UBC Pharmacy 2009 Thread

[mdubs]

Welcome to 2009 everybody!!

As you can see, I'm a pre-pharm student aiming to get into UBC pharmacy in Fall 2009.

Anybody else applying? What's your current GPA for pre-reqs? Or what extra-curriculars do you have? Application problems? Not yet taken the PCAT? We should discuss any questions we have on here and maybe we can help each other out.

For current UBC pharmacy students, any good tips to share with us?

Or just drop by this thread to say hi! Would like to meet some other 2009 UBC-pharm students on here. =)

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[Luckyy7]

hey mdubs, I'm also hoping (praying ^_^) to get into pharmacy 09 as well, just getting ready to take my PCAT next sat, freaking out =S Im assuming your at ubc?

 

[Epenth]

I'm interested in getting to know more about UBC's pharmacy program. Do you know where to find this info?

 

[little miss f]

hey, im applying to UBC for fall 2009 aswell i'm retaking the PCAT on saturday im pretty nervous for it considering this is the last chance to take it for fall 2009...I havent finished my application yet i think ill work on it more after the PCAT...im having some trouble with my personal statements. I've started writing them and i feel like its just a list of reasons of why i want to be a pharmacist and im having trouble making it my own...any input from any of u guys would be appreciated

PS-information is available at their website www.ubc.ca

 

[Luckyy7]

little miss f, how did pcat go for you? i was soo sick when i was writing it, gah why must i be sick on such an important day X_X

 

[little miss f]

hey i found the pcat harder than the oct one (i wrote that one too) especially the quant section...im really hope i didnt do worse than i did on the oct one im pretty worried tho ...how did you find the pcat?...have you submitted your application yet?

 

[OChemTA]

Welcome to 2009 everybody!!

As you can see, I'm a pre-pharm student aiming to get into UBC pharmacy in Fall 2009.

Anybody else applying? What's your current GPA for pre-reqs? Or what extra-curriculars do you have? Application problems? Not yet taken the PCAT? We should discuss any questions we have on here and maybe we can help each other out.

For current UBC pharmacy students, any good tips to share with us?

Or just drop by this thread to say hi! Would like to meet some other 2009 UBC-pharm students on here. =)

I applied to UBC for 2009 this year. I have high PCAT but mediocre GPA. I'm also applying to the U of A. I wanted to apply to Utoronto but I missed their deadline

good luck everyone!

 

[friendlypharm]

I'm a 3rd year Pharm student at UBC and I started a blog recently for fun and I've decided to write a bit about how to get into UBC Pharmacy and share all my knowledge and expertise about the application process... I applied after first year science and was accepted... and I know a few of the pharmacists/faculty on the ADCOM so I've spoken to them extensively about the interview/application process... I guarantee that my blog will make you fighting fit...

have a read - www.friendlypharm.blogspot.com --> click on the Pre-Pharm tab to quickly access the pre-pharmacy posts

My first post is about the PCAT exam and all the tips I've got to ace the exam - my next post will be concerning the online application

Best of luck everyone and I hope to see you all next year!

 

[PharmMD]

Awesome blog friendlypharm! I didn't consider a few things you posted and I will certainly use your tips on my PCAT this Sat! I'm surprised that you go into so much detail and have quite a bit of insight - thanks!

So nervous

Do you have any other tips and advice?

 

[little miss f]

Awesome blog friendlypharm! I didn't consider a few things you posted and I will certainly use your tips on my PCAT this Sat! I'm surprised that you go into so much detail and have quite a bit of insight - thanks!

So nervous

Do you have any other tips and advice?

im confused the pcat was last saturday

 

[PharmMD]

im confused the pcat was last saturday

I'm writing in the States because I applied too late for Vancouver site lol...

 

[little miss f]

ohh i never knew you could do that...what state are you writing it in? and ur still applying to UBC?

 

[PharmMD]

ohh i never knew you could do that...what state are you writing it in? and ur still applying to UBC?

I'm writing in Washington! Many people are forced to write the PCAT in other states b/c the vancouver, kelowna and victoria ones fill up pretty quickly - I am still applying to UBC - i wrote margaret and she said the delayed PCAT was OK

 

[OChemTA]

I'm a 3rd year Pharm student at UBC and I started a blog recently for fun and I've decided to write a bit about how to get into UBC Pharmacy and share all my knowledge and expertise about the application process... I applied after first year science and was accepted... and I know a few of the pharmacists/faculty on the ADCOM so I've spoken to them extensively about the interview/application process... I guarantee that my blog will make you fighting fit...

have a read - www.friendlypharm.blogspot.com --> click on the Pre-Pharm tab to quickly access the pre-pharmacy posts

My first post is about the PCAT exam and all the tips I've got to ace the exam - my next post will be concerning the online application

Best of luck everyone and I hope to see you all next year!

... so are you going to switch from pharmacist to attorney?

 

[friendlypharm]

Yes I plan to get my JD from UBC or UofT after I graduate from pharmacy school next year. It's too early for me to stop going to school at the age of 22. The JD program at UBC is 2-3 years so that's nothing to me...

Your next question is what do you plan to do with a JD (juris doctor)?

I want to be a hospital counsel (a lawyer to defends fellow doctors/pharmacists/nurses etc... against law suits...). That would be a dream job for me and I would also work 1-2 days a week as a pharmacist to stay sharp and still appear like a person with morals =)

new post on my blog: www.friendlypharm.blogspot.com --> about the UBC online app - feel free to ask any questions or concerns you have about applying to UBC Pharmacy and I'll do my best to answer them!

 

[devotional]

How are things going guys?
Im planning on applying this year aswell!

 

[mdubs]

Sorry for the late replies...

Now that most of us have received our PCAT marks... how do you guys feel?

I almost didn't make the Change of Degree deadline thanks to a software problem (I assume that there were other people frustrated with the program).

June is the next big step for those of us who scored over 65 on the PCAT and handed all our essential applications!!

 

[montyhil]

hey mdubs. I did get my scores via online. But I haven't received it through the mail yet, have you??? I think I will have to call them on Monday.

Anyways, I am pretty happy with my pcat score, and I have decent GPA. I don't know if those will guarantee me an interview, since this is my first time applying.

 

[akalic]

I don't know if there are any re-applying students to ubc pharm or students already in but what do you suppose is a decent average to get an interview? I know that the acceptance average is different from what is required to get an interview so i was wondering if anyone knew what it is around

 

[mdubs]

I got my scores online as well but a few of my friends did receive them in the mail. It's really random how they send out the scores. =S

I think as long as you have over 65% PCAT composite and at least 65% GPA in the prereqs you have a "shot" at interviews. Since the admittance GPA is approximately 78-80% (from the website), you could probably get an interview with 70-75 or higher (no guarantee though). Likewise, with the PCAT, you could probably get an interview with a 75-85 even though the "average" is typically 85-90%. I know of a couple of people who have gotten into the pharmacy below this average.

Really though, those numbers mean nothing if you don't have a good application filled with insightful personal responses, a plethora of ECs, and dependable LORs. Since the only part of the "selection criteria" we can change is our GPAs, just work hard towards maintaning or improving your GPA and prep for an interview.

 

[akalic]

I guess you're right. I've got mid 70s for both my PCAT and GPA and i spent a good month working on my PS and EC...hopefully this will guide me in the right direction.

 

[montyhil]

I don't think I spent as much time on the application as I should have. but I think it looked alright when I submitted it. I have lots of friends who got accepted with 70s GPA and who got rejected with 80s or 90s GPA. It really depends on how well you do on your interview, which I am really worried about. How am I supposed to impress them in a span of 30minutes??? That's a one tough task.

 

[mdubs]

What's your GPA, PCAT and pharmacy experience like?

I have adequate GPA and PCAT (slightly above the "average" admission numbers, ~82 GPA so far and 90 PCAT) but I don't know how well I did on my application. I definitely did not spend as much time on my essays as I would have liked to (just too many ... "nah, I'll do it later" excuses... sigh). I just hope my LORs and pharmacy experience balances it out.

Are any of you guys attending the mock interviews hosted by the Pre-Pharm club?

 

[montyhil]

My GPA is 81~82 as well and my PCAT score is 94. I don't have any pharmacy experience yet. I am sending my resume to London Drugs however. If I start next month, then I may have some pharmacy-related experiences, and I hope that will prepare me well for the interview. Right now, I am more annoyed by the fact that my score has not arrived by the mail. They always screw this up for ME.

 

[Lilly]

At least none of you made a huge typo on your application. I put my PCAT score as 96 when it should be 95. I've already emailed Margaret about it. Hopefully it's not a big deal.

She's away until next week, so I won't even hear back from her until then. This is really making me sick in the stomach. I spent so much time on the essay and resume portion of the application too, but decided to leave the rest to the last minute, and I happen to be practically delirious with a fever that weekend......

 

[mdubs]

I finished and revised all the information sections of the application when the appy first came online. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about it later and could concentrate on the resume and essays. Unfortunately, I spent too much time on the resume =( and not enough on the essays... sigh I hope they aren't TOO bad.

Are most of the people posting here first year? I'm still first year, but I don't know how many second/third/fourth years are applying, and if they would have a better chance than first years.

PS congrats on the 94 and 95 on the PCAT montyhil and Lilly!!

 

[Lilly]

Thanks mdubs. I'm in 2nd year.

I actually know a lot of first years who got in last year, so I don't think upperclassmen really have a higher chance of getting in.

Hopefully that stupid typo won't hurt me too badly. I just asked Shirley (the administrator) who told me that they actually don't even look at the PCAT score on the application. If I hadn't emailed Margaret to point it out to her, nobody would even notice.....Double oops then.

 

[tella]

I am graduating this year with a BSc in chemistry and applied to UBC pharmacy for the first time this year. I got 87% on the PCAT and am not sure what my average would work out to exactly with them considering some of my extra courses, but somewhere around 80ish I think. I worked on my application on and off from Christmas until the deadline. I have also job shadowed some pharmacists and am working as a tech/summer student this summer. I really hope everything works out, I applied to other programs as backups, but I really don`t want to waste my time doing something I don`t really want to do. Good luck to everyone!

 

[pj879]

For those of you talking about years of school needed to get in, I know it is not required but last year over 1/3 of people that got in had a bachelors degree or higher.

 

[mdubs]

How do you approach pharmacies to shadow pharmacists? I would like to see if I can do some hospital pharmacy shadowing even if I make it into pharmacy just to see which aspect of pharmacy I prefer more. I currently work as a technician at a major chain grocery store/pharmacy, and I actually like what I do (and what the pharmacists do) right now. It's always nice to keep my options open though.

pj879, where did you get the stat from? I guess this could mean good news for those of us not graduating or already holding a degree... since ~2/3 DIDN'T get in with a bachelors or higher.

 

[pj879]

I'm in first year pharmacy at UBC and recently heard this statistic at a lunchtime lecture.

 

[tella]

I was able to get in job shadowing at a hospital pharmacy because a close family friend of mine is a pharmacist there, so he just offered when I said I was interested in pharmacy. I am sure that if you stop into the hospital or give them a call someone will set you up. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it because I had previously been quite set on community pharmacy.

 

[jiggajagalo]

Does anybody know how many people applied this year?

 

[rosiepie]

Hi everyone,

I applied to UBC too. My stats are GPA 3.8 and PCAT 86... hopefully this will get me an interview.

I'm wondering if the applicant has to get pharmacy experience as a tech or something to be competitive. I've only shadowed a pharmacist once and I don't have time to do anything more.

Thanks!

 

[mdubs]

Welcome rosiepie!

If you don't mind me asking, is your GPA out of 4 or 4.3? I've never really understood how to convert from one scale to the other, so I usually just stick with grades. I guess it doesn't matter since I went to UBC so they will determine my average directly from UBC.

However, if you transfer a course, I believe they take the letter grade and apply it to UBC's equivalent (but the lower end, eg. 83% in a chemistry course transferable to UBC from another university = A- at that school, UBC's A- starts at 80, so the student receives an 80). Can somebody clarify on that? I have a few friends from other universities who are interested in coming to UBC.

One more month until we know who gets an interview!

 

[montyhil]

hey mdubs

how did you manage to get a technician position? It seems like most pharmacy retails require you to have a certificate to even work as their assistant.

 

[mdubs]

Most of the big retail chains won't let you work without a certificate or diploma, such as Save-On Foods. I can't tell you where I work but it has to do with a combination of good references, some work experience, a good impression and interview with the manager, and pure luck/timing.

Do you have any work experience from high school for pharmacies? That could help a long way for those stores that don't require certification. Also try some smaller, local pharmacies. If they require help, they would be able to hire someone without certification (probably for less pay, can't say for sure though) because they don't have any restrictions in place by a large-chain employer.

Sigh ... less than three weeks before we find out if we get an interview. This thread seems less busy than previous years' it seems like... maybe once people start getting interviews, it will pick up again.

 

[rosiepie]

Hi mdubs, my GPA is out of 4.0. I believe this translates to an A- average overall. I'm kinda nervous for June 1st because I don't know if my stats are competitive enough to get an interview. Also, it sounds like a lot of people have pharmacy tech experience, and I have none.

 

[tealish]

hi, does anyone know if there's a disadvantage towards students who are in the faculty of Arts when applying to Pharmacy? Assuming they have all the prereqs. I'm not sure if Science students are preferred because it shows that they have interest in the field.

Why I'm asking is because I'm thinking of transferring to Arts next year as a backup since, besides Pharmacy, all the Sciences are boring me. That's assuming I don't get in this year. My stats are pretty bad, but they're what I deserve.

 

[hobom]

Hey tealish, I don't think arts or science faculties matter since all they are interested in are the pre reqs.

I'm kinda nervous for this year's interviews.

I have 78% gpa which is average, but only have a 77% PCAT, I just hope that having numerous extra curricular activities will boost my chances. Anyone wanna give some tips on interviews?

 

[tella]

My friend who also applied to UBC pharmacy this year got an email about a month ago saying that just over 600 people applied this year. If this is the case, around half of the applicants are interviewed and half of those interviewed are accepted, so that doesn't sound too bad. I am getting nervous/excited with how quickly interviews are approaching! I love my job working in a pharmacy this summer which makes me confident that this is the right career for me, so I just hope I get in!

 

[BlueCosmos]

How come he got the email and none of us did?

 

[tealish]

Yeah I figured as such, thanks for the reply.

And in regards to the post above, the person who got that email probably took the initiative to ask about the number of applicants. Some people do that. Those who do, get answers! Personally to me, it couldn't matter less at this point.

Anyways, good luck to all.

 

[starstrike]

Goodluck to all the applicants this year. Any news on the interview notices yet?

 

[tella]

ya, my friend emailed asking how many people applied. I was looking at the 2007 UBC pharmacy posts and they were all sent interview invites on June 1st, so hopefully everyone will find out this week!

 

[starstrike]

ya, my friend emailed asking how many people applied. I was looking at the 2007 UBC pharmacy posts and they were all sent interview invites on June 1st, so hopefully everyone will find out this week!

Looks like it's only a matter of time before you all get the good news. Keep the forum updated as you all find out.

 

[lovekimchi123]

Hi Im applying this year as well,
Looks like interviews should be out sometime this week

 

[tarnc]

So nervous!!!
I applied for the first time this year, had a rough first year but I was able to get my average up to 77.7% by the end of 2nd year. PCAT score of 80. Hope I get a interview, we're in the first week of june now :|

 

[starstrike]

So nervous!!!
I applied for the first time this year, had a rough first year but I was able to get my average up to 77.7% by the end of 2nd year. PCAT score of 80. Hope I get a interview, we're in the first week of june now :|

Don't worry, I'm pretty certain you'll at least get an interview with those stats....just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride......ok, easier said than done lol! but don't worry, the notices should be coming out anytime this week. only a few more days to wait at most!

 

[kurokuro1008]

Hello,

I am taking ANAT 390 right now, and the course has its final exam on June 11th. Does anyone know if the marks for this course will be counted towards my GPA when they evaluate me post-interview? I hope not because I am not doing so well in this course...