What are my chances?

[yuna393]

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Hi guys, I didn't do so well during my second to last semester in university and now I'm kind of freaking out on what to do since I'm graduating next semester. I decided this semester that I wanted to pursue a career in Pharmacy from being pre-med for way longer than I should have because I know I don't have a chance. But After seeing my grades for this semester, I don't know if I'll even get into Pharm school. I already decided that I want to take a year off and take that time to get more job experiences/take more prereqs. I ended up taking a intro to neurology class this semester and ended up getting a D. I also had a D last year in an endocrine class and retook that class this semester as well. I didn't take a lot of classes this semester but I had a lot on my plate with serving in a fellowship this semester. I know that that shouldn't be an excuse but thats how it turned out :/. Overall I have a 3.1 gpa with just my major courses (bio major) and a 3.2 overall gpa. This isnt including this past semester, so my gpa is probably going to fall a lot... to a 2 point something? not sure. Also since I'm graduating I dont think I can retake that neurology class since it is only offered in the fall..so i dont kno what I'll do about that D...

So I guess my question is do I still have a chance of getting in? sorry for being so scatter brained right now i'm just terrified that i blew my future away

 

[PhunwithPharm]

Ummm.. how well did you do in the pharmacy pre-reqs? If you did good in Human Anatomy, General Biology, General Chem, Organic Chem, Calc, Microbio, etc. then you should be ok. However, if you got all Cs in those classes and got Ds in upper division science courses, then it may look bad.
How well did you do on the PCAT? Your PCAT score can make or break you (especially if you have a low GPA)
Which schools are you applying to?
In all honesty, it seems that you still have a decent chance, especially if you are applying with a B.S. degree. Nowadays, more pharmacy schools lean towards applicants who already have a degree (or are getting one that year).
One of the schools I applied to had 1000+ applicants, 155 students go into the program, and 120 or so of the students had a degree.
So don't start losing hope/stressing out before it's all over! There is still hope, just try your best next semester, and work on getting good grades (also do lots of volunteer work at the hospital or something).

 

[Amicable Angora]

Take the PCAT, then come back and report to us.

 

[yuna393]

Thanks so much for your reply guys!

PhunwithPharm:
Thanks for reassuring me that theres still time for improvement! I'll be taking Orgo2 next semester so I'm kind of nervous about it. Taking the winter break to brush up on my orgo1. I'm thinking about more midwest schools (UIC, SIU) but I also want to branch out to the coasts for a different environment. I haven't taken my PCATS yet. What do you mean by it could make or break it? Like it would look bad if I did well on them but my GPA was low or something? Thanks again for your thoughtful reply!

Amicable Angora:
I haven't taken the PCATs yet probably sometime next year. Will report back after taking it.

 

[PhunwithPharm]

Thanks so much for your reply guys!

PhunwithPharm:
Thanks for reassuring me that theres still time for improvement! I'll be taking Orgo2 next semester so I'm kind of nervous about it. Taking the winter break to brush up on my orgo1. I'm thinking about more midwest schools (UIC, SIU) but I also want to branch out to the coasts for a different environment. I haven't taken my PCATS yet. What do you mean by it could make or break it? Like it would look bad if I did well on them but my GPA was low or something? Thanks again for your thoughtful reply!

Amicable Angora:
I haven't taken the PCATs yet probably sometime next year. Will report back after taking it.

What I meant was if you have a low GPA (most school's avg GPA are around 3.3-3.7 or something) but ace the PCAT (get comp of 85+ with 90s in bio, chem, math) you will have a decent chance at a variety of schools.
However, if you have a low GPA and get an average PCAT score (I don't really know the avg I'm assuming 50-70ish comp with avg/low chem, bio, math) it may look like the low GPA is accurate and correlated with your low PCAT score.

The reason why the PCAT can make a big difference is because many students sometimes do not do their best in certain classes because of life situations (you stated you were very busy during the semester doing fellowship, etc.) but they are still smart and still retain a lot of the knowledge in certain subjects.
Let's say you got really sick on your finals week and that is why you got the D.... But you may have gone to class everyday and understood the subject very well but just bombed the final (cuz ur sick/couldn't sleep/etc.). When you take the PCAT, if you do well, you are proving to the schools that you did understand the subjects and information. However, if you do not do well on the PCAT, you are proving to the pharm schools that you did not understand the subjects well and that is why you have a low PCAT score (and low GPA). Most pharm schools are usually focused on how strong your chem/bio scores and to some extent your quant score is (makes sense since pharmacy requires a lot of chem/bio background knowledge) and they are more lenient on the reading/verbal scores.

But don't lose hope! Just finish your last semester very strong, prove to schools that you are excelling until the end (don't get senioritis!! 🙂) Schools like to see a strong upward trend and if you show that you tried your best until the end, they will think more highly of you compared to you just "winging" it your last school year.
And read around the SDN forums, you will see plenty of students who had low GPAs but got accepted due to high PCAT scores, great extracurricular activities, and strong reference letters.
If you need a strong study guide for the PCAT, google "Dr. Collins PCAT guide" it is worth every penny trust me! I personally went from 70s in chem/bio to uppers 90+ just from studying it over the summer.
Take ur year off to study strong for the PCAT and ace it. Then you will be able to apply to many schools. Good luck! 🙂

 

[kcpmd91]

take pcat. you have a shot since pharmacy schools need money in this economy (new schools etc.)

 

[yuna393]

oh sorry i didnt see that there were more replies

PhunwithPharm:
Oh I see, I'll study a lot for the pcats. And finish off the last semester well. Hopefully all goes well, even if my gpa is a bit low. Thanks for your helpful advice! I was worrying a lot that I needed to find another path but you helped me see that there is still a chance if I work hard for it! Thank you once again! Happy new year, lots of blessings to you and your family! 🙂

kcpmd91:
Oh okay, will be taking the pcats soon. >_< more schools mean also a saturated job field. Happy new years! many blessings to you and your family! 🙂

 

[Amicable Angora]

oh sorry i didnt see that there were more replies

PhunwithPharm:
Oh I see, I'll study a lot for the pcats. And finish off the last semester well. Hopefully all goes well, even if my gpa is a bit low. Thanks for your helpful advice! I was worrying a lot that I needed to find another path but you helped me see that there is still a chance if I work hard for it! Thank you once again! Happy new year, lots of blessings to you and your family! 🙂

kcpmd91:
Oh okay, will be taking the pcats soon. >_< more schools mean also a saturated job field. Happy new years! many blessings to you and your family! 🙂

The PCAT sometimes matters more than your GPA.

If you have a good GPA and your PCAT is average or poor, it often implies you have a poor understanding of the actual sciences (you kissed ass to professors instead of learning anything / class got curved / you're not very intelligent, etc.).

Whereas if you have a mediocre GPA but a nice PCAT, it often implies that whatever your past problems were, you got your act together and you are competitive now.