Before investing your time and energy into a field of study, it's vital to do some research first. One of the worst things that can happen to students is that they make a commitment to spend 4 years with the faculty, only to realize a little too late that everything is not as they expected, or that the profession they graduate into is not worth making a career of. The brief guide covers some questions you should be asking yourself before you start filling out an application form. It also provides some sound advice to give you a headstart into becoming a competitive candidate. I can't emphasize enough how much more there is to tell other than this short essay. To make it easier for you, becoming a member of our club will give you access to future seminars on such topics.
Why pharmacy?
It's the hardest question to answer and I strongly advise not avoiding it. To be utterly frank, not many people have good or indepth reasons. Most people would say it's because pharmacy is a healthcare position, it's in demand in the market, and it's well-paid. Don't be surprised if your answer seems to amount to only this much at a glance, but be wary if you cannot ever expand on that. Each of those facts begets another list of questions. For example, what does being involved in healthcare mean to you? You might be a caring person who would like to improve individuals' well-being, you might want an opportunity to learn more about healthcare by interacting with other prominent professionals, or you might want to attain a PHD, do research and become a professor. There's no escaping this nagging question-you're asked during the interview anyways, so you might as well figure it out ahead of time. It'll save a lot of grief in the long-run. Even if you end up deciding that pharmacy is not for you, it'll help you search for other paths of study. Obviously, this begs the question of how to find out if you're suitable or not, which we'll tackle a little later.
Do I have what it takes?
Applying to anything is a sobering activity. Reading admission requirements is a dreadful, and at times, an overwhelming task. It may both open new doors or lock others, but it's by far the most unchangeable deciding factor. For an inexplicable reason, the faculty of pharmacy is only concerned with your first-year grades. You may have done perfectly well in your first-year and horribly after that, or the reverse, but all those later years will hardly matter. That is not to say, however, that you're completely stuck-there are a handful of post-first-year courses that do count towards your admission average, which you can refer to at UBC's faculty of pharmacy website. Sure, there are a few stories where even students with 70% average has gotten in (which even the faculty will admit to), but what are the chances when you've got hundreds of applicants who can do at least 5% better? Don't trust your education to these miraculous stories. If you do fit into the underdog category, though, hopefully you have some spectacular merits to back up a less-than-desirable first-year GPA. Admission is not the only reason for a reality check. Although it depends on person to person, pharmacy education is not to be taken lightly. Nothing worth doing is. It's not 4 years of educational breeze-you're expected to work hard, graduate, and take a licensing exam in the end. Are you prepared to dedicate yourself for that?
What do I need other than good grades? (How do I prove my non-academic merits?)
Finally, the icing on the cake. Depending on your attributes, this may amount to easy, delicious icing or a sticky helping of "Oh, damn it all." There is only one way to prove that you are a selfless person who can be trusted to take care of patients. Giving up your time and energy for the community without pay looks good on your application. It's also a healthy mindset to get into. You can literally find volunteer opportunities anywhere in the city, or out of the city, for that matter. School and the local community centres are just a couple of the more accessible places. It's also flexible and completely up to you what you want to help out with. If you need volunteering advice, you can become a member with the club-we'll give you more ideas and real-life experience than you can handle.
How do I get more involved with pharmacy without being in the faculty?
This is part b of the first question. There is no better way to find out in first-hand perspective, what it's like to work with pharmacists. There are surprisingly few venues where you can do so (many pharmacies don't bother to take in volunteers) but there's no harm in asking around. Even if you fail to find a suitable pharmacy, there are various hospitals and care homes who would be happy to take you under their wing. It helps to proclaim to your friends and family about your goals, too-networking goes far. This is no time to be shy, go out there and make a difference for other people and for yourself.
-Jackie Law
