Ucsf

[cosanostra]

I have dreamed of attending UCSF the entire time I have been contemplating pharmacy as a career--which, at this point, is about six years. That was quite a long time ago, when I was finishing up high school, and after being side tracted for some time, I am ready to pursue this goal.

Who on these forums started at the junior college level, as a first-year prepharmacy student, and worked their way up? This is the situation I am in, and I would like to get in touch with other people in my situation.

To give you all some background, I completed a pharmacy technician program through Portland Community College (Oregon), passed my PTCB exam, and I have been looking for work for about a year. I've had some interviews and I find that not even a Target pharmacy takes my credentials seriously. Also, holding somebody's life in my hands for $12.00/hour is ridiculous. However, I'm confident that having this pharmacy tech. licensure will look good on my college application.

Is anyone else in this situation? Would you like to share your experiences?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Apteka]

Hi there: I just recently graduated ucsf- and i took all of my prereqs for pharmacy school here in SF at city college and state. (I did, however, get a BA undergrad but none of the classes counted towards pharmacy school prereqs.)

I also did a pharm tech certification program at city college, and got my CPhT before I started pharmacy school.

In the class of 122 who entered the PharmD program, there were about 5 people who started straight from community college. Don't let that discourage you at all, btw... having practical pharmacy knowledge (like yourself) is really quite a bonus for your application.

With that in mind, you should know that UCSF's application is QUITE lengthy and they take a *lot* of time reading through your essays. Put a lot of thought into the essays- make sure you're not repeating the same theme twice in each essay (I think there are at least 8-9 questions.)

If you have time, it's worthwhile to come visit the campus on one of the 'pharmacy information days' (check the website) and also attend the supplemental application workshop when they offer it.

Good luck!!~~~

 

[cosanostra]

Thanks for your response!

I didn't actually think that my knowledge as a pharmacy technician would be considered anything special. Every pharmacist I interview with has an attitude about me. They're almost disgusted that my pharmacy technician program was only 3 months long--I can always see it on their faces. "What, you didn't even have an internship? What kind of person are you??? "

It's nothing that will discourage me, but jesus christ it's tough to get into this field!

 

[Antimony]

Thanks for your response!

I didn't actually think that my knowledge as a pharmacy technician would be considered anything special. Every pharmacist I interview with has an attitude about me. They're almost disgusted that my pharmacy technician program was only 3 months long--I can always see it on their faces. "What, you didn't even have an internship? What kind of person are you??? "

It's nothing that will discourage me, but jeez it's tough to get into this field!

Fixed it for you.

I suggest you get your bachelors, and apply to UCSF. As the above poster alluded to, UCSF looks for students who have bachelors, and it is rare that students with pre-reqs only get in. When the above poster entered pharmacy school, it was probably in 2004/2005. Every year the competition increases. Good Luck.

 

[cosanostra]

Now tell me, what exactly did you fix?

 

[chibipinkbunny]

I'm a second year student at UCSF now. Apteka, you must feel good to be out of school. Finals start tomorrow, and I wish I was anywhere but here right now ^_^' I know that the year ahead of me had two students that had a community college degree, and no bachelors. I actually can't think of anyone in my year like that, but maybe there is. I also went to community college, and then transferred to a 4 year school to get my BS in chemistry. You would have the best chance of getting into UCSF if you got a bachelors degree. Anyway, good luck!

 

[aFarmD]

Now tell me, what exactly did you fix?

how about jesus christ ----> jeez?

 

[cosanostra]

how about jesus christ ----> jeez?

Oh no, how insensitive of me. And how stupid of me. Please forgive me Christians, I thought this was a forum meant to discuss the practice of pharmacy, not religious ideation. Anyways, I'd prefer to keep on track and discuss UCSF and pharmacy-related matters. If you're a Christian, that's fine, but not everybody chooses to use jeez in lieu of Jesus Christ. I can be tolerant of somebody's religion if that person can be tolerant of my lack of religion, okay?

Anyways, it is a long road for me until I get to pharmacy school. That is, unless the stress kills me first!

 

[Antimony]

Just trying to help you look more professional, regardless of religion preference. Relax, and good luck on your road to pharmacy school! If you need any advice, feel free to pm me.

 

[TrjTraddie]

let's end this conversation on a positive note... good luck on your aps

Wow. I really don't get it. This is completely biased. Do you have some vendetta against UCSF? You made quite a jump in logic to put so many words in the OPs mouth. Would you say the same should someone say I have dreamed of USC or UCSD or any other school? People attend various pharmacy schools for various reasons beyond this ranking that you seem to be so against.

um... no and no. you have good arguments... i respect that. let's be friends, we may be classmates next year.

 

[Jaded03]

I would seriously consider what I am about to say if i were you (But don't take it personally). You say you have been dreaming of getting into ucsf while contemplating pharmacy as a career. My friend, I think that no matter how I look at this, from my outsider point of view it seems that your focus seems to be less about pharmacy and more about ucsf. Maybe it's not, but if that is true, you would not be the only person.

To be frank (and I've said it before in other threads), you need to keep your goals grounded to what is important in life. Tell me honestly now... if you threw rankings up in the air, would you still feel the same way about ucsf? Why is it a dream of yours to get into The University of California, San Francisco, the #1 ranked Pharmacy school according to subjective ranking system? I mean... not to rain on your parade, but I find that these rankings are mostly helpful to PhD students rather than PharmD students. Institutions are highly ranked in large part due to their publications, federal funding, grants... in turn, researchers benefit from an increase in "funding power". I don't see US News and Report (or whoever ranks these programs) comparing and contrasting the educational curriculum of each institution (and from what I hear from current students, ucsf definetely has a lot of room for improvement in terms of curriculum).

I don't mean to assume that you are the type of person that is easily lured by rankings; I don't even know your true intentions. All I know is that there are a handful of people out there that seem to be applying to ucsf reaching out for a trophy degree while forgetting the very essence why they even chose a career in pharmacy.

Wow. I really don't get it. This is completely biased. Do you have some vendetta against UCSF? You made quite a jump in logic to put so many words in the OPs mouth. Would you say the same should someone say I have dreamed of USC or UCSD or any other school? People attend various pharmacy schools for various reasons beyond this ranking that you seem to be so against.

 

[evilolive]

I used to dream about Mean Girls, does that make me an awful person?

 

[TrjTraddie]

I used to dream about Mean Girls, does that make me an awful person?

that would depend on which mean girl you've been dreaming about, i think.

 

[cosanostra]

Yeah well if you all think pharmacy school is hard, try filling out the FAFSA without help from anybody. I can hear the school denying me now..."What, you forgot to cross the T in section thirty-eight B. Denied--better luck in three months, when we get to your application again."

My motivation for selection UCSF as a school has nothing to do with it's "excellent record." I know that every school is going to proclaim that they are the best, in one way or another. San Francisco is very close to where my wife's family lives. It is important to us as a family to be around them. With the cost of housing in the city--about 1200/mo for a decent STUDIO apartment, it's enough to make one want to pull his or her hair out in sheer frustration!

I have no interest in being one of these people with the "trophy degree." These people--just like my pharmacy technician instructor--think that they are the final word as far as anything drug-related. They will argue with you even if they are wrong, because they have the PhD and therefore are better than you and more superior than you in ways outside of pharmacy. They have the Ph.D so they should get to park in the handicapped spot without a placard. They have a better, more expensive education, and therefore you are inferior to them on every level.

A downside of pharmacy, in my opinion, might be working with these hot-shot medical professionals--you know, the doctor who will prescribe Vicodin along with a prescription of Acetaminophen for chronic pain (because we all know that vicodin has no acetaminophen, right?), and then, when the pharmacist looks at the prescription and says to himself, 'this patient might die of liver failure because this is waaaay too much acetaminophen," and calls the doctor to verify it, the doctor takes an attitude with the pharmacist because he went through twelve years of medical school and doesnt take orders from some pissant pharmacist. Yeah, I've heard all the horror stories. I still want to do it. I still want to make six-figures a year to be walked all over by some inconsiderate junkie drug seeker who has a prescription for oxycontin that their doctor just wrote to get them the hell out of their office. I want to do it to see my technicians get dragged out of the pharmacy by the DEA when they steal the schedule 2 drugs. I guess it's all part of the glamor , right?

On that note, the housing costs in San Francisco are ridiculous. I've also considered University of Washington. Not because I want to get that trophy degree, but maybe because it's more affordable and because I don't want to smell feces and urine (ahh san francisco!) whenever I walk down the main streets downtown.

 

[cosanostra]

I used to dream about Mean Girls, does that make me an awful person?

Yes, that basically makes you the worst kind of person. Probably not as bad as Lindsay Lohan. I wonder how many trips to the pharmacy she makes. she's gotta have her oxycontin, her vicodin, her valium, her xanax, her prozac, and eventually, her anna-nicole-smith obituary.

 

[UES Girl]

I love how I'm gone from this forum for weeks and pre-pharmacy threads especially the ones surrounding UCSF are still the same. I'd say cosanostra unless you want to earn yourself a depression take advice in this forum with a grain of salt, UCSF students are cool but some of the fellow applicants are a bit on the pre-med side, which is rather sad, considering these very same people are writing about their compassion and humility in the lengthy app.