Pharmacy
		Pre-pharmacy advisor: Dr. Joseph Wirgau (jiwirgau@radford.edu), 360 Reed Hall Pharmacists are highly trusted and respected members of the health care profession. They provide medicine and health information for patients. A career in pharmacy blends science, health care, direct patient contact, computer technology and business.  The typical pharmacist has extensive training in chemistry and biology.  There is a high demand for pharmacists and the job growth rate is well above national averages.  In 2002 the median salary was $77,050 with 62 % of pharmacists employed as community pharmacists and 22 % by hospitals.    ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS The descriptions below are general requirements to prepare the student for admission to pharmacy schools. Some programs may have different requirements and students should contact any schools concerning their requirements at the earliest possible opportunity.   Most schools do not require a BA/BS degree and typically only require a minimum of 65 to 90 credit hours.  Most schools prefer a college graduate and the majority of accepted students will have a BA/BS degree.  No specific major is required but students are typically chemistry, biochemistry, or biology majors.     Excellent GPA (Typical average incoming class GPA of 3.5)   Pharmacy College Admission Test (Typical average incoming class score of 80 %)   Significant professional experience in pharmacy   Letter of recommendation from a pharmacist   Letters of recommendation from the Pre-Health Advisory Committee and/or any others chosen by the student Involvement in campus organizations and in the community REQUIRED/RECOMMENDED COURSES   Note that this list varies from school to school and perspective students need to determine the specific requirements for the programs they are applying for early in their academic career. General Minimum Requirements 3-4 credit hours of Calculus (MATH 151:152) 3 credit hours of Statistics (STAT 200) 8 credit hours of General Chemistry (CHEM 101:102) 8 credit hours of General Biology (BIOL 131:132) 8 credit hours of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 301:302) 6 credit hours of English (ENGL 101:102) 8 credit hours of Physics (PHYS 111:112 or 221:222) Public Speaking (COMM 114) Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 310) Microbiology (BIOL 334) Microeconomics (ECON 106) Additional Courses Required for Some Programs Philosophy/Ethics (PHIL 112) Anatomy and Physiology II (BIOL 311) Biochemistry I and II (CHEM 471:472)   Computer Science (ITEC120) Psychology (PSYC 121) Immunology (BIOL 337) Sociology, History, Global/US Diversity, Foreign Language, Humanities, Social Sciences, and other course can be required at individual schools.     APPLICATION PROCESS Applications should be prepared in the summer a full year before expected enrollment, since many programs use rolling admissions using the PharmCAS system.  Most deadlines are in January or February but priority is given to earlier applicants.  The PCAT ideally is taken by the June you apply.  Application materials may be obtained from the university offering the pharmacy program. · WHAT TO DO AND WHEN: Freshman through Junior years Take most of the coursework for the major in chemistry with a pre-professional concentration or in the biology major. Gain significant experience in a pharmacy and work toward certification as a pharmacy technician.  Engage in community service. Participate in university and department activities. Get to know the faculty of the department outside of class. They will provide those necessary letters of recommendation at application time. Take the PCAT by June at the end of your sophomore or junior year.  Apply to schools that summer and request a mock interview with the Pre-Health Committee the following fall. SUGGESTED COURSE SCHEDULE FOR PRE-PROFESSIONAL  CHEMISTRY MAJOR First Year BIOL 131 BIOL 132 CHEM 101 CHEM 102 ENGL 101 ENGL 102 STAT 200 PHIL 112 Second Year CHEM 301 CHEM 302 PHYS 111 PHYS 112 MATH 151 MATH 152 COMM 114 ECON 106 Third Year PSYC 121 ITEC 120 CHEM 471 CHEM 472 BIOL 310 BIOL 311 BIOL 334 BIOL 337 (Jan and/or June-take PCAT) (June 1-PharmCAS application can be completed) (Send supplemental applications within two weeks after receiving them.) Fourth Year CHEM 216 CHEM 401 CHEM 424 USEFUL LINKS   Finding a Pharmacy School Applying to Pharmacy School: PharmCAS Taking the PCAT Ranking of Pharmacy Programs List of Accreditated Programs Comparing Pharmacy Programs Scholarships   NEAR-BY PROGRAMS Campbell University Duquesne University Hampton University Howard University Shenandoah University Temple University University of South Carolina University of Kentucky University of Maryland University of North Carolina University of Pittsburgh University of Tennessee Virginia Commonwealth University West Virginia University Wilkes University   The Chemistry Program at Radford University takes a very hands-on approach, both inside and outside the classroom and laboratory. Within the classroom and laboratory setting, enrollments are kept small so that the faculty can interact on a personal level with students. Small class sizes are found even in lower-level classes with a maximum of 30 students per section in 100-level courses. The faculty are responsible for conducting both the lecture and laboratory portions of each course. Outside the normal classroom and laboratory setting, most of the faculty hold study and/or review sessions on a weekly basis.     Search