University of the Pacific Pre-Pharm & Pharmacy Questions

Graduate School
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<p>(Warning: Lots of reading)</p>

<p>I realize this specific forum is about graduate school, but my questions kind of pertain to grad school.</p>

<p>I also realize there are a lot of UOP vs UCSD and whatever threads floating around, but they haven't really answered my questions, so I'm posting my own thread instead. I don't know if someone already asked these questions (because well, I couldn't find them), and if they had already posted them, I apologize for double posting. </p>

<p>Anyways, to start things off, I am an 18 year old senior going to college next year. Eventually, I plan to become a pharmacist and I have been set on it since junior year. </p>

<p>Though it is still early in March, I have already heard back from UOP and I have been accepted into the 3+3 Pre-Pharm + Pharm program along with a $10,000 Regent's Scholarship. I am pretty set on Pharmacy as my major and my goal, so I am not too hesitant in choosing between UOP and a UC. UC admissions have not come out, but I have been considering UOP for a long time. The thing is, is the $10,000 enough? Because I realize that since UOP is private, the annual fee would range around $40,000 to $45,000. Whereas a UC, say UCSD, would range around $27,000 (this is my guesstimated range based on the 32% increase in tuition, though I could be wrong).
Also, does anyone know the minimum GPA requirement to keep the Regent's scholarship?</p>

<p>My main question to current UOP Pharm students (and Pre-Pharm as well) along with UOP graduates is whether the program and UOP is sufficient enough to find a job in the future. Basically, is it easy to find a job in the future? I know most jobs tend to look at colleges and I know many people who have graduated from Cal, UCLA, UCSD, and Irvine. But what I realized was that all the Cal and UCLA graduates have jobs while the UCSD and Irvine graduates are having difficulties getting a job.
I was talking to my mom's friend who is a pharmacist at Stanford hospital and she was telling me that many of the UCSF gradutes were pretty much top notch (she is a UCSF graduate herself so her opinion may be a bit biased), while the UOP gradutes were pretty much your average pharmacist, but a bit better than some. Though I realize that UCSF is ranked higher thank UOP in pharmacy so it may be biased in comparing UOP to UCSF, it is also very very difficult to get into when compared to UOP. </p>

<p>I also realize that since UC's are very poor right now, it might be very difficult to get my required classes; whereas at UOP, I believe I am pretty much guaranteed the courses needed to become a pharmacist.</p>

<p>So in the end, my final question comes down to this. Should I choose UOP or a UC where I can apply to UCSF, USC, UOP, and other pharmacy graduate schools?</p>

<p>If you get this far in reading, thank you for reading my giant blocks of text!</p>

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<p>Well, I can’t seem to edit my post anymore, but…</p>

<p>Am I forced to do UOP as my grad school if I do the 3+3 program? I heard of some UOP undergrad’s who went to UCSF for grad school. If this is possible, then is it easier to get into UCSF from UOP than compared to going to UCSF from UCSD?</p>

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<p>whoa, i haven’t gotten anything from them :(. i’m sadd. when did you get it and was it through mail?</p>

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<p>I got it around the beginning of March. </p>

<p>Yeah, they spam you with mail. I got a giant packet the first day, another giant packet the second day, and like four small letters throughout the week.</p>

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<p>Congratulations for getting accepted! I’m still waiting for my letter as well… probably not good news. </p>

<p>Anyways for their pharmacy programs I though that you have to do your 3+3(or however many years) AT U of Pacific?</p>

<p>As for choosing between a UC and UOP you should probably wait for you finanical aid packages from the UCs first and just compare which is a better deal.</p>

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<p>You should be asking UOP many of the questions above because some can only be answered by administrators/faculty there. They should be happy to address your questions about GPA, job placement, and other particulars of the program. If they can’t or won’t supply those answers, then you have YOUR answer – go elsewhere. </p>

<p>Often specialized programs that allow undergraduates to forgo their fourth year of undergraduate to enter a professional school early require a signed contract that you will attend their graduate school. It should specify all the terms, such as GPA and course requirements. In exchange, you get a guarantee of acceptance provided that you’ve fulfilled the prerequisites. </p>

<p>Students do back out of these agreements and apply elsewhere, even though technically they should not. I know of some students who were in a undergrad/med school pre-acceptance program who believed that their grades and MCATs were high enough to get into a better med school than the one they had committed to as entering freshmen. The medical school did not go after them. But there is a risk to this: in a 3+3 program, you have not completed senior year, so you must (usually) finish that last year before going to pharmacy school. Most likely, you will start a year later than you originally anticipated. And of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get into a better, or even comparable, program. </p>

<p>Most of the commitments allow a change of heart. For instance, if you decide at the end of your freshman year that you no longer want to be a pharmacist and instead want to major in math, you can easily drop out of the program. Don’t underestimate the power of choice at universities to change your career plans. You might be shocked at how many freshmen are “dead set” on their career plans, only to discover a life-changing course that awakens an entirely different set of goals. (My own D chose her college based on the strength of their Japanese/East Asian studies profs, only to find out at the beginning of her sophomore year that she wanted to study neuroscience.)</p>

<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about “how good” pharmacists are who come from UOP since only you will determine how good you will be. Instead, take a hard look at the program, and compare it to others to see whether it fares well. Although it may seem like a lot of research, you would have to do it anyway a few years from now if you were applying in a more traditional manner. </p>

<p>As for the scholarship being “enough”, only you and your family can answer that. Find out from your parents how much they can afford to pay for your education.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice, Momwaitingfornew. </p>

<p>Yeah, I posted this up a bit too soon after I recieved the acceptance letter since I was really nervous (and a bit excited) about college. I did a bit more research, and the money for undergrad shouldn’t be a problem. I also recently got UCSD and I’m 99% sure I won’t be getting any regents or FAFSA money from them; but since UOP is 3 years, and UCSD is 4 years, the cost is around generally the same.</p>

<p>I suppose the main question to ask myself is if I’m truly set on wanting to be a pharmacist. I tell myself that I am, but I’m sure a lot of other students tell themself that too, and once the toughness of the studying hits them, they have a change of heart. </p>

<p>I asked about “how good” pharmacists are because I realize that right now it is a very competitive field and I know that even though pharmacists from UOP can be better than UCSF pharmacists, some jobs still take into account which school you graduated. </p>

<p>I’m leaning a bit towards UCSD right now since I would have the option of switching out majors if I change my mind, but also because if i do continue pharmacy, I had more graduate school options (though I might even end up applying to UOP in the end). </p>

<p>Just wondering if there are other people out there who are opting between UCSD and UOP?
If you are, please let me know what you guys think and your decision between the two schools.
Thanks!</p>

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<p>@itriponsticks…i got in to UOP, but I’m not going there since I have a full-ride to Stanford.</p>

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<p>@jchen1992
Wow, i feel like I’m stuck trying to make the same decision as you are.
i got into the 6 year pharmacy program at uop and received the regents scholarship. I have alot of the same concerns about pharmacy about whether i want to commit to it and also if the school you come from matters when looking for a job.
I’m deciding between uop,ucla,or ucsd but i’m not sure of which i want to attend yet =(.</p>

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<p>Goto the cheapest one that you want to goto. If your going to work retail it doesn’t matter which pharmacy program you go through as long as it ends with a PharmD.</p>

<p>IwannaNGOyou: No the school does not matter. If you plan on a academic career or research INSTEAD of retail then your Post Doc studies and under whom you study does matter. The actual PharmD program is irrelevant.</p>

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<p>I’m in the same boat! My main concern about UOP is the dreary location and what I’ve heard is a “boring” school… I’m not sure if I should attend a 4 year UC then apply to pharm. school or go take their offer of 6 years. Any advice?</p>

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<p>@tunaf1sh A pharmacist I met at career day a while back said it would be best to do the 6 year PharmD program if you know that pharmacy is really what you want to do. She went the other route, by getting her BS first, then going to pharmacy school. As for UOP being boring… the experience is what you make it!</p>

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<p>@ iwannaNGOyou
If I was in your position, I would go to UCLA right off the bat. Well, mainly because my brother went there so I know the place and I really like the school. Sadly, I was rejected. Henceforth, I’m opting between UCSD and UOP.</p>

<p>@tunaf1sh
So after talking to some pharmacists, the general concensus is if you are 100% sure you want to be a pharmacist, go to UOP. The key word here is 100%. Any hint of hesitancy and you should just go to another school. The program at the school is very difficult (ex. you have to take OChem and Biology at the same time). UOP being in Stockton is a good thing, because since it’s so scary outside and so boring, you’re kind of forced to stay in school. And what better thing to do in school than study. So in a sense, it’s a perfect place to be located in. As for UC’s, you get more of a real college experience such as parties and such, but if you want to be a pharmacist and you go this route, you have to keep up your grades. Pharmacy is competitive right now so you’ll be competiting with a lot of other students. If you are 100% sure though, the key is whether you want to start earning money when you are 24 or 26. Two years difference is apparently a lot in the pharmaceutical world. But the choice is still up to you. </p>

<p>In the end, I’ve decided I’m probably going to UCSD because I am a bit hesitant on pharmacy. I’ve also considered being a dermatologist, so I will look into that and the undergrad courses I have to take at UCSD. </p>

<p>Anyways, hope this helps.</p>

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<p>Thanks jchen & lauraydg!</p>

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<p>I know this is kinda late, but I just want to make my input. I’m currently a freshman at the University of the Pacific as a 3+3 pre-pharmacy student. It is absolutely the best and most relaxed program out of the three (i.e. 2+3 and 4+3). You guys probably SIRed already, but there are probably a few people who still haven’t. </p>

<p>Anyways, to those who haven’t, I want to tell you guys that I have friends who have rejected Berkeley, LA, SD, and various other places to go here to Pacific, including myself. Why? The school, even though, situated in Stockton, is a very beautiful campus. And the learning is completely different from that of UC’s particularly because the smaller class sizes. I know classes could be tough, like what jchen said, but its doable. The purpose of taking O-chem and Biology at the same time is that it prepares you for pharm school. </p>

<p>Indeed, Stockton is a very ghetto place. It’s dangerous too. I get cluttered with e-mails, saying someone got robbed at gunpoint. But, its what you make of it. There are plenty of friends to hang out with, parties to go to, and many different things to do. And who says pharmacists can’t party? I know pharmacists now who graduated from Pacific last year and years back who don’t even look like pharmacists. They party an enormous amount during their undergrad years, somehow managed to keep their grades up, make it and survive it in pharm school, and now they’re living life grand. I’m not saying you’ve made a bad choice jchen. I’m just saying each school has its benefits and costs. While Pacific may have the accelerated program and small school setting, SD does have its benefits too. </p>

<p>Well, that my imput on UC’s vs Pacific.</p>

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<p>nguy3ndynasti…okay, so you know how you’re in the 3+3 pre-pharmacy program at UOP, does it guarantee you a spot in the pharmacy program or are you competing with everyone else including undergrads from other schools?</p>

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<p>@nkaoly
i think someone told me that they dont guarantee you a spot anymore, but im not sure.</p>

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<p>i think so too, i think the deal here is that you do the pre-req for pharmacy at UOP depending on the program you get in and then you compete with everyone else to get into the actual pharmacy program itself.</p>

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<p>the cost to attend is killer, but if you can afford it you should definitely go. i was accepted very early around december into UOP and i thought i would go there forsure, but around april when FA packages started coming out i knew i couldn’t afford to go there even with the 10$k scholarship.</p>

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Hi, I know it has been a long time seen you posted this but I am in a very similar situation right now and since it has been so long I wanted to know if you found out the cost for UOP. If you did accept to go to UOP how was your experience? I know it could be a pain but Could you be so kind and anwers your original questions now that you probably know the anwers, I would really appreciate it.