[bepiozo]

One things for sure, working in a major retail setting is certainly a no go especially if they have a drive thru. Whoever thought of putting that in a pharmacy needs to be slapped in the face.

Seriously! I think it's ridiculous... it reminds me of those drive-thru Starbucks.

[jeezchris.]

Oh wow, this thread is pretty informative. <3

I applied for the PharmD program at UOP (I'm a senior in HS now), and I'm waiting for letters to come out March 15th! D:
I'm hoping to get into the 5-year program.

But like bepiozo, I might go for something more in the lab/research field. Still pondering over that~

[zkunninglookz]

Can I ask a Question??


Why do you guys want to be Pharmacists? What is your motivation?


I know they make a lot of money since they are in high demand (do you think they still will be in the future?) so I've been considering it. I'm filling out an application for the Pharmacy Tech position at Walgreens right now, but I'm having a hard time completing it because I don't know if I will like the job. I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to jobs (god forbid, i worked at Subway for a year!) but I don't know if this Pharmacy/pharm tech thing is right for me. First of all, I hate answering phones, and I hate talking to people on the phone in general...weird i know. Secondly, I'm not very good at dealing with angry customers, and the whole insurance thing sounds so complicated... I would hate to mess up.

So yeah, I need to hurry up and decide what I want to be. So why do you guys want to be Pharmacists?

Initially, i wanted to be a doctor..but then i realized that with my personality, i doubt i'd make it as a good doctor cuz i have very poor decision making skills.i'm always 50/50 whenever an issue comes up and whenever i make important decisions, i'm always second guessing myself. So by junior high school, i decided to be a pharmacist cuz they also help people, but they don't really have to make alott of decisions(as in diagnosis). Don't get me wrong, pharmacists have to make decisions too but i think the decisiosns that doctors make have a greater impact on a patient's life. As a pharmacist, u don't just "COUNT" meds. If you're a good pharmacist, u look at the patient's full medication history and u gotta figure out if the patient is receiving the best medication. Of course, "best" takes in account side effects, efficacy, money problems etc. I work at a pharmacy now as an intern and it's probably weird to u ppl but i like it. I'm quiet but i like talking to ppl about important things. Working at the pharmacy has really trained my "people" skills. And whenever i correct someone who's been on an albuterol inhaler for like 5 yrs how to ,for the first time in their course of therapy, use their inhaler correctly, i feel happy that i helped them. And insurance problems do s*ck especially when its busy at the pharmacy, but when the patient finally gets their med. and thanks you for calling the insurance and watever, u also feel somewhat good. In case u didn't know, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare worker for the community.

When u work at a hospital as a clinical pharmacist, u really get involved in ur patient's health. you get to make "care plans" which is basically like a personalized "strategy guide" on a patient's medications. You make medication recommendations and...it's just really interesting. You need to think and use your brains. lol

i don't know if pharmacists will be in "high demand" in the future but their role is steadily increasing. In N.Y., we're trying to get pharmacists to be able to vaccinate people now...Although in most other states, they can already do that.(i have no idea WTF is wrong with NY politicians). you probbaly shouldn't choose pharmacy just for the money. But if you're really considering to be a community pharmacist, u should try working as a tech and see if u like it. Try to find a job at a pharmacy that's not too busy. I don't know how to deal with angry customers either( i let my pharmacist deal with them XD) but i watch from the side and then learn from them.So next time you see the same scenario, you'll know how to handle it. If ever u have a problem with insurance, just call them. It's really no biggie. Or if that doesn't work, u call the doctor and ask him to change the med. to another alternative. Research field seems like a choice for u since u don't like talking to patients...and they earn alot too. but i don't know how interesting that is..maybe if you like science projects.

a B.
T___T

I was actually a bit surprised.
I think he curved me like crazy.
I missed 2 quizzes =/

Its the only B I have ever got in my life.
SO, I'm retaking the class for an A (if possible) with Pasternak for both I and II.
Who was your organic and physics professors?
I was just being lazy and working so much outside of school.

My courses are literally...
- Organic I
- Organic II
- Physics
- Calculus I
- Pharmacy seminar
- English

---> OMG, you know what I heard. I heard this from 7 people in my year and 4 people in the 3rd year. Supposedly, they're going to enforce a comprehensive (or ENTRANCE exam) each year you're in the professional phase of pharmacy. So like let's say you're currently in the third year; the only way to get to the fourth year is by passing that exam. Is that true?

I had Dr.Zavitsas for both terms. He's a pretty good teacher.His tests are alright and he gives bonus points on his tests. I failed his midterm(lazy) but managed to get an A- cuz i studied like crazy for the final.I didn't take physics in college cuz i took A.P. in HS so i can't tell u whose good or not...omg..ur schedule looks kinda crazy..2 organic classes in 1 term?PLUS physics and calculus?..omg..good luck to you.

i have never heard of a "comprehensive" exam...=/..but my social network connection sucks so don't trust my answer. if u really wanna know, u might wanna ask the pharmacy guidance counselors.

[hotspicedcider]

... In case u didn't know, pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare worker for the community...

... we're trying to get pharmacists to be able to vaccinate people now...Although in most other states, they can already do that.(i have no idea WTF is wrong with NY politicians).

I agree with everything you said. I thought it reflected well the current role of community and clinical pharmacists.
I'd like to add that not only in some states can pharmacists vaccinate people (flue shots and stuff), they can also write out prescriptions (such as contraceptives, among others). However, I believe clinical pharmacists would have more power to do that, we are at a point where community pharmacists may be able to do that as well.

[jonnypark]

is anyone going to or is at UGA for pharmacy?

because I am going there after two years in Georgia state and just wondering how many people are attending there

[I_broke_a_nail!]

you sound very bitter. i dont know anything about Long Island Pharmacy program, but I noticed there are a lot of people in that program around here. All I know about the program is that they accept high school students for the accelerated program, and they have to take PCATs, go through interviews, and have a high high high GPA.

excuse me for voicing my opinion, but I dont like that school. there are a few reasons why I applied to colleges in CA besides Cali being home for me. (1) CA schools dont require PCATs because they understand PCATs, like other standadized tests dont tell anything (2) applicants generally always have Bachelors (sometimes masters before they apply). (3) GPA is sure important, but not as much as the other aspect of the application (i.e. the characteristics of the individual) (4) the average age of incoming P1s are between 24-26 yrs old (which shows a lot more maturity from the class).

I am bitter.
I feel like Long Island University is SERIOUSLY sucking up money from the students.
And its not like every other college with high tuition.

FOR EXAMPLE:
I know this girl with a 3.9 GPA but then she failed this ONE physics class, falling below the required credits.
They SAID that if she were to take it over in the summer, she can still be accepting into the program.
But the whole entire time, they said that the quota was filled (206 students) and they were not going to accept any more.
Why couldn't they have said this sooner? I don't know.

Yes OMG, I don't care that you voiced your opinion because... I hate Long Island University as well.
Its just that its the closest pharmacy school in order for me to stay home and take care of my parents.
If not, then I would've went to Buffalo.

ANYWAYS, california -- I heard their licensing exam is VERY difficult. The New York licensing exam is difficult too but for some reason, the one in California is the hardest (or one of the hardest). My pharmacy orientation professor told me that =)

One things for sure, working in a major retail setting is certainly a no go especially if they have a drive thru. Whoever thought of putting that in a pharmacy needs to be slapped in the face.

YES omg, i'm glad you said it.
Yes its quick drop off and pick up
but hellooo, when did prescription share characteristics with a fast food place?

[trungiie]

Can I ask a Question??


Why do you guys want to be Pharmacists? What is your motivation?



I know they make a lot of money since they are in high demand (do you think they still will be in the future?) so I've been considering it. I'm filling out an application for the Pharmacy Tech position at Walgreens right now, but I'm having a hard time completing it because I don't know if I will like the job. I'm pretty tolerant when it comes to jobs (god forbid, i worked at Subway for a year!) but I don't know if this Pharmacy/pharm tech thing is right for me. First of all, I hate answering phones, and I hate talking to people on the phone in general...weird i know. Secondly, I'm not very good at dealing with angry customers, and the whole insurance thing sounds so complicated... I would hate to mess up.

So yeah, I need to hurry up and decide what I want to be. So why do you guys want to be Pharmacists?

to help people...hahaha
believe it or not thats part of your application
you have to write a paper stating why you want to be a pharmacist

[zkunninglookz]

I am bitter.
I feel like Long Island University is SERIOUSLY sucking up money from the students.
And its not like every other college with high tuition.

FOR EXAMPLE:
I know this girl with a 3.9 GPA but then she failed this ONE physics class, falling below the required credits.
They SAID that if she were to take it over in the summer, she can still be accepting into the program.
But the whole entire time, they said that the quota was filled (206 students) and they were not going to accept any more.
Why couldn't they have said this sooner? I don't know.

Yes OMG, I don't care that you voiced your opinion because... I hate Long Island University as well.
Its just that its the closest pharmacy school in order for me to stay home and take care of my parents.
If not, then I would've went to Buffalo.

i hate this school as well.the campus is soo small..the tuition is like so freeeaking much...the professors are..."ehhh"..but i'm sure there's always good and bad professors everywhere...and wat they did to the 3.9 girl...is totally messed up.she should write a letter to them or something..i know 2 people who were not accepted..but then they wrote a letter to the university and they ended up getting into 3rd yr...and the only reason why i'm here is cuz its the only pharm. school close to home..(just like u)..else i woulda been to SUNY Buffalo too...

[bosetsu]

Does anyone know about Rutgers Pharmacy program? I'm wondering if it is extremely difficult, when compared to high school.

[ms cowie]

Hihi, I was wondering if Anatomy/Physiology is required? I might take it next year so idk, I don't really wanna take a class if I don't HAVE to.
Also, if I took organic chem sophmore year of high school, would most places allow that or would I have to retake it?

[tungywungy]

Hihi, I was wondering if Anatomy/Physiology is required? I might take it next year so idk, I don't really wanna take a class if I don't HAVE to.
Also, if I took organic chem sophmore year of high school, would most places allow that or would I have to retake it?

Call the pharmacy schools, visit their webpage, or talk to your university counseler. Every school has variations on the pre-requisites that are required, so find where you want to go and do those pre-reqs first and have some backups. And you got to take Ochem again in college.

[Psychotic_x]

weee new pharmacy student here! =)

[provocateur]

Does anyone know about Rutgers Pharmacy program? I'm wondering if it is extremely difficult, when compared to high school.

I'm a 3rd year at St. John's University in NY in their 6 year Pharm.D program.

I graduated from a pretty renowned high school and took a challenging academic program, but really, college is a whole different ballgame. Especially Pharm.D. I'm like DYING right now. Rutgers is supposed to focus mainly on pharmaceutical research so their curriculum is supposed to be even more difficult. The graduation rate at St.John's is only 19% and I would figure Rutgers is about the same, if not even lower.

If you're planning on attending Rutgers Pharmacy, good luck. REALLY.

[xJellyBeanPrincessx]

I'm planning to transfer to Xavier in New Orleans... o-o They have 5-6 years pharmacy program..
They don't have too much requirements, I believe... 2.5 GPA is good enough.. o__o

The two-year pre-pharmacy curriculum offered in the College of Arts and Sciences consists of the following semester hour courses: Sem. hrs
Philosophy/theology .......... 6
Social science .......... 3
Health ethics .......... 3
Elective .......... 3
English .......... 6
Mathematics .......... 8
Speech .......... 3
Economics .......... 3
Chemistry .......... 16
Physics .......... 3
Biology .......... 11

Upon completion of this curriculum, the student should have earned 65 semester hours of credit and have attained a minimal cumulative grade-point average of 2.5. Courses presented by transfer students should be equivalent to those offered at Xavier. Only courses with a grade of C or better will be accepted for transfer credit.

[I_broke_a_nail!]

Hihi, I was wondering if Anatomy/Physiology is required? I might take it next year so idk, I don't really wanna take a class if I don't HAVE to.
Also, if I took organic chem sophmore year of high school, would most places allow that or would I have to retake it?

1) I think you are required to take anatomy or physiology (or maybe both). In Long Island University requires Human Anatomy in prepharmacy and i THINK you have to take physiology when you get into the program.

2) Organic chemistry is one of the reason I think prepharmacy students SUFFER. You have to take it even though you took it in high school. The only way universities would accept it is if you have AP or other transferred credit. But I don't think they have organic chem for AP. Some universities, the one that are less lenient than my university, would probably not even accept transferred credit or AP credit, if applicable.

Definitely... high school organic chemistry is not going to help. I think they only cover a minuscule amount of the material.

[pauline5]

ANYWAYS, california -- I heard their licensing exam is VERY difficult. The New York licensing exam is difficult too but for some reason, the one in California is the hardest (or one of the hardest). My pharmacy orientation professor told me that =)

Wow yeah umm...i live in cali and i'm in prepharm right now i knew it was difficult but i didn't know it was one of the hardest...well guess that means i have to work harder

ms cowie i'm not sure about other schools but if i remember correctly all the schools in cali require Anatomy/Physiology...as everyone suggested you could check the websites of the school's you're interested in also i recommend talking to an adviser they normally have a nice sheet of all the classes that the pharamcy schools in your state require you to take.

xJellyBeanPrincessx wow 2.5 gpa is looking really good to me i have to keep up a 3.5-3.7 to even have a chance of getting in.

[sasuke-kun]

I'm planning to transfer to Xavier in New Orleans... o-o They have 5-6 years pharmacy program..
They don't have too much requirements, I believe... 2.5 GPA is good enough.. o__o

when school says a minimum gpa like 2.5, they really dont mean 2.5. they are not going to accept a person with a 2.5 gpa when theres a hundred other people who have gpas of 3.5 or greater... its just the cutoff. if you look at their stats...

* Average GPA: 3.27
* Admitted Ratio: 4.5:1
http://www.uspharmd.com/school/pharmacy/32.html

so youre gonna need at least a 3.0 to get in.

[hotspicedcider]

when school says a minimum gpa like 2.5, they really dont mean 2.5. they are not going to accept a person with a 2.5 gpa when theres a hundred other people who have gpas of 3.5 or greater... its just the cutoff. if you look at their stats...

* Average GPA: 3.27
* Admitted Ratio: 4.5:1
http://www.uspharmd.com/school/pharmacy/32.html

so youre gonna need at least a 3.0 to get in.

that's not necessarily true, although very much realistically sound. it is true, you need at least a 3.0 to have a good chance of getting in (under those parameters), but 2.5 applicant also have a chance. It may not be as good as the rest, but it's still a chance. you cannot discount other factors that admissions offices look for in a candidate. for what it's worth, if they REALLY didn't accept applicants with 2.5, they would say so in their admissions requirements (and probably raise it to a 2.8 gpa requirement).

anyway... 4.5:1 ratio sounds very good. it must be because they are trying to develop the New Orleans area by adding more health care professionals. accepting more applicants and taking in more students seems like a good way to do that.

[trungiie]

MY INTERVIEW IS IN THE MORNING!!!! (APPROX. 10 HRS FROM NOW)
PRAY FOR ME!!!!!!

*edit*

ahhhh! it went well i guess..they didnt bother to ask me much about my academics..
now i wait for the letter =/

[trungiie]

I JUST GOT MY ACCEPTANCE LETTER IN THE MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!