University of Toronto Pharmacy Class of 2022

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Hey guys :) I also applied to toronto and waterloo and got acceptances from both. these are my stats for future references!
GPA: 88.4% (full course load all 4 years)
PCAT Composite: 99
Bio: 99
Chem: 99
Math: 93
Reading: 93
Writing: 4
Interview: felt like **** after (pretty sure i bombed it and won't get in)

I was 50/50 between the 2 schools but I'll most likely be choosing toronto over waterloo!
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maddyscientist said:
Hey guys :) I also applied to toronto and waterloo and got acceptances from both. these are my stats for future references!
GPA: 88.4% (full course load all 4 years)
PCAT Composite: 99
Bio: 99
Chem: 99
Math: 93
Reading: 93
Writing: 4
Interview: felt like **** after (pretty sure i bombed it and won't get in)

I was 50/50 between the 2 schools but I'll most likely be choosing toronto over waterloo!
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What made you choose uoft over waterloo?
 
Hey all! Congrats 2T2s.
I just had a question for the upper years here - do all those who are accepted receive some money from UofT for their admissions?
 
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Is anyone applying for student line of credit?
What banks are you looking into?
 
Pharm1998 said:
Is anyone applying for student line of credit?
What banks are you looking into?
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I believe Scotiabank has the best line of credits specific for professional school students. They make custom programs based on your school and program of study
 
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koi313 said:
What made you choose uoft over waterloo?
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I'm from toronto originally and I just felt like a bigger city would give you more opportunities throughout all 4 years you're there, whereas opportunities only come in waterloo during your co-op terms. Even though co-op added up is around 1 year in total, that still doesn't beat 4 years in toronto if you're keen enough to keep looking for them on your own.
 
M10696 said:
Hey all! Congrats 2T2s.
I just had a question for the upper years here - do all those who are accepted receive some money from UofT for their admissions?
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like if uoft pays us to go to their school?
 
Hey! I was wondering if I could get some advice from people here as I'm considering applying in the future. I ended up failing CHM220 over the summer and now have an NCR on my transcript. My cGPA in percentage right now is a 70.7% if I calculate it using the lowest possible mark I could have gotten in CHM220 so there isn't much hope there. I was wondering if I should even bother applying with my poor stats either this year or next year. My other prerequisite grades are low too. I've got a 54 in orgo part 1 (I haven't taken orgo part 2 yet), a 60 in calculus part 1, a 55 for human phys part 1, a 60 in human phys part 2, a 60 in biochem part 1, and a 65 in biochem part 2 (you get the picture at this point). It's highly possible for me to boost my gpa up from here on but is it even worth it if I have a bunch of red flags everywhere with my prerequisites? I also haven't written the PCAT yet either. Like I honestly don't know what to do anymore since I went into uni planning on going to pharmacy school here.
 
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dreamer905 said:
Hey! I was wondering if I could get some advice from people here as I'm considering applying in the future. I ended up failing CHM220 over the summer and now have an NCR on my transcript. My cGPA in percentage right now is a 70.7% if I calculate it using the lowest possible mark I could have gotten in CHM220 so there isn't much hope there. I was wondering if I should even bother applying with my poor stats either this year or next year. My other prerequisite grades are low too. I've got a 54 in orgo part 1 (I haven't taken orgo part 2 yet), a 60 in calculus part 1, a 55 for human phys part 1, a 60 in human phys part 2, a 60 in biochem part 1, and a 65 in biochem part 2 (you get the picture at this point). It's highly possible for me to boost my gpa up from here on but is it even worth it if I have a bunch of red flags everywhere with my prerequisites? I also haven't written the PCAT yet either. Like I honestly don't know what to do anymore since I went into uni planning on going to pharmacy school here.
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Hey, I totally understand your concern. During my first two years of undergrad my marks were all over the map and my GPA was in the low 70's. I also had 60's in a few of the pre-reqs (Chem 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, and Physical Chemistry). I honestly didn't think I'd have a chance. I knew applying in 2nd and 3rd year was out of the question at that point so I committed to finishing my degree and doing the very best I could in my remaining two years.

After second year I gave it my all and focused on taking courses I knew I could do well in as I had finished most of the pre-reqs at that point. I was able to boost my GPA to ~80 and keep my grades in the high 80's/low 90's. Although my 1st and 2nd year grades were terrible, the quick turnaround of my 3rd and 4th year grades allowed the admissions committee to see my dedication and perseverance, and most importantly, that I am academically capable. My advise to you would be to finish your degree and focus on courses that will allow you to increase your GPA. This is very achievable as you have two more years! You could also re-take the pre-reqs you received under a 60 in as this might help eliminate being red flagged (I think having 50's in the pre-reqs is an automatic red flag, but I don't think 60's matter so much). Don't rush into the application process, there is no deadline. This will also give you more time to study for the PCAT, volunteer/shadow, and build strong study skills that will be extremely important come pharmacy school. Don't give up, it's way too early to call it quits. You can totally do it, you just need to re-evaluate your plan and believe you can do it! :)
 
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dreamer905 said:
Hey! I was wondering if I could get some advice from people here as I'm considering applying in the future. I ended up failing CHM220 over the summer and now have an NCR on my transcript. My cGPA in percentage right now is a 70.7% if I calculate it using the lowest possible mark I could have gotten in CHM220 so there isn't much hope there. I was wondering if I should even bother applying with my poor stats either this year or next year. My other prerequisite grades are low too. I've got a 54 in orgo part 1 (I haven't taken orgo part 2 yet), a 60 in calculus part 1, a 55 for human phys part 1, a 60 in human phys part 2, a 60 in biochem part 1, and a 65 in biochem part 2 (you get the picture at this point). It's highly possible for me to boost my gpa up from here on but is it even worth it if I have a bunch of red flags everywhere with my prerequisites? I also haven't written the PCAT yet either. Like I honestly don't know what to do anymore since I went into uni planning on going to pharmacy school here.
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Hey there!

Your stats remind me of myself. I believe that despite all your red flags, you should definitely apply! Try your best to get within the 90+ percentile on the PCAT, and do your ultimate best in the MMI. Remember, they look at all three things - not just your cumulative average in undergrad (although it is important). Yes, it is highly possible to boost your overall average. Try taking a lot of bird courses to bring it up. I think you should still keep your focus on pharmacy school and don't let your poor grades bring you down. It's completely normal to mess up in your undergrad in the first few years and hey, we all learn from it. I didn't think I had a chance of being accepted to pharm this year, but I did and my overall average is also around the 70's. So it is definitely possible. I applied after my 4th year in undergrad because my marks were terrible after my first two years, but I definitely did much much better in my last year and was able to bring up my marks. Despite that, my average was still lower than the 'competitive' zone. The admissions office says that the "competitive" range is 77% - but again, thats just the average, which means there is quite a few people below the "average/competitive" range that gets accepted. I strongly believe that the MMI ESPECIALLY can either make or break you - so if you have a low avg going in, your MMI scores can really boost you in your overall performance. A 3rd year pharmacy student also gave me this advice. The biggest thing is you need to overcome your fears and have confidence. Trust the process, it'll all be worth it. All the best!!
 
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JoJoPharm said:
Hey, I totally understand your concern. During my first two years of undergrad my marks were all over the map and my GPA was in the low 70's. I also had 60's in a few of the pre-reqs (Chem 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, and Physical Chemistry). I honestly didn't think I'd have a chance. I knew applying in 2nd and 3rd year was out of the question at that point so I committed to finishing my degree and doing the very best I could in my remaining two years.

After second year I gave it my all and focused on taking courses I knew I could do well in as I had finished most of the pre-reqs at that point. I was able to boost my GPA to ~80 and keep my grades in the high 80's/low 90's. Although my 1st and 2nd year grades were terrible, the quick turnaround of my 3rd and 4th year grades allowed the admissions committee to see my dedication and perseverance, and most importantly, that I am academically capable. My advise to you would be to finish your degree and focus on courses that will allow you to increase your GPA. This is very achievable as you have two more years! You could also re-take the pre-reqs you received under a 60 in as this might help eliminate being red flagged (I think having 50's in the pre-reqs is an automatic red flag, but I don't think 60's matter so much). Don't rush into the application process, there is no deadline. This will also give you more time to study for the PCAT, volunteer/shadow, and build strong study skills that will be extremely important come pharmacy school. Don't give up, it's way too early to call it quits. You can totally do it, you just need to re-evaluate your plan and believe you can do it! :)
Click to expand...
Thank you for the advice! Unfortunately I can't retake courses that I've passed because U of t doesn't let you so I can't get rid of those red flags (I'm an undergrad student at UTSC). I'm actually in 3rd year but I would've been going into my 4th year this fall if I didn't do co-op so I do have 2 years left to finish my undergrad since I need to do a 5th year. I honestly just wanted to apply this fall just so I could be on track time wise and get out of school faster, but I'm gonna take your advice and slow down a bit and apply next year :).
 
M10696 said:
Hey there!

Your stats remind me of myself. I believe that despite all your red flags, you should definitely apply! Try your best to get within the 90+ percentile on the PCAT, and do your ultimate best in the MMI. Remember, they look at all three things - not just your cumulative average in undergrad (although it is important). Yes, it is highly possible to boost your overall average. Try taking a lot of bird courses to bring it up. I think you should still keep your focus on pharmacy school and don't let your poor grades bring you down. It's completely normal to mess up in your undergrad in the first few years and hey, we all learn from it. I didn't think I had a chance of being accepted to pharm this year, but I did and my overall average is also around the 70's. So it is definitely possible. I applied after my 4th year in undergrad because my marks were terrible after my first two years, but I definitely did much much better in my last year and was able to bring up my marks. Despite that, my average was still lower than the 'competitive' zone. The admissions office says that the "competitive" range is 77% - but again, thats just the average, which means there is quite a few people below the "average/competitive" range that gets accepted. I strongly believe that the MMI ESPECIALLY can either make or break you - so if you have a low avg going in, your MMI scores can really boost you in your overall performance. A 3rd year pharmacy student also gave me this advice. The biggest thing is you need to overcome your fears and have confidence. Trust the process, it'll all be worth it. All the best!!
Click to expand...
Thank you for this. I honestly got so discouraged after seeing my physical chem mark and I'd always scroll through this forum every now and then and just be so intimidated by everyone else's stats. It's nice knowing now that there are people who get accepted who are below the competitive zone.
 
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Hey guys, what's everyone doing for funding? I applied for OSAP but my estimate is showing that I'll only get 10K while tuition is like 20K lol so what other options are available?
 
dreamer905 said:
Hey! I was wondering if I could get some advice from people here as I'm considering applying in the future. I ended up failing CHM220 over the summer and now have an NCR on my transcript. My cGPA in percentage right now is a 70.7% if I calculate it using the lowest possible mark I could have gotten in CHM220 so there isn't much hope there. I was wondering if I should even bother applying with my poor stats either this year or next year. My other prerequisite grades are low too. I've got a 54 in orgo part 1 (I haven't taken orgo part 2 yet), a 60 in calculus part 1, a 55 for human phys part 1, a 60 in human phys part 2, a 60 in biochem part 1, and a 65 in biochem part 2 (you get the picture at this point). It's highly possible for me to boost my gpa up from here on but is it even worth it if I have a bunch of red flags everywhere with my prerequisites? I also haven't written the PCAT yet either. Like I honestly don't know what to do anymore since I went into uni planning on going to pharmacy school here.
Click to expand...

If it helps you, I failed orgo I the first time, and barely passed thermo with a D LOLL and got a C in orgo part II (bombed my 2nd year). But I managed to raise my gpa to an 80% avg by working hard in my 3rd and fourth year. Still got offers from both UofT and UW haha. So I would say it is possible :) You can message me if you want more details on how I vamped up my application so that I could become a competitive applicant again.
 
Are there any upper years who are familiar with bursary/grants from the university? How much can you expect to get?
 
Hopeful98 said:
Are there any upper years who are familiar with bursary/grants from the university? How much can you expect to get?
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By the end of first year I got around $3000 in bursaries/grants just based on financial need. I didn’t get any academic-based awards or anything like that so there’s potential to get more money in that area. Keep that all in perspective though because my financial situation is kind of rough lol.
 
uoftstudent2017 said:
Hey guys, what's everyone doing for funding? I applied for OSAP but my estimate is showing that I'll only get 10K while tuition is like 20K lol so what other options are available?
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Bank loan is what pretty much everyone does lol. I went with Scotiabank and I get $37,500 each year and I don’t have to make any payments whatsoever while I’m in school (but interest is accruing from the first penny spent). They also gave me a credit card with a $10,000 limit so I guess technically I get $47,500 each year.
 
qpwoeiruty123 said:
I heard rumours that there were around 570 applicants. Thats quite reflective of how bad the job market is though so its kinda scary...
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I think it's mainly saturated in the city. Ofc everyone works in Toronto so it's very difficult to get a job. Lots of people don't want to work outside the GTA in Ontario. Keep in mind 4 years from now, it could get worse or better, so who knows haha.
 
JPharmCO said:
I think it's mainly saturated in the city. Ofc everyone works in Toronto so it's very difficult to get a job. Lots of people don't want to work outside the GTA in Ontario. Keep in mind 4 years from now, it could get worse or better, so who knows haha.
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That's in fact not true. Most people seem to think that only the big cities are saturated but if you really pay attention to the job market the saturation is hitting outside of the GTA too. I'm in a position to look for employment soon and there are VERY few full time jobs even outside of the GTA.
 
qpwoeiruty123 said:
That's in fact not true. Most people seem to think that only the big cities are saturated but if you really pay attention to the job market the saturation is hitting outside of the GTA too. I'm in a position to look for employment soon and there are VERY few full time jobs even outside of the GTA.
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This is why i'm turning down my acceptance to use my coop experience from my undergrad to just find a job and start working. Anyone thinking about doing pharm or any professional school should consider this route as well. I find it to be very underrated; you can make a lot of money in the 4 years of working that you would be bleeding money in school
 
CanadaChemGod said:
This is why i'm turning down my acceptance to use my coop experience from my undergrad to just find a job and start working. Anyone thinking about doing pharm or any professional school should consider this route as well. I find it to be very underrated; you can make a lot of money in the 4 years of working that you would be bleeding money in school
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I did a co-op in my undergrad too and I can say that it was very beneficial to me. This is actually why I chose UW's program because they have co-op. So hopefully I can do some networking through that.
 
Just wondering if anyone on the waitlist got off yet? They don’t provide any ranking at all so it’s hard to tell
 
Teardropbunny said:
is the job market as bad as everyone says it is? I thought the job market is definitely not as great as it was before but I heard its still not bad and everyone is still able to find a job.
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My opinion with no facts to back it up is this: Job market in GTA = garbage (70K - 80K) because it is very easy for a foreign pharmacist to come to Canada and get licensed and they all want to live in GTA. Luckily Ontario consists of more than just GTA so the market is somewhat better there (80K - 90K). Unfortunately probably not gonna make that 100K unless you go way up north or something... That being said, the job market for a science grad is just insane, with a B.Sc. you will maybe make 20$/hr and be worked like a slave. From my experience in Co-op Chemistry I've talked to many grads who had coop experience and still make under 20 an hour which is crazy low. The advice i've gotten from them is that I should still pursue pharmacy even though the market isn't as good as it was. The other option is an M.Sc but you almost surely won't make 80K a year still with an M.Sc since basically everyone has one nowadays. Your B.Sc is basically as good as a highschool diploma, M.Sc takes extra schooling and you probably won't make as much as with a PharmD, so I think Pharmacy is still worth it.BUT you really should've gone into a trade instead of science (some regrets there...).

TLDR; You'll make way more money as a pharmacist than with a science degree but you really should've been an electrician
 
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Teardropbunny said:
is the job market as bad as everyone says it is? I thought the job market is definitely not as great as it was before but I heard its still not bad and everyone is still able to find a job.
Click to expand...


Expect to make 35 an hour in the GTA maybe 40 outside of the GTA but also expect to be worked as a slave especially if you work for Rexall. also keep in mind, people are able to find jobs but many are not finding full time. A lot of incoming students don't actually believe how bad the market is but just to give you an idea, Ontario licence wayyyy more foreign grads than uoft+waterloo combined every year. The market will only get worse in 4 years...

if you want, go on ocp, look up the list of pharmacists and click on their academic history. I suspect >40% of ontario workforce is foreign grads from who knows where.
 
JPharmac said:
Is there a way to check? I know previous years applicants knew if they were in the upper or lower half but in the email they didn’t give me any information about that :(
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Did you receive an email about being waitlisted? Or were you referring to the decision results?
 
uoftstudent2017 said:
Hey guys, what's everyone doing for funding? I applied for OSAP but my estimate is showing that I'll only get 10K while tuition is like 20K lol so what other options are available?
Click to expand...
My estimate from OSAP says $13k. I'm just working my butt off this summer trying to save up a few thousands. A lot of students opt for the student line of credit but honestly, I've heard a lot of negative things about it and how difficult it is to pay off, and on top of that there is high interest being accrued from the moment you make the first payment. So to avoid being in major debt after graduation, try to work every summer and apply for scholarships/bursaries online. I believe UofT also has applications for them but they're not available yet. Try scholarshipscanada.ca or yconic for now!
 
How difficult is it to get a job in in-patient/clinical pharmacy such as working in a hospital or alongside physicians?
 
M10696 said:
How difficult is it to get a job in in-patient/clinical pharmacy such as working in a hospital or alongside physicians?
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You'll get opportunities to do this during your clinical rotations. It's virtually impossible to find employment as a "clinical pharmacy student". However, some hospitals will hire pharmacy students to perform medication reconciliation, distribution duties, project work, or research. At this point, you'll be able to ask to shadow pharmacists working in units that you're interested in. But that's about as close as you'll get.
 
Hey! I just wrote my PCAT today and I'm worried about admissions

Bio 75
Chem 86
CR 85
QR 85
Comp 86

My cGPA is a 3.9 (85-89% because Mac gives letter grades). I'm only applying to U of T so I''m pretty nervous about my chances. Should I rewrite?
 
pre-pharmFromMac said:
Hey! I just wrote my PCAT today and I'm worried about admissions

Bio 75
Chem 86
CR 85
QR 85
Comp 86

My cGPA is a 3.9 (85-89% because Mac gives letter grades). I'm only applying to U of T so I''m pretty nervous about my chances. Should I rewrite?
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Honestly, with a much lower average, and score, you'll likely get in (assuming you don't do bad on the interviews). I applied with a much lower GPA (Applied with a 3.4 ~80% avg over here) and my composite was only 90 and I still got an offer from UofT (though I think I did at least above average on the MMIs).

A few of my friends got into UofT with 3.3s-3.5s (they all believed they did fairly well on the MMIs) so it seems the MMIs play a huge part in the application. That being said, the number of applicants each year has been decreasing.
 
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Hey guys! Just in case there's anyone in this thread that haven't found it yet, but here is a link to a facebook page we created for the class of 2T2 where you can meet your classmates and some friendly upper years Pharmacy Class of 2T2 - UofT

Also, don't miss out on Phrosh Week 2018! It is the best time to meet your classmates and form lifelong friendships! For more information visit our website!

See you all in September pham!
 
Hey guys, I'm next year's applicant, wonder whoever passed can share some experience on applications, especially on MMI? Please message me. Thanks
 
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what is the best way to prepare for PCAT. I am currently a second year undergraduate student. where do I start do I need to sign up for Kalpan or what is the best one to prepare.
 
So to anyone on the Wait List, stay positive and hopeful! I just got in off the Wait List!! Good luck :)
 
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Guys do you think I should retake the PCAT? My scores are:
Biology-96
Chemistry- 92
Composite- 84
Critical reading- 65
Quantative reasoning -47
And my cumulative average is 85%. Do you think I could get at least an interview?
 
Course requirement Q!

I took psychology 2810 at UWO. Its a full year stats for psychology course and Im just wondering if anyone else took a similar psych stats course and used it to fulfill the stats requirement?

I know it says courses from other faculties are accepted however it just says 'may be considered' so I want to be sure before I submit.
 
drmrspharm said:
Guys do you think I should retake the PCAT? My scores are:
Biology-96
Chemistry- 92
Composite- 84
Critical reading- 65
Quantative reasoning -47
And my cumulative average is 85%. Do you think I could get at least an interview?
Click to expand...
Anyone??
 
drmrspharm said:
Anyone??
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Yeah those are great stats! You'll definitely get an interview!

From past experience, if you have an average over 70% and exceed the previous year's PCAT minimums... you're pretty much guaranteed an interview :)
 
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