hope that your next station is really easy
if you have absolutely nothing to say, and you have no idea, its better to not say anything rather than say something totally unrelated.
-
CycleTrack and SDN are teaming up to make medical school admissions more transparent and accessible! Read the announcement to learn how we’re supporting the future of CycleTrack’s free application-tracking tools .
UBC Pre-pharmacy 2010!
Started by bebeLnJ
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
hope that your next station is really easy
if you have absolutely nothing to say, and you have no idea, its better to not say anything rather than say something totally unrelated.
yeah i'm afraid of the same thing :S i just really hope that doesn't happen to any of us...but since they are scenarios questions we can say anything we want as to how you would handle the situation because they don't care about the right of wrong answer they just want to know that you are confident in what you say..as i understand the interview is to show that we have the right mindset (confident and willing) to become a pharmacist and the pharmacy program is designed to teach us to get the right answer =)
Okay, I know we've discussed this before and I know that the FAQ says:
And I know that these are simply AVERAGES themselves, but realistically, how far outside of these ranges do they stray? I've got an 87% PCAT so I'm covered on that front, but since I am not a UBC student, I don't know what GPA they will calculate for me from my 4.0 scale grades. I've used rough estimates I have found online and have tried to calculate it, erring on the side of caution, of course. However, I figure that the GPA they will likely calculate for me is likely somewhere between 70 and 71% at the lowest, and if I am lucky might reach the 75% range depending on how generous their conversion system is (which I am guessing is probably unlikely). I've got work experience as a pharmacy tech and both of my references are from pharmacists as well, so that's a bonus.
I am also OOP so I know that I don't get priority by any means, but do you think I have at least got a shot at an interview? The whole waiting game is killing me and I can't stop playing the "what if?" game.
And I know that these are simply AVERAGES themselves, but realistically, how far outside of these ranges do they stray? I've got an 87% PCAT so I'm covered on that front, but since I am not a UBC student, I don't know what GPA they will calculate for me from my 4.0 scale grades. I've used rough estimates I have found online and have tried to calculate it, erring on the side of caution, of course. However, I figure that the GPA they will likely calculate for me is likely somewhere between 70 and 71% at the lowest, and if I am lucky might reach the 75% range depending on how generous their conversion system is (which I am guessing is probably unlikely). I've got work experience as a pharmacy tech and both of my references are from pharmacists as well, so that's a bonus.
I am also OOP so I know that I don't get priority by any means, but do you think I have at least got a shot at an interview? The whole waiting game is killing me and I can't stop playing the "what if?" game.
Anyone have any idea how many people apply to UBC pharm every year? or this year??
I've heard now it's well over the 500-600 count that they post on their website, but not sure how truthful that is.
I've heard now it's well over the 500-600 count that they post on their website, but not sure how truthful that is.
I would think 70% is a bit on the low end, although since you did well on the PCAT and have good work experience and references, you should probably get an interview.
i have similar stats but with a slightly higher gpa and i got an interview last yr (screwed up entirely on it tho) i think u should be fine (pharm tech job helps a lot)
Hi guys! So I was wondering if anyone here was looking for a roommate for next year? I'm currently at UVic so I don't know very many people in Vancouver and I'm worried about finding an affordable place to live next year! It really sucks that we don't find out whether or not we're accepted until July cause I can't start looking for a place to live until then...
My buddy had the same almost the same averages as you last year and he didn't even get an interview. Just see what happens I guess. If you DO get an interview your going to have to do really really well on the interview to get a spot.
I hope you're right! I am really banking on the interview. It's such a shame that a couple crappy grades can hold people back from a career they are passionate about.
That is incredibly lame that he didn't even get an interview. Fingers crossed that I get an interview and that it lets me put my tech experience to good use.
Well I really hope you are right! It's really too bad they aren't increasing the number of seats this year because I would be feeling a lot more confident about the whole thing. Thanks for the input, guys!
Here is some light I can shed on the admissions process.
For those worrying about my qualifications:
I am currently a 4th year student and have been accepted into a hospital residency. I am well known by many within the faculty and have been asked by faculty members to be an examiner for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year exams.
As for admissions:
I was admitted with a 69% pre-req average and a 99% PCAT (yes I know it looks strange, I didn't work very hard my first few years).
Pharmacy experience is important in order to understand what "pharmacy" is all about. It also gives you a great opportunity for relevant letters of reference. But most important it allows you to show your interviewers you know what the field is all about. Haven't volunteered? If you received an interview then you won't be at any disadvantage provided you educate yourself on what pharmacists *really* do, and the new direction the field is headed. This can be accomplished just as easily from studying or talking to later-year pharmacy students (probably the best source as some practicing pharmacists don't seem to care) as it can from volunteering.
~I know the above paragraph isn't written well. I'm very tired.
The shortages are drastic in rural areas in the north, particularly hospital practice (i.e Vanderhoof, Ft. St. John, etc.). One of the Dean's mandate's has been to stop this shortage and as such they generally consider students from the "North" seperately and will almost have two different cohorts. This is because students from the North have statistically been far more willing to return to these areas.
GPA matters, PCAT matters (as evidenced by my application). You need something to prove that you are able to succeed in Pharmacy school. They don't want to admit people who are going to fail out of the program.
The interview is extremely important. They aren't going to interview anybody who wouldn't be accepted if they did well on it. Bottom line - score well and you will be accepted.
I am unable to comment on the new updated interview process. Please don't PM me asking questions regarding this - I am unable to answer.
I hope this helped some of you and I will try to check more often if anybody has any questions for me.
For those worrying about my qualifications:
I am currently a 4th year student and have been accepted into a hospital residency. I am well known by many within the faculty and have been asked by faculty members to be an examiner for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year exams.
As for admissions:
I was admitted with a 69% pre-req average and a 99% PCAT (yes I know it looks strange, I didn't work very hard my first few years).
Pharmacy experience is important in order to understand what "pharmacy" is all about. It also gives you a great opportunity for relevant letters of reference. But most important it allows you to show your interviewers you know what the field is all about. Haven't volunteered? If you received an interview then you won't be at any disadvantage provided you educate yourself on what pharmacists *really* do, and the new direction the field is headed. This can be accomplished just as easily from studying or talking to later-year pharmacy students (probably the best source as some practicing pharmacists don't seem to care) as it can from volunteering.
~I know the above paragraph isn't written well. I'm very tired.
The shortages are drastic in rural areas in the north, particularly hospital practice (i.e Vanderhoof, Ft. St. John, etc.). One of the Dean's mandate's has been to stop this shortage and as such they generally consider students from the "North" seperately and will almost have two different cohorts. This is because students from the North have statistically been far more willing to return to these areas.
GPA matters, PCAT matters (as evidenced by my application). You need something to prove that you are able to succeed in Pharmacy school. They don't want to admit people who are going to fail out of the program.
The interview is extremely important. They aren't going to interview anybody who wouldn't be accepted if they did well on it. Bottom line - score well and you will be accepted.
I am unable to comment on the new updated interview process. Please don't PM me asking questions regarding this - I am unable to answer.
I hope this helped some of you and I will try to check more often if anybody has any questions for me.
Thanks Ryan that was very helpful! =)
for GPA .. not that large of a range. reach 75% if you can.
for PCAT.. the range is HUGE.. dont even worry about PCAT score atm.
ryan, so your saying that once you get an interview, acceptance pretty much rides solely on the interview?
Would you say that because of this mandate out-of-province students have even less of a chance of getting accepted at UBC? Is this a recent mandate or an on-going one? And if it is ongoing, do you happen to know what the statistics have been like for the acceptance rates of OOP students recently? I know that a small number of OOP students are accepted, but I am not sure how many OOP students typically apply each year.
I would like to ask you guys for some opinion, those who have taken organic chem. I'm thinking of taking Chem 233 and 235 this summer together and i don't know if its a good idea. I heard this was a killer course and the failure rate is super high, but I've asked a couple of people and they suggest me to take it together. I'm hesitating becuase I'm afraid I will do poorly in Chem 233 because of the intense schedule. So I'm wondering if anyone has taken these two courses can give me some feedback on their experience.. and tell me whether they think its a good idea or not.
and I know I posted this somewhere but i forgot which page I posted it on... how do you guys find pharmacy technician jobs? Don't they need to be certified? at least all the stores I've looked at require certification. perhaps theres anther position for those without any certification? THANKS A LOT!👍
and I know I posted this somewhere but i forgot which page I posted it on... how do you guys find pharmacy technician jobs? Don't they need to be certified? at least all the stores I've looked at require certification. perhaps theres anther position for those without any certification? THANKS A LOT!👍
Illix:
I believe they have a set number of seats allocated to OOP students every year. This application stream is generally far more competitive then the IP stream.
ksksks:
More or less. You *may* get accepted with a below-average interview with stellar stats (high GPA, PCAT, ECs), but anybody who scores well on the interview will likely be accepted. Why would they interview anybody who wouldn't be accepted even if they did well on the interview?
It's not 100% dependant on the interview of course, but a large portion of the overall index is.
pch:
I'm not sure what to tell you. Organic is a tough course. I took first semester at UofA and the average was like 55% in a class of 500. That being said they will look at those two courses as a benchmark for grades, so if you can pull off an A then that'll look very good. All depends on how you can do. First year is pretty slack *IF* you've completed all your pre-reqs. You could do Ochem during that year, but I wouldn't want to be taking that plus stats, plus microbiology, plus histology, plus gross anatomy, plus all the pharm courses.
I believe they have a set number of seats allocated to OOP students every year. This application stream is generally far more competitive then the IP stream.
ksksks:
More or less. You *may* get accepted with a below-average interview with stellar stats (high GPA, PCAT, ECs), but anybody who scores well on the interview will likely be accepted. Why would they interview anybody who wouldn't be accepted even if they did well on the interview?
It's not 100% dependant on the interview of course, but a large portion of the overall index is.
pch:
I'm not sure what to tell you. Organic is a tough course. I took first semester at UofA and the average was like 55% in a class of 500. That being said they will look at those two courses as a benchmark for grades, so if you can pull off an A then that'll look very good. All depends on how you can do. First year is pretty slack *IF* you've completed all your pre-reqs. You could do Ochem during that year, but I wouldn't want to be taking that plus stats, plus microbiology, plus histology, plus gross anatomy, plus all the pharm courses.
Hi Ryan,
I am from California and have earned my BSc in Biochemistry there with a GPA of 3.99. I recently moved to Canada in December and due to moving and all, didn't really study for the PCAT (my score was 69% composite and the sciences were above 80%). I am very worried about this. Do you think I have a chance to be called for an interview? P.S. I have been working at a pharmacy since January.
I am from California and have earned my BSc in Biochemistry there with a GPA of 3.99. I recently moved to Canada in December and due to moving and all, didn't really study for the PCAT (my score was 69% composite and the sciences were above 80%). I am very worried about this. Do you think I have a chance to be called for an interview? P.S. I have been working at a pharmacy since January.
Obviously I can't say for certain, but I would suspect you have a very good chance at getting an interview. Having a previous degree (in a related discipline) with a very competitive GPA should get you into the interview.
You've proven you can handle the courseload with your GPA and as such your low PCAT won't hurt you as much. There's a lot of other variables (place of residency, where you did your degree, ECs, how you actually wrote your essays etc.) but I think you should be ok so far.
You've proven you can handle the courseload with your GPA and as such your low PCAT won't hurt you as much. There's a lot of other variables (place of residency, where you did your degree, ECs, how you actually wrote your essays etc.) but I think you should be ok so far.
Hi Ryan,
First of all, thanks so much for your wonderful insight into the admission process.
I have a question regarding first-year course load here, however, and I apologize for going slightly off-topic. I know that, according to the degree requirements for undergrad pharmacy program (http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,213,397,393) that students are not expected to take electives in their first year. However, since I have already taken Chem 233, 235; Micb 202; Stats; and have registered to take Anat 390 in the summer, I am wondering if I can take an elective course in the first term of my first year so I can be eligible for student loan (http://www.students.ubc.ca/finance/loans.cfm?page=courseload&view=program&ID=Pharmacy) ?
Thanks again!
First of all, thanks so much for your wonderful insight into the admission process.
I have a question regarding first-year course load here, however, and I apologize for going slightly off-topic. I know that, according to the degree requirements for undergrad pharmacy program (http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,213,397,393) that students are not expected to take electives in their first year. However, since I have already taken Chem 233, 235; Micb 202; Stats; and have registered to take Anat 390 in the summer, I am wondering if I can take an elective course in the first term of my first year so I can be eligible for student loan (http://www.students.ubc.ca/finance/loans.cfm?page=courseload&view=program&ID=Pharmacy) ?
Thanks again!
You can take as many electives as you can handle first year.
any good electives to take as a 1st yr pharm student? i am in a similar situation heh
All the eligible pharm electives can be found on the website, http://www.pharmacy.ubc.ca/undergraduate_programs/introduction.html
just scroll down and click the link.
I took FNH 250 in my first year, wasn't that great a course though IMO. If you only need non pharm electives I would recommend waiting until you are in 3 and 4th year pharm when you can do actual PHAR elective courses, although it is nice to get one or two over with in first year. Do you have credit for Biochem 300 or equivalent? If not, I would highly recommend doing it first year as it majorly sucks doing it in second year.
i may take fnh 250 and ihhs400 (or fnh 355) in the summer.. i finished my biochem equivalents already and i did fnh 200 during the year..
why would it be better to wait until 3rd and 4th year to do more than 1 phar elective? Many students are just trying to take as many as they can so they dont have to worry about it later
Best bet is to email Margaret re: biochemistry. Wait until you find out if you are admitted or not though. If you are you can apply for exemption for your graduation requirements.
Most electives you take aren't really pharmacy relevant. I've taken a few psych courses (Abnormal Psych is helpful for your psychatric modules) as well as FNH 250 (easy bird course, very general nutrition overview).
In your 4th year you will have so much time on your hands you'll be bored, so it's ok to save an elective or 2 for this semester. The only required courses is a 3 credit business course and your general CBL course you have every semester. Contrary to that, 3rd year is ridiculously busy - try to not require any electives this year. First year is very lax w/o the other electives so take 1 or 2 if you can.
I would *highly* *HIGHLY* recommend taking the 4th year pharmacokinetics in 3rd/4th year if possible. Very good course from one of our best professors.
Most electives you take aren't really pharmacy relevant. I've taken a few psych courses (Abnormal Psych is helpful for your psychatric modules) as well as FNH 250 (easy bird course, very general nutrition overview).
In your 4th year you will have so much time on your hands you'll be bored, so it's ok to save an elective or 2 for this semester. The only required courses is a 3 credit business course and your general CBL course you have every semester. Contrary to that, 3rd year is ridiculously busy - try to not require any electives this year. First year is very lax w/o the other electives so take 1 or 2 if you can.
I would *highly* *HIGHLY* recommend taking the 4th year pharmacokinetics in 3rd/4th year if possible. Very good course from one of our best professors.
I know someone who has around the same stats, owned the interview and got accepted last year so you definitely have a chance!
I'm not sure what the summer school schedule looks like this year, but when I took 233 and 235 in the summer, 233 was during the first 6 weeks and 235 didn't start til after 233 ended, so for me balancing time between the two wasn't a problem. However, since the course is condensed into 6 weeks, 233 is indeed challenging, and you will need to put a fair amount of time into it each day.
If you don't have them previous to admission, you are required to take 6 credits of "whatever the hell you want". In addition to that you require 9 credits from a list of pre-approved "pharmacy electives" such as nutrition, psychology, etc., as well as 3 credits from a 400-level pharmacy specific elective such as kinetics or toxicology.
The only reason I say that it is better is because you cannot take actual PHAR elective courses in your first or second years. Personally, I would much rather take a course in pharmacokinetics, or chronic pain management, then an elective in microbiology or psychology. That being said, you should definitely make sure you are done your 2 non-pharm electives which I assume you are, and if you want to do another fnh or ihhs course that isn't a bad idea. I would just leave one or two electives left until fourth year to do more relevant courses.
I took Chem 233 in the summer last year and the class average was 56%. Despite that, I still found it a lot better to have taken it during the summer, I have seen a fair number of my friends struggle with the course when they took it in the winter session. My advice is to take it and take it very seriously, it's a great course once you start getting the jest of it. Getting a decent grade shouldn't be hard if you pay attention to the prof and do your homework. On the other hand, I took 235 in the school year, big mistake for me, so I say take both courses together. Hope that helps 🙂
@ imortal
Science One is only good as a pre pharm option if you're certain that you will be able to do well. Sci one is nuts, they basically take you through the 30 credits required by Pharm and more in a winter session and gives you no room for failure. Plus if you're a normal student that needs to work hard like everyone else, I'm pretty sure you'll have no time to do any ECs when you're in the science one program
Science One is only good as a pre pharm option if you're certain that you will be able to do well. Sci one is nuts, they basically take you through the 30 credits required by Pharm and more in a winter session and gives you no room for failure. Plus if you're a normal student that needs to work hard like everyone else, I'm pretty sure you'll have no time to do any ECs when you're in the science one program
I really don't know much about this story but I have heard that it will really hurt small pharmacies.
I did Science One. It's definitely a good option if you're willing to work hard at it. And I don't see what the big deal is with 30 credits... wouldn't non-Science One students do that too if they want to take all the first year science courses + English? Everyone I know in first-year science at UBC does about 30 credits, whether they're in Science One or not.
But that being said, I don't think Science One will give you an edge on your pharmacy application- it'll just help give you a good foundation academically and get to know your profs really well- an opportunity that's harder to get in the regular first year program. And the myth about Science One being super intense... is just a myth (kind of).
But that being said, I don't think Science One will give you an edge on your pharmacy application- it'll just help give you a good foundation academically and get to know your profs really well- an opportunity that's harder to get in the regular first year program. And the myth about Science One being super intense... is just a myth (kind of).
Does this mean that when admitted their curriculum structure will be different (as in course cohort ) or that their admission process will be facilitated in comparison to the batch of applicants from Mainland Vancouver for instance ? Or perharps both ?
If you could elaborate . Thank you.
they basically mean that if say a person from the north has almost the same stats as the person from vancouver mainland, they would most likely pick the person from the north. thats all.
as for the person that is going into UBC as a third year? if i am reading your question correctly, maybe try something like...biology? because that makes getting the non pharmacy courses that you need to take easy to get out of the way.
as for the person that is going into UBC as a third year? if i am reading your question correctly, maybe try something like...biology? because that makes getting the non pharmacy courses that you need to take easy to get out of the way.
Thanks a lot Chicolate! I paid my summer tuition already so I can't really do much about it now. I've registered for both Chem 233 and 235. I really hope I'm not making a mistake. 🙂 thanks again!
when are the offers of admission coming out?
According to the UBC website: 0276.
It's probably too late to help you with your situation now, seeing as how the drop deadline was yesterday, but maybe this will help future students. I took Chem 233 and 235 in the winter term this year. Is it better to take them together? Maybe. But the only way 233 helped with 235 is for the homework questions for 2 of the 10 labs that you do. And by helping, I mean that it's still fresh in your mind when you do these two labs. But if you're taking 235 after you take 233, you can always go back to your notes. So in my opinion, I don't think it's absolutely essential to take them together, though it would probably be "easier" to remember what you learned if you took them simultaneously. And if you're wondering whether 235 helps you understand 233 better... not really. It'll probably help you learn to appreciate how slow/fast chemical reactions you learn in class occur, but it's definitely not anything critical.
Also, I am strongly against the idea of taking it in the summer. You have 6 weeks to learn everything, and 233 is one of the courses that DEMANDS critical thinking. I don't think 6 weeks is enough time for all the concepts to sink in. Not to mention, during the winter term, there are numerous help/review sessions offered which are EXTREMELY helpful. If you are lucky enough to have a TA named "Paul Bichler," then you will definitely find 233 a lot easier as he truly dedicates his own time to help you out, both on the discussion board and in person. If he ever offers a review session on carbohydrates, YOU MUST GO. Seriously one of the most helpful TAs I have ever met most of the students who posted on the discussion board agrees.
Anyways, hope that helped.. good luck!
