Some ADVICE Please...

[Brandie28]

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Hey everyone🙂...I just wanted to see if I could get some advice from you all. I am trying to figure out what I will do if I don't get into pharmacy this year (for Fall 08). I basically have 3 options...1 is to get my degree in biology or chemistry (which to me seems like a useless degree I have no idea what I would do with it except put it on my application/resume to look better). The second option is to apply to nursing school (but I am afraid I won't be happy, I don't really know) or the third option is to just retake the 2 science classes I have C's in and maybe take some other science courses and work. I just hate wasting my time if I am not going to get in you know, its expensive and I need to get a job that has a decent pay soon. But its like pharmacy is the only thing that really motivates me. Nursing interests me too but I am not sure if I would like it or not. I have done some shadowing and I loved working on the peds floor at the hospital. Anyway...any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks for listening!!🙂

 

[binghamkid]

My advice would be to go ahead and finish your degree (make sure you do very well in your courses). On the side, I would enroll in a CC to retake the prereqs which you didn't do as well in. Assuming your GPA is the weakest portion of your application, it will do a lot to boost it. A four-year degree means a lot more than just a degree. It means you've completed a challenging four-year curriculum which teaches you to think and act on a entirely different level (theoretically). The pharmacy school admissions do recognize that fact. It's no coincidence that 75% of my class has a 4-year degree (at least).

Most importantly, don't give up. If pharmacy is really what you want to do, then go for it =) Money is a small consideration in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Happy Hounds]

I agree with Binghamkid about finishing your degree. One thing to consider: If you don't get into pharmacy school, if you make appointments with the deans or assistant deans of each school, they will usually tell you where you were weak on your application and will give plain advice on whether you would be a good candidate in the future. Basically, they'll be honest about whether you have any chance of getting in next year based on making some changes. Most universities are good about reviewing past applicants favorably, paying close attention to what they did in the interim between applications.

Retaking 2 classes shouldn't set you too far off your degree plan. Most likely, pharmacy school admissions boards will like to see you working towards a degree unless you already have one (it just might take 1 extra semester.) And yes, a single piece of paper saying you finished your 4-year plan is worth much more than having done 3 or 3 and a half years of college work total.

 

[Brandie28]

Thank you guys for your input. I am just so depressed right now because I did horrible on the PCAT and I don't know what to do. I work as a tech and I love my job and I really want to become a pharmacist but I am not sure if I will ever get in now. So I don't know if I should just settle for nursing.

 

[candita505]

Thank you guys for your input. I am just so depressed right now because I did horrible on the PCAT and I don't know what to do. I work as a tech and I love my job and I really want to become a pharmacist but I am not sure if I will ever get in now. So I don't know if I should just settle for nursing.

Don't ever settle for anything! If you do, you'll constantly be wondering if you made the right decision. I first thought about going to pharmacy school when I graduated high school and then again a few years ago, and now I'm actually applying. I tried to be happy in the jobs that I had (in banking and insurance) and really put some effort into making that my career, but ultimately I knew I would be settling. I'm 27 and it took me a while to figure it out, but I know that pharmacy is what I want to do so I'm working towards it. It meant some extra work for me (I had a few pre-reqs to take) and full semesters of college taking THREE lab sciences and working while doing it, but I did it and you can too. Now I just have to get accepted!

But anyway, don't settle for something. This is your life! You deserve to do what makes you happy... remember, you'll be working probably for another 40+ years... so it's worth the investment of a few years now to ensure your happiness for the rest of those years! You can take the PCAT again, especially if you still have some schooling left before you apply... Just study hard and learn the material... and above all, try not to get discouraged!

Good luck! 🙂

 

[Brandie28]

Thank you...very motivating!

 

[Happy Hounds]

And about the PCAT

1. Schools love to see improvement! So go ahead and study hard and try the January test--many schools will accept scores from January but will delay the interviews until a bit later in the spring semester.

2. Better yet, talk to an advisor at each school you want to apply to, and ask if they accept January scores. A late high score is better than an early low score.

3. Don't despair--if you want to retake the PCAT, work with an advisor to plan a strategic approach to address your weak spots. This may involve doing specialty review courses or buying lots of review books, but it should always involve tons of practice tests.

4. Finally, keep in mind that PCAT scores aren't everything. Many universities are looking for humanists as students, not 4.0 academic snob robots, so play up anything you do that shows caring and passion. It's not only beneficial for your application process, it's much more motivating to you to continue working towards compassion-related goals than numerically driven ones.

Remember, it's normal to feel like crap when you get a bad score on something you tried your best at. Go ahead and take a few days to work through those feelings, then refocus, and make a plan to move forward in a specific direction to reach your goals.

All the best~

 

[Brandie28]

Thank you very much for all of your input! 🙂