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i have all the classes i need i did horrible on the pcat and i have pharmacy experience, and worked in a free clinic for 3 months what should i do if i dont get accepted
What will you do if you dont get accepted this year
- Thread starter Wantissobad
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Do what you can do to make yourself a competitive applicant:
1. Apply early and apply to more schools to increase your odds of getting in.
2. Retake the PCAT. Anything with 70+ will get you in somewhere.
3. Try to shadow/work/volunteer for various aspects of pharmacy. I only had two experiences last year (independent and Air Force) and had research project on breast cancer medications. Yet, I didn't get anywhere (and I only interviewed at one school). For this application process I did work for a pharmacist who happened to be dean of an allied health school, shadowed a pharmacist who worked near a medical plaza, and I spoke to a compounding pharmacist. Adcoms like variety and it shows how open you are to the other aspects of the field.
4. INTERVIEW. I met a lot of people who tell me that the interview can make you or break you. After this admissions process, it couldn't have been more true. My stats weren't spectacular as the other SDNers on here, but I managed to get in somewhere. Be yourself during the interview and make sure you ANSWER the question. It doesn't have to be that eloquent because the interviewers know you are nervous, so they understand! In one of my group interviews, the guy next to me didn't really answer some of the questions asked, he merely *****-footed around the answer and said typical things that interviewers are used to hearing. "I am a really hard worker, I want to help people, etc, etc." Even if I felt my interview was bad leaving the room, my interviewers saw it differently and saw the REAL me come out. For example:
How do you deal with stress? "I call my mom and ask her for some funny stories about my dogs, which never fails to make me laugh. Otherwise, I go on YouTube and watch Conan O'Brien clips."
What is something you want us to remember you by when we look at your name again during the admissions process? "That my name rhymes." followed with a smile afterward. (This made all three interviewers laugh) Then I told them about my major, and how I can apply it to the pharmacy profession. It was really short and sweet.
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I got on the wait-list but didn't get in last year either. I talked to the Dean of the Admissions Comm. after the cycle was over and he gave me some good ideas to improve on:
1. Do some more volunteer work/pharmacy work
2. Take some extra high-level science classes or a foreign language
3. Improve GPA and/or PCAT (for me it was GPA/my PCAT was 95)
4. Get better/more impressive references
These are somewhat specific to my situation but at least one of them will apply to you if not all. Also, they always say that there is no advantage or disadvantage to being a re-applicant but it can't help but look good if you've already applied before and have made significant progress/improvments since your last application.
Maybe some of this will help and good luck.
1. Do some more volunteer work/pharmacy work
2. Take some extra high-level science classes or a foreign language
3. Improve GPA and/or PCAT (for me it was GPA/my PCAT was 95)
4. Get better/more impressive references
These are somewhat specific to my situation but at least one of them will apply to you if not all. Also, they always say that there is no advantage or disadvantage to being a re-applicant but it can't help but look good if you've already applied before and have made significant progress/improvments since your last application.
Maybe some of this will help and good luck.
How is this "specific to [your] situation"?
These are the same advice given to anyone on SDN with a problem getting into pharmacy. These posts are so repetitive.
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If I don't get in this year I'm gonna take the high road and maybe climb a clock tower outside the pharmacy school... I feel like that will really show the adcoms that I'd do anything to get in. They really like determination.
Since mine is out of state, I'll fly down to the school. Walk into the admissions office and start crying out "why...why"....till the security throws me out.
I'll return 2nd day & repeat the same in the dean's office😉 That gotta create some space for me, maybe😀
I'll return 2nd day & repeat the same in the dean's office😉 That gotta create some space for me, maybe😀
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Cry. 😛 If I don't get in this year, I'll be upset, but what else can you do but either move on or apply again. I'll apply again if I don't get it, but I really hope I won't need to. This process is REALLY expensive. I'm fortunate enough to have my parents help me this time, but they've reminded me (over an over again) that they won't pay if I decided to apply a second time, so I'll just have to suck it up and dish out all the money myself.
