Interview with my Pharmacy Department Mentor
During my second year in the Health Science Scholars program, I interviewed my Pharmacy Department Mentor to find out more about undergraduate classes, acceptance into the graduate program, research opportunities, and internships. I joined the Pharmacy Mentor Program as a freshman in 2015, and was assigned to Andrew La Rosa. He is currently a PharmD graduate student at The Ohio State University.
What were some of your hard classes in the program?
One of the hardest classes was Human Physiology with Dr. Bronson. This class has a test every week and a lot of material covered. The tests are all multiple choice which may seem easy, but there are “tricks” in each one that make it much more difficult. Unfortunately, she uses a straight grading scale with no curve. Several students each semester have to drop out of the class or retake it.
Tell me about your acceptance into the graduate program.
I completed my undergraduate bachelors degree at The Ohio State University in 2014. The application into the graduate program requires taking the PCAT test and obtaining recommendations from your professors. You also need a high GPA around 3.5 and they have a separate GPA for your science classes including Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Calculus.
Did you have an opportunity to do research?
No, my senior year did not include research as part of my 10 elective credits in the Pharmacy undergraduate program. You will need to find a teacher working in a particular area that you are generally interested in pursuing. On of the benefits of being an undergraduate student in the research work is unpaid, so the professors like to have undergraduate students working for them. Once you become a graduate student, the research is paid.
Did you have an internship?
Yes, I worked at Walgreens as an undergraduate student. I would highly recommend it. Many of my fellow classmates had internships in related fields. There are many opportunities to work at local pharmacies as a “pharmacy assistant.” They even have these at some of the larger stores like Walmart. You need to sign up for the BSPS emails to see what is available. You should also consider how much time this takes and evaluate how much time you will be studying for classes.
I thanked Andrew La Rossa for the interview and his insights on the Pharmacy Program. We continue to meet twice each semester to update whats going on in our academic careers and in our lives.