Don't look at the rank at all. I think students tend to focus on that too much, at least this was the case when I was applying. This is how the ranking was brought about. As you can see, this is hardly an objective and scientific assessment of the programs:
"All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators, and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. All schools surveyed in a discipline were sent the same number of surveys. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a 5-point scale: outstanding (5), strong (4), good (3), adequate (2), or marginal (1). They were instructed to select "don't know" if they did not have enough knowledge to rate a program. Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period are ranked. Those schools with the highest average scores appear." (Source:
http://www.usnews.com/education/bes...s/2011/03/14/health-rankings-methodology-2012)
In regards to residency potential, residency programs could care less where you did your graduate studies for the most part. It's more about how involved you are, whether or not you've taken leadership positions in your student organizations, whether you've shown that you can handle the high demands and pressures of a residency program, whether you've done well in school while juggling other responsibilities, etc. One thing you should know about residency programs is that they are EXTREMELY competitive. A few of the programs I talked to at Midyear had hundreds of student apply for like 3 or 4 spots. So the key is not which program you attend but how you make the most of your time there. Not much I can really say about rotations because I'm not familiar with Tech's fourth year rotation process. And job potential, it's hard to say. It really depends on what you hope to do in the future. With regards to hospitals, most across the nation are cutting down on hiring to save money and asking more of their physicians, PAs, nurses, pharmacists, etc. With regards to retail, I'm not certain. Houston has a lot of pharmacists and a lot of retail pharmacies. In this economy, I'm don't think they're hiring as much these days. Again it's tough to say. When I was applying, there was so much talk about the shortage in pharmacy. This is definitely not the case now except in rural communities which desperately need pharmacies and pharmacists.
While all this is good to think about, you have to keep in mind that which ever program you attend, you're going to be there for the next 4 years. Really look at your interview experience and gauge how you felt about each program. Which ever program you decide to attend, make the most out of it. Pharmacy is competitive these days so you have to really try to make yourself stand out.
