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Should I just give up?
Started by Pharmgirl90
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Retake any PR that you did badly in(C or lower). Do well in the rest of your classes to show an upward trend. Score high on the PCAT and apply broadly. The main thing is to get your GPA above the cutoffs for the schools you may apply for. A 2.4 might automatically disqualify your application.
A lot of applicants screw up their first 1 or 2 years when the go off to college.
A lot of applicants screw up their first 1 or 2 years when the go off to college.
I was in the same boat as you and ended up being accepted to four schools. Think I graduated with something like 130 credits or something, so it can be done 😉
http://www.iwanttobeapharmacist.com/2009/08/my-pharmacy-school-admissions-stats.html
http://www.iwanttobeapharmacist.com/2009/08/my-pharmacy-school-admissions-stats.html
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Hey Pharmgirl90,
Don't despair. I definitely know the feeling, been there done that all. I believe, that if being a pharmacist is what you really want then you should keep striving for your goal. I have failed my number of classes and had to retake, gone through times of depression, and felt like I would never get to where I wanted to be. Sometimes, the way that life works out is that you have to wait a little longer for the things you really want.
It took me 3 application cycles to even get an interview, but I don't regret it because I have had a chance to gain so much more real world experience. I am sure that going into pharmacy school, my background will be much better compared to a 20 year old. I applaud those who are able to get in when they are 20 years of age, but I have done so much growing up that I don't see myself as having failed for not getting in when I was 20 years old. In improving my application I have done so much for myself and my future. I actually feel that when I get out of pharmacy school I will have an advantage over those who entered pharmacy school when they were 20 year olds, since my background will play into the residencies and jobs that I apply for.
I also feel that part of growing up is finding out how we as individuals learn the best. I made the mistake of going to a big school for undergraduate and although, I didn't need anyone to hold my hand, I do so much better in a small learning environment. It made such a big difference for me not to be a number but a name to my professors. The encouragement and attention you are able to get from your peers and professors give you the extra motivation to give your all. You just have to figure out what works best for you!
Keep your head up high and as mentioned in the previous advice, if you didn't do well go back and retake it, do what you have to do to make it. Don't be discourage because of this bump in the road, but at the same time you must help yourself as well, because if you need the help then you should seek it before you get too lost and it becomes harder for you to get back on track.
Best of luck. You can PM me if want to know more of my story. I think I've already written too much here. 😉
Don't despair. I definitely know the feeling, been there done that all. I believe, that if being a pharmacist is what you really want then you should keep striving for your goal. I have failed my number of classes and had to retake, gone through times of depression, and felt like I would never get to where I wanted to be. Sometimes, the way that life works out is that you have to wait a little longer for the things you really want.
It took me 3 application cycles to even get an interview, but I don't regret it because I have had a chance to gain so much more real world experience. I am sure that going into pharmacy school, my background will be much better compared to a 20 year old. I applaud those who are able to get in when they are 20 years of age, but I have done so much growing up that I don't see myself as having failed for not getting in when I was 20 years old. In improving my application I have done so much for myself and my future. I actually feel that when I get out of pharmacy school I will have an advantage over those who entered pharmacy school when they were 20 year olds, since my background will play into the residencies and jobs that I apply for.
I also feel that part of growing up is finding out how we as individuals learn the best. I made the mistake of going to a big school for undergraduate and although, I didn't need anyone to hold my hand, I do so much better in a small learning environment. It made such a big difference for me not to be a number but a name to my professors. The encouragement and attention you are able to get from your peers and professors give you the extra motivation to give your all. You just have to figure out what works best for you!
Keep your head up high and as mentioned in the previous advice, if you didn't do well go back and retake it, do what you have to do to make it. Don't be discourage because of this bump in the road, but at the same time you must help yourself as well, because if you need the help then you should seek it before you get too lost and it becomes harder for you to get back on track.
Best of luck. You can PM me if want to know more of my story. I think I've already written too much here. 😉
The first thing you need to do is figure out why you're making Cs and failing classes. If you don't then you're wasting your time with retakes. Working too much? Partying? Poor study habits? Too heavy of a course load? If school isn't your #1 priority, it needs to be. If you can't make school your #1 priority (family, illness, etc.) then consider taking some time off until it can be.
I used to ask myself the same thing back when I was doing my pre-reqs. A pharmacist friend of mine told me, "If you don't think you're smart enough, try as hard as you possibly can for one semester. Study your ass off, don't slack. If you put in 110% and still don't to well, then pharmacy isn't for you."
Never give up girl!
I'm currently a junior in college right now and have 2 C's, but I've set my mind on getting nothing below a B anymore in any other classes that i take. School is #1 priority, especially for science students like us. it takes a lot of strong determination and concentration.
work hard, if any one else can do it, you can do it too.
good luck
I'm currently a junior in college right now and have 2 C's, but I've set my mind on getting nothing below a B anymore in any other classes that i take. School is #1 priority, especially for science students like us. it takes a lot of strong determination and concentration.
work hard, if any one else can do it, you can do it too.
good luck
I would honestly be a little concerned that you have failed organic chemistry twice. Once, sure, but twice shows that something is wrong in either your determination, study habits, or both. You need to fix it, because pharmacy school is much more demanding than undergraduate, and ad comms need to see that you can handle not only getting good grades in undergrad with a medium to heavy courseload, but at the same time either holding down a job/doing extra activites, volunteering, etc.
I would say if you do a complete 180, score well on the PCAT, and have a strong list of ECs, you have a shot. But if you're not willing to give 200%, you might be better off pursuing another career.
I would say if you do a complete 180, score well on the PCAT, and have a strong list of ECs, you have a shot. But if you're not willing to give 200%, you might be better off pursuing another career.
This is the main thing that Is bothering me..I won't lie, my study habits are very bad and I procrastinate a lot..I probably should've gotten at least a B in all of my prerequisites, but I didnt really take those classes as seriously as I should've..now it's coming back to haunt me..I feel that it might be a little too late to turn it all around.. 🙁 I'm taking Organic 1 again this summer in hopes of getting an A..do you guys have any tips or advice to give me for that?
If it's a summer class... be prepared to turn off pretty much everything in your life that isn't organic-related. I took O-chem I in the summer, and after 2 hours of lecture and 3 hours of lab every day, I found myself studying another 4-5 hours a night. I got through it fine, but it was a big investment. And in some respects, it kind of hindered me in Organic II because the pace was so quick - a lot of what I learned faded quickly and I had to relearn it the next semester, it just didn't sink in.
Outside of that - learn learn learn your reactions. I personally am bad at transformations, because I always forget the various reactions and reagents they require. If you can get those fixed in your head, it'll help a lot.
I think you need to figure out how to fix this before you even think about pharmacy school. I can tell you that if you're struggling with school this much in your pre-reqs because of poor study habits you're going to be royally screwed in pharm school. If you don't stay on top of your studies, you'll be in trouble in no time. It's not so much that it's difficult as it is that there's a LOT of it.
Get tutors if for no other reason than to keep you accountable to someone for studying regularly. Attend study groups, take advantage of any resources your schools has for struggling students. Fix this first, then think about grad school.
Thanks guys for the words of encouragement and advice! I really appreciate it!
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Don't give up, you should retake them seriously to get straight A.
I feel like I'm in a similar boat. My Overall GPA is ~3.1 but my University GPA is 2.4
I've raked up a strong load of C's in the past two years, and only a handful of Bs. I nailed a C in Micro, Cs in O-Chem 1 and 2, I've even earned a C in Calc 1, and biochem.
It's depressing and heartbreaking, but I'm hopefull that I can show a posative trend as I identify and correct my poor study habits.
The past two semesters I've picked up fairly well, though I'm utterly devistated at the presence of a D now on my transcript for Calc 2. I'm going to register to retake the course this summer at a CommCollege (1/10th the cost) and I'm set to retake micro as immunology/medical micro next semester.
At least I haven't given up.
I havent given up either. I got a 3.4 GPA this semester, but my CGpa is a 2.5. I have a BS degree already but in a liberal arts program. I wasnt able to find employment, so I went back to school part-time. I changed my major so many times, but I havent given up at all.
Dont give up whatever you do. Its people like us who will be the best in the field 🙂
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I don't agree with the generalized statement "It's people like us who will be the best in the field." Says who?
Look, OP. You have a long road ahead of you and I am going to tell you what I have told every pre professional student coming on here with "ZOMG my GPA is 2.X, will I get in?!": GET YOUR **** TOGETHER.
The woe is me, I made all these mistakes because of X and X will NOT help you. Everyone has a story. That's THEIR story, not yours. So anecdotal evidence only goes so far. If you are really having this kind of trouble with pre-reqs, imagine 8 classes in pharm school in addition to all the crap you have to do. Figure out what you are doing wrong first. Do your study habits suck? Are you lazy? Do you go to class? you need to be asking yourself these questions. What works for some people might not work for you. But, regardless, you need to work on your approach to school before you even think about the next step. I don't mean to kick you when you are down but, if you really want this, stay motivated and do what you gotta do. Lots of us did that and did just fine but we all had different paths. You need to figure out yours for yourself. Good luck.
Look, OP. You have a long road ahead of you and I am going to tell you what I have told every pre professional student coming on here with "ZOMG my GPA is 2.X, will I get in?!": GET YOUR **** TOGETHER.
The woe is me, I made all these mistakes because of X and X will NOT help you. Everyone has a story. That's THEIR story, not yours. So anecdotal evidence only goes so far. If you are really having this kind of trouble with pre-reqs, imagine 8 classes in pharm school in addition to all the crap you have to do. Figure out what you are doing wrong first. Do your study habits suck? Are you lazy? Do you go to class? you need to be asking yourself these questions. What works for some people might not work for you. But, regardless, you need to work on your approach to school before you even think about the next step. I don't mean to kick you when you are down but, if you really want this, stay motivated and do what you gotta do. Lots of us did that and did just fine but we all had different paths. You need to figure out yours for yourself. Good luck.
Wait a few years where there will be over 9000 pharmacy schools all opened up ready to take your mon...I mean admit students, you will be able to get in easy with ur GPA
over nine thousaaaand!!!
Thank You, rxlea! I'm always surprised by the amount of handholding that some posters seem to crave when people have pretty lackluster GPA's, yet they question whether or not they can get into pharmacy school.
Yes, it is possible. However, if you have a 2.5 GPA, making C's in your pre-reqs ... There comes a point where you need to think whether or not pharmacy (or any professional career) is really for you. There are some SDN'ers (phathead for instance) who struggled early in their college careers, I had a year of 0.7 GPA when I was coming out, but we got their **** together and turned it around. Therefore, it is possible.
Having said that, if you expect to do the same thing that you've done for 2 years and get accepted to pharmacy school, it's not going to happen. Not by a long shot.
Failing Organic Chemistry twice is going to be an EPIC hurdle. Retaking the class may not be enough. You will probably have to take an additional class in the area to show that you can handle the material. If you're willing to do the work, score well on the PCAT, and have the experience in pharmacy to show that you are genuinely interested in the field ... You'll probably have a chance. Not a great chance, but a chance none the less.
You have a B.S. in a liberal arts program? That seems a bit... counterintuitive? lol.
And to the OP:
I had a GPA sub 3.0 (down to 2.69 at one point) for most of my college career, but got it up to ~3.2 by the end of it. It's possible. But it was A LOT of hard work. If hard work isn't your thing, what you're working for isn't important enough to you or you need to seriously consider making hard work your thing by changing your behavior.
All that said... good luck, I wish you the best.
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That is a very inspiring post! Thanks HmoobRx!
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