Best Colleges for Pharmacy?

BriLuft91
Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:55:29 +0000

I had a similar problem when selecting what college to attend, because I looked at the same colleges and had the same criteria in mind. Sorry this is so long, but I want to help you out as much as possible!

I am a P1 (third year) student at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS).

Although the campus and community of ACPHS seem small, you have the opportunity to meet new people every day because of all the clubs and organizations (around 36 of them) and there are so many class years to interact with. You have your courses that everyone in your class takes together, but you will be able to meet different people through electives and labs. I’ve made many friends through experiences like this!
As you mentioned, ACPHS is very specific. This is perfect for a health care professional. You get to make great connections with students and professors. Many faculty members have pharmacy degrees themselves and will allow you to shadow them to help you gauge interest for what type of pharmacist you want to be. These types of interactions are very valuable for the future when applying for a residency, fellowship or job.

Going along more with the specificity, your roommate will always have the same major as you. This is great because they are a great resource if you missed something in your notes or don’t understand something in class. They are also taking the same classes that you are, so will be studying when you are and have free time when you do. This is one of the reasons why I chose ACPHS over other colleges.

ACPHS is awesome because you are guaranteed entrance into the third year of the program as long as you meet certain requirements (a 3.0 GPA, pass a faculty interview and get above the 25th percentile on the PCAT examination). This isn’t the case at many pharmacy schools. For many, you have to re-apply to the school for your third year, but this is not a concern at ACPHS!

Also, this is not listed in your criteria, but I just want to mention that we have amazing dorms here. There is housing available for each year that you attend ACPHS. You are required to live on campus for the first two years, but after that you can move off. As a first year student you have a room with heat/air conditioning that you control yourself, a bathroom with a shower for you and your roommates, a microwave and fridge (no need to rent or buy these), and free laundry. These are really great commodities and make adjusting to college a lot easier.

I hope this helps with some of your concerns!