Where to go from here? Need advice

[Truffles]

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Hi everyone. I need some advice on improving my chances of getting accepted into Pharmacy school, so here is some background. I graduated with a BS in Zoology in 2003. My overall GPA was a lowly 2.83, science 2.98. Unfortunately, I was unmotivated, had no ambition, and almost never studied. I have taken Pharmacology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Microbio Lab, Physiology, as well as a few other classes at a community college over the past 3 semesters and 4.0 them all.

So, my question is where do I go from here? I am currently studying for the PCAT, will try to get some volunteer experience at a hospital soon and hopefully will get some pharmacy experience some how as well. Two more issues I need to tackle is the fact that I took most of my pre-reqs a decade ago...I'm confident I can do well if I retake these pre-reqs, however, Michigan State U. will not allow me to retake them since I received a 2.5 or better in them. So should I start taking these pre-reqs at community college? Which Pharmacy schools will allow me to retake the pre-reqs at CC? The other issue is that I also don't know where to start in terms of getting LOR's. I'm generally a very positive person, but I'm getting ancient, 32 years old now 😱, so at times I feel it's hopeless. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[OldPharm]

Hi everyone. I need some advice on improving my chances of getting accepted into Pharmacy school, so here is some background. I graduated with a BS in Zoology in 2003. My overall GPA was a lowly 2.83, science 2.98. Unfortunately, I was unmotivated, had no ambition, and almost never studied. I have taken Pharmacology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Microbio Lab, Physiology, as well as a few other classes at a community college over the past 3 semesters and 4.0 them all.

So, my question is where do I go from here? I am currently studying for the PCAT, will try to get some volunteer experience at a hospital soon and hopefully will get some pharmacy experience some how as well. Two more issues I need to tackle is the fact that I took most of my pre-reqs a decade ago...I'm confident I can do well if I retake these pre-reqs, however, Michigan State U. will not allow me to retake them since I received a 2.5 or better in them. So should I start taking these pre-reqs at community college? Which Pharmacy schools will allow me to retake the pre-reqs at CC? The other issue is that I also don't know where to start in terms of getting LOR's. I'm generally a very positive person, but I'm getting ancient, 32 years old now 😱, so at times I feel it's hopeless. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hey, I'm 30+ as well. Don't give up.

If your pre req grades aren't too good, I would take them again, especially since you took them a decade ago.

LOR wise, do you have any work experience? You can ask your ex-boss or your co-workers to write you LORs. What about your CC professors? Many pharmacy schools require you to get at least one or two LORs from academic professors. So, get to know your CC professors well. Also, get heavily involved in volunteer or EC work for at least 6 months, and ask organizers to write you LORs.

Good luck!

 

[Truffles]

Hey, I'm 30+ as well. Don't give up.

If your pre req grades aren't too good, I would take them again, especially since you took them a decade ago.

LOR wise, do you have any work experience? You can ask your ex-boss or your co-workers to write you LORs. What about your CC professors? Many pharmacy schools require you to get at least one or two LORs from academic professors. So, get to know your CC professors well. Also, get heavily involved in volunteer or EC work for at least 6 months, and ask organizers to write you LORs.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice, I definitely won't give up, and I do plan on asking my CC profs for LORs as well as the volunteer people. Congrats on getting into Pharmacy school, great work! Study hard and good luck to you.

 

[dreezy10]

i would say redo any pre reqs that you did poorly in. also you should really study for the PCAT, try to get 80 or 90 percent. also the essay is a huge part of app proccess. I had a 3.2 and 58 pcat, but interverwers liked my essay and interview. so I would say, work in pharm, interview well, destroy the PCAT, and if you want, retake bad courses. good luck!

 

[PTK2014]

Community college is a great option for prereqs! First, it is affordable, so it makes sense to retake them there. The PCAT is brutal, so do not be discouraged by your score. The nationwide averages went way down this year. Most colleges will tell you that their average is in the 80's, but many people are accepted in the 40's too. Despite what anyone tells you, it is not all about the PCAT. The only schools it will play a role in are the ones that state a minimum, such as 50% at Butler, for example. Otherwise, apply regardless of your score. You are doing all the right things. Schools look closely at what you are doing now, so definitely get some pharm tech experience, and also do a job shadow or two at a hospital. This could even be just for a few hours out of one week. It shows initiative. Also, put down as many volunteer and service organizations and activities as you can. Join some groups at the community college, even if you just attend a few meetings. For example, science or chemistry club--may seem like it's for traditional students, but many more non-traditional students are returning to school (especially in the health care field).

You have some great background and life experience, which will be an asset. Now, pile on the recent work, service and volunteer experience and practice up for interview season. You will end up with several options! Best of luck!

 

[b1234]

Community college is a great option for prereqs! First, it is affordable, so it makes sense to retake them there. The PCAT is brutal, so do not be discouraged by your score. The nationwide averages went way down this year. Most colleges will tell you that their average is in the 80's, but many people are accepted in the 40's too. Despite what anyone tells you, it is not all about the PCAT. The only schools it will play a role in are the ones that state a minimum, such as 50% at Butler, for example. Otherwise, apply regardless of your score. You are doing all the right things. Schools look closely at what you are doing now, so definitely get some pharm tech experience, and also do a job shadow or two at a hospital. This could even be just for a few hours out of one week. It shows initiative. Also, put down as many volunteer and service organizations and activities as you can. Join some groups at the community college, even if you just attend a few meetings. For example, science or chemistry club--may seem like it's for traditional students, but many more non-traditional students are returning to school (especially in the health care field).

You have some great background and life experience, which will be an asset. Now, pile on the recent work, service and volunteer experience and practice up for interview season. You will end up with several options! Best of luck!

I personally disagree with putting as many different activities and organizations as you can. I would argue that it is much better to have only a few, but to be able to show that you were an active participant and/or did something special within those organizations. If you list a ton of organizations that you were a member of - many people will look at that and realize that you couldn't possibly have had the time to participate meaningfully in all of them.

On a different note, I'm 35 and will be starting pharmacy school this fall. Most of the schools I considered wanted all pre-requisite coursework to be done within a certain time - usually within the last 5 or 10 years. Most also had a statement that they would consider pre-req work done in farther in the past on an individual basis. With many schools if you have recently (successfully) completed a course that requires courses you took (a long time ago) in the past they will treat all of those pre-req courses as if you had taken them recently (with respect to meeting admissions requirements).

As far as PCAT scores - as long as you meet the minimum score for a particular school your application will at least not be outright rejected because of it. If your PCAT score(s) are well above average they can make up for other parts of your application that are below average and if they are below average then you just need to have other parts of your application that make up for it.