Getting pressure from loved ones..

[BacardiGirl]

Hey Guys,
Just thought I'd throw this out to see what your opinion/advice would be.
I am currently Pre-Pharmacy, just started taking my math and science Pre-reqs this past winter (I have all of the lib arts/public speaking, etc courses done with my current Bachelors). As I look at my path before I can take the PCAT and appy, I have about 3 years of part time pre-reqs to go. That, plus the looming dread of Physics and Calculus scare me!
I have also looked into other options that I feel would be interesting and do-able at my age (31): PA, RN...even public health (just because I have always been interested in healthcare advocacy). My parents think I need to take a route that won't require a zillion years of school (and $), while my boyfriend thinks I should go 'all the way' and continue pursuing Pharmacy (or even Medicine). I am so torn as to what direction to keep going....I am passionate about wanting to help people and work directly with patients and also learn more about healthcare, drugs, diseases and cures. However, my grades are not more than B's and I'd hate to work so hard at a goal that would be eventually unattainable if I turned out to be not as competitive as my peers. Any advice as to where to turn?

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[Sunfire]

My advice would be to raise those grades as much as you can over the next 3 years, and decide what to do then. 3 years is a fairly long time to think and sort it all out, it doesn't sound like there's any urgent need to make a decision now.

Don't stick yourself into a 'B' mode of thinking, that's a mistake. Meaning, always strive for an A in each and every class, keep an A mindset. Always shoot for the top, and you'll most likely raise your GPA as a result.

There's a lot to choose from the list of career possibilities, isn't there? In the end, only you can make the decision for yourself. I would suggest shadowing a professional in each of the careers. I myself was interested in being a Physical Therapist for a while, but then I shadowed a PT and knew it wasn't for me.

One more thing...don't be scared of Calculus and Physics, they're meaty courses but actually really enjoyable once you get into the swing of things. Good luck!

 

[Chem Geek]

My situation was very similar, except the support when it came to my family vs. friends and boyfriend was flipped. Most of my general pre-reqs were fulfilled in an elementary ed degree from a few years ago, so I began on the core math and science classes. My GPA and PCAT were competitive, but not as high as they could be. However, I had a number of years of experience in a pharmacy. Do you work or volunteer in a pharmacy or hospital? Like Sunfire said, work on raising your GPA, but perhaps you are interested in volunteering or working in a pharmacy if you already do not? Good luck to you!

 

[ChairmanMao]

Hey Guys,
Just thought I'd throw this out to see what your opinion/advice would be.
I am currently Pre-Pharmacy, just started taking my math and science Pre-reqs this past winter (I have all of the lib arts/public speaking, etc courses done with my current Bachelors). As I look at my path before I can take the PCAT and appy, I have about 3 years of part time pre-reqs to go. That, plus the looming dread of Physics and Calculus scare me!
I have also looked into other options that I feel would be interesting and do-able at my age (31): PA, RN...even public health (just because I have always been interested in healthcare advocacy). My parents think I need to take a route that won't require a zillion years of school (and $), while my boyfriend thinks I should go 'all the way' and continue pursuing Pharmacy (or even Medicine). I am so torn as to what direction to keep going....I am passionate about wanting to help people and work directly with patients and also learn more about healthcare, drugs, diseases and cures. However, my grades are not more than B's and I'd hate to work so hard at a goal that would be eventually unattainable if I turned out to be not as competitive as my peers. Any advice as to where to turn?

Hi, I read your previous post about deciding to quit your old job and I think given the fact that you've already settled on the desired path, the best possible thing to do for now is to stick with it and do the best that you possible can with what you have right now. I know that I sounded judgemental in the previous post about whether you're taking up healthcare to get away from your previous job, but the reason why was because I knew that there was going to be no other possible path once you decided on medicine or healthcare. In order to meet the requirements for pharmacy school, you pretty much had to quit your old job and start all over again from the bottom rung of the career ladder.

That being said, there is going to be a lot of hard work ahead of you and you should do everything humanly possible to meet those goals and pre-requisites so that you can end up going where you want to go. The first thing I would do is making sure that you excel in your classes and get As. You mentioned that your transcript consists mostly of Bs. You might want to make a chart and calculate how many credits and how many As you'll have to get in order to raise your GPA average up to a 3.5 (a more competitive GPA for professional school). I'd also try to avoid letting your parents doubts creep into your dreams. They don't understand the process or your motivation so their concerns really don't help much at all. Find others like yourself who have taken a non-traditional path and gone done a different road before deciding on pharmacy school (there will probably be many at your school). Make friends with them, find your school's premed or pre-professional advisor and sit down and have a talk with them. Share your concerns, they'll understand you better, offer suggestions, and might even write a better recommendation letter.

 

[BacardiGirl]

Hi, I read your previous post about deciding to quit your old job and I think given the fact that you've already settled on the desired path, the best possible thing to do for now is to stick with it and do the best that you possible can with what you have right now. I know that I sounded judgemental in the previous post about whether you're taking up healthcare to get away from your previous job, but the reason why was because I knew that there was going to be no other possible path once you decided on medicine or healthcare. In order to meet the requirements for pharmacy school, you pretty much had to quit your old job and start all over again from the bottom rung of the career ladder.

That being said, there is going to be a lot of hard work ahead of you and you should do everything humanly possible to meet those goals and pre-requisites so that you can end up going where you want to go. The first thing I would do is making sure that you excel in your classes and get As. You mentioned that your transcript consists mostly of Bs. You might want to make a chart and calculate how many credits and how many As you'll have to get in order to raise your GPA average up to a 3.5 (a more competitive GPA for professional school). I'd also try to avoid letting your parents doubts creep into your dreams. They don't understand the process or your motivation so their concerns really don't help much at all. Find others like yourself who have taken a non-traditional path and gone done a different road before deciding on pharmacy school (there will probably be many at your school). Make friends with them, find your school's premed or pre-professional advisor and sit down and have a talk with them. Share your concerns, they'll understand you better, offer suggestions, and might even write a better recommendation letter.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, ChairmainMao...I appreciate it!
Funny you mentioned my earlier post...as today I turned in my notice of resignation at my job! I accepted a fulltime position at the University, so that will be a huge positive step in my 'quest.'
Tonight begins a new semester and I will tackle Intro Chemistry for the 1st time since 10th grade (shudder!). I really enjoyed it back then, and while I know it will be considerably more difficult this time around, well..at least I am actually looking forward to it!

 

[ChairmanMao]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, ChairmainMao...I appreciate it!
Funny you mentioned my earlier post...as today I turned in my notice of resignation at my job! I accepted a fulltime position at the University, so that will be a huge positive step in my 'quest.'
Tonight begins a new semester and I will tackle Intro Chemistry for the 1st time since 10th grade (shudder!). I really enjoyed it back then, and while I know it will be considerably more difficult this time around, well..at least I am actually looking forward to it!

No problem. Just take it slow and easy. No need to rush through classes if you're trying for an A. Hope everything works out!