Should I care more about School reputation or Naplex Pass Rate when deciding?

[DrillSynchron]

How important is school reputation? Will it affect my chances for residency or job applications? Thanks

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[LoveWillSaveTheDay]

How important is school reputation? Will it affect my chances for residency or job applications? Thanks

Naplex!!!!!!!! The new schools have a somewhat bad rep because a lot of them are cash cows but the new ones with high Naplex pass rates show that they have a good curriculum and that they prepare their students well.....

But I see where you're coming from. Def don't want an employer to overlook you based on if it's a new school or not.

Also depends on your area too, tho but this is just my opinion

 

[cakezyum]

I wouldn't depend solely on NAPLEX because the school can just teach you to prepare for NAPLEX. If I were you, I would definitely look at the graduation statistics and see how many students got a job lined up. In addition, looking at the residency stats is just as important if you plan to go PGY-1. Another thing I would look at is the school's alumni pool because it'll be easier for you to network. Of course, the reputation is crucial too because during your rotations, the manager can be biased on choosing a student who they worked with at that school is better than the other school. In the end, it's all about networking but old school has a better name and alumni thus, gives you a better chance to land a job.

 

[DrillSynchron]

I wouldn't depend solely on NAPLEX because the school can just teach you to prepare for NAPLEX. If I were you, I would definitely look at the graduation statistics and see how many students got a job lined up. In addition, looking at the residency stats is just as important if you plan to go PGY-1. Another thing I would look at is the school's alumni pool because it'll be easier for you to network. Of course, the reputation is crucial too because during your rotations, the manager can be biased on choosing a student who they worked with at that school is better than the other school. In the end, it's all about networking but old school has a better name and alumni thus, gives you a better chance to land a job.

Where can I find that information? Do they make all those stats public? I've only seen Naplex Pass Rate, but nothing really about students getting jobs lined up, residency status, etc...

 

[cakezyum]

Where can I find that information? Do they make all those stats public? I've only seen Naplex Pass Rate, but nothing really about students getting jobs lined up, residency status, etc...

Honestly, it's hard to find it on the school's website but what I usually do was to google it like "UCSF pharmacy graduation statistics outcomes". Note that not all schools will post grad stats but I noticed that the schools that gave out these kind of information are quite genuine.

 

[Neurotonin]

Google search "PharmD Quality Indicators". You should consider a school's NAPLEX pass rate, graduation rate, residency rate, and graduate employment rate when researching pharmacy schools.
NAPLEX pass rate: Indicates a school's capability of teaching the pharmacy curriculum well.
Graduation rate: Indicates the caliber of your cohort. Many of the new schools have deplorable GPA/PCAT statistics and hence, poorer quality students.
Residency Rate: Subtly indicates the schools reputation among hospitals and companies. Really competitive.
Employment rate: Not every college post this, but if they don't then that means that not a lot of their graduates get job offers a few months after graduating.
Hope this helps!

 

[DrillSynchron]

Google search "PharmD Quality Indicators". You should consider a school's NAPLEX pass rate, graduation rate, residency rate, and graduate employment rate when researching pharmacy schools.
NAPLEX pass rate: Indicates a school's capability of teaching the pharmacy curriculum well.
Graduation rate: Indicates the caliber of your cohort. Many of the new schools have deplorable GPA/PCAT statistics and hence, poorer quality students.
Residency Rate: Subtly indicates the schools reputation among hospitals and companies. Really competitive.
Employment rate: Not every college post this, but if they don't then that means that not a lot of their graduates get job offers a few months after graduating.
Hope this helps!

Thank you- that helps a lot! Better start doing some research!

 

[Neurotonin]

Typing" Pharmacy School Quality Indicators" might also yield relevant results.
You should consider a college's curriculum and mission as secondary factors. Some colleges emphasize scientific research while others on patient care.

 

[okaytran]

NAPLEX scores are not as important as you think. It is a minimum competency test that shows you have adequate skills to practice as a pharmacist. If you're looking towards residency you should consider school reputation. This isn't to say that you can brag about the school, but that the schools usually have reputations for a reason. What more well established institutions can do for you is offer you greater opportunities to work with, shadow, intern for, etc. some of the best pharmacists in their respective fields. Gaining experience is tons more valuable that being able to pass a competency test. The students that fail the NAPLEX are usually the students that ride through pharmacy school with C's. Choose a school not based off of their rank reputation, but their ability to give you opportunities and get your foot in the door. Having Harvard (I know they don't have a pharmacy school so that's why I'm using it as an example) PharmD or as a student will boost your ability to get an internship or incur that initial respect when meeting a new health professional more than ITT Tech, even if Harvard's program has only an 85% NAPLEX rate. If you put in the effort to learn at any pharmacy institution, you'll pass the NAPLEX, but not any institution will give you the experiences that you require to be a well rounded pharmacy candidate.

 

[Apples2Oranges]

You haven't considered location. You may be in the 'top 10' pharm school but if you're in the middle of nowhere with few networking opportunities and rotation sites, you're outta luck. If you're in a super saturated area, highly doubt the school rep matters when all of you have gone to UCSF/UCSD pharm. There's not much to differentiate everyone. Even in medicine, most med students have to move somewhere else for residency.

Also, consider price. A pharmD is a pharmD for the most part unless you want to pursue a residency. Would I choose USCF over UMD/UK just cause it is ranked slightly higher? Heck no. There's a HUGE difference between $200k and $70-100k loans on tuition alone.

NAPLEX is insignificant to you unless your school is notorious for its weak program. Your experience during school is much more important.
I would choose a student who has worked or interned during school at a lesser name-brand school than a student who did nothing throughout their pharmacy school career at a top 5 school.

 

[Amicable Angora]

School reputation is first and foremost. You may question a school if it's pass rates are significantly lower than the norm.