University of Toronto Pharmacy c/o 2021

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pharmgirl05 said:
hi everybody! I've been following the forum silently but thought i'd share my situation!

I was lucky enough to get accepted into both uoft and uw and I think i'm going to take uoft! I wasn't expecting to get into both but I planned for this just in case!

So my stats:
-cGPA 84
- Bio 87
- Reading 83
- Math 98
- Chem 92
- Writing 3

So I talked to a few of my friends that go to both uw and uoft pharm, and the pharmacist that I volunteer with, and these are some reasons why I'm leaning towards uoft:
- the quality of education is a bit better at uoft compared to uw. It's more established and uoft has a more reputable reputation as a pharmacy school.
- although uoft has unpaid placements, the placements are better at uoft! My friend just had her last placement at CAMH which is exactly what I want to focus on - mental health!
- yes uw has paid co-op BUT supposedly it's extremely competitive, the majority of it needs to be self-arranged AND if you do find a placement, it's more likely to be in a remote/rural area.
- Not sure how accurate this is, but the pharmacist that I work with (At shoppers), told me that if I had the choice, to pick UofT if I wanted a better chance to work in the GTA...otherwise i'd be more or less stuck working in an independent pharmacy or i'd have to move further away.
- finally, I'm from brampton so I'd like to stay close to home (possibly save on rent/food??) + the vibe/lifestyle that comes with living in toronto compared to waterloo!

That was my decision process :p Sorry for the lengthy post, just thought i'd be thorough for other and/or future applicants. If anybody has a similar situation to me, I'd love to hear your input! Congrats and I can't wait to meet everybody :)
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Thanks for sharing this pharmgirl05. I am not really in a similar situation as you as in I only got acceptance from UofT. However, I am also from Brampton and so I was wondering that would you be staying there on res or off-campus or would you be commuting everyday? It would be nice to get your insight on this.
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Lower half of the wait list. Don't really have hopes. Congratulations to all that got in!
 
pharmgirl05 said:
hi everybody! I've been following the forum silently but thought i'd share my situation!

I was lucky enough to get accepted into both uoft and uw and I think i'm going to take uoft! I wasn't expecting to get into both but I planned for this just in case!

So my stats:
-cGPA 84
- Bio 87
- Reading 83
- Math 98
- Chem 92
- Writing 3

So I talked to a few of my friends that go to both uw and uoft pharm, and the pharmacist that I volunteer with, and these are some reasons why I'm leaning towards uoft:
- the quality of education is a bit better at uoft compared to uw. It's more established and uoft has a more reputable reputation as a pharmacy school.
- although uoft has unpaid placements, the placements are better at uoft! My friend just had her last placement at CAMH which is exactly what I want to focus on - mental health!
- yes uw has paid co-op BUT supposedly it's extremely competitive, the majority of it needs to be self-arranged AND if you do find a placement, it's more likely to be in a remote/rural area.
- Not sure how accurate this is, but the pharmacist that I work with (At shoppers), told me that if I had the choice, to pick UofT if I wanted a better chance to work in the GTA...otherwise i'd be more or less stuck working in an independent pharmacy or i'd have to move further away.
- finally, I'm from brampton so I'd like to stay close to home (possibly save on rent/food??) + the vibe/lifestyle that comes with living in toronto compared to waterloo!

That was my decision process :p Sorry for the lengthy post, just thought i'd be thorough for other and/or future applicants. If anybody has a similar situation to me, I'd love to hear your input! Congrats and I can't wait to meet everybody :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting this comment re: UT vs UW. I've been stuck myself, but seeing your thoughts which are so similar to mine reinforce my will to go to Toronto and not UW ;)
 
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PharmDYaa said:
Thanks for sharing this pharmgirl05. I am not really in a similar situation as you as in I only got acceptance from UofT. However, I am also from Brampton and so I was wondering that would you be staying there on res or off-campus or would you be commuting everyday? It would be nice to get your insight on this.
Click to expand...
I'm from Brampton too, I plan on using public transport but is haven't really figured out the details yet. Like is there a pass that works for both bussing and the subway too? I wonder how much the commute will cost...
 
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Also, when do we need to get the first aid /cpr certification by? Is there a specific deadline or should we just have it before classes start in sept? And when are you all applying for osap?
 
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BookDragon said:
Also, when do we need to get the first aid /cpr certification by? Is there a specific deadline or should we just have it before classes start in sept? And when are you all applying for osap?
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i'm going to do the cpr course this summer, and apply for osap right away so they stop charging me interest on my loans from my undergrad haha
 
also, i'm from mississauga.. most likely going to use the shuttle bus from UTM because it stops at hart house which is prob a 5 min walk from the pharmacy building. i think you can get a pass for ttc though.
 
WARNING - Long Post Ahead

Hey Everybody,

I was accepted to UofT Pharm yesterday and will most likely be joining the class in the fall.
This forum has been an immensely valuable resource to me over the years so I thought I'd take some time to share my experiences with those in the hopes that it may be informative/help future applicants.

I'll start with my stats:
2nd time applying
cGPA: 3.41, BSc completed 2016, full course load throughout
PCAT:
Verbal Ability - 58
Biology - 74
Reading Comprehension - 98
Quantitative Ability - 93
Chemistry - 88
Writing - 3.0
Comp - 92
- My scores are pretty old so some parts might have changed/been renamed (I wrote the PCAT back in '13, this was my last year of eligibility with these scores)
MMI - I thought it went alright overall. Their were at least 2 stations that I thought I bombed, but the rest were average to above average. My approach to the MMI this year was pretty different to how I approached it the year prior. My first application cycle I had multiple friends run through questions/scenarios with me in order to help me prep. This year I went in completely cold. I already knew what to expect from my first interview so I felt as though their would be no distinct advantage if I went through extensive prep ahead of time again. I tend to be a very anxious person so I think I may have psyc'd myself out for my first interview. With that said, I think this is a very personal/individual thing, and only you can know how much you need to prepare to feel comfortable for the interview.

Story time:
I finished undergrad in 2016 and applied to UofT, Waterloo, and UBC for pharmacy. I was outright rejected from both Waterloo and UBC, and rejected from UofT post interview. I hadn't really formulated a concrete plan as to what to do if I didn't get in and felt pretty lost. I spent the summer doing research with a prof that I had been doing research with for much of my undergrad and was able to find a job working as a medical assistant in a pediatric clinic in the fall. This application cycle UofT was the only pharmacy school I applied to, which was a very risky move, but after interviewing the previous year and seeing all of the opportunities available to students I was kind of hooked. Anyways, I also formulated a back up career plan if I didn't get in this year (I will forever have the utmost respect for nurses) and would have been ok with pursuing that if pharmacy didn't work out this year. All this to say, if this is something you truly want don't let failure discourage you. If you don't get in one year you can always try again the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. You shouldn't look at not getting in as a true failure, just a minor detour along your path, it's how you move forward after that that really speaks to your character and resilience. If you continue to work on yourself/grow as a person your time will come. Ok, sorry, I have to stop myself I'm getting way too mushy here, but you guys get the point :)
Future applicants, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the application process!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in the Fall!

PS - If anyone is looking for a roommate PM me please! :D (Edit: I'm from out of town so I'm looking for a place to live myself, sorry if that wasn't clear haha)
PPS - If anyone has been through the process of applying for loans or about to navigate that process I have questions about that so PM me! (OSAP vs. Bank LOC?!?)
 
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BookDragon said:
I'm from Brampton too, I plan on using public transport but is haven't really figured out the details yet. Like is there a pass that works for both bussing and the subway too? I wonder how much the commute will cost...
Click to expand...
yeah! the TTC has metropass' so it's basically unlimited use of ttc bus, street car, shuttle bus and subway for the month ! Prices are: 146.25 for adults, 116.75 for students (age 13-19 and seniors, and post secondary students are 116.75 but Post-Secondary Students require TTC Photo ID to prove eligibility
 
DrFunky said:
Thanks for posting this comment re: UT vs UW. I've been stuck myself, but seeing your thoughts which are so similar to mine reinforce my will to go to Toronto and not UW ;)
Click to expand...

yayy!!! i can't wait to meet everybody. The uoft forum is a lot more lit than uw's anyway ;)
 
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PharmDYaa said:
Thanks for sharing this pharmgirl05. I am not really in a similar situation as you as in I only got acceptance from UofT. However, I am also from Brampton and so I was wondering that would you be staying there on res or off-campus or would you be commuting everyday? It would be nice to get your insight on this.
Click to expand...

I think for the first term or maybe year I would live at home just to see what the workload is like and the overall culture (people, work habits, etc). And then I would consider moving downtown after :)
 
pharmgirl05 said:
I think for the first term or maybe year I would live at home just to see what the workload is like and the overall culture (people, work habits, etc). And then I would consider moving downtown after :)
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I'm also from brampton and I am dreading the commute. I'm leaning towards doing what you are doing, i.e staying at home to start the school year and based on how that goes, I'll probably move downtown at some point. 3-4 hours of commute every day is scary, especially after living at university doorsteps for the past four years.
 
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pharmania said:
also, i'm from mississauga.. most likely going to use the shuttle bus from UTM because it stops at hart house which is prob a 5 min walk from the pharmacy building. i think you can get a pass for ttc though.
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This was my plan as well. I have a few commitments in Mississauga as well such as part-time work and volunteer stuff that I don't really want to give up yet :p
 
kdottt said:
I'm also from brampton and I am dreading the commute. I'm leaning towards doing what you are doing, i.e staying at home to start the school year and based on how that goes, I'll probably move downtown at some point. 3-4 hours of commute every day is scary, especially after living at university doorsteps for the past four years.
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I know it may be more cost effective, but if you're gonna commute that much I'd just say to move. Reasons: 1) I commuted for about 2 hrs a day in undergrad and not only did it rob me of 2 hours of potential study time, but also time I could have spent socializing or relaxing on my own. 2) hard to get home after late night events, 3) can't spontaneously hit the pavement and find something cool to do on any random afternoon, 4) there will be plenty of us pharm kids in Toronto proper :D
 
Im also definitely considering on renting a room or something near UofT. I live about 1-1.5hrs away and commuting on the DVP/404 everyday at rush hour doesnt seem to be viable
 
Also from Brampton, I have the same game plan as everyone else on here. I'm thinking of seeing how the first term goes with commuting and how demanding everything is. I am dreading the commute to and from Toronto, especially the walk from Union station to class (approx 25 minutes one way).

I'm not familiar with the downtown setting all that much, does anyone know any alternatives vs. walking to pharm building? I'm going to be using my Presto Card for the go train to Union, can that help me get anywhere from Union to class?
 
you can take the subway from union and itll drop you right infront of the pharm building ^
 
pharmania said:
you can take the subway from union and itll drop you right infront of the pharm building ^
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Yup Queens Park subway station is literally right across the street from the building.
 
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Also for anyone not from Toronto or the GTA keep in mind that commuting is a lifestyle here. I've commuted from where I live to Toronto everyday for summer jobs and although yes its not the best, its doable. The go train really isn't that bad and its very different from commuting outside of the GTA.
 
hey guys! I got into uoft and waitlisted at waterloo. To be honest, Waterloo was my first choice simply because I felt like i fit in there better. (I had the chance to visit both schools and I just had a better sense of comfort at uw compared to uoft!). I'm probably going to accept uoft because I'm not down to play the waiting game LOL but curious to see if there's anybody turning down uw for uoft?
 
farmisee said:
hey guys! I got into uoft and waitlisted at waterloo. To be honest, Waterloo was my first choice simply because I felt like i fit in there better. (I had the chance to visit both schools and I just had a better sense of comfort at uw compared to uoft!). I'm probably going to accept uoft because I'm not down to play the waiting game LOL but curious to see if there's anybody turning down uw for uoft?
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I'm heavily considering dropping UW for U of T. I just need some time to get my finances in a row, probably by the end of next week I'll know. I wouldn't accept just yet, UW gave you until the 22nd to accept so if that's what you want you should wait it out.
 
imessage said:
pharmsis: There are no decisions posted at this time !

me: tHeRe aRe nO dEcIsIoNs pOsTeD aT tHiS tImE !
spongebob
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LOL


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Hey guys! Long time lurker here and got into the upper waiting list
I was wondering when the deadline is for you guys to accept your offer?
 
realfly56 said:
Did anybody apply for OSAP yet??
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I applied for mine. Parents had higher income and couldnt get as much grants as i wanted. OSAP doesnt cover enough for tuition and you might need a line of credit from one of the banks
 
Does any one know when is the deadline to apply for OSAP? In the letter it said the deadline was May 31, but that wouldn't work at all since we got our acceptance in June?
 
DrPasta said:
Does any one know when is the deadline to apply for OSAP? In the letter it said the deadline was May 31, but that wouldn't work at all since we got our acceptance in June?
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I'm pretty sure there technically is no such thing as an OSAP deadline, they just say it takes 6-12 weeks to process your application (don't quote me on that lol). I applied last year in like July and still got my OSAP before the tuition deadline for undergrad but I guess it all depends.
 
DrPasta said:
Does any one know when is the deadline to apply for OSAP? In the letter it said the deadline was May 31, but that wouldn't work at all since we got our acceptance in June?
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OSAP deadline is June 30th to my knowledge!
 
Officially accepted my offer.

See you all at Phrosh!
 
Hey Everyone,

Can't wait to meet you all! Just have a question about the Cpr/ Standard first aid requirement. Do we need to take the Standard First Aid & CPR (HCP)? Or is Standard First Aid & CPR C course fine? The HCP stands for health care provider and the course has the same content as the cpr c plus additional information on it. It costs a bit more and is slightly longer so I'm wondering if it is necessary?
 
PharmyK said:
Hello everyone, Im a long time lurker, wasn't planning on making an account but I wanted to know if anyone was accepted after missing one or more of the deadlines?

I was rejected

cGPA: 3.9
PCAT
Bio 90
Crit Reading: 91
Quant: 88
Chem: 99
Comp: 97
Writing: 4
MMI: went okay?

I submitted my semester 1 scores late, in March instead of by the end of Jan :(. I'm wondering if this is the reason? Did anyone get in after submitting their uni marks after the deadline?
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Update for anyone who's interested:
I emailed the admissions office on Friday and received a reply today.
They said I wasn't penalized for submitting my marks late for first semester, and that the interview was most likely the weakest part.
I'll be reapplying next year! Hopefully with improved interview skills? :/
Congrats to everyone who was accepted!
 
Hi there!

I'm a long time lurker, and I'm happy to say that I got accepted as well! My stats:

cGPA (Uoft): 3.31
PCAT: 91 comp

I thought I wasn't going to get in because of a D+ both orgo 1 & 2! However, although my first and second year were my worst years, my last 2 years showed a huge improvement in my grades. So if anyone thinks that a few bad pre-req marks are a deal breaker, they're not! I wish future applicants success in their applications!
 
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To those who have applied for OSAP, what were you estimates? Did you also get a grant? I'm confused since I thought the grants OSAP gives were only issued to undergraduate students?
 
PharmyK said:
Update for anyone who's interested:
I emailed the admissions office on Friday and received a reply today.
They said I wasn't penalized for submitting my marks late for first semester, and that the interview was most likely the weakest part.
I'll be reapplying next year! Hopefully with improved interview skills? :/
Congrats to everyone who was accepted!
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Wow that really lets you know how important the interview is. For all the people who are hesitant to apply because of your grades, please apply because you never know! your grades are quite stellar, have you completed undergrad already?
 
I know I'm a little late to the party but I'm accepting my offer to UofT! Congrats to everyone who made it and looking forward to seeing everyone in September :highfive:. Best of luck to those on the waitlist and to those who will be applying for next cycle!

Here are my stats for reference for future applicants:
Did 3 years at UWO
cGPA: 3.9 (according to Western's system)
PCAT:
chem - 99
bio - 85
reading - 91
QR - 99
comp - 99
writing - 3 (just made the cutoff :eek:)
MMI: I felt generally good about it but I'm sure I bombed a station as I was unknowingly fidgeting hard with the name tag and got pretty flustered. Otherwise, I felt amazing about 3-4 stations and average for the rest.

Also, I know that UofT doesn't care much for pharmacy-related experience but I personally found it really helpful in practicing communication and reacting in awkward/uncomfortable situations. I would definitely say that it helped my performance at the interview, so even if it's not considered in the application, I would strongly suggest that future applicants do something like that in undergrad (eg. working as a pharmacy assistant).
 
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DougTheChemist said:
Thoughts on Graduate House?
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you can probably find a nicer place with that money if you are willing to live with other people. Also, its unlikely that you'll get a place in graduate house now, its quite late, they'll probably wait list you until a place opens up, which can be during the school year
 
Is there a certain gpa that we have to maintain after acceptance? Currently taking a summer course.
 
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Just want to confirm with someone that this is the correct program on OSAP:

DOCTOR OF PHARMACY EPPD
Sep 5/17 - Apr 28/18
2 term program
Entering year 1 of 4
Bachelor's degree
34 weeks long
 
mky915 said:
Just want to confirm with someone that this is the correct program on OSAP:

DOCTOR OF PHARMACY EPPD
Sep 5/17 - Apr 28/18
2 term program
Entering year 1 of 4
Bachelor's degree
34 weeks long
Click to expand...
Yes
 
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mky915 said:
Just want to confirm with someone that this is the correct program on OSAP:

DOCTOR OF PHARMACY EPPD
Sep 5/17 - Apr 28/18
2 term program
Entering year 1 of 4
Bachelor's degree
34 weeks long
Click to expand...

Hey, are you sure it's a bachelor's degree? Wikipedia says it's a professional doctorate degree so I just wanna double check! :p
 
Jackie Moon said:
Hey, are you sure it's a bachelor's degree? Wikipedia says it's a professional doctorate degree so I just wanna double check! :p
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i think all professional degrees are technically bachelor's degrees.
 
Anyone from Brampton considering living in downtown? Please PM me if you're looking for a roommate.
 
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