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Anyone hear anything yet?
Univ of Colorado 2017 applicants
- Thread starter cinco555
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I received an interview invite for Nov 18 earlier this afternoon!
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Congrats! I have one for October 14 for early decision. Have you heard anything about how the interview goes?
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I'm a current student at the University of Colorado. I have been very involved in extracurriculars and I have been here long enough that I have seen how awful this program is. Coming here was a mistake, and I don't want previous students to make the same one I have. I am here to offer guidance and answer any questions. I am likely seeking a transfer to another program despite having to graduate a year later doing so. Yes, the program really has been that bad to me. I want to warn students that the interview makes the school seem fantastic, but the administration is absolutely awful and does not listen to students.
I feel this way because of the following:
The administration is extremely unprofessional and I have heard of several cases of discriminatory-like behavior towards students with pregnancies, disabilities, and others. It's been going on for years and the same teachers have been involved. The administration never provides a scheduled syllabus more than a week in advance of the semester. Even when they do provide a syllabus, teachers often don't even follow it. Surprise quizzes and homework are often added to syllabi without notice, quizzes and exams will cover topics you have learned less than 24 hours prior. Also, recorded lectures are added to the posted class schedule without notice. The administration has also implemented a new testing service called "Proctorio". The testing service is mandatory and the legality of its execution is questionable regarding its P2,P3, and P4 students. There have already been at least 2 students this year who have withdrawn because of it. Likely at least 4 by the end of this year considering that I will likely need to withdraw because of it as will someone else I know. The administration doesn't care that it is causing students to withdraw. In fact, the person you would talk to is actually married to the associate dean that implemented it; one of a few major conflicts of interest the school allows to occur. We even have some students that can't use the testing program because they have eye problems. The administration won't allow him/her to take a paper or pencil exam. The school's actual response to this was "This is the way we're doing things now." Additionally, all the cool stuff they tell you that you will do with inter-professional students is all smoke and mirrors. With the inter-professional students, you will solely read fluff papers about ethics and things about "conflicts of interest" etc. that the school itself clearly doesn't follow. Last little detail, the professors have horrible grammar. If you and 1/3rd of the class can't understand what a short answer question is asking because its horribly written, don't expect clarification, credit, or for it to be thrown out. Also, cheating is extremely rampant here and professors don't re-write their exams. So I guess the bright side is, if you are willing to sell your soul, you can still do very well in this program by making friends with older students (or even graduated ones) who will literally drop your exams in your lap.
Additionally, and a very important detail. The school is ridiculously obsessed with scaring students to not cheat. To put into perspective, if Proctorio malfunctions and you get kicked out of your exam (and this happens enough because the software stinks) then you will be unable to go back and review your exam. You will solely get to look at your exam answers that you didn't answer yet because the school assumes that you were looking up the answers during the time when your exam stopped working. And if you decide to write your answers on scrap paper until the last second in order to avoid this from happening, the school assumes you are writing down the answers to give to another student. Also, many students are afraid to provide study guides and notes because the school sometimes views it as cheating. The school provided tutors can't even provide you notes or they can be fired.
Sadly, this is only the most important points of everything wrong with this program. There's a lot more I'd be willing to discuss if people ask. Does anyone have any questions about anything?
I feel this way because of the following:
The administration is extremely unprofessional and I have heard of several cases of discriminatory-like behavior towards students with pregnancies, disabilities, and others. It's been going on for years and the same teachers have been involved. The administration never provides a scheduled syllabus more than a week in advance of the semester. Even when they do provide a syllabus, teachers often don't even follow it. Surprise quizzes and homework are often added to syllabi without notice, quizzes and exams will cover topics you have learned less than 24 hours prior. Also, recorded lectures are added to the posted class schedule without notice. The administration has also implemented a new testing service called "Proctorio". The testing service is mandatory and the legality of its execution is questionable regarding its P2,P3, and P4 students. There have already been at least 2 students this year who have withdrawn because of it. Likely at least 4 by the end of this year considering that I will likely need to withdraw because of it as will someone else I know. The administration doesn't care that it is causing students to withdraw. In fact, the person you would talk to is actually married to the associate dean that implemented it; one of a few major conflicts of interest the school allows to occur. We even have some students that can't use the testing program because they have eye problems. The administration won't allow him/her to take a paper or pencil exam. The school's actual response to this was "This is the way we're doing things now." Additionally, all the cool stuff they tell you that you will do with inter-professional students is all smoke and mirrors. With the inter-professional students, you will solely read fluff papers about ethics and things about "conflicts of interest" etc. that the school itself clearly doesn't follow. Last little detail, the professors have horrible grammar. If you and 1/3rd of the class can't understand what a short answer question is asking because its horribly written, don't expect clarification, credit, or for it to be thrown out. Also, cheating is extremely rampant here and professors don't re-write their exams. So I guess the bright side is, if you are willing to sell your soul, you can still do very well in this program by making friends with older students (or even graduated ones) who will literally drop your exams in your lap.
Additionally, and a very important detail. The school is ridiculously obsessed with scaring students to not cheat. To put into perspective, if Proctorio malfunctions and you get kicked out of your exam (and this happens enough because the software stinks) then you will be unable to go back and review your exam. You will solely get to look at your exam answers that you didn't answer yet because the school assumes that you were looking up the answers during the time when your exam stopped working. And if you decide to write your answers on scrap paper until the last second in order to avoid this from happening, the school assumes you are writing down the answers to give to another student. Also, many students are afraid to provide study guides and notes because the school sometimes views it as cheating. The school provided tutors can't even provide you notes or they can be fired.
Sadly, this is only the most important points of everything wrong with this program. There's a lot more I'd be willing to discuss if people ask. Does anyone have any questions about anything?
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Hey all, I am a current student that has been in the program before and after the "Proctorio" online testing system was implemented. I am really sorry to hear "HelpfulCurrentStudent" has to say about our program. I seriously love it here, and very involved, and think this is the best program I could have asked for.
Yes, Proctorio is new and administration is still trying to work it out, its been a learning experience for both students and faculty, but it is something that they implemented to help us better prepare for the NAPLEX, which is a computer based test. This, and the fact that other schools also use online testing, and appropriate accommodations should be made for those with testing issues. With any new system there are going to be a few setbacks- and I feel that administration is open about that-- they know that the system still has some things to work out. By the time you get here it should be good to go though!
I have not experienced any of the frustrations that the other student has... and I work very closely with a lot of different professors and administrators in this program. I have never once had a surprise homework or quiz, and honestly that is completely false. Yes, the syllabus has changed in a class once or twice, but that is usually to better accommodate the students if a week is particularly hard. Either way, quizzes and exams are a part of school so I'm not really sure what the other student is getting at... you didn't expect quizzes to be over material that you learned then what were you thinking pharmacy school was going to be like? Second, cheating is cheating anywhere you go, and if you cheat in pharmacy school you are cheating yourself.
In any case, I think that pharmacy school is what you make of it. Of course there is always going to be people that grumble about a program because things weren't just handed to them when they whined about it. Of course there will be people that complain about something... thats just life. Graduate school is difficult and challenging, but you aren't signing up to be second rate pharmacists at CU-- you are being taught by the best and they expect a lot from you. So, please know that we all have different experiences and that I have certainly enjoyed getting a great education here.
Yes, Proctorio is new and administration is still trying to work it out, its been a learning experience for both students and faculty, but it is something that they implemented to help us better prepare for the NAPLEX, which is a computer based test. This, and the fact that other schools also use online testing, and appropriate accommodations should be made for those with testing issues. With any new system there are going to be a few setbacks- and I feel that administration is open about that-- they know that the system still has some things to work out. By the time you get here it should be good to go though!
I have not experienced any of the frustrations that the other student has... and I work very closely with a lot of different professors and administrators in this program. I have never once had a surprise homework or quiz, and honestly that is completely false. Yes, the syllabus has changed in a class once or twice, but that is usually to better accommodate the students if a week is particularly hard. Either way, quizzes and exams are a part of school so I'm not really sure what the other student is getting at... you didn't expect quizzes to be over material that you learned then what were you thinking pharmacy school was going to be like? Second, cheating is cheating anywhere you go, and if you cheat in pharmacy school you are cheating yourself.
In any case, I think that pharmacy school is what you make of it. Of course there is always going to be people that grumble about a program because things weren't just handed to them when they whined about it. Of course there will be people that complain about something... thats just life. Graduate school is difficult and challenging, but you aren't signing up to be second rate pharmacists at CU-- you are being taught by the best and they expect a lot from you. So, please know that we all have different experiences and that I have certainly enjoyed getting a great education here.
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Alright, well, contrary to what Pharmafun seems to be implying, there are a number of students that are good-hearted and want to help new students make informed decisions. I'm not a lazy whiner and I prefer discussion to name calling:
Look, I have also worked very closely with many professors and administrators as well. First off, it's completely true that we have had quizzes, homeworks, and expectations changed during courses. Perhaps Pharmafun may have forgotten the numerous issues with Pharmacy Practice and Drug Info? Just to name an example. I think something we can both agree on is that many of those changes were not for our benefit. For surprise recorded lectures and more proof of various changes, I will happily provide proof to any SDN user who messages me. I hope this doesn't seem like a cop-out, but I hope you all can understand my wish to preserve some anonymity in such a public published forum.
Back to "Proctorio", administration asked for feedback from students regarding implementing it last year. They began testing it out by allowing upperclassmen to use the software. The students didn't want it. Even when it was phrased as an "emergency-only, nothing else available" option, it barely had a majority. It's because the software has many problems. Readers, check the reddit threads for it if you need more descriptions to understand. Normally changes like this should go through the student-run committees (in accordance with accreditation standards). Because administration knew it wouldn't pass, they made a new committee with solely administrators on it that met in the summer when students were home. Furthermore, even after implementing it, they still haven't listened to our complaints. I'm going to let the readers decide if that sounds like an administration that listens to feedback from students.
Yes, administration is claiming that this is helping students prepare for the NAPLEX and protecting students in case they can't make their exam because of a blizzard. This seems to be administrative bologna (they seem to try to feed us a lot of it, feel free to pm me). Here why I say that: first off, NAPLEX exams don't videotape you and ask for room scans every time you drift your eyes upward in thought; canvas quizzes proctored in lecture would offer the same effect. Secondly, if administration truly was only worried about blizzards and conferences etc. then the software could be optional.
What I have heard from the appropriate student committee members is that administration appears to be wanting to expand the software, with the help of current Panopto (class) recordings, in order to offer more seats in the program. With the new changes, the school would no longer be confined to how many students they could fit in a lecture hall and could make more money. I personally disagree with the school pushing through programs, that hurt students, in the interest of profits. I also know and trust the students this information came from really well, but admittedly it's still rumor.
Alright, I'll keep the rest short: I want to clarify concerning quizzes being with less than 24 hours notice. You can't plan for them. You won't be told what is on the quiz until the class before (if that, sometimes professors never clarify). It won't be in the syllabus. I want to emphasize this for the readers that were planning on working during school. With a job, that type of scheduling is very difficult. PM me if you'd like examples of when this has occurred. Concerning cheating, it may happen everywhere, but rampant cheating is obviously bad. But this isn't "looking at a cheat sheet through a water bottle" cheating. It's people with your exact exams, on a regular basis, cheating. Yes, shame on them, but the bigger picture is being missed. If people have access to exams, they have the answers to all of the questions, including the poor questions. When people are getting those poor questions right because of dishonesty, students aren't learning and there is no "curve" for students to ride. It's the makings of a poor program and the fact that professors won't rewrite their exams when our exact exam answers can be found online is absurd. Worse, every exam we take is reviewed in class the next week or so and students pass those down.
Below I am providing links to other posts for further guidance. There's a lot of negative stuff on this forum that I wish I had seen before I accepted. This was a quick search. The proof is in the evidence:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...gan-school-of-pharmacy.1183695/#post-18434236
post #18 “mentioning of school being overly administration heavy and not listening to students” “also a sugar coated mentioning of how our school looks down on any subset outside of clinical pharmacy (i.e. industry, community)”
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/university-of-colorado.857011/#post-11583531
post #8 stating where a lot of students don’t like the program
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/university-of-colorado-skaggs-sop.951288/page-2
post #65 further administrative and faculty mentions of unprofessionalism. Although written more casually, it is from a graduated pharmacist. Some mentions of what I mentioned with discrimination. PM me if you need some specific examples from more current years.
I hope this helps students make their own informed decisions. Although I think my concerns are more important, there are a vast array of student clubs that our school should take pride in and we do have nice facilities. For some students, I'm sure that might matter more. Make your own decisions and I am available for PM.
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Wafflesandfries, I'd prefer not to say here because I'm afraid of possible retaliation and that could give me away. PM me if you really want to know.
HelpfulCurrentStudent-- It seems like your time here hasn't been ideal for you. You obviously put a lot of effort into posting about how much you really dislike the program. While I disagree with you on a lot of items, I will say that you are entitled to what you feel. I just hope that whatever program you decide to go to next will be better for you.
In any case, if anyone would like to know about my positive experience, please feel free to message me.
In any case, if anyone would like to know about my positive experience, please feel free to message me.
P1 here, I'm not sure what helpfulcurrentstudent is talking about. There is a to-do list on Canvas and all of the assignments are posted a week advance on there. They do not take anymore than 20 minutes to complete these assignments. I do not regret choosing this program at all! If you guys have any questions as well, feel free to message me. During the interview process, they want to make students feel as comfortable as possible.
I'm thinking I'm going to get a place at the 21 fitzsimons apartments, the fancy new ones right next to campus. They're expensive, but they have good reviews, they're right next to campus, and they're the least ghetto looking ones in the immediate area. I got my acceptance letter yesterday btw (woohoo!).
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Congrats! I visited 21 fitz and really liked it. Just wondering if there were any other nice complexes in th area, but most nice places seem to be quite a drive 🙁
yeah the convenience of 21 fitz really sold it for me. I hate commuting. I'll probably end up signing a 12 month lease there unless I find out about some other place. That'll give me time to learn the area and see what else is out there and if I want move into a different location once my lease is up. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they were building more apartments behind 21 fitz were they not?
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Ditto! I'm within walking distance to my current university and I love it. I'm not sure if there were apartments behind it...I know 21 fitz has quite a few buildings though
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As a current resident of 21 Fitz and a current P1 I can tell you I love these apartments. Everything is electronic. I didn't even have to visit the apartments to sign the lease (which would've been hard considering I'm from CA) And my apartment is beautiful. The staff will bend over backwards to get you what you need and if anything ever needs servicing they are there within 24 hours. Even faster if it's an emergency leak or something. So happy with my choice of pharmacy program AND apartment complex. Other students have liked their time at Lowry apartments, though it is a drive. Best of luck y'all!
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Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
21 Fitz is pretty high-end compared to a lot of Aurora. Stapleton is a pretty nice area too if you want to make the commute. I pay about $1600 for a 1 bedroom 1 restroom with a personal garage.
Grats on your acceptances!
Grats on your acceptances!
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As an almost finished student, I won't be surprised if this is an online school by the time you're all done applying.
A facebook page was made and some students found their roommates through there. Some other students also found their roommates during the interview process.
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Gave up my spot! Good Luck!
