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I don't think there's one made yet for the recent application cycle so I'll start it 
UF Pharmacy Application Cycle
- Thread starter 4countryguy
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Right? I hope the new changes aren't too drastically different than the current PCAT books and the PCAT practice exams that was posted on their site.
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deleted437652
I was thinking about applying here, but I saw that there are 4 different campuses when you go to apply on the Pharmcas. I saw there were different numbers of students admitted to each, but are there more significant differences between the different locations? I would imagine they have the same general curriculum, but different professors. Is one location better for whatever reason?
When you apply using Pharmcas only apply to the main campus in Gainesville. When you apply to the actual college they require a ranking of which campus you would like to attend. All lecture material is exactly the same, so the campuses are equal.
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Hi everyone! I am a 2PD at the St. Petersburg campus and will be happy to answer any general questions about our program.
UF does have 4 different campuses but the curriculum is the same. All of our lectures are recorded from Gainesville and viewed online so everyone is learning the same material from the same professor. But don't think that Gainesville takes the home court for being able to sit and watch live classes. After the first few weeks of school, you'll notice the classrooms start looking more empty as Gainesville students start to watch lectures on their own time just like the distant campuses.
For the certain classes that meet in person (labs, discussions, etc), the facilitators on each campus follow a curriculum from the course facilitator so again, the material taught is generally the same. I would say the ONE class that differs from campus to campus would be your IPPE course, which is the course where you complete your community service hours, are assigned a pharmacy to do screenings and assignments off campus. That differs, of course, since each campus is at a different location and will provide different opportunities. But everyone still follows the same syllabus, just at different locations. We all have to write reflections on our experiences
The main differences between campuses are most likely nonacademic, such as the atmosphere and student organizations. Each campus has a different group of individuals so of course each campus develops their own personality. Student led organizations will differ by how each student leader takes charge and again, different locations will have different student activities such as Relay For Life, Health Screenings, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, etc.
I wouldn't say that one campus has an advantage over another since we all learn the same material and will all graduate with the same degree...but I do have a bias for St. Pete
Hi thanks for your input it definitely helped a lot. I have a question and it maybe silly but here goes...
say for example you wanted help with biochem or physio or whatever subject you're taking, how do you communicate with the professor on the main campus? Or are there professors on every campus for each subject who are available to help students who have questions concerning a particular class.
i was just curious thanks for all you insight and help again! greatly appreciated
say for example you wanted help with biochem or physio or whatever subject you're taking, how do you communicate with the professor on the main campus? Or are there professors on every campus for each subject who are available to help students who have questions concerning a particular class.
i was just curious thanks for all you insight and help again! greatly appreciated
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Applying as well! I really am nervous about this school because it seems so competitive just in-state, but now I feel like it's possible to get in if you're from out of state. Anybody know what they are actually looking for? I know some schools look more at your GPA, others PCAT, etc.
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deleted437652
When you apply using Pharmcas only apply to the main campus in Gainesville. When you apply to the actual college they require a ranking of which campus you would like to attend. All lecture material is exactly the same, so the campuses are equal.
Thanks, I adjusted my application.
My question for you then, is what makes St. Pete special to you? The location? Do you guys just have a good vibe going on? Is there any way that we can know what the pros and cons are, or just take the best guess we can? Okay that's enough, I won't ask anymore. Thanks
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Students at distant campuses have several ways to get academic assistance. The preferred method is usually to post your question on the discussion boards online (we use Sakai) and usually another student, TA or the professor will answer the question (Profs will provide input if a student based answer is correct or incorrect). Another method is to email the professor giving the lecture. They will either post the question on the discussion boards so that all students can see the question or personally answer your email if it is a personal question. They may also address the question the next day during the lecture as well. Questions/emails are usually answered very quickly. As far as the faculty on the distant campuses, they have the resources to help you if you need help with certain classes. The faculty will either personally assist you or set you up with a tutor (upperclassman).
There's just so much I can say in regards to St Pete specifically. Just keep in mind that academically, all campuses are the same. You learn the same material, have the same assignments, exams are taken at the same time across all campuses, and you choose the pace at which you watch lectures as long as you learn the material in time for test time. Outside of school, there's something for everyone and I'm sure that's how it is at any campus. Everyone eventually finds their place to fit in and it works out.
I think each student will have a personal bias towards their own campus. I think each campus creates their own vibe and that's what you get used to. Specifically at the distant campuses since we have such a small group of people and we all have in-person-classes together, it's very easy to get to know everyone and develop a personal relationship with everyone, faculty included. Don't get me wrong, you can do the same in Gainesville but I just hear classes aren't as tightly knitted as distant campuses.
As far as student involvement, St. Pete is within travel distance of a lot of things to do and our student organizations jump on it so if you're the type of person who loves to do things with the community and can't sit at home watching lectures all day, it's great because there's always a variety of things to do. I can't speak for the other campuses but our campus always has an event going on (pharm and nonpharm events) and we plan events so that most students can participate if they want to. St. Pete is really close and our numerous events allows different classes to get the chance to meet one another.
As for BIG events like Annual meetings or Legislative Days where all 4 campuses have the choice to attend, these may conflict with classes since traveling is necessary. I think the distant campuses have more leniency to reschedule the in-person-classes to accommodate their students. Gainesville definitely is on a tight schedule since I think their classrooms are shared with others and usually booked for the whole day so it's tougher to reschedule or move classes around. If anyone from Gainesville is reading, please chime in since I'm not sure if this is correct. But at distant campuses since we don't really share our classrooms, our classes aren't set in stone and we have the ability to move things around to accommodate students if necessary (and if faculty want to be nice). For example, St. Pete had the highest turnout to Legislative Days last year out of all 4 campuses even though we had to travel the farthest all thanks to our faculty rescheduling classes so whoever wanted to go could go and whoever didn't go just had a day to stay at home and catch up instead of driving to campus.
In regards to what days we go to campus...I think it's great how St. Pete schedules classes so that we don't travel to campus every day of the week. Some may disagree since the days we do go, it's usually an all day event jam packed with classes but I personally like how we get all of our in-person-classes out of the way in a few days instead of spreading it out and having to drive to campus to stay for just an hour and then going home. It's very convenient for people to schedule time for work or family. If you're more involved in organizations and events, you might be on campus all 5 days of the week for meetings/events.
I believe Gainesville takes the majority of their exams electronically in a computer lab...the distant campuses take exams on scantron and mail them to Gainesville so I would say a con is that we don't have the luxury to speak to a prof in person about exam questions. We have to either email or post our inquiries on the discussion board but typically after exams, questions are answered extra rapidly for clarification.
I don't really have many cons for the St. Pete campus. I would say the only con is that we don't get to see some professors face to face and when we do we act like they're famous
Sorry for the long reply!
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deleted437652
Thank you for the in depth reply! I really appreciate it. I suppose to a certain degree, all of the locations should be pretty good.
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deleted481886
Nice to see other people who are applying to UF. It's DEFINITELY my top choice school, but I go back and forth a lot about the chances I have of getting in. Usually I feel pretty good, but it seems like it's pretty competitive!
I was accepted to the class of 2016. I was really concerned about my PCAT score of 74 when seeing other people were getting accepted with scores in the 90's. I think the rest of my application made up for it. I had an overall GPA ~3.8, with my science GPA near 4.0, and was also expecting to receive my B.S. before the begin of pharm school. I have had no pharmacy experience what-so-ever to date (I still feel like a minority with this, it seems like everyone is a pharm tech) but I did have undergraduate teaching and research experience for over 2 years with several published papers. I think that if one aspect of your application is weak, you can certainly make up for it with stronger aspects. I don't think they'll completely disregard your application if one thing is wrong with it (low GPA or low PCAT, etc.)
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deleted481886
oh my gosh, this puts me at ease, because I feel like my weakest point is my pharmacy experience. I have some, but I'm not a tech or anything - I just have some volunteering hours (and not a lot - the program sort of fell apart while I was doing it) and shadowing. BUT like you, I have about two years of research experience, with one publication coming out of that (however, if probably won't even appear on my application, because it hasn't been accepted yet, to my knowledge
). But it's nice to know that a lack of experience won't make or break me! I feel like my application should be decently strong, in other ways.oh my gosh, this puts me at ease, because I feel like my weakest point is my pharmacy experience. I have some, but I'm not a tech or anything - I just have some volunteering hours (and not a lot - the program sort of fell apart while I was doing it) and shadowing. BUT like you, I have about two years of research experience, with one publication coming out of that (however, if probably won't even appear on my application, because it hasn't been accepted yet, to my knowledge
Yeah, don't let one weak thing get to you. I had 0 pharmacy experience and 0 volunteering on my record.
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thanks for the feedback!!
well i think its awesome that if you stand out in one area, that can kind of compensate, but i feel like everything i went for is now just the norm! i have a 3.4 gpa, 79 pcat, 2 yrs pharm tech, biochem degree, bus minor, and only one volunteer experience of shadowing a doctor in central america. especially for out-of-state applications, i feel like im on the low chance of getting in without research/4.0 gpa
I was also accepted into the 2016 class. While I can't say much about the different campuses and such (havent started yet!) I can help answer any questions about the application process. FWIW I was accepted with a prereq GPA of a 3.8 and an overall of a 3.6 (had some classes from a long time ago weigh me down). My PCAT was an 84, and I did not have any previous pharmacy nor research experience. I also did not have a Bachelor's, only my AA. I'm attending the Jax campus.
Thanks for chiming in on getting accepted without pharmacy experience! UF is my first choice (and I'm not sure where else I'll be applying), specifically for the Orlando campus. I'm not really in a position where I can move out of the area, although I'm still figuring out what other schools I may apply to. I will just have my AA when I'm applying, and my GPA will be kind of mediocre (I think it will end up being about 3.1) from undergrad stuff I took over 10 years ago. Took the PCAT yesterday, and that turned out well composite.
Do any of the people attending/previously accepted know if UF looks specifically at PCAT subsections, or do they focus on the composite? I wound up with a 98 composite, but my Bio was 55 and my Quant was 51. I'm not sure if it's worth it to re-take for those two subsections.
Do any of the people attending/previously accepted know if UF looks specifically at PCAT subsections, or do they focus on the composite? I wound up with a 98 composite, but my Bio was 55 and my Quant was 51. I'm not sure if it's worth it to re-take for those two subsections.
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Do not retake!
Thanks... I didn't know if it would be helpful or overly obsessive!
indeed, no retakes. They look at composite. Whats your pre-req GPA? They care more about that than overall, but even with a lower GPA that 98 will likely get you in. .
Hey guys! I took the PCAT yesterday for the first time and this is what I got:
Verbal- 74
Biology- 89
Reading- 54
Quantitative- 82
Chemistry- 93
Composite- 87
With this PCAT score, do you guys think I will have a good chance of getting accepted to UF? Thanks for your input!
Verbal- 74
Biology- 89
Reading- 54
Quantitative- 82
Chemistry- 93
Composite- 87
With this PCAT score, do you guys think I will have a good chance of getting accepted to UF? Thanks for your input!
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deleted481886
I got the same composite score yesterday! I think that it puts both of us in good standing, honestly. The average last year was 84.
Though obviously the PCAT is not the only deciding factor in your admission; it's hard to say what your chances really are without knowing other stats. But if they're strong, I wouldn't be too worried.
Congrats on your score! My GPA isn't the highest, but it's not awful either. Hopefully my research, shadowing, and other extracurriculars will help too. Good luck with the application, and hopefully we will be classmates next year!
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deleted481886
Hopefully! Good luck to you, as well!
87's are more than good enough to get in, but it's somewhat of a slide. If you have a 2.4 GPA an 87 may not save you...but I'd say with a 3.5 you're as close to a lock as you can get, and still likely with lower than that.
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I have a 3.35 cumulative and a 3.1 science/math GPA. Do you think that may be sufficient?
Yeah I got them from PharmCAS. Congrats on the PCAT, that is an awesome score!
Ok awesome! Thank you so much for your input, it definitely makes me feel a lot better.
You're right, that's really interesting. For me though that is better than the Math/Science GPA. Do you guys know if we can submit the application to apply to UF (step 2 on their application procedure checklist)? It says not available until mid-August but the option for 2013 PharmD is available.
Schmmems, did you see a part where we can upload our resume? Because in the "application summary" page, there is section called "Resume/Other" but it's blank for me and I can't find the section where we can put it.
The only section I saw similar to that was the "Activities" section--but it specifically states to only put activities you're planning on doing in between graduation and attending UF.
Also, did you notice that there were no essays?
The only section I saw similar to that was the "Activities" section--but it specifically states to only put activities you're planning on doing in between graduation and attending UF.
Also, did you notice that there were no essays?
I am talking about the supplemental application to the college of Pharmacy, not the PharmCAS nor the UF application. The supplemental is nothing but essays. It also has the campus ranking portion, which is also essays.
I think you are talking about PharmCAS, in which case yes. When I looked at my application summary I noticed the resume section and couldn't find the uplink for it anywhere. So I left that section blank.
Is this what you are talking about?
No! WTF. I went to this page:http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/grad/profappproc.html
And clicked on this link "Supplemental Admission Information for Professional Schools." and got to this page http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/start.html, which now that I look it is the UF application for professional students, and not the college of pharmacy application. Why would they label it as "Supplemental."
Anyway, I have found the link for the supplemental. It's rediculous that they require us to fill out a supplemental and a UF application.
And clicked on this link "Supplemental Admission Information for Professional Schools." and got to this page http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/start.html, which now that I look it is the UF application for professional students, and not the college of pharmacy application. Why would they label it as "Supplemental."
Anyway, I have found the link for the supplemental. It's rediculous that they require us to fill out a supplemental and a UF application.
Students at distant campuses have several ways to get academic assistance. The preferred method is usually to post your question on the discussion boards online (we use Sakai) and usually another student, TA or the professor will answer the question (Profs will provide input if a student based answer is correct or incorrect). Another method is to email the professor giving the lecture. They will either post the question on the discussion boards so that all students can see the question or personally answer your email if it is a personal question. They may also address the question the next day during the lecture as well. Questions/emails are usually answered very quickly. As far as the faculty on the distant campuses, they have the resources to help you if you need help with certain classes. The faculty will either personally assist you or set you up with a tutor (upperclassman).
There's just so much I can say in regards to St Pete specifically. Just keep in mind that academically, all campuses are the same. You learn the same material, have the same assignments, exams are taken at the same time across all campuses, and you choose the pace at which you watch lectures as long as you learn the material in time for test time. Outside of school, there's something for everyone and I'm sure that's how it is at any campus. Everyone eventually finds their place to fit in and it works out.
I think each student will have a personal bias towards their own campus. I think each campus creates their own vibe and that's what you get used to. Specifically at the distant campuses since we have such a small group of people and we all have in-person-classes together, it's very easy to get to know everyone and develop a personal relationship with everyone, faculty included. Don't get me wrong, you can do the same in Gainesville but I just hear classes aren't as tightly knitted as distant campuses.
As far as student involvement, St. Pete is within travel distance of a lot of things to do and our student organizations jump on it so if you're the type of person who loves to do things with the community and can't sit at home watching lectures all day, it's great because there's always a variety of things to do. I can't speak for the other campuses but our campus always has an event going on (pharm and nonpharm events) and we plan events so that most students can participate if they want to. St. Pete is really close and our numerous events allows different classes to get the chance to meet one another.
As for BIG events like Annual meetings or Legislative Days where all 4 campuses have the choice to attend, these may conflict with classes since traveling is necessary. I think the distant campuses have more leniency to reschedule the in-person-classes to accommodate their students. Gainesville definitely is on a tight schedule since I think their classrooms are shared with others and usually booked for the whole day so it's tougher to reschedule or move classes around. If anyone from Gainesville is reading, please chime in since I'm not sure if this is correct. But at distant campuses since we don't really share our classrooms, our classes aren't set in stone and we have the ability to move things around to accommodate students if necessary (and if faculty want to be nice). For example, St. Pete had the highest turnout to Legislative Days last year out of all 4 campuses even though we had to travel the farthest all thanks to our faculty rescheduling classes so whoever wanted to go could go and whoever didn't go just had a day to stay at home and catch up instead of driving to campus.
In regards to what days we go to campus...I think it's great how St. Pete schedules classes so that we don't travel to campus every day of the week. Some may disagree since the days we do go, it's usually an all day event jam packed with classes but I personally like how we get all of our in-person-classes out of the way in a few days instead of spreading it out and having to drive to campus to stay for just an hour and then going home. It's very convenient for people to schedule time for work or family. If you're more involved in organizations and events, you might be on campus all 5 days of the week for meetings/events.
I believe Gainesville takes the majority of their exams electronically in a computer lab...the distant campuses take exams on scantron and mail them to Gainesville so I would say a con is that we don't have the luxury to speak to a prof in person about exam questions. We have to either email or post our inquiries on the discussion board but typically after exams, questions are answered extra rapidly for clarification.
I don't really have many cons for the St. Pete campus. I would say the only con is that we don't get to see some professors face to face and when we do we act like they're famous
Sorry for the long reply!
Regarding the Gainesville campus, when you said that after the first few weeks, the class size will shrink. Does that mean lectures will still be given in a classroom setting still? I highly prefer to attend class as oppose to online lectures. Perhaps someone from Gainesville COP can chime in? This is only thing I am concerned about for picking UF as my college of choice. Thanks!
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Live lectures will always be given at a classroom in Gainesville regardless of the number of students who show up. I've seen lectures with only 2 students sitting in the front row. On average, I think most of the classes I view online have less than 20 students in the classroom unless it is a mandatory session, in which case the classroom is filled.
When I said that the class size shrinks, it's mostly due to the fact that the workload increases and it is more convenient for most students (not all) to watch lectures at their own time. For example: if there is an exam Monday night, most likely the live lectures held on Monday will be less crowded since everyone would rather study for the exam then watch lectures afterward.
Watching lectures off campus gives you the ability to "speed up" the professors so you can organize your time better. Like finishing up a 50 minute lecture in 30minutes or rewinding parts you want to listen to again or skipping parts of the lecture that are not pertinent to the exam.
There are some classes where all the lectures are prerecorded so even if you are in Gainesville, you will experience watching lectures online the same as the distance campuses.
