Your Future in Pharmacy

Clay ArnoldDirector of Recruiting and Pre-pharmacy

Advising

What does a pharmacist do?• Counsel patients on medication

use: prescription and OTC• Advise other health care

professionals on drug therapy decisions for patients

• Prevent medication errors!• Make drugs easier for patients to take • Take patients’ vital signs• Invent new drug products

Career Possibilities in Pharmacy• Academic Pharmacist• Ambulatory Care

Pharmacist• Clinical Research

Pharmacist• Community Pharmacist• Compounding Pharmacist• Critical Care Pharmacist• Drug Information

Pharmacist• Emergency Medicine

Pharmacist• Geriatric Pharmacist• HIV Pharmacist• Hospice Pharmacist• Hospital Pharmacist• Infectious Disease

Pharmacist• Informatics Pharmacist• Internal Medicine

Pharmacist• Long-Term Care

Pharmacist• Managed Care Pharmacist• Medication Safety

Pharmacist

• Military Pharmacist• Neurology Pharmacist• Nuclear Pharmacist• Nutritional Support

Pharmacist• Oncology Pharmacist• Operating Room Pharmacist• Outcomes Research

Pharmacist• Pediatric Pharmacist• Pharmacist Attorney• Pharmacy Benefit Manager• Pharmacy Executive• Poison Control Pharmacist• Primary Care Pharmacist• Psychiatric Pharmacist• Public Health Service

Pharmacist• Regulatory Pharmacist• Transplant Pharmacist• Veterinary Pharmacist

The College of Pharmacy offerstwo programs

• PharmD Program– Preparation to become a licensed

pharmacist

• PhD Program– Preparation to become a research

scientist

College of PharmacyPharmD Program

• PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy degree)– Requires two to three years of college

prerequisites PLUS four years of professional pharmacy school (six to seven years total after high school)

– Does NOT require a bachelor’s degree.

• Overview of Profession– Avg pharmacist salary in KY• $117,390/year

– Top 5 most satisfying career– Top 5 most trusted profession

College of Pharmacy• Ranked #5 in nation (US News & World

Report)

• New 280,000 sq ft building – largest pharmacy education building in the world!

• 95% graduation rate

• UK PharmD students rank among the best in the nation in first-time pass rates on the national licensing exam (NAPLEX)

• Interdisciplinary learning: Six health colleges on campus (dentistry, medicine, public health, nursing, health sciences)

A Differentiated GraduateDual Degree Programs - make yourself

competitive! Complete two degrees while in pharmacy school!

• PharmD/Master’s Business Administration*• PharmD/Master’s Public Administration• PharmD/Master’s Public Health• PharmD/Master’s of Physician Asst. Studies*• PharmD/Master’s of Pharmaceutical Sciences• Residencies (>95% successfully placed)

*2-3 additional pre-reqs required. View website.

What does it take to get into Pharmacy School???

• Each year, approximately 76% of Kentucky residents and UK students who apply to College of Pharmacy are given interviews

Prerequisite CoursesFor First-Time Freshman Entering College Fall 2014 or After

Courses Semesters Credit Hours

English 2 6-7

General Chemistry 2 plus labs 8-10

Organic Chemistry 2 plus labs 8-10

Biology 1 plus lab 4-5

Microbiology 1 plus lab 4-5

Calculus -OR-College Algebra & Elementary Calculus

1 OR2

4-5 OR6

Human Anatomy 1 3

Physiology 1 3

Statistics 1 3

Business 1 3

Electives Refer to handouts for recommendations Enough to bring total to 70 or more semester hours

Notes on Classes• College of Pharmacy English policies are the

same as UK’s :– Must satisfy Composition & Communications I & II– Honors classes, English ACT score, etc.

• Chemistry 105- If your ACT score is below the requirement, no

worries! Your advisor will place you in a workshop. Possible summer class required to get back on track!

- If you might struggle, consider CHE 109 & 110. Together, cover the same content as CHE 105 over extended period.

Math Placement Exam• UK COP Math Requirement

- Option 1:MA 109 and MA 123 OR • Must earn hours for both; placement alone does not satisfy either

requirement. • Option 1 is the preferred option given the use of algebra (not

Calculus!) in pharmacy school and on the PCAT!

- Option 2: MA 113.

• If you place into MA 113, you are good where you are!

• AP credit accepted (score of 4 or higher)• If you have satisfied the requirement but need to

“brush-up,” take MA 109 as an elective!• MathExcel supplemental workshop recommended

Elective Courses to Consider• Prerequisite course handout in folder– Bottom right corner lists suggested electives (not

required)

• Take major courses or UK Core courses as electives to strengthen your back-up plan.

• Take UK 101 (freshman orientation course)– UK 101 students have higher GPAs and retention

rates – Only 1 credit hour. Important for pre-pharmacy

students!

FAQ: What major should I choose?

• ANY major works as long as you take the required pre-pharmacy courses

• Always have a back-up plan! • Majors to consider:– Agriculture Biotechnology (College of

Agriculture)– Human Nutrition (College of Agriculture)– Human Health Sciences– Biology (College of Arts & Sciences)– Undergraduate Studies (This major houses the

Pre-Med advisors to help keep you on track! Best option if unsure!!!!)

FAQ: When will I complete the Pre-pharmacy courses?

10% – 15% of admitted students = 2 yr. path 40% of admitted students = 3 yr. path (most

common)

• Who is the successful 2-year student?–Has some AP credit-often 2 or more courses

• This will lower college course load.

–Math ACT of 26/27 or higher–Has excellent high school prep & good study

skills – Able to score competitively on the PCAT (must

take it after your freshman year on this plan)

2 year vs. 3 year• If you are planning to follow the 2

year pre-pharmacy plan, and are not already in Undergraduate Studies, change your major.

• Two-year students can change to the 3 year plan if it becomes too difficult. Assess after first semester.

• See handout in folder for 2 and 3 year sample schedules. (Take this with you to register for classes tomorrow!)

Admission to the PharmD Program• College pre-pharmacy coursework (2-3 years)

– Overall college GPA (3.0 – 3.5 recommended)– Science-only GPA (3.0 – 3.5 recommended)– We do not look at high school grades or ACT/SAT scores

• Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT)

• Past experiences– Work and/or volunteering/shadowing

• Letters of Reference – Plan ahead! (Work in a pharmacy, take same

professor 2 semesters in a row, etc.)– 3 required; 1 must be from a pharmacist or professor

• If invited: Interview

What should I do to prepare?• Educate yourself about health care careers

– Volunteer in the medical field (hospital, nursing home, hospice, Red Cross, etc.)• Center for Community Outreach – Project Health

– Shadow a professional 2-3 hours (request assistance from guidance counselor or family member)• 3-4 different types of pharmacists if possible• Career Center

• Explore whether health care is the right field for YOU!

• Become familiar with admissions processes and requirements of schools – Prerequisites may vary!

Pharmacy School• Class work and rotations – Professional year 1 -3 (PY1 – PY3)• Rotations in community/retail, hospital

and other sites• Labs (sterile, compounding)• Mock patient labs

– Diagnose and counsel mock patients

– Professional year 4 (PY4) • Rotations in 7 different areas of

pharmacy (6 weeks each)• International rotations available

Paying For Pharmacy School• Financial Aid– Approximately 90% of students on full loans

for COP– Professional students cannot claim parents

income on financial aid documents• Typically allows for more financial aid

• Scholarships– Available only to students admitted to COP, not

undergraduate students– Some UK undergraduate scholarships can be

applied to pharmacy school. See UK Scholarship Office for details.

Pre-pharmacy Support at UK• Pre-pharmacy Advising & Workshops• Pre-pharmacy Club meetings• Pre-pharmacy Open House events

(Saturdays)– September 20, November 1, TBD

MOST Importantly:Join the pre-pharmacy listserv to receive emails about these events!

– Tear our and complete the information card in your brochure and place on the back row or on the pharmacy information table just outside before you leave!

BioPharm Complex (NEW College of Pharmacy)Tour: Tomorrow 2 p.m.

(Corner of Virginia Ave and South Limestone)

Questions?

Clay Arnoldpharmacyinfo@lsv.uky.edu

Director of Recruiting and Pre-pharmacy Advising