What are my chances?

[CanisMajoris]

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My apologies for an incomplete thread, I'm editing it as I go. (TAB + spacebar = submitting lol)

Applying to one school: Mcwhorter School of Pharmacy (Samford), I am also wanting to apply Early Decision.

PCAT #2
VA: 68
Bio: 69
RC: 62
QA: 67
Chem: 39
Comp: 61

PCAT #1
VA: 78
Bio: 51
RC: 29
QA: 51
Chem: 68
Comp 57

Selected Prereqs: GPA: 3.57, Overall GPA: 3.08,
Microbiology: B
Human Anatomy / Physiology A + B
General Chem 1 + 2: A + A
Gen Chem Labs: A + A
Organic Chem 1 + 2: A + C
Organic Chem Labs: A + B
Calc: A
Stats: A
Will be awarded an associates degree of science in pre-pharmacy.


Experiences:

Retail Pharmacy Technician from 10/2011 - current date, over 3000 hours logged (grocery store chain)

Shadowed 3 different clinical pharmacists:
Neurology Department Pharmacist
Children's Bone Marrow Transplant Pharmacist
Transitions of Care Clinical Pharmacist

Shadowed 1 Independent Pharmacist (freakin' awesome)

I am working on my essays for pharmacy school, I know that I want to do pharmacy I have no doubt in my mind. All of my friends are pharmacy students, 4th years, 3rd years etc.

I'm contemplating taking PTCB and also finding an additional job at a hospital at a technician. I have made my name / self known very much at the school I'm looking at, it's local to me. I know many of the professor's names and background. All of the pharmacists I've worked alongside at my job are mostly from that school.

I originally took all of my courses at a community college, the past two semesters (spring + summer) I have gone to a 4 year university where I took orgo 2 + lab, intro to bio + lab, health / fitness class (prereq), bioethics; microbiology (summer)

2 LOR from Retail Pharmacists who've gone to the same school I'm applying
1 LOR from a mathematician professor who I've had 3 classes with


I am apart of the local pharmacy association (APA) and ASQ. I have had to keep a job throughout college career. I also have attended all of the pharmacy schools 'open houses' and made sure to ask questions and be known to the staff.

 

[MGM921]

GPA? pharmacy experience?

 

[CanisMajoris]

GPA? pharmacy experience?

updated! 🙂

 

[MGM921]

I think you have excellent experience and LORs and that will definitely work to your advantage. Your PCAT score is not super competitive, but it's not everything they look at. Good Luck!

 

[CanisMajoris]

thank you, I am very hopeful that my experience + enthusiasm about pharmacy will overshadow the lower testing scores.

 

[oldstock]

My apologies for an incomplete thread, I'm editing it as I go. (TAB + spacebar = submitting lol)

Applying to one school: Mcwhorter School of Pharmacy (Samford), I am also wanting to apply Early Decision.

PCAT #2
VA: 68
Bio: 69
RC: 62
QA: 67
Chem: 39
Comp: 61

PCAT #1
VA: 78
Bio: 51
RC: 29
QA: 51
Chem: 68
Comp 57

Selected Prereqs: GPA: 3.57, Overall GPA: 3.08,
Microbiology: B
Human Anatomy / Physiology A + B
General Chem 1 + 2: A + A
Gen Chem Labs: A + A
Organic Chem 1 + 2: A + C
Organic Chem Labs: A + B
Calc: A
Stats: A
Will be awarded an associates degree of science in pre-pharmacy.


Experiences:

Retail Pharmacy Technician from 10/2011 - current date, over 3000 hours logged (grocery store chain)

Shadowed 3 different clinical pharmacists:
Neurology Department Pharmacist
Children's Bone Marrow Transplant Pharmacist
Transitions of Care Clinical Pharmacist

Shadowed 1 Independent Pharmacist (freakin' awesome)

I am working on my essays for pharmacy school, I know that I want to do pharmacy I have no doubt in my mind. All of my friends are pharmacy students, 4th years, 3rd years etc.

I'm contemplating taking PTCB and also finding an additional job at a hospital at a technician. I have made my name / self known very much at the school I'm looking at, it's local to me. I know many of the professor's names and background. All of the pharmacists I've worked alongside at my job are mostly from that school.

I originally took all of my courses at a community college, the past two semesters (spring + summer) I have gone to a 4 year university where I took orgo 2 + lab, intro to bio + lab, health / fitness class (prereq), bioethics; microbiology (summer)

2 LOR from Retail Pharmacists who've gone to the same school I'm applying
1 LOR from a mathematician professor who I've had 3 classes with


I am apart of the local pharmacy association (APA) and ASQ. I have had to keep a job throughout college career. I also have attended all of the pharmacy schools 'open houses' and made sure to ask questions and be known to the staff.

you got great work/shadowing/volunteer experience. Your cGPA (3.08), however, is just right above the cutoff line for application consideration (~ 2.75) and below the avg of accepted students for Class of 2014 (~ 3.45) and mostly from a community college. http://schoolpages.pharmcas.org/publishedsurvey/447

Your PCAT of the 2nd take is 61 (1st take is 57) is about avg for accepted students (~ 65 percentile). http://pharmacy-schools.findthebest...mford-University-McWhorter-School-of-Pharmacy

The reality is that many schools look down at CCs. If your GPA from CC is high (e.g. > 3.5) and your PCAT is high (~ 80-90 percentile), the fact that you go to CC would probably overlooked. But your GPA is not > 3.5 and I know it is super hard to raise GPA from a lower level.

You might get in Samford with the current stats as everything is possible, do not get me wrong. However, I think the chance is low, esp considering the fact that you are applying to only one school, i.e Samford.

Realistically, one thing you can do now to instantly boost your chance of acceptance is study for PCAT again and retake it for an even better score (aim for 80-90 percentile, preferably 90s+). If you read enough here on SDN you also see many got super excellent PCAT scores like 98, 99 percentile while holding bachelor degrees or going to get one from a 4 yr university. The point is the competition is on (at least for good/established schools).

If you ask or read around here, there are many excellent posts on how to study, tips and recommendation for study materials for the PCAT. Most popular I have heard is Dr Collins. You have enough time to retake the PCAT and apply to Samford before the PharmCAS deadline for the school. Take it ~ Oct or Nov to give you enough time to study.

In short, you might get in with your current stats. While your experience and exposure to pharmacy in general and Samford in particular is great, do not forget the #1 question that most admission committees are asking themselves is that whether or not the student can handle the pharmacy coursework and likely to finish the program. Your GPA is not that great and your coursework is from a CC. The PCAT is something you can do to answer those questions of adcom loud and clear and remove any doubt that you can be an excellent pharmacy student. I really think you should retake the PCAT for better score. Do it !! GL 🙂