Aloha all,
First of all, congrats to all those who were accepted to DKICP 🙂. I was accepted last year, but still come back to SDN since it's helped me a lot while I was doing my prereqs plus researching, applying and filling out my PharmCAS info. In fact, I still browse the forums for tips in studying and other tidbits of knowledge.
For "lillytn8", if you've been deferred to regular status, you can now apply to other schools. It looks like you have an upward trend in grades (I did too) and your GPA is a lot better than what I had when I applied. The only other difference is I had a ton (10+ years) of pharmacy experience. If you haven't tried, I would suggest reaching out to the school and see if they have any advice. They're super friendly and helpful.
For anyone coming in for interviews, here's some things to know:
- Everyone drives in 'Hilo' time. No one's in a rush. Everyone follows the street signs and speed limits --and sometimes even less than the speed limit because, well, no one's in a rush 🙂. You get used to it after awhile.
- It's been raining a lot lately, and even the occasional thunderstorms. Bring an umbrella because you do not want to get your nice clothes wet. Even though it gets soggy, it's still hot and humid. So bring summer clothes.
- When I did interviews, they had morning hours reserved for exams so there was plenty of parking. Now, with the construction for the new, permanent building and a switch to exams in the evenings, there's a lack of parking close to school so give yourself 5-10 extra minutes to look for parking and walking (Remember the weather, too). You can always Uber it here.
- There's a meteor shower in November: Leonids.
- There's a farmer's market in downtown Hilo on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so if you're around those days you should check it out. You can't beat papayas @ 4 for $1-@2. hehe. Go for the strawberry papayas, I think they're slightly yummier.
For anyone moving here next year:
- Unlike Oahu and Mainland, there's no a/c in almost all rentals. 5-blade fans will be your new best friend. Invest in a Yeti or Hydroflask.
- You need a car. There's no reliable public transportation. Even Uber is fairly recent. If you see someone flashing their headlights at you, it means they're letting you make your turn before they get to the intersection. Hilo people are super friendly and patient.
- There's no boba. Sadface panda. Although, I heard we're getting a decent one next year. *crossing fingers*
- Costco is on the other side of the island. Kona is on the other side of the island. It rains less on the other side and it's all white sand beaches. Hilo has black sand beaches. They hurt when the wind picks it up and whips it in your face. Still, there's a few beaches/parks that are nice and you get to swim with turtles. I mean, seriously, where else can you drive 10 mins from school to go swim with fishes and turtles on a school day?
- Oh, always look at a place or have someone, on the island already, look at wherever you want to rent. I've heard some bad horror stories from fellow classmates that rented based on pictures alone and the actual place was dirty and damaged. I think a good time to start looking is around May. A lot of students will be moving out and you might be able to reserve places w/o actually moving in yet and/or having to pay a deposit + rent so early.
- Don't bother with winter clothes. Unless you plan on taking a trip to Volcano at midnight, you probably won't need too many thick clothes. Maybe 1 or 2 sweaters/hoodies since the classrooms get chilly. Bonus: when students move out, they sell stuff dirt cheap. So, you might not need to buy majority of things like drawers and dry erase boards.
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Feel free to ask me here or pm me if anyone has questions.
So i've also reached out to some people i saw on Facebook that is UHH class of 2021 and got some insights. Some are from Southern California, didn't take the PCAT and have a 3.0 GPA then some are really great, majored in chemistry with a high PCAT score and such. Their interviews were not intimidating, very lovely and personable. Some interviewed through Skype or Los Angeles.
