PCAT Tomorrow morn!

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Hi everyone. I stumbled on this forum while procrastinating (studying), and ... WHY DIDN'T I SEE THIS BEFORE??? What great info!

ANyway, I am 29 yrs old, and currently a Technical Writer/Grapical Designer/Artist/blah blah blah for a software company. I was accepted to the TEXAS TECH PharmD program 2 years ago, but I did not attend for financial and personal reasons. I reapplied last year, and I was not accepted-- HMM GO FIGURE. I am retaking my PCAT tomorrow morning, and I am so far behind as far as reviewing the sciences that I may elect to not have the test graded. Well what I am trying to get at is that I didn't have stellar grades in college (about a 3.1 overall and a 3.5 transfer), with a pitiful 58% on the PCAT (took in 2000).

Well, I have kicked myself in the ass over-and-over again because I feel like I made a terrible mistake by not going when I was accepted. I am reapplying for the Fall of 2003, but I think it looks gloomy. The programs I am applying to indicate that course work over 7 years old will not be accepted. Is this right? I began college in 1991 and many of the social sciences and basic course work like BIO I is at least 7 yrs old. I took many advanced level sciences like graduate NEUROBIO, PHARM/TOX, BIOTECHNOLOGY, etc. but I assume they don't even look at that since those courses are not required. That stinks!

Also, I feel like I am limited to TEXAS (why I don't know), and that my best shot to getting accepted is in my state of residence. Any input?

Well I am all over the place as I am just venting, and I am aware that I'm not being clear with precise questions, so I will leave this as is. I guess I am only looking for advice.


Thanx!

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[type-s]

good luck on you pcat tom.

 

[Samoa]

First of all, good luck on your PCAT.

Second, go in person to one of the schools, and ask if they'll accept your upper level classes in lieu of the lower-division requirements. I know that exceptions have been made before for people with graduate degrees already. So ask them what their goal is in requiring courses more recent than 7 years ago, and then ask if perhaps you've actually met that goal in taking upper level classes. The only good argument they could possibly have is in the biological sciences, since so much has changed in the last 5 years. And if your PCAT score or subscores support an assertion that you still understand the other subjects, then there may be reasonable justification to make an exception.

Third, being restricted to Texas schools is hardly something to cry over. UT has a very strong national reputation in pharmacy, and Tech shows a great deal of promise to become a highly regarded school as it becomes more established. UH can give you just as good an education as UT, but has mostly a local reputation. And TSU has a strong alumni network for african-american pharmacists.

So it's hard to go wrong at any school in Texas.

I agree, it was pretty short-sighted to pass up the acceptance at Tech. And I think you need to acknowledge that to them, both in your essay, and by going to speak to an admissions person directly in order to say so and ask what your options are now that you're able to commit to such a long and financially draining process.

Good luck with your application. I really do hope they give you another chance, because you sound like you really want to do this.

 

[top_rung]

Thank you for your replies! Made me feel better this morning when I logged in.

I just got back from the PCAT, and this round FELT much better than the OCT test. As expected, I really need to review the ORGANIC and GEN CHEM topics. It has been almost 7 years since I really spent any time with that type of subject matter, and as with most things, if you don't use it - you lose it. But, I hope it went well.

I think that studying for this test has somewhat sparked my interest in the sciences and the health care profession once again. I am going to enroll in the KAPLAN review for the MCAT, and give that a whirl as well.

I did cardiac research for about 2 years, and I really enjoyed the surgical aspect of my work. As odd as it may sound, I find surgery to be a form of art. The work I did involoved microsurgery (aortic ties, papillary suspension/stimulation, etc.) which required acute hand-eye coordination and adaptability to any stressful situations that might arise. Being an artist, I use my hands a lot, and I found a nice connection between the two.

Anyway, I have another question. In regards to reference letters:

I have no academic advisors, no real Health care professionals in my "circle" that I can ask for references. Since I have been out of schoool for some time, and I am in the working in the technical field, I am surrounded by System Engineers and Computer GEEKS (oh believe you me), and I think that this will hurt me. WHat should I do? Your inputs appreciated ? ?