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Best Pharmacy School Personal Statement Examples

Check out top 4 sample statements.

Pharmacy school personal statement examples demonstrate that pharmacy school applications require many different documents to adequately assess you as a potential candidate. In addition to looking at your CV , transcripts, letters of recommendation , and any other required materials, most pharmacy programs ask you to submit a personal statement. After gathering so many materials together, a one-page essay may seem like a trivial item to check off on your application to-do list, but beware of treating the personal statement too lightly! Gaining admission to a graduate pharmacy program certainly requires top grades, competitive test scores, and glowing letters of recommendation from referees who know you well, but these aren’t the only components that admissions committees take into account when evaluating your profile. 

Keep in mind that most pharmacy school applicants already have stellar academic records, impressive test scores, and fantastic recommendations. These sorts of accomplishments are important, but are more or less a given in the application process. Furthermore, grades, test scores, and other people’s perceptions of you and the quality of your work are insufficient to determine if you are up for the challenge of the rigors of pharmacy school and the work that follows graduation. With something as serious as pharmacology, it is crucial to determine whether who you are would make you a good fit for the profession. Your knowledge, experiences, and attitudes all play a key role in deciding if you would thrive as a pharmacy student, and eventually, as a pharmacist serving your community. With so many applicants each cycle, admissions officers need some way to gauge these factors in order to narrow the applicant pool down to those they would like to speak to in person, or these days, over the internet. This is where the personal statement comes in! Keep reading to determine what a pharmacy school personal statement measures and how to create one that will make you stand out from other applicants.

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Article Contents 24 min read

4 pharmacy school personal statement examples.

Three days after my thirteenth birthday, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The next twelve months were the toughest in my life, but this experience also gave me something I am forever grateful for—an unwavering passion for pharmacy. I always accompanied my mother to her chemotherapy sessions, where I performed plays for her and the other patients, trying to make them smile. I took an immediate liking to the pharmacist, who returned repeatedly to ask my mother how she was feeling; he explained in detail how these chemo drugs worked and how they interacted with others she had been taking. I listened raptly, entranced by the seemingly magic properties of this medication. It was difficult to watch my mother lose her hair and become frail, but she ultimately made a full recovery, thanks to the wonderful team of medical professionals and to these life-saving drugs. While I lost the naivety of youth that year, I gained a profound new sense of purpose. I was inspired to become a hospital pharmacist and to help patients in times of extreme uncertainty and pain.  

Anyone who has ever faced a challenge has probably heard about the deflating nonexistence of a “magic pill” solution. Want to lose weight? There’s no magic pill for that. Trying to learn a new language? No dice. Hard work is always touted as the solution, and rightly so. As a preteen who struggled with confidence, I desperately yearned for a magic pill solution that would make me the bubbly, carefree girl surrounded by laughter in the cafeteria. Instead, the only bubbly aspect of my lunchtime break was the gurgling, broken faucet inside the girl’s restroom. Though unaware of it at the time, the bathroom was not a refuge from the scary, hormonal social scene of junior high, but from my ever-increasing social anxiety. As for a magic pill to rid me of that affliction? I think you know the answer to that.

Though there may not have been a magic pill to rid me of my mounting social anxiety, hard work seemed like an unlikely solution, too. For months, I put on a happy face, trying to convince myself that there was nothing to fear in locker-side conversations and that my worth was not determined by what a group of gangly middle-schoolers thought of me. Eventually, my parents took me to see a psychiatrist, and after many sweaty-palmed conversations, I was diagnosed with social anxiety and handed a prescription for anti-anxiety medication. Of course, the medication I received was no miracle, but with other coping mechanisms, my world began to seem a little more welcoming. Gradually, I interacted with peers more, who became friends. I still had to work hard in therapy, but the capsules I took in the morning each day removed my constant, debilitating worry.

Without the shadow of anxiety darkening my every social interaction, I felt as though I was beginning to become the version of myself I always wanted to be. Years later, I actually was the girl surrounded by laughter in the high school lunchroom. More importantly, though, I took my first chemistry course and discovered my passion. The ways that elements on the periodic table could combine to create entirely new substances fascinated me. I realized that, just like myself, the world around us is in a constant state of flux, with elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing. As I changed from a high school chemistry novice to a university student, one thing remained constant: my passion for chemistry. Delving into how chemistry can be used as a tool inspired me to pursue it as a major, and I worked in various labs on campus investigating how different combinations could be put to use to solve problems, just like my psychiatrist helped me find ways to deal with my social anxiety.

Through my lab work on campus, I grew close with Dr. Johnson – the principal investigator in a campus lab and a faculty member in the pharmacy program. One evening, as we were locking up the lab, Dr. Johnson asked me if I had ever considered becoming a pharmacist. Initially hesitant, I finally accepted Dr. Johnson’s offer to facilitate a shadowing opportunity with one of his former colleagues. My first day in the pharmacy was overwhelming. The rattling of pills in bottles served as the backdrop to the near-tangible pressure of making sure no life-threatening mistakes occurred. I was intimidated by the responsibility, but excited by the chemical interactions that the pharmacist discussed with me. This was the ultimate problem-solving chemistry I had been seeking! 

After months of shadowing a pharmacist, I was convinced that I wanted to pursue a career in pharmacy. My experiences with Dr. Johnson and his colleague piqued my interest in what seemed like a never-ending field of discovery. Elements combining, reacting to forces, and continuously changing, but in the human body! Figuring out the puzzles of chemical reactions had always been intriguing, but knowing that I could combine that with helping people recover from sickness, manage chronic disease, or even find the strength to leave the middle school bathroom and have lunch with other students was empowering. The medication I took as a preteen may not have been a magic pill for my social anxiety, but there was certainly some magic in it. I look forward to putting in the hard work to bring that magic to others as a pharmacist. (724 words)

‘I want to do more than just counsel on the proper use of Levothyroxine’ was what I told my father when he asked me what kind of pharmacist I wanted to be. He died shortly after, and it saddens me to think that I cannot tell him now how my vision has evolved. Now, besides being someone in charge of educating patients about their medications, I see pharmacists as scientists who design and produce medicines, evaluate lab results and drug interactions for the benefit of the patient, act as a trusted link between doctors and their patients and, ultimately, impact patients’ lives and contribute to their wellbeing. Pharmacists need to be team players, good communicators, detail-oriented problem solvers, and culturally sensitive professionals, and these are some of the characteristics that I have developed through different endeavors.

As the captain of my soccer team in high school, I was put in charge of leading the team both in and outside of the game. On the field, I acted as a mediator between the players, coach, and referee. Successfully guiding players on the strategies dictated by the coach required excellent communication skills. In my team, I was not only a player; I was a key decision maker and a motivator. Making tactical decisions while supporting everyone in their position showed me the true meaning of being a team player and taught me how to handle pressure well. When I look back at those times and think about the titles we won for our school, I know that the characteristics I developed while I led my team to victory will be put to use when I have to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals in the future.

In college, while volunteering at a local pharmacy in my hometown, I helped the pharmacist handle prescriptions and dispense a variety of medications. It became clear to me that following a methodical approach and paying great attention to detail were essential in pharmacy. I made it a point to learn from him, and with time, I found myself being thorough, accurate, and organized not only at the pharmacy but at school as well. I also sought to understand both the cause and the effect of a situation, which is an ability that has guided everything I have done since then, including my research work and my academic activities as a Biology major. Seeing the pharmacist interact with patients was truly rewarding. I watched as he explained the treatment, potential side effects, and desired outcomes to them while evaluating the interactions between the drugs they were taking in order to avoid any harm. This showed me that, besides being a problem-solver and having analytical abilities, pharmacists need to be empathetic and care for their patients. Very soon I found myself interacting with people who visited the pharmacy and exercising the same skills the local pharmacist possessed.

This interaction with people helped me refine different characteristics that I bring with me to this new journey. One of the most significant is, perhaps, the cultural awareness that I developed in my shadowing work at the university hospital. Having a patient who does not speak the language, calming them down, and finding a translator, for instance, or understanding how different cultures view certain health practices and looking for ways to respectfully adapt to them has allowed me to learn and practice cultural sensitivity, which is crucial in a multicultural society, such as in Canada, where the population is becoming more diverse. By seeing pharmacists in action in the university hospital setting, I gained insight into the every-day lives of healthcare professionals who work with patients from every background imaginable. Moreover, I also came to realize the pressure to which pharmacists are exposed when the correct medication has to be provided with extreme urgency. Working under pressure is something I do well since my soccer days, so instead of deterring me, this motivates me.

If anyone were to ask me today about the kind of pharmacist I want to be, I would have a much stronger answer than the one I gave to my father many years ago. I want to be the kind of pharmacist that uses their knowledge, skills, and compassion to improve their patients’ health and one that works with other health care professionals to maximize health outcomes. Furthermore, I want to have patients trust me enough to let me become involved in their lives as I guide them on their medications and help them improve their quality of life. Besides all this, and on a much more personal level, I want to be the kind of pharmacist that will make my father proud. (781 words)

“Why would you want to be a pharmacist?” was the question my father asked me when I shared my decision to pursue pharmacy school. This was a question I had asked myself many times as I solidified my decision to pursue this dream. I shared my experience standing in line at a local pharmacy to fill a prescription. This was something I did every month, and not an experience that I had given much thought, however; when I saw the person in line in front of me experience great distress at learned the price of her daughter’s prescription, I realized that not all patrons had the same experience as me. To many, a trip to the pharmacy may be filled with questions over how their medications will affect their body or their ability to afford groceries for the month. The woman in line was worried about the high prescription price in light of other expenses in providing for her family. As I saw the pharmacist assist her in finding a less costly alternative, and the ease come over the woman as she learned that her family would be alright, I had my first glimpse into my future profession as a pharmacist. 

This day sparked my interest in attending pharmacy school, but also a desire to further explore what it meant to be a pharmacist. While donating blood to the Red Cross, I learned of the growing need for pharmacist volunteers, with many underserved communities necessitating additional support. As I was giving blood, I talked with a current pharmacist volunteer, ‘Samantha,’ who recounted her responsibilities to me when I expressed an interest in wanting to learn more. ‘Samantha’ explained why she felt pharmacists made wonderful volunteers in the community. She reflected that pharmacists have the knowledge to make an impact and valuable experience conversing daily with people of all backgrounds. As I talked with ‘Samantha,’ I thought about my own capacity to strike up a conversation with people I had not met before. I recalled that my friends often joke about how I could talk to anyone about anything, a trait I admire in myself. Everyone is skilled in different ways, but my ability to talk to anyone I come across will be an asset to my future as a pharmacist. I look forward to new experiences every day and speaking with new patrons to get to know their needs and concerns. In addition, I hope to volunteer in my community as a pharmacist to expand the number of people I can impact with my loquacious disposition as I guide them towards safe medication use. 

With the personality to be a efficacious pharmacist, I looked to build my experience in the healthcare profession. I secured a volunteer position aiding a hospital pharmacist in educating health professionals on drug side effects. I was responsible for designing educational posters for use in counseling patients about their medications. I was eager to use my artistic talents to help people seeking to understand their prescriptions, like the woman in line ahead of me at the pharmacy. As I designed posters, I asked my friends and family to look at my drafts and provide feedback. I asked if the information was conveyed in a clear, approachable way and I learned that what is clear to one person – such as myself – can be viewed differently by another person with a different background or set of life experiences. As a pharmacist, I will utilize educational materials that have gone through arduous testing to ensure they can deliver the necessary information, but I will also aim to understand community members’ experiences and how this may impact their understanding and outlook towards their medication.   

I explained to my father that, to me, pharmacy is about conversation. As patrons share with you why they have come in to the pharmacy that day, or what is troubling them, it is important to truly listen. This is the starting point for the conversation needed to understand their concerns, provide appropriate medication, and educated them as to how best proceed. Although my friends joke about my ability to talk to anyone, this is a trait that will go far in serving my community as a pharmacist. (702 words)

Here're some more tips for your interview:

Pharmacy school personal statements are a crucial aspect of your application because they help to separate you from the crowd of other accomplished applicants. After all, grades, test scores, and letters of recommendation only go so far in presenting who you are and your talents and strengths. Even a CV does not reveal enough about you and your experiences to adequately reflect your ability to succeed in pharmacy school and beyond. Imagine trying to measure a candidate’s level of motivation or ability to persevere through adversity by looking at his or her GPA! Luckily, you have the power to present the strengths and qualities that would make you an incredible future pharmacist and make your case for admission through your personal statement.

Essentially, this short essay asks you to reflect upon who you are, what led you to want to study pharmacology specifically, and why you would be great at it. Most pharmacy programs in the United States use a central application portal called PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) to distribute application materials like transcripts, test scores, and personal statements to individual university programs. Personal statements for PharmCAS must be 4500 characters or less, including spaces. It is crucial to draft a personal statement that is within the character limit because the online portal will not allow you to save or submit a personal statement that exceeds 4500 characters. As you prepare to write your personal statement, be sure to verify that your program(s) of choice use PharmCAS for receiving application materials. If you find that your university does not utilize PharmCAS, check the program’s website for specific instructions regarding the character or word limit for personal statements.

Canadian pharmacy program application expectations differ from school to school. The University of Toronto’s PharmD program, for example, does not require a personal statement of any kind.  

A common mistake that pharmacy school applicants make is relying upon cliches to discuss their motivations for pursuing a career as a pharmacist. Cliches read as tired and don’t reveal anything meaningful about an applicant. Moreover, many personal statement cliches like expressing a desire to “help people” are so vague that they fail to address an applicant’s desire to study pharmacology precisely. There are a multitude of careers that help people: teachers, doctors, non-profit workers, and more. Similarly, a fascination with science applies to any number of medical professions, researchers, scientists, and so on. In your personal statement, you must clearly express why you want to go to pharmacy school specifically.

Additionally, admissions officers want to ensure they admit only those applicants who demonstrate their capability of handling the demanding course work as well as possess the correct attitude and motivation to pursue a career in pharmacy. You’ve probably heard that past behavior is one of the best predictors of future behavior, and for good reason. For instance, if you have already persevered and exhibited your resilience, work ethic, and determination in past experiences, chances are you will exhibit those same skills in a pharmacy program, no matter the challenges you may face. Showing your skills through relevant anecdotes and relating them to core attributes you possess that will ensure your future success as a pharmacist goes a long way to separate you from an already qualified pool of applicants.

Pharmacy personal statements also assess the value you will add to your matriculating class, the program, and the institution overall. You want to prove you are a mutually beneficial fit for your pharmacy program of choice. As you craft your personal statement, you will likely need to create several versions that cater to each of the institutions to which you plan to apply, highlighting the attractive elements of each program that motivated you to apply and explaining how you would thrive in such an environment and contribute to the program’s culture and mission. Prove that the school would be missing out on an exceptional candidate if you were not offered admission!

How Are Pharmacy Personal Statements Structured?

Although each program has different requirements, pharmacy personal statements are generally around a page long, or 4500 characters for most applications in the United States, and should be structured similar to a traditional, academic paper. Your personal statement should have a clear introduction, a body composed of about 2-3 paragraphs, and a marked conclusion. It is important that you transition well among each of these elements to enhance the flow and overall readability of your statement. The logical progression of your ideas should also be well-defined so that admissions officers can easily follow your train of thought. Keep in mind that each individual reading your personal statement will be looking at many, many personal statements in any given sitting, which can get exhausting. Make their jobs easier by ensuring that your statement is easy to read and makes your points both concisely and clearly. Given the myriad personal statements each admissions officer must review, your statement must be quite unique and engaging in order to stand out and be memorable.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not the best choice to start your statement at the beginning by working on the introduction. Part of the reason you should avoid starting with the introduction is because an introduction typically sets the stage for what you discuss in the body of your statement. If you don’t have the content of the body prepared, it is unlikely that you will be able to craft an appropriate introduction. Rather, you want to plan out the body of your statement first by creating a rough outline of the topics you wish to address in your statement to give the reader an overview of what led you to pursue pharmacy school, as well as the experiences and qualities that would make you an excellent addition to the program of your choice, and ultimately, a great pharmacist. Utilizing an outline to plan out your response also takes a bit of the pressure off of you as a writer so that you are not focused on making every single sentence perfect until you have a general idea of where you are going with your statement. After you have the “bones” of your statement planned out via an outline structure, begin to add the “meat” little by little, gradually expanding your outline with more substantial content, including anecdotes that serve as evidence or justification for the claims that you make.  

Pharmacy personal statements are an opportunity to show the admissions committee your personality, values, and goals. With this in mind, think carefully about which experiences you want to emphasize and the skills and values you want those experiences to illustrate. “Illustrate” is a key word here; be sure to show your readers what you mean instead of telling them. For example, don’t just say you are a lifelong learner. Show your readers evidence that demonstrates you are a lifelong learner by narrating and reflecting upon experiences in which you were continuously eager to learn new information. One of the most important tips to remember as you plan the outline for and later write your pharmacy personal statement is to be true to yourself. When applicants communicate what they believe admissions committees want to hear, or in this case read, their inauthenticity is blatantly evident. Being genuine not only serves you in the short-term by creating a personal statement that reads as truly authentic, which is always more convincing and impactful, but it is to your benefit in the long run as well. After all, pharmacy school is 4 years long, which isn’t exactly an insignificant time commitment. You should aim to gain admission into a program that wants you for who you truly are and the potential you’ve demonstrated, and the only way of guaranteeing this is to show who you truly are through your personal statement.

Once you have crafted a full outline, begin to write a rough draft of your body paragraphs. At this point, you still do not need to worry about choosing the best words or making sure that the stylistic elements of your body paragraphs are top notch. Focus on getting your thoughts out on paper in a way that makes sense and flows well in terms of a logical progression of ideas. So, how many experiences should you write about in your personal statement? While there is no concrete number you should aim for, do be selective about which experiences you choose to include. Think quality over quantity. Essentially, as you answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?”, trace the origin of your interest in studying pharmacy through each stage of its development. Given the 4500-character limit, at least for most pharmacy programs in the United States, you will have to limit your discussion to two to three experiences, depending upon the level of depth of your discussion of each experience.

Which kinds of experiences work best? Keeping in mind that the experiences you decide to address and the way in which you write about them should be authentic to you, aim for experiences that involve exposure to the field. Of course, exposure to pharmacy can come in many forms! Perhaps you were exposed to pharmacy and the positive impact it can make in people’s lives through your own use of prescribed pharmaceuticals to treat a chronic illness, which inspired you to learn more about how medications work. Or, maybe you were considering a career in either medicine or pharmacy, decided to shadow physicians and pharmacists alike to accrue more knowledge about the day-to-day responsibilities of each profession, and found yourself enamored with your pharmacy shadowing experience. In any case, make sure that you are specific about which aspects of your experience were particularly influential in your developing desire to study pharmacy and what convinced you that you would make a great pharmacist yourself!

Once you have completed your rough draft, take a day or so away from your statement so that you can achieve mental distance from your writing in order to review it with fresh eyes the next time you read it. With this new perspective, revise your body paragraphs, choosing the strongest vocabulary possible to convey your meaning. Remember, though, that it is important to be authentic, so don’t abuse your thesaurus! Work on strengthening the wording of your statement and try reading it out loud to see how well each sentence fits together. Rinse and repeat.

Tip #1: Be authentic.

The personal statement should explain why you want to study pharmacy, so your discussion of this should be true to your experiences. Instead of writing what you think would be appealing to admissions officers, present a genuine account of why you want to be a pharmacist and the experiences that led you to that conclusion. Inauthenticity is actually quite easy to detect, so it is always preferrable to be authentic.

Tip#2: Start early.

The strength of your personal statement is crucial, and with limited space to show the admissions committee who you are and why you are passionate about becoming a pharmacist, you will likely go through many drafts before you arrive at the final product. In order to accommodate multiple rounds of edits and give yourself time to gain mental distance from each draft before revising again, you must start early.

Tip#3: Get expert feedback.

Notice that we suggest expert feedback, not just feedback in general. Everyone can give you an opinion on the strength of your pharmacy school personal statement, but only a select few can give you constructive criticism that will actually serve to improve your statement. Trusted professors, pharmacist mentors, or admissions experts like the ones at BeMo are all great choices to give you informed and insightful advice.

Tip#4: Be concise.

Since you have limited space to convince your reader that you are passionate about pursuing pharmacy and would make an excellent future pharmacist, every word counts. Recount your experiences in a succinct manner so that you can maximize your character count and include valuable reflections that will demonstrate how strong of an applicant you are!

Tip#5: Avoid cliches.  

While it can definitely be tempting to rely upon commonly used motivations for pursuing pharmacy school like “to help others” or “to give back,” leaning upon these cliches will only hurt your application. Even though part of your motivation for becoming a pharmacist may genuinely be to help others, you need your statement to stand out. If hundreds of other applicants express the same sentiment, your sincere altruism may be lost in the crowd of other personal statements communicating the same thing. Further, helping others and giving back can be achieved in various careers. Your job is to convince the reader that you want to make that impact through pharmacy.

If you are applying to pharmacy schools in the United States, check out PharmCAS’ website to see if your program utilizes this application service.  If so, your personal statement will be restricted to 4,500 characters, including spaces.  If not, check out the program’s website to discover that school’s specific personal statement requirements.

On the other hand, if you are applying to pharmacy schools in Canada, you will need to go directly to that school’s website to see its specific requirements.  Some programs don’t require a personal statement at all.

No, some schools like the University of Toronto don’t require a personal statement or essay of any kind.  Double check the website(s) of your program(s) of choice to see what the specific requirements are.

Unless directed otherwise by your program of choice, your pharmacy personal statement should be structured like a traditional academic essay.  Include an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Please see above for further details.

Overall, your personal statement should answer the question “Why do you want to be a pharmacist?” or “Why do you want to go to pharmacy school?”  Your answer to this question should show your reader why you want to pursue this career instead of telling them.  Show your desire to become a pharmacist by discussing key experiences that sparked your interest in pharmacy and developed that interest into a true passion.  Include experiences that exposed you to the profession, whether that is as a patient, working as a pharmacy assistant, or shadowing a pharmacist.

Although it may seem illogical, your introduction should be one of the last things that you write.  The introduction of your personal statement must introduce the content that appears in your 2-3 body paragraphs, so it makes sense to write your body paragraphs first in order to know which content you are introducing.  In order to capture your reader’s attention from the very beginning of your personal statement, the first sentence of your introduction should employ an opening hook that uses some sort of creative element to generate interest in your statement.  Opening hooks often use relevant quotes, pieces of dialogue, or vignettes of a particularly impactful experience to “hook” the reader and make them more invested in the document before them.  Following your opening hook, you should discuss the significance of it, whether that is how a quote relates to your life or an explanation of the significance of the situation described in your vignette.  Finally, your introduction should establish your interest in pharmacy and set the stage for the more substantial content that will follow in subsequent body paragraphs.

The conclusion of your personal statement should not just be a summary of the content covered.  Rather, it should be comprised of reflections upon the experiences you’ve described, draw connections among your experiences, and/or discuss future goals in the field of pharmacy.  Make sure that the last sentence of your conclusion leaves the reader wanting to know more about you.  How memorable your statement is depends heavily on your last sentence, so you should use a creative approach as you did with your opening hook.  Some applicants find it useful to refer back to their opening hook in a creative way.  Try out different endings and see which works best with the statement you’ve written!

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How to make your pharmacy application stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Pharmacy School Personal Statement Tips

Many programs require a personal statement as part of the pharmacy school application. This is essentially an essay that addresses why you want to be a pharmacist, and how your personal background and achievements support this goal. This writing sample provides the only opportunity to express yourself in writing to differentiate your application from your competitors. A significant effort should be made to have the best possible personal statement that addresses the interests of the admissions committee.

• How to write a pharmacy school personal statement

PharmCAS provides general guidance on how to craft a personal statement. Each year, they provide a prompt that directs the topic of the statement. They recommend that applicants do not tailor their writing to one program, because you will only be permitted to submit one personal statement per application cycle. PharmCAS will send this statement to all programs to which you are applying that year.

For many applicants, the personal statement will be the most difficult part of the application preparation. Applicants know this is important, so they may overthink it or suffer from writer’s block. A useful exercise before you begin writing is to think about the answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to be a pharmacist? You should demonstrate a genuine interest in the profession and helping people.
• What experiences have prepared you to be successful in this career?
• What qualities do you most admire in pharmacists? Can you demonstrate that you have these same qualities through your academic achievements or work experience?
• What makes you stand out as a unique candidate? Do you have real-life experience? Have you volunteered in health care settings?
• Is there any deficiency in your application that you want to proactively explain? This may be your only opportunity to explain any low grades, gaps in education, or suboptimal PCAT scores. However, do not make excuses; own your mistakes and show how you have learned from them.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student. Mission statements of the schools to which you are applying can help direct your writing, but you should keep the statement general enough that it can resonate with the admissions committees of any program.

Ultimately, the personal statement is a story that will show the admissions committee that you are a unique person who is worth more than their GPA and PCAT scores. The statement should be an authentic representation of your story and give the reader a glimpse into what you would be like as a pharmacy student and professional. The text should show, not tell, the reader what you bring to the table. A strong opening is important: Grab their attention with a relatable anecdote or quote.

One approach to writing the statement is to brainstorm all the questions above, taking notes as you think of the answers. Then, sketch an outline of the statement that will help get the juices flowing. Try to write the first rough draft in one setting, not worrying about the exact words. You can go back later to refine wording, add details, and revise. Lastly, you should proofread the statement multiple times. Essays riddled with grammatical errors and typos send a message to the reader that you do not pay attention to detail , which is an important skill for pharmacists. Consider having another person who is unbiased proofread it. Numerous companies offer professional essay proofreading and editing services, such as Scribd .

• What does a school look for in a personal statement?

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same.

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same. Diversity is desirable, so don’t pretend to be something you are not because you think it is what they want to hear. Admissions committees can see right through disingenuous statements. Content that schools may be looking for include the following:

• Is this person applying to pharmacy school for the right reasons? You won’t be happy or motivated in a job that you are doing only for money, job security, or to meet someone else’s expectations.
• Do they understand the job and its demands? Speak to any relevant experience you have working, volunteering, or shadowing pharmacists.
• Has the applicant demonstrated personal growth in the years leading up to their application? If your grades improved in the last year, you can explain that it shows your commitment to education and renewed work ethic. If you took on new extracurricular responsibilities or work assignments, highlight any leadership skills you’ve developed.
• Is the essay organized and clearly written? Communication skills are important for pharmacists, because they communicate with customers, physicians, and insurers daily.
• Has the applicant explained any weak points in their application? Admissions committees realize that life can be messy. Be honest if personal circumstances affected your grades or PCAT scores. Make it clear that you’ve moved past these circumstances and they won’t impact your ability to be a successful pharmacy student. However, don’t make excuses for shortcomings that don’t have a good explanation.
• Do they demonstrate a “fit” for the values of the program? Use anecdotes to demonstrate that you live their values and mission.

Learn More about Pharmacy School Requirements by State

• AR Arkansas
• CA California
• CO Colorado
• CT Connecticut
• DE Delaware
• IL Illinois
• KY Kentucky
• LA Louisiana
• MD Maryland
• MA Massachusetts
• MI Michigan
• MN Minnesota
• MS Mississippi
• MO Missouri
• NE Nebraska
• NH New Hampshire
• NJ New Jersey
• NM New Mexico
• NY New York
• NC North Carolina
• ND North Dakota
• OK Oklahoma
• PA Pennsylvania
• RI Rhode Island
• SC South Carolina
• SD South Dakota
• TN Tennessee
• VA Virginia
• WA Washington
• DC Washington, DC
• WV West Virginia
• WI Wisconsin

• What should you avoid in a pharmacy school personal statement?

Admissions committees have numerous applications to review. You want to make sure every sentence in your personal statement adds value and has no chance of leaving a negative impression. Here are examples of things to avoid:

• Don’t repeat your transcript and PCAT scores. They already have these in their file. Essay word counts are limited, so make the most of every word of your essay to provide new information.
• Don’t write off topic. Tell your story directly and concisely. Going off on a tangent or adding words just to make it appear longer will distract from the message you are trying to convey.
• Don’t include irrelevant academic achievements. No matter how proud you are that you won the geography bee in fifth grade, it isn’t relevant to your aptitude for success in a pharmacy career.
• Do not plagiarize. This is a major sin in academia. It will get your application tossed to the “no” pile without a second thought.
• Avoid clichés. Cue eye roll from the admissions committee who is forced to read hundreds of statements, many with poor attempts to use clichés or humor.
• Do not talk about controversial topics. The essay should be professional. Topics like religion, personal emotions, money, and politics have no place in the workplace.
• Don’t have grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Hire a professional editor to proofread your writing, or use a do-it-yourself tool, such as Grammarly .

Pharmacy school personal statement examples

Personal statements are one of the most important components of your application. They are your only opportunity to show the admissions committee that you are more than your GPA and PCAT score. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd. The quality of your essay will be determined by how much work you put into the writing. Several examples of essays from students who were accepted to pharmacy programs can be found on the internet at sites like Studential and Applytouni . Reading these can give you an idea what a good statement looks like before you begin writing your own.

• Additional Resources:
• Pharmacy School Directory
• Pharmacy School Letter of Recommendation Tips

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Tips for Writing a Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Like in any other field of education, a pharmacy statement is a way of selling yourself to the admission tutors by showing them why you are a great pharmacy candidate. A personal statement is an opportunity to detail your skills, strengths, and career objectives in pharmacy. A personal pharmacy statement allows you a maximum of 4000 characters. It would be best to discuss why you are interested in pursuing a pharmacy degree in as few words as possible while ensuring you stand out from the crowd of prospective students. 

• 1 Why is a personal statement important?
• 2 What makes a good personal statement?
• 3 Common mistakes to avoid
• 4 What to include in your statement 
• 5.1 1. Preparation
• 5.2 2. Proper grammar
• 5.3 3. Proper structure
• 5.4 4. Connect with your reader
• 5.5 5. Include only Pharmacy relevant achievements
• 5.6 6. Avoid plagiarism
• 5.7 7. Avoid controversial topics
• 5.8 8. Proofread your work

Why is a personal statement important?

Statistics show that at least 50% of pharmacy school applications get rejected. These applications are not always denied because of poor scores. These students typically have scored just as good as their accepted counterparts. A personal statement is essential because it is what makes or breaks your application. This is because admission tutors are keen to welcome candidates who are genuinely passionate about and dedicated to the profession. 

What makes a good personal statement?

An excellent personal statement uses evidence. Support all your claims. It would be best if you remembered that the admission tutors already know you are trying to convince them that you are a suitable match, as are all the contenders. Sure, you can go on and on about how willing you are to learn, but it would be more effective if you backed such claims with real-life examples. 

Please use a personal statement writer service to get professional custom help in writing a good pharmacy personal statement. As a matter of fact, CustomWritings is considered to be one of the most reliable services on the market currently.

Common mistakes to avoid

It is important to remember that the perfect pharmacy personal statement does not have to follow a specific format. Remember that the admission tutors will only review your pharmacy statement for 10-30 minutes, no matter how much time you spend on it. This is not to say that you should rush through it but focus on capturing and maintaining the tutors’ interests. The tutors will review your statement from different angles, meaning you cannot afford to leave room for misinterpretation. 

Please resist the urge to follow a predetermined formula you acquired online or from your friends, regardless of how they scored on it. You may easily be tempted to borrow ideas from successful pharmacy students, but this will compromise your authenticity. The admissions tutors have likely seen numerous personal statements so do not embarrass yourself by submitting a copied statement. Besides, you want to show how passionate you are about pharmacy, don’t you?

Read Also: How to Become a Chemistry Problem Solver

What to include in your statement 

• Pick a specific pharmacy area you are most interested in and explain why you are interested in that area. Show that you are passionate about that subject (it helps if you are passionate about the area you choose to write about). 
• Highlight your motivations for studying pharmacy. When did you realize you wanted to pursue pharmacy? Why? Are you able to support this with evidence from your life?
• Describe your hobbies and extracurricular activities (especially if they are related to pharmacy). The goal is to highlight the skills you have gained from these activities and how they will benefit you in your studies as a pharmacist. 
• Include any work experience placements in related fields such as nursing or medicine. Talk about what you learned from these experiences. 
• Talk about your traits and qualities that you feel make you a good pharmacy student. 
• Please demonstrate that you are a good reader by talking about recent related reads and how they have shaped your thinking. Feel free to respectfully share any views and opinions, always remembering to support them with solid evidence. 

How to Write a Good Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Below are a few tips to make sure your statement makes your application stand out and increase your chances of getting accepted into your program of choice:

1. Preparation

Preparation is key. Start early so that you do not end up rushing and producing a mediocre statement. Start planning early as you don’t want to be pressed for time.

2. Proper grammar

Use proper grammar and punctuation. Poor grammar makes for a wrong first impression. Polish your basics on grammar and avoid submitting a statement riddled with error.

3. Proper structure

Structure your statement correctly. Ensure the first statement captures your reader’s attention and then has a few supporting paragraphs. You have a tiny window of grabbing your reader’s attention, so use it wisely. Finally, have a conclusion that ties it all together. 

4. Connect with your reader

Connect with your reader, even if it means sharing a few personal stories. The goal here is to make sure you communicate who you are. A personal statement is a monologue to the admission committee, and if they can connect with you, they will like you.

Show the admission tutors that you are aware of the challenges that await you and that you are committed regardless. Talk about how rewarding you think this path will be for you, your family, your community, your patients, and the pharmacy practice itself. 

5. Include only Pharmacy relevant achievements

If you have lofty achievements outside the pharmaceutical field, do not include them in your statement. Include only pharmacy-related experiences.

6. Avoid plagiarism

Committee members can always see through plagiarized works, so avoid this at all costs. This will only destroy your credibility in the field.

7. Avoid controversial topics

The personal statement is not a discussion ground for questionable topics. Do not alleviate issues that disagree with the overall subject in question.

8. Proofread your work

Sometimes people miss tiny mistakes by not proofreading their work. Have friends and family check your work and act on the comments. Inadequate proofreading can be catastrophic, so ensure you correctly use your language before sending the statement to the admission committee.

As now you are well acquainted with the components of writing an impeccable pharmacy personal statement , you should have no trouble in getting admitted into Pharmacy school. Pharmacy school is about honor and prestige, and you need the best of luck in this noble endeavor.

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Pre-Pharmacy

Pharmacists are the primary providers of pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists review patient medication regimens and teach individuals how to use their medicines safely and effectively. They collaborate with other healthcare providers to prevent harmful drug interactions. They may also provide vital services to patients, such as administering vaccinations and measuring blood pressure.

Pharmacists may work in pharmacies in drug and general merchandise stores, hospitals and healthcare facilities. With additional coursework, pharmacists may seek an advanced position, such as clinical pharmacy or research.

• How to Become a Pharmacist
• Top Ten Reasons to Become a Pharmacist
• How To Become A Pharmacist
• Which Pharmacy Career Is the Best Fit for You?

Preparation

Preparation for Pharmacy school includes completion of a certain number of college credits (but completion of Bachelor’s degree is preferred) and prerequisites. Make sure you do research into which prerequisites are required for the programs to which you are interested in applying, as they can vary! Listed below are the most common prerequisites for Pharmacy school and courses at UNLV that will fulfill the requirement.

Major: You may major in whichever subject you choose as long as you are meeting required pre-requisites for the programs to which you are applying. Pharmacy schools appreciate diversity in majors so choose a subject you will be successful in!

Pre-Reqs: Preparation for Pharmacy school includes completion of a certain prerequisites. Prerequisites for Pharmacy programs vary. Some programs require a bachelor degree; others do not. This list shows courses which may be required. Do your research to ensure you are meeting all required courses for the schools to which you are interested in applying. Listed below are the most common prerequisites for Pharmacy school and courses at UNLV that will fulfill the requirement.

• 1 or more semesters of General Biology w/labs: Biol 190/191
• 1 year of General Chemistry w/lab: Chem 121/122
• 1 year of Organic Chemistry w/lab: Chem 241/242
• 1 semester of Biochemistry: Chem 474
• 1 semester of Stats: Stats 391
• Anatomy and Physiology: Kin 223/224 OR Biol 348/349
• Microbiology: Biol 351
• Calculus: Math 181

Additional common pre-reqs

• 1 year of General English
• 1 semester of Psychology
• Communications: COM 101

Grading Policies for Pre-Requisites

• AP and IB Credit are generally not accepted towards pre-reqs
• Community college credits can be viewed differently by each school; research the program to see if they are accepted!
• Online lab courses are generally not accepted towards pre-reqs; some schools will not allow ANY online coursework
• All courses, including repeated courses will count towards your GPA, regardless of how old they are. Be careful with “W” on your transcripts; they are not
• counted towards GPA but you should not be withdrawing from courses as a trend
• Some programs have expiration dates on their pre-reqs, meaning you need to take them within a certain time period of applying. Again, do your research!

GPA Information and Calculator

While the professional school admission process is holistic, your grades do matter. It is extremely important to understand how professional school GPA’s are calculated, as there can be a vast difference between your UNLV GPA and your professional school GPA.

Keep in mind that while the information below is generalized to professional schools/programs and the GPA calculation process, it is the student’s responsibility to understand exactly how the programs they are applying to consider, weigh, and/or calculate their GPA.

Professional school GPA’s calculate all grades ever taken at the secondary level. This includes all transfer credit grades, repeats, remedial courses, and possibly graduate level courses. There is no “grade forgiveness” or “grade replacement” for professional school GPA - all grades count. There is also no expiration date on courses for them not to be considered for calculation; even courses you may have taken “years ago” count towards your professional school GPA.

Professional school GPA’s are also calculated in more ways than just your cumulative GPA. Your “science” GPA (or BCP/BCPM) is also a very important marker in your application to professional school. Your science GPA is your GPA calculated only with your Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and (sometimes) Math classes. The third and fourth most common calculations are your “all other” GPA, which is your GPA calculated on all courses WITHOUT your science classes, and your “prerequisite GPA”, which is your GPA calculated only on the prerequisites necessary for that particular professional school program/track.

To help you understand how your professional school GPA will be calculated, please use the resources below. Although intended for use in calculating GPA for medical school, this calculator can be effective for calculating Pharmacy school GPA as well. Bring this GPA calculation to your PPAC appointments, as it is an important part of the discussion. If you need help filling them out, give us a call!

• Pharmacy School GPA Information
• PharmCAS GPA Calculator
• For Excel spreadsheet: please email [email protected] for a copy.

Experiences

Professional school programs have adopted a “holistic” admissions process, meaning you are more than just your metrics. How you demonstrate your motivation for your future profession, your personal characteristics, and the ways in which you give back to your community can make or break your application.

It is your responsibility as a pre-pharmacy student to understand the different types of experiences that will make you a competitive applicant to pharmacy programs. The most common experiences necessary include:

• Community Service: post high school experiences that show your commitment to your community and serving others. With the exception of military service, community service is defined as work you do as a volunteer with a community, church, or school organization, or something you do on your own without constraint or guarantee of reward or compensation. Service rendered for pay, academic credit or other remuneration cannot be counted. Work performed in service learning courses and service performed as part of employment also does not satisfy this requirement. Ongoing experience over time is encouraged, preferably in a healthcare setting. There is no minimum hour requirement.
• Clinical Experience: experiences in which you interact with patients in a clinical environment. Pharmacy experience is recommended, but not required. Approximately half of the applicants accepted over the past few years have had their pharmacy technician license, and this trend is increasing. Professional schools like to see as much hands on, direct patient care as possible!
• Network: ask family, friends, and colleagues if they know a professional that would allow you to shadow
• Engage in clinical experiences first, perhaps as a Pharmacy Tech. Prove yourself as a competent, compassionate volunteer or employee and ask the professionals you work with from there. The more they know about your aspirations as a future pharmacist, the more likely they are to take you on for shadowing or refer you to a colleague who will.
• Research: It is highly recommended that you participate in research during your undergraduate career. Not sure where to start? Visit  UNLV’s Office of Undergraduate Research  for help! Research can be in many different areas so choose something that is meaningful (you will publish, present a poster, etc.) and that you are interested in!
• Student Organizations/Clubs: Involvement in student clubs/organizations on campus. See the “Pre-Health Organizations” below for a list of pre-health organizations at UNLV. You can also visit the  UNLV Involvement Center  for a complete list of student organizations on campus.
• Leadership positions: It is important as a future pharmacist to demonstrate leadership. You should aim to have 2-3 leadership roles (lasting longer than 3 months) before you apply.

One of the most frequently asked questions is “how many hours do I have to do?” There is no “magic number” of hours for you to complete.

Keep in mind the following for your experiences:

• There should be a reason “why” you have chosen each experience; “check the box” mentality will NOT work.
• They should be meaningful both on a personal level and to your professional journey. Keep in mind, you will have to write thoughtful, eloquent descriptions about your experiences so participating “just because” won’t help your application.
• Commitment over time is important. Programs would rather see dedication over many months/years to an experience over your “experience-hopping.”
• It is about the breadth and depth of the experience; think quality, not “quantity.”

Please visit our PPAC Resource Board  for volunteer, clinical, shadowing, etc. experiences, as well as examples of where to find these experiences in the Vegas valley. Please keep this link bookmarked, as we are always updating!

• Letters of Recommendation

Please note: UNLV currently does not offer committee letters. Students will need to secure individual letters of recommendation. We will keep you updated as to the status of new committee letters.

When applying to professional school, you will need 3-5 strong letters of recommendation from writers with whom you have long-term relationships and who can address multiple competencies, such as those listed on the  AAMC website . Although the competencies listed are for “pre-med” students, you will find that a majority of them apply to other pre-professional tracks as well.

The most frequent question asked is, “who should write my letters of recommendation?” As advisors, we aren’t here to tell you who to ask; we are here to guide you through the process of securing your letters for your application. Generally speaking, the best recommendation letter writers are those professors, mentors and healthcare professionals that you have shadowed, worked with closely, can speak to your academic abilities or humanistic side, and will write you a strong letter. Choose someone who can speak in concrete terms about your passion for professional school and why you will excel as a healthcare professional. The key to finding these letter writers? Start forming your relationships early in your pre-professional career. Far too often, students come to us at the point of application and are still unsure of who to ask to write their letters. Asking a professor, healthcare professional, community service director, etc. “just to ask” will result in a less than stellar letter for your application and this can be detrimental in the admissions process. Remember: start forming relationships early !

Make it as easy as possible for your letter writers. Schedule a meeting to address your goals. Provide your recommender with your resume, personal statement and competencies or strengths that you would like addressed in the letter. Express gratitude for their time and effort.

Respect your recommender and give him or her ample time to write your letters. Your request already imposes on your recommender’s time, and a last-minute request is an even greater imposition. Not only is it rude to ask for a letter close to a deadline, but you will also end up with a rushed letter that is far less thoughtful than is ideal. Don’t assume that it is anyone’s duty to write a letter for you, and realize that these letters take a lot of time out of your recommender’s already busy schedule.

Types of Letters

It is of utmost importance that you do your research into specific letter guidelines for the schools to which you are applying, especially in regards to whom the letters should be from. Schools will often require a science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) and/or non-science professor, healthcare professional, or “other”, but requirements can be different from program to program. Please pay attention to the requirements!

• Get to know your professors
• Go to class and office hours
• Volunteer for research or to TA
• Take more than one class with the same professor
• Maintain the relationship
• Attend virtual office hours
• Ask meaningful questions to show that you care about the course
• Be respectful
• Ask 2-3 months in advance
• Request the letter via in-person meeting
• Follow up with a scheduled meeting to review your goals & resume
• Provide your personal statement, resume & AAMC Guidelines & Competencies
• Medical/Healthcare Professionals Request your letter from a medical professional that you have developed a relationship with through multiple hours of clinical or shadowing. The letter should address your skills as a future healthcare professional.
• Research Letters Letters from research professors provide another validation of your aptitude for life-long learning and research and could be especially important to programs with a heavy research mission. In projects led by a graduate assistant, you may find that most of your experience is with the Graduate assistant rather than the professor. In this situation, the graduate assistant with whom you have worked most closely may write you a letter and have the lead professor cosign.
• Other types of Letters Often students will have other letter writers that know them well and can speak strongly to the strengths and attributes. This could be a volunteer supervisor, a liberal arts professor, or family physician, just to name a few. The guidelines are the same. Provide them with the information they will need to write a strong letter. Share your passion and goals.

Who Not to get Letters From

Yes, there are people you shouldn’t be asking for letters of recommendation. They include family members, “family friends”, patients, and, generally speaking, people who don’t know you well. Letters from family and family friends are considered bias and the admission committees won’t give them any merit. Those from people who don’t know you well often result in “alive and breathing” letters, meaning they don’t tell the committee much of anything other than you are “alive and breathing.”

Also, many students make the mistake of getting letters from distant acquaintances who have powerful or influential positions. The strategy often backfires. Your family member’s employer may know the governor, but the governor doesn’t know you well enough to write a meaningful letter. This type of celebrity letter will make your application seem superficial.

Additional Tips

• More information
• Can submit up to 4 evaluators
• Evaluators will complete a ratings section and submit a letter
• Never physically collect a letter from a letter writer yourself!
• If you need to collect letters early, utilize services such as Interfolio. Be sure to note which of these third-party services your professional school application service integrates with for uploads.
• copy of your transcripts
• your resume/CV
• copy of your personal statement
• Give your letter writers the general courtesy of information about the letter writing process, including deadlines, how they will upload the letter, and by telling them when you have inputted their contact information so they can keep an eye on their email for instructions.

Personal Statement

Applicants will submit a Statement of Purpose through PharmCAS in an essay format with a limit of 4500 characters.This personal statement is the part of your application where you have an opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your GPA, test scores, and experiences. It communicates what is important to you and explains in-depth your reasons and motivations for pursuing professional school. Additionally, a personal statement can help explain any gaps in education or experiences, as well as any weaknesses in an application. Your Statement of Purpose should address the following:

• Why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals.
• Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.

Follow these tips and tricks to help get you started.

• Take some time to reflect and write some notes on your personal journey to professional school. What is your motivation for this career? What experiences have you had that have helped reinforce this motivation?
• Write down a list of qualities you want to demonstrate to the admissions committee, and select your stories and experiences to show them. Explain HOW these experiences impacted you and your journey personally.
• Use this as a time to explain any challenges you faced that may have resulted in receiving low grades, gaps in education, etc. Focus on how your overcame these obstacles and make it part of your story.
• Be concise and simple. Stick to the character count. Check your relevant CAS application guide for more information.
• Edit, edit, edit! Seek multiple opinions from at least 4-5 different people and NEVER turn in a personal statement with grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.

For more information on how to write a personal statement for professional school, please attend a Personal Statement workshop. Dates and times for all workshops are located on the PPAC website.

Attributes and Competencies

UCSF  has provided a list of those important for successful applicants:

• Demonstrates a passion for the profession.
• Balances multiple priorities and responsibilities.
• Demonstrates ethical values and professionalism
• Demonstrates leadership, initiative and motivation.
• Submits a well-prepared, thought-provoking application.
• Submits strong letters of recommendation.
• Is well acquainted with the admissions process at the pharmacy schools being considered.
• Knows strengths and fit of institutions.
• Demonstrates clear career goals.
• Applies early and to more than one school.

General Timeline

• Applications to Pharmacy school are submitted 12-15 months *before* you intend on enrolling (think: summer of the year prior to enrollment). However, the exact timing depends on when you will complete prerequisites, direct patient care hours, etc.
• It is helpful to create a timeline for yourself when applying to professional school but your timeline should be flexible. Course scheduling, extra-curricular activities, deadline changes, etc. all contribute to the need of having flexibility in your timeline. Visit our office for help in creating your timeline
• Make sure you pay attention to specific deadlines for the schools you are applying to! For specific application deadline dates, check the PHARMCAS website.

Application

• US pharmacy schools admit students once a year in the Fall.
• Applications are submitted 12-15 months before the desired school enrollment date. However, the timing depends on when you will complete your degree and the necessary prerequisite coursework. All prerequisites must be posted to your transcript prior to starting Pharmacy school, and the timing is sensitive.
• While applying early in the cycle has advantages, the best time for you to apply is when your application is the best it can be.
• Pharmacy school requirements vary from school to school. Research schools  early
• Before any submitting application, have people with an unbiased eye go over each entire application to catch any errors. Your Pre-professional advisor is happy to do this for you.

Pharmacy School Application process includes 4 main components

Primary Application

• Secondary Applications

What Programs do I Apply to?

Visit each professional school's respective website; they have tons of tools for prospective students! Research!

We also encourage students to use the Pharmacy School Admission Requirements  (PSAR) database. The tables provide specifics about admission requirements & selection factors for each pharmacy school.

Generally, students will want to consider the following when deciding where to apply:

• Mission statement and focus
• Programs offered (MD, dual degree, research)
• Curriculum and teaching methods
• Support and wellness structures in place for students
• Preparation of students for USMLE, graduation; where do students match and in to what residencies?
• Specific or unique prerequisites
• Size and demographics
• Cost to attend; scholarships

For a template to help with your research, please email the PPAC at: [email protected] .

Primary applications are processed through the centralized application service, PharmCAS and are sent to all schools you designate on the application.

Applications open online in early July each year to allow applicants to start their applications and submission starts on, or around, August 1st. As mentioned, ensure you are paying attention to deadlines for submission for each school you are applying to! Deadlines vary between October-March.

Read all instruction manuals and directions carefully! When available before each application cycle, download the instruction manual on your computer to have access to at all times while filling out the application.

Be prepared months in advance for the cost of submitting applications to pharmacy school. Fee assistance is available through each application processing service, but will only cover a limited number of programs.

Note : When prompted, please release your information back to UNLV PPAC. This helps us advise other pre-med students and gives us accurate historical data on where our students have applied, been accepted, and matriculated to. Your personal information will be kept confidential at all times.

Secondary Application/Supplemental Information

Once pharmacy schools receive your verified primary application, they will send out “Secondary Applications.” Deadlines for completing secondary applications range from 5 business days to a month, so pay attention! These applications are created by each specific school so, therefore, are different lengths and ask different types of questions, depending on what the school is trying to ascertain from you. Often, they are essay style questions, so allow adequate time. Follow directions carefully and be aware there will be an additional cost to submit your secondary applications on top of your primary application fees.

Secondary applications are automatically sent from some schools and others will screen applicants for metrics, experiences, LOR’s before sending. Each school is different! If you decide at the point of receiving a secondary application that you are no longer interested in attending that school, that’s ok! You are not required to send back the secondary at that point.

Submit your secondary as soon as you are comfortable with your responses (ensuring you are still before deadline) so you can be reviewed and, hopefully, extended an invitation.

Getting an invitation to interview is a great sign! This means the admissions office has decided you are qualified and they want to get to know you better! This is your face-to-face opportunity to impress the admissions committee. Your job is to turn that invitation to interview into an invitation to attend. The best way to do that is to prepare.

Most professional schools hold “interview days” in which they bring in a group of applicants for a day or two. During those days, you may engage in any of the following: your actual interview, written essays, the Standardized Judgement Test (SJT), school tours, and/or “meet ‘n greets” with faculty and staff. Please remember,  the entire day is the interview , not just those times when you are in a formal meeting. You never know who is watching so be on your “best behavior” all day!

There are several types of interview formats used by professional schools. The most common are the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), Traditional format, and Group Interview.

Multiple Mini Interview : The MMI is an interview format where you are given a scenario/question and a predetermined amount of time to answer. These questions are typically ethical scenarios such as: “You are counseling a parent who states she will be “sneaking” some of her child’s ritalin for herself. How will you handle the situation?”

Traditional : These are the most common, where you are interviewed by 1-3 people at a time. You will be asked questions about your application, why you chose to apply to their school and why you decided to pursue pharmacy.

Group Interviews : These activities include more than one applicant. They can either be to determine your ability to work with others by giving you group activities to solve a problem, or asking one question where everyone has to answer.

Application Year Timeline

• The Primary Application Service (PHARMCAS) opens in July. Begin to fill out the primary application as soon as possible. Read instruction manuals carefully.

July – August

• Make final decisions on which schools to apply to and submit primary applications.
• Order official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities that you have attended to be sent to the appropriate Application Services or Interfolio
• Application Services verify primary applications, and notify applicants of verification or problems with verification

September – April

• Pharmacy schools begin sending secondary applications to applicants (if invited to complete a secondary application, begin and submit sooner rather than later).
• The PPAC Advising office offers mock interviews so you can practice. If you have an interview scheduled, call the office 702-895-2959 and ask to schedule a mock interview.
• Continue to complete and submit secondary applications (check deadline dates).
• Send schools application updates if acceptable.
• Continue to check school application status websites for each individual school.
• Admissions committees meet and decide status: accept/reject/waitlist. Applicants notified.
• Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, in October.
• Newly admitted applicants must notify Application Services and the school that they plan to matriculate of their decision. Admits with multiple acceptances must choose one school and withdraw their application from other schools.

May – August

• Applicants on waitlists are notified of an admission offer (typically, schools confirm their class by the end of June.)

August – September

• Orientation and school year begins. An applicant on a waitlist can no longer be offered a position at another school once orientation begins.

Submitting and Completing Your PharmCAS Application

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Before Submitting

Before you submit your application, be aware of the following:

• You can make limited changes after you submit your application. You can add new items to certain areas of the Academic History, Supporting Information, and Program Materials sections (e.g., test scores, experiences, optional documents, etc.), where applicable, but you cannot edit existing entries. You can also update evaluations with "new" or "in-progress" statuses and select additional programs to apply to. All other sections are read-only.
• You can submit your application before your transcripts and evaluations are received. Please note, however, that we will not review your application until all of your transcripts, payments, and evaluations are received. See Completing Your PharmCAS Application for all requirements.
• Do not wait until the last minute. You can submit your application up until 11:59 PM HT on the deadline date; however, ensure you allow for time to complete the required payment section. You must click Submit and complete the final payment information before the deadline in order to guarantee your submission is accepted. Additionally, be aware that during our busiest times you may experience page loading delays, and these may occur outside of customer service's hours of operation. We cannot grant deadline extensions if you miss your deadline; contact your programs directly for more information.

Fee Assistance Program

Check the PharmCAS Application Fees section before submitting to see if you qualify for the available Fee Assistance Programs.

Invitation Codes

Some programs provide invitation codes, which are deadline extensions offered to individual applicants. If you received an invitation code from a program, use the information below to apply to a program whose deadline has already passed.

You can apply your invitation code(s) when you select a program (review the Selecting PharmCAS Programs section) or are ready to submit your application (steps below). Note that you must use the invitation code before the expiration date (i.e., new deadline date).

Submitting to a Program

• Click the Submit Application tab at the top of the application.
• Click the Enter Invitation Code link for the closed program.
• Enter the invitation code you received from the program.
• Click Submit. To submit to multiple programs, click Submit All .

Submitting Your Payment

When you are ready to submit your application, go to the Submit Application tab and click Submit . Payments can only be made in the application via a credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Credit card payments cannot be made over the phone.

Once you submit your application and payment, click View Payment History for each program on the Submit Application page to confirm your payment's receipt.

Refund Policy

Because your designated programs have access to your information as soon as you submit your application, no refunds can be issued for any reason (this includes missed deadlines and programs no longer accepting applicants).

Before submitting your application, you are prompted to review and agree to the PharmCAS Release Statement. This agreement includes a clause about the refund policy. As an applicant, it's your responsibility to complete your application correctly, monitor the status of your application, ensure all required materials are received and posted to the application, respond to all notifications in a timely manner, and adhere to the deadline requirements posted by each program to which you have applied.

After Submitting

You'll receive a confirmation email acknowledging that your application was submitted. Note that submitting does not mean your application is being reviewed by your programs. Depending on what materials were already received, submitting changes your application status from "In-Progress" to "Received" or "Complete."

Completing Your Application

Your application must be considered "complete" to be placed in line for verification. Complete means that:

• All official transcripts are posted to your application and appear on the Check Status tab with the date they were received.
• If you used the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service, you have approved the work completed.
• Your application fee payment was submitted and marked as received on the Check Status tab.
• You submitted your application and received an email confirming it was successfully submitted.
• Your application Program Status is "Complete."

Note that your selected programs may also require that you submit additional fees and/or application materials (i.e., supplemental applications, references, and official transcripts) directly to the institution. Failure to submit all required materials may jeopardize your eligibility for admission consideration. Contact your programs directly to ensure you are meeting all requirements.

Verifications occur in chronological order and can take up to 10 business days to complete. Once your application is verified, you will receive a notification and your application's status will change to Verified.

Evaluators (letter writers) must submit evaluations (aka letters of reference or recommendations) to PharmCAS online via the “Letters by Liaison” Evaluator Portal. Evaluators will complete a 2-part process:

• Part I:   Complete questions and evaluation ratings via the Evaluator Portal.
• Part II:   Upload letter of reference via the Evaluator Portal.

Before You Begin

• Research Program Evaluation Requirements : Visit the   PharmCAS School Directory   to view program-specific evaluation requirements. The number and type of evaluations required vary by program. Some programs prefer that evaluations are sent directly to them.
• Contact Evaluators : Contact your evaluators in advance to confirm they are willing to submit an evaluation on your behalf and to obtain their preferred email address. Enter each evaluator on the application as soon as possible, so they have adequate time to submit an evaluation on your behalf. Alert your evaluators to watch for an email from PharmCAS with the login instructions for the Evaluator Portal. PharmCAS emails are sometimes caught in spam or junk folders. Advise your evaluators to designate   [email protected]   as a safe email sender.

Evaluation Rules

• PharmCAS will accept up to four (4) evaluations per applicant.
• Applicants cannot complete or submit the evaluation.
• PharmCAS will not notify applicants about missing evaluations.
• Paper and emailed evaluations are not accepted by PharmCAS.
• All programs will receive the same set of evaluations, regardless of requirements.

Submit an Evaluation Request

• In the Evaluations section, click "Create Evaluation Request."
• Determine if you are requesting a committee evaluation.
• Enter the evaluator’s full name and email address.
• Select the date by which you would like this evaluation completed. You are advised to select a date that is at least four weeks before your earliest deadline.
• Enter a brief message or note for the evaluator.
• Select whether you want to waive your right of access to the evaluation.
• Click the checkboxes to grant PharmCAS and your selected programs permission to contact your evaluators.
• Click "Save This Evaluation Request" to submit your request and trigger an automated email to the evaluator.
• Confirm with your evaluators that they received the email notification.
• Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your evaluations. Follow up with your evaluators if their evaluations are still marked as “Requested” or “Accepted.” It is your responsibility to ensure that evaluation requests are received and completed on time.

Evaluation Status Key

• Requested  status indicates your evaluation request has been sent to the evaluator via email and the evaluator has not yet responded.
• Accepted  status indicates the evaluator has agreed to submit an evaluation on your behalf and has not yet completed it.
• Completed  status and date indicate the evaluation has been received by PharmCAS and it was sent to your designated program(s). Your designated colleges and schools can view your evaluations once your application is verified.
• Declined status indicates that the evaluator declined your evaluation request. You can click Update Evaluators to add a new evaluation request.

Authorization and Privacy

Authorization statements.

Before PharmCAS will process your evaluation, you must certify the following statements:

• I hereby give PharmCAS permission to contact the evaluator below via email to request the completion of the PharmCAS reference form and letter of reference. If my evaluator does not submit an online evaluation form to PharmCAS in response to the email request, it is my sole responsibility to contact the evaluator directly to ensure all references required by my designated Pharm.D. programs are received by the deadline.
• I understand that the Pharm.D. programs to which I am applying may contact the evaluator either to verify the information provided and/or for further clarification of the information provided, and I hereby give permission for the Pharm.D. programs or PharmCAS to do so.

Privacy Waiver

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives applicants the right to access letters of reference written unless they choose to waive their right of inspection and review. Prior to requesting a reference from a reference writer, you are required to indicate whether you wish to waive your rights. PharmCAS will release your decision to waive or not waive access to an evaluation to your evaluator and programs.

Your waiver decision on the PharmCAS application serves the same purpose as a legal signature and is   binding . If you decide to change your waiver decision, you must login to your PharmCAS application to edit your selection online.  Once your reference is received electronically, you cannot make changes to your waiver decision .

• Selecting  Yes  indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you would not be able to view it. This means you will not be able to see the content of the evaluation or letter of recommendation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a more accurate representation of an applicant’s qualifications.
• Selecting  No  indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you may choose to view it in the future. Selecting this option does not allow you to view your reference via the application. If you do not waive your right to view the reference, you may ask your reference for a copy of the recommendation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a less accurate representation of an applicant’s qualifications and may ask you to explain your reasons for your choice during interview(s).

Evaluation Form and Policies

Evaluator form.

• Evaluators must complete and update a profile section with their contact information in case a program needs to communicate with them.
• Evaluators must complete a ratings section to evaluate you on multiple criteria.
• Evaluators must upload a letter of recommendation on institutional or organizational letterhead via the Evaluator Portal. Accepted formats for uploads are .pdf, .doc (Microsoft Word), .rtf (Rich Text Format) or .txt (ASCII Text File) files only. Uploaded letters must be less than 5MB in size. Since all evaluations are sent to every school you designate, evaluators should avoid referring to any specific pharmacy school or individual in the letter.

Missing or Late Evaluations

Arrange for PharmCAS to receive all evaluations by the application deadline date set by your designated programs. PharmCAS does not enforce evaluation deadlines and will not hold your application for missing evaluations. Evaluators can submit a reference on your behalf after you submit the application or the school’s application deadline has passed, however, schools may choose not to consider late materials. References will be released to all of the applicant’s designated programs, even if they arrive late.

Committee Letters

If you want to submit a committee letter as part of your application, you can do so by entering the committee chair (or their alternate) as an evaluator. The committee chair must then complete the evaluator form and upload one letter (that mentions the assessments of various committee members) via the Evaluator Portal. A committee letter only counts as one reference.

Change Evaluator’s Email Address

If you entered an incorrect email address for an evaluator, or if your evaluator asks that you send the evaluation request to a different email address, you must delete the evaluator and then re-add with the correct email.

Editing Evaluators

If an evaluator is unresponsive or declines your invitation to submit a reference on your behalf, you may edit the evaluator’s contact information on your PharmCAS application before or after you e-submit your application to PharmCAS. You cannot make edits to your reference writer’s information once the reference writer’s evaluation is received.

Extra Evaluations

You cannot submit more than four (4) evaluations to PharmCAS. Send any additional evaluations directly to your designated programs, if the program requires them. Unless required, programs might not consider extra evaluations.

Investigations

PharmCAS may verify an evaluator's identity. If a Pharm.D. program suspects an evaluation is falsified, it is the program's responsibility to contact the applicant or evaluator to investigate. PharmCAS will share any suspected cases of falsified evaluations reported by a program with the applicant and the applicant's other designated programs. PharmCAS will not attempt to verify the accuracy of the program’s investigation results.

Evaluation Form Questions for Reference Writers

The list of evaluator questions is provided for informational purposes only and intended to help you select evaluators who can best respond to them on your behalf. All responses to these questions must be submitted by your evaluators via the Evaluator Portal.

Evaluator Information

• Address, City, State, Postal Code
• Phone Number
• How long have you known the applicant?
• How well do you know the applicant?
• How do you know the applicant? 
• If you selected "Instructor/Professor" above, in what subject area (e.g. biology, chemistry, mathematics, etc.) have you taught the applicant?
• If you selected "Employee/Supervisor" or "Colleague/Coworker" above, please indicate the applicant's position and title:
• If you are a pharmacist, please indicate the pharmacy institution from which you graduated:

Ratings (Scale: Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor, Not Observed)

• Adaptability : reacts well to stress, is poised and controlled. 
• Empathy : considerate, sensitive, and tactful in response to others. 
• Ethics : displays honesty, integrity, and ethical behaviors. 
• Intellectual Ability : academic competence and aptitude for pharmacy degree program. 
• Interpersonal Relations : able to get along well with peers and superiors. 
• Judgment : displays critical thinking skills, common sense, and decisiveness. 
• Leadership : takes initiative and motivates others. 
• Oral Communication : speaks clearly with precision and accuracy, without ambiguity. 
• Reliability : dependable, responsible, prompt, and thorough. 
• Written Communication : writing is precise, accurate, grammatically correct, and unambiguous. 

Overall Recommendation Concerning Admission

• I highly recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant with some reservations 
• I am not able to recommend this applicant

Document Upload

Evaluators can upload one document to support their recommendation of the applicant.