Top 5 Things Pharmacy Schools Look for in an Applicant

If you plan on applying to pharmacy school, you might be wondering, what should I focus on? What is the key to getting myself into pharmacy school?

There are a lot of things worth considering, and while there isn’t one magic key to pharmacy school, there are some things that might make you a stronger candidate. In this post, I’ll share what I’ve learned and researched that pharmacy programs look at, in addition to talking a little bit about what I’m doing myself to gain admission to pharmacy school.

Disclaimer: I am not implying that any of these qualities will guarantee you admission to your first choice pharmacy program. These are all simply suggestions, and pharmacy schools tend to look at the full package, rather than an individual quality.

1. Experience

From what I've seen in my preparations for applying to pharmacy school, any healthcare experience will set you apart as an applicant. It helps a program gauge whether or not you are actually interested in pharmacy. I would absolutely recommend getting a job as a pharmacy technician. You can learn so much in that job setting, in addition to have a resource for letters of recommendation and something to talk about in an interview.

2. Leadership

Leadership is a great quality for anyone to have, however, its another one that will especially stand out to an admissions board. If you've been in the same student org for your entire undergraduate career, why not try for an executive board position?! If your at a larger school, start regularly volunteering somewhere!

3. Interest/Passion

Having passion for the profession is something that can probably be shown through almost any of the extra activities I've mentioned above! I think passion is really important to have. If you aren't passionate about a job, or certain school, why should the admissions board accept you? Show that you believe in yourself, and that you believe this is what you were meant to do in life. :)

4. Professionalism

A fairly obvious quality, you need to be professional in any graduate program. Try to show your accomplishments in your application. Talk yourself up, but in a polite and appropriate way.

5. Rigor and Responsibility

Notice how I said rigor above, not academics. While I'm not an admissions counselor, I firmly believe that you can accomplish anything you set your heart and mind to, regardless of grades. I think this is true for pharmacy school as well. Rigor, in my opinion, is more important than actual GPA. Admissions boards want to see that you can handle a demanding course load, and still succeed. With that comes a level of responsibility. You need to be responsible enough to manage the rigorous course load, in addition to all of the extracurriculars. So, while GPA is important, it can be balanced by other things.

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Like all of you, I've thought long and hard about how I can grow as a student, and eventually gain admission to pharmacy school. About a year ago, I became a pharmacy technician at UW Hospital and Clinics in Madison, WI. I have learned so much from my colleagues and the pharmacists I've worked with, not only about how I can be better in my job, but about the field itself. I can't thank the people at the hospital enough, as my job there has really showed me that I know this is what I want to do in life.

In addition to my job, I am involved in a couple student orgs on campus, HOSA, which stands for Health Occupation Students of America, Wisconsin Admission Volunteers, and Camp Kesem. I've been in HOSA the longest, and I'm hoping to eventually earn a leadership role in the student org. WAV and Camp Kesem also have leadership positions in the community. Camp Kesem is a nationwide nonprofit organization that gives children who have been touched by a parent's cancer a free week of summer camp. This is my first year with Kesem and I couldn't be more excited.

WAV, on the other end of the spectrum, is a group of students on campus who welcome admitted students, either by calling them or meeting with them on campus visit days to answer any questions they have about being a Badger. Hands down my favorite org to volunteer with!

What I'm getting at is, no matter what you do, you can get there. While having these qualities will definitely help you get there, I always think "If there's a will, there's a way."

As always, please contact me with any questions you may have!

Allison