Opinions?

[nujie6]

Hello everyone,
I am graduating in May, and recently found out what area of pharmacy interests me. I just completed my hospital pharmacy rotation and Loved it. I want to go into the administration aspect of pharmacy (med safety, med management, joint commission, formulary management). Currently I am look towards doing one of the fellowships that offer a MBA. The only problem is that I’m not sure if I can actually get into one of those programs. I have a GPA of 2.7, not real awards. I was an active member of APhA for the last few years and have work experience with CVS and VA medical center. With these qualifications do you guys think that I can get into one of these fellowships? After doing some more research I also saw that I have to take the GRE and get accepted to one MBA programs as well as get accepted into the fellowship. Which school should I be looking at? There is no official rankings, but which ones would I have the best shot into getting? Any advice for me? Thanks

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[MustLoveDrugs]

Hello everyone,
I am graduating in May, and recently found out what area of pharmacy interests me. I just completed my hospital pharmacy rotation and Loved it. I want to go into the administration aspect of pharmacy (med safety, med management, joint commission, formulary management). Currently I am look towards doing one of the fellowships that offer a MBA. The only problem is that I’m not sure if I can actually get into one of those programs. I have a GPA of 2.7, not real awards. I was an active member of APhA for the last few years and have work experience with CVS and VA medical center. With these qualifications do you guys think that I can get into one of these fellowships? After doing some more research I also saw that I have to take the GRE and get accepted to one MBA programs as well as get accepted into the fellowship. Which school should I be looking at? There is no official rankings, but which ones would I have the best shot into getting? Any advice for me? Thanks

It's great that you are seeking additional training, and I would encourage you to apply with enthusiasm and confidence. Things like awards and GPA look pretty on your CV and transcripts, but I was always told that paperwork may help you get the interview, but it's the interview that will get you the job. If you walk into an interview dwelling on your deficiencies (GPA, no awards), it may be difficult for you to stay positive and shine light on your best attributes. For example, working for CVS and the VA has probably given you exposure to different management styles and helped you become more flexible when working as part of a team... Those are advantages you'll have over the kid with the 4.0 who never worked in a pharmacy during pharmacy school.

Anyway, I'm not familiar with the fellowships that offer MBAs. I've seen a few that offer MPHs, but I can't weigh in on your school options because I don't know what/where they are. Hope the above was a bit of an ego boost, but I'm sorry I can't help more with the programs themselves.

 

[nujie6]

Yeah, I definitely plan on applying to the programs that I am interested in. Thanks for the advice!

 

[MustLoveDrugs]

One more thing... Do any of the MBA programs you're looking at offer a GMAT/GRE waiver for applicants with advanced degrees? Your GPA may be problematic in that case, but it'd still be something to ask about. Also, I know some professional schools will allow you to substitute one test score for another, like your PCAT for the GMAT. Again, worth asking about.

Maybe some of the PharmD/MBA students could weigh in here.