Pharmacy
Education in the United
States of America
This site is dedicated to all the people who want to pursue their pharmacy
education in the U.S.A.,
especially to all my mates in India.
There is a lot of confusion among prospective students about what the Pharm.D.
is all about, and whether it is actually a Ph.D. course. This site talks about
what the Pharm.D., the M.S. program and the Ph.D. program are all about . It
also highlights the requirements that should be fulfilled before applying to
any of these programs. At the end of the Pharm.D. section on this website, the
possibility of international students with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in
Pharmacy becoming registered pharmacists in the U.S. is addressed.
Since most of you reading this are doing your B. Pharmacy and want to pursue
the M.S. or the Ph. D programs, you can just scroll down to your region of
interest and skip the Pharm.D. For those of you who want to know how to study
for the GRE and Toefl, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
1) Pharm.D.:
2) M.S. Programs:
3) Ph.D. Programs:
4) University Websites:
In the United States, thePharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree is a form of professional
doctorate (also called first professional degree) that prepares the
graduate for pharmacy practice. Even though professional doctorates and
academic research doctorates both utilize the term "doctor", the
Pharm.D. is not a research doctorate and is not equivalent to the Ph.D. The
multidisciplinary curriculum may focus on pharmacy-biomedical sciences,
pharmaceutical sciences, social and administrative sciences, pharmacy law and
policy, clinical sciences and experiential training.
Although entrance into a Pharm.D. program generally does not require prior
completion of an undergraduate degree, many applicants hold one. It takes a
minimum of six academic years, which can be completed in five calendar years,
after high school graduation to complete the Pharm.D. program, and it is quite
common for students to take eight years to complete the degree.
Traditionally in the United
States, the bachelor's degree in pharmacy was the
first-professional degree for pharmacy practice. However, in 1990, the American
Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) mandated that a doctorate in pharmacy
would be the new first-professional degree. As of the year 2000, all pharmacy
schools in the U.S.
have discontinued the B.S.Pharm. (Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy) degree
program.
The Pharm.D. is the degree program that one pursues in order to become a
pharmacist in the U.S.
Pre-Requisites to the Pharm.D. program:
i) Complete the required Pre-Pharmacy Coursework
ii) Take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test )
iii) Obtain letters of Recommendation
iv) Participate in Community Service (Requirement
in some universities)
i) Pre-Pharmacy Coursework
The Pre-Pharmacy Coursework lasts up to 4 semesters
and generally has the following courses. Coursework is specifically tailored
and may vary between Universities.
Semester I
Intro. to Biological Science
I
Intro. to Biological
Science I Lab
Fundamentals of Chemistry
I
Fundamentals of Chemistry
I Lab
English Composition I
The United States
to 1877 or equivalent (History)
Elements of Calculus with
Application or
Calculus I
Semester II
Introduction to
Biological Science II
Introduction to
Biological Science II Lab
Fundamentals of Chemistry
II
Fundamentals of Chemistry
II Lab
English Composition II
The United States
Since 1877 or equivalent
Introduction to
Statistical Analysis
Humanities (Refer
approved courses list in college)
Semester III
Fundamentals of Organic
Chemistry I
Fundamentals of Organic
Chemistry I Lab
U.S. & State
Constitution/Politics
Social Science: (Choose
One): Introduction to
Psychology or Introduction to
Sociology
Introductory General
Physics or Physics I or
One year of high school physics
Visual/Performing Arts
(Courses approved by college)
Semester IV
Fundamentals of Organic
Chemistry II
Fundamentals of Organic
Chemistry II Lab
Elementary Microbiology
Elementary Microbiology
Lab
US Government: Congress,
President, and Courts
Writing Intensive Social
Science (See University courses approved list)
Fundamentals of Public
Speaking
ii) PCAT:
PCAT is an exam developed by PsychCorp,
a brand of Harcourt Assessment, Inc. is a specialized test that helps identify
qualified applicants to pharmacy colleges. It measures general academic ability
and scientific knowledge necessary for the commencement of pharmaceutical
education. The PCAT is constructed specifically for colleges of pharmacy.
The PCAT consists of 240
multiple-choice items and two Writing topics, and candidates are given four
hours to complete the test (plus administrative time for instructions and time
for a short rest break about halfway through the test)
The American Association of Colleges of
Pharmacy (AACP) endorses the PCAT as the official preferred
admission test for entrance to pharmacy college.
iii) Obtain Letters of Recommendation:
Most universities have their own recommendation forms which can be
downloaded on the university websites and must be filled in by faculty members.
Some Universities require a recommendation form to be filled by a registered
pharmacist.
iv) Participate in Community Service:
Community service, volunteering, and school service are all positive areas
to be included on the application. With the application pool becoming more and
more competitive, do not forget about this important area.
The college is looking for well-rounded individuals who are involved in
their communities. There is no minimum amount of activities to be included on
the application and the activities can be whatever type that the applicant
chooses. Activities do not have to be in the health care area.
After completing the program, the student will have to take a licensing exam
(NAPLEX) within the state where he/she wants to practice as a pharmacist.
The NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacist Licensure
Examination, is a standard examination
created by the National
Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to help individual
state boards of pharmacy assess an individual's competency
and knowledge so that he or she may be given a license to practice.
The NAPLEX is exclusively a computer-administered exam. Applicants must
register with an official testing facility, such as Prometric, at least two business days in advance to schedule a
testing appointment. The exam consists of 185 questions and has a time limit of
four hours and fifteen minutes, with a mandatory ten-minute break after
approximately two hours. Of the 185 questions, only 150 are used to tabulate
the applicant's score. The remaining 35 are "trial balloon" questions
under consideration for inclusion on future NAPLEX tests. There is no way to
distinguish a regular test question from a trial balloon.
The NAPLEX is an adaptive examination
in that it tailors itself to the skill level of the applicant. Because of the
linear nature of the exam (applicants must answer a question to continue, and
there is no backtracking), the computer is able to zero-in on incorrect
responses and select similar questions for presentation later in the exam. This
allows for analyzation of the applicants' skill level across several performance
categories
Upon clearing the licensing exam, they become registered pharmacists within
that state.
For international students who've done their bachelors in pharmacy program
in countries other than the U.S.,
becoming a registered pharmacist requires that they first take the FPGEE
(Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination) followed by the NAPLEX
(North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination).
International students who have graduated with a 4 year B. Pharmacy
degree before Jan 2003 are eligible to register for taking the FPGEE. Those who
have graduated AFTER Jan 2003 require a 5 year B.Pharmacy
degree to be eligible to register for the FPGEE. This change was made to keep
the standards of foreign pharmacists on par with U.S. standards. And NO, there is no
way around this. If you graduated after Jan 2003 with a 4 year B. Pharmacy
degree, you are, unfortunately, not eligible to register for the FPGEE. You
will have to take the PharmD course if you want to become a pharmacist in U.S.A.
or have a 5 year B. Pharmacy degree. You cannot make up 5 years with 2
years of your masters either. Period.
The M.S. program one wants to pursue depends upon his/her personal interest.
There are various departments one can specialize in, which include Chemistry,
Pharmacology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutics, Industrial Pharmacy, Medicinal
Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacy and so on. In order to find out more about these
courses, browse through the websites of the universities you prefer to apply to
and make sure you know what the course is all about. Not all universities offer
all these courses. For instance, a university may only have Master's Degree
Programs in Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmacology. So find out about your course
of interest, and then locate the universities that offer them. Students
pursuing the M.S. preferably want to do the Ph.D. and start a career in
academia or in R & D.
Colleges have 3 semesters of study per year. Fall semester starts in August,
Spring semester starts in January and Summer starts in June. Most universities
prefer international students to apply for the Fall or Spring semester. Intake
during the summer semester is low. The application deadlines are usually 6
months before the commencement of the program, so make sure you are aware of
the deadline for the universities you want to apply to. Some university have
deadlines up to 8 months before the actual course. You have to time yourself in
such a manner that your GRE, Toefl and transcripts reach the university before the
deadlines. In case you haven't' completed the last semester of your Bachelor's
degree during the time of application, then you can mention that during the
time of application.
Pre-requisites for applying to the M.S.
Program :
1) A Bachelor's in Pharmaceutical Sciences Degree or a B. Pharmacy Degree
(Some universities even accept any B.S. Degree)
2) GRE
3) Toefl
4) Statement of Purpose
5) Letters of Recommendation
6) Financial capability to live and study in the U.S.
1) A Bachelor's in Pharmaceutical Sciences Degree or a B. Pharmacy
Degree:
A Bachelor's of Science degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences or a B. Pharmacy
degree is considered as an undergraduate degree in the U.S. During the
time of applying to the Master's program, you have to submit a university
attested degree or provisional, along with the transcripts from the 1st through
4th year of your Bachelors degree program. The procedure for doing this is that
you can take xerox copies of all your transcripts and your provisional degree,
take them to your university (Eg: J.N.T.U in A.P.) along with white envelopes
and have them attested at the university. The University charges a fixed fee
per attestation, so the number of copies you should get attested depends on the
number of universities you're going to apply to for the Master's program.
Put one set of attested transcripts and provisional certificate per envelop.
Remember that even the envelop has to be attested such that half of the stamp
is on the envelop flap and the rest on the body of the envelope.
These are the basic steps for getting attestation, and probably everyone
knows them, but I generalized them anyway.
2) GRE
The Graduate Record Exam is a test to gauge your Verbal skills (English),
Quantitative skills (Math) and analytical skills (Reasoning and Articulation).
Most universities have a specified minimum score one must have in his/her GRE
to be considered for admission. Since it's different for various universities,
find out about the standards that your university requires before applying
there. Some universities don't specify this limit. For information about how to
prepare for the GRE, click here. For further information about the GRE,
click here.
3) Toefl:
The Test of English as a foreign language must be taken by all
international students who wish to study in the U.S. Most universities specify the minimum
score they want their applicants to have to be considered for admission. In
many cases, if a students has good academics, a decent GRE score, but a low
Toefl and the University wants to accept such a student, then he/she may
receive a conditional I-20, and he/she will be required to take a semester of
English before the actual coursework and this is added to his tuition bill. If
money is an issue for you, then don't' forget the consider the bill you'll
receive for this course too. For more information about how to prepare for the
Toefl, click here.
4) Statement Of Purpose:
This is your personal statement. What you have to do here is mention why you
want to pursue the course that you are applying to, and how this degree program
is going to help you to achieve your goal. You can include information
regarding what your educational background is as well as any special skills
that you have. For instance, you may have been a very good orator during your
school or college, so include such information in your S.O.P. Identify your
skills that are relevant in an academic setting and make sure you make yourself
very marketable. Your Statement of Purpose is a very good means for the
University to gauge you as a suitable candidate, so be honest and state the
skills you actually have. Also, putting skills like being good at debates and
presentations, increases your chances of getting a Teaching Assistantship,
which would take away the financial burden of paying your tuition to a considerable
extent. Having done research work helps you get a Research Assistantship, so
make sure you use put down all your skills when you're turning in this
document. Do not put irrelevant skills here, e.g., being good at singing. (lol)
5) Letter Of Recommendation:
You will need anywhere between 2 to 4 letters of recommendation from faculty
of the college where you've done you're Bachelor's degree. Some universities
may require you to download letters of recommendation from their website, in
which case, it's more like a questionnaire which the faculty has to fill in.
Other universities would prefer your professors to write in their own words
about the candidate applying to the university. This is done by your professors
personally on official letter heads. In either case, i.e., if you professor
fills the questionnaire or if he writes his own letter on official letter head,
he has to put his stamp and signature on the bottom, enclose it in an envelop
and sign it such that half of his sign is on the flap of the sealed envelop and
the rest on the body of the envelop.
You can get good letters of recommendation if you were a good student and
treated your professors with respect. (Hehe). In other words, be good to your
teachers, and they'll help you in return. The letters of recommendation can
really help you, especially when you are applying for a graduate assistantship.
6) Finances:
When applying for a program, you have to show evidence regarding your
financial capacity to support yourself and your education during the entire
period of your stay in the U.S.
You will have to submit a bank statement during the time of application. Some
universities require to submit banking transaction for up to six months before
the time of application, so find out what kind of paper work your university is
asking for. The amount of money that you need depends upon the course you're
taking up, the state you're intending to go to, and the living expenses in that
city or state. For instance, the cost of living in New
York is very high, whereas it is relatively cheaper in Louisiana and Texas.
You have to be sure to turn in the following documents before the
application deadlines:
1) Application form ( Online applications are the most preferred by
universities)
2) Application fee
3) Attested transcripts and provisional
4) GRE score, directly through ETS
5) Toefl score, directly through ETS
6) Bank Statements
7) Letters of Recommendation
8) Statement of Purpose
9) Graduate Assistantship Application ( if you want to be considered for an
assistantship)
One can pursue a Ph.D. in any of the areas within the pharmaceutical
sciences that are of interest to him/her. In order to pursue a Ph.D., it is
preferred that one has completed an M.S. program, but it is not a necessity.
Some universities accept students into the Ph.D. program right after their
bachelors program if the student appears promising. However, remember that the
pool of applicants to the Ph.D. program has M.S. students too, so the chances
of getting in are comparatively slim right after the B.S.
Some universities offer M.S.+ Ph.D. programs for students who've completed
their B.S. The pre-requisites for applying to the Ph.D. program are very
similar to the M.S. program.
Pre-Requisites to the Ph.D. program:
1) A B.S. Degree or an M.S. Degree ( depending on whether you're applying
to the M.S.+ Ph.D. program, or the Ph.D. program)
2) GRE
3) Toefl
4) Statement of Purpose
5) Letters of Recommendation
6) Curriculum Vitae
7) Financial capacity to study and live in the U.S.
Items 1 through 5 above are similar to what is required in the M.S. program.
6) Curriculum Vitae:
A curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV, is a longer (two or more
pages), more detailed synopsis than a resume. It includes a summary of your
educational and academic background, as well as teaching and research
experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations, and
other details.
For details on how to write an academic CV, just click here.
7) Finances:
Most universities offer funding for all the students they accept into their
Ph.D. program. However, financial capability to live and study in the U.S. must be
proved, more for the visa requirements, as well as to follow standard admission
procedures.
I am citing here, all the pharmacy schools throughout the U.S.A. This should be helpful to
all my fellow pharmacy students.
Auburn
University - School
of Pharmacy
Butler
University - College
of Pharmacy and Health
Sciences
Campbell University - School of Pharmacy
Columbia University - College of Physicians
and Surgeons
Duquesne
University - Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences
Florida A and M
University
Idaho State
University - College
of Pharmacy
Johns Hopkins University
Advanced Academic Programs
Keck Graduate
Institute of Applied Life Sciences
Long Island
University - Brooklyn Campus; Arnold
and Marie Schwartz College
of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Long
Island University - Westchester
Graduate Campus Pharmaceutics
Massachusetts
College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences
Medical
University of South Carolina
Mercer
University Southern School
of Pharmacy
North
Dakota State University
Northeastern University
Bouve College
of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Ohio State University - The College of Pharmacy
Oregon
State University - College
of Pharmacy
Purdue
University- School of
Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences
Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey - Rutgers College
of Pharmacy
Saint
John's University - College
of Pharmacy and Allied
Health Professions
Temple
University - School
of Pharmacy
Texas
Tech University - School
of Pharmacy
University at Buffalo - The State University of New York
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of
Alabama at Birmingham
University of Arizona - College of Pharmacy
University
of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College
of Pharmacy
University
of California, San Diego - Department of Pharmacology
University
of California, San Francisco
University
of Cincinnati - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Colorado - Health
Sciences Center
School of Pharmacy
University
of Connecticut - School
of Pharmacy
University of Florida - Department of
Pharmaceutics
University of Georgia - College of Pharmacy
University
of Houston - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Illinois at Chicago - College of Pharmacy
University
of Iowa - College
of Pharmacy
University of
Kansas
University
of Kentucky - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Louisiana at Monroe - School of Pharmacy
University of Maryland, Baltimore - School of Pharmacy
University
of Michigan - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Minnesota - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Missouri - Kansas City Pharmaceutical Science
University
of Mississippi - School
of Pharmacy
University
of Montana - The School
of Pharmacy & Allied
Health Sciences
University
of Nebraska Medical Center - Pharmaceutical Sciences
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill - School
of Pharmacy
University
of Oklahoma - Health
Sciences Center
College of Pharmacy
University
of Pennsylvania - School
of Medicine
University
of Rhode Island - College
of Pharmacy
University
of Southern California Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
University
of South Carolina - College
of Pharmacy
University of Tennessee, Memphis - College of Pharmacy
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University
of Texas at Austin - College
of Pharmacy
University
of the Pacific - School
of Pharmacy
University of
Toledo, The
University of Wisconsin - Madison - School of Pharmacy
University
of Utah - College
of Pharmacy
Virginia Commonwealth University - School of Pharmacy
University of Washington - School of Pharmacy
Wayne State University - College of Pharmacy
and Allied Health Professions
Weill Graduate
School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University
West
Virginia University - School
of Pharmacy
All You should know about the GRE and
Toefl:
If you are interested in learning tips to ace the GRE and Toefl tests and
information on when to take your tests, click here.
Created by Mir
stryker2@ rediffmail.com