r/PrePharmacy

Hi, I am going to apply to pharmacy school during the fall 2026 semester (for fall 27), and in this spring 2026 semester I received a C in my Anatomy and Physiology class, and I was thinking of retaking it. I have so far received all Bs in my science classes unfortunately with my luck only As in some electives. I am also at community college.

My question was would it be worth it to retake A&P during the fall when i'll be applying, as they won't necessarily be taking into account the grade i get upon completion? Thank you!

Realizing i’m not getting into pharmacy anywhere because i’m in my second year and my GPA is booty cheeks. My average for all the prerequisites is like a C and no matter how hard i try i always get around C to B. such a sad thing to realize that u suck 💔😔

Has anyone gotten accepted to pharmacy school during the summer after submitting spring grades? The schools told me to submit my spring grades, so I was wondering if there’s still a chance for acceptance over the summer or if that’s usually too late.

Hello!

Recently after graduating w my B.S at UCF. i decided to want to go for pharmacy. And I realized that my GPA is not competitive enough :,) . I read that the pcat is no longer required but its optional? Will i still be able to take the pcat as a leverage for my GPA. Im planning to take post grad studies and hopefully bring up my GPA.

Hello!

I recently got accepted to TTUHSC but was not place in my preferred campus. Due to my family circumstances and financial reasons I just can’t relocate. Contacted the admission office and told them my situation and was told they can waitlist me if I accepted my offer for the other campus and they might be able to if a spot open up. I inquired about deferral as well but seems like it’s not possible right now.

So I was just wondering if later on no spot open up how should I go about it, due to my situation I absolutely cannot relocate but would rejecting after accepting the offer hurt my chances if I chose to reapply to get my preferred campus?

I do plan on working in a pharmacy setting if worst comes to worst and I can’t get in to make my application better with hopefully a new recommendation letter. Have anyone gone through anything like this? Or what are the chances of people rejecting at this point of admission?

I am currently posting from a new account due to privacy concerns. I’ve been looking for a job as a pharmacy technician for about a year now. I’ve applied to retail and hospital positions. I currently have my trainee license and expressed willingness to learn as well as passion for pharmacy (I’ve also applied for pharmacy school as well). I have had great interviews. Most jobs end up ghosting me or closing the position. But one stuck out to me. I recently applied to a hospital that said they liked me, but they couldn’t hire me due to me wanting to go to pharmacy school. Apparently you can’t hold an intern and technician license at the same time? I wouldn’t be attending school until the fall and I’m not sure if I’ll even get in! I just wanted to reach out to Reddit to see how true that is.

I’m about to finish my undergrad and start pharmacy school in the fall. However, I’m hearing everyone say that pharmacy isn’t worth it and it’s the worst decision they’ve ever made. They make really bad return on investments and aren’t the ideal career choice. I know most of the issues stems from the retail side but I’m still feeling incredibly demoralized. So what now? Am I facing a dead end for my career choice?

I am a Canadian student who got an offer at UBC for this fall but I feel conflicted

I don’t have any pharmacy experience and was kind of blindly following the pre-pharm route, focusing on my GPA since admissions in Canada are competitive.

Now that it’s time to enter the program im wondering if it’s worth it or not. Should I take a gap year to gain some experience as a pharmacy assistant first?

I have also been considering nursing for a very long time and have completed all the pre-reqs for that. Nursing looks enticing to me because the school is cheaper and nearby + it’s guaranteed job security and relatively okay pay.

If I take a gap year I can get exposure first hand in a hospital (by working as an assistant or clerk) and see what each role entails + many people on this sub say it’s essential to work retail pharmacy and see if it’s something you can do since most grads will end up there.

A gap year would also buy me time for myself-I can work on my health, hobbies, travel etc. I can delay student life and enjoy a year off for myself. I can save up and get healthcare experience to see what I wanna do

The only downsides I can think of is having to reapply and wait an additional year/delay post grad salary

Is it a smart or dumb idea and why?

I don’t want to regret choosing pharmacy blindly and think I should branch out and gain experience for other things-maybe I might like nursing idk

I’m a junior in high school, and i’m pretty sure I want to be a pharmacist. I’ve also always loved psychology and the treatment of disorders. My ultimate goal is to be a pharmacist with a specialty in adolescent care, so maybe a children’s hospital. I don’t know if that’s too specific and there’s a chance i’ll end up in a regular hospital. I’ve heard that some people go into pharmacy school with a unrelated bachelors like english, but I would like to have a good foundation before my masters. I have ADHD and I think I would struggle in all hard science courses, but i’m willing to take all the prerequisites necessary. Any insight would be helpful.

I know people have asked this before, but I want specifics because whenever I see this question asked people just say "NOOOOOO IT IS THE WORST! I HATE PHARMACY!!! NEVER DO THIS JOB!!!" So its really hard to find actual information.
Based on research, it doesn't seem that bad. In my city, the average is around 110-120k. Starts lower maybe around 90k a year as a new grad, but im sure with experience you can make more and I was thinking about doing a residency to break into clinical work.

Is it really that bad? I am seriously considering pharmacy but the doom and gloom on this subreddit makes me want to consider smth else

Hi, everyone! I’m currently an undergrad student doing my required pre-reqs for pharmacy school. I have a few more classes left and wanted some tips to apply for pharmacy school! I know the standard volunteer hours, and etc. But what else can I do to make me stand out? My goal is the UH Pharmacy school. (And don’t tell me to not pursue pharmacy, I know what I want to do! :))

I’m getting really nervous about how to afford to pay for school. I finally got my acceptance and I don’t know if I’ll be able to go because of these new rules. With a $50K max per year how is anyone affording this? I don’t qualify for private loans without a co-signer and I don’t have anyone to ask because I’m an independent student. So am I just outta luck. This just seems so unfair

Hi, everyone. I apologize for the rant. I need some second opinions on my situation and don’t have anyone I can’t console in. I’m currently in CC and just finished my first year of pre-requisites for a 2+4 PharmD program. In high school, I took many science classes, including AP ones, and enjoyed them (but truth be told, I’ve always been more of a humanities girl at heart - if I’m honest with myself). I remember the exact moment in high school when I chose pharmacy; it was the end of Sophmore year and I started really feeling the pressure of being able to « pick a path, » so I chose it based on the fairly good prospects (STEM heavy—which has always been encouraged my my immigrant father—and good pay).

For more context, I’ve always loved school and been fairly strong academically. I had a 4.0 gpa in high school, was in countless extracurriculars, and was honored regionally and nationally occasions for both my science (and other achievements). I got waitlisted from a dream school of mine, UChicago, last spring and decided CC was the best option for me (even with merit scholarships, and FAFSA (which only offered me a $5,500 loan), I wouldn’t have been able to afford the tuition).

But honestly? I think I’ve been lying to myself…I’ve never really been ‘passionate’ about pharmacy per se. The beginning of my senior year I shadowed a pharmacy technician at an Outpatient Hospital, and when the woman asked if I saw myself in the career, I simply said « yes. » But I remember having this slightly uneasy feeling in my stomach when I gave that reply, knowing I was actively sort of lying to myself. I’m so confused and, I don’t know…the thought about going through all this debt (especially due to recent events) gives me crippling anxiety. I suppose I enjoy science enough…but I have other callings. It’s all just psychologically taxing, and I mind myself pensive every day, « am I making the right decision,” I ask myself. By this I mean, when you’ve been positively reinforced on a particular path for so long, and now you’re actively reconciling with the idea of switching paths, there’s so many variables to consider like « I wonder how I’ll be precieved by my friends and family » or « will I be even able to accept this change myself. » Ugh, 19 is such a difficult age. You feel like the world is crashing in on you. There’s so much pressure to chose the ‘right’ thing. So much pressure to follow a certain timeline. I so desperately wish I knew what was ‘right’ for me.

It doesn’t help that the overall sentiment of this sub is so demoralizing and negative about pharmacy—or at least that’s what I’ve gathered.

Also, this is so embarrassing to admit, but It’s always been a bit of a pipe dream of mine to go to school for a humanites-focused subject—like English, Philosophy, Film, etc.) I just feel so much shame and uncertainty at this point in my life…I want to be able to live comfortably, but I also want to enjoy whatever career I’m about to dedicate myself to for the « rest of my life. » Something about resigning myself to this makes me sad (we all must make sacrifices, but you also only get one life…).

If you can’t tell, I’m a very indecisive person, and I’m not sure if I should pivot to something like Radiology or another program that’s still a specialized in STEM/health, since ROI and little debt is also important to me. Or maybe—if extra my passions are so important—I should just minor in them. Overall, I don’t know if stupid things like ‘prestige’ and high pay are more important to me than loving so ardently what I do for a living (that’s a romantic way of putting it).

Anyway, I’m starting another internship this upcoming month in medical research at a local hospital. Hopefully it gives me a better gauge on weather this is something truly ‘right’ for me.

Does anyone have any thoughts on my situation? I realize it’s hard to give concrete advise in a situation like this. Thank you for reading!

hello, I am a pharmacy technician and I want to go to pharmacy school, but I am scared of presentations. any advice?

Pharmacists! I need your help.

I am an incoming P1 and am absolutely astonished by loan cost. When I am doing my calculations for what my estimated total repaid amount will be (after a 10 year repayment strategy), I am getting insane numbers.

I want to know how much debt you graduated with, what your monthly payment is, and how long your estimated payoff is. I’m getting almost 4k a month when I’m doing the math and want to see if that sounds normal lmao.

I know I want this degree, I will not be talked out of it, but I’m deciding between two schools that change the numbers by about 90k. The problem is the cheaper school is one of the bottom 5 schools in the nation.

Thank you all!

Edit to include dollar amounts;

Notre Dame of Maryland University:
Principal Balance including cost of living: $265,860
EST. Balance at Graduation: $318,028
EST. Monthly payment @ 7.94%: $3,848
2025 NAPLEX First Time Pass Rate (n34): 55.9%
2025 On Time Graduation Rate(n35): 85.7%

Howard University:
Principal Balance including cost of living: $333,190
EST. Balance at Graduation: $398,570
EST monthly payment @ 7.94%: $4,823
2025 NAPLEX First Time Pass Rate(n32): 84.4%
2025 On Time Graduation Rate: 71.2%

I failed Ochem 1 due to life trauma at my sophomore year, I retake it and get a B and I got an A for Ochem 2. The problem is right now my overall GPA is 3.636 and science GPA about 3.58. But I learned that PharmCAS will use all your attempts included repeated courses to calculate your GPA. So I probably will get a 3.46 through PharmCAS and science GPA around 3.31, I just wondering if that will affect my chances too badly? (my top choice is a top 20 school so kinda worried) Also, I took some of the prerequisites over the summer at Community College with solid As but I don't know if they will be calculated separately or together.

Is it a bad idea to take a year or two off to work and save money to pay for school before starting pharmacy school? I’m afraid I’ll forget what I learned and end up in a worse place than I started. Can anyone who took a gap year tell me how it worked out for you? Thanks!

I have been planning the traditional pharmacy school route for a while – undergrad prereqs, then 4 years of pharmacy school, then maybe a residency. But I have been looking at the time commitment and tuition costs and wondering if there is a faster way to get into the pharmacy field with less debt.

For those who have been through this, have you considered alternative healthcare roles (pharmacy tech, etc.) as a stepping stone or even a long term career instead? Or did any of you work as a tech first and then decide whether to commit to pharmacy school?

TIA.

While several have asked this question I wanted to ask to verify what research I have found to so I have a more grounded understanding of my chances for acceptance.

So any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Where I am AT:

Finishing my Bachelors and taking some of the pre-reqs before i graduate. Should graduate with at least a cumulative 3.5 and school gpa of 3.8.

Also, studying for my pharmacy tech license in the meantime while I do an internships. Then work part time till I get into the Pharm program.

What I plan to DO:

Finish my pre reqs, all BIO, CHEM, A&P, OrgCHEM, Micro and Calc. Then when applying and getting stuff together start taking BioChem.

I plan to ask one or two pharmacists where I would be working for recommendation letters, and my BioChem professor.

So what are my chances?

How does this compare?

Any other things I could do to stand out more?

Thanks!

EDIT:

To the ones who pmd me and those who gave real advice thanks! Suggestions like research projects and pre-pharmacy networking events have been really helpful as I hadn't hear of those things before and I wanted to increase my chances of obtaining an interview.

I’m looking to get started on my journey to my PharmD. I found that I could probably knock out the pre-reqs for a university cheaper at a community college but it’s looking really confusing. Does anyone have any advice on how they plan out the pathway and start knocking everything out?

Thanks in advance!