Stressed

[Samantha1234]

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I just finished my junior year of undergrad and I want to apply to pharmacy school this cycle. I am scared that I don't have a chance. I have a pretty decent GPA (3.95) but I haven't taken the PCAT yet. I am registered to take it in September but I feel like I don't have enough time to study. I work full time as a student researcher for two of my professors in a molecular neuroscience research lab at my school so I spend a lot of time at the lab. I don't have any pharmacy experience so I know that will reflect negatively. I'm not sure if I should even apply this year or take a gap year. What do I need to do to get into pharmacy school and what should I am for on the PCAT? Should I take a year off just to gain some experience in a pharmacy? Please help because I am freaking out!

 

[Jibby321]

Take the PCAT and apply. Just apply to your state public universities. 75+ on PCAT is ideal for in state. What state are you in?

 

[Samantha1234]

.

 

[Samantha1234]

Take the PCAT and apply. Just apply to your state public universities. 75+ on PCAT is ideal for in state. What state are you in?

Illinois. How much studying is needed to get that high of score on the PCAT I will try to make myself a schedule

 

[demihope]

troll post to not get in with a 3.95 you would have to get like a PCAT well under 40

 

[oldstock]

troll post to not get in with a 3.95 you would have to get like a PCAT well under 40

Prob a troll.

 

[Samantha1234]

Prob a troll.

No I'm being serious........

 

[Samantha1234]

Prob a troll.

I'm bad at standardized testing

 

[oldstock]

please do not feed the troll !!

 

[vasoolraja]

I just finished my junior year of undergrad and I want to apply to pharmacy school this cycle. I am scared that I don't have a chance. I have a pretty decent GPA (3.95) but I haven't taken the PCAT yet. I am registered to take it in September but I feel like I don't have enough time to study. I work full time as a student researcher for two of my professors in a molecular neuroscience research lab at my school so I spend a lot of time at the lab. I don't have any pharmacy experience so I know that will reflect negatively. I'm not sure if I should even apply this year or take a gap year. What do I need to do to get into pharmacy school and what should I am for on the PCAT? Should I take a year off just to gain some experience in a pharmacy? Please help because I am freaking out!

Like Jibby 321 mentioned, take the PCAT first. I don't think you should take a year off to get pharmacy experience. If you have a solid PCAT score, then you don't necessarily need any pharmacy experience. If you can shadow a pharmacist that will be good enough. I did not have any pharmacy experience. I just shadowed a couple of pharmacists and got accepted. Your research experience would be impressive on your resume. Research is always an important component of any pharmacy program, so if you can mention about your research experience and how your future interests are relevant to the field of pharmacy (such as drug development and so on), in your personal statement, it would make a good impression. Regarding PCAT preparation, spend a couple of hours everyday and when you are close to the exam, take a few days off from work and take the mock tests from Pearson. That should take care of the PCAT! Hope this helps!

 

[Samantha1234]

Like Jibby 321 mentioned, take the PCAT first. I don't think you should take a year off to get pharmacy experience. If you have a solid PCAT score, then you don't necessarily need any pharmacy experience. If you can shadow a pharmacist that will be good enough. I did not have any pharmacy experience. I just shadowed a couple of pharmacists and got accepted. Your research experience would be impressive on your resume. Research is always an important component of any pharmacy program, so if you can mention about your research experience and how your future interests are relevant to the field of pharmacy (such as drug development and so on), in your personal statement, it would make a good impression. Regarding PCAT preparation, spend a couple of hours everyday and when you are close to the exam, take a few days off from work and take the mock tests from Pearson. That should take care of the PCAT! Hope this helps!

Thank you so much! I have shadowed a couple pharmacists before so I will try to get more experience that way. I will try to fit a couple hours of studying in everyday to prepare. I just bought Dr.Collins study guide and chad videos so hopefully those will help. Thank you again for your response!

 

[Jibby321]

troll post to not get in with a 3.95 you would have to get like a PCAT well under 40

Ill have to disagree with this. Now while PCAT and GPA don't make up your application completely collectively it is still a pretty big part. Sure a 3.95 gpa is great but if you can't do well on the PCAT then what did you learn to earn that GPA? If you can't get a decent score 70+ on the PCAT then what did you learn in undergrad? Just my 2 cents

 

[oldstock]

Ill have to disagree with this. Now while PCAT and GPA don't make up your application completely collectively it is still a pretty big part. Sure a 3.95 gpa is great but if you can't do well on the PCAT then what did you learn to earn that GPA? If you can't get a decent score 70+ on the PCAT then what did you learn in undergrad? Just my 2 cents

very well said !!

a monkey playing drums on the keyboard at the PCAT test center would get more than 50 percentile imho. But 40 percentile ?? that is still actually an excellent score compared to 20's with which people get in pharmacy schools and sub 3.0's GPA these days obviously ( http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/are-my-stats-a-joke.1073232/#post-15268419 )

But that is not even those people's faults. That is the result when we have too many opening/new schools. Schools cannot afford to be choosy as they have to pay their bills too 🙂

 

[demihope]

Ill have to disagree with this. Now while PCAT and GPA don't make up your application completely collectively it is still a pretty big part. Sure a 3.95 gpa is great but if you can't do well on the PCAT then what did you learn to earn that GPA? If you can't get a decent score 70+ on the PCAT then what did you learn in undergrad? Just my 2 cents

Setting the bar much to high with a 3.95 and an average PCAT score *assuming you don't completely blow your interview* you will absolutely get accepted somewhere.

 

[demihope]

also people forget 50% is a perfect average so 40% ranged is just slightly below average

 

[Jibby321]

also people forget 50% is a perfect average so 40% ranged is just slightly below average

Maybe I am not understanding this. 50% is a perfect average?

Also to your above post I am telling OP he/she wants at least 70+ if they want to get into a good school. One with history and is reputable. Top 10 or 15?

 

[oldstock]

Maybe I am not understanding this. 50% is a perfect average?

Also to your above post I am telling OP he/she wants at least 70+ if they want to get into a good school. One with history and is reputable. Top 10 or 15?

Ill have to disagree with this. Now while PCAT and GPA don't make up your application completely collectively it is still a pretty big part. Sure a 3.95 gpa is great but if you can't do well on the PCAT then what did you learn to earn that GPA? If you can't get a decent score 70+ on the PCAT then what did you learn in undergrad? Just my 2 cents

Demihope, I think you totally missed Jibby's point about " Sure a 3.95 gpa is great but if you can't do well on the PCAT then what did you learn to earn that GPA? If you can't get a decent score 70+ on the PCAT then what did you learn in undergrad?" 🙂

also people forget 50% is a perfect average so 40% ranged is just slightly below average

Jibby, I think he might be right about 50 percentile being the perfect avg as these days people got in with sub 20 percentile on the PCAT and sub 3.0's GPA (see this link http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/are-my-stats-a-joke.1073232/#post-15268419 ).

So 50 percentile is, indeed, an excellent score in comparison !! 🙂

 

[KidPharmD]

Maybe I am not understanding this. 50% is a perfect average?

Also to your above post I am telling OP he/she wants at least 70+ if they want to get into a good school. One with history and is reputable. Top 10 or 15?

Yes, a 50th percentile means you scored better than half and less than half of the people that took the exam. Which should mean, given normally distribution, you scored right on the mean test score (a perfectly average score). However, given the number of people who take the PCAT every year, most good schools prefer you to score in the 70th percentile or better.

 

[Jibby321]

Yes, a 50th percentile means you scored better than half and less than half of the people that took the exam. Which should mean, given normally distribution, you scored right on the mean test score (a perfectly average score). However, given the number of people who take the PCAT every year, most good schools prefer you to score in the 70th percentile or better.

Ahhh bell shaped curve. However IMO a 50% is bad.

 

[blueheron]

Ahhh bell shaped curve. However IMO a 50% is bad.

Yeah, what happened to wanting the top 1/3 of students (>70th)? Too many schools with dollar signs in their eyes I guess, and too many students too desperate to realize.

 

[KidPharmD]

Yeah, what happened to wanting the top 1/3 of students (>70th)? Too many schools with dollar signs in their eyes I guess, and too many students too desperate to realize.

Many top schools still want the top students. Most of the schools on the first couple of pages of US news rankings have those higher minimum PCAT scores. There are a lot more mid and low tier schools, and it would make sense for those to take mid and low tier students.