Dismissed from Pharmacy School...advice?

[azchipharm53]

So I need some advice about the current situation I am in. I just finished my first semester as a P2 in pharmacy school. I recently struggled my first year and ended up with two D's and was able lot remediate over the summer to place me back into academic good standing. I finished the summer courses with receiving an A and a B in the classes I previously got D's in. So this fall I worked very hard and have improved my study habits to make sure I pass all my classes. I struggled in my PK class all semester as I have difficulty in word based math questions and ended up receiving another D in this class. Also, I ended up getting a 69.65 in my Lit Eval because I didn't do well on the first exam but have passed all my other assignments and the final but was not rounded up to a passing grade of a C. Since I received the two D's my first year and these I was dismissed from the program. I have heard that I can appeal this decision but would like some advice from anyone who has been or knows anyone who has gone through this situation. I know that a few students were already held back from not passing classes the P1 year and were not dismissed. Some of these students were in 3 or 4 classes when I started the program so I found this to be very strange. I feel that I have proved over the summer that i was able to succeed in the classes I did not do well in and this past semester I feel like I only struggled in one class. I was practically passing my Lit Eval class and even passed the final with less than 2 points away from the points needed to get a C. The school handbook says that in order to stay in academic standing i must receive a 2.00 or higher, with the two D's this past fall I am still in good academic standing with a 2.24 (I know its not great but I am trying), I can't imagine myself doing anything else as a career and know that I am capable of succeeding in the program. If anyone has any advice for me in this appeal process it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

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[Humble Sloth]

So I need some advice about the current situation I am in. I just finished my first semester as a P2 in pharmacy school. I recently struggled my first year and ended up with two D's and was able lot remediate over the summer to place me back into academic good standing. I finished the summer courses with receiving an A and a B in the classes I previously got D's in. So this fall I worked very hard and have improved my study habits to make sure I pass all my classes. I struggled in my PK class all semester as I have difficulty in word based math questions and ended up receiving another D in this class. Also, I ended up getting a 69.65 in my Lit Eval because I didn't do well on the first exam but have passed all my other assignments and the final but was not rounded up to a passing grade of a C. Since I received the two D's my first year and these I was dismissed from the program. I have heard that I can appeal this decision but would like some advice from anyone who has been or knows anyone who has gone through this situation. I know that a few students were already held back from not passing classes the P1 year and were not dismissed. Some of these students were in 3 or 4 classes when I started the program so I found this to be very strange. I feel that I have proved over the summer that i was able to succeed in the classes I did not do well in and this past semester I feel like I only struggled in one class. I was practically passing my Lit Eval class and even passed the final with less than 2 points away from the points needed to get a C. The school handbook says that in order to stay in academic standing i must receive a 2.00 or higher, with the two D's this past fall I am still in good academic standing with a 2.24 (I know its not great but I am trying), I can't imagine myself doing anything else as a career and know that I am capable of succeeding in the program. If anyone has any advice for me in this appeal process it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

It sounds like pharmacy is not the right choice for you. Have you considered nursing? A RN is really still in high demand. The fact that you think it is acceptable to get C's in any professional course is ridiculous. If you were having so much trouble that you are getting C's and D's in your courses you need to get out of the program and reevaluate your life goals. Pharmacy is not for everyone.

 

[752078]

I think that you have worked hard and your persistence shows. The decisions you need to make are whether to continue pursuing pharmacy and then how.

For me, personally, pharmacy is a dream. I was a lesser applicant and now I attend a terrible new school. However, I know that in a few years, I will be doing something that I enjoy. Lit eval, PK, how much do this come up in the actual profession? Not much. This is how I know that if you choose to continue the pharmacy route, you will succeed. Push through at your current school. You may need to start over at a new school. You may need to do remedial work yet again. It's simply reality.

The other choice is to look at other allied professions or another field entirely. Initially, I went to college for a nursing degree; it wasn't for me.

I know that everything looks difficult now. This is a fork in the road. Take some time to yourself. Really think about what you want to do for the next 10, 15, or 30 years of your working life.

 

[keyy200tx]

@azchipharm53, well i think you should go ahead and appeal it. i know some people in my school that went thru the same situation. also dont listen to all these people saying if you getting C , pharmacy is not for you. I know a very bright pharmacist who never get A in phrm school. 69.5 is a 70 in my book. its just a lit class its not even therapeutics.

 

[netmag]

I don't like excessive pessimism, but the OP really should face the full scope things in order to overcome them on going. For example, one could read that and conclude that essentially the OP failed 4 classes in little over 1 year and obviously isn't doing so great overall since their overall gpa is 2.24. Also, the OP says that all this is with them actually focusing and trying.

You have to look past making things look nicer by saying that all the failures were technically in the D range. You have to look past compartmentalising things by saying that if you break it down and just focus on one of them, that it was really super duper close to a C.

Also, you can't say "Well it's just a Lit Class". In the OP's own words, they struggle greatly with communication and talking with people is an important function of being a health care provider. I don't see the point in ignoring something like this and just plowing through assuming that it won't make a difference in the end. The job market is indeed tight enough that social engineering and effective communication is a factor.

I'm not saying that they should definitely give up. If the school is letting others slide, then by all means, they can go ahead and try as well. I'm just saying that on a personal level, I think they need to have an honest evaluation of themselves so that they can do what's necessary to succeed going forward. Otherwise, they could end up as one of those people who get kicked out in 3rd year after investing more time & money.

 

[DrAriPharmD]

I understand what everyone is saying about maybe you should look at other career options based on the grades you're making so far, but to say "pharmacy isn't for you" and "if you think making C's/D's is acceptable that is ridiculous" is a little bit too much. But personally, I would probably try to appeal the decision if you really think you can be successful in the next few years after reevaluating, if not, I would look at becoming a certified pharmacy tech in the meantime, since pharmacy is something you're so passionate about. Then maybe looking at other career paths (nursing, health administration, etc).

 

[AnthonyNguyenPH]

Don't give up on your pharmacy path.. You can do anything you set your mind to

 

[ldiot]

It sounds like pharmacy is not the right choice for you. Have you considered nursing? A RN is really still in high demand. The fact that you think it is acceptable to get C's in any professional course is ridiculous. If you were having so much trouble that you are getting C's and D's in your courses you need to get out of the program and reevaluate your life goals. Pharmacy is not for everyone.

Getting a C is unacceptable? The class average is most classes I've taken in pharmacy school has been a C. Most of the P1 classes are full of useless memorization anyways. Is knowing that alanine is hydrophobic every going to influence a clinical decision? Probably not...

 

[Humble Sloth]

Getting a C is unacceptable? The class average is most classes I've taken in pharmacy school has been a C. Most of the P1 classes are full of useless memorization anyways. Is knowing that alanine is hydrophobic every going to influence a clinical decision? Probably not...

Yeah...Florida isn't exactly know for it's stellar education. In fact it has some of the worst public school and education standards in the US. I was talking more the educated north east. Miami will sink into the ocean soon with global warming to rise sea levels 30 feet in 90 years.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/21/the-siege-of-miami

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620

 

[ldiot]

Yeah...Florida isn't exactly know for it's stellar education. In fact it has some of the worst public school and education standards in the US. I was talking more the educated north east. Miami will sink into the ocean soon with global warming to rise sea levels 30 feet in 90 years.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/21/the-siege-of-miami

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620

You do realize that's a koala bear and not a sloth right

 

[chaosrxn]

Yeah...Florida isn't exactly know for it's stellar education. In fact it has some of the worst public school and education standards in the US. I was talking more the educated north east. Miami will sink into the ocean soon with global warming to rise sea levels 30 feet in 90 years.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/21/the-siege-of-miami

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620

Yeah... I graduated from a pre-medical magnet high school in Pompano Beach, FL and a liberal arts Catholic college in Miami Shores. Get out of here with that nonsense.

 

[chaosrxn]

Yeah...Florida isn't exactly know for it's stellar education. In fact it has some of the worst public school and education standards in the US. I was talking more the educated north east. Miami will sink into the ocean soon with global warming to rise sea levels 30 feet in 90 years.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/12/21/the-siege-of-miami

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-the-city-of-miami-is-doomed-to-drown-20130620

And Oh yeah, we just raised our roads and built sea walls.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article41141856.html

 

[Humble Sloth]

And Oh yeah, we just raised our roads and built sea walls.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article41141856.html

Too little, too late. You would have to build a seawall around the whole Florida peninsula because FL is so flat. Virtually all realestate will be worthless in ~50 years in the Miami metro area. Enjoy the constantly rebuilt beaches while they still exist.

Even from your article

"
Any Beach old-timer will tell you the city has flooded for decades during king tides — the same thing happens in much of low-lying Florida. But all the data and tide gauges confirm it’s getting worse.

"The king tides have gotten higher in recent years," said Colin Polsky, director of the center for environmental studies at Florida Atlantic University. "And the king tides we’re seeing more recently have been higher than they were predicted to be."

"It's difficult to imagine a future here in Miami for our children given the increasing frequency of flooding," said Eric Hernandez.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...iami-beach/article41141856.html#storylink=cpy
"

 

[Nguyen]

Lol, this thread took a quick 360 spin. At one moment we're discussing options for the OP and the next we're talking about the flooding of Florida.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[chaosrxn]

Too little, too late. You would have to build a seawall around the whole Florida peninsula because FL is so flat. Virtually all realestate will be worthless in ~50 years in the Miami metro area. Enjoy the constantly rebuilt beaches while they still exist.

Even from your article

"
Any Beach old-timer will tell you the city has flooded for decades during king tides — the same thing happens in much of low-lying Florida. But all the data and tide gauges confirm it’s getting worse.

"The king tides have gotten higher in recent years," said Colin Polsky, director of the center for environmental studies at Florida Atlantic University. "And the king tides we’re seeing more recently have been higher than they were predicted to be."

"It's difficult to imagine a future here in Miami for our children given the increasing frequency of flooding," said Eric Hernandez.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/loc...iami-beach/article41141856.html#storylink=cpy
"

Good luck with life bud.

 

[Humble Sloth]

Good luck with life bud.

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20151130-how-hot-could-the-earth-get
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

The average temperature in Miami will be 125 Deg F by 2150.
Get out of that hell hole while you can.

 

[raydawg82]

So I need some advice about the current situation I am in. I just finished my first semester as a P2 in pharmacy school. I recently struggled my first year and ended up with two D's and was able lot remediate over the summer to place me back into academic good standing. I finished the summer courses with receiving an A and a B in the classes I previously got D's in. So this fall I worked very hard and have improved my study habits to make sure I pass all my classes. I struggled in my PK class all semester as I have difficulty in word based math questions and ended up receiving another D in this class. Also, I ended up getting a 69.65 in my Lit Eval because I didn't do well on the first exam but have passed all my other assignments and the final but was not rounded up to a passing grade of a C. Since I received the two D's my first year and these I was dismissed from the program. I have heard that I can appeal this decision but would like some advice from anyone who has been or knows anyone who has gone through this situation. I know that a few students were already held back from not passing classes the P1 year and were not dismissed. Some of these students were in 3 or 4 classes when I started the program so I found this to be very strange. I feel that I have proved over the summer that i was able to succeed in the classes I did not do well in and this past semester I feel like I only struggled in one class. I was practically passing my Lit Eval class and even passed the final with less than 2 points away from the points needed to get a C. The school handbook says that in order to stay in academic standing i must receive a 2.00 or higher, with the two D's this past fall I am still in good academic standing with a 2.24 (I know its not great but I am trying), I can't imagine myself doing anything else as a career and know that I am capable of succeeding in the program. If anyone has any advice for me in this appeal process it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!

I would not even bother appealing the decision. I have been dismissed twice from 2 pharmacy schools. The first time was similar to your situation because I had a 2.93 GPA at the end of my second year at USC. Needless to say, I wasted a year trying to remediate over a year. They still dismissed me from pharmacy school but not before adding another year of student loans. I applied to a second school and was accepted, DO NOT TRANSFER. You need a FAVORABLE letter from your previous dean. They do not write favorable letters for poor academic performance. Then I was dismissed for medical reasons at my second school. After addressing my medical issues, I am back for a third try and pharmacy school. Best part is that I am medically disabled and do not have to take out loans or pay for anything. Don't give up. Sometimes people have multiple attempts at pharmacy school. What matters was that I stuck with it, learned from it, and made sure I adjusted so that I could someday finish.

 

[Humble Sloth]

I would not even bother appealing the decision. I have been dismissed twice from 2 pharmacy schools. The first time was similar to your situation because I had a 2.93 GPA at the end of my second year at USC. Needless to say, I wasted a year trying to remediate over a year. They still dismissed me from pharmacy school but not before adding another year of student loans. I applied to a second school and was accepted, DO NOT TRANSFER. You need a FAVORABLE letter from your previous dean. They do not write favorable letters for poor academic performance. Then I was dismissed for medical reasons at my second school. After addressing my medical issues, I am back for a third try and pharmacy school. Best part is that I am medically disabled and do not have to take out loans or pay for anything. Don't give up. Sometimes people have multiple attempts at pharmacy school. What matters was that I stuck with it, learned from it, and made sure I adjusted so that I could someday finish.

They kicked you out for a 2.93? most schools don't kick unless under 2.0. Did you fail more than two classes a year or something?

 

[raydawg82]

Yes here is the URL ... No D's or F's just unfortunately got C+ in bio systems classes that was worth 6 units.
http://pharmacyschool.usc.edu/programs/pharmd/pharmdprogram/

Degree Requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy
Completion of the four-year professional curriculum—along with a minimum of 1,740 hours of clinical experience—is required to earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Aggregate course hours must equal a minimum of 144 units.

Students must successfully complete all required courses in the PharmD curriculum with a minimum grade of C in all letter-graded courses and CREDIT for all non-letter-graded courses where the work is equivalent to B-quality or better. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is necessary to meet graduation requirements. Students are subject to the degree requirements in the USC Catalogue current for the semester of their admission into the PharmD program, as well as the School of Pharmacy’s Academic Policies and Procedures brochure.

Students who discontinue their enrollment with an authorized leave of absence will be subject to the degree requirements in effect for the semester of their readmission into the program. Students requesting exceptions should submit a petition to the School of Pharmacy.

 

[Humble Sloth]

Yes here is the URL ... No D's or F's just unfortunately got C+ in bio systems classes that was worth 6 units.
http://pharmacyschool.usc.edu/programs/pharmd/pharmdprogram/

Degree Requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy
Completion of the four-year professional curriculum—along with a minimum of 1,740 hours of clinical experience—is required to earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Aggregate course hours must equal a minimum of 144 units.

Students must successfully complete all required courses in the PharmD curriculum with a minimum grade of C in all letter-graded courses and CREDIT for all non-letter-graded courses where the work is equivalent to B-quality or better. A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is necessary to meet graduation requirements. Students are subject to the degree requirements in the USC Catalogue current for the semester of their admission into the PharmD program, as well as the School of Pharmacy’s Academic Policies and Procedures brochure.

Students who discontinue their enrollment with an authorized leave of absence will be subject to the degree requirements in effect for the semester of their readmission into the program. Students requesting exceptions should submit a petition to the School of Pharmacy.

". A 3.0 cumulative grade point average is necessary to meet graduation requirements"

oh damn that is pretty ridic. Most schools will let students ride out on C's. Well it's always easier the third time