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Pharmacists play a vital health care role. Pharmacists are drug experts whose responsibilities include a range of care for patients, from dispensing medications to maximizing patients’ response to drugs.
Most schools with pharmacy programs offer a doctoral degree. The degree requires six years to complete, the first two of which are spent pursuing pre-pharmacy general education requirements (completed at the intended pharmacy school or transferred to that school); the last four years encompass pharmacy courses and professional preparation taken in residence at a pharmacy school.
Admission to a pharmacy school is competitive, so take advantage of any course work or experience that may give you an added edge. A minimum GPA is required by some schools, but attaining the minimum does not guarantee admission. Prerequisite courses typically required before being admitted to a pharmacy program include general chemistry with lab (CHEM 105X, 106X), organic chemistry with lab (CHEM 321, 322 and 324), physics (PHYS 103X and 104X), mathematics (MATH 107X, 108, 200X, and/or 201X) and English (ENGL 111X, 211X/213X) among others. Careful planning is necessary because course requirements differ among schools.