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Tips on Putting Together a Competitive Application to the College of Pharmacy (UMN)
Tips on Putting Together a Competitive Application to the College of Pharmacy (UMN)
Be on track to complete a Bachelor’s degree. On average, 90% of admitted students have a Bachelor’s degree at the time they start the Pharm.D. program.
It takes more than just good grades to be admitted into the College of Pharmacy. Applicants who present a well-rounded application that is strong in all of the selection criteria have the best chance of admission.
Be sure to have experience in volunteering, community service, extracurricular and/or leadership roles. Examples: Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, fraternities/sororities, tutoring, band/choir, academic or social clubs, team sports.
Obtain pharmacy experience. This can show the admissions committee that you have firsthand knowledge of the working life of a pharmacist. On average, admitted applicants have 2 years of pharmacy or health care work experience. This experience can be work experience, job-shadowing, volunteering, or informational interviews. Hours devoted to job-shadowing and information interviews can be included in the extracurricular section of the PharmCAS application.
The admissions committee expects community service and volunteerism to be part of a lifestyle, not just part of an application. List only genuine volunteer service on the application. “Padded” volunteer/extracurricular experience often is discounted by the admissions committee.
Have references from a variety of sources, such as a work supervisor, college professor, volunteer supervisor, research supervisor, etc. All references must be from individuals that know you in a professional or academic capacity, no personal contacts.
Study abroad, learn about health care in different countries, learn a foreign language and learn about the cultural differences of patients. Students on the Twin Cities campus can visit the Learning Abroad Center for more information.
Research the profession. Read about Pharmaceutical Care, learn about the direction that the profession is going and be prepared to discuss this. Shadow pharmacists working in different roles and learn about the profession from them. Like us on Facebook to read articles about current events in pharmacy.
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