<p>i was admitted into bouve for pharmacy which was surprising because i thought it was really competitive</p>
<p>so all you pharm majors out there... what were your stats? i'm just curious</p>
<p>Can you post your stats? I'm looking to get into NEU Pharmacy and I just want to compare if you've gotten in already :)</p>
<p>Congratulations, too!</p>
<p>I was accepted into pharmacy too. </p>
<p>GPA - 3.87
SATs- 1200/1600, 1880/2400 ( Not at all fantastic )
rank - 42 of 629</p>
<p>I don't know a lot of students who have gone to Northeastern, but looking at the PharmD program gives me a few reservations about their curriculum. For one, most they choose to teach therapeutics independently from pharmacology, which is kind of odd as one complements the other. Not all pharmacy schools choose to do this for whatever reason. Most of the top 4-year pharmacy schools choose to use the first year as background, which northeastern apparently will do a good job of preparing you for. I don't know how the co-ops will be different compared to other pharmacy programs, as pharmacy programs already have rotation sites figured into the 3rd and 4th pharmacy years. Just from looking at the curriculum on </p>
<p>it <em>appears</em> to have little room for specialization, so if you want a career in academia, it might not be the best path. In terms of how the program will also prepare you for residencies and fellowships, it might be hit or miss. It might also be a little weak as there is less didactic teaching and more emphasis on co-op teaching, which might not be as great for understanding theory. I really hope they're not their students to go out and work as techs. I'm also completely confused as to how the co-ops are supposed to be useful (especially the first one) if you aren't taught therapeutics prior. On the other hand, you get out faster and can start making money if that's your goal. I wonder how Northeastern does for the NAPLEX passing rates.</p>
<p>Supposedly through the grapevine I heard that Northeastern is attempting to produce pharmacists with a managerial twist and background, but it's a little early to see how successful the graduates are in practicing in concordance with the school's vision.</p>
<p>If you are considering Northeastern, make sure that you find out carefully what it's going to be like for the next 7 years of your life, and if this coincides with your educational goals as a pharmacist. Also, look at the quality of the rotation sites - Northeastern claims that you will be working at world class facilities, but I know that the Mass College of Pharmacy doesn't exactly get prime rotation spots at Harvard's Mass General even though it's right across the street. I know I'm being rather critical, but these are the formative years of your professional career; you have to make sure this is what you truly want. I'm personally not a fan of 6-7 year programs as in high school, there was no way I would have known that I wanted to be a pharmacist. I personally prefer having 4 years of undergrad, getting my degree, and soul searching before I decide on something I want. These programs might be great if you're looking for a fast way to get your PharmD. Each school has a different philosophy and approach to educating its students, so think deeply before committing to the program.</p>
<p>Pharmacogenomic,
My son is interested in Pharmacy and being from New England we always thought NEU was one of the most respected Pharmacy schools. What other schools do you recommend? If he were to get a BS at our State school where would you recommend he apply for the PharmD degree?</p>
<p>Taking the traditional college route (if financially possible) has always been my suggestion to students considering pharmacy as a profession. It will give him time to decide and see if the profession is right for him and to explore. As for schools that are good, it depends on what you are looking for. I plan on focusing my pharmacy education towards the path of a hospital clinician while also doing a residency/specialization in some field. There are a few select schools with a vast array of clinical and research resources such as UCSF, University of Illinois, USC, UCSD, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, UNC Chapel Hill - which can be found on the US News Rankings. While the rankings are flawed in that they only take into account perception of schools while also not listing all pharmacy schools in it, it is useful in getting an idea as to where the collective minds and leaders of pharmacy gather.
This is a ranking of students taking the pharmacy licensure examinations and their passing rates:
2006</a> Naplex Passing Rate
This is a ranking of school perceptions (US news) that ranks research money and general school perceptions:
2005</a> School Rank</p>
<p>The important thing to get from these is not to hairsplit which schools are better than which schools given a slightly lower slot. It's to see where academics view other schools in what regard and to see which schools will do a good job of preparing students for the NAPLEX. It is also generally advantageous to make sure that each school you visit has a well established medical center/teaching hospital nearby associated with the school so that students receive the best rotation sites possible in preparation for practice. Usually schools with medical schools and pharmacy schools complement each other for hospital rounds. </p>
<p>I'm not extremely familiar with pharmacy schools on the east coast as most of the schools I know to be the so-called most 'prestigious' within the realm of pharmacy tend to be scattered among flagship state universities. I just know that of the schools that I have seen (mainly mass college of pharmacy), people are less than thrilled with the education they've received due to unspecified problems. I've heard that students are forced to learn therapeutics (an essential pharmacy course) on their own; simultaneously the attrition rate at the school is 20-30% compared to the national average of 4%.</p>
<p>I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but some schools are mostly CVS mills (at the very minimum salaries in the area I live in, retail pharmacists get 90-100k a year starting straight out of school). Schools that emphasize clinical work will make it easier for students to get a residency later on should they decide that retail is not what they want to do. It's a good rule of thumb that the better the school is, the easier it is to gain admission to a residency program. There are also newer schools with lower admissions standards popping up that are churning out graduates of questionable quality.</p>
<p>I am a current pharmacy student at Northeastern, so here's a little bit about what I think about the program.</p>
<p>I think that 6 year PharmD programs are great for students that know that they definitely want to pursue pharmacy. It saves two years and frankly, admissions into pharmacy schools are getting harder and harder across the nation. More and more students are being attracted to pharmacy... who wouldn't want job security and a guaranteed 100k starting salary? Pharm school is certainly no med school, but that doesn't mean it's easy to get into. At a school like Northeastern, there are only about 15 or so spots for graduate students in a given year as opposed to about 115 spots for 6 year students. Another perk is that students in the 6 year program don't have to worry about taking the PCAT.</p>
<p>But if one is interested in going to a specific school (USC, UCSF, UCSD, University of Michigan AA, etc etc) that doesn't offer a 6 year pharm program, I guess the traditional college route is really the only way.</p>
<p>Pharmaogenomic, much of what you say is absolutely correct, but I do have my hesitations about a few things.</p>
<p>The co-op program at Northeastern is not meant to replace any classroom teaching. Students take the same classes as students at any other pharmacy school. The co-op program is meant to immerse students in a work environment for four months at a time. Students have the option of working in many different areasof pharmacy: retail/community, hospital (clinical), compounding, veterinary, research, industry, etc etc. However, it is important to note that students do not get any summer vacations after their freshman year; this is because they will either be in classes or doing work at their co-op. IMO, this is the best way to prepare for any specialty... for example, students interested in a residency may do a research co-op and a student interested in pharmacy law may do an industry co-op.</p>
<p>As far as I know, many schools teach pharmacology and therapeutics separately. NEU teaches pcol in the 3rd year and therapeutics in the 4th and 5th years. MCP teaches pcol in the 4th year and therapeutics in the 5th year. </p>
<p>Northeastern's "claims" that students work at world class facilities is absolutely right. Its co-op program is very well-structured and well-developed and has very strong connections with all of the hospitals in the area. Mass General Hospital is not "right across the street" from MCP... it's actually right along the Charles River, close to the Museum of Science. Northeastern and MCP are essentially equidistant from MGH. Students from Northeastern have the choice of staying in Boston and working at world-renowned facilities such as MGH, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Medical Center, Tufts-New Englad Medical Center, Brigham & Womens, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, etc or doing a co-op at home. Because NEU pharm students work at these sites year round (3rd, 4th, and 5th year students have co-op at different times), there are many, many opportunities for all students to work at all of these facilities. Additionally, these are some of the sites that 6th year students do their rotation sites. As you can see, there is an abundance of locations that Northeastern students to do their co-ops and rotations. </p>
<p>I wouldn't say that Northeastern is a "CVS mill," but I can definitely understand where that comes from. Certain corporations do sponsor certain events (such as the White Coat Ceremony). Many students obviously do choose to go into retail, but this certainly is not representative of the entire graduating class. </p>
<p>IMO, Notheastern is an average pharmacy school; not amazing, but not horrible... and the rankings definitely indicate this. On the whole, NEU is a more career-oriented school than an academic-oriented school. As far as I have seen and heard, the courses are difficult, especially with progression, but definitely not unbearably challenging. </p>
<p>As for "newer schools with lower admissions standards," my only word of advice for prospective students is to make sure that the pharmacy school you are applying to is accredited. (Don't worry, all of the big name schools including Northeastern are accredited.)</p>
<p>accepted EA to NEU Bouve for PharmD
ACT 31
SAT 720(M) 640(R) 620 (W)
4.24 gpa weighted</p>
<p>Also accepted to Pharm D Freshman Admission Univ of Pitt - where else did you apply</p>
<p>Most recent NIH research fund ranking of pharmacy schools.</p>
<p>Northeastern is ranked at #21 nationally. Actually, Northeastern's pharmacy school is quite well known/respected for its research.</p>