California Pharmacy School Prerequisites

(Note:  This post will be updated as needed since it is now linked through the sidebar.   Ex.  I found the min GPA required for UCSD, and have added it to my chart.)

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With the pharm tech step coming to a close, it's time to look to other things.  (Of course this look took place both before and after Thanksgiving with parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and all sorts of family.  Not skipping the holidays to work on the blog. =P)  So I took a look at the prerequisites of all the schools in California and made this Excel sheet:

(Click to Enlarge - This is meant primarily for me.  If it's of use to other people that's fine.  Most of it should make sense though.  The numbers are the number of semesters needed for each class so if you want to schools with a quarter system, you'll have to make an adjustment.  Links to the official websites for each school are further down this post.  There is a lot of detail in each page that can't be communicated through the shorthand of my Excel sheet.)

If I recorded it all right, the classes needed to get into all California schools are:

- General Chemistry I & II (with labs)

- Organic Chemistry I & II (with labs)

- General Biology I & II (with labs)

- Physics I & II (with E/M Lab)

- Calculus I & II

- Statistics

- Human Physiology

- Anatomy

- Biochemistry

- Cell Biology

- Microbiology (with lab)

- English

- Speech

- Economics

- Psychology/Sociology

And besides classes:

- GPA
- Leadership
- Experience
- Community Service
- Letter of Recommendations

Something important I need to find out, is how old my course work is allowed to be before it's too old to be counted.  Northstate specifically said 9 years on their website, and UCSD says 10 years for some classes, and 5 years for essential classes.  That means besides retaking classes that I screwed up in, I'm most likely going to have to retake classes I did excellent in, because they're just too old.  That's a little discouraging.  But well... it's not totally unexpected.  That's the reason why I'm expecting to take two or three years to get there.  All I can do is move on from where I am, so that's what I'm going to do.

Something a bit annoying is that UoP requires micro economics, and USC requires macro economics, while all the others let you choose either.  Depending on how easy or difficult it is to fit taking all these prerequisites in while working... I may just have to choose between one or the other.  That's just something I'll have to figure out later when I have more info to work with.

California Northsate College of Pharmacy

This is the only website that specifically mentioned that work experience in a pharmacy setting of at least 40 hours is recommended.  It's also one of the two schools that mentions Statistics.

Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy

I found it pretty interesting that the Anatomy requirement didn't require a lab.  I didn't know Anatomy classes came that way.  But since I'll be taking the class with the lab, it doesn't matter beyond that.  And while I didn't see all the Letter of Recommendation requirements for all the schools, it's important to know that this school requires three, and one of those has to be from a Spiritual Advisor.

Touro University College of Pharmacy

This school has one of the sparsest requirements list.  It doesn't even require General Biology of Physics.  However having a degree is a requirement for applying which is why their website doesn't cover the non-science classes as prerequisites like the other schools do.

University of California, San Diego, Skaags School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

One of the two schools that mentions that an Electricity and Magnetism Lab is required as part of the Physics prerequisites.  Makes me wonder what that's going to be used for exactly, when it comes to pharmacy.  Something to do with research is my safe guess.  Also one of the two schools that requires two courses in Calculus and not just one.  And last, the only school (that I saw) that mentioned CPR as a requirement. 

University of San Francisco School of Pharmacy

The other school that specifically mentions the E/M Lab as a prerequisite.  It's also the other school that requires two courses in Calculus.  Not much more to say.  I've been to an info session, I've been to the campus, I know I want to apply here, so I'll be sure to complete the list.

University of Southern California School of Pharmacy

The second school that requires a degree to apply.  The only school that specifically requires Human Physiology and not just some mammalian physiology.  Even more important, the only school that requires Statistics.  And the last unique bit that I found from my current outing through the schools websites, a Resume is required as part of the application process.

University of the Pacific Thomas J Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The only school that I know of that requires the GRE.  (I didn't find this info on the website, however, I found it on the pamphlet that was given at the info session.  Other schools may have this as a requirement.)

Western University of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy

The odd way I've marked the required semesters for BioChem is because you can take just one class of BioChem if it's 5 units, otherwise it's one 3 unit BioChem class and one 3 unit Molecular Biology class.

University of the Pacific Preview Day

It's time I make a real first post, so details are still fresh in my mind.

I went to the UoP Preview Day last Saturday, in Stockton, California. (The next is on October 24th for those who want to go.) I have to say that it's a very well run event. Here's a run down of what the schedule was like:

10:00-10:30 - Check-in

10:30-12:00 - Welcome Session, Admission Session, and Financial Aid (Half hour segments)

12:00-12:30 - Lunch

12:30-04:30 - Faculty Presentations, Student Panel, Campus Tour, Admissions (Hour long segments)

Note: The first sessions were presented to two large groups, with the presenters traveling to each room. We split to even smaller groups for the hour long sessions. The first Admission Session was a presentation to a giant group of us with some Q&A. The hour long session was a short presentation to a smaller group of us followed by a sit down, one-on-one, with the admissions person.

For the most part, everything was on time and on schedule, and pretty much everything was informative.

In general, they accept about 200 students into their program, with about half coming from their own undergrad population.

They presented a break-down of the cost as compared to other California schools (which ranged from 90k to 151k), with UoP costing 141k, not counting housing. Then of course the follow up to that is the average salary of a pharmacist in California is 110k a year, and UoP's program is only three years long, as opposed to the four years of the other schools.

Then they address the obvious question of how cramming a four year program into three years affects the quality of education. Their answer? It doesn't. The program fits into three years because they teach year round, and do not have a break for summer.  The information isn't crammed into fewer school sessions, the vacation time is just shorter.

Another important topic discussed was the recent changes to their program. A big change includes gaining actual experience in a pharmacy setting, and switching up the setting each semester (from a hospital, to community pharmacy, to long-term care, etc.)

Then of course they had to present some statistics and awards they've received. In the past four years, they've received 1st, 2nd (x2), and 3rd place for the APhA Student Chapter Awards out of 100 schools. (I don't really have a good understanding of what that award entails, but it does sound impressive. Something I'll have to look up later.)  And last year, they had 99.3% of their students pass the NAPLEX* board exam, and 86.9% pass the CPJE** board exam. (With the average being 97.6% and 81.6% respectively.)

Overall, the campus was nice, the people were great, and their presentation was convincing. The only hiccups were easily finding the right place to park, because the graduate side of the campus is separated from the undergraduate side by a river, with no obvious way to get around, and the lightning storm that shut off electricity for a few minutes. UoP is certainly a school that I would love to get into. Where I actually end up remains to be seen.

Next Stop: UCSF on October 2nd

UoP website - Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
* North American Pharmacist License Exam
** California Practice Standards and Jurisprudence Examination for Pharmacists