Waiting list

[Jenbabe16]

I applied to LECOM's School of Pharmacy.... does anyone know what my chances are of getting off their waiting list for this coming fall???? Also I heard that LECOM might not be the best place to attend even though you get done in 3yrs.... they are not accredited so you don't get any financial aid and I won't be able to get my liscense without them begining accredited. They say they will be by 2005 after the first graduating class.... does anyone know any more about that?
Also if I'm not to get off the waiting list... would it be worth me to try and get my techs liscense at a community college during the year since I won't be in Pharamcy school and then try to apply to bigger named schools such as Ohio Northern or Ohio State? And does anyone know any information about either of those two colleges??
I went to about every pharmacy in my area this summer trying to see if they needed any kind of help but no one had any openings they said, I had even called district managers for some chain pharmacies and they never returned my classes even when I called like 5 times. Is there some sort of trick or key about looking for positons I should know?
Are there any other scholarships available outside of your actual school that pham. majors can apply for??
If anyone just has any kind of advice about pharmacy school in general that would be great.... I need all the tips I can get.

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[LVPharm]

I don't know where to start with your post, Jenbabe!

I figured that since I'm in a school that is currently under "candidate status" with ACPE, I should take a crack at it.

Will you get off the waiting list? Although apps to pharm school maybe up at all the schools, many of those who apply to LECOM (and, ahem, my school) do so as "backup schools". Many of those that would have been accepted at LECOM probably applied to many other schools and many of those may have probably been accepted at other institutions. In other words, a significant number of those accepted probably won't matriculate. So there is a chance. Can't say what, though.

Accreditation...
You can still get licensed if you graduated from a program that has achieved "candidate status", which means that the program is developing according to ACPE standards and guidelines. PharmD graduates of programs that have candidate status have all the rights and privaleges of graduates of accredited programs and are eligible for licensure. Additional info can be found at http://www.acpe-accredit.org
The ACPE will conduct periodic site visits to the school, during which the status of the development of the program is assessed. It seems to me that once a program has made it to "candidate status", there are plenty of chances for the schools to get feedback from the ACPE on whether the program is making progress, what needs to be changed, etc.

By far, the "suckiest thing" about being in a non-accredited program is the lack of federal financial aid programs. Our school is currently not eligible for Department of Education Title IV programs. I have private education loans, instead. Luckilly, interest rates are at historic lows.

If you don't get in, by all means, apply to as many schools as you can. Any trick to finding tech work? As Triangulation has said previously, just ask store and pharmacy managers, open up the phone book and go to each chain, supermarket, and mass-merchandiser pharmacy. If you still have no luck, try to at least see if there are any clerk/typist positions available at those same places. You're in a city, not a rural area (I'm assuming, since your profile sez you're from Cleveland), so there must be a ton of places to check. You might even want to check underserved inner-city pharmacies, 24 hour stores, etc. I don't know the particulars of Ohio pharmacy law as it pertains to tech licensure. In California, you need to either a) have 1500 hours of clerk/typist experience, b) be a graduate of a tech training program, or c) have at least an associates level degree in a science. So, depending on your state law, you may not have to take a technician training program to be eligible for licensure.

There are numerous scholarship opportunities for pharmacy students from pharma companies, chains, etc. I just never took the time to apply to them, but we are always encouraged to do so.

Lots of luck to you!

PS: I haven't heard anything about those schools, except a rumor that Ohio Northern was thinking about (or already is) adopting a "block" or "modular" curriculum similar to my school...don't know if there is any truth to that, however.

 

[Heyyyyy]

Lecom pharmacy school does provide financial aid for pharmd students. You can get upto $35,000/year(sub and unsub stafford loans). I think they will get thier "candidate status" accreditation later this year or early next year(i think). Then, full accreditation in 2005. I will graduate in 2006 so i am not worried. In fact, lecom is one of the cheapest private schools(2years & 9months) but it is still expensive.

 

[Heyyyyy]

lvpharm. Isn't nvcp supposed to be fully accredited since the first class graduates(or has graduated) this year? So, you should be able to get financial aid for your second year. Also, lecom pharmacy school just opened last year and how come they are able to get financial aid?

 

[LVPharm]

I was just thinking the same thing...about financial aid. I think it's because you are part of a larger health sciences university that has already qualified with the DOE. I'm not familiar with the process, but I think it has something to do with that. NVCP is essentially a brand new university. We are not part of a larger university. Last I heard, our director of financial aid has been working on this issue. Hopefully I'll be filling out a FAFSA next year