Pre-Pharmacy Questions - Please Help

<p>I got into the University of Kansas, the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and Loyola all for Pre-Pharmacy. KU is the highest out of all 3 on the top 100 pharmacy schools list I saw, but do you guys think it is necessarily better?</p>

<p>Also, exactly what classes do pre-pharmacy students take? Like is 90% chemistry, biology, etc? Science is my worst subject, and I'm currently in AP Chemistry right now but don't understand any of it. I also took Honors Biology sophomore year and got C's and D's on all of the tests, but got a B for both semesters because of notebook checks. Science is also my lowest score on all of my tests like my ACT. Do you think I could manage pulling off 4-6 years of it then if I'm always straggling behind already in my science high school classes?</p>

<p>Math is my best subject out of everything, but I still am sort of bad at it. And I got into 1 school so far for engineering. Do you think it would be best for me to do engineering rather than pharmacy? Which do you think would pay off in the end? Both are good paying jobs, I think pharmacists get more but I'm really second guessing if I can even pass pre-pharmacy and pharmacy school. I'm also a girl, so I would have a better chance of getting a job than guys applying for engineering spots if we're equally qualified since the ratio of girls to guys is very low (at least that's what I'm told.)</p>

<p>Sorry for all of the questions. No one ever told me how stressful senior year of high school wsa going to be :(</p>

<p>Hey! Check out SDN (student doctor network) forums. It is like CC of the pre-med/pre-vet/pre-pharm worlds.</p>

<p>thanks i posted it on there !</p>

<p>First, the AACP does not endorse any rankings of pharmacy schools. The list you saw was likely based on research funding. To many, a PharmD is a PharmD, but there can be value in going to a well-established pharmacy school when it comes to rotations and obtaining residency offers. One way to evaluate the teaching quality might be to look at the NAPLEX passing rates (you can find this info on aacp.org under the schools section) but this would apply more to the professional years (3-6) than to the pre-pharm courses. </p>

<p>You should definitely do more research, including shadowing, on the profession to get a better idea of whether you’d like it or not. If it’s only about the money, you’ll have a very tough time making it through 6 years of intensive science courses. Your first two years would typically be Gen Chem I & II, Organic Chem I & II, Bio I & II, Calculus I & II, Stats, Physics, Anatomy, Physiology, maybe Microbiology/Biochemistry, and a bunch of gen eds. Most of the sciences will also require labs. Some schools require courses like Economics and Public Speaking as well. AP credits are often unacceptable for science requirements. For most schools, you would also have to take the PCAT at some point and interview for a spot in the PharmD program unless you have an early assurance guarantee. You should be able to find all the details on the school’s website. Ideally, you would want to keep your GPA as high as possible, but definitely over a 3.0, and try not to get any C’s in your prereqs.</p>

<p>Read the FAQ sticky on SDN’s pre-pharmacy forum and visit the AACP site for much more info. Good luck with your decision!</p>

<p>thanks what’s the aacp site though?</p>

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<p>seriously… if you don’t like science why would you want to go to pharm school? and if you don’t like math, engr wont be better; regardless if you’re a girl and can get in easier. just cause you’re a girl doesn’t make it any easier to graduate. </p>

<p>honestly, you kinda sound like someone who just wants to do this stuff cause it pays well.</p>

<p>@flemmyd</p>

<p>my parents have already set both of those standards for me and it’s so i can be financially independent and not have to rely on anyone. therefore, i need a job that i know will be hiring ie pharmacists and engineers. and since my parents are only giving me those options, those are my only choices. i never said i hated math…i said it’s my best subject but i’m still sort of bad at it.</p>