How do you become a Pharmacists?
I'm really confused about the PharmD and the BS Pharm.
Which degree should I be majoring in during college?
How long would it take before I'm finished with schooling? (I might go back to school to learn about new and upcoming medicines.)
Is the PCAT as difficult as the ACT?
Any tip and advice into becoming a pharmacists would be great too.
Thank you.
Comments
if you're in the US, you will need a pharmd to be a pharmacist since the bachelor's degree was discontinued some time back. at some schools, you only need 2 yrs of pharmacy prerequisites so you'd have to look at the programs you're interested in to see what their requirements are. however, many programs now require a bachelor's degree and almost all prefer it. your degree can be in whatever you want as long as you complete the prereqs for the programs to which you're applying. in general, you'll need 2 yrs of chem, at least 1 yr of bio, some english and other humanities, some type of math, maybe physics, and a few other miscellaneous classes. again, it would be a good idea to check on specific programs so you know the exact classes you should be taking.
if you just do 2 yrs of prereqs, you could be done in as little as 6 yrs since pharmacy school itself is 4 yrs (though there are a few programs that are only 3 yrs because they go year round instead of giving you summers off). i think the PCAT is harder than the ACT because they assume that you've had at least a few semesters of college coursework so the material is more difficult. however, if you prepare for it you'll probably do fine.
the other advice i'll give you is to try and get pharmacy experience if you don't already have it. you could be a pharmacy tech or volunteer in a pharmacy...just something so that admissions committees will see that you know what you're getting yourself into. if you can get involved with other extracurricular activities and volunteer work, that would also be a good idea. when you get to the stage where you're filling out applications, really put some time into them since this is your way to convince schools that they should want you as a student. get letters of recommendations from people who know you well in academic or work settings. and for heaven's sake please make sure you proofread essays and personal statements...i can't tell you how many applications i've seen with typos and grammatical errors, which to me show carelessness and inattention to detail.
good luck!