UBC Pre-pharmacy 2010!

[bebeLnJ]

Hey! Well, I noticed that there isn't a thread for prospective UBC pharmacy students for 2010 entrance... so I guess I will start one

Well, I'm a first year science student at UBC ... planning to apply to enter pharmacy . Anyone wanna share some advice, questions, or their own situations?

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[super84super]

yay I was waiting for this thread to start!

 

[dreadmorphine]

Hey guys,

I'm in the same boat. First year sciences at UBC and looking to apply for this year. Are you guys applying to any other pharmacy schools? Have you guys taken your PCAT yet or are you guys writing for the January sitting?

To be truthful, I'm a bit unsure of how to study for the o-chem section. Is anyone using any other source other than kaplan? Let me know.

Cheers

 

[UBCmicrobi]

Hey guys,

I'm in the same boat. First year sciences at UBC and looking to apply for this year. Are you guys applying to any other pharmacy schools? Have you guys taken your PCAT yet or are you guys writing for the January sitting?

To be truthful, I'm a bit unsure of how to study for the o-chem section. Is anyone using any other source other than kaplan? Let me know.

Cheers

You'll definitely need to use an additional resource to study for the Organic chem section. The Kaplan book is woefully inadequate for organic chem. (can't tell you which additional resource though...)

 

[mdubs]

Kaplan definitely did not help for o-chem, but that was all I had (in addition to my General Chemistry textbook, which had excerpts on Gen Chem), and I did fine on the PCAT (93 percentile for that section).

The stuff you learn in Chem 123 probably won't help you for the PCAT (more on stereochemistry/reactions than nomenclature, which is on the PCAT). I didn't even get onto the organic part of Chem 123 until after I took the PCAT.

Good luck guys! I know some people are applying, some who really want to be pharmacists which I hope they get in (and not just for the money or because they can't get into anything else)!

 

[bebeLnJ]

hey!
well i only have the kaplan to study from for the organic chem section... can anyone recommend any good texts or websites to learn the stuff from? i took the pcat in october and did horrible... mostly because i'm first year, and haven't learnt the content...

 

[dreadmorphine]

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. I took it in the October sitting and just did horrible overall. If anyone can recommend any additional sources to use other than Kaplan as it is lacking for the o-chem portion.

Thanks in advance

 

[pcubed]

Hey everyone, I'm a second year UVic student applying to UBC pharm for the first time this year. I took the pcat in august, so i hadn't done any organic chem, I just read the Kaplan, and I ended up doing horrible on the chem section. I've heard people say that something called the Dr. Collins guide is helpful, but I have no idea where to get it.

Is is this year that UBC is increasing the number of seats? or is that not until next year? I've heard its going up from 150 to 200+

 

[bebeLnJ]

Hey everyone, I'm a second year UVic student applying to UBC pharm for the first time this year. I took the pcat in august, so i hadn't done any organic chem, I just read the Kaplan, and I ended up doing horrible on the chem section. I've heard people say that something called the Dr. Collins guide is helpful, but I have no idea where to get it.

Is is this year that UBC is increasing the number of seats? or is that not until next year? I've heard its going up from 150 to 200+

I think they're increasing the # for 2011... so not for our application round...
pcubed - are you planning to retake the pcat?

 

[pcubed]

I don't think I'm going to retake it, my chem section was bad, but my overall composite percentile score was alright, and I don't want to risk getting a lower score in january.

I think the answer is yes, but does UBC take your last pcat score? (as opposed to your best pcat score)

 

[UBCmicrobi]

I don't think I'm going to retake it, my chem section was bad, but my overall composite percentile score was alright, and I don't want to risk getting a lower score in january.

That's probably a good decision. My chem score was TERRIBLE (thanks to Kaplan; while I did well in organic chem, it was several years later when I wrote the PCAT and had forgotten most of it...) but my composite was very high. Having one crappy section is no big deal as long as your composite is high

 

[UBCmicrobi]

I think they're increasing the # for 2011... so not for our application round...
pcubed - are you planning to retake the pcat?

This is correct. You can read the announcement about the new pharmacy building and class size here:

http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/index_li...uticalSciencesBuildingAnnouncementSept409.pdf

http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/

 

[pcubed]

awesome, thanks ubcmicrobi

 

[super84super]

This is correct. You can read the announcement about the new pharmacy building and class size here:

http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/index_li...uticalSciencesBuildingAnnouncementSept409.pdf

http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/

Hey UBCmicrobi

do you know how many OOP students does UBC accept each year?

How competitive do we have to be to be considered as an OOP?

if we are sitting on 80 + and do 85+ in comp PCAT are we pretty much guranteed interview?

but what is 80 anyway for UBC? A? A-?

 

[dreadmorphine]

do you know how many OOP students does UBC accept each year?

How competitive do we have to be to be considered as an OOP?

if we are sitting on 80 + and do 85+ in comp PCAT are we pretty much guranteed interview?

but what is 80 anyway for UBC? A? A-?

I think they usually only accept a small handful of OOP students for each cycle. Also, UBC doesn't use a grade point average system. So, it is pretty irrelevant if it is an A or A- since they only look at percentages.

 

[super84super]

I think they usually only accept a small handful of OOP students for each cycle. Also, UBC doesn't use a grade point average system. So, it is pretty irrelevant if it is an A or A- since they only look at percentages.

yeah... about that..

when you say 'small handful' what if those small handful applicants are very well qualified? like do OOP students compete against each other for certain spots? 10? 20? 30?

I even called the admission's office and the lady told me that they do not have 'quota' for OOP students. She sounded pretty convinced that not that many OOP students come to UBC because of the fact that they would have to travel to attend the interview that doesn't even guarantee spots.

I just wanted to know the point of view on current UBC pharm students. Like, how many OOP are there each year and how competitive is it for the OOP students, such as what kind of averages are pretty decent to even apply.

I do have something like 80 + pre-req avg right now, and I am freaking out every single day, because I am such a paranoid freak.


By the way.....my school has no percentage marks.. its goes like 90-100 = A+
80-89 = A 75-79 = B+ etc.....

Would UBC autmatically translate the letter grades i've received to the 'MEAN' value of each range? or would they be mean and say 80 for A and 90 for A+ which doesn't seem too fair -_-;;

 

[dreadmorphine]

yeah... about that..

when you say 'small handful' what if those small handful applicants are very well qualified? like do OOP students compete against each other for certain spots? 10? 20? 30?

I even called the admission's office and the lady told me that they do not have 'quota' for OOP students. She sounded pretty convinced that not that many OOP students come to UBC because of the fact that they would have to travel to attend the interview that doesn't even guarantee spots.

I just wanted to know the point of view on current UBC pharm students. Like, how many OOP are there each year and how competitive is it for the OOP students, such as what kind of averages are pretty decent to even apply.

I do have something like 80 + pre-req avg right now, and I am freaking out every single day, because I am such a paranoid freak.


By the way.....my school has no percentage marks.. its goes like 90-100 = A+
80-89 = A 75-79 = B+ etc.....

Would UBC autmatically translate the letter grades i've received to the 'MEAN' value of each range? or would they be mean and say 80 for A and 90 for A+ which doesn't seem too fair -_-;;

Hmmm... I'm not exactly sure if they have a solid number of how many out of province they accept for each cycle as it probably varies from year to year. But I would definitely consider contacting them and finding out how they would calculate your percent average.

I know UBC usually requests percentages when asking for transcripts.

 

[mysticrider]

I think there are at least 6 or 7 in my class, including myself. The class is so big though I don't even know everybody after more than 2 years... I think 80 would definitely be good enough for an interview if you were in province. For OOP, it's above the admission average, but I don't know if an interview would be guaranteed...

yeah... about that..

when you say 'small handful' what if those small handful applicants are very well qualified? like do OOP students compete against each other for certain spots? 10? 20? 30?

I even called the admission's office and the lady told me that they do not have 'quota' for OOP students. She sounded pretty convinced that not that many OOP students come to UBC because of the fact that they would have to travel to attend the interview that doesn't even guarantee spots.

I just wanted to know the point of view on current UBC pharm students. Like, how many OOP are there each year and how competitive is it for the OOP students, such as what kind of averages are pretty decent to even apply.

 

[pcubed]

super84super, if you find our about how ubc calculates percentages cound you let me know please? I go to UVIC and they don't give out percentages, just letter grades.

 

[zain7j]

Hey guys

I am planning to apply to UBC pharmacy for 2010 as well. I am currently at UBCO in the pre pharmacy program and so far its not going so well for me. I am pretty nervous about whether I'll get into pharmacy because if I don't, then I haven't thought of another option yet because pharmacy is what I want to do.

For the PCAT, I have the Kaplan book and I haven't started studying yet. I am planning to take the January test but thanks for the tips on o-chem.

What do you guys think is the minimum average to guarantee an interview? I am doing pretty well in math and chemistry but bio is proving to be tough.

 

[bballa99]

Hey guys

I am planning to apply to UBC pharmacy for 2010 as well.
What do you guys think is the minimum average to guarantee an interview? I am doing pretty well in math and chemistry but bio is proving to be tough.

Same here, im at a 80% avg.. .

When should I apply? Should I wait till 1st semester finishes to get my transcript? Or just apply now?

Also, been waiting for one of these threads!! Bookmarked!

Ps: Anyone else writing the january pcat?

 

[dreadmorphine]

So, I'm just curious..to all you ubc pharmacy students out there - approximately how many ppl in the entering class had pharmacy experience before applying to pharmacy?
Personally, I went out and gained some experience this summer so I was hoping it would give me the upper-hand in terms of being admitted. Just wondering if it is favoured much.

Also, just to start up a discussion - what are all of your reasons for specifically choosing pharmacy?

 

[mdubs]

I don't think that they would have info on how many people had pharmacy experience, but a general estimate is "a good majority" have some sort of experience, whether it was a one-day volunteer deal or a technician job.

Like most things in life, there is no "guarantee" for interview offers, although you might net an interview with a GPA of 85% and above, a good PCAT and lots of extra-currics. Admittance average is 75-80% (which is kinda low, IMO), last year on the application page it said 78-80.

I don't think they will up the # of seats for the 2011-2012 cycle (this year is the 2010-11 cycle), nor would it be feasible to. The current building as is can barely fit all of us (and that's with 150 students), let alone an additional 50%. Not until the new building is built anyway, but I doubt that would happen by 2011 (it's almost 2010, and building requires excavation, foundation, and construction, which would definitely take more than a year and a half, assuming they start after the Olympics/when snow thaws). Imagine cramming 225 of you guys into the first year labs/tutorials, there would be no room for any other years. I actually really hope they don't increase it until later, when the building is about to open so that it can accommodate EVERYONE.

Also, does anyone have stats on the supply/demand on pharmacists in British Columbia? I didn't think that we had a major shortage (for retail, anyway), except in the more rural areas, so the faculty accommodating more students is definitely a surprise. Oh well, I hope the application pool quality will be as good as it is now. Good luck to all of you!

 

[zain7j]

Same here, im at a 80% avg.. .

When should I apply? Should I wait till 1st semester finishes to get my transcript? Or just apply now?

Also, been waiting for one of these threads!! Bookmarked!

Ps: Anyone else writing the january pcat?

My average so far is about 79-80 as well.. I have started the online application. I just have to answer the questions. I think you should start your online application now, or you can work on it during the winter break.

I'm writing the January PCAT. It's going to be my first time writing it. What have you guys heard about the PCAT? Is it hard?

Hey, does anyone know if the UBC Okanagan pre-reqs are sufficient enough to apply to the UofA Pharmacy School. I read on their website and they require a different number of credits for Gen. Chem and O-Chem, and they also require Statistics.

 

[bballa99]

I'm writing the January PCAT. It's going to be my first time writing it. What have you guys heard about the PCAT? Is it hard?

Hey, does anyone know if the UBC Okanagan pre-reqs are sufficient enough to apply to the UofA Pharmacy School. I read on their website and they require a different number of credits for Gen. Chem and O-Chem, and they also require Statistics.

The pcat is a standardized test which tests your knowledge of chem/bio/math/english/phys. I heard its hard, but just prepare well enough. Also for UofA, im not sure if the courses are transferable, well I know they are, but I dont know how they transfer over.

Admission requirements:
Suggested gpa: 3.5+

The minimum requirements for admission to the Pharmacy Program are the satisfactory completion of 30 of transferable work, including 6 in each of General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, English, and 3 in each of Biology (Cell Biology), Biochemistry, Mathematics (Calculus), and Statistics.

I don't get the '30 of transferable work', 30 credits? Thats my guess but still unsure..

 

[pcubed]

hey everyone, I was wonerding if any of you guys applying this year have pharmacy experience?

 

[spudly]

I don't think that they would have info on how many people had pharmacy experience, but a general estimate is "a good majority" have some sort of experience, whether it was a one-day volunteer deal or a technician job.

Like most things in life, there is no "guarantee" for interview offers, although you might net an interview with a GPA of 85% and above, a good PCAT and lots of extra-currics. Admittance average is 75-80% (which is kinda low, IMO), last year on the application page it said 78-80.

I don't think they will up the # of seats for the 2011-2012 cycle (this year is the 2010-11 cycle), nor would it be feasible to. The current building as is can barely fit all of us (and that's with 150 students), let alone an additional 50%. Not until the new building is built anyway, but I doubt that would happen by 2011 (it's almost 2010, and building requires excavation, foundation, and construction, which would definitely take more than a year and a half, assuming they start after the Olympics/when snow thaws). Imagine cramming 225 of you guys into the first year labs/tutorials, there would be no room for any other years. I actually really hope they don't increase it until later, when the building is about to open so that it can accommodate EVERYONE.

Also, does anyone have stats on the supply/demand on pharmacists in British Columbia? I didn't think that we had a major shortage (for retail, anyway), except in the more rural areas, so the faculty accommodating more students is definitely a surprise. Oh well, I hope the application pool quality will be as good as it is now. Good luck to all of you!

I am in second year pharmacy at UBC and when I attended the Dean's lunch we were told that they would in fact be admitting 224 students starting in September 2011, even though the new building will not be completed until September 2012. Apparently they will most likely be running night labs and weekend labs (saturdays) in order to accommodate the increased number of students. Fortunately I will be in fourth year by then and because fourth years don't have a practice lab course I won't have to worry about this. It shouldn't actually be that big a problem though because most first year pharmacy courses are not actually PHAR courses, they are just general sciences courses. For the few PHAR courses that first year students have I imagine they will either have multiple sections or use another lecture hall that can fit 224 students.

As far as a "shortage" of pharmacists goes, I am pretty sure that Vancouver is nearly saturated with pharmacists, hence why they are paid less than in the rest of the province. But there is definitely a shortage in areas outside of the Lower Mainland, particularly in hospital practice. I think that the increase will favor students from outside of the lower mainland, who are willing to move back to there hometowns or other areas that are really in need of pharmacists.

We were also told at the Dean's lunch that although most people would assume that the quality in applicants will go down as a result of such a large increase, the majority of applicants score in a very narrow range when all application aspects are looked at (other than the few who score exceptionally high or extremely low) and that there are many students who don't get into pharmacy school who would have no difficult being successful. Therefore, I believe that for the most part, the quality will not decrease substantially.

Another point of interest for those applying for the 2010 admission cycle, is that the interview process is being changed from a one on one interview with a faculty member and another pharmacist, to a MMI (multiple mini interview) format. This is the same interview process used by UBC med.

 

[UBCmicrobi]

Apparently they will most likely be running night labs and weekend labs (saturdays) in order to accommodate the increased number of students.

Yikes, so glad we won't have to deal with weekend/night labs!

 

[mysticrider]

Yikes, so glad we won't have to deal with weekend/night labs!

Yeah, that sounds nightmarish... So glad I would be done by then!

 

[pcubed]

Do you think the interview questions will be similar to previous years, even though the format of the interview has changed?

 

[bebeLnJ]

Yeah, I'm writing the PCAT in january as well. I wrote it in october too... but i don't think i did so well. i get my results next saturday

Honestly, I don't think pharmacy-specific experience is that valued. As long as you have some extra-curricular activity, and strong reference letters, the application should be good.

Does anyone want to share who they are going to get to write the reference form for them?

 

[pcubed]

I think I'm going to get two of the pharmacists I work with to write them, or maybe one pharmacist and one of my volunteering supervisors, I can't decide though. what about you?

 

[RyanMaverick]

Hey everyone,

I'm currently in my fourth year of Pharmacy at UBC. I wandered back to SDN because I am starting to work up my application for med in 2011 and figured I'd come back to my old SDN UBC Pharm stomping grounds for a look around. Anyways this place really helped me out when I was applying and I'd like to return the favour.

I don't recall much from the interview, but if anybody had questions about pharmacy practice or what you can look forward to after your degree or in the program then feel free to send me a message.

And of course if you are a good-looking girl looking for a date then feel free to message as well!

Good luck everyone and talk to you soon.

 

[bebeLnJ]

I think i'm going to get one pharmacist and one volunteer supervisor too.. or perhaps a teacher ... not sure yet

Anyways, I just checked my PCAT score and omg... epically failed. Literally. So I guess I will be taking it again in January...

 

[pcubed]

the october pcat results are out??!! exciting. what do you guys think we need on the pcat to be competitive? 80? 90?

 

[dreadmorphine]

I think i'm going to get one pharmacist and one volunteer supervisor too.. or perhaps a teacher ... not sure yet

Anyways, I just checked my PCAT score and omg... epically failed. Literally. So I guess I will be taking it again in January...

Scores released !? where do you check?
what percentile did you guys all get if you don't mind sharing

 

[bballa99]

I think I'm going to get two of the pharmacists I work with to write them, or maybe one pharmacist and one of my volunteering supervisors, I can't decide though. what about you?

Same here, and I also have another problem.. I don't have that much volunteer work in the past 5 years although I have been trying to get some

 

[bebeLnJ]

Scores released !? where do you check?
what percentile did you guys all get if you don't mind sharing

you can check on the pearson pcat website for $20

yeah i don't want to share my score. all i can say is wow... much lower than i expected. my actual SCORE (not the scaled score) was ok... but the scaling made my composite score drop a LOT

 

[The Dispenser]

the october pcat results are out??!! exciting. what do you guys think we need on the pcat to be competitive? 80? 90?

LOL...80? You need to retake it if you got anything under 85...personally I think you need over 90 to be competitve. Good thing I got 95

 

[hotpink12]

LOL...80? You need to retake it if you got anything under 85...personally I think you need over 90 to be competitve. Good thing I got 95

I think it depends on what people feel confortable with...like last year the average was around 86 accepted, but some ppl got less than that and got accepted too. However, I personally wanted to make sure i could get the highest pcat possible for myself because I didn't get accepted after applying last year. I had a really good composite score but had a low chem score...it was in the 60's so i retook the pcat and did much better overall

 

[super84super]

I think it depends on what people feel confortable with...like last year the average was around 86 accepted, but some ppl got less than that and got accepted too. However, I personally wanted to make sure i could get the highest pcat possible for myself because I didn't get accepted after applying last year. I had a really good composite score but had a low chem score...it was in the 60's so i retook the pcat and did much better overall

UMMMMMM... I thought UBC doesn't even look at other portions besides the COMPOSITE score?


What was your pre-req GPA like last year? did you get an interview?

 

[mdubs]

You certainly do not need over 90 on the PCAT to get in. My advice is if it's around 80-90, I wouldn't retake and risk getting lower. The PCAT is worth so little if you receive an interview... it doesn't even matter. Focus on your pre-reqs instead, those are more important.





Also, thanks for the update spudly! I think the MMI is a great idea.

There are quite a few people in my year who seem interested in hospital pharmacy, but how many are willing to move to the rural areas, unless you increase # of admitted people from those areas? I guess if jobs aren't available, it will force people to move where demand is greater.

WRT the quality of applicants... the faculty does a great job teaching, so I'm sure that most of the graduates would be qualified... and if not, the licensing exams/jurisprudence would hopefully prevent those unqualified to practice anyway... however, when you compare to the larger provinces (Ontario only has ~360 seats, 240 from UofT, 120 from UofWaterloo [provisional accreditation], and Alberta only has 130), 224 seems quite a bit. Who knows though.

 

[student334]

Are you sure the MMPI is for this application year? There is no mention of it on the official UBC Pharmacy website. The website say under FAQ that the interview is going to be 25-30 minutes between the interviewee and a panel of two interviewers from the Pharmacy community. This was not stated directly on the website last year I am sure because I was surprised the interview was going to be 25 minutes when I received my email inviting me in for an interview. Maybe the MMPI will be for the 2011 year because of increased enrollment so they need to find a way to interview more people in a span of 4 days. Anyways, I hope the interview won't change until next year since I have a year to think about my answers and the format of the question will change once MMPI is adopted.

 

[bballa99]

UMMMMMM... I thought UBC doesn't even look at other portions besides the COMPOSITE score?


What was your pre-req GPA like last year? did you get an interview?

I would also like to know your pre-req GPA

On the site it says last year the avg gpa was 78-80%, Im wondering if I should apply this year or next year because my gpa is pretty low.. (74~)

 

[spudly]

You certainly do not need over 90 on the PCAT to get in. My advice is if it's around 80-90, I wouldn't retake and risk getting lower. The PCAT is worth so little if you receive an interview... it doesn't even matter. Focus on your pre-reqs instead, those are more important.





Also, thanks for the update spudly! I think the MMI is a great idea.

There are quite a few people in my year who seem interested in hospital pharmacy, but how many are willing to move to the rural areas, unless you increase # of admitted people from those areas? I guess if jobs aren't available, it will force people to move where demand is greater.

WRT the quality of applicants... the faculty does a great job teaching, so I'm sure that most of the graduates would be qualified... and if not, the licensing exams/jurisprudence would hopefully prevent those unqualified to practice anyway... however, when you compare to the larger provinces (Ontario only has ~360 seats, 240 from UofT, 120 from UofWaterloo [provisional accreditation], and Alberta only has 130), 224 seems quite a bit. Who knows though.

I agree about not needing above 90. I got in with an 85 PCAT and one of my friends got in with a PCAT barely above the cut off. It really only counts for determining who will get an interview. I would say the most important factors are GPA, which I figure should be about 75+ to be competitive and then the interview itself. In fact, you could have a PCAT score of well above 90 and not get into pharmacy based on other factors.

I agree that 224 seems a bit high, but apparently it is based on the fact that the number of practicing pharmacists that will retire in the next 5-10 years will be quite high, as well as increased demand for pharmacists due to the aging population, and population growth. Even so, I believe that pharmacy grads will have increased difficulty finding jobs when they start pumping out the increased number.

 

[spudly]

Are you sure the MMPI is for this application year? There is no mention of it on the official UBC Pharmacy website. The website say under FAQ that the interview is going to be 25-30 minutes between the interviewee and a panel of two interviewers from the Pharmacy community. This was not stated directly on the website last year I am sure because I was surprised the interview was going to be 25 minutes when I received my email inviting me in for an interview. Maybe the MMPI will be for the 2011 year because of increased enrollment so they need to find a way to interview more people in a span of 4 days. Anyways, I hope the interview won't change until next year since I have a year to think about my answers and the format of the question will change once MMPI is adopted.

We were told that it would be for the next interview cycle (I assume they would want to start a year before the seat increase in order to test it out and see how it works). It is true that it hasn't been updated on the website. The interview has always been at least 20 minutes with 2 interviewers though, but they may not have specified the exact time on the website in the past.

 

[hasan]

what is your opinion about my GPA?
I am a bio major , with GPA (pre-req=77%), and I have done many EC activity but non in pharmacy, I am planning to apply To UBC for 2011 cycle, and haven't wrote my PCAT yet
1) is this GPA competitive? I have already retaken some of my course and could not raise my GPA anymore
2) I do want to start working as a Pharmacy tech, however, it seems that most pharmacies require you to have certification, for those of you who are working as a pharmacy tech,do you suggest any place that I can work without certification?
3) Do you think having B.S will help me to get into?

 

[bballa99]

what is your opinion about my GPA?
I am a bio major , with GPA (pre-req=77%), and I have done many EC activity but non in pharmacy, I am planning to apply To UBC for 2011 cycle, and haven't wrote my PCAT yet
1) is this GPA competitive? I have already retaken some of my course and could not raise my GPA anymore
2) I do want to start working as a Pharmacy tech, however, it seems that most pharmacies require you to have certification, for those of you who are working as a pharmacy tech,do you suggest any place that I can work without certification?
3) Do you think having B.S will help me to get into?

1) Like others said above, 75%+ is enough to be competitive.

2) Try private pharmacies, dont try ones in retail. The ones in retail, like you said, will require tech certification.

3)Of course a B.Sc will help. It proves that you can handle upper level courses while maintaining a good gpa.

 

[huhwut]

To those who want a better resource than the Kaplan book I can tell you that the Kaplan COURSE material is REALLY detailed and pretty much all you need. So if you can get your hands on those books from someone who has previously taken the course...

Or if you can afford it then take the course yourself although it is quite expensive ~$1300.... and honestly isn't quite worth it because

the PCAT IS WORTH VERY LITTLE in your application
so don't worry too much about doing well or not in the PCAT just get at least the minimum!!!

 

[huhwut]

I would also like to know your pre-req GPA

On the site it says last year the avg gpa was 78-80%, Im wondering if I should apply this year or next year because my gpa is pretty low.. (74~)

honestly if I were you i would apply this year even if you're not confident in getting in, just to get the interview experience if you are lucky enough to get one! the interview portion is really important!!