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If I get a bachelor's of sciences, taking all of the courses needed to apply to a pharmacy school and I don't get in, what can I do then? What other career or other graduate school can I go into?
#college #pharmacy #pharmacist #medicine #degree #major #bachelor #health #science
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8 answers
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Adele’s Answer
Hi if you complete such a science bases undergraduate program you could apply for medical school and take the MCATS, apply to nursing school and do the accelerated program for students with BS degrees, or maybe look into teaching. If pharmacy is what you want re apply don't give up. During the wait maybe work in a pharmacy as a tech for the experience or in a hospital pharmacy. Often hospital have pharmacy techs and this would be a good bridge activity and learning experience. Good luck
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Amanda’s Answer
Sarah,
The advice above is really good, and advice in which I would seek. I think getting any hands-on experience in the industry before actually being immersed in the academic side is huge for seeing the long-term goal/plan in action. If your goal is pharmacy do not give up, and keep going for it. Apply as many times as needed until you get in. If you are close to graduating and don't want to change majors there are other graduate programs you can get into while waiting to apply again, or in the health and science field. I graduated with a bachelors in science and I was accepted into a Student Affairs Master's Program. It was a one-year program and I was able to obtain an assistantship which paid for my tuition, and while in the program I applied to a Doctorate program for the following year. This year got me in the mindset/head space for graduate education, while also giving me space and time to apply to doctorate programs.
I think best piece of advice is to not give up on your dream of pharmacy school and keep going!
Warm regards,
Mandy
The advice above is really good, and advice in which I would seek. I think getting any hands-on experience in the industry before actually being immersed in the academic side is huge for seeing the long-term goal/plan in action. If your goal is pharmacy do not give up, and keep going for it. Apply as many times as needed until you get in. If you are close to graduating and don't want to change majors there are other graduate programs you can get into while waiting to apply again, or in the health and science field. I graduated with a bachelors in science and I was accepted into a Student Affairs Master's Program. It was a one-year program and I was able to obtain an assistantship which paid for my tuition, and while in the program I applied to a Doctorate program for the following year. This year got me in the mindset/head space for graduate education, while also giving me space and time to apply to doctorate programs.
I think best piece of advice is to not give up on your dream of pharmacy school and keep going!
Warm regards,
Mandy
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Umar’s Answer
Hello, I work within the pharmaceutical industry and there are many paths within this industry that are attainable through various science degrees. If you do not pursue anything after bachelors (assuming you don't get into pharmacy school) then I would suggest entry-level/operational positions that Llarimar Maldonado suggested. However, if you do get your PharmD or Masters (public health, bioinformatics, health economics) you'll be able to advance more within the industry. There is no clear answer for these questions but I am happy to chat about your interests and help your perspective in anyway I can. Feel free to reach out.
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Michael’s Answer
You always have to have a goal to pursue to be successful. Just because one pharmacy school does not accept you for enrollment, it does not mean that all pharmacy schools will not accept you. Stay true to yourself and your passion. Now if your passion changes, and you decide you do not want to go to pharmacy school, just make sure that it is your decision and not due to some bad experience you had with someone from the pharmacy school’s admission’s office. You have the right to change your mind about your career and if it does not happen when you are starting out, it will certainly happen during your career. Things happen and things change. As for your question on what you can do with a Bachelor’s of Science degree, well, whatever you like. The degree does not make you qualified to become a pharmacist or any other profession. It is just a step, that makes you a more knowledgeable and rounded person. The certification is just that you completed enough course work to graduate. It is important to show that you can complete a goal of obtaining a four year degree from an accredited college, but it does not make you qualified for any one profession. On the other hand, it also makes you open to any profession that requires or does not require a college degree. You can still pursue any career you wish. I have a degree in Banking and Finance, but I’m in the Information Technology industry. I do not have a Computer Science degree or an Engineering degree, but yet, I find myself in the top 10% of my peers. With 25 years of experience in my career, I can tell you the following. You can pursue whatever you want with a Bachelor of Science degree. Just be passionate and/or dedicated to your life and set goals.
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Jesus G’s Answer
Maybe you can work in a Pharmacy as a pharmacy tech while you wait to apply again. I don't think you need Pharmacy school for that. That's a very general degree though, so without specializing you'll be on track to get into a career in retail, business, or education. Times are tough right now, so it may be well worth it to specialize and take it a step further. Maybe consider getting a Masters degree with a focus on research and development, it's already part of the Science world, and I have a feeling research and development will grow in near future.
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Llarimar’s Answer
I am advising in options within the pharmaceutical industry, you can apply to an entry-level job in a Quality Control laboratory and build your career from there. Have you thought about majoring in a specific discipline, like chemistry, biology or microbiology, and do other minor(s) that allow you to take the requisites for Pharm school? If this something you might want to do, as a plan B, doing this will increase your chances to get a better job. Currently, I am seeing a high- demand of microbiologist, FYI - I am not a microbiologist, so I am not trying to convince you to take that path. Hope this helps!
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Dinah’s Answer
I know getting rejected from a pharmacy is really tough and that this is what you wanted to do, but there are so many more opportunities with a Bachelor's degree in Science. There are so many avenues that can be taken like, community health, health management, informatics, nutrition sciences, public, health, sports medicine, etc. If you really want to stick to pharmacy, pharmaceutical sales or becoming a pharmaceutical representative is always a great start. Find something you really like or even research other avenues that you can take an interest in, which can really help.
If pharmacy is really what you want to do, retaking courses, improving your GPA, doing research, or even trying to get experience like becoming a pharmacy technician can really make your application much stronger. This can also really make your application stand out from many of the other applicants.
If pharmacy is really what you want to do, retaking courses, improving your GPA, doing research, or even trying to get experience like becoming a pharmacy technician can really make your application much stronger. This can also really make your application stand out from many of the other applicants.
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David’s Answer
A bachelor's degree is simply that, a bachelor's. It is a starting point for many, especially in the science realm. Post-graduation, you could enter the workforce and do something in (or not) the field (entry level lab roles, etc.) or you could go back to school for masters/phd/etc. to try to figure out what you might want to do if pharmacy school does not work out.