Pharmacist??

Question

I'm planning on quiting High School and getting my GED. And then after that go to a pharmacy school. How many years do i have to go to college and what do they expect me to memorize. And also im getting my GED at like 17 so is there a certain age you have to be to go to college?

Answer 1

Wow, I recommend that you get a HS diploma.

Answer 2

Well here is how it will work for you. Since you are getting your GED then you will only be able to attend a community college in most states for the first two years, not a state university. Then you will need to transfer to a state university for the last two years. During those four years you should choose a science or math major, something like biology or chemistry...pharmacy schools prefer this. If you do not choose one of these majors then you need to take additional classes besides what your major has so that you have enough math and science credits of high levels. After those four years you will take the Pharmacy entrance test and then if accepted you will start pharmacy school. There you are looking at a nother 3 or 4 years depending on your school. Some graduate programs have condensed pharmacy schools, where you get out quicker but alot more work is thrown on you at once. Good luck whatever you decide. Its a long haul but an awesome career!

Answer 3

Don't get a GED and don't quit high school. A GED does not equal a high school diploma because a smart eighth grader could easily pass the GED exam.
Don't rush yourself, you will miss those extra years in school. My university requires you to be 16 at admission.
Pharmacy is a very selective program. Only 1 in 3 are accepted. If you go to community college, you will kill any chance of getting accepted after only 2 years.
Finish high school, take as many math/science courses in high school, and then apply.
Most pharmacy schools will not accept you directly from high school.
If you focus on memorization, you won't do well in college. You need to understand, not memorize.

Answer 4

A number of things to consider here. And I fear you haven't gotten complete or accurate information.

First, dropping out of high school--check to see if your state offers an early college enrollment program; many do (here in Ohio it's called "post-secondary enrollment option"). If you qualify, in most cases it means you start attending college immediately--your tuition and fees are paid for you--and the course credits count for both the high school diploma and your college degree. I'm sure a sharp, ambitious person like you can see how that would advance your career MUCH faster, and how it would avoid the stigma that's unfairly attached to a GED.

Failing that, can you attend a college without your high school diploma? Many colleges don't require one, tho' at age 17 there might be some prohibitions. I have a friend who's worked as an MD for almost 30 years now, but he's a high school dropout who never earned a GED--he just started at an open-admissions college and worked his way through all the requirements.

Now, I applaud your career focus, something that a lot of young people sadly need. But you seem to know little about it. I recommend career counseling to everybody, even people like you who seem to have a good idea. Try calling a nearby community college to see if their career development service will work with you--they have the resources to tell you what careers would best fit your interests and aptitudes, what degrees (plus time and cost of them) you need to earn, and what the demand and projected salaries for each career will be.

They'll also try to recruit you as a student--and starting at a community college is generally a great idea; it costs far less, you're more likely to get a full-time professional rather than a graduate assistant teaching your first-year courses, and CC students who transfer to four-year schools have been found to earn GPAs in their final two years as do students who attend all four years at the same schools.

Answer 5

Why do you want to quit high school? You should know that pharmacy school is very competitive. It may not be a good idea to quit high school so you can get a GED because you could be missing out on valuable opportunities.
As long as you graduate from high school, you can go to college. To be a pharmacist requires a PharmD. You are looking at 6 years of school. Some of the courses like pharmacokinetics and medicinal chemistry are difficult to say the least. You need to have good grades to get into the program so keep studying. Are there any pharmacy schools in your area or universities that offer a PharmD program? If so, contact an advisor at the college and talk to them about your plans. They can give you great advice on your options. You can still get your GED and then go onto pharmacy school but you may have to consider a more roundabout way. You may need to take additional courses at the college or at a community college. You may have to transfer into the program after a year in college. But the best thing to do is to speak with a college advisor. You could also meet with your high school guidance counselor. There are accelerated programs but they are very intense and you won't be able to work if you decide on that path. They are also extremely competitive. Mass College of Pharmacy offers accelerated PharmD program but you have to meet requirements before acceptance and it is highly competitive. I think some of the pharmacy schools down south are not as difficult to get into as the schools in the northeast. You are looking at a minimum of 5 years for school. You could become a pharmacy technician which will give you exposure and some great references for pharmacy school.