What do you hate about the application process?

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Storm90

Storm90

Accepted Pharmacy Student
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I thought I'd make a thread where you can vent about what you hate regarding the application period and process. Feel free to yell, scream, curse (using appropriate &(*%#^@ symbols), cry or otherwise express yourself. I'll start.

The thing I hate most about applying to pharmacy programs is the never-ending essays you have to write for each individual school. It drives me nuts that each school has a similar topic that isn't quite the answer you need for the next essay.
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Clicking away about 128471 times a day on PharmCAS to check for status updates. And then clicking away the other 230948235 times on SDN to see if I can freak out with other people. It's great! :eek:
 
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For me the biggest piss off revolved around some of the pre-reqs I ran into that were just SLIGHTLY different than everyone elses. This is a huge b**** especially if you've already graduated. So even though you just completed a 4 year bachelor of science degree at a prestigious university, they expect you to re-enroll and take a stupid humanities course at a CC before you matriculate. A school wanted me to take Psych 1, yes you read correctly, even though I had three upper-division psych classes on my transcript that I tore through and aced. Some schools are cool about it and let you bypass them if you have your bachelors but others...not so much.
 
Pharmcas is a piece of s***. It's financially rewarding for everyone except for the students. And it really isn't easier when you think about it. You still have to write personal satements or essays for every schools supplemental and fork over more dough that you don't have to spare because you're making penuts as a pharm tech in an understaffed retail hellhole and taking the full brunt of s*** from all the customers while the 120k a year lazy ass pharmacists pretend like they have some important s*** to do.

Pharmcas also makes it harder for the non 4.0/99 pcat applicants. When everyone applies to 10 or 15 schools it slows the process down especially with all these idiots going to more than 2 or 3 interviews. wankers, you know who you are. Hey, I'm Joe Dildo and I got accepted to 8 schools. Congratulations on wasting a few grand of mommy and daddy's money flying everywhere and cluster F***ing the admissions process for everyone else just so you can boost your little ego and compensate for your little wee wee. Pharmcas eat s*** and die you dirty mother.
 
atticus27 said:
Pharmcas is a piece of s***. It's financially rewarding for everyone except for the students. And it really isn't easier when you think about it. You still have to write personal satements or essays for every schools supplemental and fork over more dough that you don't have to spare because you're making penuts as a pharm tech in an understaffed retail hellhole and taking the full brunt of s*** from all the customers while the 120k a year lazy ass pharmacists pretend like they have some important s*** to do.

Pharmcas also makes it harder for the non 4.0/99 pcat applicants. When everyone applies to 10 or 15 schools it slows the process down especially with all these idiots going to more than 2 or 3 interviews. wankers, you know who you are. Hey, I'm Joe Dildo and I got accepted to 8 schools. Congratulations on wasting a few grand of mommy and daddy's money flying everywhere and cluster F***ing the admissions process for everyone else just so you can boost your little ego and compensate for your little wee wee. Pharmcas eat s*** and die you dirty mother.
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...How old are you?
 
I think pharmcas is the number one thing that irks me the most. It's supposed to be a time saver, but not for us... Adding all the classes was a pain in the beginning.

I'd have to agree about the pre-requisite classes. It seems like in order to qualify for all the schools you want, you need a minimum of like 85 credits, ironically none of those are even upper division courses. They dont make it easy, but I guess that's so they weed out people. Hasn't deterred me yet though.

On top of everything, the waiting. I mean, do I sign up to take classes in the summer and fall of 2009? Or hold my breath in hope that I get accepted?
 
FinestDrug said:
My attitude brings nothing but good things...

Maybe you should retake a psych course?
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It wasn't a matter of retaking it, it was just that I had never taken it (I skipped it because I'm so damn smart).

Didn't matter in the long run...I swept the female admissions officers off their feet. Your tramp stamp can't hang with these dimples.
 
calisoca said:
It wasn't a matter of retaking it, it was just that I had never taken it (I skipped it because I'm so damn smart).

Didn't matter in the long run...I swept the female admissions officers off their feet. Your tramp stamp can't hang with these dimples.
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Those dimples on your chin wouldn't have gotten you into UOP like my attitude did.
 
FinestDrug said:
Those dimples on your chin wouldn't have gotten you into UOP like my attitude did.
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Showing your tramp stamp in the interview to sway your 40 yr old male interviewer is hardly grounds for bragging about an acceptance.
 
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Skipping psych I wasn't "damn smart" of you and bragging about how the female admissions officers let you slide because they felt sorry for your hideous dimples aren't really bragging rights.
 
FinestDrug said:
Skipping psych I wasn't "damn smart" of you and bragging about how the female admissions officers let you slide because they felt sorry for your hideous dimples aren't really bragging rights.
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Fighting through the typos, I will respond with: I wanna' be on you.
 
FinestDrug said:
Anyway, I prefer doing it like they do it on the discovery channel.
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You must be listening to that horrendous one-hit-wonder. I just hope that one-hitter-quitter attitude doesn't reflect on your adherence in the bedroom Finest.
 
calisoca said:
You must be listening to that horrendous one-hit-wonder. I just hope that one-hitter-quitter attitude doesn't reflect on your adherence in the bedroom Finest.
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I guarantee you won't be calling me a one-hitter-quitter after... I live up to my sn.
 
The wait is driving me crazy :eek: My application has been complete since November, but XU does not start interviewing transfer students until February and March :(
 
The wait .. especially being on the waitlist!!!

why is everyone fighting so much on here lately..be nice people:D
 
Definitely the wait. Absolutely horrendous. Let me know one way or another!
 
Take it to private messages guys, seriously.

On topic, however, like many others have already said, the wait is agonizing.
 
  • Asking for LORs, especially when certain schools like Western require separate LOR forms to be sent directly to the schools
  • Time consuming part of the supplemental essays (hard work gets paid, right? I hope)
  • Waiting for interview invites
  • Waiting for acceptance letters
  • Waiting to get off from the waitlist
 
cinnamoroll12 said:
  • Asking for LORs, especially when certain schools like Western require separate LOR forms to be sent directly to the schools
  • Time consuming part of the supplemental essays (hard work gets paid, right? I hope)
  • Waiting for interview invites
  • Waiting for acceptance letters
  • Waiting to get off from the waitlist
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Haha, so pretty much the whole process from start to finish?

Ditto on that Western LOR issue. It is def. a weed-out method and well...it weeded me out. I was too shy to go back and ask all of my recommenders to write the letter again and submit it to the school directly. USC has their thing too where they make you send in a hard copy of your transcripts in addition to the one that PharmCas gives them. Only reason I can think of is to weed out applicants.
 
calisoca said:
For me the biggest piss off revolved around some of the pre-reqs I ran into that were just SLIGHTLY different than everyone elses. This is a huge b**** especially if you've already graduated. So even though you just completed a 4 year bachelor of science degree at a prestigious university, they expect you to re-enroll and take a stupid humanities course at a CC before you matriculate. A school wanted me to take Psych 1, yes you read correctly, even though I had three upper-division psych classes on my transcript that I tore through and aced. Some schools are cool about it and let you bypass them if you have your bachelors but others...not so much.
Click to expand...

I just completed taking Psych I at my local CC, just because one of the schools I'm applying to required it. My university didn't need it for my bachelors, but I still had to take it for this application process. Total waste of time, and there's $400 I could have used elsewhere.
 
Ephany said:
I just completed taking Psych I at my local CC, just because one of the schools I'm applying to required it. My university didn't need it for my bachelors, but I still had to take it for this application process. Total waste of time, and there's $400 I could have used elsewhere.
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You've got my empathy. From what I heard it was the easiest course at UCD. I can't imagine how simple (and what an immense effing waste of time) it must be at a CC. Surely it doesn't help at all with pharm school so maybe they put you through that tortue to see how badly you want a seat in their class.
 
calisoca said:
You've got my empathy. From what I heard it was the easiest course at UCD. I can't imagine how simple (and what an immense effing waste of time) it must be at a CC. Surely it doesn't help at all with pharm school so maybe they put you through that tortue to see how badly you want a seat in their class.
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Took psych last semester. Extremely easy class.

One thing that annoys me is people applying to a school they clearly have no intention of attending. It wastes everyones time. Just dont do it.
 
I made up my mind early on that any school that would require me to take extra classes is not worth applying to. And some schools are ******ed.

One such school (and I won't mention the name) wanted me to take Gen Chem I and II again. I took a departmental exam and tested out of both of them so that I could take Organic Chemistry. Many schools also wanted me to take Gen Chem again, but this particular school had an extraordinarily stupid and irritating policy. I asked if there was any exam I could take to show that I had the required Gen Chem knowledge and was informed that even if the school itself administered such an exam, they would not accept it! The reason: "It's merely an exam, and you simply answer a bunch of questions."

...I expect more rationality from a pharmacy school.
 
atticus27 said:
Pharmcas is a piece of s***. It's financially rewarding for everyone except for the students. And it really isn't easier when you think about it. You still have to write personal satements or essays for every schools supplemental and fork over more dough that you don't have to spare because you're making penuts as a pharm tech in an understaffed retail hellhole and taking the full brunt of s*** from all the customers while the 120k a year lazy ass pharmacists pretend like they have some important s*** to do.

Pharmcas also makes it harder for the non 4.0/99 pcat applicants. When everyone applies to 10 or 15 schools it slows the process down especially with all these idiots going to more than 2 or 3 interviews. wankers, you know who you are. Hey, I'm Joe Dildo and I got accepted to 8 schools. Congratulations on wasting a few grand of mommy and daddy's money flying everywhere and cluster F***ing the admissions process for everyone else just so you can boost your little ego and compensate for your little wee wee. Pharmcas eat s*** and die you dirty mother.
Click to expand...

Thanks for using the appropriate symbols! :D
 
Storm90 said:
Thanks for using the appropriate symbols! :D
Click to expand...

I am quite the gentleman I'll have you know.

Pharmcas really isn't that bad when I think about the textbook buyback system. What a rip off that is.
 
If you plan on becoming a doctor - you should be able to express yourself in such a manner. Keep the posting civil and in the spirit of the original post.

For those that are unaware. Your payments are used to cover the costs of the application process.

Your initial payment to pharmcas = allows pharmcas to continue to operate, as it does not get a dime from the schools that utilize it as a service.

Your fee for each school pays for printing, correspondence, and processing.

Your deposit to the school is later applied to your tuition - it is high to discourage people from taking seats in a class they have no real interest in.

Waiting has to be the worse part. It really is a hurry up and wait - hurry up and wait. Once its all done though, you'll laugh at the amount of angst you put into it.

~above~
 
aboveliquidice said:
If you plan on becoming a doctor - you should be able to express yourself in such a manner. Keep the posting civil and in the spirit of the original post.

For those that are unaware. Your payments are used to cover the costs of the application process.

Your initial payment to pharmcas = allows pharmcas to continue to operate, as it does not get a dime from the schools that utilize it as a service.

Your fee for each school pays for printing, correspondence, and processing.

Your deposit to the school is later applied to your tuition - it is high to discourage people from taking seats in a class they have no real interest in.

Waiting has to be the worse part. It really is a hurry up and wait - hurry up and wait. Once its all done though, you'll laugh at the amount of angst you put into it.

~above~
Click to expand...

Additionally if one plans on becoming a doctor, I should hope they have the flexibility to stray from a life of pure and utter seriousness to joke and be sarcastic once in a while for the sake of avoiding complete austerity. Off topic--perhaps, but I assure you it was all in good fun.
 
calisoca said:
Additionally if one plans on becoming a doctor, I should hope they have the flexibility to stray from a life of pure and utter seriousness to joke and be sarcastic once in a while for the sake of avoiding complete austerity. Off topic--perhaps, but I assure you it was all in good fun.
Click to expand...

Wait, is this the right forum? Who here wants to be a doctor? So confused. Calisoca, we're lost in the abyss called SDN...
 
I believe he means Doctor of Pharmacy.
 
calisoca said:
I believe he means Doctor of Pharmacy.
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Oooooh, I've been known to jump the gun. My bad lol


I think anyone should be allowed into pharmacy school. Our country would all be so well educated and no one would be diagnosing themselves on those worthless medical websites anymore.

I'm totally joking....
 
Come on guys! Get it together. Ranting about the admissions process is serious business and you're disturbing all the members that are dry, boring, and lack any kind of personality.
 
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atticus27 said:
Come on guys! Get it together. Ranting about the admissions process is serious business and you're disturbing all the members that are dry, boring, and lack any kind of personality.
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Thanks, proper english man. In all seriousness, anyone can download the spelling/grammar checker in the text box. I dont have it on this computer though.
 
PrepharmKID said:
Thanks, proper english man. In all seriousness, anyone can download the spelling/grammar checker in the text box. I dont have it on this computer though.
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I tried to get this too but my dialup internet connection here at my parents house was too slow (Yes I will live at home until August because G-dub made it impossible to get a job with a BS). So, I rely on knowledge and chance to pull me through grammatically.
 
calisoca said:
I tried to get this too but my dialup internet connection here at my parents house was too slow (Yes I will live at home until August because G-dub made it impossible to get a job with a BS). So, I rely on knowledge and chance to pull me through grammatically.
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lol. Mostly I rely on editting wut i type utherwize i end up tiping crap like this.

Yeah dude how was the interview?
 
PrepharmKID said:
lol. Mostly I rely on editting wut i type utherwize i end up tiping crap like this.

Yeah dude how was the interview?
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It was solid man, solid. Just trying to decide if I'm ok with dealing with incontinence and feces...
 
1. varying pre-reqs from school to school.
2. the wait..
3. some schools not accepting things SENT TO PHARMCAS ALREADY. it's all there, why do you need it again??? (such as LORs)
4. getting stuck on the waitlist for ucsd in 2008 :scared:
5. having too many classes in progress because I attended a qtr system university when it was was finals week when they looked over my app (grades not in yet) / not getting an interview when they looked over my application because I was missing 'too many pre-reqs' that pretty much complete
6. reapplying for 2009 and having to start the whole application process from scratch
 
calisoca said:
It was solid man, solid. Just trying to decide if I'm ok with dealing with incontinence and feces...
Click to expand...

haha that could be so may different jobs. is the feces being thrown, or is it just oozing out? I may have found a new job, found out a girl in a class i have might be able to hook me up working in a pathology lab with her brother. Day time hours, so no more of this night crap.
 
PrepharmKID said:
haha that could be so may different jobs. is the feces being thrown, or is it just oozing out? I may have found a new job, found out a girl in a class i have might be able to hook me up working in a pathology lab with her brother. Day time hours, so no more of this night crap.
Click to expand...

Senior citizen feces cleaning, while not required, is entirely a potential task for this job. Yeah it's really all about the daytime hours. Then you can hit the after-work gathering, stumble home, and sign on to sdn.
 
calisoca said:
Senior citizen feces cleaning, while not required, is entirely a potential task for this job. Yeah it's really all about the daytime hours. Then you can hit the after-work gathering, stumble home, and sign on to sdn.
Click to expand...

I have a friend that works in a psych ward and she said the piss and feces can get really bad when you have patients that play with it.... Gross.

Haha, there was a guy near ASU that stumbled home one night after drinking a lot earlier this semester, next morning cops came and arrested him.

Turns out he stumbled into the wrong house. haha.
 
1. Waiting...It's not fun.
2. When some schools who use PharmCAS but don't accept the PharmCAS LOR's. So you have to ask your references again to submit separate letters to the school. *cough* U. of Charleston *cough* It's really frustrating, especially when you already asked your references to send out letters along time ago.
3. When schools administer writing assessments on interviews...making the writing section on the PCAT pointless.
4. And for me, I think it's frustrating how pre-pharmacy students have to complete way more pre-req's than pre-med students. ie. Public speaking, microeconomics...etc.
5. How some schools cater to high school students first making the number of spots for college students/post-bac candidates limited.
6. I also don't like how some schools send out acceptance letters in small envelopes making you think it's a rejection.
 
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