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Pharmacists dispense prescription medications to patients and offer advice on their safe use.

Careers within the pharmaceutical field are diverse and provide many opportunities for challenging and rewarding service. There are six specialty areas:

• Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
• Nuclear Pharmacy
• Nutrition Support Pharmacy
• Oncology Pharmacy
• Pharmacotherapy
• Psychiatric Pharmacy
  
  

Admission Requirements for Pharmacy School

The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree requires the completion of a 4-year program at an accredited school of pharmacy. Some Pharm.D. graduates obtain further training through 1-year or 2-year residency programs or fellowships. All states require pharmacists to be licensed.

Education and Training

Pharm.D. programs generally take 4 years to complete. The courses offered are designed to teach you about all aspects of drug therapy. In addition to receiving classroom instruction, you will spend time working with licensed pharmacists in a variety of practice settings.

GPA

Most programs look for a minimum undergraduate cumulative 2.5 GPA but the average GPA for matriculates is a 3.7 cumulative and a 3.8 in the sciences. Keep in mind these numbers are averages and various schools can have their own averages that are higher or lower. Also, these averages are climbing higher each year and admission to pharmacy schools is more competitive than ever. Be sure you take your studies seriously and put in the proper time for reading, studying, and review for each course.

PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test)

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) endorses the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) as the official preferred admissions test for entrance to pharmacy school. Approximately two-thirds of U.S. colleges and schools of pharmacy require the PCAT for admission. You should aim to have a score in the 70th percentile in order to stay competitive.

Most students take this exam the summer before their senior year. In order to register for the PCAT you will need to complete the following:

• Register to take the PCAT: https://tpc-etesting.com/pcat/login.aspx
• Create a new user account
• Schedule a time to take the test
• Take the test
• Retain the unofficial score report after completing test

Quick Look at the PCAT

 

Where is the PCAT administered?

In several locations throughout Michigan, including:

• Big Rapids
• Dearborn
• Detroit
• Houghton
• Kalamazoo
• Rochester
• Sault Ste. Marie
  

What is the cost of the PCAT?

$150

How should you prepare for the PCAT?

• Begin at least 3 months before your test date
• Questions emphasize problem-solving abilities, not rote memorization
• Essential to obtain practice tests
  

Experience in Pharmacy

All applicants need to be aware that the Admissions Committee also views one’s knowledge of the profession of pharmacy to be of importance. You should consider shadowing a pharmacist to learn the daily objectives of the field. This will help you discover if this is truly the path for you. Having strong career experiences and life accomplishments will allow you to validate your professionalism and maturity, which are strongly considered in the application process.

Other qualifications. You should have scientific aptitude, good interpersonal skills and a desire to help others if you want to be a pharmacist. You also must be conscientious and pay close attention to detail, because the decisions you'll make affect human lives.

Michigan Pharmacy Schools

• Ferris State University – College of Pharmacy
• University of Michigan – College of Pharmacy
• Wayne State University – College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Applying to Pharmacy Schools

There is now a centralized application process for pharmacy school. You may file one application and send it to multiple pharmacy programs. Most Pharmacy Schools use the PharmCAS (Pharmacy Centralized Application Service) site as a centralized application site.

• To apply: http://www.pharmcas.org/
• Create a new account
• Submit your application accurately but early if possible
  
  

Course Requirements

The choice of an undergraduate major while preparing for pharmacy school is not especially critical for successful admission, but the selection of certain coursework and the right combination of sciences, social and behavioral sciences and electives is important.

The requirements for each PharmD. program will be significantly different. You will need to research each school you wish to apply to verify those requirements. To be admitted to a Pharm.D. program, you must have completed at least 2 years of specific professional study. This requirement generally includes courses in:

• Mathematics and natural sciences, such as chemistry, biology and physics
• Course in the humanities and social sciences

Most applicants have completed 3 or more years of college before moving on to a Pharm.D. program, although this is not specifically required.http://www.phy.cmich.edu/people/hirschi/PREOPT.handout.pdf

Certain basic requirements must be fulfilled before you can be accepted to pharmacy school. These requirements include:

• 1 year Inorganic Chemistry with labs
• 1 year Organic Chemistry with labs
• 1 year Physics with labs
• 1 year Biology with labs
• 1 year English
• 1 year Calculus
• 1 semester Anatomy

Below are the CMU courses we recommend to meet these requirements:

Some pharmacy schools may have additional courses required or recommended. Review the admission requirements of the pharmacy schools you plan on applying in advance.

All required courses must be taken for a grade. Each school has its own policy regarding AP credit. Usually, AP credit in these areas should be followed with additional upper level work in the discipline including labs.

Additional Courses

To further strengthen you application and your ability to succeed in pharmacy school, here are some additional CMU courses you could take:

 

Job Outlook

Pharmacists held about 274,900 jobs in 2010. About 65 percent worked in retail settings. About 22 percent worked in hospitals. A small proportion worked in mail-order and internet pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, offices of physicians and the federal government.

Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 25 percent between 2010 and 2020, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly people and scientific advances that lead to new drug products will continue to spur demand for pharmacists. Job prospects should be excellent.

 

Earnings

Median annual wages of pharmacists in May 2010 were $111,570.

 

Online Resources

For information on pharmacy as a career and programs offered by colleges of pharmacy:

• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacyhttp://www.optomcas.org/index.php?option=com_simplelists&view=simplelist&layout=hover&category_id=17&Itemid=29

Additional career information is available from:

• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
• National Association of Chain Drug Stores
• Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy
• American Pharmacists Association

Information on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) is available from:

• National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

 

Advisors

Pre-Health Professions Academic Advisor

Lisa E. Snider
Emmons Hall 136B
(989) 774-2711
snide1le@cmich.edu

Biology Faculty Advisor

Michelle Steinhilb
Brooks Hall 206A
989-774-1866
michelle.steinhilb@cmich.edu

Chemistry Faculty Advisor

Choon Lee
Dow Science Complex 343
(989) 774-3289
choon.young.lee@cmich.edu