Steps to Success: Preparing to Apply to Pharmacy School

Steps to Success: Preparing to Apply to Pharmacy School

Prehealth Advising Center for Community, Room N352 303-492-6541 prepro@colorado.edu Quick Facts: Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Is this career right for you? Degrees Do you pay close attention to detail? Are you a good listener? Would you enjoy educating patients and serving as an expert consultant to physicians? Are you patient? Are you good at delivering detailed instructions? Do you enjoy and understand the importance of chemistry and how it is practically applied? Pharm.D. Note: If your focus is on research rather than clinical pharmacy, you may want to consider a PhD program in pharmaceutical science instead of a PharmD program. Career Options The AACP's Pharmacy Is Right For Me (http://pharmacyforme.org/) website offers an excellent source of advice on the range of career options in pharmacy, which include: Community Practice: o Retail chain, independent community pharmacy, community health center, veterinary pharmacy, etc. Hospital Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Research & Development Academia Medical Communications Length of Professional Training Major Admissions Test It takes most people three to four years to complete the pre-pharmacy prerequisite coursework. Many pharmacy schools require only 90 hours of undergraduate coursework; they do not require an undergraduate degree. However, many people choose to earn a bachelor s degree in the process. Pharmacy school takes an additional four years, for a total of 7 to 8 years of higher education. You may choose ANY major as a pre-pharmacy student. Contrary to popular belief, you do not even need to choose a science major. Pharmacy schools seek applicants who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, have taken the prerequisite courses, and have done well in their coursework. The best major for you to choose will be the one YOU will find most interesting and challenging. PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) It is typical to dedicate about 300 hours to PCAT prep after competing all relevant coursework. Subject areas on PCAT: Biological Processes (all of the courses in Biology Option 1 or 2, plus Microbiology) Chemical Processes (General Chemistry 1 and 2, O Chem 1 and 2) Critical Reading (ability to read quickly for detail: comprehension, interpretation) Quantitative Reasoning (Algebra, Precalculus, Calculus, Statistics) Writing Health Issues (issues related to public health, medicine, nutrition, fitness, prevention, treatments, therapies, medications, drugs, attitudes) Science Issues (issues related to research, theories, findings, applications, controversies, education, attitudes) Social, Cultural, or Political Issues (issues related to beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, trends, laws, policies) 1

Timing of Application Most pharmacy schools conduct admissions on a rolling basis, which gives preference to candidates who apply early in the application season. For your best chance of acceptance in any application year, you should submit your common application by mid-september of the year before you intend to start pharmacy school. (Note: the PharmCAS application is released in mid-july each year.) Recommended timing: By mid-september: Submit PharmCAS common application By mid-september: Take PCAT (official scores released one month later) Within two weeks of being prompted to do so: Complete supplemental applications By mid-october: Letters of Recommendation submitted If you follow this recommended timeline, your entire application file will be complete at all of your schools no later than mid-october. That way, you will maximize the number of interview dates for which you can be considered and correspondingly improve your chances of admission. Reference Guide for School Selection Letters of Recommendation PharmCAS School Directory http://www.pharmcas.org/school-directory/#/pharmd/general-information Each pharmacy school sets its own requirements regarding the assortment of letters of recommendation that must be submitted. The following assortment is a common one: One from a CU Boulder faculty member, ideally one who has taught you in a science lecture or seminar course and thus can comment upon your intellectual engagement as a student. One from a supervisor from a work or volunteer experience who can attest to your intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. One from another faculty member or supervisor who can speak to your strengths. Examples: o If you have been working in a pharmacy, you may want to ask a clinical supervisor to speak to your knowledge of and commitment to the profession, as well as your communication style with patients and colleagues. o If you have been strongly involved in research, you may want to ask your P.I. to write this letter. o If you have a non-science major or minor (or even if you just loved learning about a certain non-science topic area), you may want to have a faculty member who taught you in a course in that department to write a letter that speaks to your intellectual engagement. 2

Prehealth Advising Center for Community, Room N352 303-492-6541 prepro@colorado.edu Reading List for Aspiring Healthcare Providers Stay up-to-date on current healthcare topics: The New York Times health section has current (and interesting!) articles on current health-related topics. Pre-dental: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/ Be aware of issues pertaining to health disparities and unequal access to health care Do an online search for Access to and Quality of Health Care, by José J. Escarce and Kanika Kapur, which summarizes the main factors that can prevent people from accessing health care. (Although they are focusing on Hispanics in the U.S., their statements apply to any group.) The CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Fact Sheet provides a comprehensive introduction to the main issues in the topic area of health disparities The CDC s Health Equity Blog provides a number of interesting readings on these topics Pre-dental: The ASDA has a great webpage on this topic: http://www.asdanet.org/barriers-tocare.aspx Be ready to discuss biomedical ethical topics Read A Practitioner s Guide to Ethical Decision Making, by Holly Forester-Miller and Thomas Davis for a solid introduction to this topic area (https://www.counseling.org/docs/ethics/practitioners_guide.pdf?sfvrsn=2). The University of Washington School of Medicine s Ethics in Medicine website discusses each of the hot topics in biomedical ethics The AMA Journal of Ethics releases an issue each month that delves into a variety of specific biomedical ethical topics Pre-dental: A great overview of dentistry-specific ethical questions is available at: http://www.acd.org/ethicshandbook.htm Affordable Care Act (need to understand if your field is affected) Be conversationally familiar with the main provisions in the act and the rationale behind them. Start here for a balanced introduction to this topic: http://healthcarereform.procon.org/ Pre-dental: The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) has created a useful webpage that discusses this topic: http://www.asdanet.org/affordable-care-act/ (I recommend reading some of the articles they cite). Additional topic area for pre-dental students: Be aware of the relationships between oral health and systemic health: As a starting point, this webpage provides a general overview: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthylifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20047475?pg=2. Next, search for more information on topics that interest you on the ADA website: http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics - 3 -

Core Competencies for Prehealth Students (Adapted from the AAMCs list of core competencies for entering medical students) Prehealth Advising Center for Community, Room N352 303-492-6541 prepro@colorado.edu Educated Career Choice: Realistically acknowledges the responsibilities, challenges, and rewards inherent to the profession, as informed by recent shadowing experiences with healthcare professionals and recent history of patient interaction in clinical settings. Demonstrates awareness of current events (scientific and political) that are shaping healthcare. Demonstrates motivation and commitment to a lifetime in intended career. Competencies in Thinking, Reasoning, and Relevant Knowledge: Critical Thinking: Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. Scientific Inquiry: Applies knowledge of the scientific process to integrate and synthesize information, solve problems and formulate research questions and hypotheses; uses the language of the sciences to participate in the discourse of science and explain how scientific knowledge is discovered and validated. Quantitative Reasoning: Applies quantitative reasoning to describe or explain phenomena in the natural world. Written Communication: Effectively conveys information to others using written words and sentences. Interpersonal Competencies Service Orientation: Demonstrates a desire to help others and a sensitivity to others needs and feelings. Demonstrates a desire to alleviate others distress. Recognizes and acts on personal responsibility to society: locally, nationally, and globally. Social Skills: Demonstrates awareness of others needs, goals, feelings. Recognizes the ways social and behavioral cues affect peoples interactions and behaviors. Adjusts behaviors appropriately in response to these cues. Treats others with respect. Cultural Sensitivity: Demonstrates sensitivity to the complexities of delivering quality healthcare to patients of diverse backgrounds. Demonstrates knowledge of social and cultural factors that affect interactions and behaviors. Shows an appreciation and respect for multiple dimensions of diversity. Engages diverse and competing perspectives as a resource for learning, citizenship, and work. Recognizes and appropriately addresses bias, both in self and others. Interacts effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. Effective Teamwork and Leadership: Works collaboratively with others to achieve shared goals. Shares information and knowledge with others. Puts team goals ahead of individual goals. Demonstrates insight into how to organize, motivate, and empower others to do their best work. Oral Communication: Effectively conveys information to others using spoken words and sentences. Listens effectively. Recognizes potential communication barriers and adjusts approach as needed. Intrapersonal Competencies Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others: Behaves in an honest and ethical manner. Cultivates personal and academic integrity. Adheres to ethical principles. Follows rules and procedures. Resists peer pressure to engage in unethical behavior. Encourages others to behave in honest and ethical ways. Develops and demonstrates ethical and moral reasoning. Reliability and Dependability: Consistently fulfills obligations in a timely and satisfactory manner. Takes responsibility for personal actions and performance. Resilience and Adaptability: Demonstrates tolerance of stressful or changing environments or situations and adapts effectively to them. Is persistent, even under difficult situations. Recovers from setbacks. Capacity for Improvement: Sets goals for continuous improvement. Engages in reflective practice for improvement. Solicits and responds appropriately to feedback. Science Competencies Living Systems: Applies knowledge and skill in the natural sciences to solve problems related to molecular and macro systems including biomolecules, molecules, cells, and organs. Human Behavior: Applies knowledge of the self, others, and social systems to solve problems related to the psychological, socio-cultural, and biological factors that influence health and well-being. 4

Pre-Health Self-Assessment and Planning Document This document is intended for your own personal use, to assist with goal-setting and reflection. 1. Academics A. Academics: Your goal is to aim for consistently earning all As and Bs, with more As than Bs. If you see this as a challenging goal, what is your plan for addressing academic challenges? B. How do you plan to go beyond the basic requirements for completing your undergraduate degree and to show intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and/or problem solving? (Note: this answer will evolve over time.) 2. Learning about the professions that interest you/learning to interact effectively with patients A. Have you shadowed any health care professionals? If so, have you been keeping a list of whom you ve shadowed (include specialty), beginning and end dates, and hours with each person? (If you haven t been making such a list, make it now.) If you have plans for new/additional shadowing, list them here. 5

B. Have you recently spent time interacting directly with patients in a clinical setting (either paid or volunteer work)? If so, have you been keeping a list of each position, beginning and end dates, average hours/week, and your role? (If you haven t been making such a list, make it now.) If you have plans for new/additional direct patient contact, write it here. C. Are you keeping abreast of current health care issues (including current events, health care policy changes and ethics issues)? If so, how? If not, what is your plan to educate yourself on these topics? D. What are the key factors that are drawing you to a career in your chosen profession? (Note: this answer will evolve over time, becoming more specific as you have more clinical experiences and more time to reflect on them.) 3. Cultivating relevant personal skills/traits A. Expressing your desire to help others/your compassion for others a. What service-based, non-clinical roles have you held (volunteer or paid)? These can include retail/restaurant jobs, teaching/tutoring, direct service to others as a volunteer, etc. (Include beginning and end dates, average hours/week, brief description of responsibilities) b. What is your plan to continue growth in this area? 6

B. Cross-cultural sensitivity a. What you are doing or have done to learn about people whose life circumstances are very different than your own? b. What is your plan to continue growth in this area? C. Insights into effective leadership a. Have you had the opportunity to develop your ability to serve as a leader and motivator of others? If so, list your leadership positions (title, beginning and end dates, average hours/week, brief description of responsibilities) b. What is your plan to continue growth in this area? D. Insights into effective teamwork a. Have you had the opportunity to work together with peers, as a team of equals, to achieve a common goal? If so, list your teamwork positions (title, beginning and end dates, average hours/week, brief description of responsibilities) b. What is your plan to continue growth in this area? 7

E. Expressing your intellectual curiosity and engaging in critical thinking Are you actively participating in research? (Or have you in the past?) If so, what is your plan for making this work as intellectually rewarding as possible? If not, write down your plan to reach out for research opportunities or to express your intellectual curiosity in some other way. F. Other Employment a. What other post-high-school jobs have you held that call upon skills/strengths that are relevant to your future work in healthcare (i.e., interpersonal communication skills, time management, attention to detail, etc.)? G. Work-life balance a. What do you do for fun and/or to reduce stress? b. Is there a new activity you d like to try this year? 8

4. Disadvantaged status: If you can answer yes to any of these questions, let your prehealth advisor know. You are likely eligible for special prehealth pipeline programs and perhaps for fee assistance programs when you go through the professional school application process. A. Are you a member of a racial/ethnic group that has been historically underrepresented in careers in healthcare? (African Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans (American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), Pacific Islanders, and mainland Puerto Ricans) B. Are you disadvantaged economically? (Typically defined as being a member of a family with total annual income that is no more than three times the national poverty level for a family of a given size.) C. Did you grow up in a rural/medically-underserved community? D. Are you a first-generation college student? 9