What was your GPA when you got accepted to PharmD school?

Started by Chuck61686
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Chuck61686

Chuck61686

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I will be applying to PharmD school this coming September, so I can (hopefully) enter pharmacy school in fall '09, right after I get my BSN nursing degree. Looks like I'll have anywhere from a 3.7-3.8 GPA for my pre-req courses.

So just out of curiousity, for everyone who got accepted to a PharmD program, what was your GPA?
 
I had around a 3.6 but personally I don't think that you should be worried so much about your GPA as you should about your letters of recommendation, interview and essay/personal statement.
 
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UofMN2010 said:
I had around a 3.6 but personally I don't think that you should be worried so much about your GPA as you should about your letters of recommendation, interview and essay/personal statement.
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I agree...GPA definitely is not everything.
 
mike36 said:
I agree...GPA definitely is not everything.
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Oh yeah, I understand GPA is not everything. Many schools don't even need PCAT scores. I feel like I have great recommendations coming from prestigious people who know me well, I can write a good essay, I have a great background in clinical experiences, so I just wanted to see where I stand in terms of competitiveness regarding GPA.

Also...would the fact I'll be getting a BSN nursing degree mean anything? (Ie. with all else being equal, would I stand out more than someone with a simpler diploma in a subject like zoology, chemistry or environmental science?)
 
Chuck61686 said:
Oh yeah, I understand GPA is not everything. Many schools don't even need PCAT scores. I feel like I have great recommendations coming from prestigious people who know me well, I can write a good essay, I have a great background in clinical experiences, so I just wanted to see where I stand in terms of competitiveness regarding GPA.

Also...would the fact I'll be getting a BSN nursing degree mean anything? (Ie. with all else being equal, would I stand out more than someone with a simpler diploma in a subject like zoology, chemistry or environmental science?)
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Haha....I'd bet someone with a BS in zoology, chemistry or environmental science would disagree that is/her degree is "simpler." It's not wise to play "degree wars." As long as the pre-reqs are equal, your degree is no more or less "simple" than mine or anyone else's.

However, you could use your training and experience innursing fields to accent your skills in other ways, such as how you handle patients (or how you realized you don't want to to direct patient care), that you probably already speak fluent Hospital, that you are accustomed to working in a fast-paced medical environment, etc, etc.

You're better off to look for your own strengths than to seek out others' perceived weaknesses. You never know the background or mindset of the interviewers.
 
eelo said:
Haha....I'd bet someone with a BS in zoology, chemistry or environmental science would disagree that is/her degree is "simpler." It's not wise to play "degree wars." As long as the pre-reqs are equal, your degree is no more or less "simple" than mine or anyone else's.

However, you could use your training and experience innursing fields to accent your skills in other ways, such as how you handle patients (or how you realized you don't want to to direct patient care), that you probably already speak fluent Hospital, that you are accustomed to working in a fast-paced medical environment, etc, etc.

You're better off to look for your own strengths than to seek out others' perceived weaknesses. You never know the background or mindset of the interviewers.
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Very good point - I didn't mean to come across as seeking out others' perceived weaknesses and I certainly didn't mean to downplay any other major as "easier" or inferior to nursing. In fact, I'll be the first to admit that I'm very disappointed at how unscientific some of my classes have been. The degree of difficulty regarding a certain major is in the eye of the beholder. For example, some would prefer the diffculty of 6am-6pm clinical experiences to the scientific logic difficulty encountered in a science major, and vice versa. Bottom line is, it's all relative.
 
Chuck61686 said:
Oh yeah, I understand GPA is not everything. Many schools don't even need PCAT scores. I feel like I have great recommendations coming from prestigious people who know me well, I can write a good essay, I have a great background in clinical experiences, so I just wanted to see where I stand in terms of competitiveness regarding GPA.

Also...would the fact I'll be getting a BSN nursing degree mean anything? (Ie. with all else being equal, would I stand out more than someone with a simpler diploma in a subject like zoology, chemistry or environmental science?)
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Certainly the patient interactions you have had in you nursing curriculum, in addition to the physiology and pharmacology (albeit limited) will give you a head start with the pharmacy curriculum (in my opinion anywasy).

But I think you might need to take it a bit farther and be able to explain exactly why YOU think a BSN is an advantage to you and how it will help you as a pharmacy student (and as a pharmacist).

Also, you should talk about why you want to go into pharmacy instead of using your BSN degree. It might seem that you don't really know what you want to do since you appear to be changing career goals, at least to the adcoms.

Good luck with it!
 
I don't think you would stand out as a BSN. I think people stand out with what other things they were involved in during school. For example if you have a 3.8 and did nothing else is not as impressive as getting a 3.8, working, having leadership positions, and being involved in service. This will get you the interview. Then you have to prove that you can communicate well at the interview as well as have an idea of what you are getting into. I believe that being a nurse would help you in pharmacy school and as a future pharmacist.
 
I believe your focus shouldn't be why a BN makes you a potential better pharmacist, or more equipped to handle the pharmacy curriculum [schools train you in what you need to be a pharmacist, the physiology or sprinkle of pharmacology you've done isn't relevant] - but rather why you _want_ to do pharmacy.

Your GPA is good, above average for american schools as far as I know, but work on the reasons as to why you want to do, shadowing/volunteering, etc.
 
one other tip, be prepared to answer why you didn't end up in nursing, and how are you sure that pharmacy instead of nursing is right for you... That is something i would ask as an interviewer... You certainly have the stats to get an interview, and you probably will get them. Just prep for that interview and be able to defend your career choice, dress professionally and dont be nervous!


ps. i had a 3.1 in prereqs, but i had a 92 score on my PCAT and a decorated CV
 
Chuck61686 said:
Oh yeah, I understand GPA is not everything. Many schools don't even need PCAT scores. I feel like I have great recommendations coming from prestigious people who know me well, I can write a good essay, I have a great background in clinical experiences, so I just wanted to see where I stand in terms of competitiveness regarding GPA.

Also...would the fact I'll be getting a BSN nursing degree mean anything? (Ie. with all else being equal, would I stand out more than someone with a simpler diploma in a subject like zoology, chemistry or environmental science?)
Click to expand...

A chemistry degree is not simpler than a BSN nursing degree. I know some nurses that think they are so smart because they got mostly A's in their courses....it's because the courses are easier! I just smile and nod because they are my wife's friends and I want to be polite.
 
labrat024 said:
A chemistry degree is not simpler than a BSN nursing degree. I know some nurses that think they are so smart because they got mostly A's in their courses....it's because the courses are easier! I just smile and nod because they are my wife's friends and I want to be polite.
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I agree with this. There's no way that a nursing program would be more difficult than science majors (biology, chemistry, even zoology). Nursing students have separate "science" courses that they take and, at least at my school, they are way easier than the ones science majors have to take. Hell, my department wouldn't even accept transfer credits from nursing science courses.
 
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my GPA was quite low. Right around or just below 3.0

however, I am fantastic.

also. that was my overall (originally a physics major. then a don't give a crap major. then pre-pharm.), I don't remember what my science and pre-req GPAs were.
 
Chuck61686 said:
I will be applying to PharmD school this coming September, so I can (hopefully) enter pharmacy school in fall '09, right after I get my BSN nursing degree. Looks like I'll have anywhere from a 3.7-3.8 GPA for my pre-req courses.

So just out of curiousity, for everyone who got accepted to a PharmD program, what was your GPA?
Click to expand...


Mine is 3.80 science, only because I am Chinese. My parents make me study 10 hours a week or more. I maintain a good GPA because I have to. It's all part of my family tradition. My boyfriend has a 3.66 gpa and his parents are killing him. For example, he is not allowed to drive, or to watch TV for a month.
 
POP44STOP22 said:
Mine is 3.80 science, only because I am Chinese. My parents make me study 10 hours a week or more. I maintain a good GPA because I have to. It's all part of my family tradition. My boyfriend has a 3.66 gpa and his parents are killing him. For example, he is not allowed to drive, or to watch TV for a month.
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Umm...is he an adult? 😕
 
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