Lately I have been very interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy. I was curious as to what are some good undergrad schools that will prepare you well for pharmacy school?
I am also confused as to how many years in total is the whole becoming a pharmacist thing? I know its 4 years undergrad of course so then how many years is pharmacy school? How many years in total is school for a pharmacist?
Also does anyone have any stories or just information on being a pharmacist? What are the best places to work as a pharmacist? Retail, hospital, clinics, etc ?
Any school with biochemistry, chemistry and/or biology will prepare just fine. You just have to get good grades in the prereq’s (bio, chem. physics, statistics etc.) and do well on the PCAT. If you get your bachelor’s degree before going onto pharmacy school (like how California schools require), pharmacy school will probably be 3-4 years. A lot of pharmacy applicants get their bachelors so they can be more competitive in the process.
Depending on what you do and how you do it, it ranges from 6-9. You can do a 2+4, 0-6, 4+4…if you wanted to do a specialty, you’d have to do a residency at a hospital which would be longer. It doesn’t matter where you work (retail etc) because everyone has their own preference.
Are you sure you’re not interested in doing 6 year programs? You would be guaranteed pretty much and might not have to take the PCAT.
@TheDidactic Thank you so much for the reply! The reason why I don’t want to do the 6 year program is because the acceptance rates are really low and I am applying for colleges in 2 months or so but my stats are really average:
3.4 gpa, 1850 SAT, 200+ community service hours *I am also in the science and tech program at my school
Ap’s: Ap chem. Ap gov, Ap physics, Ap human geo, Ap calc, Ap Lang, and organic chemistry
Extracurricular:
Cross country
Tennis (senior year)
Journalism (student life editor)
Model United Nations
HOSA
Environmental Club/Recycling Club
Also the reason why I don’t see myself in a 6 year program is because it is really fast paced and I am sort of a slow learner.
Judging by the information that I gave you do you thiiiink I can get into any 6 year pharamcy programs? (If so what schools?)
Thank you so much! I’m really confused and time is flying by! Btw are you or were you a pharmacy student yourself?
Not all 0-6 programs have low acceptance rates. For your stats, look at USciences, Albany College of Pharmacy, and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. I don’t think places like Rutgers, Pitt, or Duquesne would accept you. In the case that you want to go to places like there or have a variety of options like Temple, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Florida etc. as graduate pharmacy schools, go to any cheap undergrad with academic quality and get your bachelor’s.
I’m going to be a college freshman in a 0-6 pharmacy program.
@TheDidactic Which college are you attending (You don’t have to tell if you do not want to)
How low are 0-6 pharmacy programs acceptance rates? I tried looking online but couldn’t find them.
Out of the 3 colleges you mentioned (that I could possibly get into) what have you heard about those schools? Is USciences a good school? Is it true that if I go there I won’t get the whole “college experience”?
I’m a dual degree program with a local school that, as long as I keep a certain GPA, will guarantee me to Rutgers.
USciences and Albany have acceptance rates of 64%. Mass has an acceptance rate of around 80%. Those percentages might be a little outdated but just know that those percentages are the general range.
Those schools are very good (Just to mention because I forgot before that Albany now requires the PCAT to be taken after 2nd year/before you go onto 3rd year, but generally you are an early assurance). Many people go there for pharmacy and other professions and attain their PharmD and get a job just fine. They are all located in urban areas by hospitals; they are small but prepare you fine for pharmacy.
USciences is good–probably out of all of them the best school. It’s the first/oldest pharmacy school in the country and has great connections with the pharmacy industry in Philadelphia and the tri-state area (NJ, PA, DE). All the schools I mentioned are pretty small but I don’t think you would be losing out on the college experience. The students you will encounter there are different; they’re all STEM students devoted to a professional career. That’s why they chose that school however you wouldn’t be missing out on anything.
No job is guaranteed but if you do well in school and make connections for yourself through internships, shadowing, and rotations, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a job.
@TheDidactic Thank you so much, you’ve been so helpful! Aren’t those acceptance rates for regular admission not the 6 year pharmacy programs specifically?
What have you heard about St.John’s 6 year pharmacy program?
Sorry I keep bugging you with questions but you’ve been so helpful!
That’s okay; glad to help in any way and don’t hesitate to ask more questions!
While those rates are general, they pretty much pertain to the 6 year pharmacy programs too. I’ve heard good things about St. John’s but nothing from actual students or alumni. It’s probably at about the same rank as USciences, Albany, and Mass.
@TheDidactic There are so many choices out there and time is just flying by.
Lets say I apply to USciences, can I apply for BOTH regular admission AND the 6 year pharmacy program or is it either or?
Also I am planning to take the SAT again in October and I think it’s possible that I get around a 2000, do you think it will increase my chances of getting into the other 6 year pharmacy schools you were saying that I most likely wouldn’t get into?
Also just because I am curious what are your views on the physician assistant career? Sometimes I consider it but I am also inclined towards the pharmacist field too.
When you apply to USciences, you can have a Plan B major. Like say Plan A would be pharmacy and say you don’t get into that, you can be considered for Plan B major. So yes.
Rutgers Pharm is pretty stat obsessed so the 2000 may not help there (maybe tho I don’t know) but it should help for Pitt and Duquesne. For those places honestly, you should look at a 2050+.
USciences is well recognized but not as selective as say Rutgers or Pitt or Northeastern; there’s a difference.
PA is a great career; you shouldn’t have a problem with jobs there either. I believe USciences has a PA program as do a bunch of other schools. It’s merely a personal preference. How do you want to be helping the patient basically?
@TheDidactic Which 6 year pharmacy schools do not require the PCAT? Becuase I heard about one or two that actually require it after the seocond or third year? I may be wrong
There’s great info on there and the lists of 0-6 and 2-4 are on there. I’ll post the list here anyways:
(0-6)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences – Boston
Northeastern University
Ohio Northern University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
St. John’s University
St. Louis College of Pharmacy
The University of Findlay
The University of Rhode Island
University of the Sciences
(2-4)
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Belmont University
Butler University
California Northstate University
Campbell University
D’Youville College
Harding University
Husson University
Mercer University
Midwestern University/Downers Grove
Northeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
The Ohio State University
Oregon State University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Shenandoah University
St. John Fisher College
Sullivan University
Union University
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University of Hawaii at Hilo
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Mississippi
University of Nebraska Medical Center
The University of New Mexico
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Tennessee
The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Toledo
The University of Utah
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wayne State University
Western University of Health Sciences
Wilkes University
All the schools in the 0-6 list don’t require PCAT. Important note. 2-4 schools require PCAT, which is why they are called 2+4, because you do your 2 pre-professional years in a "early assured’ type of deal, have to take the PCAT and then are somewhat assured but not guaranteed into the professional 4 years.
Wilkes University’s requirements for guaranteed seat pre-pharmacy program is in that link. They have merit scholarships.
Also Duquesne might give you an academic scholarship. Ohio state requires a bachelor degree before pharmacy school and you might qualify for Buckeye scholarship.
What is your home state? You could go to your local state school at least for bachelor’s degree.
It’s a personal choice, based on what you can afford, what schools you like, and how you want to pursue pharmacy. You don’t have to do dual degree, but you don’t have to stress yourself out with PCAT and no assurance/guarantee.
Here’s a link to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. (