Seeking Advice - Pre-Reqs

[bensupport]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi All, I'm newbie seeking advice for pharmacy pre-reqs. This will be my first time going back to school after two years which makes me feel old already. However I'm only 26 years old seeking career change to pharmacy.

My biggest fear entering this race is low gpa (around 2.9 cum ), although only pre-reqs taken are chem 1 and chem 2 which I got "B" back in 2003, besides I hardly remember anything.

I'm ready to start class this upcoming semester and I can't seem to decide if I should skip Chem 1 and go straight for org 1 .

Does Org1 include subject content from chem 1 ?

The ****ty part is that I will need to work 40 hours week to bring in some income which limits my course to 2 or 3 course per semester. Probably looking at 2 years to complete just pre-reqs at community college.

Should I take chem 1 + Bio 1 + Math or Org1 + Bio 1 + Math to start off with ?

Any suggestion how to tackle pre-reqs and make process smooth as possible ?

P.S. According PharmCas all course work is factored for calculating GPA including grades with F. Now I created excel calculator spread sheet and my cum grade point comes out to 2.9 PharmCas.

Thanks
Bunc

 

[crazybob]

Hi All, I'm newbie seeking advice for pharmacy pre-reqs. This will be my first time going back to school after two years which makes me feel old already. However I'm only 26 years old seeking career change to pharmacy.

My biggest fear entering this race is low gpa (around 2.9 cum ), although only pre-reqs taken are chem 1 and chem 2 which I got "B" back in 2003, besides I hardly remember anything.

I'm ready to start class this upcoming semester and I can't seem to decide if I should skip Chem 1 and go straight for org 1 .

Does Org1 include subject content from chem 1 ?

The ****ty part is that I will need to work 40 hours week to bring in some income which limits my course to 2 or 3 course per semester. Probably looking at 2 years to complete just pre-reqs at community college.

Should I take chem 1 + Bio 1 + Math or Org1 + Bio 1 + Math to start off with ?

Any suggestion how to tackle pre-reqs and make process smooth as possible ?

P.S. According PharmCas all course work is factored for calculating GPA including grades with F. Now I created excel calculator spread sheet and my cum grade point comes out to 2.9 PharmCas.

Thanks
Bunc

If you have checked with any schools where you will be applying, and courses from 2003 are too old, then take Gen Chem before moving on to Organic. You won't use every single thing you learned in Gen Chem, but a strong background definitely helps.

So take Chem 1, Bio 1, and Math for now. Then move on to your other courses. If you have anything less than a "C", retake those before moving on to higher level courses.

 

[joh0472]

Take Chem I again and pay close attention to electron orbitals and MO's. I would take physics with Chem because they actually work together and take a biology and math.

 

[bensupport]

wow, that was quick response from the community.

Last question, should I be concern with low gpa ?

 

[crazybob]

wow, that was quick response from the community.

Last question, should I be concern with low gpa ?

Of course. Make an effort to bring up your GPA as much as possible. Then focus on scoring as high as you can on the PCAT.

 

[phathead]

wow, that was quick response from the community.

Last question, should I be concern with low gpa ?

If some of your classes go back to 2003, you should just concentrating on retaking all the pre-reqs. You should have a shiny new GPA by the end

 

[Passion4Sci]

Don't neglect the possibility of using USN's academic forgiveness program if you're worried about the old classes coming back to haunt you, since the material is 6+ years old now.

We all grow up, and plans change. I'm 27 myself, and many posters here are also non-traditionals like you and me, so don't worry about that. The 2.9 cGPA can be bad, however if you're dedicated to improving it, you can and you can certainly get in.

That said... working full time and taking the classes at a CC will be a bad mixture, because a pharmacy school will want to see that you can handle a heavy upper-div. course load before admitting you. If your last experience with heavy coursework was a 2.9 cGPA in 2003ish, you won't be doing yourself any favors taking 9 units at a CC in proving that you've changed / whatever.

Have you considered a Stafford or Perkins unsub. loan to help w/ income so you don't need to work so much? I don't want to throw a wet blanket onto your plans by any means but a CC is a bad enough stigma to have on your transcript, and having only a couple classes every semester (even if they're As) will just not look competitive at all.

 

[pharm B]

You don't think the AdComs would look favorably on his taking coursework while working full time? If he were to get A's in these courses while also working, I think it would show that he can manage his time well.

Chem and Bio aren't the hardest courses, but it's not like he's taking just Speech and English and working full time.

 

[cascones92]

The first thing I recommend you do is go straight to the horses mouth and set up a meeting with a dean of admissions or at a minimum contact them to schools you are going to as opposed to just getting info from this forum (which is very helpful on certain things). That is exactly what I did and I pretty much laid it all out on the table: I was teaching high school chemistry at the time and quitting was not an option. So the dean asked me what I was going to do about the 24 hours of pre-reqs I had to take and I asked him if the University offered them during the evening. His response was no, and then he suggested a community college and the name of an advisor I needed to get in touch with at that CC. You see there are many posters on here who say going to CCs will be the death of you and the top tier Pharmacy Schools will not accept CC classes which is certainly true. My point is that for some schools that is not the case so find out whether that is true or not for the schools you are looking at. I left that meeting knowing I needed to get no lower than As and Bs in my pre-reqs, a PCAT score in the mid 80s, and some pharmacy experience would help (but not a must) in order to be competitive. I did everything he said and I just completed my first semester of Pharmacy School at KU. So we can let all those other posters who say that almost all of the "good" schools do not accept CC credits decided whether or not KU is one of those "good" schools or not. Good luck

 

[bensupport]

The reason I decide to proceed with cc is to get my feet wet until my course load increases which at that point I will look at alternative options.

My thoughts was to take following course at cc and then transfer to state college for upper division courses

Take at CC

Bio 1 Bio 2 Org 1 Physics
Chem 1 Chem 2 Org 2 human anatomy
Math Math math

While preparing for PCAT I will tranfer to state college and take

Microbiology
Genetics
etc.. some upper divison course

In addition to all I will volunteer and get some pharm experience.

Any suggestion on course load or my thoughts ?

 

[pharm B]

As said above, take Chem 1 again. Don't jump right into O-Chem.

 

[ASuw]

my suggestion is take chem1 , bio 1 , math1 right now. It is equally impo to increase your gpa. Completing all prereqs doesnt guarantee admission, gpa is a very important factor in admission.

I think its better to take few courses at a time and achieve good grades rather than burdening yourself with so many courses in less time and doing not as good.

 

[bensupport]

Correct me if I am wrong, PharmCas will calculate GPA based on any course pass or fail regardless when the course was taken ?

 

[pharm B]

I believe that's correct, but some schools will calculate their own version of your GPA after you've submitted. It's worth calling your school of choice to nail down the details.

 

[phathead]

You don't think the AdComs would look favorably on his taking coursework while working full time? If he were to get A's in these courses while also working, I think it would show that he can manage his time well.

Chem and Bio aren't the hardest courses, but it's not like he's taking just Speech and English and working full time.

I've been working about 35 hours a week and taking at least 16 credits a semester for 5 years... and from what I've been told it hadn't helped me in anyway

 

[pharm B]

Did you get a degree or two in that time? If not, that might be why.

 

[phathead]

Did you get a degree or two in that time? If not, that might be why.

Kinda hard to do a business degree in 4 years while taking all the pharmacy pre-reqs. So to answer your question... no lol

 

[docss26]

I've been working about 35 hours a week and taking at least 16 credits a semester for 5 years... and from what I've been told it hadn't helped me in anyway

That's rough. You are probably so used to it by now. Do you plan on working that much during pharmacy school?

 

[nicolemsm]

That's rough. You are probably so used to it by now. Do you plan on working that much during pharmacy school?

you better get rid of that gayyyyyyyyy icon or imma have to slap you......... that brand is soooo brozo... omg. you'll fit in perfect here with your famous stars and straps style

 

[bensupport]

Can someone direct me to typical pre-req competitive course schedule ?

I guess taking chem 1, Bio 1 , Math is not competitive especially at cc college while working 40 hours a week ( no one cares ) .

I will consider transferring to 4 year college for fall semester .

Thanks
B

 

[nicolemsm]

Can someone direct me to typical pre-req competitive course schedule ?

I guess taking chem 1, Bio 1 , Math is not competitive especially at cc college while working 40 hours a week ( no one cares ) .

I will consider transferring to 4 year college for fall semester .

Thanks
B

http://www.pharmacy.purdue.edu/academics/prepharm/curriculum.php

Here's a sample of a typical 2 yr plan. As long as you take 16+ credits it looks like a full load.

 

[docss26]

you better get rid of that gayyyyyyyyy icon or imma have to slap you......... that brand is soooo brozo... omg. you'll fit in perfect here with your famous stars and straps style

Lol, I thought it looked cool. I changed it, but not for you. 😀

 

[nicolemsm]

Lol, I thought it looked cool. I changed it, but not for you. 😀

lying through your teeth. (well the emoticon's)




NERD is legit though
-do you like their old or new material?

 

[docss26]

lying through your teeth. (well the emoticon's)




NERD is legit though
-do you like their old or new material?

Old material fa sho.