UCSF or UOP

[sepia722]

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wassup everybody. i am new here and i have never used this site before. i was accepted into ucsf and uop. i already sent in my deposit to ucsf to reserve my place. however, i am considering uop. what would you guys do in my situation? thanks for the advice in advance.

 

[jun99]

I'm really curious: what are some of the reasons why you're considering UOP over UCSF? It's more expensive, it doesn't have nearly the same reputation, it's not in the most exciting of locations.....is it just the 3-year aspect that you're attracted to? I don't mean to be rude, so I'm sorry if I come off that way. I'm just really curious about why it's such a difficult decision for you.🙂

 

[sepia722]

yeah. pretty much. uop does offer a 3 year program that is appealing. i am from hawaii and i do not know much about san francisco or stockton. i have heard mixed things about the two places. about their crime rates, things to do, and overall life in the different locations. can anyone clue me in? thanks.

 

[senzabee]

In either place, you will find your share of Hawaii people so you will not be alone. While UOP's program is accelerated, you have to think if you'll be able to learn well at that type of pace. While I have seen Stockton and it (to me) is in the middle of nowhere (or close to), some people might prefer that study environment. San Francisco has its bad neighborhoods, but if you're looking for things to do then you'll have it here. Think about cost of living too, transportation (do you want a car or need one?), which city is easier to fly to, etc etc. But most importantly, look at curriculum. While the environment is important, you are paying for your education. See which one suits you.

Good luck! Congrats 😀

 

[chibipinkbunny]

Ha, ha, well I went to the community college in Stockton for two years before coming to UC Berkeley, and I must say that they are two different places. While Berkeley is not San Francisco it has the enough of the essence of the Bay Area to make a sufficient comparison. Academics aside, Stockton was really nice; I liked it actually. Yeah the crime rate is a little bit high, but certain areas are a lot worse than others. I did have my car mangled and broken into once in Stockton. I was in a good area of town but car theft and damage is one of the more common problems in Stockton. I never felt scared though. UOP is way down Pacific Ave. which is lined with lots of food stores and stuff like that. Rent is pretty cheap, lol, especially in comparison with the Bay Area. When I got to Berkeley I felt very overwhelmed at first by the environment. As far as the crime rate, well I don't feel safe walking around at night by myself. . . but nothing has ever happened to me. UC Berkeley has been a great cultural and academic experience though. Rent is expensive! That's probably the only negative thing I have to say about the Bay Area. Parking is also an issue! You might have to pay $100+ a month to have a car with you, if that's what you want. Drawing on my experience at a UC school, as far as academics go I feel UCSF is a much more enriching academic experience. From my own experiences I've been pushed to learn so much more than I ever thought I'd learn. I think UOP is a good school; I have relatives that graduated from there and they're great pharmacists. Ha, ha, I also have a family friend that graduated from UCSF that is an excellent pharmacist 😉Since you're given the chance though, by all means go to UCSF!!!

 

[sdn1977]

Altho UOP is a great school with respected graduates, you'll get exposure to a much wider diversity in medical thus pharmacy cases at UCSF. You'll also have exposure to a much deeper research oriented aspect of pharmacy.

Location is a temporary thing...you can make do anywhere for 3-4 years.

Good luck & welcome to CA!

 

[senzabee]

I always try to make a fair assessment of schools, probably because I don't know either of the schools well yet. But I do agree with what the others said about UCSF. You will get a quality education in a fantastic location, and you will be surrounded by great people 🙂 the facebook group is a great bunch.

And to everyone, don't forget to join the group Zwigglez started:
http://sfsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2244803425&ref=mf

 

[pharmacyfanatic]

I have thoroughly researched both schools...here are my thoughts on UOP vs. UCSF

UOP pro's
-Three year program (if you take your fourth year and you work, you may actually spend less $$ than you would at a public pharm school)
- Established and respected (at least in N. Cali), but not at SF's level
- Hey, it's a private school...they will treat you right
- Dorms to live in with lecture halls literally a 30 second walk away
- UOP students have excellent pass rate for CPJE/NAPLEX (for 2005 CPJE...UCSF students has a 87.6% pass rate and UOP 94.5%)

UCSF pro's
- For most all, SF is a much more desirable living area in Stockton
- Reputation is as good as it gets with UCSF
- Chances for research, public health pharmacy, etc (and the pathways allow you to explore different areas)
- Tutition is lower

I guess it boils down to what kind of pharmacy you are looking into. For the regular hospital/retail pharmacist, I think either school would be just great. For the less "traditional" roles of a pharmacist, such as a researcher or public health official, UCSF is the much better school.

SDN1977, since you have been out there in the real world...does going to one school over another affect one's chances of getting a residency or job opportunity? I am also deciding between pharm schools and I am trying to decide between prestige and what I think will be my best fit.

 

[sepia722]

i just wanted to thank everyone for posting their advice. i appreciate all the help i can get.

hey pharmacyfanatic,

where did you get those stats about the pass rates for CPJE/NAPLEX tests? thats pretty interesting. i heard the opposite. since uop's program is accelerated, their grads tend to do worse on the boards because they rushed through the material. where as, ucsf has a longer program, which allows students to learn the material better. right???

i am also wondering about that same thing. does it truly matter what school you graduate from? does it help or hurt your chances in the future? i am pretty sure it depends on the person and how they study, carry themselves, etc.

 

[sdn1977]

I have thoroughly researched both schools...here are my thoughts on UOP vs. UCSF

UOP pro's
-Three year program (if you take your fourth year and you work, you may actually spend less $$ than you would at a public pharm school)
- Established and respected (at least in N. Cali), but not at SF's level
- Hey, it's a private school...they will treat you right
- Dorms to live in with lecture halls literally a 30 second walk away
- UOP students have excellent pass rate for CPJE/NAPLEX (for 2005 CPJE...UCSF students has a 87.6% pass rate and UOP 94.5%)

UCSF pro's
- For most all, SF is a much more desirable living area in Stockton
- Reputation is as good as it gets with UCSF
- Chances for research, public health pharmacy, etc (and the pathways allow you to explore different areas)
- Tutition is lower

I guess it boils down to what kind of pharmacy you are looking into. For the regular hospital/retail pharmacist, I think either school would be just great. For the less "traditional" roles of a pharmacist, such as a researcher or public health official, UCSF is the much better school.

SDN1977, since you have been out there in the real world...does going to one school over another affect one's chances of getting a residency or job opportunity? I am also deciding between pharm schools and I am trying to decide between prestige and what I think will be my best fit.

Fanatic - no, there will be no effect on your opportunities post-graduate as long as you take advantage of every opportunity which comes your way during school.

You might get more day-to-day networking at UCSF, but if you get involved in activities as a student, do all you can to make your academic CV a positive one and network within the state &/or national organizations as a student - your opportunities will be the same.

One aspect which sometimes is not looked at carefully with students at UCSF is there can be a tendency to let things "come your way". Nothing will come your way - you must be proactive in both &/or all CA schools to be proactive in developing your career. Likewise, in our state, you really need to look into post-graduate credentialing as you become more refined in the area in which you want to practice.

Good luck & welcome to the profession!

 

[pharmacyfanatic]

Hey Sepia,

Here is the link to the PDF of stats:

http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/publications/05_stats.pdf

Although, I looked at years previous to 2005, and the school that does best on the tests varies from year to year. I guess the take-home message is just that you will receive an adequate education at either school.

 

[UofPacific2009]

Pacific's passing rates on the national board exams are actually very high.

Another pro about UOP is that we're not a big research facility. While that might be a turn off for some people, it's one of the reasons while I like it so much. Our professors are educators, not researchers. They are focused on educating their students to be the best pharmacists they can be. Plus, it's very patient focused. Everything is about the patient.