Today I found out I was waitlisted from the other school I had an interview with this past month. That makes one deferral and one waitlist for those counting at home.
I know what some of you are thinking. I'm not out of it yet and it's better than being reject, which I wholeheartedly concede.
My question is what more do I have to do though? I know my grades from my first two years sucked. I have been spending every waking moment since then trying to make up for it. And ya know what, I am utterly exhausted. I cringed at the fact that I will now, for certain, have to come back in the spring after I graduated to take a class for another school's pre-req. I was immensely looking forward to a nine month break from studying, but alas that is not the case.
They asked me to bring my grades up to show an upward trend. I'd think a GPA of 3.5 over the last 60 credits would do that.
They asked me to have volunteer work on my application. I'd think volunteering at a hospital pharmacy a couple hours per week for six months would have done that.
They asked me to ace the PCAT. I think a 94 is a pretty damn good score if you ask me.
They asked me to do research. I think a year's worth of research that not only will be published, but has shed a new angle on the field it was in, would be enough.
They were worried I may not be able to handle the stress and amount of work involved in pharmacy school? How about the fact that since September 2007 I have either been in class nearly all year and/or studying for the PCAT? Oh and I got married during that period as well.
On top of all of this I have had at least 16 credits per semester, worked 35 hours a week, tutored a person or two on chemistry, and done every other damn thing they wanted. My experience is probably unlike 99% of the other applicants out there. Seriously, what person redesigns a pharmacy when they're 22 years old? I know where the profession has been, where it is, and where it is going.
And yet here I am, awaiting a decision for another five months. Yes I have started growing bitter about the whole situation. The last several years I have sat idly by as my friends went out for the night or on trips while I had to stay behind to focus either on school or paying for school.
Would you think I've sacrificed enough during that period? My wife is probably the only thing that's kept me sane the past few years.
I know this is not the end of the road, but these two schools were my most likely to get into schools. To say this is a kick in the nuts may be the understatement of the year.
I get kicked down, I get back up and go even harder. Kicked down again, bounce back even higher. Its gotten to the point where there's not much to bounce back too.
So I ask, just what the hell more do I have to do?
8 comments:
Pharmacy school acceptance is beginning to look like more of a numbers game than I expected. PCAT scores and GPA seems to be much more highly weighted than everything else.
Just keep your head up, bro. If possible, try to make them know that you're still highly interested in attending their program.
This is that competition 'they' said would come around when 'Doctor of Pharmacy' was the entry-level degree.
Your preparation sounds excellent to me, someone in the profession more than a couple decades. Have no advice except 'persevere' if this is really what you want to do.
I graduated high school and went for 'pre-pharmacy' courses at the local community college to get up to par with required knowledge, and establish an academic record. Decades ago, SAT or ACT scores weren't even required to get into college. I got right in on a June application to one of my first schools. Incidentally, it had one of the lower turn-away rates. At the the time I didn't know it wasn't a top-ranked school. I chose it for a student population similar to where I came from; small and personable. My teachers were great educators and taught material to provide a solid instructional program. Within the program, it was pretty competitive to do well and master the content.
Pharmacy curriculum is pretty basic (and exhaustive!). College acceptance is the door to pharmacy school. Sometimes the gatekeeper looks more favorably on having a first degree. In my class, there were very few coming straight from high school, and those that did usually had a parent as a shop owner. In my class, there were nurses, chemistry teachers, biologists, a med tech, country singer, dental tech, a couple pre-med students, an amateur boxer, a law student, and me an art student turned pharmacy student.
After an advanced pharmacy program after school graduation, I worked a few more years than stared the educational process for an advanced degree. As a student, it seemed there was no reason to tie myself to family life in a particular location (college town) until the first real job comes along. Going to wherever the 'class' was located was a matter I have always remained flexible.
I know exactly where you're at, because it's where I was last year. Down to the mediocre GPA and way too much pharmacy experience for any more to make a difference.
I could have told you you were going to be waitlisted, because first round acceptances are for people with 3.75+ GPAs alongside their 90+ PCATs. The fact that they interviewed you so early is actually a positive sign. I got an email in January from the school I am currently attending (after I had given up on them giving me an interview) saying that they needed extra time to evaluate my transcript, an interview invite in April, a waitlist invitation in June, and an acceptance in August two days before class started. It's perfectly common.
I'll fight to the death with anyone that there are people with 3.0 GPAs who deserve to be in pharmacy school. They're few and far between, and they're waitlist candidates to start off, but if they have a good reason for their GPA, and their other categories are strong, ADCOMS recognize this.
If you're still waitlisted in June, then you can start getting bitter. I ended up throwing a hail mary at the end of July - I sent my school a letter basically saying "this is why I'm awesome," talking about the profession, the need to have more than an ability to study to succeed, and my motivations for being a pharmacist, and it apparently worked. I'd be more than happy to show it to you if you'd be interested.
You're going to be a damn good pharmacist if what I read from you is any indication. And it's discouraging to watch a number of chucklefuck interns pass through your store with no people skills or interest in developing them. But as soon as you give up on yourself, you can't expect an ADCOM to consider you as well.
Hey,I am a P! in pharmacy school at a private university. My GPA was 3.1, with a PCAT of 82. I was not waitlisted, but accepted to 2 of my choices. I think the interview made the largest difference. You have impressive credentials, and you seem like a really smart guy. If I can get in you can too. Incidentally, my sister is also a P1 at the same school, and she WAS waitlisted. Until the Friday before school started. She made sure to stay within their sights, and I think that helped a lot. My suggestion: as a followup, send a handwritten thank you note. It will make you stand out. Thank them for the opportunity, their hospitality, and let them know what about the school excites you. It is also a ggod chance to let them know you are still striving. It will be appreciated, and it is one thing my interviewer remembers about me, a year later.
Good luck!
Good luck. Wish I could say more.
I think it's crappy that you're stuck on the wait list, given your motivation and qualifications. But it's still early in the interview process. (I didn't even get called for an interview until February.) So wait list or not, that they checked you out at all this early is a good sign. Just hold on a little longer and hopefully some good news will come your way.
I know how you're feeling, that's for sure. My story is like the Cynical Intern's - I got in at the last possible moment and had to relocate in under a week. What was getting my goat though was that if I were put up against a student whose credentials were identical to mine, but that student had some "diversity factor" (I'm specifically talking about ethnicity, but there are obviously others), they would get accepted over me because I'm a middle-class white woman. I feel I must state that I am not at all racist and enjoy diversity, but don't think that it should matter on a paper application. It is almost reverse racism.
Wish you the best, and hang in there!
I usually send out thank you cards after the interviews.
athena09
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