6 Year Pharm D Program or Pre-med

Pre-Med & Medical School Careers in Medicine
1

Hello all,

I have been admitted to Northeastern’s 6 year doctor of pharmacy program which allows me to become a pharmacist if I can keep up a 3.0 GPA or above. This program does not require me to take the PCAT, which is the entrance exam to pharmacy school. This seems like a great deal, except I’ve always wanted to pursue medicine as a medical doctor not really a pharmacist. If I want to pursue premed, I’m planning on attending a small liberal arts school near my hometown due to generous amounts of money I have been awarded. It’s not high ranked, but it’s known to have a couple students successfully get into med school each year. Northeastern, on the other hand, is REALLY expensive, but my parents are willing to pay for the school as long as I pay them back when I start working.

My parents strongly prefer that I choose Northeastern because they like the idea of me not having to take a standardized test in order to enter a professional school because I’ve never really been a strong standardized test taker. I’ve struggled to achieve a 33 on my ACT, and the SAT score was barely a 2000+, and I understand that the MCAT is nearly impossible to score well on even with studying. On the other hand, I’m good with keeping up with school work and GPA. I know there are so many premed students out there who don’t reach their goals of becoming doctors due to the competitive pool of students, so I’m wondering if my parents are just being wise in telling me to attend Northeastern or if they are simply crushing my dreams.

I would prefer to be in direct contact with patients and work with the human body, but I also heard that I can become a clinical pharmacist, meaning I could work with patients at a hospital setting instead of standing in a Walgreens store, which I detest.

Am I being foolish in not listening to my parent’s advise? How impossible or possible is getting into a med school? And is there a strong correlation on how well you do on SAT and MCAT? Also, if there are any pharmacist out there, how long does it take to pay back $230,000 of student loans that is borrowed from parents (so no interest)? I’m curious on what anyone has to offer for my conflict. I’m open to honest feedbacks. Thank you!

2

An entry level pharmacist will make between $85-100k a year. I guess if you lived with your parents you could pay them back in less than 5 years. If you lived on your own you could pay them back in 10 years or so if you live frugally. Are you a senior? Haven’t you already had to make a commitment? If you got a 33 on your ACT you should be fine taking the PCAT with some preparation. How much would your pre med track undergrad cost?

3

I did already make a commitment to Northeastern University, but I also am still offered a spot at the liberal arts college near my hometown. For the premed track, I would be paying 13,000 each year so 52,000 for undergrad and med schools typically cost 40-50,000 each year so around 250,00 total for the medical doctor route. So the amount of money I’ll have to pay off is about the same.

4

I think you’re severely underestimating the cost of medical school.

Here’s the AAMC annual tuition report.

https://services.aamc.org/tsfreports/select.cfm?year_of_study=2015

Remember the number listed are for tuition only; you’ll still need to pay for living expenses, books, tests fees, insurance, transportation. (You’ll need a car to get to clinical sites that are not at your home hospital.)

5

Being a pharmacist does not preclude you from applying to medical school. At Northeastern you can skip the final clinical year and graduate with a BS in Pharmacy Studies that would enable you to apply to med school.

6

Considering as many options as possible and allowing flexibility is important in every aspect of life. Committing to a six year course of study at the beginning is ok even if you don’t consider it your first choice. During that time you could start volunteering at one of the local medical school hospitals to get a more complete view of the difference between pharmacy and medicine. Also,taking a year or two at a state supported school studying as a premed or even undecided might give you enough perspective to make a greater commitment while not spending as much money. Most important, I think, is to let your experiences guide you to a professional choice that will be satisfying.