Pharmacy school is in itself not easy. However, the road to pharmacy school can be just as confusing and complicated, especially for international pharmacy students. Take me, for example. When I first arrived in the United States, I had this perfect idea that I was going to start pharmacy school right after high school. Yes, I knew that I had to study English for a while, but that was about all I thought I needed. Unfortunately, the road to pharmacy school was not as straightforward as I had imagined.
With my first language being French, I started taking English classes at the University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, TX). Thankfully, one semester was enough for me to pass the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language). It was at that point that I was able to transfer to a community college and take some of the required pre-pharmacy school classes. After obtaining an Associate Degree of Sciences two years later, I transferred to a four-year university to take the remaining pre-pharmacy school classes required for applying to pharmacy schools. Once there, I slowly started realizing how competitive pharmacy school is; although it’s difficult for U.S. citizens to get in, it’s even more competitive for international students.
Luckily, I did make it. Below, I share some tips to help you make it to pharmacy school, too:
1) Focus on What You Can Do and Work that Angle
I was very limited in terms of job opportunities given the fact that, as an international student, I was not legally allowed to work outside of the school campus. Not only that, but it was also very hard to even shadow pharmacists because of the many rules and regulations set in place. So, I focused on what I could do.
Since I needed to boost my CV, I looked for job opportunities on campus in the sciences department. I applied to several jobs and obtained two positions, one as a microbiology lab assistant and another as a research assistant. Obviously, they were not pharmacy jobs, but they were close enough to help me get some experience (and not leave my CV empty). I also applied to as many summer internships as I could. I made sure that my internship applications were spotless (reviewed by several teachers and peers). In the summer of 2012, I obtained an eight-week internship at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), where I studied a drug in development. I was able to get so much experience in research and developed a great relationship with my mentor, who offered to write me a recommendation letter. Additionally, I started studying for the PCAT with a friend I met there.
Though, wanting to do more, I asked around and did a lot of online research until I found a free clinic at a church where I was able to volunteer for a few months. At that clinic, I helped pack free medications for people with financial needs. These all helped me add more experiences to my CV, which gave me a head start.
2) Be Persistent
I had to apply to several jobs and internships. Most of them were restricted to U.S. citizens, but I even applied to those because I had so much faith and, to be honest, I had no other choice. On top of that, I kept on calling several pharmacies for months in the hopes of shadowing a pharmacist for a few days to get some experience. I hate to admit it, but I was about to give up at that point. However, I was lucky enough that a nuclear pharmacist agreed to let me shadow him for three days at his pharmacy. This happened a few weeks before I submitted my applications to pharmacy schools.
3) What If You Are the First One to Beat the Odds?
There were too many obstacles in my way, including the language barrier, not many role models (by that, I mean not knowing and having the guidance of people from my country who pursued a career in pharmacy in the U.S.), and the expensive costs of tuition for international pharmacy students.
I had been discouraged by several fellow international students regarding my dream career in the USA. Even my own adviser told me that, in her 20 years of experience, she had never had an international student admitted to medical or pharmacy school. She made this clear from the start of our relationship and did not want to give me any false hopes. In our two years of advisor-student relationship, she tried to re-orient me toward a Ph.D. in research. It is actually the reason why she gave me a job as her research assistant and also helped me apply for that summer internship at OMRF. I can also tell you that I had a friend who changed her major because of the same advice; she decided not to apply to medical school anymore and instead pursue a Ph.D. in research. Today, she regrets her decision because she can see that I was able to realize my dreams despite every obstacle initially in my way. Just trust yourself, have faith, and try!
4) Information is Key
I really didn’t have enough information regarding what I needed to boost my CV and be a competitive candidate at the beginning of my journey. There were so many things I did not know on my own. I asked around, read online, and spoke with classmates about the pharmacy school admission process. I made sure that my pre-pharmacy student friends let me know anytime they had any new information regarding pharmacy schools. I had two good friends that were also applying to pharmacy school, and so we all shared information about pharmacy school applications. Today, one of those friends is a clinical pharmacist and the other one just completed a PGY2 in oncology and has already secured a job as an oncology pharmacist. I cannot wait for you to read about their experiences on this blog as well!
5) Take a Leap of Faith!
Like they say: You will never know if you don’t try. I have never learned to like another career. I never hesitated between pharmacy and another occupation. I cannot answer the question, “What else would you do if you weren’t a pharmacist?” Because I honestly never thought about any other job. That determination motivated me to try my best no matter what. Yes, I had days when I wanted to take the easy route and change majors. Fortunately, I remembered that I needed to at least try. You might be that person who beats the odds, the only person who makes it where everybody else failed. Do not hesitate and give in to your fears. Go ahead and try, attempt, apply, and stay positive!
Thankfully, I was able to obtain strong recommendation letters, a good PCAT score, and a strong CV. I was invited to not one, not two, but three pharmacy school interviews and fell in love with Belmont University College of Pharmacy! In another post, I will give you more details about my interview process and experience there.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this article and found it helpful. But, enough about me! I would love to learn more about you. What is your story? I would love to read your comments, feedback, and any questions you may have.
Very beautiful and informative article. It is interesting how the outcome can be the same but the road and experiences so so different.