Pharm.D. admission is very competitive, because there are many more applicants than spaces available in the program. An applicant’s admission materials are considered not only on their own merits, but also in comparison with the admission materials of other applicants. The admissions situation varies a little from year to year, depending upon the group of applicants for the particular year; therefore, it is not possible to state the exact qualifications (such as grade-point average and PCAT scores) that will be necessary to gain admission.
The goal of the admissions process is to select qualified applicants who will complete the Pharm.D. program successfully and become productive professionals.
Criteria that Are Considered in the Evaluation of Applicants by the Pharm.D.
Admissions Committee
In alphabetical order:
- Academic Achievement
- Communication Skills, Oral and Written
- Community Service/Volunteer Activities
- Completion of required pre-Pharm.D. course work
- Cultural Competence
- The ability to interact skillfully and successfully with people from diverse cultural communities.
- Diversity of background and experiences
- Examples: gender, racial/ethnic/cultural heritage, socioeconomic class, ability/disability, age, first-generation in college, geography, historical underrepresentation, multicultural and/or international experience, sexual identity/orientation.
- Extracurricular Activities
- Interest and Experience in Pharmacy and/or Other Health Care Areas and/or Research
- Leadership Experience
- Personal Attributes
- Personal Talents and Skills
- Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) Scores
Leadership
In order to list an experience or activity under leadership, the candidate must be able to demonstrate that she/he has been in charge of people and/or organized people and/or influenced people and/or accomplished a goal with the intention of having had a positive outcome, which may or may not have been achieved.
Examples: Executive board member; officer; captain; coach; teacher; supervisor/manager/team leader at a place of employment; organizer/initiator/creator of a project such as (but not limited to) a community food drive, a youth sports program, an educational brochure.