Med School vs. Pharmacy School HELP!!

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I've posted on this forum before about how I had a bad situation regarding my first semester freshman grades, but lately, I've been going back and forth trying to decide whether Medical School or Pharmacy School is the right choice for me.</p>

<p>I messed up my first semester of Freshman year because I wasn't allowed to take my finals due to financial issues.</p>

<p>First semester I took 12 credits (after dropping a 3-credit hour class), and basically received an "F" for my final grades (ONLY because I couldn't take finals) in all of my classes except my two lab classes which were probably B's.
Obviously I'm going to retake all of these classes which were Bio/Bio Lab, Chem/Chem Lab, English, and Psych.
BUTTTTTTTTTTTT I feel like no matter what I do, my GPA will NOT be competitive enough to get me into medical school. I am a URM (black male), but I don't know how much that matters. I am COMPLETELY confident that I can keep a near-perfect GPA from now on, but that still doesn't guarantee me Med School acceptances.</p>

<p>My UG School has a Pharmacy school that isn't very competitive (2.75 GPA required and they just started requiring the PCAT) and it's rumored to give preference to our UG students. The only problem is that I don't have a passion for Pharmacy. The only reasons why I am even considering it because it's still science oriented, it's convenient, has a nice salary, and it seems more realistic/promised than medical school.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, I want to be a doctor 100X more than I want to be a Pharmacist. I just want to know how much Med School committees will honor an upward trend in grades, how they'll view my situation since it's only 1 semester of my FRESHMAN year, or if I should even consider the med school path.</p>

<p>I do have volunteer experience (Shock Trauma Center, Neonatal ICU, Rehab Center)
I have shadowing experience as well (and plan to get more)
After my sophomore year, I also plan to apply for summer research positions (at other universities and mine)
I currently have a job as well
If I can work hard, apply for the cycle after I graduate so that my Sr Yr grades are factored in, and get at least a 30 on my MCAT whenever it's time to take it, will I have a GOOD chance of getting into Med School, or should I just try Pharmacy?</p>

<p>How much does being a URM matter?</p>

<p>I do not wish to attend any of the super prestigious med schools like Harvard or JHU.</p>

<p>I'd probably apply to places like:
Meharry, Howard, Maryland (resident), Rochester, Tulane, The Commonwealth Medical College, etc.</p>

<p>If you have any advice please feel free to comment. Any and all (positive) insight is appreciated. </p>

<p>PS: I AM NOT saying that I think PharmD is easier, just more convenient and less competitive compared to MD.</p>

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<p>The good news is, your first semester grades aren’t going to keep you out of medical school. If you rock your grades from here on out, you’ll be fine. You will have to explain why you failed your first semester, but it shouldn’t keep you out.</p>

<p>The URM status will help, especially at schools like Meharry and Howard. </p>

<p>If you really want to be a physician, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. That being said, the workload is completely manageable, you’ll just have to be disciplined. There are tons of opportunities to get yourself into trouble in college, and you’ll have to avoid those like the plague. Hang out with positive people and you’ll stay motivated.</p>

<p>While pharmacy is a good career, if it’s not your passion, you are short-changing yourself. Not many people get to do what they love; you still have the opportunity to be one of those people. Don’t let it slip by you.</p>

<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.</p>

3

<p>I heard from kids who actually worked in Pharm that it was boring for them.<br>
You got to love what you do. Try it, see how you feel.</p>