. If I see that we could not change anything then and pharmacy will have to be like law and business, i.e. left to the force of Mother Market, then I will leave pharmacy. It is not worth it then. But go check those threads out and see if you can do something too. Do not wait for others to do anything for you !!

Ok, I'll start writing to ACPE, Thanks.