Pre-Pharmacy

Admission Requirements for Pharmacy School
From the time you begin college, you are assembling a complete universal application to apply to these professional schools. Pharmacy schools will review your application as a whole; you can work with your advisors to provide a competitive application.

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.

College Major
You are not required to select a particular major in order to be eligible for admission to a pharmacy program.  In selecting a college major, consider how you will satisfactorily complete the prerequisite courses for your designated pharmacy program(s), in addition to the college/university's degree and major requirements. Work with your academic and/or pre-pharmacy advisor to plan your course schedule.​

You have the option to choose from a wide variety of undergraduate majors to prepare you for a pharmacy program.  Suggested undergraduate majors include Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology​, Psychology, and Neuroscience.

GPA
Most programs look for a minimum undergraduate cumulative 2.5 GPA but the average GPA for matriculates is a 3.5 cumulative and a 3.6 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.

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. To be admitted to a PharmD. program, you must have completed at least 3 years of specific professional study, which generally includes courses in: 

• Mathematics and natural sciences, such as chemistry, biology and physics
• Courses 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.

Certain basic requirements must be fulfilled before you can be accepted to pharmacy school. This is a GUIDE only. Students must consult with their advisors AND the appropriate pharmacy schools on a regular basis for revisions to course requirements and to identify and ensure completion of all required courses. These requirements include:

• 1 year General Chemistry with labs
• 1 year Organic Chemistry with labs
• 1 year Anatomy & Physiology
  
• 1 year Physics with labs
• 1 year Biology with labs
• 1 semester Genetics
  
• 1 semester Calculus & 1 semester of Statistics
• 1 semester English
• 1 semester Communication
• 1 semester of Biochemistry
• 1 semester of Economics

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 297,100 jobs in 2014. Pharmacists work in pharmacies, including those in grocery and drug stores. They also work in hospitals and clinics. 

Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 13 percent between 2014 and 2024, 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 2016 were $122,230.

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

•  American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

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
  

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 85% 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

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 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