Thank you to the many university and community college students who belong to pre-pharmacy clubs and organizations and who contribute to our forum. Many of you have been very helpful in distributing information from our blog to others in your group and we appreciate it.
If you belong to a pre-pharmacy organization at your school, please forward a link to this blog and to our pharmacy school admissions forum to others in your group. We will help as many students as time permits. And this service is free, so what more can you ask for? :)
If you have an organization website or facebook/myspace page, please add a link to us. The greater participation, the more valuable a resource we can be for each other.
blog: http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.blogspot.com
forum: http://www.PharmacySchoolAdmissions.com
Thank you!
-Admissions
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Application question about being a "Native English" speaker
Question: I haven't had the chance to say thank you! Thank so much for reviewing my personal statement, it truly boosted the quality of my personal statement to a whole 'nother level! :) I have another question for you, and this is regarding language. On PharmCAS under the Personal Data section, it asks, "Is English your native language?" while some other supplemental applications ask "Is English your first language?"
I was born into a Korean family, and didn't speak English until I entered pre-school, and from then on I spoke primarily in English, although I spoke in Korean with my parents at home. That being said, I'm more fluent and use English more often than I speak Korean.
Would I click "yes" or "no" in regarding the question on PharmCAS? My gut feeling is telling me to click no, but because I speak English better than I do Korean, I'm somewhat confused on what I should do.
What constitutes a person's "native language" and what distinguishes a "native" language from a person's "first" language? If I answer no, then I am required to take the TOEFL exam for certain schools for their "english proficiency requirement". If you could clear that up for me, I'd truly appreciate it.
Answer: Good question. My hunch would be that it would be best to identify yourself as a native English speaker. You might indicate that you are bilingual, but consider yourself more fluent in English. I have seen a couple of examples of public universities (not necessarily schools of pharmacy) that will require TOEFL if an applicant doesn't indicate being a native English speaker. I am unaware of any benefit that claiming being a non-native English speaker would afford you.
It would be my recommendation to say you are a native English speaker if you are comfortable and fluent with the language.
Good luck.
I was born into a Korean family, and didn't speak English until I entered pre-school, and from then on I spoke primarily in English, although I spoke in Korean with my parents at home. That being said, I'm more fluent and use English more often than I speak Korean.
Would I click "yes" or "no" in regarding the question on PharmCAS? My gut feeling is telling me to click no, but because I speak English better than I do Korean, I'm somewhat confused on what I should do.
What constitutes a person's "native language" and what distinguishes a "native" language from a person's "first" language? If I answer no, then I am required to take the TOEFL exam for certain schools for their "english proficiency requirement". If you could clear that up for me, I'd truly appreciate it.
Answer: Good question. My hunch would be that it would be best to identify yourself as a native English speaker. You might indicate that you are bilingual, but consider yourself more fluent in English. I have seen a couple of examples of public universities (not necessarily schools of pharmacy) that will require TOEFL if an applicant doesn't indicate being a native English speaker. I am unaware of any benefit that claiming being a non-native English speaker would afford you.
It would be my recommendation to say you are a native English speaker if you are comfortable and fluent with the language.
Good luck.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Does nepotism exist when reviewing pharmacy school applications?
Question: A friend and classmate of mine was accepted into a school of pharmacy where one of her parents is a university researcher. I was waitlisted. I know for a fact that her PCAT and GPA were substantially lower than mine and I was frankly surprised that she was even given an interview based on what I know about her application. Is it unfair for me to assume she got in because of nepotism?
Answer: True story, several years ago we had rejected an applicant whose grades were just not acceptable. A rejection letter had not been sent out yet, however. Shortly after the decision was made, one of the committee members came back to the group and asked that we look at this particular application again, which we did. At this point, someone in the admissions office indicated that the applicant was the child of a professor.
There was great disagreement whether we should even reconsider the application simply based on her parent's connection with the school. I was quite unhappy when some of the same committee members who were quick to dispatch the application as a rejection now wanted to grant an interview (and subsequently admit) this individual. I give credit to the applicant and her parent, however, for neither had mentioned to anyone that there was a relationship between "Applicant Smith" and "Professor Smith". They wanted the decision to be made on merit only, but one of the committee members recognized the name and home address on the application and asked the parent, which set off the aforementioned chain of events.
So, in a politically correct world, I would tell you that nepotism does not exist. That all applicants are judged purely on their merits and nothing else. That everyone has a equal chance. At most institutions, I believe that to be true. However, I have seen firsthand that nepotism or favoritism can play a role in the decision making process and I agree that it is not fair. I do my very best (as most committee members do) to create a level playing field for all applicants, but sometimes there are flaws in the system and you may have exposed one. I hope that you are also granted admission and don't feel that his/her acceptance is the reason you were not admitted at this time.
Answer: True story, several years ago we had rejected an applicant whose grades were just not acceptable. A rejection letter had not been sent out yet, however. Shortly after the decision was made, one of the committee members came back to the group and asked that we look at this particular application again, which we did. At this point, someone in the admissions office indicated that the applicant was the child of a professor.
There was great disagreement whether we should even reconsider the application simply based on her parent's connection with the school. I was quite unhappy when some of the same committee members who were quick to dispatch the application as a rejection now wanted to grant an interview (and subsequently admit) this individual. I give credit to the applicant and her parent, however, for neither had mentioned to anyone that there was a relationship between "Applicant Smith" and "Professor Smith". They wanted the decision to be made on merit only, but one of the committee members recognized the name and home address on the application and asked the parent, which set off the aforementioned chain of events.
So, in a politically correct world, I would tell you that nepotism does not exist. That all applicants are judged purely on their merits and nothing else. That everyone has a equal chance. At most institutions, I believe that to be true. However, I have seen firsthand that nepotism or favoritism can play a role in the decision making process and I agree that it is not fair. I do my very best (as most committee members do) to create a level playing field for all applicants, but sometimes there are flaws in the system and you may have exposed one. I hope that you are also granted admission and don't feel that his/her acceptance is the reason you were not admitted at this time.
Monday, June 13, 2011
How to answer a question about religion?
Question: I am applying to school of pharmacy that has a religious foundation in Christianity. I am Jewish. One of the supplemental application questions specifically asks how I will use the values of the school. I'm not sure how to answer this as I don't have the same belief system. Help please.
Answer: This is an excellent question. Without knowing how the question is worded, my answer would be this: As administrators and admissions committee members, I suspect we all want to attract the best students regardless of belief system. I imagine if you asked the school what percentage of the students accepted each year were Catholic, you might be surprised at how low the figure is. So, don't let the question deter you.
In answering a question that appears to have a religious component, I would suggest visiting the school web site and familiarizing yourself with their mission statement and goals. If the school emphasizes caring for the poor, for example, perhaps you can share any life experiences where you volunteered or exhibited these values. I imagine that as prospective health care professionals, most applicants share a core set of values including, but not limited to, helping others. If you can apply that philosophy into your response on a supplemental application question that you feel is religious in nature, I'm sure you will be fine.
Good luck.
Answer: This is an excellent question. Without knowing how the question is worded, my answer would be this: As administrators and admissions committee members, I suspect we all want to attract the best students regardless of belief system. I imagine if you asked the school what percentage of the students accepted each year were Catholic, you might be surprised at how low the figure is. So, don't let the question deter you.
In answering a question that appears to have a religious component, I would suggest visiting the school web site and familiarizing yourself with their mission statement and goals. If the school emphasizes caring for the poor, for example, perhaps you can share any life experiences where you volunteered or exhibited these values. I imagine that as prospective health care professionals, most applicants share a core set of values including, but not limited to, helping others. If you can apply that philosophy into your response on a supplemental application question that you feel is religious in nature, I'm sure you will be fine.
Good luck.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
How can I overcome poor grades in undergrad?
Question: How do pharmacy schools view applicants who have already done poorly in pre-requisites but then retake them in post-baccalaureate programs? Should I retake these courses only, or should I also take other upper-division courses I've never attempted (as in academic enhancer track type versions of post-bac programs)? Or am I just taking this all too seriously?
Answer: We have many applicants who are transitioning to pharmacy from other professions and we also have many who always had an interested in pharmacy, but were unprepared or unqualified during their undergraduate studies. I appreciate the way that you acknowledged and accepted the reasons for your struggles and I think it will help to explain them in your personal statement. I have no problems admitting a more "mature" student who might have had issues when they were younger if it is apparent that they have learned from those experiences and have now shown their aptitude and motivation to pursue pharmacy school.
If your sole purpose is to attempt to get into pharmacy school, I would probably advise against taking new upper division courses as I'm not sure you are going to get the added benefit that you think you might. Instead, if you retook some of the core sciences that you did poorly in, you put yourself on a level field with many of the applicants you will be compared with and that should probably balance the playing field for you. These courses would also probably help some in your PCAT preparation.
Ultimately, you need to stress the aspects of your application such as starting a pre-pharm club, etc. Show the committees that you have made attending pharmacy school your #1 priority and you have dedicated yourself to that goal. Gain some pharmacy experience or shadow a pharmacist who can write you a positive letter of recommendation. If you can do all of those things successfully, I see no reason why you wouldn't be a strong candidate for pharmacy school.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
Answer: We have many applicants who are transitioning to pharmacy from other professions and we also have many who always had an interested in pharmacy, but were unprepared or unqualified during their undergraduate studies. I appreciate the way that you acknowledged and accepted the reasons for your struggles and I think it will help to explain them in your personal statement. I have no problems admitting a more "mature" student who might have had issues when they were younger if it is apparent that they have learned from those experiences and have now shown their aptitude and motivation to pursue pharmacy school.
If your sole purpose is to attempt to get into pharmacy school, I would probably advise against taking new upper division courses as I'm not sure you are going to get the added benefit that you think you might. Instead, if you retook some of the core sciences that you did poorly in, you put yourself on a level field with many of the applicants you will be compared with and that should probably balance the playing field for you. These courses would also probably help some in your PCAT preparation.
Ultimately, you need to stress the aspects of your application such as starting a pre-pharm club, etc. Show the committees that you have made attending pharmacy school your #1 priority and you have dedicated yourself to that goal. Gain some pharmacy experience or shadow a pharmacist who can write you a positive letter of recommendation. If you can do all of those things successfully, I see no reason why you wouldn't be a strong candidate for pharmacy school.
Good luck and please keep us posted.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Working as a 1st year pharmacy student - retail vs hospital
Question: I will begin my first year of pharmacy school this fall without having any type of pharmacy experience. I would like to get some hands on real world experience while in school. Would you recommend I look for a job in a hospital or a drug store?
Answer: Based on my own experience as well as conversations with many, many students and pharmacists over the years, I would probably recommend your first job be in a hospital pharmacy setting. Here is the reason why: Hospital pharmacy requires a set of skills that if learned early will help you tremendously as your education progresses. Being familiar with various injectable drugs and how to prepare admixtures is something that many pharmacy students never learn until they begin a hospital pharmacy clerkship.
In my opinion, it is "easier" to learn how to be a community/drug store pharmacist than it is to be a hospital pharmacist. Please understand - I am not saying that one profession is better than the other. If I had to do it all over again, I would start my intern work at a hospital pharmacy and try to learn the business of retail pharmacy with an additional part time job (maybe with an independent pharmacy) in the summer.
Thanks for your question.
Answer: Based on my own experience as well as conversations with many, many students and pharmacists over the years, I would probably recommend your first job be in a hospital pharmacy setting. Here is the reason why: Hospital pharmacy requires a set of skills that if learned early will help you tremendously as your education progresses. Being familiar with various injectable drugs and how to prepare admixtures is something that many pharmacy students never learn until they begin a hospital pharmacy clerkship.
In my opinion, it is "easier" to learn how to be a community/drug store pharmacist than it is to be a hospital pharmacist. Please understand - I am not saying that one profession is better than the other. If I had to do it all over again, I would start my intern work at a hospital pharmacy and try to learn the business of retail pharmacy with an additional part time job (maybe with an independent pharmacy) in the summer.
Thanks for your question.
A follow up on writing to pharmacy schools when on a waitlist
Another follow up regarding waiting lists:
I congratulate you on your acceptance. I am always impressed by succinct well written letters of intent and thank you notes - for those who have followed the blog for some time, you know that I encourage applicants to do this. If anyone has additional questions on the topic, please let me know.
-Admissions
Pepcid PharmD said...
I was waitlisted at my top choice until recently. I was fortunate enough to have other options. After I got into my first school, I wrote a letter of intent talking about how impressed I was by Top Choice, I'm up to this and that, I got into another school but if accepted I will absolutely attend Top Choice. The school ranked its waitlist a few weeks ago, and I was accepted the very next day.
Was it because I wrote a letter? I can't say for sure. My school has been known to string along waitlisted candidates through the summer. I do think that the letter helped, particularly because I was accepted immediately upon the AdCom ranking the waitlist.
I congratulate you on your acceptance. I am always impressed by succinct well written letters of intent and thank you notes - for those who have followed the blog for some time, you know that I encourage applicants to do this. If anyone has additional questions on the topic, please let me know.
-Admissions
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
What do I do while on a waiting list?
In response to a post I made last week about being waitlisted, was the following commnent:
Peggy said...
As AdComs, we realize the stress that comes with being placed on a pharmacy school alternate or waiting list. It is our hope and intent to fill our classes with the most qualified candidates as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, for many schools, that process can take a long time. It is my recommendation that you contact the schools where you have interviewed and have been placed on a waiting list with a succinct email (preferably to the Director of Admissions) such as this:
Dear _____,
My name is ____________ and I am a prospective student for the _________ Pharmacy Class of 2015. I interviewed at ________________ on _____ and was immediately impressed by the faculty and facilities of your institution. I am currently on the waitlist for the class matriculating this fall and hope that you will consider me as a strong candidate for admission. It is a dream of mine to become a pharmacist and I would represent _____________ in an exemplary manner as both a student and future graduate. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
______________________
Good luck to everyone and please keep us informed.
Peggy said...
I can appreciate that being waitlisted is better than being completely rejected, but how is someone supposed to plan? What if their preferred school is across country? There are a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration, especially if someone has more than just themselves to worry about.
As AdComs, we realize the stress that comes with being placed on a pharmacy school alternate or waiting list. It is our hope and intent to fill our classes with the most qualified candidates as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, for many schools, that process can take a long time. It is my recommendation that you contact the schools where you have interviewed and have been placed on a waiting list with a succinct email (preferably to the Director of Admissions) such as this:
Dear _____,
My name is ____________ and I am a prospective student for the _________ Pharmacy Class of 2015. I interviewed at ________________ on _____ and was immediately impressed by the faculty and facilities of your institution. I am currently on the waitlist for the class matriculating this fall and hope that you will consider me as a strong candidate for admission. It is a dream of mine to become a pharmacist and I would represent _____________ in an exemplary manner as both a student and future graduate. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
______________________
Good luck to everyone and please keep us informed.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Being waitlisted isn't the end of the world
As many applicants start to get anxious as they wait on alternate lists for pharmacy school admissions, I thought it appropriate to re-post my thoughts on the subject:
Keep us posted on your status and please consider sharing your experiences on our forum - www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com
-Admissions
I recently had a conversation with someone I have been advising through the process. She applied and interviewed at her preferred school, but was then informed that she was going to be "Waitlisted". She was extremely disappointed and I understand that, but I would also remind you that it is not uncommon either. A significant number of applicants who are ultimately accepted were waitlisted (or designated as an alternate) by a school at some point during the process. Don't despair if you fall into this category. There are several months between now and school starting next fall and lots will happen between now and then. I have seen students get admitted the day or the week that school starts before.
Hang in there. Regularly contact the school(s) to let them know that you are still interested and would love to matriculate there if the opportunity exists.
Keep us posted on your status and please consider sharing your experiences on our forum - www.pharmacyschooladmissions.com
-Admissions
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Are my grades good enough to apply to pharmacy school?
Question: I'm a Sophmore and I was planning on taking my PCAT this upcoming October 2011 and applying for pharmacy school. However I have doubts that my overall grades are not good enough to get me accepted. I have repeated 2 courses and recieved a B in both, I was wondering if I would be better off waiting until next summer to apply, yet I do not wish to waste a year floating around in ungrad only taking a few classes here and there if unneceassary. What should I do? Should I just take the risk and apply this year or should I wait it off another year?
Answer: What is your overall GPA and your math/science GPA? Those are two significant factors in determining your chances. What are your grades in the following courses:
Calculus
Bio
Gen Chem
Orgo
The above are the "core" classes that are very predictive of success and any committee will hope to see success from their applicants. With that info, I might be able to better assist you. Since you have already retaken a couple of the classes that you struggled with and completed then with a satisfactory grade, I'm guessing that applying this year would be plausible. Much will be determined by where you want to apply.
Good luck.
Answer: What is your overall GPA and your math/science GPA? Those are two significant factors in determining your chances. What are your grades in the following courses:
Calculus
Bio
Gen Chem
Orgo
The above are the "core" classes that are very predictive of success and any committee will hope to see success from their applicants. With that info, I might be able to better assist you. Since you have already retaken a couple of the classes that you struggled with and completed then with a satisfactory grade, I'm guessing that applying this year would be plausible. Much will be determined by where you want to apply.
Good luck.
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