Recently decided, need advice

[alfheimr]

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I'm a post-bac (with a B.S. in biology) who recently decided to go to pharmacy school. I'd like to apply early decision this year, so I need to scramble to study for/take the PCATS, and I need advice about any other extra-currics I can do in a hurry that would be most beneficial.

I'm not certified to work as a pharm tech and am not sure if I have the time or if it's worth it, since I need to apply by around September. I also haven't been involved in the pre-pharm scene (no pharm-related club memberships, etc).

So what should I do to best improve my application in a short amount of time? Shadow a pharmacist? Volunteer at a hospital? Something else? Thanks!

 

[LabbyRatty]

I was in a similar situation as you. I decided in July of last year to apply. I was serious about becoming a pharmacist, but didn't feel like my CV was strong enough so I originally planned on waiting another year... long story. I didn't want to quit my decent-salary job to become a pharmacy tech for minimum wage so I just spent some weekends shadowing in retail and hospital pharmacies. I also make sure to start completing any missing prereqs ASAP. If you interview in the spring and a school sees that you still have a lot of prereqs to take, they will frown upon you (or so I've been told). I also started some additional volunteer work. I'd always done little projects here and there, but I committed to a weekly position. I would also try to find some leadership activity to do, such as Boys and Girls Club or something. I got asked about my leadership positions in most of my interviews. I took the PCAT in August and applied in October after I got my scores back. I found that the little bit of shadowing I had done really helped in the interviews as it gave me something to talk about in terms of experience and no one seemed to care that I hadn't had a paid position as a pharm tech. If you are not absolutely set on early decision, feel free to apply a bit later in the fall to give yourself time to get some volunteer experience and shadowing done. However, I applied a bit later in the fall and it's been hard for me to read posting by people who were already accepted before I had turned in my applications! Which school(s) are you interested in? Make sure to spend a lot of time searching this forum as there are tons of people here with good advice that helped me get through the process. Good luck!