What's the verdict: 3 years vs. 4 years!

[foreverlearning]

I'm so confused! There are such mixed messages about going to a 3 year school vs. a 4 year school that picking a program is driving me CRAZY!

My age is "up there" (27) and I wanted to finish and move onto residency xf a year earlier. But some posters are saying that a 3 year school doesn't fully prepare you for rotations and residencies...Is this true? Are residency programs going to look down on my application if I haven't done summer internships (no summer break in a 3 year school) and graduated from an accelerated program?

I'm trying to pick between Midwestern CCP in Chicago (4 years), Midwestern CPG in Arizona (3 years) and Shenandoah in Virgina (4 years). So what do you guys think?

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[bananaface]

Moving to pre-pharm as this thread concerns school choice.

 

[nicolemsm]

I'm so confused! There are such mixed messages about going to a 3 year school vs. a 4 year school that picking a program is driving me CRAZY!

My age is "up there" (27) and I wanted to finish and move onto residency xf a year earlier. But some posters are saying that a 3 year school doesn't fully prepare you for rotations and residencies...Is this true? Are residency programs going to look down on my application if I haven't done summer internships (no summer break in a 3 year school) and graduated from an accelerated program?

I'm trying to pick between Midwestern CCP in Chicago (4 years), Midwestern CPG in Arizona (3 years) and Shenandoah in Virgina (4 years). So what do you guys think?

From word of mouth, Midwestern AZ is not a good school. I live in AZ and the school is not as well regarded... their rotation sites are very minimal and slowly diminishing. They don't even have an alliance with any local hospitals........ That's from an AZ resident.... take it with a grain of salt, but if you have options, which you do, SURELY don't go to Midwestern AZ... Plus 3 years is hell... esp. in AZ heat. You will probably suffer heat stroke if you're not used to our summers

Now as for Midwestern Chicago & Shenandoah, neither is ranked ... BUT they're both pretty well know. I've heard nothing but good things about BOTH schools. Now, on the other hand, I don't know about their rotations but they're well regarded. Have you looked into their ties with hospitals? May I also ask which field you want to go into as well later on after pharm?

 

[JEW UNIT]

From word of mouth, Midwestern AZ is not a good school. I live in AZ and the school is not as well regarded... their rotation sites are very minimal and slowly diminishing. They don't even have an alliance with any local hospitals........ That's from an AZ resident.... take it with a grain of salt, but if you have options, which you do, SURELY don't go to Midwestern AZ... Plus 3 years is hell... esp. in AZ heat. ]You will probably suffer heat stroke if you're not used to our summers

I have to agree ...I'm not applying there again...I rather go to Tucson or back to NY.

 

[foreverlearning]

Oh boy...Thanks nicole, that is definately good to know. I plan on going through a PGY1 and continue on to a PGY2 but I haven't narrowed down exactly what the PGY2 will be in. That's why rotation sites are important to me...They'll give me a chance to experience different settings and find the best fit.

 

[IrishRxMan]

Oh boy...Thanks nicole, that is definately good to know. I plan on going through a PGY1 and continue on to a PGY2 but I haven't narrowed down exactly what the PGY2 will be in. That's why rotation sites are important to me...They'll give me a chance to experience different settings and find the best fit.

Your rotations may also depend on what grades you have in pharmacy school. Typically, the ones that have better grades get top pick of rotation sites, so that's another thing to consider. That's the only real competition on grades in pharmacy school besides scholarships and if you want to be a member of Rho Chi. When it comes to getting residencies, that's a whole other complicated process. I don't know about the reputation of the 3 year schools, but all I knew was I wanted my summers to work and have a breather. Working as an intern really gave me a bigger picture of what I was doing in pharmacy school and helped me to build my skills at counseling and bolster the knowledge that I had learned up to that point. True, you will be done a year sooner, but in the grand scheme of things that year may not matter much. The 3 year programs are really intense and you don't get much of a big break to take a breather. It's totally up to you, but make your decision carefully.