why pharmacy schools accept 2.8-3.0 GPA and sub 50 PCAT?

[frozenicecreamDMD]

is this how pharmacy is going toward now?

To become future healthcare professional with a doctorate, these students come from 2.8-3.0 GPA and sub 50 PCAT.

heck, these 2.8-3.0 includes retakes, which amazes me.

and I think the PCAT, with minimal studying, anyone can score a 60 composite (you can score high on science section to compensate for reading).

and surprisingly, these students still get in pharmacy schools.

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[PharmtoCS]

To answer your question in the title, it is because the number of applicants is falling whereas the number of pharmacy school seats continues to increase. Students who have previously chosen pharmacy as a career choice are reconsidering due to the saturation and poor job prospects, so they move to fields that are in demand, i.e. medicine, physician assistant, dentistry, software engineering, etc. Pharmacy schools of course want to fill their seats to capture tuition money, so they'll accept just about anyone who applies.

 

[Dalteparin]

To answer your question in the title, it is because the number of applicants is falling whereas the number of pharmacy school seats continues to increase. Students who have previously chosen pharmacy as a career choice are reconsidering due to the saturation and poor job prospects, so they move to fields that are in demand, i.e. medicine, physician assistant, dentistry, software engineering, etc. Pharmacy schools of course want to fill their seats to capture tuition money, so they'll accept just about anyone who applies.

Yep. Doesn't matter if the students are actually qualified, a good fit for the profession or capable of being good pharmacists, as long as the school gets their money. And don't bother talking sense into these students, either; they may have lousy grades and test scores but they have self-esteem and their mommy and daddy believe in them, so they're gonna do it, by golly!


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[jinhk93]

Yep. Doesn't matter if the students are actually qualified, a good fit for the profession or capable of being good pharmacists, as long as the school gets their money. And don't bother talking sense into these students, either; they may have lousy grades and test scores but they have self-esteem and their mommy and daddy believe in them, so they're gonna do it, by golly!


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Lawl. Seems like you and I are attracted to the same threads

Just wanted to reply because you made a good point. For some odd reason, the most incapable people seem to have the highest self esteem... hmm...

Honestly, I think it's because this generation has such an extreme sense of entitlement that all prospects of reality/common sense fly right out the door! (And with it, all standards. Lol)

 

[Trishna28]

I think it's because the number of students applying to pharmacy school is rapidly declining. I got a bunch of emails from many schools, some of which I had never heard of after I took my PCAT last year. I was honestly baffled.

I also see ads from even reputed schools while I'm browsing websites totally unrelated to pharmacy. There seem to be a lot of ads out even now (only three months away from matriculation). I don't think any other doctoral program does this?


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[CMUchicka]

is this how pharmacy is going toward now?

To become future healthcare professional with a doctorate, these students come from 2.8-3.0 GPA and sub 50 PCAT.

heck, these 2.8-3.0 includes retakes, which amazes me.

and I think the PCAT, with minimal studying, anyone can score a 60 composite (you can score high on science section to compensate for reading).

and surprisingly, these students still get in pharmacy schools.

Pharmacy is no longer the prime career it once used to be.. Even though i am in it, i am saying it. Back then i remember my family member telling me how difficult it was to get into pharmacy school and how many perks it came with. And now literally everyone is getting accepted to pharmacy school. Every now and then i meet people (Age 30 +)who genuinely had no interest in science are getting accepted just by take pre req. classes. No volunteer, no work experience required. I see people who never went to college after high school started taking classes at community colleges and apply as if they will just fly through school and end up with $100K job. I guess all this people realized how easy it is to get in and in 4 years they will be making 100 K so they are flooding in to those school. And people like these are degrading career for people who actually work hard to get into the profession.

 

[FlexiblePharm]

You're right. It makes me really worry when I see a low GPA and PCAT rolling in.

My primary thoughts are if they're going to be okay in school and if my schooling is going to be lowered to their level. I applied with a 3.0 GPA but I knew that my undergraduate had an extensive grade deflation policy. I took the PCAT cold in large part to convince myself I had the chops to make it through without needing a comeback story. If I had known the applicant pool was so noncompetitive this year I would have actually tried for some top schools.

 

[Chalupa_Batman86]

2.8 GPA, 50 PCAT?

You're highly overestimating the value of today's pharmacy students. It's only getting worse too.

Why? Pharmacy schools are WAY too cheap to open. Plus, the regulators of pharmacy education can care less if schools open like wildfire.

The result? Think of your cell biology course: what happens when there's not a "check" on regulation? CANCER. Cancer is never good.

Similarly, a lot of students will get stiffed on hours (if they get any), and a lot of the old geezers that get paid a few bucks more than the new grads will get fired.

is this how pharmacy is going toward now?

To become future healthcare professional with a doctorate, these students come from 2.8-3.0 GPA and sub 50 PCAT.

heck, these 2.8-3.0 includes retakes, which amazes me.

and I think the PCAT, with minimal studying, anyone can score a 60 composite (you can score high on science section to compensate for reading).

and surprisingly, these students still get in pharmacy schools.