The Pharmacy Disadvantage?

[Guest RD7]

I'll be applying to university next year, and I'm having trouble deciding which university would be best for me. I'll be applying to the 2 BC Lower Mainland schools (UBC and SFU) - 2 VERY different schools. SFU's Pros: size (not too big, not too small), and the fact that most of my friends prefer SFU over UBC makes me want to go to SFU. SFU's Cons: No indoor tennis courts (hehe, not a biggie but it's nice to be able to play during winter), and no Pharmacy program - a program offered by UBC. UBC is enticing only because of the pharm program (that and the Coast Club).

 

Pharmacy is a huge pro for UBC. My question is: will majoring in pharmacy hurt my chances of accepted into med school? I've heard that admissions people frown on students using pharmacy as a backup. Med school is my goal but pharmacy is a very good backup.

 

Thanks!

David Lam

 

PS: Great Website and Bulletin Board, Ian! I've been following it for over a year now and it's the best out there bar none, especially for a Canadian interested in med school such as myself.

[Guest Ian Wong]

Here's something I've learned in the past little while, now that I actually have some friends in the Pharmacy program who are not in med school.

 

Pharm school is HARD! Not many pharmacists end up getting into med school. As far as I'm aware, in our combined Med/Dent class, there are six Pharm people in a med class of 120, and another two in the dent class of 40. Therefore, eight Pharm people total out of 160. While this sounds not too bad, you should remember that the people in this group came from at least five different years of UBC pharmacy classes. All but one completed their BSc. Pharmacy, and I think two of them went on to complete hospital residencies in Pharmacy.

 

Therefore, in order to get into med school post-pharmacy, you really need to be near the top of your class, and in fact, one of the Pharmacy guys in our class graduated #1 in his Pharmacy class.

 

I do think Pharmacy, with the possible expection of Physiology, is the strongest major that gives a wide background of what you'll be expected to know in medical school. Pharmacy works its students really hard, and a very large proportion of your class is actually pre-med/pre-dent in disguise, so there will plenty of competition to go around.

 

The Pharm guys know their stuff really well, but it isn't as though they have a monopoly on knowledge. They just have to work a little less now, because they've put in so much more effort before.

 

I think the most important question is whether you can see yourself being satisfied with Pharmacy as a career. If not, you are unlikely to enjoy yourself in the program. I faced the exact same decision as you when I started university. My parents thought pharmacy would be a great idea, but I decided that I would be very unhappy in that program, and chose to stick with Biology.

 

My way was pretty risky, because I didn't really have a backup plan. What I did have, was a hell of a lot of self-confidence (read: arrogance) that I was going to get in no matter what. However, I'm completely certain that even if I had entered Pharmacy, that there isn't any chance that I'd be happy practicing as one. You need to decide for yourself what you want for a career. As you can see, it isn't impossible to enter medicine through Pharmacy, but it will take a lot of work, and plenty of high marks.

 

Ian

UBC, MS2

[Guest mango]

I would like to reply to RD7's question regarding the pharmacy program at UBC. I am actually a graduate of that program, and so I know first hand what it's like. Ian is right, it is HARD. And probably 50% of the class, although they won't admit it, is thinking about med school, but using pharmacy as a backup. You'd be surprised how many classmates you will see at the MCATs.

 

One important thing you have to consider is, whether you will like pharmacy "in case" you won't get in. I know that there are professors in the faculty that frown upon people using pharmacy as their backup when their ultimate goal is medicine. Therefore, you won't have an easy time finding a professor who will write a good reference for you, even though there are some that will (you just have to find out who they are). Pharmacy is also harder to get in now, than when I first applied. You have to write the PCAT's (which is a dummy version of the MCAT), get reference letters, write an essay, plus have an interview. Why waste your energy and money on getting into a faculty you're not really interested in?

 

I worked for 3 years as a pharmacy technician and 1 year as a pharmacist after graduation. Although the money is good, I HATED it. I am now in law school. Big change, I know, but I had never wanted to get into medicine, therefore I was never that pressured to do well. It will be hard to get to the top of the class, because a lot of people in there will have the same medical dream in mind.

 

I don't mean to sound discouraging, but that's the reality of it. Please think about it first before you make your decision. The Pharmacy faculty is a great faculty, with great profs, and it has a great atmosphere, but the profession itself is not that great in my opinion. Mind you, some of my friends love it. It's not for everyone, but it might be for you.