There are many pieces to the pharmacy school application, including your GPA, personal statement, list of experiences, letters of recommendation, and biographical information. Use the navigation below to explore each aspect of preparing for pharmacy school.
- What is a pharmacist?
According the American Association of Pharmacy Colleges (AACP), pharmacists:
Educate patients about prescription and over-the-counter medications
Educate and advise other health care professionals on drug decisions for patientsProvide expertise about the composition of drugs, including chemical, biological and physical properties, as well as on useEnsure drug purity and strengthEnsure drugs do not interact in a harmful way- AACP Pharmacy: Prescription for a Rewarding Career
There are a variety of career options for pharmacists, including hospital, retail, industry, academics, and public health. Learn more about pharmacy career paths.
See the AACP's Top Ten Reasons to Become a Pharmacist
- Becoming a pharmacist
Obtain a bachelor's degree from UC Davis and complete all pre-pharmacy requirements, including prerequisites, the PCAT, and experiences (4+ years)
Attend pharmacy school (4 years)
Optional: pursue residency to receive additional training (2 years)Become licensed in the state you wish to practice
Maintain certification & complete Continuing Education (ongoing)
- Pharmacy School Prerequisites
To prepare academically as a pre-pharmacy student, you'll need to take the pharmacy school prerequisites. You can choose any major and apply to pharmacy school. If you choose a non-science major, you still have to take the science prerequisites required by most schools. Always cross-check your major requirements and the pharmacy school requirements when choosing classes.
Pharmacy School Prerequisites Courses to Take at UC Davis Most schools require: General Chemistry CHE 2ABC or CHE4ABC General Biology BIS 2ABC Organic Chemistry CHE 118ABC Physics with lab PHY 7ABC Statistics* STA 13 OR STA 100 Calculus* MAT 17ABC OR MAT 21ABC Economics any ECN Public Speaking CMN 1 Some schools may also require: Human Anatomy EXB 106/106L OR CHA 101/101L Human Physiology* NPB 101/101L OR NPB 110C/101L Biochemistry* BIS 102 & 103* Microbiology* MIC 102/103L Psychology any PSC course (PSC 1 or PSC 41 recommended) Sociology any SOC course (SOC 1 or SOC 3 recommended) English Composition any combination of ENL and UWP courses*
*Make sure the course is writing intensive, there may be some grey area with some courses. Updated 11/2022
* Check your major requirements before choosing schools.
* If you have already taken BIS 105, we encourage having the syllabus ready to share with schools. Applicants don’t necessarily need to take additional classes before they apply. Requirements vary by school. Please call HPA’s Express Advising for questions. Updated 2/2023.
See the Pharmacy School Prerequisite Chart for a sample list of schools and their requirements.Note: The above courses are only suggested, not absolute.
To prepare academically as a pre-pharmacy student, you'll need to take the pharmacy school prerequisites and coursework to prepare for the PCAT. School prerequisites and PCAT prep coursework overlap but are not the same.Each pharmacy school has slightly different prerequisites.
You can choose any major and apply to pharmacy school. If you choose a non-science major, you still have to take the science prerequisites required by most schools. Always cross-check your major requirements with the pharmacy school prerequisites when choosing classes.
Complete all of your prerequisite courses for a letter grade - DO NOT take any of them P/NP.
HPA recommends that pre-pharmacy students maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, although many pharmacy schools will have GPA averages above this minimum.- Graduate Records Examination (GRE)
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required by most Pharmacy programs prior to application.
The exam is available on a continuous basis throughout the year.
The GRE includes three sections:
Verbal Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning
Analytical WritingThe exam cost $220 each time you take it. You are only allowed to take the GRE every 21 days after your previous exam.
The GRE is not a course-dependent test, meaning there are no specific UCD courses you need to take to prepare. The best way is to give yourself time to study the test by buying test prep books or taking a test prep course.
Whatever you do, do not take the test without preparing! Click here to register for the GRE.
- Pre-Pharmacy Experiences
Asking, "Will this look good on a pharmacy school application?" is the wrong way to go about the pre-pharmacy journey. Pharmacy schools will see who you are and what you care about through experiences that align with your interests, goals, and passions. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are dedicated, passionate about it, and motivated to pursue it for the right reason!
All pre-pharmacy students should have some experience with a pharmacist, even if it is only shadowing.
Choose experiences that are meaningful to you and think outside the box!
Here are some good places to start looking for experiences at UC Davis:
Health Related Experiences through the Career Center (CC)
Opportunities to publish and present research through the Undergraduate Research Center
Participate in the Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP)
Global Health Internships through Study Abroad
Health Internships through the Washington Program
Volunteering for the UC Davis Pre-Health Conference
Completing community service
Join a Pre-Health related club or other student organizations through the Center for Student Involvement
Volunteer at a Student Run Clinic
While pharmacy experience is not necessarily required, many students work in a pharmacy before applying.
Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals. To be a pharmacy technician in California, you must be certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board by passing the PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam). You can be trained for this exam through specialized on-the-job training such as PRCB or ExCPT certification programs or through an educational program.
How to Become a Pharmacy Technician Guide
Insider's Guide to Acing the PTCB Exam
Click here to see a PowerPoint about becoming a pharmacy technician in California.- Applying to Pharmacy School
PharmCAS
PharmCAS is the first stage of your pharmacy school application.
PharmCAS will open mid July. You must apply the year before you plan on starting pharmacy school. (For example, if you plan to start pharmacy school in the fall of 2020, you must apply in the summer of 2019.)
Personal Essay
The prompt for the pharmacy school personal statement is:
"Your Personal Essay should address 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."
PharmCAS allows 4500 characters (including spaces) for your personal essay.
The personal statement is your first chance to provide admissions committees with subjective information about your qualifications and your reasons for choosing this particular career. In other words, the personal statement is your initial opportunity to present yourself as an interesting and unique applicant who deserves a closer look.
Academic History
You will chronologically enter every college-level class you have ever taken into this section as it is listed on your transcript.
HPA strongly recommends using an official transcript from the registrar to enter your classes. Do not use Oasis because courses may be listed differently than on your transcript.
You will categorize each course according to the PharmCAS Course Subject list.
Academic Updates
You will be able to enter grades for courses planned/in progress at the time you submit your application during Academic Update windows. You will receive an email when the windows open.
Letters of Recommendation
Most pharmacy schools will require at least three letters of recommendation.
Often times schools will ask or recommend that your letters come from specific people, including:
Academic science faculty
Pharmacists or other health professionals
A supervisor from an experience outside of school- Frequently Asked Questions
- More questions? Visit our FAQ page or schedule an appointment with an advisor!