introduction
With a growing demand for health care , students increasingly considering a career as a pharmacist. Before making this decision, you should be aware of the needs and career opportunities for pharmacists. As a student of pharmacy school , I have not only experienced the application process , but also research on many aspects of the profession of pharmacy .
According to BLS May 2008, there are 266,410 pharmacists in the United States earn an average of $ 50.13/hour ( $ 104,620 per year). Salaries vary based on location , employer, and other factors. Many newly registered pharmacists report huge bonuses in more rural areas or in areas of application.
As time passes , pharmacists are given more and more responsibility within the health care system . Contrary to popular belief, the job of a pharmacist does not count pills 9-5. Only 62 % of pharmacists have traditional views of the community ( retail) pharmacy ( BLS). Other exciting career pharmacy include positions in clinical settings (which administers the drug in the context of a medical team ) , a research laboratory , a government agency (eg , poison ) , a university, a company, nuclear pharmacy (composition and distribution equipment of radioactive materials for use in nuclear medicine procedures ) , and many others. Unlike other medical careers , pharmacy has a wide range of careers available. In addition, most pharmacists do not have the experience of residence for most races ( need 1-2 years of experience in the residence to become a clinical pharmacist ) .
The growing demand for pharmacists
Pharmacy Careers expect a growth of a whopping 22 % of available jobs from 2006 to 2016 ( Report of May 2008). With an aging population and the increase in prescriptions filled , demand for pharmacists is expected to grow in all areas of pharmacy. Although the labor market varies according to geographic location , pharmacists will have trouble finding a job.
Pharm . degree
The Doctor of Pharmacy ( Pharm.D. ) Requires a minimum of 2 years of undergraduate studies (most students receive a bachelor's degree before starting pharmacy school ), followed by 3-4 years of school pharmacy. After high school , students can apply to pharmacy schools with a joint degree in pharmacy and doctor. program that lasts 5-7 years. These programs are also known as " 0-6 programs " or " first insurance programs. " It is important to note that PharmD is different from a PhD or MS Pharmacy . Bachelor of Pharmacy been eliminated for the most part, although you can sometimes hear a registered pharmacist ( R.Ph. ), which only received a BS in pharmacy before applying the Pharm. as the standard for pharmacists. I do not know much about Pharm online. program, but I am very skeptical about these programs as pharmacy school is very strict with lots of hands-on labs , which would be impossible to do online . pharmacists are technically doctors ( Dr), but many choose to simply place the " Pharm. title after their names.
single
There is no obligation or restriction degrees in pharmacy school . Many students choose to pursue majors biological, chemical , since many of the prerequisites for pharmacy are the requirements for the major. Other students pursue a wide variety of specialties (business, art , psychology, economics , engineering, etc. ) before starting his career in pharmacy. Ultimately , the success of precedent is what really matters , however, the choice of a biology or chemistry ( major or similar) can give you a more solid scientific training to prepare the material presented to you at school pharmacy .
PharmCAS
PharmCAS ( Pharmacy College Application Service ) is the " centralized service application for candidates. "Although most pharmacy schools use this service , there are some pharmacy schools that choose not to use PharmCAS . Students use PharmCAS submit letter of recommendations (made either online or on paper), transcripts , a personal statement, and additional information. This service is not free , and you'll pay $ 140 for the first school of pharmacy and $ 40 for each pharmacy school after . It is important to note that some pharmacy schools require that you send in the application directly to them , in addition to sending it to PharmCAS .
additional demand
Many schools and also require an additional expense in addition to the request PharmCAS application. Additional demand generally contains essays which gives a clearer picture of the candidate and their suitability for a pharmacy school . PharmCAS has an information of the School of Pharmacy , which lists all pharmacy schools and requirements of specific applications page.
interview
Each pharmacy school requires the infamous interview to assess their form for your program process. Although the weight of the interview varies from one school to another, the performance is itself an important interview for admission to pharmacy schools factor .
Prerequisites
Prerequisites vary greatly from school to school . You can also find through the list provided by the PharmCAS school for more information about requirements . You can apply pharmacy programs before completing all its conditions , but must be completed prior to registration. For exact course equivalencies (exact number of your current institution) , check if the school you are applying to a site that allows you to check to see the exact course numbers from different schools . I know that USC and UOP are available for students. UCSF and UCSD courses equivalence contained in Assist.org .
Prerequisites can be considered an institution or a community college. If you already have a degree, it is cheaper to attend a community college to knock out all your requirements. If you are currently enrolled as a student at the university, it is usually good to take pre-university requirements , however, you do not want to look like he was dodging all course requirements difficult .
PCAT
The PCAT is " proof of admission to the Faculty of Pharmacy. " Not all pharmacy schools require the PCAT (14 pharmacy schools that do not require the use PharmCAS , my other article listed these schools). Cover material in the PCAT as described in the APCA website : The PCAT is divided into separate , or subtests , each of which is separately synchronized sections. During the time allotted for each sub- test is allowed to work in this article . Will not be allowed to return to the earlier subtests or later. When you work on each section, you may find it helpful to start by answering the questions that are easy for you , ignoring these questions you will need to return to a thought . There are six content areas measured by the PCAT in seven ( 7) separate subtests :
o Verbal Ability section
o Biology Section
o The section of reading comprehension
o Quantitative Ability section
o Section of Chemistry
o Testing ( 2)
AMP
Your GPA ( and science in general) is the most important aspect of your application profile . Each school has different standards in public procurement , and schools page navigation PharmCAS pharmacy you can get an idea of what they expect the schools of pharmacy . Remember that GPA means that students are accepted averages below and above this value. Schools vary in the way they consider the score classes resume , so you should contact the admission pharmacy school office for more information .
Letter of recommendation
It requires one to four letters of recommendation in the application process for pharmacy schools . Schools differ in that they accept letters of recommendation , it is important to know what pages display profile acceptable on PharmCAS school. In general, the receipt of letters of reference for the pharmaceutical sciences and who know their ability and potential to be the most personally beneficial.
Pharmacy school funding
Like other professional qualifications funding your way to a doctorate in pharmacy. is significantly more expensive than undergraduate programs . Government grants that you have received for their undergraduate program usually is no longer available , if you pay tuition fees depends primarily on student loans . Be sure to ask your FAFSA before the deadline , it is considered by some government loans . It is also a good idea to apply national , school, business, online , and local grants. Any money that is available to pay your tuition fees means less money you have to pay interest for the loan. Even a $ 1,000 scholarship will reduce the loan amount of $ 1,000, with all the interest you would have paid over the term of the loan. I'll give you a list of scholarships that are available in the near future.
pharmacy experience
Although the experience of the pharmacy is not an admission to pharmacy school if working in a pharmacy is a good way to strengthen your resume and also get an idea of what working in a pharmacy. You can also consider licensing pharmacy technician so that you can give more responsibilities within the pharmacy. See if students accepted in different schools of pharmacy have work experience or profiles pharmacy technician license pharmacy find candidates .
double degrees
In addition to the Pharm . , Some students may obtain an additional degree (MBA , JD , Ph.D. , MPH, etc. ) in order to occupy specific niches in the world of pharmacy. You can verify that the pharmacy schools offer dual degree programs in PharmApplicants.com ( Links - > Dual Degree Graphic ) . If you are interested in any of these programs, you should start by researching the websites of pharmacy school or the admissions office of the school of pharmacy for details . It is expected that the additional requirements ( such as letters and other GMAT reference ) for most of these programs . In some colleges, dual degree programs can eliminate your summer vacation or resort to one year from the class of pharmacy, getting their additional degree before returning to his studies in pharmacy.