Pharmacy is generally known to be a noble profession and is constantly in demand, hence, admission into Pharmacy schools is highly competitive.
However, with the increase in population, it is compulsory for pharmacists to cater to the healthcare needs and this has resulted in many academic institutions increasing their acceptance rates making it convenient for individuals looking for easy pharmacy schools to get into.
This might sound false for an ideal profession such as this, but you will be astonished at the realization that some schools put up substantially lower entry requirements. I mean 3.0GPA and less.
If you are still in doubt, read through, and you will see and even connect with a few accredited academic institutions with known track records of success. Make sure you follow our step-by-step guide to get the best of this publication. So, let’s get started.
What Is Pharmacy?
In the healthcare system, Pharmacy links medical science with chemistry. According to Merriam webster.com, Pharmacy is the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs.
Simply put as, Pharmacy deals with the discovery, production, control, disposal, safe, and effective use of drugs. A person who studies Pharmacy is called a Pharmacist.
What do Pharmacists Do?
Essentially, pharmacists work together with doctors, to help a patient get better. When doctors diagnosis an ailment, they make some prescriptions. Pharmacists take over to make the drug accessible to the patient.
Also, pharmacists give drug prescriptions and advice to patients. They tell patients about the components of drugs and how effective the drugs are and basic drug reactions to expect.
Where Do Pharmacists Work?
Pharmacists are vital for the daily operations of any healthcare system. They work in a wide range of environments and their functions differ by the workplace.
A Pharmacist can get employment as a Dental Assistant, Medical Assistants, Medical Transcriptionists, and many others.
Now that you have an idea of what Pharmacy is and what pharmacists do, I will give you a comprehensive explanation of how you can get a pharmacy degree without stress from an affordable yet reputable institution.
Easiest Pharmacy Schools to get into
#1. South College School of Pharmacy
Situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. SCSP is one of the top pharmacy schools available in the country. This school offers various programs and has over 400 students enrolled.
Students in this school study in a well-equipped medical centre and are exposed to real-world medical experience to obtain the knowledge required to become quality pharmacists.
Unlike most programs in most medical schools, the SCSP pharmacy program only lasts 3 years instead of 4.
Prospective students need to have or pass the following requisites courses to apply to South College School of Pharmacy.
- General biology with lab
- Anatomy and physiology with lab
- General chemistry with lab
- Organic chemistry with lab
- Microbiology with lab
- Calculus
- Statistics
- English composition
- Speech communication
- Economics
- Electives in humanities
- Electives in social/behavioral sciences
- A minimum GPA of 2.7
At least two letters of reference, with 3 being strongly recommended, one of which has to be from a pharmacist, another from a professional adviser, and the last one from anyone who isn’t part of the applicant’s family.
Admission into South College of Pharmacy is not difficult. The entry requirements are interviews, letters of recommendation, PCAT, and a minimum GPA of 2.7.
The tuition is $18,046 for in-state and $29,127 for out-of-state.
#2. Texas Southern University
TSU is listed as one of the easiest pharmacy schools to get into. The school is accredited and offers a wide variety of programs through the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (COPHS).
The University provides students with the skills and knowledge that they need to improve the health and well-being of local, state, national, and global communities.
The prerequisites to apply is very low, plus the university has the highest yield (enrollment rate) out of all pharmacy schools, with a respectable 47.98% rate.
Prospective students need to have or pass the following requisites courses to apply to Texas Southern University.
- Biology I & II with lab
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab
- Microbiology with lab
- General Chemistry I & II with lab
- Organic Chemistry I & II with lab
- Statistics
- Calculus
- Physics I with lab
- English composition
- Public speaking
- Social/behavioral sciences
- A minimum GPA of 2.75
Three letters of reference, one from a pharmacist, one from a supervisor, and one from a science or math professor. The PCAT is required.
Getting into Texas Southern University is not difficult compared to other pharmacy schools. You just need a good GPA and PCAT, pass your interview, and submit a winning application to gain entry.
The tuition is $18,000 and is the same for both in-state and out-of-state.
#3. South Dakota State University
South Dakota State University pharmacy program is nationally recognized for excellence. This university is easy to gain admission to because of the low population in South Dakota.
The University features a vast selection of academic programs that prepare students to provide high-quality patient-centred care.
Prospective students need to have or pass the following requisites courses to apply to South Dakota State University.
- General Chemistry I & II
- Organic Chemistry I & II
- Anatomy I & II
- Physics
- Biology I & II
- Physiology
- Statistics
- Calculus
- English Composition
- Psychology or Sociology
Unlike other schools on this list where you need to meet other requirements to be considered for admission, to gain entry into SDSU, all you need is to have a good PCAT score with a minimum GPA of 2.7. If both are good, it will be easy to get into SDSU.
The tuition is $14,750 and is the same for both in-state and out-of-state residents.
4. University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky offers a pharmacy program with an extremely high acceptance rate of 96%. It sounds too good to be true but it actually is.
Prospective students need to have or pass the following requisites courses to apply to the University of Kentucky.
- Biology I with lab
- Microbiology I with lab
- General chemistry with lab
- Organic chemistry with lab
- Human Anatomy
- Physiology
- Statistics
- Mathematics
- Business
- English
- Oral Communications
- Electives such as biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, and physics
- A GPA of at least 2.5
Taking the PCAT is not required anymore, it used to be up to 2019.
At least three letters of reference, one of which should come from a professor or pharmacist
The only problematic requirement is the letters of reference, these are always hard to come by. At least you don’t need any previous work experience or a high GPA to apply, though obviously having them is a major advantage over other applicants.
#5. Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a leading research institution and is listed as the easiest pharmacy school to get into in the US. This is because the university has a relatively affordable tuition fee.
The university’s college of pharmacy has a good reputation with a perfect student-teacher ratio. Also, the university has a good rate of graduation rate with a high employment percentage.
Prospective students need to have or pass the following requisites courses to apply to Oregon State University college of pharmacy.
- General Chemistry I & II
- Organic Chemistry I & II
- Anatomy I & II
- Physics
- Biology I & II
- Physiology
- Statistics
- Calculus
- English Composition
- Psychology or Sociology
Oregon State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate pharmacy degrees. During the application, you need to provide your GPA and PCAT score.
To gain admission into Oregon State University college of pharmacy, you must pass the Interview, PCAT, and possess a minimum GPA of 2.75.
The tuition fee is $14,256 for in-State and $24,552 for out-of-state students.
Tips on How to Get into Pharmacy School Easily
If you are determined on becoming a pharmacist, I advise you to pay attention to the following tips I will be showing you next. Follow this step-by-step process to achieve your dream career.
Tip 1. Pass the Pharmacy college admissions Test (PCAT)
Actually, the first step into a pharmacy career is the Pharmacy college admissions test known as PCAT. Most countries consider PCAT a prerequisite to enrolling in a degree program.
The test is a multiple-choice section covering topics such as biological procedures, critical reading, and quantitative reasoning. You may also complete an essay section.
Additionally, to pass you must meet the passing score of the university or college you have applied to as there is no general grading system. In fact, each academic institution determines its own passing score for admission.
Tip 2. Take Relevant Courses
Every pharmacy school will ask you to prove you have completed specific courses in your application before letting you enroll. Since you will work in medicine, focus on biology and chemistry studies.
Here is a list of courses you will need to pass before applying to any pharmacy school:
- General Chemistry I & II
- Organic Chemistry I & II
- Anatomy I & II
- Physics
- Biology I & II
- Physiology
- Statistics
- Calculus
- English Composition
- Psychology or Sociology
If the last 4 look out of place, think about it this way: you are working with human beings, with their fears and hopes. Pharmacists, just like doctors and nurses, are supposed to be a positive force in our daily lives. You must be a great communicator because you will most likely have to convince certain people that you are acting in their best interests.
Tip 3. Work on Your GPA
Most universities will require your GPA to be at least 2.5, but even if some schools don’t ask for a specific GPA, you still need to get it as high as possible. Like most schools on this list with a GPA of 2.8, if you have a GPA of 3.5, you definitely increase your chance of getting into any pharmacy school in the country.
The GPA is an excellent predictor of academic success, and most schools place a lot of emphasis on GPA scores when considering your application.
Tip 4. Have Pharmacy Experience
Almost every pharmacy school will require you to prove you have worked a certain number of hours in the pharmacy field. The work can be voluntary or paid, what matters is that you have been involved with pharmacy work.
The best way to accomplish this is to shadow a real pharmacist. Follow them around and see how they operate, learning from their experience.
Getting an opportunity to work in a pharmacy field isn’t always easy, so if you are struggling with it, contact pharmacy schools in your region for help. Most schools have programs specifically made to help students find intern opportunities.
Tip 5. Get at Least Two Letters of Reference
Letters of reference are really helpful in getting into pharmacy school. Some schools require up to 4 letters, while others are okay with 1. Quality of reference matters a lot, so a letter from a pharmacist holds way more value than one from your academic advisor.
These letters are supposed to demonstrate you are mature enough to take on pharmacy coursework. My suggestion is to get two letters of reference: one from a pharmacist, and one from a professor.
Tip 6. Prepare for the Interview
Every school will schedule an interview with your application. This is where you get to shine and prove you are dedicated and ready to take on the journey to become a pharmacist.
As long as you have completed all the prerequisite coursework and have gotten some real-life experience, you should be able to ace the interview.
Tip 7. Apply Through the Pharmacy Graduate Application Service
PharmCAS is a centralized application service designed to let you apply to multiple pharmacy schools with a single application. This is tremendously useful, as it lets you apply to several schools without having to rewrite your application from scratch every time.
How Long Does It Take to Complete a Pharmacy School?
The length of a Pharmacy program varies and is dependent on the school. Most school program length usually takes four to five years to complete.
It takes three to four years of undergraduate pre-professional study followed by four academic years in the professional program, so by that estimate, it takes at least eight years to earn a pharm.D and become a pharmacist.
However, accelerated programs allow students to graduate in as little as three months by studying full-time. In most cases, the time it takes students to graduate depends on the amount of time they can put in.
Nonetheless, pharmacy schools meet or surpass the training requisites for both the PTCB and NHA exams.
Watch Easiest Pharmacy Schools To Get Into In 2022 Video
Conclusion
Taking up a career as a pharmacist is a great choice to make. However, before you enrol in any Pharmacy school, it is important you find out about the requirements.
What you should focus on is the “What schools accept students with “my” similar stats” and not “easiest pharmacy schools to get into.”
Apply to as many schools as you can and not only the ones on this list. Go in-state first then out-of-state.
Don’t focus only on your GPA and PCAT try to divide your focus into other areas as well. Get some experience in the Pharmacy setting and also get some volunteer work.
