Prepharmacy Club: 2007-2008 Meeting Archive
- Dues & Events
- Admission tips
- Events
- Applying for admission
- Interview tips
- Event
- Pharmacy as a career
- Interviews
- Many aspects of pharmacy
- Events
- Taking the PCAT
- New officers
- Research careers
Sept. 10, 2007 Meeting Minutes
We started the meeting by having advisor Marty Baker make an announcement that the pharmacy application will be up later than Sept. 15 due to technical issues. Then your new officers were introduced.
Please pay your club dues and fill out a registration form if you have not already done so. Club dues are $10 before the next meeting, which you may drop off with your completed form at Office of Student Services in Drachman B107 to Marty Baker (please put it in an envelope and ask if you can put it in her mailbox). The fee will go up to $20 at the next meeting Oct. 1.
The president of Kappa Epsilon invited prepharmacy students to become affiliate members for the cost of $10. You will be able to attend their various events throughout the year and you will also have the opportunity to have direct contact with professors and administration in the College of Pharmacy. Then, the president of ASP-APhA, our sister organization within the College of Pharmacy, invited prepharmacy students to join for $47 a year. This would allow you to be an associate member for the main organization which represents pharmacy nationwide. Membership would allow you to have access to their mentor program, listserv, journal publications and volunteer opportunities such as the Women's Health Expo.
Ashley made event announcements and she also announced that attendance will be taken at these events. Awards will be given out at the end of the year for attendance at the events.
Our first event is Thursday, Sept. 20, which is a Percentage Night at Penguin's on University Boulevard from 7-9 p.m. Bring a friend and mention the Prepharmacy Club; don't forget to put your name on the sign-up sheet. Our next event will be Saturday, Sept. 29, which will be Ben's Bells from 10a.m.-3 p.m.,across the street from Penguin's, in the grassy area next to Starbucks. We will be painting bells for a good cause; for more info log on to www.bensbells.org. On Oct. 14, we will help with organizing the AIDSWALK at the U of A mall. Shifts start as early as 4a.m. and end at 10 a.m.
Our guest speakers were the first-year pharmacy students. They answered questions that prepharmacy students had about the application process. They recommended that you get involved in various volunteer activities. It is crucial to be a well-rounded applicant and have a variety of experience at the time of your application. The students also stressed to get good letters of recommendations from people who know you well. It is also essential for you to do well on the PCAT. They recommended studying the Kaplan book thoroughly. The score that you should shoot for in order to be competitive is a 70 or higher composite and a 50 or higher for chemistry. Last year, the Admissions Committee set the threshold of at least a science GPA of 3.15 and a 50+ on the chemistry subscore to be asked to interview. No one was admitted under a 3.3 science GPA.
They also spoke about their experience during their interviews. They said to try to relax and to feel confident. Be prepared to ask the interviewer a question. Also, expect to answer ethical questions in which you will have to make a decision in a scenario and explain your answer. After the meeting we had pizza and our guest speakers were able to speak individually to members who had questions. We hope to see everyone at the next meeting! -Cinthia Reyes
We started the meeting by having announcements for the month of October.
- On Sunday, Oct. 14 we will volunteer for the AIDSWALK at the U of A mall. There are shifts available from 6-10 a.m.; remember to sign up to volunteer.
- The PCAT BBQ will take place on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. at Himmel Park. Please sign-up to be on a committee and RSVP.
- On Saturday, Oct. 27, we will volunteer for the Juvenile Diabetes Walk from 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
- October is National Pharmacy month and The American Pharmacists Association will have a tent on the UA mall on Monday, Oct. 22 from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Atal Wassimi, the president of APhA-ASP has asked the club for volunteers for the tent from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the UA mall. He mentioned he needed help with set-up, clean-up and handing out root beer floats. If you are interested please e-mail him at atal@email.arizona.edu.
After the announcements, Marty introduced our new prepharmacy advisor Ana Hernandez. She is currently not available for appointments, but Marty will send out a message on the listserv when she is ready to receive appointments. Then Marty talked about the pharmacy application. In order to be a competitive candidate, your science GPA should be at least a 3.0 or higher. She mentioned that if it is lower than a 3.0 then you should not apply. She urged everyone to avoid waiting until the last minute to submit the application.
The application deadline is Saturday, Dec.1, 2007. No grace period will be given by the admissions committee if there are technical problems with your application; therefore, it is important that you do not wait until the last minute to submit it. The letters of recommendation are to be filled out online only after your application is submitted. After your application is submitted, the recommender will have until Dec.15, 2007 to complete your recommendations.
Tim, the creator of the application, mentioned that your recommenders will receive an e-mail the day after you submit your application. Give them a call to make sure that they received it. If they did not receive it, then you may have typed in their e-mail incorrectly or they have a filter in their e-mail. Make sure that they allow e-mails from admissionsinfo@pharmacy.arizona.edu. He also mentioned that if you are taking the PCAT in October, submit the application. If you are taking it to improve your scores then don't input the scores until you receive them. If the PCAT scores are late, they will allow you to turn only the scores in late. Marty will sent out reminder e-mails about the applications.
Next, Dr. Theodore Tong, the associate dean of The University Of Arizona College Of Pharmacy, gave students valuable information on admissions process for the college. He advised people not to get nervous about the application. Make sure it is turned in on time. Remember that details are important and fees must be paid. He mentioned that if you were serious about pursuing pharmacy as a career then you should apply to various schools; he recommended about 3-4 other colleges. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has a book with useful information regarding other schools in the country. If you would like to view it look online or ask Marty if you can see it.
Dr. Tong also described the admissions process at UA. He said that there was student representation on the committee. The committee is composed of a large group of people with various experiences. He mentioned that the application needs to be a mirror of who you are. A strong GPA and good scores in chemistry are importan, but you must also have volunteer experience in the pharmacy setting. Ask people that you have volunteered for to write a letter of recommendation with your personal attributes and characteristics.
Then there was a question and answer time with Dr. Tong. For The PCAT exam, the score that you should shoot for to be competitive is a 70 or higher composite and a 50 or higher for chemistry. The class sizes ranges from 70-90 students and this past year there were 90 students admitted. He was also asked if he recommended that you finish your prepharmacy work in 2, 3 or 4 years. He mentioned that he took four years of undergraduate work and one year of graduate school. The quality of your prepharmacy experience is crucial for admissions. If you do plan on finishing the coursework in 2 to 3 years, then speak to your advisor and ask about taking dual-enrollment courses or summer classes.
You may receive the interview the first week of January. You will receive the interview alert e-mail earlier if you have most of your sciences completed. You must enter your fall grades no later than Dec. 31! The committee comes back on the 2nd of January and the threshold will be set at this time. In mid-January, the committee will let you know if you will not be invited to an interview.
These interviews will take place with a trained faculty member or someone from the community. Dr. Tong recommends to listen to the question and to be straightforward and honest about your answers. He asks you not to memorize your answers because if it sounds practiced it will not make a good impression. The interview is simply an opportunity to get to know you better.
Afterwards there was a raffle of UA prizes. Then everyone went outside to enjoy some Eegee's and ask any additional questions for Dr. Tong. We hope to see everyone at the next meeting on Nov. 5. -Cinthia Reyes
We started the meeting with an announcement from Ashley Sweaney.
- We will volunteer this month at El Tour de Tucson, Nov. 17. Sheila, a volunteer coordinator for the tour, spoke to us about a short class we are required to take before helping people register at the event. The class is Friday, Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m. If you do not wish to register people, there are additional volunteer opportunities for you. If you want to participate, please e-mail our activities coordinator, Suzy. For more information about the tour, visit its Web site.
Then we had a guest speaker. Eric, the district supervisor for Walgreens in Tucson, spoke about many aspects of pharmacy. He said pharmacy school is not easy, but it is certainly worth your while if you can get through it. He gave some pointers for the admissions process because he is on an admissions committee. He said:
- Good recommendation letters are essential. These letters should be from people who know you well.
- Volunteer work is also essential. You should try to volunteer at hospitals, the Red Cross and in health care fields. You should be actively engaged in them.
He also discussed career opportunities at Walgreens. You can become a pharmacy technician through their program. You need to be 18 years old and have a high school diploma to receive Arizona certification, which allows you to be trained at a Walgreens. Then, you take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam prepared for you by Walgreens. Walgreens covers all costs for courses, textbooks and the exam fee. As a pharmacy technician at Walgreens, you start out at around $10 per hour. Then, when you get into pharmacy school, you are paid $15 per hour the first year, $16 per hour the second year, $17 per hour the third year, and $20 per hour the fourth year.
Then we opened up a Q & A with Eric. He mentioned scholarships for interns. The Prepharmacy Scholarship from Walgreens is $3,000 for being admitted to pharmacy school and you receive a check written out to you. Then the Progressive Pharmacy scholarship program for students in pharmacy school is $1,500 for the first year, $2,000 for the second year, $2,500 for the third year and $3,000 for the fourth year. If you commit to work for a Walgreens pharmacy in a specific area of the country, you then receive $5,000 for the last two years you are in pharmacy school. Walgreens also offers sign-on incentives. Eric also said Walgreens is going to expand and provide "Take-Care" clinics next to the pharmacy. These will be staffed by nurse practitioners who can treat minor illnesses. Prescriptions will also be written in the clinics, and the clinics will provide access to cost-effective, easy health care for everyone. Compounding pharmacies have also been integrated into Walgreens pharmacies, as are specialized departments such as HIV sites, where pharmacists receive additional training on that specific subject to provide effective health care. You can also volunteer at Walgreens without being a pharmacy technician. They set up job-shadowing experiences for high school and college students.
Next, Kappa Epsilon picked up canned foods and money donations. They will do so again at the next meeting.
We then enjoyed Pizza Hut courtesy of Walgreens.
Remember, our next meeting is Dec. 3. Don't miss it! -Cinthia Reyes
Dec. 3, 2007 Meeting Minutes
Our guest speaker was Kem Blanchard from UA Career Services. She mentioned there are two types of admission interviews. The open file interview is when the interviewer has some knowledge of your file. In this type of interview, your character is evaluated--your morals, judgment, ethics and the manner in which you communicate. In a closed file interview, the interviewer does not know your story.
She recommends you prepare for the interview by evaluating your personal qualities. Think about what the interviewer will be looking for. They will be looking at academics, test scores, GPA, letters of recommendation and your application. They will also evaluate your particular experience in the pharmacy and experience related to non-clinical volunteer work. The interviewer would like to see activities that demonstrated that you are committed to the field.
Your personality is the key to the interview. The manner in which you present yourself is important. You need to have good communication skills and show preparedness for the interview. You also need to have knowledge of the field and the school to which you applied.
Interviews vary depending on the school. You will want to know what the
interviewer wants depending on the school. It would be a good idea to go a day early to the school in order to see what the city is like and to figure out where you will be going. Also, keep the weather in mind when choosing your clothes.
During the interview, incorporate community service and leadership roles that you have been a part of. Be prepared with at least two to three stories that demonstrate how you have worked in a team. Remember to talk about your motivation to become a pharmacist. Mention why you would like to be a pharmacist. Ask them questions that show that you want to know more about their school. Practice talking about yourself because you need to be your own coach in this interview. Think before you answer the question. If the interviewer asks you about your weakness, pick something that can change and that you can learn from. Ethics are a critical subject and you may be asked where you have made ethical choices. Mention qualities that you have that will make you a good pharmacy student. Most importantly, remember to be honest with your answers
.
For the interview, choose a suit that is deep navy blue or a dark grey. Remember, you must match the suit and avoid wearing see-through shirts. Purchase the best suits that you can afford. Make sure that the length of the jacket is long enough and think about how it will look when you are sitting. Women may wear pant suits or a skirt suit. If you wear a skirt, you must wear pantyhose and small heels. Choose a conservative outfit; make sure the skirt is not too short. Men should choose a silk tie in a dark color. Choose an outfit in which you are comfortable. Do not wear jewelry that makes noise, take out tongue rings and cover visible tattoos. Men should shave their beard. If you wear contact lenses or glasses, make sure they are really clean.
Interview yourself in the suit. Ask yourself the same question various times. Then have someone listen to you. Do not memorize your answers; just know your story. You need to have superb, quality answers. Try outlining the answers. When the interviewer walks into the room, say "Pleased to meet you" and offer your right hand for a handshake. Most interviews have similar structure. The person will come outside and call your name and you shake their hand. If the interviewer asks you to tell them about yourself, then talk about why you would like to get into pharmacy school. During the interview, never touch your hair. At the end of the interview, say "Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you." Before you take off your suit, evaluate yourself. The more prepared you are, the better your interview will be.
Then we opened up for a question and answer time with Kem:
- Is it OK to write questions on your portfolio and then look at them during the interview? Kem recommends just glancing at them and then close the portfolio and go back to eye contact.
- If you have questions concerning the interview process you may contact the school ahead of time. If two schools offer you an interview on the same day, you can call one school and ask them to reschedule.
- You may restate the question as part of your answer. Give detailed specific examples throughout your interview and then a summary. Your answer should be about two to four minutes per question. When you practice in front of a mirror, try to time yourself.
- Take about 15 seconds to think about the questions if you are not completely sure what they are asking.
- Kem mentions that black is not one of her favorite colors for a suit because there are so many shades of black. She recommends having a friend with you when you shop and asking them if the color goes with your skin tone. Buy a suit with a wrinkle-resistant fabric.
- Wear light, natural looking make-up. Do not wear cologne or perfume. Get a manicure for the interview. Choose clear nail polish only.
Then, we collected Toys for Tots items, had some cookies and candy bags were handed out. Happy Holidays everyone. Our next meeting will be Feb. 4, 2008.
Feb. 4, 2008 Meeting Minutes
The guest speaker was Jim Kloster, RPh, from the Medication
Management Center at The University of Arizona. He graduated from
pharmacy school at Purdue University in 1983. He is currently working at the center
by providing an annual medication review to older patients. He helps them
understand their prescriptions while talking to them on the phone. These
medication reviews prevent drug interactions and drug duplications in their
prescriptions. He also monitors blood pressure readings and their blood sugar
levels. He mentions that trust is essential to develop between patients.
Sometimes the patient will not tell the doctor everything but they will express
their concerns with the pharmacist. He also worked in long-term care for five
years. His job was to make sure that patients were taking the correct
medications because they had various doctors. The pharmacy would also deliver
the medications to the long-term care facilities.
Jim also worked as a store manager at Walgreens. He mentions that as a
pharmacist you will be a supervisor. Pharmacists are leaders who always have
the last word. If you are going to be the leader of a team you need to get to
know all of the people that work with you. You need to be there for these
people. Being a leader is a great challenge but discretion will help you in a
leadership position.
He has also worked in the poison control center, which he really enjoyed. He
worked in a compounding pharmacy. He enjoyed creating the dosage for different
patients. He also learned about veterinarian compounding which he found
interesting to adjust a dosage for an animal. He mentions that it may take you
a while to decide what you really want to follow in pharmacy. He does not want
you to be afraid to move and change settings because that is how you figure out
what you really want your job to be.
He urges students to get experience in the community in addition to experience
in a pharmacy. He is currently a basketball coach and participates in his daughter's school. He advises students to provide a brief biography about your activities when you request a letter of recommendation. You should mention what you enjoy to do and include anything that you have failed at. This will help the person to get to know you better so that they can provide a more thorough letter of recommendation.
Jim is also a member of the American Pharmacists Association. He represents the
Western region. He is involved with the political aspect of pharmacy such as
rules and regulations of pharmacies. He points out various harmful issues for
pharmacies to legislation.
He would like the students to be aware that the more challenging things are, then
the more worthwhile that thing will be. In the end, the more effort something
takes, the better the reward.
Then, we all enjoyed sandwiches from Baggin's. Students had the opportunity
to ask Jim questions at the end. We hope to see you all at the next meeting,
which will take place March 3 at 5 p.m. and watch your e-mails for some upcoming
events.
These events were announced:
- Rubio's Percentage Night, Thursday, March 13, 6-9 p.m.
Bring flyer to the 3421 E. Broadway Blvd. store. We will use the money to purchase medications for Manos de Ayuda. They offer free healthcare clinics to low-income families in Rocky Point, Mexico. For more information visit the website at http://www.manosdeayuda.org/ - Habitat for Humanity, Saturday, March 22, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
I-10 and Wilmot: building a house, painting - Ronald McDonald House, Saturday, March 29, SPACE LIMITED, Time: 4-6 p.m. E-mail Suzy at suzlia@email.arizona.edu if you want to sign up for any events and have not already done so.
Our guest speaker was Marie Chisholm-Burns, PharmD. She is the author of Barron's PCAT study guides. She encourages students to research each individual school to figure out how they need to view the PCAT. Some schools will either take the average of the PCAT scores or the highest scores. The University of Arizona will only look at your highest PCAT score. In addition to the PCAT, many schools require the Pharmcas application, so do not forget to fill that out also. The prepharmacy courses will prepare you for the PCAT exam. You will be tested on the basic skills in this coursework.
The Conventions of Language or writing portion will ask you to write two essays. Only one essay will be graded at random, so do your best on both of them. Dictionaries are not allowed in the exam and spelling does count. Try to do a quick outline before you begin your essay, so that you can think about what you are going to say. You need to provide a well, thought-out argument.
You may only work one section of the PCAT at a time. If you finish early you may not go back to another section. There is no penalty for guessing, so do not leave anything blank. You will be allowed to write in the booklet, but the bubble sheet will be the only portion graded. Remember to bubble in correctly by comprehending how the bubble sheet is set up and bubble the correct number.
Prepare yourself for the exam by putting yourself on a study schedule. Review your course materials. The higher the percentiles for your PCAT score, the better. The reference group for the percentiles has already been established from previous years.
For the exam you will need two forms of ID and a pencil. There will be no calculators, no periodic table and no electronic devices. Absolutely no cell phones are allowed. Below are the following PCAT exam dates: Saturday, June 21, 2008; Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008; Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008; Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009.
We enjoyed some Mexican food while we listened to our guest speaker. See you at our last meeting of the year, April 7 at 5 p.m.!
We started off with officer elections. Congratulations to the 2008-2009 Prepharmacy club officers!
- President- Cinthia Reyes
- Vice President- Amy Smith
- Treasurer- Seung Oh
- Secretary- Georgina Ybarra
- Computer Guru- Adam Hollingsworth
- Activities Coordinator- Caryn Clark
- Historian- Sarena Debaca
- ASP/Liaison- Christina Esquire
Then the active members awards were distributed.
Our upcoming April event is Saturday, April 19: Earth Day Festival at Reid Park.
Our guest speaker was Dr. Nathan Cherrington. He spoke about research careers for pharmacists. He is a professor under the Pharmacology andToxicology department here at college. He provided information on research opportunities. He informed us that before you graduate from pharmacy school you can choose your own elective. He encourages students to go into independent research by finding a professor and learning about what they do in the lab. Dr. Cherrington is currently working on research about what he names the "fatty" liver disease. Basically, a person has fat in their liver which is unhealthy. He states that every person has different adverse drug effects. Therefore, research pharmacists try to figure out what these are before the drug is approved. There are drugs that do not exit the body because a person has a different metabolism. It is important for them to have diagnostic tests so that this reaction can be monitored. Research pharmacists develop these diagnostic tests which save the lives of many patients. There are many options for people who would like to get involved in the research aspect of pharmacy. Prepharmacy or pharmacy students should contact a research laboratory so that they can learn more about research pharmacists.
Then we enjoyed Jimmy John's subs and socialized. Hope to see you guys next semester!