I'm pretty sure I'm going to be attending UCSD this fall. That means in 2014, I will have spent 9 out of the last 10 years as a UCSD student (!).
I've talked to several Skaggs students and got some useful information about the program that I didn't see anywhere else, so I'll share it here. Hopefully this helps those of you who are debating whether or not to attend UCSD this fall.
Because of the relatively small class size, most professors will know you by name. Apparently the professors are more than happy to help students during their office hours (unlike some of the previous professors I've had).
Because SSPPS is a fairly new program, the professors are very open to feedback from students and are trying their best to fine-tune the curriculum. As you know, classes during your second year are taken with the med school students. Because of complaints about the classes for P2's and P3's being unnecessarily difficult (with too much emphasis being placed on physiology for med students), there are rumors that by next year, those classes will be altered to be geared more towards pharmacy. The curriculum as a whole places emphasis on clinical pharmacy rather than retail.
The honors/pass/fail system eliminates the competitive atmosphere of curved classes, and so your class will feel much more like a huge family, with students helping each other and sharing notes.
I hope this helps and I really look forward to meeting you guys this fall!
