Path to a Pharm.D Degree?
Here's an easy question from a high school sophmore...
I'm hoping to become a pharmacist. Plain and simple. Now, our school is making an utterly awful attempt at preparing us for college, and I'd really like to know about this.
I'm from western Pennsylvania, and am interested in going to LECOM in Erie. That's pretty much where my knowledge hits a brick wall. I'm aware that you need to go to school for a minimum of two years, first, but can someone explain to me how this whole system works? What do you major in for those two plus years before going for your Pharm.D? Would you take a Pre Med course, and then go to a school for Pharmacy? I'm really at a loss right now, because I'm expected to give a single college that I want to go to, my major, and why. I feel like whoever made this worthless college prep project is failing to realize that some of us are going to be going into more sophisticated job fields than 'go to school for four years and be happy'.
Any input from someone experienced would be really helpful. Even people who aren't really experienced but know what they're talking about can... I haven't got a chance to ask around much yet, but I figure a second opinion from the good old internet would be useful...
Much appreciated,
Matt
Comments
To go to pharmacy school you have a couple options. One option is to do a two year pre-pharmacy program that basically focuses on fulfilling all of the pre-requisite courses that pharmacy schools require. These classes are similar to pre-med courses and would likely consist of general and organic chemistry, biology, physics and several liberal arts courses. You would then begin to apply to schools and need to take the PCAT exam.
Another is to do the traditional four year bachelor's degree and then apply for pharmacy school. Many applicants will major in a science field such as biology or chemistry and take all of the pre-pharm courses as part of the requirements for their degree. During the end of your third year, you would begin applying and take the PCAT. This is becoming much more common and is recommended by most PharmD programs as there is a higher chance of acceptance and a higher success rate in pharmacy school compared to someone who only did two years of undergrad.
The third option is to apply for a six year program that encompasses both the pre-pharm courses and pharmacy school into a six year "accelerated program". These programs can often be very competitive since they basically ensure that you will be accepted to that school's PharmD program as long as you do well in the first two years.
No matter what path you choose, you will need to take all of the required courses. These courses vary depending on what schools you apply to so it is best to go to specific school's websites and see what courses are required. You will also need to take the PCAT exam as this is required for every PharmD program in the US. Finally, you will likely need some experience such as being a pharmacy tech or shadowing a pharmacist as schools will need to see that you are know what you are getting into and that you have a sense of the duties and lifestyles of a pharmacist. The best thing for you to do now is to start coming up with some schools you would be interested in going to and researching what their requirements are, what the application process is, what types of applicants the school is looking for and general information about the school and its PharmD program.
Hope this helps.