Pharmacy School Admission

The Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Pharm.D.)requires a minimum of 2 years of undergraduate coursework followed by 4 years of Pharmacy school (the length of study may differ and you can check specific schools at the AACP website or the PharmCAS website). Some Pharmacy schools accept high school students to a joint undergraduate and professional program which usually spans 5 to 7 years. You should note that a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree differs from obtaining a Ph.D. or M.S. in Pharmacy. More information can be found here.

PharmApplicants.com is an applicant database for pharmacy schools. It lists profiles of accepted and interviewed students at all the pharmacy schools in the United States.

In addition, there is a list of useful links and an application guide that will be beneficial to all prepharmacy students.

Last but not least, there is 3 different GPA calculators that you can use to calculate your semester GPA and manage your overall GPA.

Many schools also require a supplemental application and an additional fee on top of the PharmCAS. Check the school information page to see the specific requirements from each school. This list also provides other useful information such as the number of applicants, average GPA, and contact information.

Tuition costs vary from school to school and private schools usually cost more to attend than public schools. Here is a comprehensive tuition table for the first year (does not include other expenses such as rent).

PharmCAS is the Pharmacy College Application Service, a "centralized application service for applicants" applying for pharmacy schools. This means that PharmCAS accepts things like Letter of Recommendations (done either online or by paper), transcripts, and additional application information which will be prepared and forwarded to each respective school. This service is not free, and you will need to pay $140 for first school and $40 for each school after that. You should note that some pharmacy schools require you to send in certain things DIRECTLY to them in addition to sending it to PharmCAS.

Prerequisites vary from school to school, and they can be checked on the PharmCAS website. You may apply for pharmacy programs before completing all of your prerequisites, but you must complete them before matriculation.

Your GPA (overall, science, and pre-pharmacy) weighs significantly in whether an admission committee will accept you in to their school. You can browse the average GPA of accepted students here. Remember that an average GPA means that students with GPAs below and above are accepted. Also listed is the minimum GPA necessary for your application to be considered.

The PCAT is the "Pharmacy College Admissions Test." Not all pharmacy schools require the PCAT (the PharmCAS and AACP websites will have this information). For example, all California Schools do not require the PCAT. The PCAT also weighs significantly in addition to your GPA for schools that require students to take the PCAT.

The material covered on the PCAT (from the AACP website):
The PCAT is divided into separate sections, or subtests, each of which is timed separately. During the time allowed for each subtest, you will be permitted to work only on that section. You will not be allowed to go back to earlier subtests or on to later ones. As you work on each section, you may find it useful to first answer the questions that are easy for you, skipping over those questions to which you will need to return for further thought.
There are six content areas measured by the PCAT in seven (7) separate subtests:
*The Verbal Ability section measures general, non-scientific word knowledge and usage using analogies and sentence completion.
*The Biology section measures knowledge of the principles and concepts of basic biology, including general biology, microbiology, and human anatomy and physiology.
*The Reading Comprehension section measures ability to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate reading passages on science-related topics.
*The Quantitative Ability section measures skills in mathematical processes and the ability to reason through and understand quantitative concepts and relationships, including applications of algebra, geometry, probability and statistics, pre-calculus, and calculus.
*The Chemistry section measures knowledge of principles and concepts of inorganic and elementary organic chemistry.
*The written Essay sections measure conventions of language skills in terms of sentence formation, usage, and mechanics. One is included as an experimental item. Beginning with the June 2007 exam, all of the writing prompts will state a problem involving a health issue, a science issue, or a social, cultural or political issue. Examinees will be asked to present a solution to the problem in their essays. They will be scored on how well they write an essay that is a sufficient length to adequately explain a solution to the problem.

Pharmacy schools require an interview to get to know you. Here is a lens I found that has some great tips! Just relax and be yourself.

Pharmacy School Interview Question Database (this database includes real interview questions that students have been asked at their interviews).

Letter of Recommendations are required for applying for pharmacy schools. This table lists the kinds of letters (professor, TA, family friend, clergy, employer, etc.) each school accepts and whether or not you will need to send them directly to the school instead of PharmCAS.

Although Pharmacy experience is not required more for most schools, many applicants do have some sort of pharmacy experience. Some students choose to obtain their Pharmacy Technician license to get more hands on experience within the field of pharmacy.

In addition to the Pharm.D., some students may pursue an additional degree (MBA, JD, PhD, MPH, etc.). Not all pharmacy schools offer dual degree programs. Pursuing dual degrees will take less than time than if you were to pursue them separately. If you are interested in any of these programs, you can start by researching them on pharmacy school websites or contacting the office of admissions at various pharmacy schools. Applying for a dual degree program may have more requirements such as additional standardized testing.

A nonprofit educational community for students and doctors in the health professions. SDN is a volunteer collaboration between all doctoral-level healthcare communities including medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, psychology, audiology, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine.

Connect with other students in the same field as you on this invaluable forum and discuss topics ranging from financial aid to interview techniques. Many students that have graduated or currently in their respective graduate schools are willing to help you with whatever questions you have. I would say that StudentDoctor is the #1 resource for any student pursuing any of the health care careers listed below.