taking a year off

[mudkip]

Okay, this might come as an annoyance as I'm sure it's been asked before, so I'm sorry. I did do some search for stuff like this..

Anyway, I've nearly completed a B.S. in psychobiology at Binghamton University, but I hadn't decided on going to pharmacy until last semester. I have taken neither anatomy nor economics yet, I haven't started on my application, and I haven't registered for my pcats yet. Also, I won't be able to fit anatomy in until at least winter 2006.

So my question is, would it be wise to take pcats this fall, but then hold off on my application to pharm school until next fall? I have absolutely no pharmacy experience (although I work in a lab and I am an EMT), my gpa is only 3.1, and I am not expecting to do fabulous on the pcats. Or should I just go for it and try to apply for Fall 2007? Will applying and being rejected hurt me for if I apply again?

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[girl823]

Okay, this might come as an annoyance as I'm sure it's been asked before, so I'm sorry. I did do some search for stuff like this..

Anyway, I've nearly completed a B.S. in psychobiology at Binghamton University, but I hadn't decided on going to pharmacy until last semester. I have taken neither anatomy nor economics yet, I haven't started on my application, and I haven't registered for my pcats yet. Also, I won't be able to fit anatomy in until at least winter 2006.

So my question is, would it be wise to take pcats this fall, but then hold off on my application to pharm school until next fall? I have absolutely no pharmacy experience (although I work in a lab and I am an EMT), my gpa is only 3.1, and I am not expecting to do fabulous on the pcats. Or should I just go for it and try to apply for Fall 2007? Will applying and being rejected hurt me for if I apply again?

I think you should go ahead and take the pcat and apply for pharmacy schools. Applying more than once won't hurt you, it'll only help you cuz the admis. staff will see that you really are interested in pharmacy and determined to get in. Also taking PCAT early will help you get a feel of what the PCAT is like and help you better prepare for it in the future when/if you take it again.

 

[pharmacazoid]

Okay, this might come as an annoyance as I'm sure it's been asked before, so I'm sorry. I did do some search for stuff like this..

Anyway, I've nearly completed a B.S. in psychobiology at Binghamton University, but I hadn't decided on going to pharmacy until last semester. I have taken neither anatomy nor economics yet, I haven't started on my application, and I haven't registered for my pcats yet. Also, I won't be able to fit anatomy in until at least winter 2006.

So my question is, would it be wise to take pcats this fall, but then hold off on my application to pharm school until next fall? I have absolutely no pharmacy experience (although I work in a lab and I am an EMT), my gpa is only 3.1, and I am not expecting to do fabulous on the pcats. Or should I just go for it and try to apply for Fall 2007? Will applying and being rejected hurt me for if I apply again?

Well I think you should take the PCAT in october only if you've aleady taken at least organic I. I've noticed alot of people who have not taken this class do no do as well in the chemistry portion. However, if you are confident in the other areas - verbal, bio, and math than I say go for it - You can compensate for a weak area but ripping the others apart. If you've taken a look at the posted scores for the June PCAT you'll notice some people don't do particularly well in one area but do so well in the others that many still end up with a 90+ composite (myself included). Although you don't have any formal pharmacy experience if you can show (by way of your personal statement) how the skills you have learned working in a lab and as an EMT can be translated into pharmacy and/or how these skills can benefit your future carreer as a pharmacist than I think you'll do fine....Hope that helps....Best of luck

 

[RachGator]

You may want to test the waters by taking the PCAT and applying to 2 or 3 schools you are interested in. The application process is tedious and expensive, but missing a year making 100,000 is rough too.

 

[rxlynn]

Okay, this might come as an annoyance as I'm sure it's been asked before, so I'm sorry. I did do some search for stuff like this..

Anyway, I've nearly completed a B.S. in psychobiology at Binghamton University, but I hadn't decided on going to pharmacy until last semester. I have taken neither anatomy nor economics yet, I haven't started on my application, and I haven't registered for my pcats yet. Also, I won't be able to fit anatomy in until at least winter 2006.

So my question is, would it be wise to take pcats this fall, but then hold off on my application to pharm school until next fall? I have absolutely no pharmacy experience (although I work in a lab and I am an EMT), my gpa is only 3.1, and I am not expecting to do fabulous on the pcats. Or should I just go for it and try to apply for Fall 2007? Will applying and being rejected hurt me for if I apply again?

Well, I can say at least from the standpoint of you haven't started your applications yet, that's not such a big deal. I didn't decide until July last year that I was going to apply for 2006, so I didn't actually finish applications until around Thanksgiving. I spent the early fall exclusively studying for Oct. PCAT. You have plenty of time to do that. Also, you could always pick up the econ and possibly the anatomy at a CC - I took econ in winter quarter and speech in spring quarter. A lot of schools won't expect you to have every single prereq completed by the end of fall.