Should I try to get a letter from a pharmacist?

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rs37982

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Before you answer the obvious yes, let me explain my situation.

Last year I applied to University of Texas only with a top-notch GPA and PCAT, decent interview, but no pharmacy experience and got rejected.

This year, as a backup, I'm applying to pretty much all the major pharm schools in Texas (TT, Houston, A&M), but UT is still my top choice.

Since last year, I've gotten volunteer experience in a hospital pharmacy, but because the volunteer program is run there, you don't really get much contact with an actual Pharm.D (pharm techs, yes, but not actual pharmacists). I've reached out to one of the pharmacists and shadowed him and chatted with him a few times, but when I asked if he was willing to write me LOR, he said he was uncomfortable because he hasn't observed me work and couldn't write much about me. So, in the end, I was unable to get a LOR from a pharmacist. I got two from my Ochem and Biochem professors, and a 3rd from my volunteer supervisor who I DO work for, but isn't a pharmacist.

Now, University of Houston requires a letter from a pharmacist, but I applied anyway. They just called me telling me it was a requirement, and asked if I could get a letter by the deadline (Dec. 2). That's a little over a week from now, and I highly doubt: a) I could reach out to the same pharmacist I spoke to and him be willing to write one in a week, or b) I could get a pharm tech job by then (which I'm trying right now, btw) and have a pharmacist write me one after knowing me no more than a few days. I'm wondering if it's a lost cause to attempt finding a LOR from a pharmacist at this point, especially because the deadline is so close.

The thing is, University of Houston is only intended to be a backup and is not my first choice. I really really feel I will get into UT this year (and if I don't, I'll have TT or A&M as backups as well), and if I get a pharm tech job by the winter break (which I WILL mark my words!), then I can talk about my experiences in the interview, which will only help further. My GPA is 3.83, and is expected to rise after this semester. My PCAT score is 95% composite. I have over 60 hours and counting of pharmacy volunteering experience, as well as a couple shadowing experiences. I will have a bachelor's degree by the time I enter. I hope to have a pharm. tech job by the time I do my interview. And I'm reapplying for the second time. I really think I could get into UT this year, or even TT or A&M.

The question is, should I bother trying to find a letter for UofH, or should I just give up on this school and put my hopes in the other three?

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I'm not keen on giving up a school no matter how confident you are about the other schools you applied to but you do seem out of options. Can you ask them for an extension due to some "employer" difficulties?
 
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