Sunday, May 4, 2014

What classes should I retake this summer for applying to pharmacy school in 2015?

Question: I will be applying for fall 2015 and i won't be taking the PCAT until august. I need to retake a Calc class that I chose to receive an F in (peers told me to take the bad grade versus getting the W, b/c our CC replaces with the better grade) and I was planning on taking it this Fall. Right now my overall GPA is 2.7 and that's with an F in Calc I and a D in Physics I, I plan on retaking them both in the fall. I am taking organic Chemistry I followed by Orgo II all this summer. Would you advise I take orgo II in the fall and Calc during the summer? I think I need Orgo I for the PCAT that's why I think I should keep that but switch up the Calc and Orgo II? I'm not sure what to do !


Answer: I cannot speak to how your CC transcript looks, but be aware that all of your grades will be reported to PharmCas. I would encourage you to retake Calculus in the summer if you can - this will help prepare you for the PCAT also. I agree that an F on your transcript for a prerequisite (and a course the committee will assuredly look at) would paint a very unfavorable first impression and one that you might not be able to overcome.  As I've stated in multiple blog entries which you can find here, I always recommend withdrawing from a course rather than taking a D or F on a transcript.

So, I would take Orgo I and Calculus this summer. Prepare well for the PCAT - if your grades are marginal, you may need a strong PCAT score to get you in.

Best of luck.