Pre-Pharmacy Society Second General Body Meeting October 13, 2008 umdprepharm@gmail.com

1. Pre-Pharmacy Society Second General Body Meeting October 13, 2008 umdprepharm@gmail.com

2. Agenda • Welcome! • Current Pharmaceutical Issue • Upcoming Events: Picnic, T-shirt Sales, Community Service • 2+4 Year Program and 4+4 Year Program • Pre-Requisite Courses • PCAT • Schools • PharmCAS • Tips • Question and Answer Session

3. Stimulant Use Among Professional Students* • Smart Study Aid or Unfair Advantage? • Amphetamines (Adderall) • Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) • Medications obtained by: • Legal prescription through a diagnosis of ADHD • From classmates • By buying them illegally How do YOU feel about this? *Information pulled from studentdoctor.net

4. Upcoming Events • Oct 27: UMB Admissions • Nov 10: Personal Statement Workshop • November 24: UMB Student Panel • Dec 8: Interview Essay/Interview Workshop • Next Semester: • Resume Workshop • Pharmacy Tech • Several Guest Speakers: Pharmacists • Mock Interview • Panel of UMB Faculty

5. T-Shirt Sales • Only $10 per shirt! Designed by Tina Nguyen

6. Newsletters Make sure to pick up a newsletter! First come first serve! Designed by Tina Nguyen

7. Remember… • Make sure you are on the Pre-Pharmacy Society list-serve • Email umdprepharm@gmail.com to be added • Join Pre-Pharmacy Society’s Facebook group to receive updates about meetings/events • Visit our website http://studentorg.umd.edu/prepharm • September 22 Presentation has been posted and today’s presentation will be posted either tonight or tomorrow

8. Picnic • October 23, 2008 (Thursday) 5-7 pm at LaPlata Beach • Great way to meet the OFFICERS and other MEMBERS • Meet our sponsor! • Great way to make new friends! • $6 PER PERSON • If interested, sign your name on the sheet

9. Picnic • Types of Sandwiches: • Turkey Breast (with Swiss Cheese) • Italian (Capricola, mortadella, pepperoni, salami, & provolone cheese) • Vegetarian (Fresh mushrooms, Swiss, provolone & American Cheese • Chicken salad (with Provolone cheese)

10. Active Membership Requirement • 3 Meetings and 3 hours of community service per semester • Attending more meetings and events are HIGHLY encouraged!

11. Community Service Events • Oct 29, 30: Bake Sale • Nov 21: Have Dinner with Pre-Pharmacy Society and help raise money for charity!

12. 2 Year and 4 Year Programs • Pharmacy Schools DO NOT require a Bachelor's Degree for admission • 2+4 year program • 4+4 year program • (3+4 year program also possible) • Students are offered admission before completing prerequisite coursework • Acceptance is conditional • Each school has different requirements

13. 2+4 Year Program Freshman Year • Maintain a good GPA • Join many extracurricular activities/organizations that interest you • Make a resume with all your current skills and activities • Find work experience if your schedule permits • Volunteer/ Shadow • If you have work/study- choose to work with a science professor’s research • Go to professor office hours, make/maintain relationships with professors after the semester for recommendations

14. 2+4 Year Program cont’d • Summer: • Take the June PCAT • Get in contact with professors (esp science) that you want recommendations from • Another recommendation from a volunteer/work experience is strongly recommended • Begin your application on PharmCAS

15. 2+4 Year Program cont’d • Sophomore Year • Keep maintaining a good GPA • Update your resume as needed • Have many people look over your personal statement for your application • Retake the PCAT in October if necessary • Submit PharmCAS and supplemental applications as soon as possible • Interviews occur in the spring • Maintain memberships in organizations that you joined • Apply for leadership positions within the organizations THEN RELAX!!

16. 4+4 Year Program • Freshman Year • Maintain a good GPA • Join many extracurricular activities/organizations that interest you • Make a resume with all your current skills and activities • Find work experience if your schedule permits • Make/maintain relationships with professors after the semester for recommendations

17. 4+4 Year Program cont’d • Sophomore Year • Maintain a good GPA • Update your resume as needed • Maintain memberships in organizations that you joined • Apply for leadership positions within the organizations

18. 4+4 Year Program cont’d • Junior Year • Maintain a good GPA and memberships in organizations • Update your resume as needed • By this time you should have some volunteer/shadow/work experience • Summer • Take the June PCAT • Get in contact with professors that you want recommendations from • A recommendation from a science professor is strongly needed • Begin your application on PharmCAS

19. 4+4 Year Program cont’d • Senior Year • Maintain a good GPA and memberships in organizations • Update your resume as needed • Have many people look over your personal statement for your application • Retake the PCAT in October if necessary • Submit PharmCAS and supplemental applications as soon as possible • Interviews occur in the spring • Maintain memberships in organizations that you joined • Apply for leadership positions within the organizations

20. Pharmacy School Pre-Requisite Courses

21. Pharmacy School Pre-Requisite Courses *BSCI201 is ONLY offered in FALL and BSCI202 is ONLY offered in SPRING *65 credits minimum for pre-requisite courses

22. PCAT Breakdown • Writing Sample (30 mins for 1 topic) • Conventions of Language- grammar • Problem Solving- convincing • Verbal ability (30 minutes for 48 questions) • Analogies – 60% • Sentence completion- 40% • Biology (30 minutes for 48 questions) • General biology- 60% • Microbiology- 20% • Human anatomy and physiology- 20% • Chemistry (30 minutes for 48 questions) • General chemistry- 60% • Organic chemistry – 40%

23. PCAT Breakdown ----------------------------------REST BREAK------------------------------------- • Writing sample (30 minutes for 1 topic) • Conventions of language – grammar • Problem solving – convincing • Reading comprehension (50 minutes for 48 questions on 6 passages) • Comprehension- 30% • Analysis- 40% • Evaluation- 30% • Quantitative Ability (40 minutes for 48 questions) • Basic math- 15% • Algebra- 20% • Probability and statistics- 20% • Precalculus- 22% • Calculus- 22%

24. PCAT Test Dates *NOT ACCEPTED FOR FALL 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 8:59 PM

25. Registering for PCATs www.pcatweb.info⟶LOGIN

26. Registering for PCATs

27. Registering for PCATs MAKE SURE PHARMCAS (CODE 104) IS ONE OF YOUR SCORE RECIPIENTS!

28. Schools Schools may consider the following factors during the application process: • Academic rigor • Extra curricular activities • Enthusiasm • GPA (overall, science, math) • Interview quality • Leadership • PCAT score • Personal motivation for pharmacy • Pharmacy experience • Recommendations • Research opportunities • Special achievements • Volunteer work

29. Schools • Schools, tuition, acceptance rates can be found at: • http://www.aacp.org • 2008 Pharmacy School rankings as featured in U.S. News: • http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad/pha/search

30. Top 10 Schools 1. University of California--San Francisco 2. University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill 3. University of Minnesota 4. University of Texas—Austin 5. Ohio State University 5. University of Kentucky 5. University of Michigan--Ann Arbor 5. University of Washington 9. Purdue University 9. University of Arizona 9. University of Florida 9. University of Illinois—Chicago 9. University of Maryland—Baltimore 9. University of Wisconsin--Madison

31. Schools The following schools offer 3 year Pharm.D. programs. (Completion of college level prerequisites is required.) • Albany College of Pharmacy • Duquesne University • Ferris State University (a 3.5 year option is available to 4 year students) • Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine • Massachusetts - Worcester • Midwestern - Glendale • Pacific University • South University • University of Appalachia • University of the Pacific • University of Southern Nevada (formerly Nevada College of Pharmacy)

32. Schools The following schools offer 6 year Pharm.D. programs. No prior college coursework is required • Albany College of Pharmacy • Duquesne University • Florida A & M University • Hampton University • Massachusetts - Boston • Northeastern University • Ohio Northern University • Philadelphia • Rutgers University • St. John's University • St. Louis College of Pharmacy • University of Connecticut • University of Findlay • University of Missouri at Kansas City • University of Rhode Island • University of Texas at Austin

33. Schools • University of the Pacific offers a 5-year, or "2+3," Pharm.D. program to qualified first-time freshmen. They also offer a 6-year, or "3+3," Pharm.D. program to freshmen who do not meet the requirements for the "2+3" program. • The University of Pittsburgh offers a conditional admission to a limited number of high school seniors, and if the student proceeds to meet set criteria for the first two years of the pre-pharmacy program, he or she will advance directly into the professional program.

34. PharmCAS is a centralized application service provided by the American Association of College of Pharmacy (AACP) • www.pharmcas.org • Participating schools (~60) can be found:http://www.pharmcas.org/collegesschools/directoryalphastate.htm • Statistics about the last entering class, application criteria, program prerequisites, supplemental application information, deadlines, and other info can also be found on PharmCAS. • Schools not using PharmCAS must be contacted individually for application information.

35. Submission of documents • Application • Transcripts • Letter of recommendations • PCATs • Fee • $135 for one school • $40 for each additional • Supplemental application • Supplemental fee PharmCAS Pharmacy school

36. Letters of recommendation • Paper and electronic references accepted • Electronic (eLOR) is preferred • 3 recommendations per applicant • Check types of evaluators accepted by each school • Maryland does not accept recommendations from TAs, friends, and family • Information for other pharmacy schools can be found on PharmCAS website: http://www.pharmcas.org/docs/ReqTypebySchool.pdf

37. Deadlines • All applications and documents must be received by PharmCAS by the deadline for the school • Cannot e-submit once deadline is reached • Early decision • Applicant can only apply to one ED school • Denied ED applicant may apply to more schools • Accepted ED applicant cannot apply to other PharmCAS schools

38. How Does PharmCAS calculate your GPA?

39. Some Tips… • Work Experience: • It is not a requirement but does increase the competitiveness of your application. • For hospital pharmacies: • Calling the hospital personnel department about any open positions • Volunteering is a good start • For retail pharmacies: • Call or drop by stores that you are interested in. • Avoid calling during busy times • Be sure to dress as you would for a job interview and bring your resume.

40. Some More Tips… • Mention that you are interested in attending pharmacy school can give you an advantage over other candidates. • Be upfront, especially if you plan on asking your employer for a letter of reference during the application process.

41. More Tips… • Extracurricular activities may include health related, but with a strive to a leadership position •  Job shadowing: • Help you decide whether or not pharmacy is the right career path for you • You should contact pharmacists in your area, explain that you are thinking about pharmacy school and ask if they would be open to having you shadow them for a few hours or longer. • Know your schedule before you call, set a date over the phone if asked to. • Be ready to answer questions about your goals and interests.

42. What If I Don’t Get in?! Apply Again! Increase Your Chances by: • Reapplying early! Especially for the schools that have rolling admission. • Contact the school(s) to which you applied. • Take more classes. • If you have any C's, D's, or F's on your record, retake those classes. • Try to gain pharmacy experience if you are lacking it. • Apply to more schools. • If your PCAT score is not where you would like for it to be, retake the test. • Increase your volunteering activities. • Practice writing essays.

43. Emails/Websites • Main Pre-Pharmacy Society Website: • http://studentorg.umd.edu/prepharm/ • Pre-Pharmacy Society Email • umdprepharm@gmail.com

44. Question and Answer Session • The Executive Board is here to answer any questions you may have regarding: • Pre-requisite courses • PCAT • PharmCAS/ Application Process • Schools • Personal statements • Experience • Pharmacy Technician/ Certification • Interviews • Anything we covered either in this powerpoint or last meeting’s powerpoint • Or anything else you can think of!