<p>"by the ways doctor of pharmacy is now required, unlike b4."
I JUST SAID THAT ASMAJ</p>
<p>WVUPharm2007, I think I mentioned the BS/PharmD thing. It's a fairly new program that the UCSD Skaggs (Pharmacy School) started and basically if you have really good grades then you can apply I think in sophomore year? and it's a 7-year program where you'll earn your BS in either chem or biochem and you'll also earn a Pharmd. Here's the link: <a href="http://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/programs.shtml#BS%5B/url%5D">http://pharmacy.ucsd.edu/programs.shtml#BS</a></p>
<p>You'd have a BS in chemistry, not pharmacy. What I mean is that there are no more schools in the US offering a BS in pharmacy. An adjuvant BS offers you no real advantage in the real world. The people in my class that got into the best residencies did it all in 6 years. </p>
<p>About financial aid, TYPICALLY you are considered an undergraduate by the gov't for the first two years of pharmacy school, then a graduate for the final two years. It's different at several schools However, you are neither an undergrad or a graduate in reality, you are in professional school.</p>
<p>ty WVUPharm, u understand my point of
"you are considered an undergraduate by the gov't for the first two years of pharmacy school, then a graduate for the final two years."</p>
<p>wow........u guys got me all confused.......what do I do now?</p>
<p>I'm having trouble comprehending what GA is saying.</p>
<p>Regardless, you can do either path. You can enroll in a college for a BS, you can drop out (essentially) after two years and apply to pharmacy school. This is what my mother did. You could also drop out after three; you could graduate in four; drop out after four; graduate in five, etc. The point is you need at least two years. Generally speaking, I suspect graduating (getting a BS in something like chemistry) would boost your chances, but I do not know this for sure.</p>
<p>There are also some direct programs to which you may apply if you like. I don't know anything about these, but at least some of them only take six years.</p>
<p>so which is better in terms of job prospects, residencies, etc...going to school for 8 or 6 years financially 6 would be better but in the future will they soon require students to have a bs?</p>
<p>what are u talking about?</p>
<p>A BS may help with pharmacy school admissions, but a PharmD is a PharmD. Nobody in the real world cares if you got a BS beforehand or not. Get the PharmD as fast as possible - just my opinion.</p>
<p>Confused_junior, here is everything you need to know. If your still confused you can come back here and ask WVU et al. </p>
<p>yea i've been to that site..i'm not confsued..just wondering which would be the better path to take..6 years to pharmD or 7 years BS in chem with a Pharmd..
6 years
CON-no bachelors
CON-no full experience of undergrad
CON-workload too difficult or too much?
PRO-financially better
PRO-less years</p>
<p>7 years/8 years
CON-more years
CON-more money
PRO-bachelor's degree (in case pharmacy doesn't work out)
PRO-full undergrad experience.</p>
<p>any inputs?</p>
<p>1 or 2 years doesn't really make a difference in the long run. Like I've mentioned previously, my former roommate/pledge brother loved being in undergrad (and we loved having him around) so that combined with getting his bachelors was more than enough to keep him in undergrad.</p>
<p>Doing 3 or 4 years of undergrad is also really good if you're not entirely sure you want to go into pharm. You can work as a pharm tech and get some experience in the field before you have to make a decision. And depending on where you go, it might not necessarily be more money. I only know the case for 6 and 7 year BA/MD programs, but most of those can cost more than 4 years at a state school and 4 years of med school , so I'd imagine that it's possible for at least a couple 0-6 programs...</p>
<p>In the end, the same questions I raise for accelerated MD programs apply here:</p>
<p>What happens if you decide pharm is not for you? Will your credits transfer? What sort of requirements do you have to fill? Do you get a chance to take interesting elective classes? How do you prevent burnout? Do you get to avoid things like the PCAT? How does a 0-6 program handle the lack of diversity which comes from a 2+4 program (which might have people in their 30's as a part of the class)? Is spending 2 more years in the profession really going to matter when you're 65 and getting ready to retire? Do graduates of the 0-6 program youre interested in go on to do what you want to do (if the program has a great placement rate at community pharmacies - ie Walgreen's - but you want to work with a drug company, is that really the best thing for you?)</p>
<p>I'm a second year pre-pharmacy student and Applying to pharm school this year...maybe...I'm confused as to wheher I should wait an extra year or even for a bachelor. I know it's going to be highly competitive and I know that all I've done this year is study and work. Any advice on sprucing up my resume?</p>
<p>campus involvement
job as a pharm tech
volunteer work
research</p>
<p>I'd say (at least from the friends I know who have gone on to pharm school) that if you don't have at least the first three, you're unlikely to get accepted - even with great grades and PCAT</p>