Prepharmacy Club: 2006-2007 Meeting Archive
- Events
- Admission questions
- Events
- Application tips
- Tour de Tucson, Ronald McDonald House
- Interview tips
Sept. 11, 2006 Meeting Minutes
We started the September meeting off by introducing your officers and making a few announcements. Please pay your dues and complete a registration form at the next meeting if you have not already done so, or you can complete the form and drop off your $10 dues to the Office of Student Services in Drachman B-107 to Marty Baker (put in envelope and ask it be put in her mailbox). At our next meeting on Oct. 2 , dues will go up to $20.
Next, we heard from two pharmacy fraternities. Kappa Epsilon allows prepharmacy members to join as associated members for $20. Membership allows you to participate in their many events throughout the year. If you are interested send an email to adams@pharmacy.arizona.edu. Next, we heard from ASP-APhA, our sister organization within the College of Pharmacy. They have open membership for prepharmacy students (annual dues - $47). They hold monthly meetings on Wednesdays from 12-1, which include lunch and helpful information. You also receive several pharmacy publications through them that keep you up to date on current pharmacy issues.
Lindsey then announced the events we have coming up this month. The first one in this Saturday, the 16th , at 10 a.m. We will be making Ben’s Bells in the Geronimo plaza on University Boulevard. On Sunday Oct. 1, we are volunteering at the Jim Click Roll and Run Walk from 7:30-9:30, handing out goodie bags and t-shirts. On Oct. 8 , we will be walking in the AIDS Walk 5k. If you want to participate, you must sign up online at www.aidswalktucson.com. Our team name is Prepharmacy Club and our captain is Lindsey Hall. We also need to form a Post PCAT BBQ committee to help plan the event on Oct. 2 . This is a great chance to get involved and meet other club members! We hope to see you at every event and if you have any questions email Lindsey at lhall1@email.arizona.edu.
Next, we held a question and answer period with several first-year pharmacy students. Some main points of advice were to focus on your sciences (especially organic chemistry) and not to overload. Take your time and do it right! They stated that pharmacy experience, competitive academics and uniqueness are the main things that the admissions committee looks for. They suggest getting your application done as early as possible so things don’t back up on you at the end of the fall semester. They spent a good deal of time talking about the PCAT, which can be taken in June, October or January (only June and October count for getting an interview if you are applying for the following fall). Depending on the applicant pool, a 70 composite score and 50 chemistry sub-score is considered competitive. Letters of recommendation should be from faculty/teachers, employers, pharmacists, generally people who supervise you in some way. Your recommenders are mailed a password to access a specific form that gives them pre-selected questions to answer. We then broke off for pizza and socializing! On one final note, congratulations to Ken, our new treasurer and we hope to see you all at the next meeting!
We started the October meeting off by mentioning the many events we have this month. AIDS Walk is this Sunday, Oct. 8. Don’t forget to resister online at www.aidswalktucson.com. Also coming up this month is the PCAT BBQ on the 21st . Please send an RSVP email to ash04@email.arizona.edu by Friday the 6th at noon if you are coming. We need to plan how much food to bring. The BBQ is one of our most relaxing social events of the year and we hope to see you all there 1 p.m. at Drachman Hall – the new sod is down! Race for the Cure is on Saturday, Oct. 28 and you must register online for it as well. E-mail Lindsey at lhall1@email.arizona.edu if you have any questions about the events.
Next, Marty took us through the key points on the application. She also gave us some advice, such as print up the info pages before you start the application so that you can look at them as you go. Keep your answers to the entry essay questions clear, concise and honest. They don’t want pages of writing in each box. In the application, you will enter the e-mails of your letter of recommendation writers. Make sure your letters of recommendation come from a person with which you have a professional relationship. A test e-mail will go out to them after you submit the application. It is your responsibility to make sure everything gets to them and that they fill out the e-mailed form by Dec.15 at 5 p.m. Don’t feel like you need to complete the application all at once. Save it and come back when you have time. If you have any questions while filling out the application, e-mail the help address given and Marty or Kerry will get back to you. The application fee is $65. Marty reminded us that you need only list the coursework the pharmacy college requires, which can greatly increase your GPA. Only put the best grade down if you’ve taken a course twice. Coursework entry is often the most common error made. In general, when filling out the application take your time and pay attention to detail.
Next, we heard from Dr. Ted Tong, the associate sean for academic affairs, about his take on the application process. One of his main points was to not depend on advice from past applicants or current pharmacy students because things are always changing and every person is unique. The main goal of the Admission Committee is to create a small, close-knit class that will become responsible, equipped, ethical pharmacists. It is important to convey good choices and unique experiences to the Admission Committee in the entry essays and the interview. They want to see the real you. Don’t lie because it will come back to haunt you. They want to see lasting experience, not one-time events. His example was shadowing a pharmacist three years ago for three hours is not a lasting experience! Past service to others is important because it plays a big role in our future career. He recommended applying to other colleges because it is always better to have options. Emphasize to your letter writers how important letters of recommendation are to your acceptance, make sure they follow through, and give them plenty of notice. There are new rules for entering as a grad student into the program that include 72 units completed and a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 units. If you have any questions about this contact Marty or Kerry. Overall, Dr Tong reminds us to stay calm during the process, be positive, and project your strengths.
At the end, we broke off for socializing and pizza. Thank you for taking the time to come speak to us, Dr. Tong! See you all at the next meeting!
We started the meeting off by making an announcement of the two events coming up this month. El Tour de Tucson is Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Tucson Convention Center. We are signed up for the 8:30 to 11 a.m. shift in which we will hand out medals to the children in the kids' race. Last year this was a lot of fun and the kids were really cute! Lindsay is trying to get more time slots for people who want to volunteer later in the day. She will send out e-mails later in the month with more information about times and carpools.
Saturday Dec. 2, we will make breakfast at the Ronald McDonald House. Specific times will be sent out later in the month. Since there are so few events in November, I’m sure we will see you all there!
Next, we heard from our guest speaker, Kem Blanchard, counselor at the UA Career Services Office, who provided helpful information about the interview process. She recommends wearing a conservative black, grey, or navy suit with usually a white shirt underneath. Girls should wear collared or boat-neck long-sleeved shirts. Your shoes should not expose your toes or your heels. Professionalism is the image you’re striving for! It is useful to take someone with you who you know will be brutally honest when shopping for the outfit. Hair should be worn conservatively and should not be played with during the interview. Don’t bring anything in with you except maybe a small purse and a leather portfolio that has your last-minute review notes in it. Your appearance makes up their first impression, so pay attention to detail!
Kem stressed preparation as the key to success. She recommends answering the typical questions, which are given to us in her handout, three times in a row while looking at yourself in the mirror. Have a list of several things that you absolutely want to convey about yourself during the conversation. The opening and closing questions usually give you the most freedom to direct the conversation to the topics you want addressed, so use that to your advantage. Be able to articulate why you are applying to the school and why you applied to other programs. Also, have some questions ready about their program for when they ask if you have any questions for them. For the most part, they expect a 2-4 minute answer, so remember to time yourself while you are practicing. It is often helpful to use key statements at the end of each answer that let the interviewer know you are done speaking, such as “and that was a time in which I demonstrated…” Know your application from front to back and be able to articulate it in an interesting style. It is important to look happy to be there and give yourself positive internal feedback throughout the meeting to prevent a panic attack. Be constantly aware of your body language and make sure to attentively listen and interact with the interviewer.
Finally, Kem recommends having a closing statement prepared that thanks them for the chance to interview and reiterates your desire to attend their institution. Always be true to yourself and honest with your answers and try to relax!
Thank you again for coming to speak to us, Kem Blanchard! We will see everyone at the next meeting on Dec. 4!