PRE-PHARMACY

Admission to pharmacy school is a highly competitive process.  It is vitally important that students who want to pursue a pharmacy degree thoroughly prepare themselves to be competitive applicants during the undergraduate years.

GPA AND GRE

GPA is a vital part of your application to pharmacy school. Students should have a GPA of 3.2 or higher to be competitive. Pharmacy schools will consider your prerequisite GPA and cumulative GPA.

The PCAT is a standardized examination required as part of your application to pharmacy school. It is a very challenging exam that requires extensive preparation in the form of review and practice. The PCAT is administered by Harcourt Assessment, Inc. with specific information on the exam available at www.pcatweb.info . You should visit this site periodically to stay informed on updates and general information on the exam.

The PCAT consists of the following subtests:

• Verbal Ability
• Biology
• Reading Comprehension
• Quantitative Ability
• Chemistry
• 2 Written Essays

Your scores will receive a scaled (numerical) score and a percentile score for each of the individual multiple-choice subtests as well as a composite score.  The scaled scores for the multiple-choice subtests range from 200 to 600, with a mean of 400.  You will also receive a separate score for the written essays, which ranges from 1 (weak) to 5 (superior).  The average score for students accepted at the University of Utah is the 90^th percentile for the composite score.

LOCAL PHARMACY SCHOOLS

There are 2 pharmacy schools in the state of Utah.  Each school has different requirements for admissions.  It is recommended that students review the websites of each institution for the most current information.

U of Utah College of Pharmacy:

The UU College of Pharmacy is a public pharmacy school.  Admission is based on GPA, PCAT, pharmacy experience, letters of recommendation and a personal interview.  The UU College of Pharmacy does not participate in PharmCAS.  For information, go to the University of Utah College of Pharmacy website at www.pharmacy.utah.edu.

University of Southern Nevada:

USN is a private pharmacy school with campuses in Henderson, NV and South Jordan, UT.  The program is 3 years in length and admission is based primarily on GPA and a personal interview.  The PCAT, pharmacy experience and letters of recommendation are not required.  For information, go to the University of Southern Nevada website at www.usn.edu/pharmacy/pharmacy.

Additional US Pharmacy Schools:

Go to PharmCAS.org for information on pharmacy schools throughout the US.

PREREQUISITE COURSES

Most pharmacy schools require at least 60-90 semester hours of coursework that includes specific prerequisite courses before matriculation into pharmacy school. Most students will spend 3-4 years completing the prerequisites.  The purpose of these courses is to build a strong foundation of science knowledge that is necessary to succeed in pharmacy school and as a pharmacist.  Getting a good grade is important, but it is just as important that you learn the information. These courses don't necessarily need to be completed before applying, but they are extremely important for PCAT preparation and should be complete or near completion by the time you take the test.

NOTE: Pharmacy schools determine their own individual requirements. The courses listed below are a general guideline to help you prepare for pharmacy school application and the PCAT. Refer to PharmCAS.org and the individual school's website to determine the specific requirements for each institution.

Required by pharmacy schools in Utah with a grade of C or better:

• Intro to Writing: ENGL 1010
• Intermediate Writing: ENGL 2020 (Grade of B or better is required. 2010 is not acceptable)
• Public Speaking: COMM 1020 (Required by USN with a grade of B or better)
• College Biology I with lab: BIOL 1610/1615
• Human Anatomy: ZOOL 2320
• Human Physiology: ZOOL 2420
• Microbiology for Health Professions: MICR 2060
• Principles of Chemistry I and II with labs: CHEM 1210/1215 and 1220/1225
• Organic Chemistry I and II with labs: CHEM 2310/2315 and 2320/2325
• Physics I with lab: PHYS 2010/2015 or 2210/2215
• Physics II with lab: PHYS 2020/2025 or 2220/2225 (Required by University of Utah)
• Calculus I: MATH 1210
• Calculus II: MATH 1220 (Required by University of Utah)
• Additional General Education requirements for University of Utah may be fulfilled by completing an AS or AA degree.

In addition, some schools outside of Utah require the following courses:

• College Biology II with lab: BIOL 1620/1625
• Principles of Statistics: MATH 2040
• General Psychology: PSY 1010
• Economics: ECON 2010 or 2020

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

It is important to be involved in activities outside of the classroom in order to be competitive for admission into pharmacy school. Pharmacy schools will want to specifically see pharmacy experience and volunteer service.

• Pharmacy Experience: 60 hours shadowing or working as a Pharmacy Tech. Applicants should gain exposure to the field of pharmacy through shadowing or working as a pharmacy technician. You should shadow pharmacists in different settings to gain a diverse range of experiences.



• Volunteer Service: 45 hours during each of the pre-pharmacy years including the year of application. To be a strong applicant for pharmacy school you must show dedication to serving the community. Volunteer service can be done with any group or organization and does not have to be medically related. Being involved in 2-3 service opportunities will benefit you more than having several brief experiences.



• Leadership: 2 different leadership positions during the pre-pharmacy years. These should be experiences that have lasted at least 3 months or more. This includes experiences as tutors, mentors, coaches, teachers or leaders in campus clubs and organizations as well as employment and church leadership.



• Patient Contact: 50 hours during the pre-pharmacy years (required by University of Utah). Direct patient contact can be in the form of employment or volunteering and can take place in a variety of settings such as hospitals, assisted care facilities, clinics, etc. This shows admissions committees that you are comfortable around people who are sick or injured and have experienced some of the rewards and difficulties associated with patient interaction.