University of Florida C/O 2013

[sakigt]

That does suck. Seems to me it should be offered to us as well. Im trying to attack my debt on the frontside by borrowing as little as possible. Its going to be tough but I dont want my career and life choices to revolve around a payment for 30 years.

Well I think Ill mail that packet out today and get that part over with. Less than 3 months left! Im reading and re-reading an organic chemistry review book and attempting to pick up some Spanish. I really suck at other languages.

Is anyone else finding it impossible to find a PT Pharmacy Job? No one wants me until Im an intern.

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[GatorRomp]

Less than 3 months left! Im reading and re-reading an organic chemistry review book and attempting to pick up some Spanish. I really suck at other languages.

Is anyone else finding it impossible to find a PT Pharmacy Job? No one wants me until Im an intern.

Organic chemistry is going to be vital come the fall. The medicinal chemistry book is really 'Reviewing of organic functional groups'. I was looking forward to resting over the summer, but I too found myself reviewing a bit of organic chemistry.

It has been hard finding a PT pharmacy job because of the hiring freeze. I really don't regret it. Instead, I was only able to find a volunteer opportunity in a hospital which I won't pass for a real paying job.

If you did not get into UF, you would have had to relocate to go to NOVA with higher tuition and higher cost of living in Davie Ft-Lauderdale. Now some of you get in UF and are making a big fuss over a 1.8% surplus in interest. When I see what I would have paid at PBA, LECOM, NOVA... I'm happy to go to UF. Something has to give... I think medical and dental schools are a lot more expensive, and thus a reduction in interest at a lower rate is probably suitable.

 

[LBPhamD]

Organic chemistry is going to be vital come the fall. The medicinal chemistry book is really 'Reviewing of organic functional groups'. I was looking forward to resting over the summer, but I too found myself reviewing a bit of organic chemistry.

It has been hard finding a PT pharmacy job because of the hiring freeze. I really don't regret it. Instead, I was only able to find a volunteer opportunity in a hospital which I won't pass for a real paying job.

If you did not get into UF, you would have had to relocate to go to NOVA with higher tuition and higher cost of living in Davie Ft-Lauderdale. Now some of you get in UF and are making a big fuss over a 1.8% surplus in interest. When I see what I would have paid at PBA, LECOM, NOVA... I'm happy to go to UF. Something has to give... I think medical and dental schools are a lot more expensive, and thus a reduction in interest at a lower rate is probably suitable.

Hey, GatorRomp, I hear ya

...and not to change the subject, but I loove your new avatar!! It's perfect!!

 

[ufdlim]

It has been hard finding a PT pharmacy job because of the hiring freeze. I really don't regret it. Instead, I was only able to find a volunteer opportunity in a hospital which I won't pass for a real paying job.

There's a hiring freeze throughout many pharmacy chains in south Florida. I can't even find a normal job, let alone a pharmacy position. I was really hoping I'd have some spending money at the beginning of the semester. Have to keep looking!

I guess Pharmacy is the redheaded stepchild of the medical professions in UF's eyes. It really stinks that those other doctoral students have SUBSIDIZED loans with interest rates that are 1.8% lower than ours!

Not sure where you are from, but if you're in-state,

Cost of attendance per term (PharmD): $6,547.57 * 2 = ~$13,000
CoA per term (Med): $13,219.45 * 2 = ~$26,000
CoA per term (Dent): $12,101.05 * 2 = ~$24,000
CoA per year (PharmD-NOVA): $32,751

The total cost of attendance for Pharmacy per year is less than or about equal to Dental and Medical per semester. That is why they are given loans at the lower interest.

Using a loan calculator, you can calculate the difference in accumulated interest between the two rates (multiply CoA per year by 4, multiply monthly payments by months, subtract loan amount). If you're feeling lazy, the difference is $5,625.60 over 10 years (I don't know the terms of the repayment, assumed 10 years). Pocket change in the big picture of things.

 

[GatorRomp]

Hey, GatorRomp, I hear ya

...and not to change the subject, but I loove your new avatar!! It's perfect!!

LBPhamD, glad you like it!

 

[cemented]

wrong place

 

[LBPhamD]

...The interview is on June 5th. I was told by some friends that I may get placed at one of the distant campuses should I get accepted...

Hey!!! Good luck tomorrow!! (not that you will need it)

 

[Pharmdapp87]

Hey!!! Good luck tomorrow!! (not that you will need it)

Thanks a lot , I really appreciate it!

 

[emmiepharmd]

Good luck to all of you interviewing today!! Let us know how it goes!!

 

[cmg6588]

Good luck to all those interviewing today!

 

[GatorRomp]

Thanks a lot , I really appreciate it!

I just had to wish PharmDapp87 and all others interviewing, much success with the interview today!

You'll love the pharmacy ambassadors with their long crisp white coat with UF pharmacy logo. Most of the Gator Girls in the white coat were hott !

When that happen, don't refrain from eating! Enjoy the refreshments! It takes the nerves away.

 

[ufdlim]

By far the most comfortable interview process, am I right? Good luck!

(still waiting for financial aid to be updated... )

 

[cmg6588]

Hmm, yea, I'm still waiting for financial aid stuff too. My stuff -did- change somewhat on the 2nd. My cost of tuition went up, since I think they changed my college from CLAS to COP, but other than that I'm still waiting on "verification" which I completed about two months ago. From what I read on one of the PDFs on the website, we should receive our financial aid award from the Financial Affairs office via email sometime in late July...which kind of sucks.

 

[LBPhamD]

By any chance are there people that are looking forward to doing any of the joint degree programs (MBA, JD, PhD, BS in Nutritional Sciences, etc)? Since I got my BS in Nutritional Sciences, I have my eye on the PhD, if accepted lol.

Yeah...I have my eye on the MBA...just need to figure out if that would really be a useful coupling, as well as what the semester is it going to look like in terms of study time...

Good luck with the PhD...that's another three years, isn't it? Do you want to work for a pharmaceutical company when you get out?

 

[ufdlim]

I plan on doing a residency after graduation. I thought about the MBA, but MBA+residency and I might as well be a MD

 

[Antimony]

I just graduated with my MBA, and I have been told by numerous pharmacists that it will be a huge asset within the field of pharmacy. The only downside at UF is that you complete it between your P3 and P4 year. Therefore you would not graduate with the class of 2013 but instead the class of 2014.

 

[sakigt]

Ive been looking at MBA programs as well, but I think I have my plate full with Pharmacy + work.

An MBA is doable PT at nights in 2 years with summers. Id rather go that route post-graduation while working (and getting my company to pay for it!).

 

[LBPhamD]

I actually would like to go into all different areas of the pharmacy fields, including research and eventually go into academia. I would like to someday become a professor and eventually a Dean when I am older.

Wow!! Are you also interested in the retail and clinical aspects of pharmacy? What about nuclear pharmacy? If you really work in all of these areas, you will own the world!! Or at least a CVS or something...

Good for you! That's awesome

 

[GatorRomp]

Did anyone here receive any further mail from UF since the welcome email? I recently set up my webmail, so maybe they'll send emails there.

 

[sakigt]

I have gotten quite a few. Mostly for the campus Q&A session and about setting up email.

So some things:

1) My TB testing needs to be redone
2) The Health Clinic needs more documents about my titers
3) Ive been selected for verification
4) Changing to my married name is going to be a lot of work



So is anyone planning on going to the Q&A session. Frankly, I cant afford to take another work day off for it so Im a little dissapointed I cant be there.

 

[LBPhamD]

I have gotten quite a few. Mostly for the campus Q&A session and about setting up email.

So some things:

1) My TB testing needs to be redone
2) The Health Clinic needs more documents about my titers
3) Ive been selected for verification
4) Changing to my married name is going to be a lot of work



So is anyone planning on going to the Q&A session. Frankly, I cant afford to take another work day off for it so Im a little dissapointed I cant be there.

When did you get an email for a Q&A session? And, when IS the Q&A session? I did not receive that email...

 

[sakigt]

I think this email for for the Jax campus only:

The Q & A sessions are designed for those students admitted to the Jacksonville campus for the Fall 2009 semester. The purpose is to help you get more familiar with our campus and to address all those burning questions. During these sessions you will get an opportunity to meet the Jacksonville staff and talk to current students. An optional campus tour will also be available.

NOTE: The Q & A sessions are optional to attend. Orientation for the Jacksonville campus on August 17 and the COP Orientation in Gainesville on August 20 are NOT optional programs!

To sign-up for one of the following Q &A sessions, please call (904) 244-9590 or e-mail [email protected]. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact Melissa Hanbery at the phone # or e-mail address listed above. If you are unable to attend one of the following sessions, please contact us to schedule an individual appointment.

The dates of the Q & A sessions are (please select one):
June 23 (Blue Room)
July 16 (Blue Room)
(All sessions are from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

 

[LBPhamD]

Thanks for the quick response!!

 

[LBPhamD]

Hi all! Does anybody know (or knows how to find out) what the rest of the "requirements" are, besides the items listed on the conditional acceptance packet? Also, when are they due?

I promised my family I would to visit them in Honduras this summer, but have been waiting to find out what these "other things" are, and when "they" are due. I have already emailed the office, with no reply...

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated...tickets to Honduras are expensive, and I'd have to stay for about a month to make the expense worthwhile...I do not want to break my promise

Thanks

 

[sakigt]

This is from May 28th:

At this time, our office is only accepting the items noted in the conditional admission letter. If you have read on the website about HIPAA, Blood Borne Pathogens Cert, Clinical Pharmacology CD, etc, you will be notified of this soon. But right now, please only submit documents noted in the conditional admission letter. If you have submitted these items, you are done for the moment.

As long as you have the internet, Id go, planning to return in the beginning of August. That would give you two weeks to finish any more stuff due before orientations...

 

[LBPhamD]

This is from May 28th:



As long as you have the internet, Id go, planning to return in the beginning of August. That would give you two weeks to finish any more stuff due before orientations...

Thanks, Sagit! That's kind of what I was thinking, but I thought someone here might have a friend in the pharmacy program that might know more specifics...

Still, it is ALWAYS good to have someone validate what we want to do anyway, isn't it?? Thanks again

To which campus have you been assigned, btw?

 

[sakigt]

There will probably be stuff that comes up in July...but you can email them your situation and let them know youll take care of things when you come back. Its certainly not worth sticking around here all month long waiting, imo.

Ill be at the Jax campus.

 

[LBPhamD]

There will probably be stuff that comes up in July...but you can email them your situation and let them know youll take care of things when you come back. Its certainly not worth sticking around here all month long waiting, imo.

Ill be at the Jax campus.

Yeah...that's what everybody says...

So did you decide to skip the information session, then? In this economy, it's a blessing just to HAVE a job. I would probably skip the info session too, since it's not mandatory

Thanks for your input on my situation. I appreciate it

 

[sakigt]

So my verifcation has been completed, the immunization stuff has been handled, and my name has been changed in their system. Excellent!

I hope we get our financial information over the next few weeks. Trying to get my finances in order...still never found a Pharmacy job (applied to 4 places, spoke with 5 managers...no one is hiring!) so Im just going to work one overnight 10 hour shift a week at my current job and call it a day. Ill get Pharmacy experience when I intern during the summers, I guess...

 

[patelvt]

I was reading what you just said about hiring and i currently work at a local Gainesville pharmacy and @ cvs pharmacy if you have applied to a CVS the only possible way to get hired is to have experience or get extremely lucky.

We have hired new untrained techs but only 1. I believe its just a waste to take the investment in someone at a time when we could hire people with open and better availability year round then just for summer and winter when they don't have classes and those that have experience as techs. That is the prime reason most are not hiring new people especially students.

Plus most trained techs that go to pharmacy school after there first semester become interns which become a asset to the pharmacy because they come out of a corporate account that doesn't come out of the alloted pharmacy hours, But if you are a intern then you can max of 30 intern hours at a store and the remainder have to be worked at other stores and thus over summers most stores don't have the hours to give to any pharmacy school kids because they are all full. On top of all this madness only 1 intern to 1 pharmacist so most stores never have the space to allow new hires for pharmacy students because they already have 1 intern at least.

Then to compound the issue you have regular full time techs that need the hours that are fighting to get hours at local stores that have cut at least 40+ hours over the summer due to lower script counts because of summer break.

In a nutshell here are some reasons before most go running out that they need to realize the stituation of hiring currently, but nonetheless good luck to all those who try.

 

[GatorRomp]

Those who interviewed on June 5th are surprisingly quiet. Did you guys hear anything back? Were there a lot of alternate spots to compete for?

 

[ufdlim]

I emailed Mike Menefee, looks like they won't be updating financial aid until August.

I wonder when we will be updated on further requirements. I remember last year students needed to make a introduction video among some other requirements.

 

[GatorRomp]

Dr. McKenzie said that they were going to look at the available spots sometime in the next two weeks. When we got there, there were already 3 spots left open. I believe things look great for the people on the alternate list. From what I remember, about 50% of people on the alternate list are accepted. And with 3 people not showing up to the interview, it increases our chances of getting in.

GO GATORS!!!

I am so happy for you guys!!

 

[GatorRomp]

Did any of you granted UF permission to use your Federal Title IV financial aid
(grants and loans) to pay charges? I'm reluctant to do it yet but it seems I have no choice as the aid might be delayed.

 

[Maestro Sucio]

I've been frantically checking my e-mail 4-5 times a day hoping for an invite from UF. Searching the forums to see if those 3 spots were taken has been a little stressful I hope I get in I want to be a Gator sooo bad. Anyone know a date when we should check our e-mails? Soooo close... They did say they would start filling spots by the end of this month right?

GO GATORS!!!

 

[ufdlim]

Did any of you granted UF permission to use your Federal Title IV financial aid
(grants and loans) to pay charges? I'm reluctant to do it yet but it seems I have no choice as the aid might be delayed.

Yes, I did. I think this is new for this year, as I never had to sign such a permission for undergrad. I signed it, seems pretty harmless.

Maestro Sucio, the deadline for paperwork is in July. Once that deadline has passed, spots may open up from students not completing their paperwork.

 

[Maestro Sucio]

Ok thanks Ufdlim.

 

[sakigt]

Looks like some stuff is updated in ISIS. Total costs and what not, but no loan info yet.

Also I had a couple holds I had to take care of. Should look into that....

 

[ufdlim]

The fall schedule for the Gainesville campus has been emailed out. Looks like a semester of long days! Although, I don't think we go to every class every day.

 

[GatorRomp]

The fall schedule for the Gainesville campus has been emailed out. Looks like a semester of long days! Although, I don't think we go to every class every day.

WOW! From 8-5 pm on most days! This is a full time job!

 

[petey834]

Hey, does anyone know why we are now required to buy an ipod touch/iphone for pharmacy school. Obviously, the 'touch' does something fancier than my weak little ipod nano but i can't see any reason to throw 250 dollars at something i don't think i need.

 

[PharmTech8241]

I have question for u guys...what were your stats when you applied to UF? (gpa, pcat...etc)

 

[ufdlim]

Hey, does anyone know why we are now required to buy an ipod touch/iphone for pharmacy school. Obviously, the 'touch' does something fancier than my weak little ipod nano but i can't see any reason to throw 250 dollars at something i don't think i need.

That's hilarious, because I was just about to get rid of my iPhone. I guess I am stuck .

As for why, the most likely reason would be for podcast lectures. iPhone/Touch also has enteprise email and contacts. Although, I too am puzzled about this requirement. Maybe a UF:COP application? LOL

You can take advantage of student discounts at Apple.com so you may be able to get it cheaper. Also consider refurbished from Apple.com. I'd wait to see their reasoning for the requirement though.

 

[GatorRomp]

Oh boy! First assignment posted!!! UF COP, here I come!!

Dang, this is going to cut on my summer break.

I guess I'm not going to take that much needed vacation.

 

[FuturePharmist]

That's hilarious, because I was just about to get rid of my iPhone. I guess I am stuck .

As for why, the most likely reason would be for podcast lectures. iPhone/Touch also has enteprise email and contacts. Although, I too am puzzled about this requirement. Maybe a UF:COP application? LOL

You can take advantage of student discounts at Apple.com so you may be able to get it cheaper. Also consider refurbished from Apple.com. I'd wait to see their reasoning for the requirement though.

Haha I can see the new commercial. "Going to UF college of pharmacy? There's an app for that."

 

[GatorPharmc]

Man I just bought a Palm Pre. I'm really not ready to drop another 200+ bucks on something that generally does the same stuff.

 

[chrisraymundo]

we need to make a video of ourselves..nice! LOL

 

[spacekyleUF]

Man I just bought a Palm Pre. I'm really not ready to drop another 200+ bucks on something that generally does the same stuff.

Looking at other schools that "require" ipods say that just so they can add it to the budget for financial aid. perhaps that's what UF is doing? i wouldn't sweat it because it's unlikely they will enforce it.


“The reason we put required on it is to help the students on financial need,” Brooks said. “If it’s required, it can be included in your financial need estimate. If we had not required it, they wouldn’t be able to do that.”

from: http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/05/07/school-journalism-requires-ipod-touch/


Purely speculation.

 

[sakigt]

An iPhone is required but they dont support Macbooks?

mmmkay.....

I guess since Im month to month with T-mobile I should just switch and get an iPhone? Or just just a touch. Decisions...decisions....

 

[ufdlim]

I received a reply from [email protected] mentioning several possible uses of the iPod Touch, such as the use of it with TurningPoint (clicker?) and how courses are being converted to suit the device. I'm not going to put the whole email here, as it's quite long but the significant parts include:

* No one in the College of Pharmacy is going to go around and make sure that you have a iPod device.
* If you have full faith in the technology you currently own and it is NOT an iPod Touch and you end up having difficulties during an "in class" exam or any other technology presentation because of incompatibilities you are basically on your own.

TurningPoint App, coming to the AppStore soon... hah!
EDIT: http://www.turningtechnologies.com/company/pressroom/pressreleases/?i=166