University of Toronto Application Thread

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PharMarley said:
I heard through the grapevines that Pharmaceutical companies and drug stores offer pharmacy students bursaries (pay for their tuition) if the students agree to work for them for X amount of years upon graduation. Is there any truth to this?
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Yes, but, its more complex than that. You a sign a contract with them, I believe they pay the whole or at min half of the tuition and then when you finish you work with them. Thing is, due to the contract, I was told that you are required to pay in the vicinity of 200k to break it(or whatever the term is) and they end up decreasing the amount you get paid after a while, so, they might give up $45 and it gets lowered to $35. My opinion is, stay away from it at all costs 👎

helloeveryone said:
Thanks for the clarification, that makes sense.

BTW, since you are a pharmacy student, do you know if the entry level PharmD has been approved yet for 1T5??? I've asked them many times via email and each time they just say "it's in the process of getting approved by the government." I just wanna know what 1T5's will graduate with, PharmD or BScPhm?
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I doubt anyone knows other than members of the faculty. This question was asked during the orientation if u wanna call it that, before the interview. The answer was "we don't know why the gov hasn't given the approval and if we'll get it". To me, it sounded like they were really uncertain and the requirements *might* end up changing resulting in 1T5 graduating with a BSCPhm and not a PharmD.
 
BigFan said:
Yes, but, its more complex than that. You a sign a contract with them, I believe they pay the whole or at min half of the tuition and then when you finish you work with them. Thing is, due to the contract, I was told that you are required to pay in the vicinity of 200k to break it(or whatever the term is) and they end up decreasing the amount you get paid after a while, so, they might give up $45 and it gets lowered to $35. My opinion is, stay away from it at all costs 👎


I doubt anyone knows other than members of the faculty. This question was asked during the orientation if u wanna call it that, before the interview. The answer was "we don't know why the gov hasn't given the approval and if we'll get it". To me, it sounded like they were really uncertain and the requirements *might* end up changing resulting in 1T5 graduating with a BSCPhm and not a PharmD.
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In regards to the first subject, I believe it might be a viable option for some students. I mean tuition + interest can really add up and if there's organizations out there that will help cover the cost it would really benefit some people. Yes you will probably get a lower starting salary but at least you'll have a lot less loans to pay back, not to mention a guaranteed job after graduation. I'm pretty sure it still ends up being a good deal for the student. Of course reading the fine print will be important!


In terms of the PharmD, call me a pessimist but I'm really doubting U of T's ability to get this thing approved. I know this has been on U of T's agenda for at least a few years now. The fact that the curriculum is in place, but not the degree seems kinda weird to me. Not to mention the government is very reluctant to approve it. Who's to say 5-6 years from now when the gov't finally does approve it they won't come back saying changes need to be implemented.
 
1ive2die said:
In terms of the PharmD, call me a pessimist but I'm really doubting U of T's ability to get this thing approved. I know this has been on U of T's agenda for at least a few years now. The fact that the curriculum is in place, but not the degree seems kinda weird to me. Not to mention the government is very reluctant to approve it. Who's to say 5-6 years from now when the gov't finally does approve it they won't come back saying changes need to be implemented.
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The way I look at it is that UofT must've been confident enough for being able to get that approval because if they weren't that confident, why would they bother to change the curriculum?

Also, they've started to offer this "combined BScPhm+ PharmD" program (or you can call it a "bridging program" if you will) so people who are already in pharmacy will have a chance to get a PharmD, so 1T5 should have similar opportunities (to get a PharmD at the end) to keep it fair.

I just have a feeling that it's already been approved (or maybe very close to being approved) but UofT won't reveal it until we start school next year. I don't have any reasoning for this, just a feeling!
 
mochaswirl said:
it's possible this is the case because waterloo's bsc program isnt accredited yet. maybe once they get accredited they would push for it as well.
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I apologize for my ignorance, but what does it mean for the program to not be 'accredited'? And does it have any implications on people who want to work outside of Ontario once they graduate?
 
lulz said:
I apologize for my ignorance, but what does it mean for the program to not be 'accredited'? And does it have any implications on people who want to work outside of Ontario once they graduate?
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Im not sure of technicalities but all university programs must be accredited, so later when we apply for jobs a requirement would be graduation from an accredited pharmacy program. A program can only be accredited once it has had atleast one graduating class, which Waterloo will have after this year. For such a large institution like Waterloo I doubt accreditation will be a problem. So in short, it won't have any implications when applying for jobs later on.
 
helloeveryone said:
I just have a feeling that it's already been approved (or maybe very close to being approved) but UofT won't reveal it until we start school next year. I don't have any reasoning for this, just a feeling!
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Is it one of your "gut-feelings"? 😉
 
1ive2die said:
In regards to the first subject, I believe it might be a viable option for some students. I mean tuition + interest can really add up and if there's organizations out there that will help cover the cost it would really benefit some people. Yes you will probably get a lower starting salary but at least you'll have a lot less loans to pay back, not to mention a guaranteed job after graduation. I'm pretty sure it still ends up being a good deal for the student. Of course reading the fine print will be important!
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Fair enough. It's not that bad, only issue is trying to break out of the contract. 200k isn't exactly a small amount, but, your right, tuition+interest can add up and it would be beneficial for some people 🙂

1ive2die said:
In terms of the PharmD, call me a pessimist but I'm really doubting U of T's ability to get this thing approved. I know this has been on U of T's agenda for at least a few years now. The fact that the curriculum is in place, but not the degree seems kinda weird to me. Not to mention the government is very reluctant to approve it. Who's to say 5-6 years from now when the gov't finally does approve it they won't come back saying changes need to be implemented.
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I hear you on that, just have this bad lingering feeling that there's more behind the scene than they are letting on and that in the end, they will end up changing something and 1T5 grads will get the BSC only 👎
 
I've never seen any drug company offer up what you're talking about to pharmacists in CANADA. Could you please post up a link or some other evidence of this "tuition reimbursement or contract in CANADA?

also fyi there are usually only 2-4 pharmacists working in a drug company because there really isn't much they can do. besides it's much cheaper to have a phd/msc/rn to do their job (esp if entry position) instead.
 
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amgen said:
I've never seen any drug company offer up what you're talking about to pharmacists in CANADA. Could you please post up a link or some other evidence of this "tuition reimbursement or contract in CANADA?

also fyi there are usually only 2-4 pharmacists working in a drug company because there really isn't much they can do. besides it's much cheaper to have a phd/msc/rn to do their job (esp if entry position) instead.
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Not sure if this was directed at me, but, in terms of this issue, I mostly heard it from friends of mine. I believe the store in question was Shoppers Drug Mart, but, I don't know of any drug companies that were offering these benefits 🙂
 
amgen said:
I've never seen any drug company offer up what you're talking about to pharmacists in CANADA. Could you please post up a link or some other evidence of this "tuition reimbursement or contract in CANADA?

also fyi there are usually only 2-4 pharmacists working in a drug company because there really isn't much they can do. besides it's much cheaper to have a phd/msc/rn to do their job (esp if entry position) instead.
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There are 2 organizations that I know of, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Armed Forces, there might be others:

http://www.shoppersdrugmart.ca/english/careers/campus/pharmacy_scholarship/index.html

http://www.forces.ca/en/page/paideducation-96

I've worked for a drug company and there were 6-8 pharmacists working in one department alone, most of the upper level management were also pharmacists and I can think of a few positions that ONLY pharmacists can fill within a pharmaceutical company so there's a lot more than 2-4 positions I assure you.
 
thanks but I was asking about drug companies not retail chains.

1ive2die said:
I've worked for a drug company and there were 6-8 pharmacists working in one department alone, most of the upper level management were also pharmacists and I can think of a few positions that ONLY pharmacists can fill within a pharmaceutical company so there's a lot more than 2-4 positions I assure you.
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I interned last year at a generics company and we only had 2 pharmacists, they were working on drug info & marketing. There were no pharmacists in R&D and I was told that was the norm. Can I ask what the pharmacists (not the mgmt ones) do at your company? and what kind of drug comp is it? brand or generic?

as for upper mgmt, the pharmacy degree alone is usually not enough to be in management you'll need a business or grad degree. and really it doesn't make much sense nowadays since you can just do a regular BSc+MBA/MSc which takes less time and $ to get to the same mgmt position.

also, last I heard, the sdm program has been cut for the time being 🙁
 
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amgen said:
thanks but I was asking about drug companies not retail chains.


as for upper mgmt, the pharmacy degree alone is usually not enough to be in management you'll need a business or grad degree. and really it doesn't make much sense nowadays since you can just do a regular BSc+MBA/MSc which takes less time and $ to get to the same mgmt position.
🙁
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an MBA is no longer the "golden ticket" it used to be to every mgmt job.

Real world experience is more valuable in a hiring managers eyes than the MBA degree nowadays IMHO.

Maybe if you attend a prestigous MBA, then sure. Like Rotman in Toronto for example but a Rotman MBA is $80,931, quite load of cash if you ask me, you'd better hope your in a 100k$+ position pretty much right out of school to begin paying off 80k of MBA debt and 64k of pharmacy debt for a grand total of ~140k. Which is highly unlikely.

Then again if you go to Toronto for a Rotman MBA you may 'aswell go into banking where starting salaries and bonuses are higher.

one phrase summary of my post: MBA's from non prestigious schools are a dime a dozen these days.

you do have a point though rotman mba+undergrad = ~100k, rotman mba+undergrad+msc=~$130k, rotman mba+some undergrad+pharmacy=~$160k, so in both cases cheaper yes.
 
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BigFan said:
Fair enough. It's not that bad, only issue is trying to break out of the contract. 200k isn't exactly a small amount, but, your right, tuition+interest can add up and it would be beneficial for some people 🙂


I hear you on that, just have this bad lingering feeling that there's more behind the scene than they are letting on and that in the end, they will end up changing something and 1T5 grads will get the BSC only 👎
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Don' t worry, 1T5 will get either Entry Level PharmD or Combo Bsc+(post-bac) PharmD in the end for what so-ever happen.
 
helloeveryone said:
Thanks for the clarification, that makes sense.

BTW, since you are a pharmacy student, do you know if the entry level PharmD has been approved yet for 1T5??? I've asked them many times via email and each time they just say "it's in the process of getting approved by the government." I just wanna know what 1T5's will graduate with, PharmD or BScPhm?
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1T5 will graduate with PharmD for sure but we don't know what kind of PharmD ,Entry Level or Combo ? All depending on Government !!!

If Government approve 1T5 will get Entry Level PharmD, If not 1T5 will get Combo.
 
Hot Pot said:
1T5 will graduate with PharmD for sure but we don't know what kind of PharmD ,Entry Level or Combo ? All depending on Government !!!

If Government approve 1T5 will get Entry Level PharmD, If not 1T5 will get Combo.
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Where did you hear that?
 
Hot Pot said:
1T5 will graduate with PharmD for sure but we don't know what kind of PharmD ,Entry Level or Combo ? All depending on Government !!!

If Government approve 1T5 will get Entry Level PharmD, If not 1T5 will get Combo.
Click to expand...


I totally see either one happening... but did you hear this from a legit source, or is this just a speculation?
 
Does anyone have any idea on how long you have to accept/reject your offer (provided you got in); Is it 2 weeks??
 
Hi everyone,

i read somewhere on this forum that if there were any discrepancies regarding your application (i.e. not receiving your transcripts) that the school would email you - can anyone confirm whether this is true or its happened to them. I am freaking out a little right now because I recently received my visa bill and didn't notice an invoice from my school for the transcripts on there 🙁🙁
 
byork said:
It just says that tuition for year 4 will be similar to year 4 in the BscPhm program. Year 5 will still be $30k+, but then again-- you get two degrees and no entry-level PharmD.

It's a tough call whether that's a good deal.
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Financial support is available for each Pharm.D. student
accepted into the Program in the form of bursary
assistance. Bursaries are available to Canadian citizens
and landed immigrants. Last year, students received
approximately $17,222.40 each in financial assistance
while tuition fees were $33,120.

With bursary assistance you will only pay $16k for year 5.
 
^^Interesting stuff.

3 more days everyone! 😀
 
staffpro said:
this waiting sucks, i find myself reliving my interview, every second of it and analyzing everything i said...😱:scared:🙁😳😱
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I finished my analyses a couple of days back 😛 and just concentrating on my work/games to pass the time 🙂
 
Hot Pot said:
Financial support is available for each Pharm.D. student
accepted into the Program in the form of bursary
assistance. Bursaries are available to Canadian citizens
and landed immigrants. Last year, students received
approximately $17,222.40 each in financial assistance
while tuition fees were $33,120.

With bursary assistance you will only pay $16k for year 5.
Click to expand...

K. There were only like 6 or 7 students in that program last year. If you're increasing the size of the program by 6 times, you're cutting the fund by six times. It won't scale up even close to proportionally... Maybe you'll get a couple grand out of it. Also, tuition for the 5th year will be 35k next year. It will be closer to 40k when the 1T4s graduate.

It's still going to be a lot more expensive than regular tuition. It would've been a lot cheaper for a 1T4 to reapply (ignoring the risk that the PharmD will never be approved). For 1T3s and 1T2s the combination program is actually cheaper.

The true will speak for itself.
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🙄 you so sillly.
 
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byork said:
K. There were only like 6 or 7 students in that program last year. If you're increasing the size of the program by 6 times, you're cutting the fund by six times. It won't scale up even close to proportionally... Maybe you'll get a couple grand out of it. Also, tuition for the 5th year will be 35k next year. It will be closer to 40k when the 1T4s graduate.

It's still going to be a lot more expensive than regular tuition. It would've been a lot cheaper for a 1T4 to reapply (ignoring the risk that the PharmD will never be approved). For 1T3s and 1T2s the combination program is actually cheaper.



🙄 you so sillly.
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That is not the case according Dean Mann, The fund is big enough to cover all PharmD students.

So are you silly (BY)+pity+
 
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byork said:
K. There were only like 6 or 7 students in that program last year. If you're increasing the size of the program by 6 times, you're cutting the fund by six times. It won't scale up even close to proportionally... Maybe you'll get a couple grand out of it. Also, tuition for the 5th year will be 35k next year. It will be closer to 40k when the 1T4s graduate.

It's still going to be a lot more expensive than regular tuition. It would've been a lot cheaper for a 1T4 to reapply (ignoring the risk that the PharmD will never be approved). For 1T3s and 1T2s the combination program is actually cheaper.



🙄 you so sillly.
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According to Dean Mann, 1T4 students should never reapply and just only for those who failed entire year courses to reapply.

I hope that is not applying to you.
 
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I always assume the worst case scenario so I am never too disappointed 🙂

aw who am I kidding...I'll be devastated 🙁
 
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byork said:
It's still going to be a lot more expensive than regular tuition. It would've been a lot cheaper for a 1T4 to reapply (ignoring the risk that the PharmD will never be approved). For 1T3s and 1T2s the combination program is actually cheaper.
🙄 you so sillly.
Click to expand...

Hot Pot said:
According to Dean Mann, 1T4 students should never reapply and just only for those who failed entire year courses to reapply.
I hope that is not applying to you.
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Please forgive me if I'm wrong, to me it seems like you two know each other in real life and are just using SDN to have some fun arguing 😉

I just wanted to comment on the topic above (1T4's reapplying): to me it's somewhat unfair if someone from 1T4 would be grated the chance to reapply to 1T5... This means that overall, there will be spots "wasted" if such people are actually accepted into 1T5. Imagine how would that person, who was on waiting list last year and never got in, feel like?

Anyways, that's just my personal opinion, I could be wrong. And I sincerely hope I'm not offending any of the "re-applicants" ^^^ 😉
 
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1ive2die said:
Will anybody be terribly surprised if they DON'T get in?
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Well, I'm trying to prepare for worse case scenario but it's just not happening 😛 I guess my mind refuses to believe that its possible. Like others, I'm sure I'll be devastated/depressed for a while if I don't get in but I'll eventually get over it and continue living life 🙂

helloeveryone said:
I just wanted to comment on the topic above (1T4's reapplying): to me it's somewhat unfair if someone from 1T4 would be grated the chance to reapply to 1T5... This means that overall, there will be spots "wasted" if such people are actually accepted into 1T5. Imagine how would that person, who was on waiting list last year and never got in, feel like?

Anyways, that's just my personal opinion, I could be wrong. And I sincerely hope I'm not offending any of the "re-applicants" ^^^ 😉
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I think your point is pretty valid and I have a similar feeling. If someone went through the process already and got accepted last year, I think they shouldn't be granted the chance to reapply to the same program again the next year. Maybe like 2-3 year cooldown or something 😛
Having said that, I don't believe that the university will ever prevent anyone from reapplying again even though the space that they leave in the program is "wasted". Maybe increase the number of acceptances by 1 to compensate? Of course, you'll get a bigger 1T5 class and depending on how many reapply, it will skew the whole process, etc.... so I dunno what can be done in that case. I guess a lost seat is well lost 🙁
 
iicecream said:
starting to tremble already...it is so hard not to panic in your head
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hmm, maybe its just me, but I seem to be the only one here who has been able to sleep/work despite thinking about the results. Something wrong with me? :scared:
 
I just wanted to comment on the topic above (1T4's reapplying): to me it's somewhat unfair if someone from 1T4 would be grated the chance to reapply to 1T5... This means that overall, there will be spots "wasted" if such people are actually accepted into 1T5. Imagine how would that person, who was on waiting list last year and never got in, feel like?

Anyways, that's just my personal opinion, I could be wrong. And I sincerely hope I'm not offending any of the "re-applicants" ^^^ 😉
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A while back, someone came on here and said that 80 1T4s were reapplying. I said that was a complete lie. So that's the only reason why somebody brought it up on here and why I even mentioned it. Crazy rumours.

I'll tell you in private what's really unfair but I don't think it is appropriate to discuss it here.
 
byork said:
A while back, someone came on here and said that 80 1T4s were reapplying. I said that was a complete lie. So that's the only reason why somebody brought it up on here and why I even mentioned it. Crazy rumours.

I'll tell you in private what's really unfair but I don't think it is appropriate to discuss it here.
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Surely man, feel free to PM me anytime... 👍 And you're right, there are all kinds of people who come up with all kinds of crazy rumours, so it's always nice to have a well-informed pharmacy student , like you, to share what the "truth" is inside pharmacy 😉
 
If I ever meet one of these 1T4s that reapplied, I'm going to shove my fist into their face. It's a complete ****ing waste of a place in the program, and these students should be booted from the pharmacy department entirely for completely selfish and irresponsible pieces of ****.
 
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