UCSF sucks

[dvilla56]

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i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

 

[Scrubs Fan]

i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

well, first i wonder if UCSF is the only school that will require you to do this. It's possible that other schools you are applying to will make you take the gchem, if that's the case, i say definitely take it.

If ucsf is the only school that requires this, then let me ask you this. Do you think you have a chance of getting into the school? and if yes, would you really want to go there? i think answer that and you'll know what you have to do. besides, it should be an easy class to take anyway right and probably won't take up too much of your time.

 

[pharmwannebe2]

i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

haha how ******ed. you majored in chemistry! i think you would know basic gen chem!

you should just take it but don't show up to class til test day. i mean it is an easy A for you.

 

[starsweet]

Same reason I didn't apply to UCSF. Who wants to take English 101 when you APed out of it in high school? 🙂 But seriously, I guess you need to evaluate if you really want to go there or not, if you do, then you have to suck it up and take Chem.

 

[ZpackSux]

i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

If you want to go to the best pharmacy school in the world, then play the game. Otherwise, apply elsewhere.

 

[janeno]

i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

Hey I am in the same situation as you. I also got 4 on my AP chem exam and got awarded 8 credits for gen chem. Although I am not chem major, I am minoring in it and taking several upper level courses this coming semester. Some of the schools will make you take gen chem 2 again (ex. UWashington, UNC, UWisconsin, and I guess UCSF). First, I was really pissed off about it too, but then I decided to take it so I could apply to the schools of my choice. My advice to you is to choose the schools you really want to apply and then contact them and ask about your AP chem. If most schools will require you to retake gen chem 2, just go ahead and do it. Plus, it is going to be a blow off class for you anyways.

 

[sdn1977]

I'll tell you about CA public universities......I'm a UCSF graduate..so I won't take offense at your comments.

I can't speak for anywhere other than CA...but here in my state - the high schools highly inflate gpas (I have two kids who graduated from high school in the last 5 years so I speak from some experience). Almost everyone who can take an AP class in this state will take the AP class & we have lots & lots & lots of classes because we have more capable students than we have places to admit them in the UC system. But....high school counselors who have an understanding of what goes into getting into a UC & mostly a UC graduate program will advise you to not take the AP exam for a class which will be pertinent to your major. By all means....take the class - they want to see that you can do the work & accomplish the most rigorous class which is available to you. But....only take the AP exam in a field of study you don't want as a major - history or french....

Its important you understand that UC will consider an AP class as a "C" for graduate applications. You may have received a 5 on the AP exam - they don't care - it wasn't a UC course (& really they are different, no matter what your counselors say!)

So...if you want to be considered for a CA graduate program...don't take the AP exam in the field of study you want to pursue. It will piss your teachers off (they get paid for the number of students enrolled & more if the students pass - did you know that?).....but don't let that deter you. You will do far better for your applications if you just take the AP class in high school, get the A, don't take the exam & take the freshman courses in college & get A's there.

UC looks at an even playing field when it comes to graduate programs & our high school AP courses are not even close to similar even within our own state - so they don't consider any AP course other than "passing" or the equivalent of a "C".

 

[gimpsd]

I'll tell you about CA public universities......I'm a UCSF graduate..so I won't take offense at your comments.

I can't speak for anywhere other than CA...but here in my state - the high schools highly inflate gpas (I have two kids who graduated from high school in the last 5 years so I speak from some experience). Almost everyone who can take an AP class in this state will take the AP class & we have lots & lots & lots of classes because we have more capable students than we have places to admit them in the UC system. But....high school counselors who have an understanding of what goes into getting into a UC & mostly a UC graduate program will advise you to not take the AP exam for a class which will be pertinent to your major. By all means....take the class - they want to see that you can do the work & accomplish the most rigorous class which is available to you. But....only take the AP exam in a field of study you don't want as a major - history or french....

Its important you understand that UC will consider an AP class as a "C" for graduate applications. You may have received a 5 on the AP exam - they don't care - it wasn't a UC course (& really they are different, no matter what your counselors say!)

So...if you want to be considered for a CA graduate program...don't take the AP exam in the field of study you want to pursue. It will piss your teachers off (they get paid for the number of students enrolled & more if the students pass - did you know that?).....but don't let that deter you. You will do far better for your applications if you just take the AP class in high school, get the A, don't take the exam & take the freshman courses in college & get A's there.

UC looks at an even playing field when it comes to graduate programs & our high school AP courses are not even close to similar even within our own state - so they don't consider any AP course other than "passing" or the equivalent of a "C".

Bravo.....And the intelligence and wisdom in this response speaks volumes about the caliber of the people attending UCSF. My hat's off to you sir**(correction: madam) . I love UCSF SOP. 😍

 

[ZpackSux]

Bravo.....And the intelligence and wisdom in this response speaks volumes about the caliber of the people attending UCSF. My hat's off to you sir. I love UCSF SOP. 😍

Better go back and edit your post.. SDN1977 is a lovely young lady.. not a sir.

 

[RoyalBean]

I was in a similar situation for Biology, I got a 5 so I didn't have to take any general bio classes at my undergrad school. At UW-Madison, they didn't transfer a 5 on the AP to general bio, they just gave you some credits or something. However, apparently not all schools offer two semesters of general bio, some schools have like cell biology and animal biology, and these will fufill your requirements for general bio. So what I did was use classes that were more advanced and used them to fufil the requirement, I took genetics and zoology, genetics was required anyway, and zoology was extremely easy and I was able to use it as a free elective toward my degree.

 

[mph2pharm]

Well as others have suggested, you have to decide if going to UCSF is that important to you. If it is, then I guess you will have to play by their rules. I know it sucks if you have to take general chemistry even though your undergrad accepted the AP credit.

I only applied to two schools this round and while one accepted my AP credit the other school did not. The school that did not accept the AP credit accepted me into their program under the condition that I take the actual course during the summer (no exceptions!). Thankfully I was accepted into the school that would accept my AP credit so it wasn't an issue in the end. Different schools will have different rules and with so many applicants applying for so few seats, they can pick, choose and refuse.

 

[gimpsd]

Better go back and edit your post.. SDN1977 is a lovely young lady.. not a sir.

Usually I'm PC but every once in a while you slip. 😀

 

[sdn1977]

Usually I'm PC but every once in a while you slip. 😀

Not to worry - I've been called nearly every name in the book....you can call me sir. I was fresh out of pharmacy school (2 months) when a very young man walked into where I was filling in to work for extra money & wanted to speak with the pharmacist. I explained I was the pharmacist (I had been an intern there as a student) & I was giving the regular pharmacist (a man) a day off. This was a small place - only one pharmacist at a time.

This kid said he needed to speak with the pharmacist who was a man - he really needed a man - really needed that!

So...I put my very best poker medical face on and told him he could just pretend I was a man & ask me anything....I wouldn't laugh, judge him, think less of him.....I just wanted to help if I could. I took him to a very quiet corner & suggested he might find it easier if he didn't look right at me when asking me......

Well....he wanted condoms - at that time they were behind the counter & you had to ask for them. So...I quietly asked if he had a brand preference & how many he wanted to buy.....we concluded the transaction quietly & altho I didn't fall into the "guy" category, I didn't mind filling that role that day.

Aaaaaahhhh & you ask how much things have changed in pharmacy!

No problem - call me sir, call me Betty or Bob or Sam........just don't call me late for lunch 😉 ! I do, however, really like being called a young lady.....makes me think of earlier days - how flattering 😀

 

[ZpackSux]

Not to worry - I've been called nearly every name in the book....you can call me sir. I was fresh out of pharmacy school (2 months) when a very young man walked into where I was filling in to work for extra money & wanted to speak with the pharmacist. I explained I was the pharmacist (I had been an intern there as a student) & I was giving the regular pharmacist (a man) a day off. This was a small place - only one pharmacist at a time.

This kid said he needed to speak with the pharmacist who was a man - he really needed a man - really needed that!

So...I put my very best poker medical face on and told him he could just pretend I was a man & ask me anything....I wouldn't laugh, judge him, think less of him.....I just wanted to help if I could. I took him to a very quiet corner & suggested he might find it easier if he didn't look right at me when asking me......

Well....he wanted condoms - at that time they were behind the counter & you had to ask for them. So...I quietly asked if he had a brand preference & how many he wanted to buy.....we concluded the transaction quietly & altho I didn't fall into the "guy" category, I didn't mind filling that role that day.

Aaaaaahhhh & you ask how much things have changed in pharmacy!

No problem - call me sir, call me Betty or Bob or Sam........just don't call me late for lunch 😉 ! I do, however, really like being called a young lady.....makes me think of earlier days - how flattering 😀

Well young lady..did you dispense Trojans?

 

[sdn1977]

Well young lady..did you dispense Trojans?

Oh my gosh, you asked! I knew it would only (could only) be you who would ask that!

No, actually - I did not dispense Trojans. He asked for Durex which he had heard (correctly, btw...) were the only ones which had a spermicidal lubricant & those were the ones he wanted. So those were the ones I sold (dispensed????).

Durex was the first manufacturer of condoms to use a spermicidal lubricant (that was in 1974) & he had heard about that & wanted those. He probably wanted to find out if they really worked, but with me, he just asked if we had those. Mind you - this was Oct 1977 - 2 months after I received my license.

Now....since condoms do not need to be requested from the pharmacist (even then I thought this was a bizarre requirement, but oh well....) I will admit to letting this aspect of my professional knowledge slide 😉 , but then I had to know this stuff. So....I'm sure there are many far more knowledgable people on this topic today than myself & I'm very grateful I'm only ever asked what aisle they are on. 😀

However.....I still can put on that poker medical face when needed 🙂 & don't mind being called mam or sir.

 

[Requiem]

sdn, I will address you as Allah with 7 arms holding mortars and pestles symbolizing great wealth of experience and knowledge.

So, Allah, what do you think of the Trojan vibrating ring that you can now roll over condoms for ~20 mins of extended pleasure? From a medicinal perspective, of course.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

If you want to go to the best pharmacy school in the world, then play the game. Otherwise, apply elsewhere.

Dammit, Z, don't fuel the Californian superiority complex.

 

[sdn1977]

sdn, I will address you as Allah with 7 arms holding mortars and pestles symbolizing great wealth of experience and knowledge.

So, Allah, what do you think of the Trojan vibrating ring that you can now roll over condoms for ~20 mins of extended pleasure? From a medicinal perspective, of course.

😀 As I said before.......I've really not kept up on this area of healthcare.......professionally 😉

I will have to defer to all of you younger pharmacists & pharmacists-to-be to help educate me - or better yet.....I'll defer all those questions to you.

We each have our area of expertise & this one is not mine for sure

 

[BiOGoly]

i'm kinda pissed of at ucsf cause their AP credit policy sucks. i took ap chemistry in high school and got a 4. i chose to major in chemistry at johns hopkins and they gave me credit for gen chem 1&2 with the labs. so i'm a senior and applying to pharm school this year and i will be taking graduate level chemistry courses. and ucsf still wants me to take gen chem. i mean its kinda ridiculous for me to take a freshman class when i should be doing more advanced chem. i also told them i got a 91 percentile on the pcat chem section and they didn't care. now i have to comtemplate taking gen chem 2 my last semester of undergrad. i don't know if i should take that bull**** class just to apply to this school. gosh, i know that they want everyone to be on the same level but i'm a chemistry major for god's sake. y can't they just look at my profile and then make a decision. what do u guys think i should do?

I took the AP chem and AP physics tests in High School. I also took general chemistry and general physics in college. Why? Because most pre-health science schools want to see the grade, simple as that. I absolutely see your point, but I have little sympathy...jumping through hoops is a major part of life, the sooner you understand this the less frustrating your life will become.

 

[ZpackSux]

Dammit, Z, don't fuel the Californian superiority complex.

don't hate

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Yeah, yeah, ok. Of course YOU went to a California school.

We all know the smart people are in the East. Right Coast, REPRUHZENT!

Ahem. Yes.

I still claim that Wisconsin is the best school simply because they produced all of my good professors and some good clinical pharmacists I know.

And they have produced more Rhodes Scholars than WVU. Damn them....

 

[ZpackSux]

Yeah, yeah, ok. Of course YOU went to a California school.

We all know the smart people are in the East. Right Coast, REPRUHZENT!

Ahem. Yes.

I still claim that Wisconsin is the best school simply because they produced all of my good professors and some good clinical pharmacists I know.

And they have produced more Rhodes Scholars than WVU. Damn them....

Then again, going from Wisconsin to WV is pretty much a lateral move.. going from CA to elsewhere would be a downgrade..

 

[sdn1977]

Then again, going from Wisconsin to WV is pretty much a lateral move.. going from CA to elsewhere would be a downgrade..

especially Texas


just j/k (kinda...... 😳 )

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Then again, going from Wisconsin to WV is pretty much a lateral move.. going from CA to elsewhere would be a downgrade..

Yeah, a downgrade in the amount of Scientologists and smog.... shine on, you crazy Californians....

 

[sdn1977]

Yeah, a downgrade in the amount of Scientologists and smog.... shine on, you crazy Californians....

👍

 

[pharmwannebe2]

Yeah, a downgrade in the amount of Scientologists and smog.... shine on, you crazy Californians....

don't blame california for scientology. blame tom cruise

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I blame California. And South Dakota.

All their fault, end of story.

 

[fidelio]

Well... it is still pretty silly to take gen chem if you've majored in chemistry and taken advanced chemistry courses. but I already knew about the AP test in high school not counting in UC systems.

I'd say yea, take it only if you want to go to UCSF. Otherwise don't.

 

[MuraRX]

I can understand your frustration, but if you want to go to UCSF, then you should just suck it up and take the class. It should be an easy class for you so it shouldn't take up a ton of study time. Also, UCSF might not be the only school that has that policy.

 

[Jbuprepharm]

especially Texas


just j/k (kinda...... 😳 )

F U

actually I'm originally from CA, but have lived in Texas most of my life, so either way, I get it

but still, FU 😉