<p>I really need advice about the college I am attending, specifically from UCLA Life Sciences majors. You don't have to answer every question, just what you want/know!</p>
<p>For a science major going into health (pharmacy), which of the UCs are especially known for their science/pre-health programs? Davis and UCSD are well-known for their science/medical programs, and Cal is top-ranked overall. What about UCLA? I have no idea how much the quality of a school's science program will affect my admission in grad school. How are the quality of the teachers and classes (Bio and Chem)? How competitive does it get between life sciences majors? (I expect a lot) How is the counseling for science/pre-health students? Are there enough internship/extracurricular opportunities available? Health school is so competitive that I would like to make an informed decision as possible. Thank you so much!</p>
<p>go to ucsd…ucsd has an actual pharm school…ucla doesn’t…and at ucla u take something called the 20 series for chem which has terrrible profs…it gets really competitive between ls majors and its not healthy competition either…counseling is nil, lol ure on ure own here…as for extra curricular its not anything spectacular that ucsd wouldnt offer…if i were u go to ucsd- higher gpa, u learn more, u live better</p>
<p>It’s what you make of it. It can get pretty competitive at UCLA, of course. And it can get really competitive and ugly at UCSD as well. My UCSD bio-major friend told me about the cutthroat nature of the life science and chemistry classes there, and it certainly is no cakewalk there either. My Cal bio-major friend faced excruciating cranial pain from her own chemistry and math classes. My UCD engineering friend struggled in his science/math classes his first two quarters. My ChemE and Chemistry major friends had bad chemistry professors (avoid Baugh if you can), and suffered from that. All very smart and hardworking students too. Basically, it’s going to be pretty tough at any respectable school. University science classes are kind of supposed to be [at least somewhat] challenging.</p>
<p>Go to the school that either gives you an awesome finaid package to keep tuition payments off your worry list or the school you visit and end up liking the most… or if one school fits both categories, go with that one. </p>
<p>If you’re going to be scared off by the difficulty of or competition within a course, maybe you’re not truly up for learning the material or the rewards that can come with the hard stuff. You’re going to face tough spots with science classes whether you like it or not, and you’re not going to be alone it that :)</p>
<p>i’m pre-pharmacy too. ucla is pretty bad when it comes to resources/counseling for pre-pharmacy. they have a lot of pre-med/pre-health opportunities but pretty much nothing for pre-pharmacy. you’re pretty much on your own here. if your goal is ucsf, then go to berkeley since it’s the main feeder school for ucsf. if it’s ucsd, then go to ucsd. if it’s usc, then come to ucla (we’re the main feeder school for usc).</p>
<p>mnop - Do you attend LA? You seem to be all for SD hahaha. Is it really that much of a difference?</p>
<p>oyster - Oh my goodness, you pretty much just…gave ME some cranial pains to hear about your friends! Thank you for the examples, and of course I understand that there will be excruciating challenges and competition no matter which university I attend. I just want to enter the classes with the right mindset, knowing I will have to work hard, and there is no way around that. </p>
<p>(The reason why I can’t go by finaid is because the difference between what I pay at any of the UCs is very small. I DO have Regents at LA, which is a huge plus, and probably what I will lean towards.)</p>
<p>I guess I am mostly after any inside knowledge about the intern opportunities, connections, counselors, and advantages of a particular school for grad school I would not know of otherwise…</p>
<p>Terra - Ohh…how far in are you? Are you able to find pharm experience, even though the counseling/opportunities are not too great? I have looked into USC and UCSD, but did not know about UCSF as a pharm school. Thank you for telling me the feeder schools (I was starting to get used to the idea of LA ><)</p>
<p>funny that you didn’t know about ucsf… it’s ranked #1 nationally haha. i’m a first year, and i gotta say that it’s really hard to find pharmacy experience (it’s SOO competitive these days). the ronald reagan-ucla hospital’s pharmacy is full, and people are volunteering at other positions just waiting for a spot to open up. additionally, the cvs in westwood is not hiring, so you would probably have to go further out to look for volunteer work. try free clinics, independent pharmacies, or other hospitals. </p>
<p>in general, however, i think that pharmacy as a profession is becoming so competitive now… regardless of what school you go to, (not sure about 0-6 schools) you will have a hard time finding volunteer work because in order to get experience in pharmacy you need to know the right people, whereas there are LOTS of opportunities for pre-meds here on campus.</p>
<p>Is it really?? Hahaha I must have overlooked UCSF! Actually I researched the optometry grad schools more thoroughly because I wanted to do that originally. And ahh…I know pharmacy and all health professions are super competitive, but the lack of opportunities is frustrating, because I know grad schools look very heavily for experience It’s too bad I didn’t apply to the 0-6 schools :(</p>
<p>What is considered pre-med? Doctors? </p>
<p>Thank you so much for sharing; that is enough for me to reconsider either my major or college :x</p>
<p>maylix i do attend ucla and i also have tons of friends at UCSD…also i know couple of pharmacy students…and yes UCSD is much better in terms of academic experience…here at UCLA u dont get to use ur AP credits…the professors are hoorible…all this school cares about is testing…now lets look at the bad side of UCSD: waay less social, everything spread out cause its huge, and yea a little less research opp at UCSD…u need a good GPA to go to pharm/any prehealth school…its more possible at UCSD to get this…and yes i know kids who have gone from UCSD TO HARVARD MED/AND OTHER IVYLEAGUES…so ucsd does have a good reputation…and pre-med is doctors…by the way dont count on counseling at UCLA OR UCSD…if u go to a public school URE ON UR OWN…fact of life</p>
<p>Gahh what a bummer that UCLA doesn’t seem to be a good fit for pre-health…>:/ I was starting to get used to the idea (so far UCLA has offered me the best financial aid), but I will have to re-think my college or major in order to get the best fit. I am glad to have found this out before deciding, so thank you! (as far as AP credits, most pharmacy schools will not accept them anyway)</p>
<p>^^mnop444 is just very negative about UCLA in general. think for yourself before you trust generalized statements like “the professors are all horrible!” </p>
<p>Saying that UCSD is better than UCLA, or that it’s better for pre-health is folly. The school doesn’t determine where you can go for pharmacy school, but it’s your own effort that determines that. CA schools are heavily based on GPA since they don’t require the PCAT, so your performance in classes matters a lot - and you’ll find a competitive atmosphere at UCSD or at UCLA. Pharmacy experience is not just about working in a pharmacy - there’s also the research component, which you can find out about by asking TAs or even professors about (think chemistry, molecular pharmacology, etc.). Also, volunteering in a pharmacy here mostly has you fetching prescriptions or sorting - while that’s useful experience, remember that a pharmacist is often a patient’s main contact regarding common aliments, especially if they do not have easy access to healthcare. Experience which shows that you’re comfortable interacting with patients is also valuable. </p>
<p>There are quite a number of pharmacy students that have graduated from my organization - and it isn’t even pre-pharm geared, but rather clinical community experience. Let me know via PM if you’d like their contact information, and I can ask if that’s okay with them.</p>
<p>Jinobi - I was beginning to assume that Davis would be a better choice (my parents want me to pick Davis over LA for the sake of living close by), but thank you for reassuring me that LA is still an option for me! I’ve been told that grades are indeed the most important (or one of), but I was not aware of any research whatsoever (it sounds a bit intimidating on its own). Is this what the Bio and Chem lab courses will entail? I guess what I am most concerned about is whether there will be as many chances for me to work in a pharmacy or find clinical experience at LA versus, say, Davis.</p>
<p>I think the opportunities in the greater LA area will FAR exceed what’s available in Davis. Davis is a pretty small town. In LA, you are only limited by how far you are willing to commute (either public transportation or when you move to apartments and can get a car).</p>
<p>Now, I don’t know how pharm is, but I’ll give you some advice that pertains to optometry. I assume pharm will be similar. Optometry schools aren’t so much interested in seeing that you have worked in an office as they are in seeing that you have shadowed doctors in the various modes of practice that the profession entails. Not that you shouldn’t try to work in a pharmacy, but shadowing will give you a much better point of view of what the doctor actually does. And shadowing in different modes of practice lets you see how different the profession is in different settings such as retail, hospital, research, independent, etc. Working will give you experience with the front/back office (working with patients, filling prescriptions, etc) but it’s not the same as shadowing a doc.</p>
<p>If you want, you can also take a test to be a pharm tech, and that could help you get a job at a pharmacy easier than if you just walk in with no experience or certification.</p>
<p>There’s a good amount of pre-pharm at UCLA, though it’s definitely overshadowed by the amount of pre-meds. A lot of the biochem majors are pre-pharm (I came in as biochem). </p>
<p>I think health schools just want to make sure 1) you can handle the curriculum (ie your GPA and test scores) and 2) that you do have a genuine interest in the field and are really motivated to go into it (shadowing, working, being an officer in the pre-pharm club, etc). They don’t want someone who just woke up one day and said I want to be a pharm, and then turned in their application without knowing anything at all about the profession, because those people will likely drop out and reflect poorly on the school.</p>
<p>i disagree with it "FAR EXCEEDING’ the opp of davis…i mean really like if u actually try to find some MEANINGFUL RESEARCH/OPP…ure not gonna really find it at ANY COLLEGE…unless however u like being used to do menial, worthless work and then call it ‘research’ or ‘volunteering’ then by all means come to UCLA…the best way to get opp for any fields be it med/dent/pharm is to use YOUR OWN contacts (for example any pharmacists U PERSONALLY KNOW) to get some good oppurtunities…</p>
<p>VTE - Thanks so much for all the information, especially about shadowing! I’ve been meaning to inquire about shadowing a pharmacist at Kaiser, but haven’t gotten around to it. I don’t know exactly what pharmacists do (esp. in hospital vs. retail), so that would be a really good idea xD And I wasn’t planning to bring a car to LA during my 4 years actually, but if there are more opportunities outside LA, I definitely will : D (I’m thinking I should also explore LA for a Longs, Rite Aid, or something when I visit)</p>
<p>Will pharm tech require more training? And if I may ask, what is your profession/what was your major (did you stick with biochem)? :)</p>
<p>mnop - I do have a cousin who is now in pharmacy that attended Davis, and she told me that I frankly won’t go wrong with academics or research at either UC. She encouraged me to pick LA because the number of opportunities ride heavily on what you DO, rather than what is available. (as I believe you all know)</p>
<p>I inquire specifically about the opportunities because I am receiving the same finaid from both Davis and LA. Davis is close to home, but UCLA is academically superior (for the most part), so it is difficult for me weigh the personal and practical pros and cons. Regardless, I can’t thank everyone enough for their advice and suggestions!! ^__^</p>
<p>mnop, there are definitely opportunities for “meaningful” research, but it’s not going to be handed to you. SRP 199’s allow undergrads to come up with their own research proposal, work on their research during the quarter, and then write a paper on your findings at the end. You will need to start out doing menial things or assisting grad students with their research (SRP 99), but as with everything you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. If you like the lab and their research area, you can talk with them about doing a 199.</p>
<p>maylix, I started as biochem but I switched to phy sci and I’m going into optometry. It’s definitely what you do and how you actively seek out opportunities, not so much where you go to school. I think it’s important to pick a school you will be happy at and enjoy going to, because ultimately if you are unhappy it can affect your work ethic and grades. You can obviously also try to find experience when you are home for the summer, so you are not only limited to where you go to school. Not sure what a pharm tech entails, but I think you have to take a class and then pass a test.</p>
<p>^Yep, pharmacy technicians need to pass an exam. great chance to show your interest in pharmacy, but I wonder at how many openings there will be around the Westwood area. Guess that will depend on your persistence. </p>
<p>And about “meaningful” research: it’s true that us undergrads do a lot of menial work, because that’s what research labs use us for: extra help. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take initiative in your lab; asking around for opportunities is the way to get more experience. I went from entering data to helping to prep the OR - and the chances I got to see cardiac procedures, talk to the residents, and just see how the OR team work were invaluable. I eventually got some publications in as well through SRP 199. </p>
<p>So, VTEC’s statement about starting from the bottom and working up rings true.</p>
<p>Definitely plenty of students in my major/department and alongside myself have had the opportunity to publish papers (yes, publish real papers) - so meaningful research is being done. It takes time to get up to speed before you’re able to contribute (I mean, did you really expect to be an expert in nanotechnology in 2 quarters?), but you can definitely do so if you put in enough time.</p>
<p>Mnop is quite negative about UCLA… on the verge of ■■■■■■■■…</p>
I have looked into USC and UCSD, but did not know about UCSF as a pharm school. Thank you for telling me the feeder schools 
(I was starting to get used to the idea of LA ><)</p>