Pharmacy School - Frequently Asked Questions

No, it is not too late to consider this option. You may want to consider a post baccalaureate option to fulfill the pre-pharmacy requirements. Please go to this website that has in-depth information on post bacc programs. Make sure and check out the Pharmacy-Preparing page to find out information on the pre-requisite course requirements you need to fulfill.

Yes you can take some of your pre-reqs at a community college; however, it is best to do most at a four college. Some pre-reqs courses such as Speech can be taken at a Community College. Pharmacy schools are most interested in having you fulfill the pre-req requirements, so you have a couple strategies available. You can go to a formal post bacc program like the one at Mills College, or SF State, or you can design your own program; meaning that you can attend any four year institutions and fulfill the requirements at that institution or several institutions. One suggestion is to fulfill a required sequence at the same school; for example, if you have to take several chemistry courses take them all at the same institution. You should also take 2/3 Lab or Math based courses simultaneously to show the admission committee that you can "handle the load" required by Pharmacy school. You will have to check the different schools to find out when the post bacc programs begin. Yes you can take some of your pre-req courses here at Cal through the extension program if they are available.

Here is a website with the Pharmacy schools. There is no centralized website that lists all of the pre-reqs for each school, so you will have to check the website for each school, as you discovered, each school will have different requirements, and if that is a school you want to apply to, you must fulfill the additional requirements. The Pharmacy College Application Service, known as PharmCAS, will be available Spring 2003 for applicants wishing to apply to the 2004 Entering Class.

First, you can compare the recommended requirements by looking at both professions in the Career Center's Health Careers web section. Second, dial 642-1716 to make an appointment with a Health Career Counselor. Do read the web information above because you are expected to know the basics when meeting with a counselor. Meaning, our discussion with you goes deeper when you are more informed.

To find internships, you can try using CalJobs, try using the gold old yellow pages to contact pharmacies (retail, hospital), and try to participate in the on-campus student pharmacy club, PILLS, Pre-Pharmacy Informational Learning and Leadership Society.

The Career Center Health Careers web section has information on pharmacy school admissions that lists all the schools and their requirements. It also has addresses and phone numbers. I think you are wise to check with the schools that interest you as the schools can and do have different admissions policies and requirements change over time. To find humanities classes at Cal check out Letters and Sciences. Ask the UCB Rhetoric department about when course will be offered. Many Cal students take a rhetoric or speech class at a community college; this is perfectly fine according to the pharmacy schools.

Yes, electives may be taken P/NP, but I would limit the number of units I take that way as you want to be sure the schools know you can do well in non science courses too. So, taking some units that way is fine. Make a good judgment call, there is no rule. Look at your overall record and ask yourself does it clearly show your ability to do pharmacy school work.

There are several sources that suggest which Cal courses fulfill the pharmacy prerequisites both on the Career Center's Preparing for Pharmacy School page and on the Pre-Pharmacy Information Learning and Leadership Society (PILLS) Prerequisites page. However, the only way to be certain that an alternate course will fulfill the requirement is to contact the schools you wish to apply to. Try sending them an email with a course description and your question.

Electives may be taken P/NP, but I would limit the number of units I take that way as you want to be sure the schools know you can do well in non science courses too. Courses that are prerequisites for pharmacy schools (such as Psychology and Speech) should be taken for a grade. Since requirements vary, you should look at the requirements for each school. One of the places you can find these is in the Pharmacy School Admission Requirements book which can be found in the Career Center Info. Lab.

For most pharmacy schools you do not need to finish all of your prerequisites before submitting your application, only before you begin your classes there. However, some schools want you to have completed a certain percentage of them, and some have requirements for the amount that must be taken for a grade. The Pharmacy School Admission Requirements book can help you sort through the policies of the different schools.

Yes, USC does require these courses as pre-requisites. Look up USC's pre-pharmacy requirements in the Admissions Requirements section of their website. If you have further questions, contact USC School of Pharmacy.