Will my major in Child Development and going to a Cal State Hurt my Chances?

[woot544]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BS in Child and Adolescent Studies with a minor in Health Sciences thinking i was going to go into teaching. Now I am back at home and taking CC prereqs for nursing as a back up, but after taking more science courses I am now conflicted because I am also VERY interested in Pharm School. Will my major in Child Development and coming from a Cal State hurt my chances of getting into Pharm School? or should I just go for it? I am just afraid that I will be too stressed and fail at pharm school. It seems like 4 stressful years.. So yeah I am really confused...

All you opinions would help so much!! Thank youuuu!

Oh also... incase you need more info... I have a 3.74 GPA and have been volunteering at a hospital for about a year ...

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[boltdude]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BS in Child and Adolescent Studies with a minor in Health Sciences thinking i was going to go into teaching. Now I am back at home and taking CC prereqs for nursing as a back up, but after taking more science courses I am now conflicted because I am also VERY interested in Pharm School. Will my major in Child Development and coming from a Cal State hurt my chances of getting into Pharm School? or should I just go for it? I am just afraid that I will be too stressed and fail at pharm school. It seems like 4 stressful years.. So yeah I am really confused...

All you opinions would help so much!! Thank youuuu!

Oh also... incase you need more info... I have a 3.74 GPA and have been volunteering at a hospital for about a year ...

As long as you finish the pre-preqs with high marks you should be fine and should definitely apply if you want to be a pharmacist. Since you have a 3.74 you have a great chance. It is true many schools do consider the undergraduate institution you go to, but with a 3.7, you should be fine. At the interview, they may ask you how a Child Development major relates to pharmacy and how it can help you as a pharmacist.

 

[steveysmith54]

any major is fine as long as you can convince admission committee why you're interested and will be a good pharmacist.

 

[UES Girl]

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a BS in Child and Adolescent Studies with a minor in Health Sciences thinking i was going to go into teaching. Now I am back at home and taking CC prereqs for nursing as a back up, but after taking more science courses I am now conflicted because I am also VERY interested in Pharm School. Will my major in Child Development and coming from a Cal State hurt my chances of getting into Pharm School? or should I just go for it? I am just afraid that I will be too stressed and fail at pharm school. It seems like 4 stressful years.. So yeah I am really confused...

All you opinions would help so much!! Thank youuuu!

Oh also... incase you need more info... I have a 3.74 GPA and have been volunteering at a hospital for about a year ...

If you have a strong overall application with solid grades and an extensive list of EC to account for all your volunteering and outside of school involvement, your Cal state degree will not hurt you. I got my degree from Cal state as well and got 9 interviews out of the 12 secondaries I filled out. I got into my # 1 choice as well.

Majors are overrated. We have someone in our class from Cal state with a degree in psychology and she's doing just fine. As long as you are a desirable applicant, it will not hurt you either.

 

[Farmercyst]

If you have a strong overall application with solid grades and an extensive list of EC to account for all your volunteering and outside of school involvement, your Cal state degree will not hurt you. I got my degree from Cal state as well and got 9 interviews out of the 12 secondaries I filled out. I got into my # 1 choice as well.

Majors are overrated. We have someone in our class from Cal state with a degree in psychology and she's doing just fine. As long as you are a desirable applicant, it will not hurt you either.

I forget where you are.

Anyway, Cal State won't matter, Child Development would be great for pediatric issues. If you wanted to go that route, even if you didn't, you'd be fine with a 3.7 to get in. Yes, it is 4 stressful years, but anything worth doing is worth the time and effort it takes to get through it. If you want it, go for it. If you're not sure, it's not the best time to be getting in, but in 4 years when you get out, who knows what the landscape will look like.

 

[Passion4Sci]

She's at UCSF, Farmer.

And I got into UoP w/ humanities degrees... and a lot of other people have, too! You'll be fine, OP.

 

[takins33613]

I majored in "Health Education and Behavior" and I got accepted.

 

[woot544]

Thanks guys for posting replies! I am just afraid that I won't be strong in the sciences. Do you feel it's harder/you need to put more effort in your pharm classes because of the fact that you did not do a bio degree??

 

[RXsocal]

A degree in ANYTHING is fine. I don't even HAVE a degree...not even a single upper division class under my belt. I wonder how this pharm school gig is gonna turn out for me XP

 

[Passion4Sci]

Thanks guys for posting replies! I am just afraid that I won't be strong in the sciences. Do you feel it's harder/you need to put more effort in your pharm classes because of the fact that you did not do a bio degree??

For me, I have never been a science/math kind of guy, so going from a verbal/humanities/touchy-feely type of major and class setting to hard science was a shock but as long as you're capable and willing to put in the time and effort required you'll be fine.

Assuming you're just not one of those people who can't grip the hard sciences, because there are those out there. You'll never know if you don't try, at any rate.

 

[drugdoc]

I was a BS Interior Design. If I can do it, almost anyone can!

 

[phathead]

I was a BS Interior Design. If I can do it, almost anyone can!

I know someone who got a BS in Latin and got her PharmD about two years ago. One of our better pharmacists actually lol

 

[woot544]

For me, I have never been a science/math kind of guy, so going from a verbal/humanities/touchy-feely type of major and class setting to hard science was a shock but as long as you're capable and willing to put in the time and effort required you'll be fine.

Assuming you're just not one of those people who can't grip the hard sciences, because there are those out there. You'll never know if you don't try, at any rate.

But your screename is Passion4sci? i would think you are awesome at science haha... so you realized your passion after taking the prereqs?

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

 

[woot544]

Also those are some pretty different majors wow... haha props to you guys!

 

[RXsocal]

But your screename is Passion4sci? i would think you are awesome at science haha... so you realized your passion after taking the prereqs?

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

I have taken UCSD chem and bio classes and I have taken CC classes. I admit that UC classes are harder because they go into much greater depth. The CC classes, however, prepared me much better for the PCAT because it's more practical. Plus, UC curves are set for half the class to get C's and below even if you are smart...which is pretty bullsh**. screw BELL curves -_-

 

[Sine Cura]

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

It's difficult to generalize, but I have had the "pleasure" of taking introductory biochemistry and cell/molecular biology for both UC undergrad and my pharmacy school, and the UC courses were more rigorous with short-answer/essay style exams (you couldn't just skate with superficial awareness of the material), while the PharmD equivalents (P1) had, perhaps, broader coverage (with some therapeutics content, more "health professional" oriented) at the expense of depth, with all multiple-choice exams.

Never had "curves" with target proportions of As, Bs, Cs, etc... if you got a C you probably didn't try hard enough.

 

[Passion4Sci]

But your screename is Passion4sci? i would think you are awesome at science haha... so you realized your passion after taking the prereqs?

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

It was a passion I discovered later in life, after avoiding math specifically like the plague, and despite finding out I LOVE science (And problem solving), it didn't come easily for me.

 

[Farmercyst]

But your screename is Passion4sci? i would think you are awesome at science haha... so you realized your passion after taking the prereqs?

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

My GPA drop off was 3.9 CC, 3.6 CSU, 3.3 USC. If I were an average student, I'd say plan accordingly, I'm slightly below average (for our class), so I'd think it shouldn't be a problem. I also study less than most, 1-2 hours/week.

 

[woot544]

My GPA drop off was 3.9 CC, 3.6 CSU, 3.3 USC. If I were an average student, I'd say plan accordingly, I'm slightly below average (for our class), so I'd think it shouldn't be a problem. I also study less than most, 1-2 hours/week.

Wow you only study 1-2 hours per week for pharmacy school?! ... how many hours would you say did you study taking prereqs for pharm school?

 

[Farmercyst]

Wow you only study 1-2 hours per week for pharmacy school?! ... how many hours would you say did you study taking prereqs for pharm school?

Depended on the course. Bio and Ochem I probably spent more time on since they seemed to be more memorization to me. Courses where I could apply logic and see patterns it made it easier. I didn't study Calc or physics that much since they were mainly plug/chug and built off of each other nicely. I also am willing to take the C's I deserve when it comes to it. PChem kicked me in the teeth, but I deserved what I got in the end.

 

[Scout01]

Right now i'm taking prereqs at a community college. Do you guys know how CC and UC science classes are like compared to Pharm schools?

I would think UC would better prepare you for pharmacy school, but with the right amount of diligence, CC shouldn't hurt you.

I have also taken science classes at CC and right now at UCSD. In some CC classes, you can get by with a shallow knowledge of the material (although you probably won't get A's). Trying to get by with shallow knowledge at UCSD will get you a D. Hoorah for UCSD upper division science courses. *pulls out hair*

 

[Passion4Sci]

Totally school-specific. The CC I took my final pre-requisites / refreshers in would land you with Cs if you just tried to "get by" and a lot of folks who had pharmacy, medical, veterinarian and dental dreams got crushed by Ds and Fs in A&P.

 

[proteome]

I know someone who did pol sci and got in. who trusts politicians anyway