University of Utah Visit

Hey Everyone!

We had a great trip last week up to the University of Utah campus where we got to hear from many different current pharmacy students and get some great tips! Here are my notes from the meeting:

• P1 Students
• How to prepare for application
• Take the right classes and get the good grades!
• PCAT or Bachelor's Degree
• Leadership Experience
• Can be varied 
• Volunteer/Community Service
• Looking for who you've become and not just what you've done 
• Bring up these experiences during your interviews 
• Instructors care and want you to do well
• Interviews -- don't worry about getting the right answer, just relax and be yourself. Don't act prideful or like you think you are going to get it. Don't act like you already know about pharmacy 
• There is a website that gives samples questions that were used previously at the U
• Interviews
• Very important
• Be careful of the stories you tell 
• Be careful about talking about cultural differences
• Don't talk forever -- they will let you talk until you are done
• Be aware of current events in pharmacy 
• Their focus is to evaluate your critical thinking skills 
• It's fine to ask to repeat the question 
• Pause before you start answering, take a breath to think about your answer 
• Munger -- loves PharmD/PhD 
• difficult to find research opportunities, need to take initiative 
• Personal Statement
• 1st Year
• Busy, need to be organized, often do internship hours and need to know your schedule front to back 
• P2
• TTh -- busy days, three two hour classes, no class on Fridays unless test and other days are a lot light
• coursework is same load, project, presentations, 
• Spring P2 hardest semester
• P3
• TTh -- testing day no classes
• MW -- class all day (8-3)
• friday 2 hour class
• Still can work about 20 hours a week
• Lots of exams but not in class a lot 
• P4
• Summers all years are on rotation anyway
• For license, you need to have 600 paid/volunteer hours 
• Rotation 8 hrs a day/5 days a week, work after that
• physically exhausting because you need to be on your game all the time
• Once you get accepted, try to get an internship as soon as you can 
• Every year is going to graduate and leave positions
• Can get intern license in May 
• Admissions/Classes Questions
• denise.brenes@pharm.utah.edu
• madison.hatch@pharm.utah.edu
• jon.magness@pharm.utah.edu
• halee.namanny@pharm.utah.edu

Free Kaplan Events

You can find locations at this website! Let me know if you have any questions!

Roseman Pharmacy Student Experience

Here are some notes from our meeting where we had Jaimee, Carlos and Chris from Roseman University in South Jordan come and tell us what it's like to be a pharmacy student!

• On every other Friday, you are tested on the material you have learned during the block. If you pass with a 90% or better, then you get Monday off
• If not, then you get to go on Monday and have remediation. 
• If you don't pass on Monday, then you have to do summer remediation 
• You get six weeks off for the summer, which you have to do your summer remediation. If you don't have to do any summer remediation, then you get the full break!
• Classes are normally 8 to 3, but depends on the professor -- hour lunch break 
• Study time varies, depending on your skills and ability to memorize
• Take biochemistry before applying! Very helpful!
• Material is not tricky, just the pressure of getting 90% 
• There isn't any competition because it is just pass/fail
• Lends itself to collaboration 
• It's only three years, so you have to be committed because of the pace. But you are done in three years! 
• No books! 
• Need to rely on powerpoint presentations and your class notes
• Major thing to get you an interview -- your science GPA
• If you are reapplying, change things about your application! 
• When preparing for the interview, look at things that are specific to the school 
• Specific programs, emphases, other positive characteristics about the school 
• Lots of teamwork involved at this school
• Free printing! 
• Tests could be a compilation of different teaching styles
• Attendance is not required, you can learn based on your own learning style
• You do have presentations and papers!
• Many student organizations involved on campus
• Drug Abuse Awareness Team - community events teaching kids about drugs, take back old medications 
• Student Alliance
• MBA Program also involved as well
• You start this July before pharmacy school -- total of 12 classes
• Cost $1900, takes six months
• Three courses before P1, three courses after P1. Six classes during third year
• Much easier program than the pharmacy portion
• Scholarships available for individuals involved in clubs
• Also other scholarships, including Air Force
• Wednesdays, Institute teacher comes and gives a spiritual message

Next Meeting -- Life as a Pharmacy Student!

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to get the word out about our next meeting -- it will be Wednesday, November 2nd at 8:00 p.m. in Room 270 of the Tanner Building. We will be hearing from Chris Mecklenberg and his student association at Roseman University (formally USN), and they will tell us what it's like to be in pharmacy school! I am really looking forward to this meeting and hope to see you all there!

Auburn University

Dr. Woosley came and visited us today from Auburn University (Alabama) and shared with us information about the Harrison School of Pharmacy! Here are some notes from the meeting:

• Unique characteristics of this school:
• Only two classrooms,
• Golf tournament with employers to raise money for scholarships
• Vaccinations for university
• Health fair and lots of service
• Field games day! Competition between the classes
• Legislative Day
• Rotation Experience
• Graduation -- family affair
• 30% students go into post-doc opportunities
• 24th Highest Ranked Pharmacy School
• Average GPA of 3.4 
• Not a grade-forgiving school
• Always find out school's GPA calculation policy!
• PCAT score is less important than GPA
• Biology and Chemistry sub-section scores are most important
• Shadowing is recommended
• Number of hours isn't important, just important that you know pharmacy is the profession you want to go into 
• Personal essay
• Want it in your own words, PharmCas has software that checks for plagiarism
• Interview -- extremely important
• 16 students invited at a time, interviewed for a day getting to know you and letting you know about the school
• Look for 7 domains of character
• Communication
• Leadership
• Problem Solving
• Professional
• Ethics
• Responsibility
• Analytical Skills
• Service Oriented
• Don't know your PCAT or GPA scores before 
• Will let you know within 24 hours if you've been accepted or not
• Rolling Admissions
• Take-away message: APPLY EARLY!
• Remember PharmCas is Eastern Standard Time
• 2nd Week of School -- you are assigned a patient 
• You interview them, find out disease states, find out drug therapy
• You will keep this patient for the remainder of the year
• The P2 on your team will be your mentor throughout the year
• Class size of only 15 -- 2 professors
• Pass/Fail -- intent is to learn how to talk to patients and how to solve problems on your own relating to pharmacy
• One 2-hour lab
• Teach on a disease-based concept
• Two years 
• Third Year -- Class size goes from 125 to 8
• Focus on problem based learning, disease centered, you will be given a patient-centered case with multiple problems 
• You will teach the class about your specific disease case
• Fourth Year -- Clinical rotations, 8 five-week rotations, one five-week off
• 6 are in an independent, chain, hospital, multiple clinical settings
• 2 electives: opportunities in Kenya, Arizona, cross-cultural, CDC in Atlanta, research

Check out pharmacy.auburn.edu for more information! 

Next Meeting Info -- USN School Rep!

Hey everyone! Here is the information about our upcoming meeting on NEXT WEDNESDAY, at 8:00 p.m. We will have a presentation from Dr. Michael DeYoung, the Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs at USN-South Jordan! We will be meeting in Room 164 of the Tanner Building. Hope to see you there! 

Pharmacist Presentation!

Thanks so much to Jim Avarett for coming to speak to us today for our Pre-Pharmacy Club Meeting!

Here are some notes from the presentation that we were able to enjoy in case you weren't able to make it:

• Pharmacy School
• Learned how to make lotions and shampoos, a little old school!
• Early 1900s, most drugs came from plants and were compounded 
• Powder papers:
• get powders, mix them up according to a formula, fold them up and give them to a patient to take in a drink or something (another old way to deliver medication)
• Old philosophy -- administer a type of poison and hope that it kills the bad stuff and doesn't kill you!
• Interning in a hospital
• A fun part about working in a hospital: Pneumatic tube delivery system to transport medicine throughout the hospital
• Unit Dose Machine - helped to cut down on waste in hospital
• Manual unit dose system: has a pre-print label and you can give people individual doses that can be re-administered to another patient if unused.
• Working in a clinic
• Decentralized pharmacy -- allowed pharmacists to be on the floor and saved lots of time because pharmacist was able to be on the floor and could communicate directly with the doctor if there were any issues.
• The nurses had lots of questions and could speak directly to the pharmacist
• Order input
• Technicians are able to stock a 24-hour supply of medication
• Order input is a big part of your time when working in a hospital pharmacy
• Need to analyze prescription when it comes in to the pharmacy -- any drug interactions, if it is the right dose, get to see the lab tests to see if the patient is improving or if there needed to be any changes.
• Working at BYU
• Change environment to retail -- a large part of working in retail is patient counseling
• Required by law now, give them information on why they are taking the drug, answer any questions
• Be aware of drug seekers! May try to forge a prescription, need to consult with a doctor
• Need to be aware of confidentiality -- very important in retail
• Knowledge of drugs in pregnancy
• Polypharmacy counseling -- maintain a drug profile record of all your patients, there are many chances for harmful interactions
• Need to be especially aware of interactions between natural products because they aren't regulated

Next Club Meeting!

Hey Everyone! We just got the info for the next club meeting! So....here it is!

We will meet NEXT WEDNESDAY at 8:00 p.m. in W118 of the Tanner Building. I know it is kind of a different building, but I picked it because it has the most parking nearby, so I thought it would be more convenient! We will be having a guest speaker, Jim Avarett, who is a pharmacist from the BYU Health Center! Come with lots of questions about the career of pharmacy! 

How to Get on the Club Roster!

BYUSA Roster “How to Guide”

1. Go to BYUSA home page: http://clubs.byu.edu/home
2. Click on the “Log In” button under “Welcome”
   1. Route Y pops up, fill in Net ID and password
3. Edit Personal Profile
   1. Need a current email and address to continue
   2. Click “Save and continue”
   3. Confirm email
      1. They will send you an email with instructions on how to do this. But if I remember correctly, all you have to do is follow a link from the email they send you.
4. Click on the “Add New Organization” button on your BYUSA home page
   1. Type “Pre-Pharmacy” in the box.
   2. Click the “Find Organization” button
5. BYU Pre-Pharmacy Club should pop up, click on the link.
   1. Choose to be a Member
   2. Click “Submit Request”
6. Wait for the approval! You should be added fairly quickly, so look for that confirmation! Welcome to BYU Pre-Pharmacy; it is the place to be!

Smart Prep PCAT

I saw this flyer today while walking around in the MARB and thought you guys might be interested! I am not sure how good it is, but for $15, I would say it might be worth trying it out! Most PCAT test prep courses are pretty expensive, so you may want to give it a try. Sorry about the blurry picture, I took it real quickly so I wouldn't forget to share it with you all! At the bottom, it says you can email smartpreppcat@gmail.com for more information and other questions.

Updated Practice Test Info

FREE Practice Test at BYU Tanner Building @ 9:30am on 9/17 (GRE only) and 9/24 (all other tests)

MCAT | LSAT | GRE | GMAT (online only) | DAT | OAT | PCAT

Space is Limited!  Register and reserve a seat here.

Do you want to be a Doctor, Lawyer, Dentist, CEO, Optometrist, Pharmacist, or get your Masters or Doctorate degree?  Take a FREE Practice Exam on BYU's campus and find out how you would score on the entrance exam!

 

This is a great opportunity to take a simulated or released exam under test-like conditions and receive your scores back the same day.  Your personalized score report will walk you through your strengths and areas for improvement on each of the different sections, content tested, and question types.  You will also receive access to explanations to every single question to help you prepare for the exam.

This opportunity is only offered twice a calendar year and space is limited, so register today to ensure you have a seat reserved. 

To register, please click on:

http://bit.ly/ProvopracticeFall2011

For more information, please visit www.kaptest.com/practice

Virtual Pharmacy School Fair

Planning to apply to a pharmacy School? Attend the Virtual Pharmacy School Fair to learn more about participating US Pharmacy Schools.

Applicants planning to apply to Pharmacy School are invited to attend this unique virtual event where you can conveniently and efficiently meet admissions representatives and interact withAACP member Pharmacy Schools in a live 2 day event

Register to attend the FREEvirtual fair to learn more about US pharmacy programs Save your valuable time by meeting school representatives in live chat sessions online Have your questions answered without ever leaving the comfort of your computer Only a One-Time Registration required to meet multiple schools All registered attendees will be entered into a drawing for one of two $100 iTunes gift cards. *Option to upload your resume prior to the event (resume upload not required to participate) Register at www.AACP.CareerEco.net

For more information: Gayle Oliver-Plath | 770.980.0088 | aacp@careereco.com

Kaplan Practice Test

Mark your calendars, everyone!

I just got an email from Josh over at Kaplan, who wanted to let everyone know that the free PCAT practice test offered through Kaplan this semester will be on:

SEPTEMBER 24 at 9:30 a.m.

It will be held in the Tanner Building here on BYU Campus.

Registration information will be coming soon. This is a great opportunity to test out your skills for the PCAT and to see what areas you will need to study!

Fall Semester Schedule!

Hey Everyone! We were able to meet as a club presidency this week and have determined our schedule for the rest of the semester! I hope you all are looking forward to some awesome activities!

September 7: Opening Social

September 21: Guest Speaker -- Pharmacist

October 5: How To -- PharmCas & Schools

October 19: Guest Speaker -- Pharmacy Student

November 2: How To -- PCAT

November 16: Guest Speaker -- School Representative

November 30: Club Service Activity

December 7: Closing Social & Winter Preview

Can't wait to see you all there!

First Meeting!

Hey EVERYONE! Hope you had an awesome summer and are ready to get things in gear for Fall Semester! We just were able to secure a room for our very first club meeting, so here is the info!

WHEN: Wednesday, September 7 at 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: 341 MARB

WHAT: Opening social, full of awesomeness and an overview of what our club will be doing this semester!

We are planning to bring food, so make sure to come and bring a friend (and a snack too if you want!) We are really looking forward to some of the awesome activities we have planned for everyone this semester. Hope to see you there!!!

Two More Days!

Just a reminder--

Only 2 more days until the deadline to register for the summer's PCAT! 

PharmCAS: Before You Begin

Are you starting to think about beginning your PharmCAS application? Great idea! Here are some tips from the PharmCAS website about what to do before you begin your application:

CHECKLIST FOR APPLICANTS

This checklist is intended to help you prepare your application, but is  not intended to be a 

substitute for the full application instructions. The PharmCAS application is only one step in 

the pharmacy admissions process. You must meet all PharmCAS and school requirements 

before your application will be processed and reviewed. 

• Read all PharmCAS instructions carefully. 
• If you wish, you may print your copy of the PharmCAS Application Instructions. 
• Create your PharmCAS login account immediately to obtain your PharmCAS ID number.  
• Use the "PharmCAS Transcript Request Form" to arrange for ALL of your OFFICIAL transcripts to be received PharmCAS office by the application deadline! If you do not submit the transcript request form with each your transcript, your application file may be delayed in processing.
• Enter  ALL of your U.S. coursework on your application using personal copies of your transcripts. Do not enter foreign courses. 
• Arrange for your PCAT, TOEFL, and TSE test  scores to be sent directly to PharmCAS, if required by your designated pharmacy schools. PharmCAS will match your PCAT scores to your application based on your PCAT CID. You MUST report your PCAT CID on your application.
• Submit the correct PharmCAS fee to the service by the pharmacy school deadline. Credit card payments are preferred. If mailing a money order, attach the completed PharmCAS 
• Payment Form. PharmCAS does not accept cash or check payments. 
• Review your application for accuracy. You cannot edit your application once it is e-submitted. 
• Print your completed application for your personal records. 
• Arrange for your summer and fall 2010 transcripts to be sent to PharmCAS as soon as they are available. Update your coursework during the Academic Update. 
• Check your email for important messages from PharmCAS.  Periodically check your e-mail spam folder. 
• Login to your application frequently to check the status of your application.   

Good Luck!

Top Pharmacy Schools

Ever wondered what the top pharmacy schools in the nation are? Well here is a list for you, straight from U.S. News and World Report rankings!

Rank/School		Score (5 = highest)
1	University of California–San Francisco San Francisco, CA	4.7
2	University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	4.4
3	University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN	4.3
4	University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX	4.2
5	The Ohio State University Columbus, OH	4.1
5	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	4.1
5	University of Michigan--Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	4.1
5	University of Washington Seattle, WA	4.1
9	Purdue University West Lafayette, IN	4.0
9	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	4.0
9	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	4.0
9	University of Illinois--Chicago Chicago, IL	4.0
9	University of Maryland--Baltimore Baltimore, MD	4.0
9	University of Wisconsin--Madison Madison, WI	4.0
15	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	3.9
16	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	3.8
16	University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, TN	3.8
16	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	3.8
19	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	3.7
19	University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA	3.7
21	University at Buffalo--SUNY Buffalo, NY	3.6
21	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	3.6
23	University of Colorado--Denver Aurora, CO	3.5
24	Auburn University (Harrison) Auburn, AL	3.3
24	Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC	3.3
24	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey--New Brunswick (Mario) Piscataway, NJ	3.3
24	University of Georgia Athens, GA	3.3
24	University of Mississippi University, MS	3.3

Will They Count CHEM 105???

Oh transfer credits. What fun! I know a lot of us can get frustrated trying to figure out what class counts for which requirements, but do not give up! Many of the school's websites have "equivalence guides" where you can read up to see if your class will count. Below is the guide found on the University of Utah's Pharmacy School website (found at this link)

And if you still can't figure it out, most schools have an admissions advisor for their pharmacy school who can help you out if you just give them a call!

BYU COURSE	COURSE TITLE	CR	U OF U MAJOR REQUIREMENT SATISFIED	U OF U COURSE TITLE	CR
CHEM 105	Gen College Chemistry	4	CHEM 1210	General Chemistry I	4
CHEM 106	Gen College Chemistry	3	CHEM 1220	General Chemistry II	4
CHEM 107	General College Chemistry Lab	1	CHEM 1215 CHEM 1225	General Chemistry Lab I General Chemistry Lab II	1 1
CHEM 351	Organic Chemistry	3	CHEM 2310	Organic Chemistry I	4
CHEM 352	Organic Chemistry	3	CHEM 2320	Organic Chemistry II	4
CHEM 353	Organic Chemistry Lab	1-2	CHEM 2315 CHEM 2325	Organic Chemistry Lab I Organic Chemistry Lab II	1 1
ENGL 316	Technical Communication	3	WRTG 3015	Professional/Tech Writing	3
MMBIO 221 MMBIO 222	General Microbiology Gen Microbiology Lab	3 1	Course may satisfy requirement. See departmental advisor.
PDBIO 220	Human Anatomy (w/lab)	3	BIOL 2325	Human Anatomy	4
PDBIO 305	Essentials of Human Phys	4	BIOL 2420	Human Physiology	4
MATH 112	Calculus 1	4	MATH 1210	Calculus I	4
MATH 113	Calculus 2	4	MATH 1220	Calculus II	4
PHSCS 121* PHSCS 105	Principles of Physics 1 Intro Applied Physics	3 3	PHYS 2110 PHYS 2010	Gen Physics with Calculus I General Physics I	4 4
PHSCS 123* PHSCS 106	Principles of Physics 2 Intro Applied Physics	3 3	PHYS 2120 PHYS 2020	Gen Physics with Calculus II General Physics II	4 4
*Principles of Physics preferred; will accept Intro Applied Physics.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the BYU Pre-Pharmacy Club has a Facebook Group???

Yes, it is true.

You should join, because it is awesome.

Here's the link!

May 20th Deadline!

PCAT Now Computer-Based!

Registration & Scheduling Opens April 1, 2011

May 20th deadline approaching! Register and schedule now for preferred seating for the July PCAT!

PCAT 2011-2012 Testing Dates

July 20, 27, 2011
September 14, 19, 21, 26, 28, 2011
January 10, 11, 2012

Register and schedule early to receive your 
preferred testing date, time, and location!

BYU Test Prep Facebook

Hey Everyone!

I received this message from Heather Clark of BYU Conferences and Workshops, and thought you might be interested:

We just wanted you and your club members to know that BYU Test Prep has a Facebook page! We post interesting articles, contests, and information about graduate exams. Currently we’re having a contest giving away a free binder of LSAT tests. We’d love for you to stop by our page and for you to send the info on to your group members.

The page address is: Facebook.com/BYUtestprep

New PCAT Information

Pearson is sending this message with some important updates on the PCAT Computer-Based Test to assist as you are doing your mass presentations and distributing information to prospective pharmacy candidates for the 2011-2012 admission cycle.  As of July 2011, PCAT will be 100% computer-based! 

Noteworthy changes:

• New materials including Candidate Information Booklets, posters, and notepads are being sent during the week of March 21 to the pharmacy admission offices for distribution to prospective candidates.
• The PCAT 2011-2012 CIB which contains the most up-to-date information for candidates can be downloaded at www.PCATweb.info.  We strongly encourage candidates to read the CIB so they understand PCAT registration and scheduling. 
• Registration for PCAT opened on April 1, 2011.  
• PCAT will be administered at Pearson VUE testing centers in the United States, Canada and foreign locations (locations are available at www.PCATweb.info)
• Multiple testing dates will be held in July 2011, September 2011 and January 2012.  Dates are noted below:
• July 20 and 27
• September 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28
• January 10 and 11
• Multiple testing sessions will be available during each date of testing at Pearson VUE testing centers.
• We strongly suggest that candidates register early by the “Register and Schedule By” date to receive their preferred testing date, time, and location.  Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• Steps to sign up for the PCAT are:
• Register at www.PCATweb.info
• Schedule at www.PEARSONVUE.com/PCAT
• After candidates register for the PCAT, they will receive a confirmation statement that will allow them to schedule their exam with Pearson VUE.  They will also receive instructions via email with next steps which are outlined in the new Candidate Information Booklet.
• Upon completion of their exam, candidates will receive a preliminary Personal Score Report for the multiple-choice subtests at the Pearson VUE test center.  This is not an official document.
• Official Personal Score Reports and Official Transcripts will be mailed after all testing and scoring is completed during each month of testing. 
• The Official PCAT Practice Test is available for candidates to prepare for the actual exam atwww.PCATweb.info.

Thank you for your ongoing support and we look forward to this upcoming year!  If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact Cindy Agonis at Cindy.Agonis@Pearson.com or myself.  If you would like to request additional PCAT materials, please email our PCAT Customer Relations atScoring.Services@Pearson.com.