Gary Said:

About How Many Years Of School Does A Pharmacist Have To Go For?

We Answered:

The best case scenario says 6 years, but many take 8 years to complete the PharmD degree.
PharmD means doctor of pharmacy.
You'll have to go to school for at least 2 years of prereqs, and than 4 years of pharmacy school.
There are some schools which accept students directly from high school.

Miguel Said:

pharmacist?

We Answered:

Don't worry about your high school grades, they mean nothing when you will be applying to pharmacy school. Finish your biology degree, and get good grades in math and science classes. The next most important thing will be your PCAT scores, study like crazy for those and do as well as you can, i'd say 80th percentile or better, given that you have a good gpa. If your gpa isn't that great, you will need to do even better to compensate for it. Gpa and pcat are the two most important things, but not the only two things. It helps to have a very good personal statement, good letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities (specially ones that show leadership), volunteer work dealing patients, and of course your pharmacy technician experience will help. I have no doubt about you getting in if you stay focused and keep all this in mind. I would say if you hav ea science and math gpa of 3.6 or better, and above 80th percentile pcat, you are pretty much guaranteed to get in somewhere given that you have a few of the other mentioned things.

Check out the pharmacy forums on here, you can ask questions there and will get plenty of help.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdis…

Susan Said:

Is going to medical school for a pharmacist full time?

We Answered:

Yes, pharmacy school is now a doctorate program. Pharmacy school is different from medical school in the US. You take a different entrance exam as well. It's the Pcat Pharmacy College admission test.
Most schools only require 2 years of pre-requisite then you can apply to the program. Once your in the program you will be full-time. Pharmacy school is fairly competitive. You can do it, study hard!

Here's a good forum studentdocter.net:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdis…

Sarah Said:

What's a good school to become a pharmacist?

We Answered:

There aren't a real lot of schools that are accredited for pharmacy education but here is the site that tells you which ones are:
http://www.acpe-accredit.org/students/pr…

The certification changed a few years ago; now you have to get a doctorate to practice pharmacy (PharmD).
Some people go to a closer college and get their general education credits done (3-4 years) and then enroll in pharmacy school. Check with your preferred school to make sure they WILL accept credits from other schools, because some of them will not!
I myself think it's easier and more comprehensive to do the whole 6 years in one place. That way you meet people right away and get the support you need to sustain you in a difficult and fast-paced program.
You will have better luck getting accepted if you apply further away. Half my class was not from our area, and most of them had been turned down by schools in their area.
The competition to get in is really fierce: expect to present a very high GPA to get in.

Barbara Said:

What major should I take to become a pharmacist if my school doesn't offer a pre-pharmacy program?

We Answered:

Not necessary to attend a school with a pre- pharmacy program. Although most usually have some sort of adviser that can help. I am currently a Pre-pharm major and applying to pharm school. I am a biology major with emphasis on physiology and anatomy. You can do chemistry as well. Regardless you still have to meet the requirements. Which include a year of biology, year of general chem, year of organic chem, biochemistry, microbiology, year of calculus, umm and general education classes.

Pre-pharmacy is usually not a major in a school that doesn't have a pharmacy school. Try to get into a school that has a pharmacy school because its easier to get into the graduate program if you did undergraduate there.

I'm in Cali and let me tell you the single most important factor is grades, must achieve at least 3.2 to be competitive. UCSF is top rated in the nation. UCSD not so bad either. Stay away from high private schools ie USC, Western, and UOP. they are $$$$$$.

good luck

Beverly Said:

what SAT score do i need to go to school for a pharmacist?

We Answered:

UIC pharmacy does not even look at your ACT/SAT scores. You cannot be accepted until you have at least 2 years of college. They do look at your PCAT scores. UIC Pharmacy will only look at your ACT/SAT scores if you apply to their GPPA program. That program will give you conditional acceptance to pharmacy assuming you complete certain prerequisites.

Victoria Said:

I have questions about becoming a pharmacist, pharmacist schools, colleges, in California?

We Answered:

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good starting point to learning about career options http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm

To locate colleges I recommend using the Peterson's site - advanced search
http://www.petersons.com/ugchannel/code/…

Begin exploring some college Web sites. Look at admissions pages, department pages, college catalogs.
A few sites to get you started:
http://www.usc.edu/schools/pharmacy/stud…
http://www.admissions.uci.edu/resources/…
http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/programs/

Your local public library is likely to have a set of books called "The College Blue Book". One of the volumes lists colleges by subject major and state. You can also get information by chatting with a librarian online.
Examples:
http://www.asknow.org/portal.cfm?lib=LAP…
http://sfpl.lib.ca.us/sfplonline/asklibr…