U of Waterloo 2011 Application Cycle

[Onetreehill]

hi helloeveryone,

i dont want to seem like im bashing the school on its respective forum.. but AMONG THE MANY POSITIVES OF THE SCHOOL.. such as co-op and advanced entry courses as opposed to toronto.....
I've heard complaints such as:
- disorganized professors
- some courses too difficult .. for example my friends said they had to memorize 200 drugs within the first week of pharm studies and they were tested on it.... I know professional school should be intense but like maybe a smooth transition is needed... IMO
- co-op placements were dissapointing since alot of students who picked london, toronto etc ended up being placed in thunder bay and weird small cities (yes i know underserviced) but if you want to go back and be with your family for four months while youre working it makes it hard...
- the way they match you with your co-op (at least how they did two yrs ago.. and this might have changed...) is you rank the places and then you are interviewed with the pharmacies and they rank you among their chandidates and based on your rank and their rank you got a position.... students were VERY frustrated
- acreditation to me is very important... since there is a possibility you might not be able to write your board if the school is not accredited..

thats all i can remember from the top of my head.
Either way, overall I'm sure they are enjoying the professional school life and studies. They are involved in campus societies and have achieved a balance in social life as well as studies. They love the new building and the profs are all evry helpful and sensitive to students needs.

Alot of stuff needs to be taken into consideration when a decision is made. I have heard alot of things from friends and rumours... it's different when the decision is in your hands. I have wanted to go to u of t for a long time.. there's no hardcore reasoning behind it... just personal want lol

Im sure toronto has some negatives too.. hard to get a good gpa, big city therefore you get less direct attention from profs, more competition, etc etc.. either way we will see in june... maybe ill go to UW or Wayne instead lol... its all a mystery right now....

Best of luck to us all... and sorry for the ridiculously long post.
ec5

Everyone is entitled to an opinion so here's mine as a student in the Rx2012 class

1. In terms of profs are disorganized: the courses are new, if you expect everything to be perfect in the first couple runs of courses being offered, you are completely oblivious to the realities of life. On the other hand, I think it is pretty cool that the Rx2011 class gets surveys from the Curriculum committee which ask what kinds of courses they want to see offered as electives in their fourth year? Yes there are down sides to a new school, but there a ton of up sides as well as you get a say in how and what you want to learn.
2. It isn't 200 drugs, it's the top 100. And you don't need to know every itty bitty detail, just basic characteristics. The prof's dont expect you to be superstars in your first week, it is just exposure to the common drugs you'll hear in your courses.
3. For coop, yes most of the jobs are in underserved areas; that is one sucky part if you want to go home. Upside? Almost everyone I know who went to a underserved area got to do way way way more in terms of clinical work than any pharmacy student who had a job in the city and was able to integrate more into their education post coop terms.
4. Matching: You have the process somewhat mixed up but it would take way too long to explain in this post.
5. I wouldn't stress about accreditation because the board visits the school regularly to make sure things are on track. However, it's a personal choice how much you want to worry about this.

Good luck on your interviews!

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[PreEverthing]

.

 

[EyeCandy5]

Good luck on your interviews!

Aww thanks so much!

 

[hurahman]

You shouldn't worry about accreditation because as mypharmacy said, a school from Ontario, especially University of Waterloo, will not have any trouble getting that done in a timely fashion.

It'll come down to which university you like the most. I'm expecting both of them to have almost identical requirements and curriculum once the PHARMD program is instigated (which should be before we graduate).

Personally, I will probably end up going to U of T because I'm a cheap bum who doesn't want to spend extra money on rent and food. That being said, I LOVE Kitchener / Waterloo; at least more than Toronto. Having gone through the Co-Op program at UW, let me tell you it is not as cool as it sounds. The Co-Op really is meant for programs such as Eng and CS. The lack of jobs in desirable areas pretty much offsets any real incentive to go through it. In addition, you (probably) won't see much of hospital experience (like a lot of you want). You will more than likely see community pharmacies out in nowhere land and possible small hospitals.

As you can see I'm not very pro-Waterloo, but it really is a good university. The Co-Op may be unpleasant at times, but it definitely beats staying home or working at Tim Hortons because the recession stopped you (1st MAYBE 2nd year Pharm student) from getting a decent pharmacy job. As I stated earlier, curriculum won't matter much at all (hopefully). So yeah... both schools are top notch and you should go to the one you have a greater affinity towards (for what ever reason i.e. clubbing, hot girls/guys, professors, building, labs, courses etc etc etc) because end of the day that will make you happy! The grass will ALWAYS seem greener on the other side of the fence.

I got an interview. My average (as noted earlier) is 79. I took the bullet in the head and did 5 of the pre-reqs this semester in order to apply this year.

@ajthebest

yo who wrote your reference letter and what were your extra curricular activities!!

 

[ajthebest]

@ajthebest

yo who wrote your reference letter and what were your extra curricular activities!!

My ECs are pretty non-existent. I had some work experience from Co-Op.

My LoR was written by a Pharmacist I have been Volunteering for for 2 years.

 

[helloeveryone]

hi helloeveryone,

i dont want to seem like im bashing the school on its respective forum.. but AMONG THE MANY POSITIVES OF THE SCHOOL.. such as co-op and advanced entry courses as opposed to toronto.....
I've heard complaints such as:
- disorganized professors
- some courses too difficult .. for example my friends said they had to memorize 200 drugs within the first week of pharm studies and they were tested on it.... I know professional school should be intense but like maybe a smooth transition is needed... IMO
- co-op placements were dissapointing since alot of students who picked london, toronto etc ended up being placed in thunder bay and weird small cities (yes i know underserviced) but if you want to go back and be with your family for four months while youre working it makes it hard...
- the way they match you with your co-op (at least how they did two yrs ago.. and this might have changed...) is you rank the places and then you are interviewed with the pharmacies and they rank you among their chandidates and based on your rank and their rank you got a position.... students were VERY frustrated
- acreditation to me is very important... since there is a possibility you might not be able to write your board if the school is not accredited..

thats all i can remember from the top of my head.
Either way, overall I'm sure they are enjoying the professional school life and studies. They are involved in campus societies and have achieved a balance in social life as well as studies. They love the new building and the profs are all evry helpful and sensitive to students needs.

Alot of stuff needs to be taken into consideration when a decision is made. I have heard alot of things from friends and rumours... it's different when the decision is in your hands. I have wanted to go to u of t for a long time.. there's no hardcore reasoning behind it... just personal want lol

Im sure toronto has some negatives too.. hard to get a good gpa, big city therefore you get less direct attention from profs, more competition, etc etc.. either way we will see in june... maybe ill go to UW or Wayne instead lol... its all a mystery right now....

Best of luck to us all... and sorry for the ridiculously long post.
ec5

I totally see the logic behind all your points. But think of it this way, by now most of those problems around disorganization, bad profs etc must be solved. They've had quit a few years to sort things out, and Waterloo does not seem to be a careless, unprofessional school by any measures.

As for accreditation, I can see how some people can be a little worried about this. But again, I would HIGHLY doubt it that Waterloo would fail to pull off an accreditation! I don't think that accreditation would be a factor to choose UofT over Waterloo (I'm not saying that you're doing that though!)

And co-ops: sure the co-op option is nice in order to build a solid foundation and be well prepared for your career... but I think any pharmacy student can get a summer job (in the pharmacy field!) so it may not be as appealing as we make it to be!

Anyways, hopefully, next year i will be able to make an informed decision. For those of you who get into pharmacy school this year: PLEASE don't forget us SDNers. Come back here and tell us all about your experience and help us make our decisions.

cheers,

 

[hurahman]

My ECs are pretty non-existent. I had some work experience from Co-Op.

My LoR was written by a Pharmacist I have been Volunteering for for 2 years.

How did you get the volunteering position? I cant find one at all!!!
Thanks

 

[ajthebest]

How did you get the volunteering position? I cant find one at all!!!
Thanks

I knew him through my doctor / family friend. He gave me a shot a couple of years back and it worked out.

 

[Niki1987]

How did you get the volunteering position? I cant find one at all!!!
Thanks

I would suggest applying to independently-owned pharmacies. From my experience they are much more willing to hire (paying or non-paying) people who have not been trained as pharm techs. Just try out your luck by applying to different places.

 

[ajthebest]

I would suggest applying to independently-owned pharmacies. From my experience they are much more willing to hire (paying or non-paying) people who have not been trained as pharm techs. Just try out your luck by applying to different places.

See I would try hospital pharmacies. Especially if you've volunteered at a hospital. I volunteered at a hospital for ~3 years in High School and by the end I could ask my boss to put me anywhere and he would make it happen.

Independently owned pharmacies are definitely easier than chains though.

 

[happypharmer]

stats: 79% avg, all prereqs completed or completing atm. volunteer at independent pharm.

i'm confused about the interview.. is it MMI or a reg interview? i always thought it was MMI but then apparently, it's only 30 mins long? that sounds too short to be MMI style.. if u guys could share tips and advice in what the general format would be like and how to prepare for it, it would be really helpful! thanks in advance! =)

 

[helloeveryone]

stats: 79% avg, all prereqs completed or completing atm. volunteer at independent pharm.

i'm confused about the interview.. is it MMI or a reg interview? i always thought it was MMI but then apparently, it's only 30 mins long? that sounds too short to be MMI style.. if u guys could share tips and advice in what the general format would be like and how to prepare for it, it would be really helpful! thanks in advance! =)

it's not MMI, just traditional format!

 

[happypharmer]

it's not MMI, just traditional format!

cool thanks!! =)

i guess there are pros and cons for each style. for MMI, if i make a bad impression on a couple ppl, it won't matter so much, whereas in the traditional format, if i make a bad impression overall, then i'm stuck. but MMI is hard and stressful... 10 stations or so - that's like an interview for more than an hour! talk about stress! and MMI is more dilemma-based, right?? or is UW Pharm interview just as dilemma-based as well?

i'm more glad that there probably won't be role playing!

30 mins seem very short.. i wonder how many questions they could ask?

 

[mypharmacy]

I think you have to do a reading comprehension test and writng test at the U of W interview too. Did anyone else read something about that?

 

[byork]

INTERVIEW:

The interview panel may consist of faculty members, practicing pharmacists, and/or senior Pharmacy students. At the beginning of the interview, you will be given a period of 5 to10 minutes to provide the panel with insights about you as an individual. This is NOT the time to describe your academic achievements at length, or recite the details of your resume. This “unstructured portion” is your opportunity to present something that you are passionate about, to leave an impression on the interview panel about who you are as a person. Students who excel in this component of the interview typically focus on one major area of importance in their life. You might choose, for example, to elaborate on a hobby, skill, project, travel experience, personal challenge or any other aspect of your life that you wish to highlight. You are encouraged to be creative and innovative, in order to express and distinguish yourself. The floor will be yours – to impress the interview panel with your passion and enthusiasm.



READING COMPREHENSION/WRITING TEST:

You will be provided with a scientific article, and will be asked to write a short (two-page) summary that would be suitable for inclusion in a student newspaper to explain the article to your colleagues. All necessary materials (pen, paper) will be provided for you, and you will not be permitted to bring any such articles into the test venue. Further details on the test will be provided at the time of writing.

 

[Niki1987]

I think you have to do a reading comprehension test and writng test at the U of W interview too. Did anyone else read something about that?

Yes. I've heard from a couple sources that this test is loooong and difficult.

 

[yazahra89]

READING COMPREHENSION/WRITING TEST:

You will be provided with a scientific article, and will be asked to write a short (two-page) summary that would be suitable for inclusion in a student newspaper to explain the article to your colleagues. All necessary materials (pen, paper) will be provided for you, and you will not be permitted to bring any such articles into the test venue. Further details on the test will be provided at the time of writing.

That doesn't seem too difficult. What do you guys think?

 

[helloeveryone]

I've done a similar test for another professional school at Waterloo... that one too was a summarizing exercise. So if this one is anything like the one I wrote, then it's pretty simple. The one I did: I had 50 min to read a 4-6 page article, then summarize it into one page, and then summarize that into one sentence.

I hope this one is as easy as the one I did!!! Anyone who wrote it, can you give us some more insight please?

p.s. I would take a test like this ANYTIME instead of the PCAT.

 

[Vdot]

This is kind of embarrassing to have to post again:

This is for the incoming pharmacy class (2010 or 2011 w/e). You really have to see whats happening to pharmacy in the news. Its a scary time right now for everyone that's in pharmacy. Some are thinking of a different career and some wish they didn't just enter pharmacy school. I heard some pharmacists tell us to get out while we can. I'm kind of fear mongering right now but I just want to get your attention. You guys should get informed and know what you're getting into here because we didn't have any warning.

Here are some quotes:

"The country’s largest drugstore chains are going to war with the Ontario government over the price of generic drugs, saying the province’s move to slash prescription costs in half will cut deep into profits, forcing layoffs and store closings."

"[SDM] is also scrapping its plan to hire 350 pharmacy students this summer in the province. “There is no need any more,” he said. “In the future, we will have less need for pharmacists. We will adjust our business model accordingly ..."



Read the news, especially the Globe and Mail which has some good coverage, and check this FB group:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5743584&id=512476112#!/group.php?gid=107489362624687&ref=mf

And if you're still gonna take the plunge and go for pharmacy, I wish you good luck!

 

[gangsterparty]

Did anyone get an interview with plans to take missing prerequisites this summer?

 

[Hulk123]

Did anyone get an interview with plans to take missing prerequisites this summer?

Yeah, i got an interview. I am missing Chemical Thermodynamics. I will be taking this course in fall if I get accepted.

 

[nonzerosum]

It's great that Waterloo offers some electives to their students, this doesn't happen at Toronto

 

[byork]

Yeah, i got an interview. I am missing Chemical Thermodynamics. I will be taking this course in fall if I get accepted.

I am 100% sure I was told that you must have all your prereqs completed by September.

 

[Hulk123]

I am 100% sure I was told that you must have all your prereqs completed by September.

Straight from FAQ:
If I have not taken all required courses, could I complete any missing courses in the summer session prior to admission?
Courses completed between the end of May and the beginning of the Pharmacy program the following January cannot normally be used to meet the admission requirements and will not normally be considered by the Admissions Committee. Students who have completed all required courses will have a competitive advantage. In all cases, all of the required courses must be completed before you can commence the Pharmacy program. Applicants who are missing required courses at the time of application should have a clear and feasible plan for completing them.
My friend who goes to the school took the same course in fall to complete the requirement.

 

[byork]

Okay, well when they had interviews in September or November for January 2010 I was told that I couldn't apply because I had to complete my prereqs before the summer ended, even though I would've finished my last prerequisite by January when classes start.

 

[happypharmer]

Does anybody know what UW's interview questions are like? Are they like a ton of ethical dilemma questions? Or are they more like regular job interview questions?

 

[Hulk123]

Okay, well when they had interviews in September or November for January 2010 I was told that I couldn't apply because I had to complete my prereqs before the summer ended, even though I would've finished my last prerequisite by January when classes start.

In September they were looking for students who have done all the pre- reqs so that he/she can start school in Jan 2010. But if one get accepted in June, he/she can complete the pre-req during Fall.

 

[EyeCandy5]

I wish i Had more time to be excited about my interview... stupid finals

 

[Hulk123]

When I reply to the email to confirm that I will be attending the interview, is the school going to send us an email again to confirm our interview time and date.
I replied to the interview email on April 8th, and they never got back to me.

 

[tisane22]

hello aspiring pharmacy students,

as a fellow pharmacy applicant for uw and ut how do you guys feel about the government's decision of cutting pharmacy allowances and generic drug prices. is this news worrying to you guys at all? are any of you reconsidering? i find this really unfortunate as i feel the future of pharmacy in canada is threatened before any of us get even a chance to start. personally, i feel the profession of pharmacy is a great fit for me, so i do not want to change direction, but i am worried about the consequences this will have for pharmacy in the future.

any input would be great guys, and good luck on exams if you have any

 

[livingonhope]

I also got an interview but its during my finals ..

Did anyone of you know about interview process beside what we were informed in email ..

Thanks and good luck everyone !!

 

[happypharmer]

When I reply to the email to confirm that I will be attending the interview, is the school going to send us an email again to confirm our interview time and date.
I replied to the interview email on April 8th, and they never got back to me.

hey! i confirmed the interview date on april 8th as well, and i only got an automated email saying to consider that as a receipt of the confirmation. the automated email also said that she won't be personally contacting each student for reconfirmation. so i think ur good. good luck!

 

[hurahman]

can all individuals who recieved an interview from pharmacy school write there stats down please. It would be a great help for all that are applaying next year.

Thanks

 

[EyeCandy5]

lol i was going to post stats but i realized i have already posted them

 

[Hulk123]

hello aspiring pharmacy students,

as a fellow pharmacy applicant for uw and ut how do you guys feel about the government's decision of cutting pharmacy allowances and generic drug prices. is this news worrying to you guys at all? are any of you reconsidering? i find this really unfortunate as i feel the future of pharmacy in canada is threatened before any of us get even a chance to start. personally, i feel the profession of pharmacy is a great fit for me, so i do not want to change direction, but i am worried about the consequences this will have for pharmacy in the future.

any input would be great guys, and good luck on exams if you have any

I am still interested in the profession, but this definitely will cause a lot of brain drain.

 

[hurahman]

lol i was going to post stats but i realized i have already posted them

im gonna be writing the PCAT this summer...i was wondering how many hours would u recommend i study??

Thanks

 

[happypharmer]

im gonna be writing the PCAT this summer...i was wondering how many hours would u recommend i study??

Thanks

I'm not too sure how your studying style is like. But for me, it wasn't so much about the "number" of hours of studying. It was more like, do I feel prepared for the exam. For most of the things, you should have learned it in high school already, so I'd say do some practice questions, brush up on some rusty concepts, and then you're set. I found it more like a test of endurance.. haha cuz it's looooong.

Oh yeah, for the English vocab part, those words are weird, and even the most stellar English students think so, so I wouldn't worry too much about that, cuz most likely, everybody else would think they're weird, and it's not like you can learn a whole bunch of vocab anyway..

One more word. PCAT doesn't matter so much for some schools, so you have to figure out what schools you want to apply for as well.

Hope that helps, and good luck! =)

 

[EyeCandy5]

im gonna be writing the PCAT this summer...i was wondering how many hours would u recommend i study??

Thanks

It all depends on you though. I studied for about a week or so .. with a couple of hours a day. I did awesome in bio chem and math since I am in fourth yr of a mostly chem degree. Reading and verbal were a different story.. since lack of practice.

Like I said it all depends on you, what courses you've taken, how motivated you are etc.

 

[hurahman]

It all depends on you though. I studied for about a week or so .. with a couple of hours a day. I did awesome in bio chem and math since I am in fourth yr of a mostly chem degree. Reading and verbal were a different story.. since lack of practice.

Like I said it all depends on you, what courses you've taken, how motivated you are etc.

what score should be "good" for U of T?..i have an 80 average.

 

[byork]

I bought the online PCAT tests for $60, found a PCAT guide PDF via bit torrent and borrowed my friend's PCAT book and did all of the tests. I skimmed through the Pearsons (I think) PCAT guide.

I may have studied for 10 hours over a few weeks, but I got 96% 3/3. I found the test extremely easy. I was extremely surprised when I got my score... I still think they made a mistake. The only section that was actually hard was math and that was because I didn't have enough time to finish it.

If you study effectively for your midterms, you should remember enough to do well on the PCAT. I'd say a good PCAT score is in the mid 80s.

 

[prettysomnus]

hey! i confirmed the interview date on april 8th as well, and i only got an automated email saying to consider that as a receipt of the confirmation. the automated email also said that she won't be personally contacting each student for reconfirmation. so i think ur good. good luck!

I also replied to their interview invitation, but did not get any reconfirmation email from them. I hope they got it.

For the writing test, anyone has any idea what kind of article will be on the test?

 

[prettysomnus]

should we wear suit for the interview (like formal ones ?)

 

[tisane22]

should we wear suit for the interview (like formal ones ?)

hey,

when i was at the ut interview most of they guys were wearing suits and ties, nice shoes, so the whole ensemble. i saw one guy in jeans...but i think that was a really bad idea.

 

[prettysomnus]

hey,

when i was at the ut interview most of they guys were wearing suits and ties, nice shoes, so the whole ensemble. i saw one guy in jeans...but i think that was a really bad idea.

thanks

 

[helloeveryone]

hey,

when i was at the ut interview most of they guys were wearing suits and ties, nice shoes, so the whole ensemble. i saw one guy in jeans...but i think that was a really bad idea.

Wow, jeans? That wouldn't look too professional, I wonder what the interviewers thought of that!!!

 

[tisane22]

Wow, jeans? That wouldn't look too professional, I wonder what the interviewers thought of that!!!

haha i know! well he definitely stood out!

 

[EyeCandy5]

this girl work a black shirt, black jeans and running shoes the day i interviewed. She was in my group too..

i dont think it too noticeable during the MMI because u sit at the table... but yeah she was very awkward too...

i felt awkward for her lol and i was dressed up

 

[Hulk123]

I am missing Chem 254 as a prerequisite, I was wondering if anyone knows where this course is offered as a distance education during summer or fall.
Thanks

 

[EyeCandy5]

not offered as distance.. u might have to take it at waterloo or uoft before january

 

[hurahman]

Does anyone know how many Invites UW hands out??