Pharmacy

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Pharmacy

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The doctorate of pharmacy, Pharm. D., is awarded at 115 accredited schools in the United States. The Pharm. D. is the recognized degree for recently trained pharmacists. Pharmacists are commonly known to dispense medication, but their role in health care is growing, and includes research, disease management, analyzing trends in medication use, and pharmacoeconomics.

Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy at the University of South Alabama
Auburn University and the University of South Alabama have united to provide a doctorate of pharmacy (Pharm. D.) program on the University of South Alabama campus.

The pre-pharmacy curriculum at the University of South Alabama that will satisfy requirements for the Harrison School of Pharmacy on either campus can be found here.

More information on Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy can be found here. You can also find out more about pharmacy in the Pharmacy Times, the U.S. Department of Labor - Pharmacists, and the Pharmacist Job Outlook.

To contact the Auburn Harrison School for further information, you may contact 251-445-9300 in Mobile or 334-844-8353 in Auburn.

Click on any of the links below to find out more information on course requirements, the application process, various organizations/associations, and schools of pharmacy.

How to Decide to Be A Pharmacist
Application Process
Important Deadlines
Pharmacy Organizations/Associations
Undergraduate Course Requirements
Statistics on 2005 Applications to Pharmacy Schools
Colleges of Pharmacy in the U.S.

How to Decide to be a Pharmacist

Making a career choice is an important and difficult decision. Making the decision to become a pharmacist requires a commitment of time and money. It is important that you evaluate what the career entails. You should answer the following and other questions on becoming and being a pharmacist:

What is it like to be a pharmacist?
Do you have the perseverance to complete 2-3 years of undergraduate training and 4 years of pharmacy school

Once you decide you want to go to pharmacy school, you have more decisions to make on how to get there. Requirements for admissions to the 100+ pharmacy schools in the United States vary considerably. Some schools require a minimum of 2 years undergraduate course work whereas others require 3. For many schools, having a bachelors degree makes a person a strong candidate for admissions, even though the degree may not be required. It is not essential that you decide on which pharmacy school you want to attend immediately as most schools require the same prerequisite courses over the first two years: 1 year Biology, 1 year General Chemistry, 1 year Organic Chemistry, 1 semester - 1 year Physics, Calculus, and Statistics. However, you should start considering schools early in the undergraduate college years to make sure you meet all requirements of the schools to which you might apply. Decision-making factors include geographical location, tuition, requirements for admission, curriculum, and faculty.

If and when you decide to go to pharmacy school, find a good resource for information on the requirements and deadlines. Be organized! Take the PCAT in plenty of time to meet the deadlines and start the PharmCAS application early. Most pharmacy schools have a rolling admissions process, which means they accept students into the professional program before the deadline for admissions.

There is help available. Speak with your pre-health advisor and other faculty members. Speak with pharmacists. Get a job at a pharmacy if possible, or shadow a willing pharmacist.

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Application Process

Application requirements and procedures vary considerably between pharmacy schools. Be sure to check the requirements of the schools that interest you. More information about Application Completion for the Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy can be found here.

PharmCAS

PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) is the official application service for many colleges of pharmacy. 100/128 schools in the U.S. require applicants to apply through PharmCAS. For the other 28 schools, apply directly to the school.

The PharmCAS application is available on-line.

Standardized Exam

Most pharmacy schools require the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test). The PCAT is a 4 hour, computer-based test and is offered 9 times during each application cycle (July (2), September (5), and January (2)). The PCAT has six components as described below:

Verbal Ability – 48 questions on word usage
Biology – 48 questions on general biology, genetics, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology
Reading Comprehension – 6 passages with 48 questions
Quantitative Ability – 48 questions on fractions, percentages, decimals, log base 10, algebra, probability and statistics
Chemistry – 48 questions on inorganic and organic chemistry
Writing – 2 essays on health, science, social, cultural, or political issue

Information and test dates for the PCAT can be found here.

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Important deadlines

Registration for PCAT: Six weeks prior to test date

Important dates in the application process for PharmCAS schools (dates are based on the 2011/2012 application cycle, though they may vary from year to year):

June 1 - PharmCAS application cycle opens
Sept. 2 - Early decision deadline for applicants
Oct. 1 - Schools must report early decision admission decisions
March 1 - Application deadline
April 1 - PharmCAS application cycle closed - no more changes or materials accepted

More deadlines information can be found here.

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Pharmacy Organizations/Associations

University of South Alabama’s Future Pharm.D, Association
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Pharmacist Association
American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

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Undergraduate course requirements

Major- Choose a major in an area that interests you. You do not have to be a science major to go to pharmacy school. However, you must complete certain course requirements. Go to the Pre-pharmacy curriculum to view the requirements for the Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy at the University of South Alabama.

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Statistics on 2011 Applications to Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy (Auburn & Mobile campus)

Estimated number interviewed for Fall 2011 entering class: 184
Estimated number accepted for Fall 2011 entering class: 170
Estimated Fall 2011 entering class size including early assurance and transfer seats: 145
Estimated number of out-of-state applicants accepted: 40
Estimated average GPA of accepted students: 3.4
Minimum composite PCAT score considered: 40th percentile for composite, as well as chemistry and biology subscales

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Colleges of Pharmacy in the U.S.

ALABAMA
Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy
Auburn University Harrison School of Pharmacy at the University of South Alabama
Samford University McWhorter School of Pharmacy

ARIZONA
University of Arizona College of Pharmacy
Midwestern University Glendale Campus

CALIFORNIA
Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy
Touro University College of Pharmacy
University of California - San Diego School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of California- San Francisco School of Pharmacy
University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
University of Southern California School of Pharmacy
Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy