What major/ Degree do i need in route to become a pharmacist?

Question

im going to Community college right now, transfering to San diego state, but i was wondering what major should i be aiming for to become a pharmacists. i know i have to take chemistry, biology, math, etc but i was talkin to my counselor and he said "biochemistry" .. should i major in that, or do i need a BA in Chemistry? or Biology? which one.. as of right now im taking my GE classes to ttransfer, then the question is what Degree program do i take so i can get accepted to a pre-med school or something to become a pharm d because SDSU i believe dsnt have a pre-med program?

also i heard pharm nursing or something is a little easier then gettin a pharmd or something? any other details on taht ?

dang.. im having 2nd thoughts on becoming a pharm.. scared i might not make it and waste so much money trying..

Answer 1

Everyone I know majored in Chemistry. I think though it's kind of like med school though. You don't necessarily have to major in any specific thing...you just have to get accepted into pharm. school. But if you majored in Chemistry, it would definitely help out when applying. Someone majoring in Chemistry would have a much better chance at getting into pharm. school than someone majoring in say, political science. However, the person majoring in political science would have to still take the prerequisites to get into pharm. or medical school. Make an appointment with an advisor from a college you're interested in. That will make things a lot more clear to you. Good luck with it! It's not easy & a lot of hard work! But the paycheck will definitely pay off in the long run.

Answer 2

Any major in a university with a Bachelor's degree, regardless if it's B.S. or B.A., is required for entering pharmacy school. What I strongly recommend, however, is that your major should be any science major; for example in pharm schools like UCSD and UCSF it's mandatory to take two semesters of calculus and two semesters of the harder physics, and I know that those courses are also req'd in Biology and Chemistry majors! Other courses not exactly related to science but are NOT in those majors, like psychology, a communication class, and economics, are also req. to enter pharm school.

As a science major myself in Cal State Long Beach, I used to be in Chemistry B.A. major, but b/c I personally can't handle Calculus 2 and the harder physics courses, I decided to be in Microbiology B.S. major instead, since I don't have to do much math anyway, and some pharm schools I wanted to apply only want you to take pre-cal and calculus 1.

My point is, you're better off taking a science major (w/e science you like best), B.S. or B.A., make sure some of the required courses for that science major are also req. for pharm school, talk again to your counselor for questions about what pre-pharm courses in SDSU are required to take, and consider volunteering at a pharmacy in a hospital. Good luck!

Answer 3

Most schools do not require a bachelors degree. Prepharmacy is just a set of recommended courses. Look at the transfer guides to find equivalent courses. Of the people who major the most common are Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Answer 4

You will need biochemistry, Biology, Economics, chemistry math, physics, I'd have a major in some life science really does not matter what. Good luck. if you have never worked in a pharmacy I'd suggest that you try to get a job, you do not want to go to school for all those years and spend that much money then discover you do not like it. I know of plenty of people who have done that.