Choosing a Pharmaceutical University

Choosing a pharmaceutical university requires that you check up on the school that’s going to take money and your social life away from you for the next few years.

What Kind of School Do You Want?

Before you can head off to school, you need to know what you want. Sorry, you can’t just show up to a school and have them let you in. You need to know what sort of school you want, what it will offer you, and whether it will be able to give you the schooling you need for the career in pharmacy you envision.

Do you want:

• A two year program?
• A full PharmD program?
• Something in between?

There are plenty of schools now which are offering pharmacy programs, so you need to look to see what kind of program it is before you start sending them checks.

How Much Time Do You Have?

If you’re already in the throes of a career, chances are good you don’t have time to hit the local frat scene and head to classes all day with a hangover. You want to find something that’s a bit more flexible for your schedule. If you are a recent high school graduate, you might have all the time in the world (and all of your parents’ money too), so the timing might not be as important to you.

Currently pharmacy programs can be as short as two years to be a pharmacy tech and as long as seven years to become a PharmD.

Do You Have Any Money?

Education just ain’t cheap anymore. When you are limited in the funds you have, you might need to put pharmacy school off since this is not going to be a reasonably priced endeavor. Not only are you going to have to pay for tuition, but the books are pricey and they’re always new. In addition, you might need to take an internship in a pharmacy (for free) and that means you’ll have even less money on hand.

Will They Give You Any Money?

Of course, if the pharmacy school wants to give you money for your graduate pharmacy training, that’s going to be the best way to approach your schooling. Free money should never be turned down. Ask about their scholarships and their grant programs. You might be able to get a lot of the school funded. And if not, loans are a great way to get all the money you need for class, books, and Fritos.

What Have People Been Saying?

The reputation of a pharmacy school is more important than you might think. Heading to Harvard as opposed to Daffy Duck University is certainly going to make a difference when you get out into the real world. Ask around to see what others are saying about the schools you’re considering applying to. If they have a bad reputation, that might not be your best career move.