Undergraduate Course Load

[dpari]

Hello everyone, I knew an individual who changed careers and started "from the beginning" the undergraduate coursework for the Pharmd.

He worked during the day and took 1 class per semester in the evenings.

After 3 1/2 years he had completed the undergraduate requirements and will be applying to a professional program in the very near future.

I am hearing all these "I took 18 credits per semester" chatter and am wondering if it is a personal decision to take this many courses so you can show that you can handle greater responsibility.

Question... Do you think his slower pace will hurt him, or not?

He has a GPA of 3.3

Thanking you in advance.

-Tavit

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[b*rizzle]

The outcome will always be unique to the individual situation.

Last semester I was in a microbiology course with an older lady who is applying to pharmacy school at UNC for this cycle. She was really nice, and always asked me for advice. However, she had a 3.9 overall GPA and a 4.0 prereq GPA, but she only took one class, maybe two, at a time. She works part-time as a flight attendant on the weekends. I personally felt resentful, since I was working 20-25 hours a week (with a 30 minute commute each way), keeping up with fraternity things, and carrying a 16 hour credit load (including microbiology, organic II and inorganic chemistry with appropriate labs) and fighting to keep my 3.8 cumulative GPA.

Now, the moral of the story is that if I get through the admissions process successfully, I know I will be able to handle pharmacy school. This lady has since come to me and expressed her doubts about everything, since she doesn't know if she can handle the workload since she only took everything part-time.

There's no way to tell. But it's true that schools do want to know that they're making a good investment by inviting you into their program, and I think carrying a full-time load is one way to prove yourself. (But it's not the only way!)

 

[Smilescali]

The outcome will always be unique to the individual situation.

Last semester I was in a microbiology course with an older lady who is applying to pharmacy school at UNC for this cycle. She was really nice, and always asked me for advice. However, she had a 3.9 overall GPA and a 4.0 prereq GPA, but she only took one class, maybe two, at a time. She works part-time as a flight attendant on the weekends. I personally felt resentful, since I was working 20-25 hours a week (with a 30 minute commute each way), keeping up with fraternity things, and carrying a 16 hour credit load (including microbiology, organic II and inorganic chemistry with appropriate labs) and fighting to keep my 3.8 cumulative GPA.

Now, the moral of the story is that if I get through the admissions process successfully, I know I will be able to handle pharmacy school. This lady has since come to me and expressed her doubts about everything, since she doesn't know if she can handle the workload since she only took everything part-time.

There's no way to tell. But it's true that schools do want to know that they're making a good investment by inviting you into their program, and I think carrying a full-time load is one way to prove yourself. (But it's not the only way!)

Wow, that women sounds a lot like me (not in the respect that I don't think I will be able to handle pharmacy school). Does she have kids? I used to work part- time as a flight attendant, and was taking around 8- 10 units a semester and taking care of a two year old. That was a lot harder than working full-time (for a doctor) and going to school full- time, which I did before before I had kids. When you are a flight attendant you are gone completely 48-72 hours or more a week just being part-time. Plus you are exhausted if you have any jet lag.

It really depends on how you spend your time outside of class. If you can explain how your time was spent (working, raising kids, etc) you should be fine. However, just know that something will have to give when you start pharmacy school because there is no option of going part-time. In my case, since I am no longer flying and own a business, I will hire someone to do my half of the business or my husband will just have to work double time if and when I get into pharmacy school

 

[dpari]

Hi, I would agree that if you are taking only 1 or 2 courses per semester this may be a disadvantage.

However; consider this, if you were able to take 1-2 courses per semester while working 20-30 hours per week, it would make the whole pursuit manageable and less stressful.

I think I prefer this route as I would be able to keep my GPA where it needs to be as well as the stress level in my life.

Remember Ladies, it is also about economics, a seat = $$$$$$ for the school, so I am confident that we all will eventually get a seat, how and when we get there is the variable.

Stay the course, and you will arrive at your destination!!

Nothing good worth having comes easily.....

-Tavit

 

[miss_taken]

i'm doing my undergrad prereq in two years. i wish i would take 2 hard classes at a time but i think it looks better to the school and prep you for pharmacy school at the same time. my friends who are in pharmacy school now after two years of undergrad say that it is very very time consuming and difficult. this is considering they were also on the fast track as i am right now. it seems like the school was a little bit easier on the people with two years of undergrad. so i agree that you might be at a disadvantage. but hey, anything's possible if you try hard enough.