Torn apart and confused, can you guys please help?

[sportsplayer24]

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Well this is the problem with me right now. I am at the University of Houston, I went in as a pre-dental student and I've gotten about 50 hrs of shadowing down with a Dentist. I've gotten about 50-70 hrs of hospital volunteering done. I am now going to be a sophomore this upcoming year. Well heres where I got torn apart. I started working at CVS as a summer time gig as a cashier in the front, the pharmacy in the back started needing some help so I started to go back there and helping. I've enjoyed working back there, its a fun environment to work in, and I've gotten to really enjoy helping people find the medicine, and talk to the pharmacist about random things. And now this October I'm taking the Pharmacy Tech exam, where if I pass, which I should, I would get hired there as an actual pharmacy tech. I've gotten to really enjoy doing this, and I must admit I am now thinking about switching my major to prepharm. And getting out of the undergraduate Sociology major. My GPA currently stands at a 3.0 and I've only taken basic classes nothing hard so this should be a problem at all, as I've gotten classes like history, english etc. etc out of the way. Now can someone give me a GPA target to get it around? How about the PCAT? What kind of math is on there? And can someone tell me how my schedule is going to work out for me ?

fall 08
Bio 1 + lab and a bunch of core university classes

spring 09
bio 2+ lab and a bunch of core classes again

summer 09
chem 1 and chem 2 + lab at my university

fall 09
calc1
organo 1
elementary bio + lab


spring 10
organo 2
general physics
math reasoning


what do you guys think about that?

I'll have at least 2 yrs of work experience, 100+ hrs of volunteering, and research.

And how is the application? Like for example for dental school I have to apply at the end of my junior year and ill know if i get in or not first semester senior year. Is it different for pharm school? please tell me you apply after your done with everything?

 

[SexyPlexi]

Just start with your science classes and give that decision a little more time.

As for the rest...GPA - well do the BEST you can obviously! I shoot for a 4.0 and make ~3.65. So try to get all As of course!

PCAT - again the best you can. The scores are percentile so 80-99 is competitive for most schools. Let's see...math on PCAT is precalc, some calc, and algebra mostly (someone verify this - I have not taken it yet!)

Your schedule...you might be able to do Bio I with Lab and Chem I with Lab together. You just CAN'T take Chem I and Chem II together...Chem I is a prereq for Chem II. Besides you would lose your mind taking Chem II without Chem I...especially together over the summer. You NEED a solid chemistry foundation to go into Organic Chem and even for pharmacy school. I might suggest that you spread out your core classes some more and do about 2 harder classes a semester:

This is how I did mine (Chem I was a prereq for Bio I at my school so I couldn't take Bio the first semester)
**Sprinkle in your core classes 🙂

Fall
Calc I
Chem I
Chem I Lab

Spring
Chem II
Chem II Lab
Bio I
Bio II Lab

*adding this for you
Summer
Math Reasoning

Take PCAT

Fall
(Retake PCAT IF you need to)
Apply to schools (Can start in July actually - you have until the schools deadline ~Jan or so **CHECK**)
Bio II
Bio II Lab
Org Chem I
Org Chem I Lab

Spring
Org Chem II
Org Chem II Lab
Physics I
Physics I Lab



Don't worry too much! It's scary at first and I did the same thing...I planned EVERY detail. It will all work out though. Just work hard and do your very best. Keep your eye on the prize! You don't REALLY need to know until next summer if you want to be a dentist or a pharmacist. Keep getting experience at both and keep your mind open. 🙂

 

[bullsfan1986]

I think youre fine. If you enjoy being in the pharmacy more than you did shadowing a dentist/working in a hospital, I think you should pursue it. Word of wisdom: unlike what sexilexi said, don't take the pcat before taking at least orgo 1. You will do much better on the chemistry portion if you take the PCAT after you take the orgo sequence.