Combined PharmD Program or 4-year University?

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I'm a senior deciding between attending a pharmacy combined six-year program or going the early decision route to a four year university and later transferring to a pharmacy school. I am fairly set on taking the pharmacy route. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:</p>

<p>Combined Program:
PRO: No need to stress about PCAT or getting into a pharmacy school, 2-3 years shorter than the normal 4 years undergrad + 4 year pharmacy route.
CON: I will be essentially shrinking my undergraduate studies into two or three years, so I will be extremely busy. The colleges that offer this kind of program rank much lower than what I can get with ED.</p>

<p>Early Decision:
PRO: I can get into a much higher ranking school, and the students there are more likely to be as motivated as I am. I do like the "positive" peer pressure in that I will be working with students who try just as hard if not harder than me.
CON: I will have to worry about PCATs and GPA (I won't have to worry about GPA too much in a combined program). </p>

<p>If there's any other information for either side that you can think of, I'd like to hear them. If there's anyone who is in a combined program, I'd greatly appreciate your input.</p>

<p>For combined programs, I am applying to Northeastern and University of the Pacific. For ED, I am most likely applying to Johns Hopkins or Cornell, not sure yet. Assuming my applications will go smoothly in either case, what path do you think I should take? Are there any other resources I can use to make my decision easier?</p>

<p>If you want to do pharmacy JHU/Cornell’s ranking compared to Northeastern isn’t going to make a difference at all, Northeastern has a lot of top scorers as well due to their merit scholarships.</p>

<p>Thanks barrk123, I appreciate your reply. </p>

<p>In terms of student life, what would it be like at a combined program? I understand I won’t have much free time, so would extracurriculars be out of the question? Would that affect my future career prospects as a researcher if I cannot find research opportunities over the summer or during the school year due to time constraints?</p>

<p>Bump. I’d like some help regarding my decision as I cannot decide!</p>