Should I consider applying this year?

[LoneCoyote]

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Hey everyone,

This is a great forum and I have learned a lot reading here the past few weeks. I was hoping that you might be able to give me some advice about applying to pharmacy school. Here is my situation... I have 2 bachelor's degrees, one in humanities that I got as a traditional undergrad, and one in biology that I just got after deciding I wanted to switch to the sciences. I have pretty much been pre-med most of the way through the second degree, and while I am still considering medicine, I am really starting to question whether I want the MD lifestyle, hours, etc. I am very interested in public health/policy and am thinking the PharmD might be an interesting, and quicker way to my goals. I am planning to try to get involved with a pharmacy either as a job or volunteering to make sure this is really the path for me... but in case it is I want to be prepared to apply if I can for 2004.

I am a California resident and would prefer to stay in the state for the next round of schooling. My GPA and science GPA is a 3.9, I have volunteered in a hospital in a low income neighborhood and a hospice for 1.5 years, done research in ecology and toxicology labs, and have a bunch of other activities like varsity sports and community service from my 1st degree. The problem is when I look at the PharmD requirements I have not taken several of them... economics, public speaking, or microbiology. I have taken animal physiology but no human anatomy.

My question is is it possible to apply without these requirements, especially the non-science ones? UCSF seemed to have the most lax requirements and that would be my top choice.

My second question is that while I have volunteered in clinical settings I obviously have no pharmacy experience. I am going to try to remedy that this coming summer/year but would it be bad to apply with only a few months of pharmacy experience? Would it hurt me to apply later, like September to have more pharmacy experience?

Finally, since I am still undecided, would it be a bad thing to apply to both medical and pharmacy schools at the same time, especially since some of the schools might overlap, ie USC, UCSD, and UCSF (if my MCAT is good enough)? Could the schools find out I am applying to both and, if so, would that be looked down upon?

Thanks a lot for reading this and for any suggestion 🙂

 

[Kovox]

1. You may apply without taking all of the pre-req, as long as you fininsh those required classes before the start of classes.

2. You don't necessarily need pharmacy experience to apply. I had none, applied, and was accepted. Although, you might be asked why you'd want to go into pharmacy and if you're experienced any thing of the sort in your activities.

3. As long as you don't tell them, they will not know.

 

[phar]

Originally posted by azpremed
Hey everyone,

This is a great forum and I have learned a lot reading here the past few weeks. I was hoping that you might be able to give me some advice about applying to pharmacy school. Here is my situation... I have 2 bachelor's degrees, one in humanities that I got as a traditional undergrad, and one in biology that I just got after deciding I wanted to switch to the sciences. I have pretty much been pre-med most of the way through the second degree, and while I am still considering medicine, I am really starting to question whether I want the MD lifestyle, hours, etc. I am very interested in public health/policy and am thinking the PharmD might be an interesting, and quicker way to my goals. I am planning to try to get involved with a pharmacy either as a job or volunteering to make sure this is really the path for me... but in case it is I want to be prepared to apply if I can for 2004.

I am a California resident and would prefer to stay in the state for the next round of schooling. My GPA and science GPA is a 3.9, I have volunteered in a hospital in a low income neighborhood and a hospice for 1.5 years, done research in ecology and toxicology labs, and have a bunch of other activities like varsity sports and community service from my 1st degree. The problem is when I look at the PharmD requirements I have not taken several of them... economics, public speaking, or microbiology. I have taken animal physiology but no human anatomy.

My question is is it possible to apply without these requirements, especially the non-science ones? UCSF seemed to have the most lax requirements and that would be my top choice.

My second question is that while I have volunteered in clinical settings I obviously have no pharmacy experience. I am going to try to remedy that this coming summer/year but would it be bad to apply with only a few months of pharmacy experience? Would it hurt me to apply later, like September to have more pharmacy experience?

Finally, since I am still undecided, would it be a bad thing to apply to both medical and pharmacy schools at the same time, especially since some of the schools might overlap, ie USC, UCSD, and UCSF (if my MCAT is good enough)? Could the schools find out I am applying to both and, if so, would that be looked down upon?

Thanks a lot for reading this and for any suggestion 🙂

just want to give you some heads up....

I applied to both md and pharmd. Luckily got accepted to both.

Pharmacy is a great profession and i have more respect for pharmd profession than md profession.

Maybe, i might just end up pursuing pharmd after md.

 

[Modnar]

Originally posted by azpremed
My question is is it possible to apply without these requirements, especially the non-science ones? UCSF seemed to have the most lax requirements and that would be my top choice.

That depends on where you want to go. Some schools don't mind if you don't have the exact non-science stuff they ask for. Others get really picky. Talk to someone at the schools you're interested in. They'd know better than we would.

My second question is that while I have volunteered in clinical settings I obviously have no pharmacy experience. I am going to try to remedy that this coming summer/year but would it be bad to apply with only a few months of pharmacy experience? Would it hurt me to apply later, like September to have more pharmacy experience?

I think a little bit of experience would be better than none, but again, it kinda depends on the school. Do you have experience in other areas of health care? If you do, you could tell them about how that shaped your decision to become a pharmacist. As someone said in another thread, you want to show that you've thought this through and that pharmacy is more than just a whim for you.

Finally, since I am still undecided, would it be a bad thing to apply to both medical and pharmacy schools at the same time, especially since some of the schools might overlap, ie USC, UCSD, and UCSF (if my MCAT is good enough)? Could the schools find out I am applying to both and, if so, would that be looked down upon?

I can't imagine them finding out unless you told them. This will, of course, depend on how much inter-departmental communication goes on at the school. For example, at my alma mater the pharm school and the med school are on separate campuses, so no one would know if you applied to both.

Good luck, whatever you decide! 🙂

 

[Triangulation]

When I volunteered at the ucsf in-patient pharm one of the pharmD residents applied to med school didn't get in, then applied to pharm school and med school was accepted to both and chose pharmacy. It certainly can be done, but a lot of schools do ask you if you're applying to med school on their application, and they could easily find out. I know at ucsf they applicaiton committee stays until midnight for months culling the applicants and reviewing their files after the i.v.'s (a 2nd year at ucsf told me that's why they get so PO'd at people who don't respond or who decline after acceptance) I'd advise being honest about it if formally asked. If you've got a well-reasoned rationale, which you should have anyway, then you should be fine.

 

[Triangulation]

oh yeah and apply this year. Take the chance, you'll get in.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Thank you for all the responses 🙂 I will definitely give UCSF and some of the other schools a call about the prereqs and see what they have to say.

 

[Triangulation]

Call James Betbeze. He's the admissions coordinator at ucsf.

415-476-2733
[email protected]

He also wrote me a really pissy letter when I didn't reply to their admissions offer. hahahahah

He's a good guy though.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Triangulation,

Thanks for the UCSF info. I will give the guy a call this week 🙂 Also, if I may ask, how did you get involved with the UCSF in-patient pharmacy volunteering? Did you contact the pharmacy directly or did you go through Volunteer Services office? Thanks.

 

[Triangulation]

Volunteer Services

It's in M914 (Moffitt Hospital 9th Floor)
Vicki Klee-something is the coordinator. She's really cool. It's this non-descript little room.

Get started early bc you have to have a crap load of immunizations taken care of.

 

[LoneCoyote]

Originally posted by Triangulation
Volunteer Services

It's in M914 (Moffitt Hospital 9th Floor)
Vicki Klee-something is the coordinator. She's really cool. It's this non-descript little room.

Get started early bc you have to have a crap load of immunizations taken care of.

Thanks, I will get on it. 🙂 I just had to do all that stuff in Tucson in January for my volunteering but I am sure I will have to do it all again since the TB thing seems to expire very quickly.

 

[Triangulation]

It's worth it just for all the free candy they've got in there😉