University Of British Columbia 2016 Applicants - Class Of 2020

[CDuke93]

You recieve an email which is connected to your UBC application. Did you check spam folder ect? It's important since your UBC SSC page won't change. It will still read "Ready for Review" even if you get an invite for an interview.ake sure there is indeed no email!

 

 

My prereq GPA was ~78% and my last 30c GPA was ~84%. Hope that helps!

 

Thanks for letting me know where your average were. It turns out I may take an extra two pre-req courses to bring the pre-req to 79-80% and 30c GPA to 93.6%.

 

I checked with Admissions; if you didn't receive an email, then the only email you'll receive is after April 3; either an invite if others turned their's down or a rejection letter. 

 

Does anyone know if people actually turn down their interview invitations??

[lhora101]

If you have any questions please feel free to reply to me in the thread I'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions. I'm just busy with exams at the moment as many of you probably are but I will do my best to get back to you. 

 

I all honesty to those of you who are applying as someone in the new Pharm D program I would recommend that you guys look at your options and go to other schools if you can. My year has lost about 11 individuals for various reasons, some academic, some personal. But still more than any professional program ever would. They discipline us in an unfair manner people have shown up to class and forgotten to sign in or the sky train has been down and the faculty still made them write essays that have gone on their permanent academic records. 

The faculty is full of people who want to push the field/profession forward yet are conditioning students to be scared of being late, sorry the profession won't be changing anytime soon when your students are scared of a tiny bit of disciplinary action. Day after day we do survey after survey (which is understandable since its a new program), but they have yet to listen to what we have to say, nothing has really changed since term one. The worst part is you fail a lab exam (less than 60 in one section of the lab exam you have to redo the entire term and you also fail a 15 credit course even though you could have been getting 90% in the modules). 

Everything is unorganized and nothing seems well put together you're taught a module in a week, at which point the end of module exam is 3-4 weeks later. You have no time to consistently review as you're trying to just go through your notes for the new material. They even push to the very last day of classes and expect you to know the material for the next exam. Unlike other degrees where previously taken courses will be credited this program doesn't off that. Even if you've taken electives that would be considered equivalent you're still going to have to take 15 credits of electives and you'll be paying the 400 per credit. They literally dump work on you day after day, you're in class from 8-5pm and then at that point study what you can before you do the same thing tomorrow, there are weekly quizzes for material you usually are catching up to learn. If you guys actually want to be proficient pharmacists and have other options take those instead remember you're spending 20k each year but more importantly you're spending 4 years of your life in this. Even though pharmacy in general will be hard it may at least be enjoyable at other universities. This isn't just how I feel a lot of individuals have expressed the concern/frustration about this program.

[lhora101]

If you have any questions please feel free to reply to me in the thread I'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions. I'm just busy with exams at the moment as many of you probably are but I will do my best to get back to you. 

 

I all honesty to those of you who are applying as someone in the new Pharm D program I would recommend that you guys look at your options and go to other schools if you can. My year has lost about 11 individuals for various reasons, some academic, some personal. But still more than any professional program ever would. They discipline us in an unfair manner people have shown up to class and forgotten to sign in or the sky train has been down and the faculty still made them write essays that have gone on their permanent academic records. 

 

The faculty is full of peoples who want to push the field/profession forward yet are conditioning students to be scared of being late, sorry the profession won't be changing anytime soon when your students are scared of a tiny bit of disciplinary action. Day after day we do survey after survey (which is understandable since its a new program), but they have yet to listen to what we have to say, nothing has really changed since term one. The worst part is you fail a lab exam (less than 60 in one section of the lab exam you have to redo the entire term and you also fail a 15 credit course even though you could have been getting 90% in the modules). 

 

Everything is unorganized and nothing seems well put together you're taught a module in a week, at which point the end of module exam is 3-4 weeks later. You have no time to consistently review as you're trying to just go through your notes for the new material. They even push to the very last day of classes and expect you to know the material for the next exam. Unlike other degrees where previously taken courses will be credited this program doesn't off that. Even if you've taken electives that would be considered equivalent you're still going to have to take 15 credits of electives and you'll be paying the 400 per credit. They literally dump work on you day after day, you're in class from 8-5pm and then at that point study what you can before you do the same thing tomorrow, there are weekly quizzes for material you usually are catching up to learn. If you guys actually want to be proficient pharmacists and have other options take those instead remember you're spending 20k each year but more importantly you're spending 4 years of your life in this. Even though pharmacy in general will be hard it may at least be enjoyable at other universities. This isn't just how I feel a lot of individuals have expressed the concern/frustration about this program.

For anyone asking about my gpa prereq's (don't know as I trasnferred between two universities and don't have my complete transcript on ubc ssc (80-85% ish). Last 30 credits 93%.

Volunteer: volunteered at hospital in the ER, also had some community pharm experience (nothing extensive just a few weeks)

References: one professor and pharmacist (don't know if they still ask for this).

Extra curriculum: always been in sports my entire life so hockey, basketball, and other clubs. 

PCAT: taken but not required for UBC any more

Inteview. I think it was 7mmi stations. Go online and practice the odd scenarios that you would never really think of (tonnes of online forums). The more prepared you are for questions that could throw you off the better off you will be (wear a watch to your interview helps you catch yourself rambling and keep track of time). 

[bcftw123]

If you have any questions please feel free to reply to me in the thread I'd be more than happy to answer any of your questions. I'm just busy with exams at the moment as many of you probably are but I will do my best to get back to you. 

 

I all honesty to those of you who are applying as someone in the new Pharm D program I would recommend that you guys look at your options and go to other schools if you can. My year has lost about 11 individuals for various reasons, some academic, some personal. But still more than any professional program ever would. They discipline us in an unfair manner people have shown up to class and forgotten to sign in or the sky train has been down and the faculty still made them write essays that have gone on their permanent academic records. 

 

The faculty is full of people who want to push the field/profession forward yet are conditioning students to be scared of being late, sorry the profession won't be changing anytime soon when your students are scared of a tiny bit of disciplinary action. Day after day we do survey after survey (which is understandable since its a new program), but they have yet to listen to what we have to say, nothing has really changed since term one. The worst part is you fail a lab exam (less than 60 in one section of the lab exam you have to redo the entire term and you also fail a 15 credit course even though you could have been getting 90% in the modules). 

 

Everything is unorganized and nothing seems well put together you're taught a module in a week, at which point the end of module exam is 3-4 weeks later. You have no time to consistently review as you're trying to just go through your notes for the new material. They even push to the very last day of classes and expect you to know the material for the next exam. Unlike other degrees where previously taken courses will be credited this program doesn't off that. Even if you've taken electives that would be considered equivalent you're still going to have to take 15 credits of electives and you'll be paying the 400 per credit. They literally dump work on you day after day, you're in class from 8-5pm and then at that point study what you can before you do the same thing tomorrow, there are weekly quizzes for material you usually are catching up to learn. If you guys actually want to be proficient pharmacists and have other options take those instead remember you're spending 20k each year but more importantly you're spending 4 years of your life in this. Even though pharmacy in general will be hard it may at least be enjoyable at other universities. This isn't just how I feel a lot of individuals have expressed the concern/frustration about this program.

 

Wow, that's pretty heavy. I wonder if this criticism is new to the pharm d program or whether the kids that gradded in the old bsc program also felt similarly. 

[bcereus]

I applied last year and got an interview offer on April 1 like the most of the applicants. I also graduated last year, with my last semester boosting up both my pre-req and overall GPA. No interview offer this year yet. Anyone have any idea as to why this happened? Should I call them to find out? Thanks in advance!

[devster117]

I applied last year and got an interview offer on April 1 like the most of the applicants. I also graduated last year, with my last semester boosting up both my pre-req and overall GPA. No interview offer this year yet. Anyone have any idea as to why this happened? Should I call them to find out? Thanks in advance!

 

Like others said, those of us that got interviews have until April 3rd to confirm. So the emails may come out in waves until then. Also, if people rejected their interview invite, they will roll out more invites to others after April 3rd. So don't expect a university rejection email until after that.

[stealthy1]

The program is new and inevitably there are and will be problems. UBC Med is entirely the same and their first class is similarly fraught with problems.

 

These are professional programs, and they expect that students have full idea of the workload they signed up for. The only disparity I can say between pharmacy and medicine is that medicine generally accepts students who have grinded more, so to speak, in terms of heavy academic loads and proportionately more have held degrees (though this may have changed).

 

In the end, the faculty is still trying to work things through, I'd imagine and things should only get better assuming the class is doing the surveys. Speaking from experience, third year is supposedly the information dump year, so perhaps there is a radical change. Who knows?

 

Finally, the statistics for entry will change as the program rolls along, once they either see how things are or enough problems are revealed. Again it's the first year. It's not gonna run well oiled.

[mollya1]

just out of curiosity, did anyone receive an email response to their interview confirmation beyond the automated one? I got an email on Wednesday that was letting me know my confirmation was received and I would hear back between 2-3 business days, but I haven't heard anything beyond that.

[_ _]

The program is new and inevitably there are and will be problems. UBC Med is entirely the same and their first class is similarly fraught with problems.

 

These are professional programs, and they expect that students have full idea of the workload they signed up for. The only disparity I can say between pharmacy and medicine is that medicine generally accepts students who have grinded more, so to speak, in terms of heavy academic loads and proportionately more have held degrees (though this may have changed).

 

In the end, the faculty is still trying to work things through, I'd imagine and things should only get better assuming the class is doing the surveys. Speaking from experience, third year is supposedly the information dump year, so perhaps there is a radical change. Who knows?

 

Finally, the statistics for entry will change as the program rolls along, once they either see how things are or enough problems are revealed. Again it's the first year. It's not gonna run well oiled.

Exactly. Especially with regards to the part about learning up until the day before an exam. I've heard of this happening at many medical schools and it's basically standard practice. It's expected to be more challenging, that's pat of why they want high GPA's from undergrad even more so than grad degrees. They need to ensure the class they select is ready and able to deal with the much faster pace

[exceed]

just out of curiosity, did anyone receive an email response to their interview confirmation beyond the automated one? I got an email on Wednesday that was letting me know my confirmation was received and I would hear back between 2-3 business days, but I haven't heard anything beyond that.

 

Nope, I'm still waiting for an actual reply as well :/

[NickS92]

Yeah I'm also waiting for a reply to the conformation email I sent back

[lhora101]

Wow, that's pretty heavy. I wonder if this criticism is new to the pharm d program or whether the kids that gradded in the old bsc program also felt similarly. 

Hey there, I can't say much about the other years but a lot of my friends who left pharm prior to the new program had also disliked the block system and how it was being implemented. I know that in terms of testing etc we are treated differently. We work with actors where as some of the upper years don't etc.

[lhora101]

The program is new and inevitably there are and will be problems. UBC Med is entirely the same and their first class is similarly fraught with problems.

 

These are professional programs, and they expect that students have full idea of the workload they signed up for. The only disparity I can say between pharmacy and medicine is that medicine generally accepts students who have grinded more, so to speak, in terms of heavy academic loads and proportionately more have held degrees (though this may have changed).

 

In the end, the faculty is still trying to work things through, I'd imagine and things should only get better assuming the class is doing the surveys. Speaking from experience, third year is supposedly the information dump year, so perhaps there is a radical change. Who knows?

 

Finally, the statistics for entry will change as the program rolls along, once they either see how things are or enough problems are revealed. Again it's the first year. It's not gonna run well oiled.

You are right about everything, but there are certain things that other faculties don't do. For example 2 Fridays out of every month we engage in inter-professional activities. Other faculties such as med, dentistry, and other health  faculties were invited to join. They all declined, we sit there acting as doctors and other individuals from a health care team for a few hours on end. As well as taking personality assessments to figure out if an individual is a certain personality type (we waste more than 4-5 hours on Fridays doing this). There is a reason why the other faculties said no as it's a waste of time. The personality assessments are very basic versions of Briggs Meyers tests, in which you find out if you're a certain animal. the other two Fridays are spent in the community where we pay to volunteer there have been individuals who have paid 800 to sit at a laundromat and then been told that they aren't making the best of their situation when complaining. I have friends in dentistry and med this year. Dentistry has changed their curriculum but both of my friends that are in their first year say that it is much better compared to my friends in the year before them. All the unnecessary material has been cut out. My friends in medicine have said that they don't always know what's going on but at least they get tutors every week and sit in small groups of 7-8 individuals and go through the material and learn. Our  schedules always have errors and none knows whats going on. Dentistry has also given people a week off prior to exams, medicine I can't say as I didn't ask my friends. I know that it's hard I expected that but not this. I don't have a grudge against UBC but I would like people to know what they are getting into. If you really want to be a pharmacist at UBC by all means go for it but if you feel like you want to be competent and want to enjoy your time and what you're learning UBC isn't the best place to do it for at least another 3-4 years.

[lizlemon11]

I declined my interview and heard back today from a non-automated email.

[CDuke93]

I declined my interview and heard back today from a non-automated email.

 

Hope everything else works out for you! I called today and they (Carol) said they were working on filling the remainder of the interview spots. She said interview/rejection emails will be coming out by next week at the latest. It doesn't make much sense though, besides yourself, I can't imagine many people declining their interviews and many spots opening up. I wonder how long it will take for others (hopefully myself) to know if we get another spot, one week seems too long! lol. 

 

P.S: I called today to make a simple inquiry, she seemed quite stressed out. Don't call and give em time to get back to us. :/

[BigPharma]

Hey anybody not living in Vancouver and wanting to practice MMI?? We could try and set up a Skype group video call and go through some practice problems. Let me know if anyone is interested!!

[CDuke93]

Hey anybody not living in Vancouver and wanting to practice MMI?? We could try and set up a Skype group video call and go through some practice problems. Let me know if anyone is interested!!

If I hear back on a good note from UBC then sure! If not, then I wish you luck!

[darkcoffee]

has anyone received a confirmation email for accepting  the interview yet?

[Ricktyricktyrecked]

has anyone received a confirmation email for accepting  the interview yet?

Nope not yet, btw have you started practicing for MMIs? I noticed some people had started in March so now I'm worried.

[mollya1]

Nope not yet, btw have you started practicing for MMIs? I noticed some people had started in March so now I'm worried.

I haven't received mine yet either, so I'm sure they'll be coming out this week! And I just had my MMI for Dental Hygeine, my supplemental at UBC this past weekend, and while I actually didn't find it too difficult I think the sooner you prepare, the better off you'll end up being!

[CDuke93]

How does this confirmation system work? They sent out the first wave, some declined (I've heard. What happens after that? Do they confirm with those who originally accepted the invite and then send out invites or do you think they've sent out all the requests already?

 

So nervous that I didn't make the cut this year!! 

[darkcoffee]

Nope not yet, btw have you started practicing for MMIs? I noticed some people had started in March so now I'm worried.

 

I haven't started, but I am preparing to. There is still a month's time so don't worry too much! I plan to join the mock interviews organized by people on the mmi practice group on Facebook. 

[Wizkid]

Disappointed that I didn't get an interview... Admissions messed up an appeal I made and now I'm off the boat..

[CDuke93]

Disappointed that I didn't get an interview... Admissions messed up an appeal I made and now I'm off the boat..

 

How does the appeal work?

 

On a side note, should we expect (if we didn't get interview or accepted) the pre-reqs to change? Not too sure if upping my pre-req and last 30 credits is wise if they change the admission requirements. 

[Kitkat7]

How does the appeal work?

 

On a side note, should we expect (if we didn't get interview or accepted) the pre-reqs to change? Not too sure if upping my pre-req and last 30 credits is wise if they change the admission requirements.

I didn't get an interview either and I'm wondering how you plan to increase your pre-req GPA because I was under the impression that if you repeat any of the pre-reqs they will only look at your first attempt.