There is always a chance that it won’t work out the first time you apply to pharmacy school. Heck, it might even be the 2nd, 3rd, or so time. However, if you truly want to be a pharmacist, then you will continue to try again to make it happen.
I didn’t get into pharmacy school the first time I applied. Was it disappointing? A little, but it was 100% because I was lacking responsibility, which meant I wouldn’t have been ready to take on the pharmacy student role anyways. Everything happens for a reason, even when it doesn’t seem like it right away.
I’ve always thought that I was pretty responsible up until that point. What happened was I didn’t request my transcripts in time. I had months to do it (probably between October through early December), but I requested my transcripts towards the end of December when the university was on Christmas Break, hence nobody could have sent my transcripts out. I also submitted my PharmCas (the online application process for pharmacy school admissions throughout the nation) on the last day possible for the universities I wanted, which was like December 31st. That’s also a big no-no.
Pro tip: Every school will have its own application deadline so look into the directory here.
Never submit anything extremely important on the last day possible. Why?
My best friend missed her pharmacy application deadline because she submitted her application at the last minute possible and also not realizing that it was going by eastern time instead of mountain standard time. So, while she thought she had until midnight to submit, it was already past midnight in eastern time.
Therefore, we both missed our chance of getting accepted into pharmacy school our first year. This was a shock because we were usually quite responsible.
However, like I said, everything seems to happen for a reason. We were both just meant to go through pharmacy school together and I am very thankful it worked out that way. We struggled, laughed, cried, studied, and conquered pharmacy school together.
So What Do You Do When You Don’t Get Into Pharmacy School?
There will be a one year difference before you can start applying for the next academic class of pharmacy school. Do everything you can during the one year gap that will improve your application and resume to make you a greater candidate, such as:
1). Finish Your Degree
If that 1 year time frame is enough where you can finish a bachelor’s degree, then why not? An undergraduate degree is not always required, but it does show that you’re committed if you obtain one. The degree doesn’t necessarily even have to be a biology, chemistry, or other health sciences degree. Some schools might be more interested in students with different background interests than just sciences.
I personally didn’t get a degree even though I spent 4 years in undergraduate. The only degree I would’ve been close to finishing was a liberal arts degree with focus in communication and nutrition. However, it wasn’t in my interest to get a degree since it would’ve required an extra semester past the 1 year gap.
2). Improve Course Grades and GPA
If there are some classes you would like to re-take to improve your GPA, then you can. Alternatively, you can take extra courses that are relatively easy while still being relatable to health and science to boost your GPA.
For example, in my gap year, I tried courses such as: principles of epidemiology, health communications, health behavior theory, kinesiology, and intercultural communication. They were easy courses that allowed me to boost my GPA while also being useful and applicable to the health field.
3). Improve Your Pharmacy Entrance Exam Score
The PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) was a ~3.5-hour exam that was strongly looked at for most pharmacy schools, but that is changing. Refer to the directory to see If your college of pharmacy requires it & how high they expect you to score.
I took the exam 3 times in hopes of improving my score, but I feel that I am the anomaly where my scores actually dropped each time. My score ended up not mattering too much because I scored towards the lower percentile and still got into the school of my choice. I personally don’t think the exam is a great predictor of how well you’ll do in pharmacy school anyways. It tests in subjects such as chemistry, biology, genetics, math, reading, and writing. What you learn in Chemistry II in undergrad will not show up again in pharmacy school.
3). Gain More Work Experience
If you haven’t done so already, you can consider working in the pharmacy as a technician to gain more exposure (and connections) to the field of pharmacy. It’s also a big plus to become familiar with drug names and their uses. You can gain access to the top 175 drug list here.
However, just working in general at any position will still allow you to put your work experiences and skills gained on the job into your application.
I personally didn’t work in the pharmacy setting until I was 2 years into pharmacy school. Before pharmacy school, I spent my time as a receptionist at a busy salon building my communication and customer service skills. Although it wasn’t pharmacy related, the skills I learned through my old position can be applied to pharmacy and I definitely explained that through my application.
4). Do More Volunteer Work
Most people wanting to become pharmacists will usually have a desire of helping people. So, get involved with your local community. It not only feels good to volunteer your time, but it looks good on your pharmacy school applications as well.
I was involved with my local health group that took care of mainly homeless veterans. While I couldn’t do pharmacy things there, I was in charge of bringing the patients to be seen for triage by other pharmacy and medical students.
5). Pursue Another Health Field
If you are truly undecided about pharmacy and have interests in other health fields, then you can use this opportunity to explore the other health fields that may have similar prerequisite courses required that you’ve already completed. You’re part way through the doors with the many chemistry and biology courses you’ve taken to apply for pharmacy school.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get into pharmacy school right away as planned. Sometimes, it does work out for the better even if it doesn’t seem like it right away. Keep your head up and try again next year. You build resiliency when you get up and try again.
Also check out the article:
Let’s be connected!
This site is an affiliate of Amazon at no additional cost to you. For full disclosure, please read the Privacy Policy.