pharmcas essay examples

Personal Essay

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In this section, write a personal essay that addresses 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.

Do not personalize your essay for a particular pharmacy degree institution. You cannot edit your personal essay after you submit your completed application.

Requirements

• Keep your essay topic general : Follow the prompt to write your statement. Keep the statement general as this essay is sent to all the programs you apply to. If you plan to only apply to one program, we still strongly recommend keeping your statement general in case you later apply to additional programs. Once you submit your application, the statement cannot be edited or changed.
• Do not exceed the maximum length : You can see both the word and character count below the field in the application. The right-hand number shows the maximum number of characters that you can use in your essay. As you type, you can see how many characters are still available and the associated word count. Characters include spaces, carriage returns, and punctuation. You cannot save your essay if it exceeds the 4,500 character limit.
• Use your own words : Plagiarizing any part of your essay is a violation of the Applicant Code of Conduct and may subject you to sanctions. See the Plagiarism section below for more information.
• Use simple formatting : Formatting such as tabs, italics, multiple spaces, etc., will not be saved. To delineate paragraphs, type a double return between each paragraph.
• Copy and paste from Notepad : Some formatting characters used in Microsoft Word (i.e., angled quotes, accents, special characters, bold, underline, or italic text) do not display properly in PharmCAS. We recommend copying and pasting your statement from Notepad, or a similar plain text editor.

Proofreading

Be sure to read over your essay several times to catch any spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., errors before submitting. Once you submit your application, you cannot edit your essay. If you find an error after submission that you believe could have major effects on your application, we recommend sending a corrected copy directly to the programs you applied to.

Your personal statement is subject to a similarity review via iThenticate/Turnitin (an online plagiarism checker used by PharmCAS) for detection of plagiarism and other potential violations of the Applicant Code of Conduct. Submitted personal statements and other materials may be used as source documents in the iThenticate/Turnitin for Admissions reference database solely for purposes of detecting plagiarism of such documents.

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Pharmacy Personal Statement Examples

What is a pharmacy personal statement?

Writing a personal statement for pharmacy is a chance to sell yourself to the admissions tutors and show them why you would make a great phramacy candidate.

It’s a place to describe your skills and strengths, as well as your career plans.

You are allowed up to 4,000 characters to explain why you are applying for a pharmacy degree, so you need to make sure your statement is as polished as possible to stand out from the crowd.

How do I write a good pharmacy personal statement?

Good pharmacy personal statements always use evidence to support their claims. You need to convince admissions tutors that you’re a good match for the programme, so if you claim to be committed or inquisitive, then use examples from your life to back it up.

To write a great pharmacy personal statement you need to start early, brainstorm some ideas, and then begin your first draft.

This will then need to be carefully revised and edited before asking family and friends for feedback. Incorporate their comments and suggestions, and see how it is improved before asking them to look at it again.

Read through our pharmacy personal statement examples to give you an idea of what a good pharmacy statement looks like.

Make sure you proofread your statement for grammar and spelling before sending it off, and if you feel you need a little extra help, take a look at our personal statement editing services .

What should I include in my pharmacy personal statement?

Many students choose to start their statement by picking a specific aspect of pharmacy and explaining why they enjoy it, e.g. drug chemistry, cardiovascular and renal systems, etc.

Admissions tutors want candidates that are as passionate about the subject as they are.

As well as your motivations for studying pharmacy, think about your hobbies and extracurricular activities too. What skills have you learned from these and how will these help you in your pharmacy degree?

Talk about any work experience placements you have completed, e.g. shadowing a doctor or nurse, or someone in a similar medical/clinical profession. What did you take away from this experience? Do you feel you have all the necessary personal traits and qualities that make a good pharmacy student?

Your wider reading is also important, so it's worth mentioning anything you've read recently that you found interesting and why. Generally, admissions tutors like students who express their views and opinions, and can back them up with evidence.

For more help and advice on what to write in your pharmacy personal statement, please see:

• Personal Statement Editing Services
• Personal Statement Tips From A Teacher
• Analysis Of A Personal Statement
• The 15th January UCAS Deadline: 4 Ways To Avoid Missing It
• Personal Statement FAQs
• Personal Statement Timeline
• 10 Top Personal Statement Writing Tips
• What To Do If You Miss The 15th January UCAS Deadline.

What can I do with a pharmacy degree?

There are many different career options open to those wishing to study pharmacy at university. These include:

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Community pharmacist
• Hospital pharmacist
• Research scientist

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Clinical research associate
• Higher education lecturer
• Medical sales representative
• Medical science liaison
• Pharmacologist
• Product/process development scientist
• Regulatory affairs officer
• Research scientist (life sciences)
• Science writer
• Toxicologist

For more information about careers with a pharamcy degree, please see Prospects and the National Careers Service .

What are the best UK universities for pharmacy?

Currently, the best universities in the UK for studying pharmacy and pharmacology are:

For more information about pharamacology university rankings in the UK, please see The Complete University Guide and SI UK .

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How to Write a Compelling Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Written by Kelly Tomory

July 12, 2022

If you’re applying to any higher education program, you’re most likely going to run into something called a “personal statement”. Pharmacy school is no exception, and learning how to write a compelling and unique personal statement is a key part in getting accepted to school. Read on to find out how to write one that stands out! 

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement serves as a way to highlight your skills, interests and experiences. Personal statements tend to be somewhat autobiographical, but it is not just a lengthy personal essay of your entire life story. 

Personal statements are also not a regurgitation of all the information you’ve already included in your application and cover letter. Think of your personal statement as more of a narrative, but still keep it informative. 

In writing a personal statement, you’re aiming to give the school or program you’re applying for a snapshot of who you are and why you want to be considered for whatever position. They are as much about how you write as what you write. Schools will receive hundreds of personal statements– make sure yours stands out!  

What is the Difference Between a Personal Statement and a Cover Letter? 

A cover letter generally serves as a means to sell yourself to a company or school. It introduces your resume and all your relevant school and employment history. A personal statement, however, is meant to be more creative and introduce the school to you as a person in an engaging format. 

While an application can come off as just a list of what you’ve done, a personal statement frames all your accomplishments in a way that connects your real-life influences with the dates and degrees on your application. 

What is the Best Format for a Personal Statement for Pharmacy School?

Think of your personal statement as a narrative essay outlining how you got to where you are today, as well as where you want to go next. Within this story, relate back to pharmaceuticals and medicine and healthcare fields in an organic way. You’ve chosen this path for a reason, what are the steps that got you here? 

What Questions Should I Answer in my Personal Statement? 

Some helpful questions to aim to answer throughout your personal statement are:

✅ Why do I want to be a Pharmacist?: Think through the times where you have admired pharmaceuticals or where they have most impacted you. Or, think about when you fell in love with medicine and helped people through pharmaceuticals.

✅ What different pharmaceutical paths would I be interested in pursuing?: Are you interested in nuclear pharmacy? What about private pharmaceutical production? If you have a specific niche in mind for a career path, use this space to talk about your interest.

✅ What makes me an excellent and unique candidate for this program?: Have you taken any specialized courses that make you uniquely qualified for this program? Have you had any outstanding internships or positions within the healthcare world?

✅ What are my strengths?: Where do you excel? What specific strengths could you bring to the program and the team you work with? Use this space to highlight your gifts.

✅ Are there any gaps or inadequacies in my application? How can I explain them here?: If you have anything on your application that may confuse someone not familiar with your life circumstances, try to concisely explain it here. Admissions counselors want to be able to give you the best shot possible at being accepted, and sometimes this requires you being up-front about gaps or missing pieces to your work history. 

What Should I Avoid in My Personal Statement? 

❌ Don’t just repeat what you’ve said in your application. There’s a place for a more sterile, list-based amalgamation of your achievements, but your personal statement is not this place. Admissions staff will learn a lot more about you if you’re creative with your personal statement.

❌ Don’t steal someone else’s work. Plagiarism will disqualify you from admission to pharmacy programs, and it’s also just bad practice for life in general.

❌ Avoid cliches throughout your writing. It may have been a dark and stormy night when you were born, but that is neither relevant nor original. Find fresh ways to tell your story and engage your readers.

❌ Avoid grammar and spelling mistakes. These can be avoided through several rounds of revision

What Are Admissions Counselors Looking for in a Personal Statement? 

What makes a good candidate may vary from program to program, but there are some general things that admissions counselors look for when reviewing personal statements from applicants:

• How have you grown over the years?
• Is your personal statement well-written? Does it show care, consideration and edits?
• Are you up for the challenge of Pharmacy school?
• Do you fit our program? 

What Are the Steps to Form a Compelling Personal Statement?

The creative process for a piece like this may vary form applicant to applicant, but the general steps are as follows

1. Brainstorm

This step can be messy, and is generally the most customizable of the process. To start your brainstorming process, think about all the reasons you’re considering pharmacy school and why this program should consider you. This is also a good place to start thinking about what makes you stand out from other candidates, as well as beginning to organize your education and work history. 

Since personal statements are more narrative than list-based, start to think about how pharmacists have influenced your life and family. Compelling stories from your own experiences will help admissions counselors see you have a full-bodied connection to the program and career field.  

As part of your brainstorming, look at successful personal statements. Websites like Studential and ApplyToUni can give you a good idea of what spelled success for past applicants. Or, if you know anyone who went to pharmacy school already, you can ask them for their best tips. 

2. Outline and Draft

How do you make sense of all the information you just brainstormed out? One of the best ways to sort through your thoughts is by looking for natural connections between events in your life. Be sure to highlight the aspects of your career and schooling that will make you stand out the most. 

Make sure you’re outlining your statement in a way that makes the most sense for both your story and your reader. Linear outlines with clear progressions through your life story usually work best, but that’s not to say you can’t jump around in the story a bit, especially if pharmacology has played a lot of different roles throughout your life and you’re looking to highlight its effect on you over time. 

There are different types of personal statements, generally prompted or unprompted, but they all tend to be between 400-1,000 words long. 

Check your personal statement for basic grammatical and spelling mistakes, as well as making sure your tone is both professional and friendly. Make sure your organization makes sense. A good way to ensure this is to have someone else read it and suggest edits. The more sets of eyes you can have on your personal statement, the better chance you’ll have of submitting a flawless piece. 

Running your personal statement through a program like Grammarly or Hemingway is another good way to weed out mistakes and make sure your statement is clear.

4. Final Revisions and Submission

Do some final checks of your personal statement. Try to read it as if you’re reading it for the first time, with no context as to your own story. An early start in the writing and drafting process is key for this step, so you can take a few days away from your statement before this final revision if necessary. 

If your personal statement was one with a prompt, use this check to be sure you have answered all the questions as fully and uniquely as possible. This is another great place to ask for a second set of eyes to review your statement. 

Finally, submit your personal statement with your application to pharmacy school. Be sure that you’ve submitted it before the deadline! 

How Do I Close a Personal Statement?

In closing your personal statement, include one last push for yourself and why you’re a good fit for the program. Try to naturally conclude and wrap up all that you’ve said about yourself and your story. Be sure to highlight your interest in the program specifically and give a quick “thank you” for their consideration of your application. 

What Now?  

Now that you know how to write a great personal statement for pharmacy school, you should narrow down the schools you want to apply to. If you haven’t already, consider NEOMED’s College of Pharmacy ! Our program will prepare you to make an impact on those around you for the better, whether locally or globally. Graduates from our programs boast high NAPLEX test scores, excellent network connections and a deeper understanding of the communities they serve. Apply to NEOMED ! 

Want to learn more about pharmacy school at NEOMED? Our pharmacy program guide will help you determine if pharmacy school is the right path for you, and how NEOMED can help you begin your future.

Access our eBook "Begin Your Future in Pharmacy at NEOMED" to learn more about what it takes to become a pharmacist.

About the author

Kelly tomory.

Assistant Director of Admission

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Pharmacy School Personal Statement Tips

Many programs require a personal statement as part of the pharmacy school application. This is essentially an essay that addresses why you want to be a pharmacist, and how your personal background and achievements support this goal. This writing sample provides the only opportunity to express yourself in writing to differentiate your application from your competitors. A significant effort should be made to have the best possible personal statement that addresses the interests of the admissions committee.

• How to write a pharmacy school personal statement

PharmCAS provides general guidance on how to craft a personal statement. Each year, they provide a prompt that directs the topic of the statement. They recommend that applicants do not tailor their writing to one program, because you will only be permitted to submit one personal statement per application cycle. PharmCAS will send this statement to all programs to which you are applying that year.

For many applicants, the personal statement will be the most difficult part of the application preparation. Applicants know this is important, so they may overthink it or suffer from writer’s block. A useful exercise before you begin writing is to think about the answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to be a pharmacist? You should demonstrate a genuine interest in the profession and helping people.
• What experiences have prepared you to be successful in this career?
• What qualities do you most admire in pharmacists? Can you demonstrate that you have these same qualities through your academic achievements or work experience?
• What makes you stand out as a unique candidate? Do you have real-life experience? Have you volunteered in health care settings?
• Is there any deficiency in your application that you want to proactively explain? This may be your only opportunity to explain any low grades, gaps in education, or suboptimal PCAT scores. However, do not make excuses; own your mistakes and show how you have learned from them.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student.

The personal statement should address the topics that you think are the most important to paint a picture of you as a successful pharmacy student. Mission statements of the schools to which you are applying can help direct your writing, but you should keep the statement general enough that it can resonate with the admissions committees of any program.

Ultimately, the personal statement is a story that will show the admissions committee that you are a unique person who is worth more than their GPA and PCAT scores. The statement should be an authentic representation of your story and give the reader a glimpse into what you would be like as a pharmacy student and professional. The text should show, not tell, the reader what you bring to the table. A strong opening is important: Grab their attention with a relatable anecdote or quote.

One approach to writing the statement is to brainstorm all the questions above, taking notes as you think of the answers. Then, sketch an outline of the statement that will help get the juices flowing. Try to write the first rough draft in one setting, not worrying about the exact words. You can go back later to refine wording, add details, and revise. Lastly, you should proofread the statement multiple times. Essays riddled with grammatical errors and typos send a message to the reader that you do not pay attention to detail , which is an important skill for pharmacists. Consider having another person who is unbiased proofread it. Numerous companies offer professional essay proofreading and editing services, such as Scribd .

• What does a school look for in a personal statement?

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same.

Each program is looking for well-rounded students who are likely to succeed at their institution. They do not expect all students to be the same. Diversity is desirable, so don’t pretend to be something you are not because you think it is what they want to hear. Admissions committees can see right through disingenuous statements. Content that schools may be looking for include the following:

• Is this person applying to pharmacy school for the right reasons? You won’t be happy or motivated in a job that you are doing only for money, job security, or to meet someone else’s expectations.
• Do they understand the job and its demands? Speak to any relevant experience you have working, volunteering, or shadowing pharmacists.
• Has the applicant demonstrated personal growth in the years leading up to their application? If your grades improved in the last year, you can explain that it shows your commitment to education and renewed work ethic. If you took on new extracurricular responsibilities or work assignments, highlight any leadership skills you’ve developed.
• Is the essay organized and clearly written? Communication skills are important for pharmacists, because they communicate with customers, physicians, and insurers daily.
• Has the applicant explained any weak points in their application? Admissions committees realize that life can be messy. Be honest if personal circumstances affected your grades or PCAT scores. Make it clear that you’ve moved past these circumstances and they won’t impact your ability to be a successful pharmacy student. However, don’t make excuses for shortcomings that don’t have a good explanation.
• Do they demonstrate a “fit” for the values of the program? Use anecdotes to demonstrate that you live their values and mission.

Learn More about Pharmacy School Requirements by State

• AR Arkansas
• CA California
• CO Colorado
• CT Connecticut
• DE Delaware
• IL Illinois
• KY Kentucky
• LA Louisiana
• MD Maryland
• MA Massachusetts
• MI Michigan
• MN Minnesota
• MS Mississippi
• MO Missouri
• NE Nebraska
• NH New Hampshire
• NJ New Jersey
• NM New Mexico
• NY New York
• NC North Carolina
• ND North Dakota
• OK Oklahoma
• PA Pennsylvania
• RI Rhode Island
• SC South Carolina
• SD South Dakota
• TN Tennessee
• VA Virginia
• WA Washington
• DC Washington, DC
• WV West Virginia
• WI Wisconsin

• What should you avoid in a pharmacy school personal statement?

Admissions committees have numerous applications to review. You want to make sure every sentence in your personal statement adds value and has no chance of leaving a negative impression. Here are examples of things to avoid:

• Don’t repeat your transcript and PCAT scores. They already have these in their file. Essay word counts are limited, so make the most of every word of your essay to provide new information.
• Don’t write off topic. Tell your story directly and concisely. Going off on a tangent or adding words just to make it appear longer will distract from the message you are trying to convey.
• Don’t include irrelevant academic achievements. No matter how proud you are that you won the geography bee in fifth grade, it isn’t relevant to your aptitude for success in a pharmacy career.
• Do not plagiarize. This is a major sin in academia. It will get your application tossed to the “no” pile without a second thought.
• Avoid clichés. Cue eye roll from the admissions committee who is forced to read hundreds of statements, many with poor attempts to use clichés or humor.
• Do not talk about controversial topics. The essay should be professional. Topics like religion, personal emotions, money, and politics have no place in the workplace.
• Don’t have grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Hire a professional editor to proofread your writing, or use a do-it-yourself tool, such as Grammarly .

Pharmacy school personal statement examples

Personal statements are one of the most important components of your application. They are your only opportunity to show the admissions committee that you are more than your GPA and PCAT score. This is your chance to stand out from the crowd. The quality of your essay will be determined by how much work you put into the writing. Several examples of essays from students who were accepted to pharmacy programs can be found on the internet at sites like Studential and Applytouni . Reading these can give you an idea what a good statement looks like before you begin writing your own.

• Additional Resources:
• Pharmacy School Directory
• Pharmacy School Letter of Recommendation Tips

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Writing the Personal Statement for Pharmacy School: A Checklist

You’ve likely written a personal statement at some point in your life. Perhaps while applying to your undergraduate program, some of your schools required you to include an essay describing your achievements, yourself, and what you hope to accomplish in your time at their university. Similarly, many pharmacy programs will require you to write a personal statement for their application. 

This, however, is different. You will be able to highlight your relevant accomplishments and address why you want to become a pharmacist to stand out truly . With so many applicants during each cycle, admissions officers use this personal statement to gauge whom they wish to speak with for an in-person interview.

At this phase of the application journey, you've narrowed down the pharmacy schools you’re applying to. Your transcripts are in, letters of recommendation are ready, and it’s time for your pharmacy personal statement. The good news is that, unlike undergraduate applications that sometimes have different prompts, you must answer for various schools; your one pharmacy school personal statement will be sent to every program through your PharmCAS application . That also leaves an exciting challenge: Even if you have a favorite, you must consider how you want to write this personal statement, as it shouldn’t be tailored toward one specific school. 

Determining the Narrative

When it comes to writing a pharmacy school personal statement, the most common pitfall students experience is the need for more effort placed into their writing. While your grades may be exceptional, and your letters of recommendation prove that your student-teacher relationships are healthy and you are a pleasure to have in class, having a generic pharmacy personal statement doesn’t differentiate you from other qualified applicants. If all applicants have already covered the first two things, the personal statement may be the shining piece of the application. For most students, writing this statement will be the most challenging part of the application process. 

Begin to formulate your narrative. Lay out the structure and the different sections. There’s no specific format that pharmacy schools are looking for, so make this personal statement unique to yourself. As mentioned, the “cookie cutter” approach to this part of the application is where most students stumble. Use your time wisely and start early . Additionally, you can easily find a sample personal statement on various websites to help structure your thoughts. However, remember that these should be used only as samples and that you shouldn’t rely on them to format your own statement.

Crafting a Unique Story

Each pharmacy school program wants students who demonstrate tenacity, which will help them succeed in their respective programs. One way to approach writing your pharmacy school personal statement is from the point of view of the admissions committee. Anyone charged with reading thousands of applications will focus on specific questions that signal a level of quality about the rest of the personal statement.

First, what's the reason that this student is choosing pharmacy as their career? Are they doing this for income or genuine interest in providing the best care for patients? Does the applicant demonstrate thoughtful understanding of their strengths and weaknesses? Do their ideals align with the mission statement of the school of pharmacy? Each reviewer may concentrate on different questions, but they want to see you feel a personal drive for a career as a pharmacist. Place yourself into the seat of an application reviewer and formulate different questions that you could potentially ask students. Try answering these questions and see how genuine your answers are. How you answer may decide if you want to continue to pursue this pharmacy school path.

Focus on Your Opening

One universal method many writing courses teach you is always to have a solid opening statement. Use this as an opportunity to begin with a personal story about why you decided that pharmacy is the right career for you or maybe an inspiring quote that has always resonated with you. The reviewer may have already gone through several applications, so your first few sentences should stand out. You want to be able to make an impression from the beginning while showing an earnest drive to spend a career as a pharmacist.

Once you’ve effectively engaged the reviewer, it’s time for the “meat” of the personal statement. What do pharmacy application committees truly want to hear? 

Getting to Know You

They want to learn more about you before meeting in a live interview. Tell your own story succinctly but without cutting corners. Briefly describe how you learned to overcome obstacles like that to better yourself and those around you. Sure, you can write about your most relevant academic accomplishments. But go beyond that.

Discuss how certain clubs and organizations have helped you progress through your undergraduate experience and how those organizations may have led you to pursue the path of pharmacy school. Highlight the different leadership positions you may have held in college that have helped mold you into the leader you see yourself as today. After setting those up, discuss the skills you’ve acquired to help you in pharmacy school and how they’d make you a better pharmacist.

When you mention your relevant academic studies, please don't forget to keep repeating the pharmacy college admission test (PCAT) scores or the 4.0 GPA that you achieved. The committee has this information before them as they read; they don’t need to be reminded.

Talk in detail about your relevant work experiences, such as research or a part-time job in a pharmacy. Discuss how these different work experiences furthered your commitment to the profession. Identify what aspects of the pharmacy setting may have attracted you and what you ultimately have learned from these experiences. Some students come into this part of the application process without work experience. That’s okay. You can highlight any volunteer work related to healthcare or pharmacy. 

Close with Confidence

Finally—and we can’t stress this enough—keep your writing professional. You’re making an impression on a professional committee, and as much as you want to make your statement sound lighthearted, keep in mind that the reviewers’ time is at a premium for reviewing the essays and interviews in the next round.

Be succinct, direct, and human.

Remember to keep our advice top of mind:

The goal of your personal statement is to showcase why you would be the ideal pharmacy student and why your traits/qualities reflect those of a pharmacist.

Be as authentic as possible when detailing why you want to be part of the PharmD program. 

GPA and PCAT scores can only get you so far. Your personal statement is a chance for you to stand out in front of the other applicants who apply to the same pharmacy program as you. 

Remember, perfecting the personal statement takes time and your admission may depend on how much effort you ultimately put into your writing.

Hong Chen, PharmD

My name is Hong Kui Chen and I am a graduate of The Ohio State University Pharmacy Class of 2022. I am currently working as a clinical research associate at Medpace, Inc, a contract research organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio. My work mainly consists of traveling to various sites around the country and providing protocol training on new clinical trials or monitoring data. While I enjoyed the traditional pharmacy role of working in retail or hospital, I wanted to expand and pursue this non-traditional role to see how clinical trials operate. I have a passion for being able to impact patients in a grand scale and even though I don’t have the 1-on-1 patient interaction, the work that I do can have long lasting contributions to overall patient health. 

Opinions and information published by the author here on PharmDDegree.com are of my own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of my employer.

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Tips for Writing a Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Like in any other field of education, a pharmacy statement is a way of selling yourself to the admission tutors by showing them why you are a great pharmacy candidate. A personal statement is an opportunity to detail your skills, strengths, and career objectives in pharmacy. A personal pharmacy statement allows you a maximum of 4000 characters. It would be best to discuss why you are interested in pursuing a pharmacy degree in as few words as possible while ensuring you stand out from the crowd of prospective students. 

• 1 Why is a personal statement important?
• 2 What makes a good personal statement?
• 3 Common mistakes to avoid
• 4 What to include in your statement 
• 5.1 1. Preparation
• 5.2 2. Proper grammar
• 5.3 3. Proper structure
• 5.4 4. Connect with your reader
• 5.5 5. Include only Pharmacy relevant achievements
• 5.6 6. Avoid plagiarism
• 5.7 7. Avoid controversial topics
• 5.8 8. Proofread your work

Why is a personal statement important?

Statistics show that at least 50% of pharmacy school applications get rejected. These applications are not always denied because of poor scores. These students typically have scored just as good as their accepted counterparts. A personal statement is essential because it is what makes or breaks your application. This is because admission tutors are keen to welcome candidates who are genuinely passionate about and dedicated to the profession. 

What makes a good personal statement?

An excellent personal statement uses evidence. Support all your claims. It would be best if you remembered that the admission tutors already know you are trying to convince them that you are a suitable match, as are all the contenders. Sure, you can go on and on about how willing you are to learn, but it would be more effective if you backed such claims with real-life examples. 

Please use a personal statement writer service to get professional custom help in writing a good pharmacy personal statement. As a matter of fact, CustomWritings is considered to be one of the most reliable services on the market currently.

Common mistakes to avoid

It is important to remember that the perfect pharmacy personal statement does not have to follow a specific format. Remember that the admission tutors will only review your pharmacy statement for 10-30 minutes, no matter how much time you spend on it. This is not to say that you should rush through it but focus on capturing and maintaining the tutors’ interests. The tutors will review your statement from different angles, meaning you cannot afford to leave room for misinterpretation. 

Please resist the urge to follow a predetermined formula you acquired online or from your friends, regardless of how they scored on it. You may easily be tempted to borrow ideas from successful pharmacy students, but this will compromise your authenticity. The admissions tutors have likely seen numerous personal statements so do not embarrass yourself by submitting a copied statement. Besides, you want to show how passionate you are about pharmacy, don’t you?

Read Also: How to Become a Chemistry Problem Solver

What to include in your statement 

• Pick a specific pharmacy area you are most interested in and explain why you are interested in that area. Show that you are passionate about that subject (it helps if you are passionate about the area you choose to write about). 
• Highlight your motivations for studying pharmacy. When did you realize you wanted to pursue pharmacy? Why? Are you able to support this with evidence from your life?
• Describe your hobbies and extracurricular activities (especially if they are related to pharmacy). The goal is to highlight the skills you have gained from these activities and how they will benefit you in your studies as a pharmacist. 
• Include any work experience placements in related fields such as nursing or medicine. Talk about what you learned from these experiences. 
• Talk about your traits and qualities that you feel make you a good pharmacy student. 
• Please demonstrate that you are a good reader by talking about recent related reads and how they have shaped your thinking. Feel free to respectfully share any views and opinions, always remembering to support them with solid evidence. 

How to Write a Good Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Below are a few tips to make sure your statement makes your application stand out and increase your chances of getting accepted into your program of choice:

1. Preparation

Preparation is key. Start early so that you do not end up rushing and producing a mediocre statement. Start planning early as you don’t want to be pressed for time.

2. Proper grammar

Use proper grammar and punctuation. Poor grammar makes for a wrong first impression. Polish your basics on grammar and avoid submitting a statement riddled with error.

3. Proper structure

Structure your statement correctly. Ensure the first statement captures your reader’s attention and then has a few supporting paragraphs. You have a tiny window of grabbing your reader’s attention, so use it wisely. Finally, have a conclusion that ties it all together. 

4. Connect with your reader

Connect with your reader, even if it means sharing a few personal stories. The goal here is to make sure you communicate who you are. A personal statement is a monologue to the admission committee, and if they can connect with you, they will like you.

Show the admission tutors that you are aware of the challenges that await you and that you are committed regardless. Talk about how rewarding you think this path will be for you, your family, your community, your patients, and the pharmacy practice itself. 

5. Include only Pharmacy relevant achievements

If you have lofty achievements outside the pharmaceutical field, do not include them in your statement. Include only pharmacy-related experiences.

6. Avoid plagiarism

Committee members can always see through plagiarized works, so avoid this at all costs. This will only destroy your credibility in the field.

7. Avoid controversial topics

The personal statement is not a discussion ground for questionable topics. Do not alleviate issues that disagree with the overall subject in question.

8. Proofread your work

Sometimes people miss tiny mistakes by not proofreading their work. Have friends and family check your work and act on the comments. Inadequate proofreading can be catastrophic, so ensure you correctly use your language before sending the statement to the admission committee.

As now you are well acquainted with the components of writing an impeccable pharmacy personal statement , you should have no trouble in getting admitted into Pharmacy school. Pharmacy school is about honor and prestige, and you need the best of luck in this noble endeavor.

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Why is it so important?

Why consider the target audience, how to write the best admission essay for a pharmacy school, the role of an introductory section, why use attention grabbers, your self-reflection, get a second opinion, how to impress your admission officer, dos and don’ts of creating the best pharmacy personal statement, what is a key secret, check compatibility, pharmacy personal statements examples, sample of pharmacy school personal statement – describing the development of student’s interests from the beginning of school, explaining my interest in pharmacy and how i am fit for this college – one of the most popular pharmacy school personal statement topics, my critical view on the current state of the pharmacy science – an alternative pharmacy school essay example., final words.

Writing essays can be difficult for some students. Creating an impressive pharmacy personal statement is a challenge. It’s hard for many people to do the following:

• Come up with an interesting subject;
• Organize important information;
• Make reasonable personal statement conclusions ;
• Grab readers’ interest;
• Reflect related skills or a life experience.

Realize the role it plays in the future career of pharmacists and take your pharmacy school personal statement very seriously. There are many people who want to pursue this career. Most of them have high test scores, good grades, personal achievements, and other strong sides, but only a few of them capture the attention of admission officers.

Use your pharmacy personal statement as a chance to succeed. It should present your personality to the committee. Make sure that it turns uninteresting information, such as awards, grades, courses, and test scores into prominent traits of your individuality. Your personal essay for a pharmacy school should highlight not only your academic accomplishments but also show you as an asset to its community. It makes your application noticeable.

Pay close attention to your target audience because you submit a personal statement to study pharmacy to admission officers who will read and evaluate it. They spend only a few minutes of each application. That’s why your paper should stand out. They analyze not only personal statements, but they also check science GPAs, research projects, letters of recommendation, transcripts, etc. Officers search for candidates with these basic traits:

• Strong analytical skills ;
• Critical thinking;
• High intellect;
• The ability to learn fast;
• Suitable personality for helping people.

Your pharmacy application should leave a lasting impression.

How to write a good personal statement  to the chosen pharmacy school? The answer is simple - make sure that:

• It contains a catchy introductory paragraph;
• You use a strong opener;
• It includes a lot of self-reflection;
• You get a second opinion.

The introduction plays a decisive role because it can either grab readers’ interest or ruin your application success. Write it when the main body is ready. This paragraph serves many important functions, such as providing the audience with a short plan of what you will tell them further.

Use catchy attention grabbers in your opening lines or sentences to add more color to your paper without overdoing with intrigue. Opt for neutral starters if you share a really meaningful experience.

The best application to a pharmacy school involves a lot of self-reflection, sincerity, and honesty to make it easier for readers to relate to it. You may find it hard to share your life experiences and feelings, but it’s something you need to do to stand out. Don’t go overboard.

Ask other people (your friends or family) to read your final draft and share their opinions. Their advice can help you transform a mediocre paper into a brilliant and winning one because they encourage you to look at it from different angles. Otherwise, you may revise your essay many times in vain.

"Before I answer this I’d like to state upfront that there are three hurdles that applicants must clear to gain admission to the top colleges. So bear in mind that you can’t focus on just one quality for your candidacy at the expense of others. This said, most admissions officers to whom we have spoken agree that demonstrating fit is the one quality that most impresses them when reviewing applications. This means showing the school that you understand what makes it unique as well as what you have to offer and, consequently, why you sincerely want to attend that school. Far too many applicants view the admissions game as purely numeric. Smart applicants realize they need to put 100% of their best effort into each stretch school they target. Consequently, they understand why it is better to apply to 10 schools with each application reflecting 100% of their best effort than to get stretched too thin and apply to 20 schools with each application only reflecting 50% of their best effort. So, in conclusion, be sure to spend the time to demonstrate a strong fit with each stretch application you submit. Quality will triumph quantity every time." By admission consultant David Petersam.

If you lack enough experience in this field, look at dos and don’ts because they will guide you in the right direction. What should you do?

• Start early to set aside enough time to complete all stages;
• Keep the target audience in mind;
• Use a correct structure;
• Organize all ideas to keep readers’ interest;
• Use proper punctuation , grammar, and tone;
• Mention future goals;
• Reveal your true personality;
• Edit and proofread a final draft a few times.

What are the things that can ruin your admissions essay?

• Repeating the same ideas (they make your application to a pharmacy school boring and weak);
• Including a tangential discussion;
• Being in a hurry;
• Exceeding a word count;
• Making excuses;
• Using redundancies and fillers;
• Expressing your viewpoints on controversial topics;
• Underestimating the chosen profession;
• Making your pharmacy school statement too emotional or personal;
• Listing irrelevant achievements.

Take into account the basic criteria that define the overall success of your pharmacy school application:

• Appropriateness;
• Time management.

The key secret of writing a successful application is to convince admission officers in your interest and dedication to the chosen specialization. How can you do that? Tell them about the impulse that led to this decision. Explain your desire to pursue a pharmacy career path clearly to let the committee understand your reasoning and logic behind it.

Know why you want to prosper in this profession. Give the answers to some basic questions to determine the following:

• What attracts you in this field?
• Why did you choose pharmacy?
• What does a pharmacist do?
• What inspires you to study hard?
• The life event that spurred you to choose this career.
• How you differ from other applicants?

Helping people was my passion beginning from studying in elementary school. At first, it was mostly assisting my parents and neighbors but later I began reading the special literature and even developed a specific interest in chemistry and microbiology books (as well as related free online content on related Web resources). This was a powerful motivation for me to achieve higher grades during my studies because of understanding of the necessity to enter a higher education institution afterward. After graduating from high school I had to choose between medical sciences and pharmacy services fields and finally decided to stay with the latter.

Applying to this college means a lot to me. I believe that after studying here I can obtain the most valuable knowledge and support to pursue my career in the area of my interest and also to bring some real value and positive results to the society which generally summarizes my ISAT personal statement on this decisive day. Pharmacy terminology is like a special language which I have started to learn and hope to master completely quite soon.

Looking for dental school personal statement  or personal statement for residency ? Browse our library, you will find everything there with ease.

Chemistry and biology were my favorite subjects during the whole process of studying, particularly because some of my relatives have been working in these spheres. There were a lot of specialized books (not only in the English language) on related subjects at my home so as a passionate reader I have explored all of them early enough, during my free time. Eventually, it led me to building solid plans of continuing my learning in a pharmacy college, improve my medical skills and obtain great experience.

After graduating from my high school with a diploma with honors, I feel prepared to enter this college and to successfully obtain a degree which will allow me to proceed to higher levels of scientific research and reach the maximum of content because of this knowledge. My skills include all basic kinds of chemistry operations, basic knowledge about microbiology, familiarity with most widespread kinds of germs and medicine (antibiotics and others), first aid services, vitamins and their influence on children and adults, volunteering, etc. In this letter of intent, I would like to express my hopes and dreams which might come true as a result of this application day.

Unlike many people I know, I’ve never regarded science as something far away from daily life, especially pharmacy and chemistry which are so much involved into everyone’s existence. Observing tangible effects of work, bringing support to the society and helping out people that are close to me – these are the main factors motivating me to proceed with professional studying in the U.S. or international pharmacy field. This is the first of my personal statements for this college and I am happy for this opportunity to be free to speak up.

Apart of basic chemistry and biology knowledge received in the process of my general learning and additional online training, I have read a lot of specific research works and eventually became familiarized very well with the history of pharmacology theory and practice in the U.S and Canada beginning from the late 19th century up to the modern day, particularly with problems and challenges which have been noticed lately in this sphere ( antibiotics overuse is one of the brightest examples). My dream is to play a notable part in dealing with those challenges and making certain contribution to the development of better results of medicine services for everyone!

Your admission essay is a great chance to show who you really are and focus on your positive traits. What if you can’t write it yourself? Get expert help not to compromise your academic future. Hire professional personal statement writers to do this job and let them help you succeed and submit an impressive application and cool personal statements that support you with ease.

If you are applying for a nursing degree at university, then you should attach a personal statement to your application and take care of its stellar content. Being one of the most important selling points in your bachelor degree application, your nursing personal statement should demonstrate that yo...

Some students think that the residency personal statement (RPS) is the same as the graduate essay, but it’s not quite right. Personal statement residency is one of the great ways to share your character and abilities and plans for your career as a physician. One of its goals is for applicants to add...

If you want to become a law school student, you don’t have any chance to explain to the committee why you’re a perfect fit, except for your application. Look for legal examples to get the academic consulting necessary to submit a successful law school personal statement and succeed at the interview....

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Pharmcas application: what you need to know.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 4/12/24

Your PharmCAS application can seem overwhelming at first glance. To ease some of your angst and make the process as simple as possible, in this guide, we will go over how to fill out this application, its deadlines, costs, and more!

The number of pharmacists has steadily increased over the years. Within the last decade alone, there was an increase of almost 100,000 pharmacists in the US . As a high-paying , lucrative, and rewarding career, it’s no surprise this profession is gaining popularity, and you’re considering joining it yourself!

But before filling those prescriptions and providing medical advice to your patients, you must attend pharmacy school. To do so, you must complete the application, which we’ll discuss in this guide.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

What Is PharmCAS?

PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) is a centralized application service used to apply to multiple Doctor of Pharmacy programs offered by schools and colleges of pharmacy. It simplifies the process with a cohesive application that includes all necessary materials.

Many professional schools use application portals such as AMCAS , VMCAS, and CASPA to simplify the application process. PharmCAS serves the same function, except it is used exclusively for students applying to pharmacy schools.

How the PharmCAS Application Works

Students complete just one application, which is sent out to all pharmacy schools they wish to apply to, regardless of how many. While hitting submit and having your applications sent out to all of your desired schools is simple, completing the application itself is not.

How To Fill Out Your PharmCAS Application

Let’s break down the PharmCAS application so you know what to expect as you prepare to begin the application process:

Step One: Set Up Your PharmCAS Account

The first part of your pharmacy application involves you creating your PharmCAS account. Pick a username and password and enter your correct contact information, which will be relayed to the schools you apply to.

Step Two: Choose Your Programs

Before you begin your application, you should list the programs you plan on applying to. Several months in advance, research the pharmacy programs that fit your needs. Consider tuition costs , location, faculty, facilities, and the opportunities at each school.

While you can add or delete any programs throughout the application, once you have submitted them, you cannot change your selection.

Step Three: Fill In Your Personal Information

Once you’re satisfied with your program selection, you’ll be asked to share your personal information, including your:

• Biographic information
• Contact information
• Citizenship information
• Parent/guardian information
• Race and ethnicity
• Other information, such as your language proficiency and economic, educational, and environmental background
• Military history

There is also a section that allows you to share how COVID-19 impacted your path to becoming a pharmacist. If you had limited academic opportunities due to the pandemic, your admission officers can consider this as they review your application.

Step Four: Report Your Academic History

Reporting your academic history is likely the most tedious part of the PharmCAS application. You must ask any colleges you attended for official transcripts that you can submit to PharmCAS.

Using these transcripts, you must list all the coursework you pursued in college, including those you withdrew from, failed, or repeated. For assistance with this application component, you may use PharmCAS’ Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service for a fee. 

If applicable, you will also be asked to submit your standardized test scores. Many schools no longer require the PCAT as part of the application process, but if you want to share your score, you can do so here.

Step Five: Request Evaluations

Students must request up to four evaluations by professors or other mentors through the PharmCAS application. While you do not have to submit four, you should base the number of evaluations you request on your programs’ requirements.

These evaluations will have two parts: questions and ratings and a letter of reference. Both parts must be submitted through PharmCAS’ evaluator portal, Letters by Liaison. Ensure you contact your evaluators in advance so they are prepared to submit your evaluations and you know their preferred email addresses. 

Step Six: Share Your Experiences

You’ve worked tirelessly throughout college to build the best pharmacy school application, and your programs want to hear about it! This section allows you to share all the activities and experiences you pursued to prepare for your career. 

List all relevant experiences and categorize them as one of the following:

• Pharmacy experience : in a pharmacy or pharmacy-related field, such as shadowing a pharmacist or working as a pharmacy technician
• Healthcare experience : paid or unpaid experience where you were directly responsible for patient care
• Employment : volunteer or paid work done outside of the healthcare or pharmacy field or a research lab
• Extracurriculars : any related, unpaid experiences you would like your programs to know about, including school clubs or sports

Along with listing your experiences, you will be asked to share information about your supervisor and the organizations you worked with.

Step Seven: List Your Achievements

Next, you’ll be asked to list your professional and academic achievements into one of the following types:

• Publications
• Scholarships

Once you submit your application, you cannot remove or edit your achievements, but you can add more if needed. You can also list professional licenses or certifications you have.

Step Eight: Write a Personal Statement

The final step of your PharmCAS application will be to submit a personal statement. This statement 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. Your essay should be around one page long, with a 4,500-character limit.

PharmCAS Application Deadlines

The final application deadline is May 1 . Applications open in mid-July. You should review your programs’ priority and enforced deadlines to determine when to submit your application. In general, these are the preferred deadlines of most pharmacy schools:

• October 2, 2024
• November 1, 2024
• December 1, 2024 
• January 4, 2025 
• February 1, 2025
• March 1, 2025 
• April 1, 2025 
• May 1, 2025

Similarly, these are the final deadlines for most pharmacy schools:

• November 1, 2024 
• February 1, 2025 
• May 1, 2025 
• June 3, 2025  

See which deadlines correspond with your preferred schools and ensure you meet them! To avoid any delays, students should apply by the priority deadline or at least two weeks before their final deadline.

PharmCAS Application Cost

The application costs $175 for the first program and an extra $55 for each additional program you apply to. If you plan on using the PTE service, the cost for this depends on how many transcripts you need assistance reporting:

• One to three transcripts: $69
• Four to six transcripts: $95
• Seven or more transcripts: $145

Students may be eligible for a fee waiver if they are financially disadvantaged. These are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and must be requested before you submit your application.

Still, have inquiries about the pharmacy application process? We’ve got you covered! Below you’ll find the answers to frequently asked questions about this application. 

1. How Long Does It Take for PharmCAS To Verify an Application?

It can take up to 10 business days for your application to move to the verified status, granted there are no issues with your application.

2. How Do I Submit My PharmCAS Application?

Once you’ve made your PharmCAS account, your entire application will be completed through this portal. You will be prompted to enter the personal information required by your programs,  academic history, evaluation requests, experiences, achievements, and personal statement. 

Once satisfied with these components, hit submit, pay your fees, and you’re good to go!

3. How Do I Find My Old PharmCAS Application?

You can find your old application by logging into the account used for this application and clicking “Reapplication.” Then you can review your previous application and decide whether to copy the data or start fresh.

Final Thoughts

While the PharmCAS application process can be time-consuming and require considerable effort, it is essential to your pharmacy school journey. Once you’ve completed it, you’ll be one step closer to actualizing your dream of becoming a pharmacist and joining this growing profession!

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The Importance of Writing a Great Pharmacy Personal Statement

To become a pharmacist anywhere in the UK, you’ll need to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and have, at minimum, a master’s degree from an accredited university. This requires you to enter into a graduate-level programme for pharmacology. When applying to these types of programmes, it’s very important that you have a strong pharmacy personal statement.

When it comes to applying to a pharmacy programme at the graduate level, there are many requirements to meet. Many of these come in the form of prerequisites you need before you can be considered for grad school.

Pharmacy Programme Prerequisites

The  common prerequisites  for applying to university for pharmacology mostly involve classes you should’ve taken before applying to the programme. These classes include three (3) A-levels in the following subjects:

• and various Maths

You must receive a grade of B or higher in each of these for it to meet the prerequisite.

You must also take five (5) General Certificates of Secondary Education, otherwise known as GCSEs, in the following subjects:

• Various Maths
• English/Language

For these courses, you must have received a grade of C or higher.

There are a few alternate routes you can take if you don’t meet the above listed prerequisites. These include having a foundational degree in the field of pharmacy, having an HNC, HND or BTEC with a science focus, having earned the equivalent qualifications at an Irish or Scottish university and a few others. Having work or internship experience with a pharmacist also helps.

Depending on the particular Uni you plan on attending, you may have some additional institutional requirements. These will be listed on the university’s website and/or in the admissions packet for the school.

Steps to Obtaining Admission

Once you’ve covered all your prerequisite courses, it’s time to start the actual process of admissions. Do your research first; find the best Uni for you and check the website to see what types of admissions requirements they have in place. Some universities require you to take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) and earn a certain score before they’ll consider you for admission.

If you’ve not already taken the PCAT, though, check the admissions requirements for your particular Uni to see if you need to do so. Several universities across the country are eliminating the PCAT requirement, and there’s no reason to take it if it isn’t a requirement for your specific school. The next step is to fill out and submit an application to the school.

Applications require a lot of personal information, including your name, contact information, educational history, professional resume, personal and professional references, and a pharmacy personal statement, which is one of the most important parts of the application packet. Some universities require you to pay a fee or provide them with a fee waiver when submitting your application.

After you’ve submitted your application, it’ll be reviewed by the university’s admissions team. At this point, they may call you in for  an interview . After that, you should be ready to enter the pharmacy programme.

But how do you make sure you get to the interview stage? Aside from having good grades and an impressive personal resume, writing an exceptional and memorable pharmacy personal statement is the best way to make sure you’re called in for that final step.

What is a Pharmacy Personal Statement?

A pharmacy personal statement is a personal essay you write about yourself. Many unis will give you a specific prompt to help guide your writing. For those few that don’t, there are  several things you’ll want to include , such as why you want to pursue pharmacology, what about that particular university’s programme appeals to you, any achievements or awards you’ve received, any relevant internship or work experience and why you’d make a good candidate.

There are also  attributes about yourself  you’ll want to mention in your personal statement. These are things you can’t simply write out in sentences. Instead, you’ll want to discuss relevant topics and tell personal stories that show that you have these qualities without you directly saying, “ I work well with others and have good communication skills. “

These important attributes include, but aren’t limited to:

• Excellent people skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Honesty and integrity
• Good communication skills
• The ability to work on a team
• Leadership skills
• Strong organisational skills
• Highly motivated to succeed
• A strong sense of responsibility and professionalism

All of these qualities make you a good candidate for a pharmacy programme. The more of these you can show you have, the more likely you’ll be called for an interview.

What is a Prompt, and Why Should You Follow It?

If your specific university provides you with a prompt, they’re simply giving you a question to help focus what you write about in your personal statement. There are several different prompts unis use, and we’ll discuss some of the most common of those later.

No matter what the prompt is, it’s important you answer it completely. Most universities use prompts relative to your interest in pharmacology, your educational history, or attributes that would make you a good candidate for their programme. There will occasionally be a prompt that surprises you though. In those cases, still, answer the prompt.

Be as honest and as thorough as you can, and remember, even if the prompt is something strange or unusual, there are usually still ways to work in stories that show you in your best light. You may just have to be a little more creative.

Below, you’ll find a few of the most common prompts for writing your pharmacy personal statement on your admissions applications.

Pharmacy Personal Statement Prompts

Prompt 1: tell us about yourself (kings university london).

Many universities use a very vague prompt that just instructs you to talk about yourself. As Kingston University London puts it, “You are the main topic of this essay.”

This is a great, easy prompt to get. Don’t be afraid to be honest and really talk yourself up in this kind of statement.

For this particular prompt, you’ll want to cover everything we mentioned above, particularly why you’re interested in pursuing a career in Pharmacy, what education you’ve had that qualifies you for the programme, any relevant work or leadership experience that would make you a good candidate and anything that showcases the attributes we listed above.

Again, be honest and as thorough as possible. Remember, the goal of this statement is to make you memorable and desirable. As a result, talking about all the great accomplishments or achievements you have isn’t bragging or boasting. It’s what’s required if you want to stand out from the other applicants.

Prompt 2: Demonstrate your commitment to pursuing a career in Pharmacy, and tell us why you’re better suited to the programme than other applicants (King’s College London).

This prompt is quite similar to the above “Tell us about yourself” prompt. In it, you’ll cover much of the same things, especially when you start talking about why you should be chosen for the programme over other applicants.

Just remember that there’s a direct question about why you want to work in pharmacology. Because it’s being asked directly, you want to spend a bit of time giving a complete answer. You can talk about why you became interested in pharmaceuticals in the first place. Was there a specific event in your childhood that inspired you to want to help take care of sick people? Have you had a strong love of chemistry for as long as you can remember? What inspired you to choose this field over all the over available career fields?

This prompt also allows you to talk about your career goals. What do you want to do with your MPharm once you get it? How is this degree going to help you in those goals, and how are you going to use your skills and your degree to make the world better once you do get a job? It would also benefit you to talk about the classes you’ve already taken and the work you’ve already done to work towards your goals.

Prompt 3: What benefits do you expect to gain from admission into our programme? (Cardiff University)

For this prompt, you can still talk a little about why you chose pharmacology and what you hope to do with your degree once you’ve earned it. More importantly, though, you’ll want to answer the actual question the prompt asks. What are you hoping to gain from this particular programme that sets it apart from all the other pharmacy programmes you could have chosen instead?

Talk about specific courses or labs for which this programme is well-known. This is a great way to showcase that you’ve done your research and really looked into what this university has to offer. By highlighting particular aspects of the programme, you prove to the admissions team you didn’t just pick this university on a whim or because it was the closest one to your flat. Instead, you did some reading and compared the programme to those at other schools and decided this one was the best fit for you because…  You fill in the blanks!

Proving to a school that you know something about the school and that you hope to gain the actual knowledge and skills they’re famous for providing to students is a huge point in your favour. This specific prompt allows you to do that.

Prompt 4: Tell us about any work experience, internships, leadership positions you’ve held or outside activities that would support your application for admission (The University of Manchester).

This prompt is another one that’s similar to the “ Tell us about yourself ” prompt. In answering this prompt, you’ll be able to talk about yourself, your history, your past accomplishments, your interest in pharmacy, and more. You’ll want to put your largest focus, though, on the actual work you’ve done to prepare you for entrance into this programme.

This could include any of the following:

• Working in an actual pharmacy or closely related field
• Internships, volunteer experience or other placements within a pharmacy or related field
• Any work experience you’ve had where you were part of a team or, even better, the leader of a team
• Educational experience that would prepare you for the programme
• Any honours you’ve received that show you to be exceptional in any relevant field

These are only a few examples of things you could discuss in response to this prompt.

Standard Pharmacy Personal Statement Format

No matter the specific prompt you’re given, there’s a general format you’ll use for most personal statements. Occasionally, a university will provide you with specific formatting instructions. If they do, you always want to follow those instructions exactly. If you aren’t provided with instructions, this is the general format preferred for most UK unis and their US counterparts for essays and/or personal statements:

• MLA formatting guidelines
• One-inch margins on each side of the page
• (For the UK) Any professional font as long as the italics are noticeably different – most students use Times New Roman, Arial or Courier
• (For the US) Times New Roman or Arial font
• Font size – 12 pt.
• Double-space, but add no extra lines between paragraphs
• Indent the first line of each paragraph

Additionally, you’ll use the standard Intro-Body-Conclusion format that most MLA essays utilise.

Step 1. Introduction

Depending on the specific prompts people are given, each introductory paragraph will be a little different for each student. Generally, though, this is where you’ll introduce yourself and talk a little about why you’re interested in studying pharmacology in general and why you’re interested in studying at that university specifically. You’ll also want to catch the reader’s attention immediately, in the opening line if possible, but without using gimmicks or something overly dramatic.

According to a how-to guide on the  Birmingham City University website , “The most effective opening sentences are simple, to the point and personal to you.”

You’ll also want to  avoid writing in cliches  or using overused phrasing that everyone else uses. Be original. Be specific. Really help the admissions team understand your drive and passion for pharmacology.

Step 2. Body Paragraphs

Your body paragraphs are where you’ll put the majority of your information. These are the paragraphs where you’ll really dive into answering the question(s) the prompt asks. Unless you’re asked to write an abbreviated personal statement of just a couple hundred words, you should never have less than two body paragraphs, and it’s better to have between three and six.

You want to be comprehensive in your writing; include everything the admissions team might need to hear to sway them in your favour. This generally takes more than a couple of short paragraphs. Remember to indent the first line of each paragraph, and make sure they’re written in an order that makes sense. Don’t jump around from paragraph to paragraph. Make sure each transitions smoothly into the other.

Step 3. Conclusion

In the conclusion of your pharmacy personal statement, you’ll want to bring your entire essay to a smooth, sensible close. Don’t use your conclusion to restate everything you’ve already written. Instead, use it as a place to briefly touch on how entrance into the programme will help you succeed in your future goals.

Also, if it feels appropriate and doesn’t detract from the overall feel of your personal statement, take the time to thank the admissions team for reading it and considering you for application into their school’s pharmacy programme. Be aware that this isn’t always appropriate. If, after adding in the thank you, it seems forced or like it was written just to add more words to an essay that was a little too short, take it out.

Examples of Pharmacy Personal Statements

Example personal statement 1.

“I have gained valuable knowledge studying Chemistry, Biology and Maths which will be beneficial for the Pharmacy course. In Chemistry, I have done a series of experiments which require analytical and evaluative skills such as accurate reading when using burettes. I find the organic Chemistry module rather interesting as I enjoy studying the different reactions of aldehydes and ketones and how these reactions and organic products differ due to the different functional groups present in each compound. Another aspect of chemistry I enjoy is the purification of organic compounds.”

– Read the rest  here

This is the second paragraph of a pharmacy personal statement, and it’s a great example of how to answer a prompt that wants you to discuss any relevant experience you’ve had that could help you in the programme.

This student mentions many of the different science and mathematics courses she’s taken in pursuit of her pharmacy degree, but she doesn’t just list them. She goes into great detail about some of the things she’s done in those classes.

This is excellent for a few reasons. First of all, it’s evident in her writing that she greatly enjoyed the classes she took. This shows that she has a passion for the work she’ll have to do to obtain her MPharm. Universities much prefer to have students on campus who are truly invested in and enjoying the work they’re doing.

Additionally, she uses specific terms – “ketones,” “burettes,” “aldehydes” and more – which shows she has actual knowledge and understanding of the field. We can tell that she’s a knowledgeable, hard-working student who has, thus far, retained the information she learned in her undergraduate courses. Everything about this personal statement was done well.

Our Verdict:

Example Personal Statement 2

“I am interested in the Masters of Pharmacy (MPharm) Programme because I am interested in the modules on which it is based. I want to do the MPharm programme so as to extend my knowledge in Medicines. I would like to get a deeper understanding of how to formulate and administer drugs safely.

I would qualify for the Mpharm programme because I have recently completed BSc in pharmaceutical Science which has given me good understanding of how drugs work. The modules I have undertaken In my BSc Pharmaceutical Science will help me navigate successfully in the MPharm programme.”

This personal statement is a little less impressive than the first one. First of all, there’s not really an opening line. When writing a pharmacy personal statement – or a personal statement of any kind, for that matter – you want to have a nice first sentence that breaks the ice and starts the statement off in a fluid manner. This student just jumps right in and answers the question being asked. There’s no lead-in, no story being told.

The grammar in this particular sample isn’t great either. There are randomly capitalised words (“undertaken In my BSc”) and missing words (“given me good understanding”) and a few other problems that could have been addressed by good editing. This is a testament to why you should always  proofread and edit  your papers before submitting them. It’s even better to give them to a new set of eyes to edit for you if possible.

The two most bothersome things about this sample, though, is that it’s vague, and the sentences are choppy. The student mentions things he’s done (“ recently completed BSc in pharmaceutical Science “) and why he wants to be in the programme (“ because I am interested in the modules on which it is based “), but he gives absolutely no specifics.

He doesn’t talk about anything he learned in his BSc courses that furthered his love of pharmacology, and while he says he’s interested in the programme’s modules, he doesn’t mention a single specific module or why it interests him. We’re just given the bare minimum with no detail – the burger without the cheese and veggies. It’s boring.

Finally, his sentences are horribly choppy. With the exception of one single sentence, each of his sentences starts with the word “I” – “I am,” “I want,” “I would.” There is no variation at all to his writing. It’s boring and makes the reader lose interest. You’ll want to change up the flow and style of your sentences regularly. It adds a little flair and makes your personal statement less monotonous.

Example Personal Statement 3

“Pharmacy has the ability to change people’s lives. Whether it is at the level of the community pharmacist offering the best advice possible to common illnesses, to high-level research into drugs that could cure a range of chronic or life-threatening diseases, the role of the pharmacist cannot be overestimated. As a motivated and hardworking individual, with a desire to understand the fascinating human body along with a joy of helping other people, I strongly believe that studying pharmacy will give me one of the final and most important step towards a rewarding career in the developing field of pharmacy.”

This is another stellar example of what a pharmacy personal statement should be. The writer begins strong with a unique and memorable opening sentence. He tells us, right from the first sentence, one of the reasons he wants to work in the field of pharmacology, but he does so without monotonously and obviously saying, “ I want to be a pharmacist because I think pharmacy can change people lives .” Instead, he simply and concisely says, “ Pharmacy has the ability to change people’s lives. “

It’s a great opening line, and it gives us insight into his reasons for going into the pharmacy field as well. He follows that up with a sentence that shows he’s knowledgeable about different career opportunities in the field of pharmacology.

Then he smoothly transitions into why he, himself, would do well in this field. He tells us he’s hardworking and motivated, but he does so in a way that doesn’t just state those facts outright without context.

He then once again tells us about his interest in the field and also shows us he is someone who enjoys working with and helping others. Finally, he sums up his introduction by leading into what he hopes to gain from the programme.

Although the next paragraph isn’t listed here, it, too, is a smooth transition into the educational and work experiences he’s had that prepared him to do well in the programme. Everything about this personal statement is well-organised, with each paragraph flowing smoothly into the next, and the whole thing covering everything that should be covered in a personal statement.

Example Personal Statement 4

“I am interested in studying chemistry and biology because I would like a career that plays crucial role in public’s health.

I was previously working as a retail assistant and the experience has led me to deal and understand different kind of people. I learnt to keep myself calm, whilst working under pressure environments.

This job has also taught me to work in a fast-paced environment to meet the customer`s demands. This skill will be useful to meet the deadlines while doing my course and working as a pharmacist will enable me to provide good customer services.”

This personal statement is another example of  what not to do  when writing your own statement for admission into the pharmacy programme.

First of all, the introduction paragraph, shown here in its entirety, is much too short. You have to be an excellent writer to turn one sentence into a paragraph and make it work, and this writer didn’t do that. Your introduction should never be only one sentence. It needs to be fleshed out and thoroughly written. There are some glaring grammatical errors as well.

The next problem with this statement is that the work experience the student writes about isn’t really relevant to the programme she’s trying to enter into. She does an admirable job of trying to make it relevant, by talking about how it helped her learn to work with a multitude of different people and taught her to work quickly, but it doesn’t really work.

Most unis want to know that you have relevant work experience. If you don’t, it’s better to mention placement experiences or internships you’ve had that are relevant as opposed to irrelevant work experience. Even if you only worked in a pharmacy for a day as part of a class project, that’s okay. You can learn a lot in a day, and you can make that work in your writing.

Unless you’re really good at making non-relevant experience seem like it has actual relevance to the programme, it’s better to leave it out altogether. That’s not to say you can’t mention having retail or fast food experience, but you have to make sure that you meticulously explain how that experience is relevant to the pharmacology field.

Example Personal Statement 5

“The enthusiasm I have for the sciences – specifically Chemistry – encouraged me to think about my future career and how a chemistry-related degree could be a possibility for me. I have always enjoyed maths and science throughout my education and I have recognised that I can combine both in a career in pharmacy. I believe pharmacy to be a fast-developing profession and recognise that pharmacists are heavily involved in the introduction of new medicines for all kinds of illnesses, and I find the prospect of working in this field inspiring.”

While this isn’t the best example of a personal statement, it’s far from being the worst. This is considered an average statement. The writer does a good job hitting all the points he should cover in his introduction – why he became interested in the field of pharmacy, a basic knowledge of the job description of a pharmacist and why he wants to work in the field in the future – but doesn’t do it in a way that’s incredibly memorable.

It isn’t the strongest introduction paragraph to a personal statement, but at the same time, it’s fair; it isn’t bad. It’s well-organised; the grammar is mostly as it should be, and the subject of why he wants to enter the programme is well covered. It doesn’t grab our attention and make us want to read more though. In short, this is an introductory paragraph that could go either way.

Although not shown here, the rest of this statement turned out pretty good. The writer found his flow and dived into the subject with an appropriate amount of detail, good grammar and a few memorable points. The strength of his body paragraphs and conclusion made up for his less-than-exceptional introduction, and that’s okay.

We included this sample to show that sometimes you get off to a bit of a slow start and can still finish well. It’s better to start strong, but introductions can be tough. As long as the intro isn’t bad and you make up for the average intro in your body paragraphs and conclusion, you’ll usually be okay.

A Few Final Notes

hile it’s certainly true that grades and work experience are important when applying to uni to work on your MPharm, your pharmacy personal statement is equally important. Universities get huge volumes of applications for their pharmacy programmes. They get so many applications that many of them have a “Due to the large volume of applications we receive…” disclaimer on their websites.

Your personal statement is where you can be creative and ensure your essay stands out from the rest. Be sure you check out the formatting requirements ahead of time and stick to them exactly.

Also, make sure you read the personal statement prompt well and understand it before you start writing. Finally, make sure you edit your paper several times before submitting it.

Have a friend, loved one, mentor or former professor look over it as well. Where possible, get a  reputable online personal statement review service to help ( me shamelessly plugging in our services page lol )  Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can find mistakes your own eyes can’t.

Be honest and thorough in your response to the prompt, and never try to plagiarise someone else’s work. It never works. It helps to  run a plagiarism checker  on your final draft- just to be sure!

Finally, be sure you stick to the length requirements. If the statement is supposed to be between 500 and 750 words, make sure that’s what it is. Don’t stop at 490 words and assume it will be enough, and don’t go over an extra 50 words and assume the admissions team will be okay with it. These people read a lot of personal statements; they set a maximum word count for a reason.

Most importantly, do your best, and fill your personal statement with passion. If an admissions team can tell that you’re passionate about your education and your subsequent career in pharmacy, you’ve already won half the battle.

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At UGA Pharmacy, we are committed to educating highly skilled pharmacy students in a welcoming and supportive environment. We’ve created this blog to help future Pharm.D. applicants, or anyone considering a career in pharmacy, navigate what it takes to become our newest PharmDawg!

These posts are here to guide you through pieces of the application process. Can’t find the answer or topic you’re looking for? Just send us an email at [email protected] , and we’ll be there to personally answer each of your questions.

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What to Expect in Your Interview

If selected, applicants are invited to interview for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.  These interviews are used in evaluating whether you would be a good fit for our College; it’s an opportunity for us to learn more about you as a candidate—your motivation, academic background, pharmacy experience, and leadership and involvement.  Before we offer admission, we want to ensure that you will be successful here.

But the interview is also an opportunity to figure out if the University of Georgia is a good fit for YOU!  Ask questions; do your research about the program and the institution; talk with our faculty, staff, and students.  At the end of the day, only you can answer: Is there where I want to study pharmacy for the next four years?  (We hope the answer is yes!)

As part of the interview day, you’ll interview with faculty.  Think about the interview as a conversation—it’s an opportunity for our faculty to get to know you better, and for YOU to learn more about our program and what we have to offer.

The University of Georgia offers both in-person and virtual interview options.  In-person interviews take place on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, GA.  Virtual interviews will be facilitated through Zoom.

Faculty interview

During the interview, faculty will ask you about your interest in pharmacy; they’ll want to learn more about your

motivation to pursue the profession, and about your past experiences with pharmacy.  They will explore your leadership experiences and involvement on campus and in the community.  It’s also an opportunity to evaluate your professionalism and your ability to communicate effectively.

But you’ll also have an opportunity to ask the faculty questions.  You may want to know more about the curriculum, academic opportunities, participation in research…the faculty can provide you with some great perspective on what you want to know.

What can you do to prepare?

Interviews can be daunting, especially if it is your first interview.  But there are a lot of great resources to help you prepare!

One phenomenal resource is your own university or college’s career center.  Contact the career center to speak with a career consultant or to schedule a mock interview, an activity that simulates an interview while you practice common interview questions and receive feedback.  For UGA students, check out the UGA Career Center . NOTE: If you are a UGA student, you also have access to Big Interview , an interactive AI-enabled tool that provides you with hands-on practice experience with interviewing.

And if you’re not comfortable with any of those options, try practicing some standard interview questions.  This sounds silly, but you can even ask your friends to help you (or you can even practice in front of a mirror)!

Interactions with students

Our student ambassadors are very important in our interview process.  We know that our candidates want to know more about our program, and what better way than to speak to current PharmD students?  We have set aside time in the interview day schedule so can chat with the ambassadors and get the inside scoop on student life at UGA, which courses are their favorites, and how they become involved in professional organizations.

Our student ambassadors also provide all candidates for our in-person interviews with a tour of the College of Pharmacy buildings, so you can get a feel for the classrooms, laboratories, and learning spaces.  For our virtual interviews, we provide a virtual tour video of our campus facilities.

The rest of the interview day

Each candidate will submit a writing sample during the interview process.  We provide you the prompt and you have 20 minutes to write your response.  This is an opportunity for us to evaluate your writing and communication skills (without the benefit of spellcheck!).

And for our in-person interviews, we have one more activity: compounding!  All our in-person attendees participate in a compounding exercise, led by one of our faculty members.  At the end, you get to take home your final product!

By: Danielle Vitale, Ph.D.

Preparing Your Application

The UGA College of Pharmacy requires two applications as part of the admissions process: the  PharmCAS  application a nd the  UGA Supplemental application .  These applications typically open mid-July.   

APPLY EARLY!  It is best to submit your application as early as possible.   The UGA College of Pharm acy has a priority deadline of December 1, 2021.  Applicants who have fully submitted their applications by this date will have priority consideration for 2+2 campus selection and scholarships as well as receive an application fee waiver.  Remember, we admit students on a rolling basis, and it might be possible to fill all  our seats before the final application deadline in May 2022!  

Before you start to fill out your  PharmCAS  and UGA Supplemental applications, gather  all of  your relevant material, including your college transcripts (from each institution you attended), your AP or IP scores, your PCAT scores (if applicable), and even a resume or CV with your work and leadership experience.  It is helpful to have all of this gathered before you fill out the  application,  so you don’t have to hunt it down later.   

After you have thoroughly filled out the  PharmCAS  application, review your work.  Proofread your application before you hit submit, especially for the written components like the personal statement.  Sometimes, it helps to read it out loud so you can catch spelling and grammar mistakes.  You could even have a friend or mentor proofread it.  Make sure to use the  PharmCAS Checklist  to ensure you’ve completed all the steps of the application process.  

And don’t forget to fill out the  UGA Supplemental Application  as well!  This is a secondary application for UGA, and it required to be completed  for  your application to be considered.  

What is a Personal Statement?

Personal statements, or personal essays, are an opportunity for you to share your story, your motivation, and your professional goals. When you apply to Pharmacy school through PharmCAS, you are submitting a general, comprehensive personal statement—meaning, you are sharing the same essay to every school to which you apply.   

Within the PharmCAS application, you are given a prompt for your personal essay. You are asked to share:  

• Why you are interested in pharmacy  
• How earning a PharmD degree relates to your short and long-term professional goals  
• Your background, including personal, academic, and professional experiences—and how these will help you achieve your goals ( PharmCAS  , 2021)  

Read on for a few tips and tricks to help you write a standout personal essay for pharmacy school.  

Things to Do  

Hook the reader from the beginning. A strong opening sentence or paragraph make the reader keep reading and engages them right away. Suggestion: start off with a personal anecdote.  

Mention your skills, experiences, and motivations. But rather than rehash your entire life history, focus on a few key experiences. Opt for depth over breadth.  

When possible, make it personal. The best essays build a relationship between you and the reader. Personal details about your personal, academic, and professional experiences help to make it memorable (and therefore, stand out more to the reader!).   

Be yourself…not someone you THINK the admissions committee wants to read about. We value the unique experiences of our applicants, so we want to read about yours in your own voice.  

PROOFREAD your personal essay. Have a friend, family member, or mentor read it and give feedback. You may also consider campus resources to help strengthen your writing (for example, the  Writing Center   at UGA or your campus’ Career Center).   

Things to Avoid  

Since the PharmCAS application is a general, comprehensive personal essay, do not tailor your personal essay to a specific institution. Every institution to which you apply will have access to the same essay. (The same goes for reference letters—so make sure you tell your recommenders that!)  

Avoid cliches in your writing. This could include commonly used phrases or weak writing like “My name is….” or over-used words like “passion.”    

Do not copy another’s work or plagiarize any part of your personal essay. PharmCAS utilizes a service (iThenticate/Turnitin) to detect plagiarism or other violations of the applicant code of conduct. Plagiarism may result in an automatic denial of admission.  

Do not write too little—or too much. PharmCAS gives you about 1 page (4500 characters, including spaces) to answer the prompt. Use as much of that space as you can to fully answer the prompt.   

Leadership & Involvement

Pharmacists are leaders in the community and in healthcare, so strong candidates to the pharmacy program also have some leadership experience.  Your involvement may be through student organizations, employment, or community volunteering.   

Looking for ideas?  Why not join your school’s Pre-Pharmacy organization.  If they don’t have one yet, you can start it!  Pre-Pharmacy groups help you learn more about pharmacy school and careers, connect you to resources, and build up your professional network.  

Pharmacists are important pillars in the community in which they work, so community involvement and volunteering are also great ways to build up your experience.  Need ideas?  Find an organization that matches your interests, join a service organization on campus, volunteer with a local faith-based group, or donate your time to a health fair in the community.  

Don’t forget your work experiences, too!  Each job you’ve had has helped you gain more experience and develop more skills.  Focus on how those skills are transferrable to a career in pharmacy.    

Tips on Gaining Pharmacy Experience

There are a few ways you can get experience in pharmacy or in healthcare settings, such as working as a licensed or certified pharmacy technician, volunteering in clinics or hospitals, or shadowing a pharmacist or other healthcare worker.  Some of these opportunities might be difficult to  find, but  are so worth it!     

Another way to learn more about pharmacy is to do research about different careers pathways.  There are several resources to help you learn more about careers in pharmacy:   

• Read more about different pharmacy career paths:  APhA Career Option Profiles .   
• Determine what types of pharmacy work most suit your interests and personality with the  APhA Career Pathway Survey .    
• Pharmacy Is Right For Me  also has some great resources, such as informational videos, a career quiz, and admissions tips.   

You can also learn more about being a pharmacist directly from a pharmacist!  Conduct an  informational interview  with a pharmacist to learn more about what the job is like.  Developing this relationship with a pharmacist or healthcare worker can be beneficial in learning more about pharmacy careers—as well as helping you find someone to write one of your required letters of recommendation!   

For questions about careers in pharmacy, contact Dr. Danielle Vitale, Director of Admissions and Career Development, at  [email protected] .  

Your Pre-Pharmacy Education

While many of the courses are prescribed (for example, you  HAVE to  take biology and chemistry), you do have a bit of flexibility with courses in the social sciences and with world language/culture.  

• Social Science – these courses include American history, political science, psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, and gender  studies  
• World Language and Culture – these courses include world history, world religions, foreign languages, cultural anthropology, art history, and world/human  geography  

If you have specific questions about which courses meet our requirements, review  our   Pre-Pharmacy Curriculum , or reach out to our Admissions Counselor at  [email protected] .      

To ensure that you are taking the correct pre-pharmacy coursework, make sure to meet with your academic advisor each semester.  They can help you map out your pre-pharmacy coursework so that you are meeting  all of  the academic requirements for admission into pharmacy school.  If you are a current UGA student, schedule  your  appoint with one of Pre-Pharmacy Advisors, Dr. Shane Pruitt and Mr. Erik Dennison  at  [email protected] .   

But most importantly, do well in your pre-pharmacy classes!  The knowledge you gain in those classes will be the foundation for what you learn in pharmacy school.   All of  the pre-pharmacy courses must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.  And just a note—your GPA for admission will only be calculated using your pre-pharmacy coursework (not your cumulative GPA).   

Make sure you use your time to develop other skills to help you be successful in pharmacy school, such as study habits and time management.  

Should I Take the PCAT Exam?

The University of Georgia College of Pharmacy does not require the PCAT Exam as part of its admissions  requirements; however, we do recommend that applicants consider taking the exam.    

Why should you take the PCAT exam?  

We recommend that you take th e PCAT exam to strengthen your application. The Admissions Committee evaluates candidates holistically—meaning, they consider all parts of your application, including academic experience, pharmacy experience, work experience, and leadership and involvement.  Taking the PCAT (and receiving a competitive score) may help strengthen your applicat ion if you are not as competitive as other candidates in other areas.   

For example, if your GPA is be low our average (currently, a 3.4 for our incoming P1 class), or if you have failed/repeated prerequisite courses in the past, then a competitive score on the PCAT (50% or higher) can demonstrate your mastery of the prerequisite content.   

If you have questions abo ut the PCAT exam and would like to discuss your unique application with a n admissions counselor, please reach out to us at [email protected] . 

A Guide for Recommendation Letters

Successful applicants at UGA typically h ave at least one letter submitted from a college-level faculty member and one from a healthcare provider (a pharmacist is best).  While just two letters will likely offer enough information for an admissions decision, you may submit up to four.  These additional letter s may be provided by an academic advisor, supervisor, or volunteer coordinator — especially if an evaluation from a pharmacist is not possible. Remember, letters from family, friends, and religious leaders will not count.  

Getting Great Recommendations  

You never know how many students will be asking your recommender for an evaluation, so make your request well in advance. Set the expectation that their evaluation should be completed no later than four weeks after you submit your own application. Professors usually write more positive recommendation letters for students who visit office hours, participate in class, ask questions about their research, and discuss career goals with them. Many pharmacists will feel comfortable writing a letter after only a few hours of shadowing. If you thought a shadowing experience was helpful, don’t be afraid to share with them specifically what you learned and ask if a letter of recommendation may be possible in the future.   

Here is how you submit an evaluation request within PharmCAS:  

• In the Evaluations section, click Create Evaluation Request.  
• Enter the evaluator’s full name and email address and suggest a date to have the evaluation completed.  
• Enter a brief message or note for the evaluator.  
• Click “Save This Evaluation Request” to submit your request and trigger an automated email to the evaluator.
• Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your evaluations. Follow up with your evaluators if their evaluations are still marked as “Requested” or “Accepted.”   

It is your responsibility to ensure that evaluation requests are received and completed on time. It is always a good idea to follow-up with a thank you note once you see your letter has been accepted!  

By:  Shane Pruitt, Ed.D.  

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Winning Pharmacy Residency Statement Examples

If you’re in pharmacy school and planning you’re future, you know that you don’t need a residency or pharmacy residency personal statement examples to be a licensed pharmacist. That’s one advantage pharmacy school grads have over medical school grads, who need to do a minimum one year of residency before they can take the USMLE Step 3 . But you also know that doing one or two post-graduate years of a pharmacy residency will increase your chances of getting into other sectors of the industry among many more benefits, which we’ll explore later. If you are thinking about doing a pharmacy residency, we have what you need. You will need to submit an online application, but don’t use your old pharmacy school personal statement . We’ll help you write a new one and explain a little about how to apply to pharmacy residency programs in the US and Canada. 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 15 min read

Should you pursue a pharmacy residency.

Maybe you have your mind set on going into retail pharmacy; there's nothing wrong with that, but there are some things you should know about the retail pharmacy landscape. Over 60% of the pharmacists practicing in the US work in retail pharmacies as part of giant chains like Walgreens and CVS.

However, as big box stores and other retail chains introduce pharmacies into their stores, small, independent pharmacies, are being pushed out. What’s more, many of these giant retail pharmacies are closing stores. If that weren’t enough, labor statistics predict sluggish job growth in the retail pharmacy sector over the next five years, so there’s that too.

We say all this to encourage you to think about the value of a pharmacy residency, and how applying to any number of the pharmacy residency programs in the US or Canada can give you a head-start on your career. One study noted that a pharmacy residency leads to the development of research, leadership and clinical skills in those who complete the program, far beyond what is taught in pharmacy school.

Want to know how to avoid residency application red flags? Watch this video:

Types of Pharmacy Residencies

If you’re not sure about what type of pharmacy you want to go into, we’ll explain a little about the three main ones in both the US and Canada, which are related to the variety of roles a pharmacist can fill. They include:

• Academic-based residencies (at universities and medical schools)
• Hospital-based residencies
• Industry-based residencies

But one unique aspect of pharmacy residencies is that you can go directly into the private sector and learn within the environment you’ll most likely be working at after you finish, so you don’t have to go learning how to find a job after residency .

You can do these residencies at an accredited pharmacy school or university that confers the entry-level PharmD degree. According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), there are close to 2400 different residency programs in the US. In Canada, there are much fewer; only 30 programs in total offered by schools such as the University of Toronto , the University of British Columbia , Dalhousie University, and Laval University.

Academic-based residency programs are good places to do residencies because you have a variety of specializations, a diverse teaching curriculum, and a lot of research opportunities. So, even though we repeat it a lot, you need to research each program carefully to find one that matches your research interests and career goals. For example, the University of Toronto has two programs:

• Hospital Pharmacy Residency
• Industrial Pharmacy Residency

Hospital-Based Pharmacy Residency

A hospital-based pharmacy residency does for you what a family medicine residency and an internal medicine residency does for medical students: it puts you in the middle of a clinical environment where you have direct patient experience, the opportunity to train with exemplary faculty mentors, and the chance to be a part of or lead a healthcare team. This is the best choice for you, if you see yourself staying in healthcare, whether it be a hospital, clinic or some other medical environment.

Of course, every hospital-based residency will offer you different opportunities and clinical settings. The teaching curriculum can have a specific focus or have unique electives that you can choose based on your own goals and interests, which is why it bears repeating that you need to examine what each program offers to make sure it's right for you.

Industrial-Based Pharmacy Residency

This type of pharmacy residency is a good option if you are interested in research and being part of the development of new treatments and medications. But it involves so much more. An industry-based pharmacy residency gives you the chance to learn marketable skills that are specific to the global pharmaceutical industry, such as learning about international pharmaceutical markets, national regulatory frameworks and how to create new drugs according to these frameworks.

If you’ve made the decision to do a pharmacy residency (good choice, by the way), this will be a short run-down of how to apply, even though you may be familiar with the process.

Here is where the paths of pharmacy grads and med school grads converge, as students from pharmacy schools in the US and pharmacy schools in Canada must apply to pharmacy residency programs through centralized residency match services; the Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service ( PhORCAS ) in the US; the Pharmacy Residency Application and Matching Service ( PRAMS ) in Canada. However, you do not need PARMS to apply directly to academic-based programs; you can apply to directly to the school. PARMS is for hospital-based residencies.

These programs work much in the same way as other residency match services , such as ERAS and the NRMP in the US; and CaRMS in Canada. You gather your specific application materials for each service, choose your programs (academic, hospital, or industry) and send your application. You will be notified of your candidacy status by the institution you applied to and run the same gamut as a med school grad would to enter a residency: application, interview(s) (if you qualify), decision.

Here are some of the general pharmacy residency requirements for each country:

Canadian Pharmacy Residency Requirements

• Be registered with the Canadian Pharmacy Residency Board (CPRB)
• Have graduated from a pharmacy school program accredited by the Canadian Council for the Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP)
• Be a Canadian citizen or have legal permission to work and live in Canada
• Have a licence to practice pharmacy or be in the process of obtaining their licence with the PEBC Qualifying Examination – Part I Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQ) and Part II Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

These are the base requirements, but each program, depending on the type of residency you want to enter, may have additional ones that applicants must meet, which can vary from:

• Being registered with the Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
• Being a registered student with the university or institution offering the residency
• Never being expelled from any other Canadian residency program

US Pharmacy Residency Requirements

The residency system for graduates from pharmacy schools in the US has both general and program-specific requirements. The PhORCAS application service, which is administered by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) functions similar to other residency match services in the US and organizes all residency applications to match them to the various residency programs offered throughout the country.

General Requirements

• Currently holding or in the process of receiving a licence (where, depends on program)
• Graduated from an ACPE-accredited pharmacy school
• Hold a PharmD degree
• Be a US citizen or have permanent resident status

To apply for a pharmacy residency through PhORCAS, you must submit the following:

• Personal information
• Academic history (pharmacy and undergraduate schools)
• Extracurriculars
• Residency CV
• Residency personal statement or residency letter of intent
• Rank order list
• Letters of recommendation

These are the main components of the PhORCAS application, but different residency programs will have their own requirements, so students need to ensure they meet all their programs requirements and submit any supplemental materials either through PhORCAS or to the program directly.

You will only need a pharmacy residency personal statement if you are applying to an academic or hospital-based residency. The industry-based residencies usually only ask you for a research proposal or letter of intent - some academic programs ask for a letter of intent as well - so we’ll show you examples of what to include in your personal statement for academic and hospital-based residencies.

You’ve probably written one or two personal statements in the past, and, as we hear from many of our students, it is not easy. While it may seem like a no-brainer to you on why you want to enter a residency, the goal is to articulate and communicate that desire in 600 words or less (PARMS personal statements must not exceed 600 words) in a professional and well-written statement.

Fortunately, both PhORCAS and PARMS offer you advice and guidelines about what to write, but here we’ll do something a little different. We’ll use the same strategies we used with BeMo students who applied to pharmacy residencies (and got in!) and break-down how to construct your own personal statement with your own experiences, words, and goals.

PhORCAS and PARMS suggest the following, which is good advice, but you need something more personalized and specific, which is what we’ll do with the proceeding pharmacy residency personal statement examples.

• What are you looking for most in a residency program?
• Why should we choose you?
• What are you goals and research interests?
• What do you hope to gain from our residency program?

These are the questions you have to answer, but how do you write it in a way that conveys your enthusiasm, knowledge, and writing skills? Keep reading to learn how to infuse paragraph with style and verve so you get into the residency of your choice.

Writing your Pharmacy Residency Personal Statement

All good personal statements tell a story. But great ones reveal a complex, multi-faceted, constantly evolving human being behind them who has experienced challenges in life, overcome them and has the potential to do great things.

However, a pharmacy residency personal statement has to show a little more. Depending on the type of pharmacist you want to be (industry or healthcare-based), you may have to adjust your statement to reflect the unique skill sets you have to excel in that particular industry sector. 

If you are applying to an industry residency, you won’t have a lot of direct patient experience or any clinical rotations, so it makes no sense to talk about how you want to interact with patients. Instead, it is mostly your research capabilities, experiences in the lab, and project goals that will make you an attractive applicant to an industry-based residency.

If you are applying for a hospital-based residency, here is where you would highlight previous direct patient experiences, shadowing, cross-collaboration with various teams, and your past makes more sense to talk about here.

This is why we constantly tell our students to, “show, don’t tell”, as a simple reminder to let them know that showing what you did during the time leading up to a pharmacy residency (or whatever professional goal you are trying to achieve) and how you developed into the resilient, dedicated and passionate individual that you are matters more than reciting your resume or academic achievements.

Take these two opening paragraphs for a pharmacy residency personal statement:

Pharmacy Residency Personal Statement Example Opening #1

I am excited to apply for the Pharmacy Residency Program as it represents an invaluable opportunity for my professional development and growth. I am eager to further enhance my clinical skills, expand my knowledge base, and contribute to the field of pharmacy. Pharmacy residency programs provide a unique learning experience that goes beyond what is obtained during pharmacy school. The chance to work closely with experienced preceptors, engage in interdisciplinary collaborations, and rotate through various clinical settings is unparalleled.

Pharmacy Residency Personal Statement Example Opening #2

I can think of no greater fear-inducing event than struggling to breathe. I woke up like that one morning. I had the symptoms of a cold – coughing, sore throat, congestion – and my doctor had prescribed antibiotics. But the day after I started them, I woke up breathless. Fortunately, I was not alone. My partner called an ambulance, because I couldn’t speak. The paramedics came and gave me oxygen. With each complete breath, I calmed down. I was so soothed by the oxygen that I started to cry from how good it felt to breathe again.

Now, can you tell the differences between the two?

The first sample conveys no humanity and feels like the rote, lifeless copy written in a brochure. It gives no detail and says nothing important or new. But the second example grabs our attention right away by relating to us through a universal fear (not being able to breathe) and setting us up to find out what happens next.

The above samples are both fictional, but then the challenge becomes, what is something unique to you and your experience that you can talk about? Remember, it’s a “personal” statement, so don’t be afraid to talk about setbacks, failures, tragedies but always with an eye toward how that experience has prepared you for now.

To do this with a full example, we’ll first create an applicant profile. In this profile, we’ll give a short autobiographical sketch of the applicant, and then use that information in the provided pharmacy residency personal statement example. We’ll also address the statement to a real pharmacy residency program in either the US or Canada. When you read the statement, you’ll see bold text that explains how the information from the profile is being used, so you get an idea of how to do it on your own.

Every time I’ve seen someone brought back to life by Narcan, I think about the one life it did not save. Here you are not only relating the experience, but relating how it affected you. Remember to keep that cause-and-effect formula throughout your writing. You also want to build some mystery and reveal only a few details, but be selective. The more you withhold, the more your reader will want to continue. I first heard of naloxone in an intro to biochemistry class. My professor explained the chemistry of the drug, but also added a tragic aside: the drug’s creator, Dr. Jack Fishman, lost his step-son, Jonathan to an overdose, even though Narcan existed at the time, only, it was not readily available. You can usually wait until the second or third paragraph to mention something academic, but CAMH has a 300-word limit for its personal essay, so we are making an exception. But, again, remember that anything academic or professional you mention has to relate back to something personal, some change in you.

Hearing that was sobering. My professor said a story like that should motivate us to create drugs that would save lives, but to remember not to always expect miracles, even with a miracle drug like Narcan. I took that as a challenge to learn all I could about addiction, drug policy, harm reduction, the neuroscience behind chemical dependencies and the prevalence of co-occurring disorders, where addiction and mental illness meet. This is where you make the connection to your experience, and mention how learning this knowledge (whatever it may be) put you on the path that you are on now and what you did to show your commitment.

I did a six-month internship at the Ontario Harn Reduction Network and got the opportunity to meet and learn from Drug Culture Consultants who had lived with substance use problems. Hearing about all the obstacles they faced to getting Narcan or other treatment options made me realize that pharmaceutical companies and regulatory agencies alone should not be the ones deciding drug policy. They should collaborate with public health authorities and other non-profits who work directly with affected population groups who would benefit most. This section is another “stepping stone” to something you want to say about your goals and desires and what motivates you, but also demonstrates you have an informed opinion about an important issue. That’s what interests me about the CAMH; the advocacy on behalf of people with substance use and mental health disorders and all the research done here on their behalf. Here, at the end, is where you can connect your mission to the program’s and make your case for why you are a good fit for the program.

CAMH hosts one of the most revered pharmacogenetics research centers in Canada, which is an area of pharmacology I would like to explore further, as it holds promise to create new drugs to treat substance use and mental health disorders with medication made specifically for them . Given the opportunity, I am confident that I will be able to make a meaningful impact and contribute to CAMH's mission of transforming lives through leading-edge research, comprehensive care, and innovative treatments.

Applicant Profile #2

Name: Grace Chao

Education: Touro College of Pharmacy, PharmD 

Grace was first interested in the tech sector, and majored in computer science. But she added biology as a minor in her second year because of the recommendation of a professor and has been interested in the intersection of medicine and information technology ever since. She went to pharmacy school in order to learn more about the medication that she, as someone with ADHD, takes on a regular basis and whether information technology can improve medication delivery systems in major hospitals.

Residency Program: Mount Sinai Brooklyn

Pharmacy Residency Personal Statement Example #2

I was only fourteen when I was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and it made me scared. Here you are being vulnerable and open about a personal issue, which is exactly the kind of thing personal statements are for; don’t be afraid to open up and mention an obstacle, setback or challenge, so long as you talk about its effects on you (cause-effect). I didn’t know what it was and my doctor’s explanations were confusing. It made me scared because I loved school and I was afraid that I might not be able to keep going to school the way I was used to. My doctor prescribed medication and it was when our pharmacist, Mr. Chee, talked to me about my ADHD that I finally felt better.

Mr. Chee took the time to explain the effects of the prescribed medication and patiently discussed the potential side effects, along with strategies to mitigate them. This compassionate approach is something that I never forgot and it proved pivotal later on in my career, when I was deciding what to do after I graduated. The “inciting incident” can come in any time in your narrative, but the way you talk about it can vary. You can be explicit and say “this person made me decide to be a pharmacist” or in a more implied way, like here.

There are various requirements for each program, as is standard for residency applications. The PhORCAS system in the US is similar to the AMCAS medical school application service, in that it sets the word limit to 600 words. In Canada, as evidenced by the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, each program has its own letter and length requirements. 

It depends on the program. Some may ask for a personal statement, while others ask for a statement of interest more focused on your research history and goals within the residency. 

There are dozens of different residencies for pharmacy school graduates that are reflective of all the versatility of the pharmacy profession. In the US, there are many more opportunities, given there are so many pharmacy schools in the US, so applicants can apply to a community clinic residency, outpatient or drug rehabilitation center residency, or a traditional hospital-based residency, to name a few. 

It depends on your interests and where you see yourself in ten years. Do you want to create new medications? Do you want to continue researching? Do you want to go practice at a public hospital? Do you want to enter your own private practice? These are the questions you have to answer to choose which residency is best for you. 

Again, each program has its own requirements, but they typically ask you to explain why you want to enter this program, and this specific residency. Talk about your experiences in pharmacy school and how they helped influence your decision to pursue a residency, as it is an optional move and not required to receive a pharmacy license. 

Do not write your entire life story or dwell too long on certain experiences. Keep the narrative moving forward and do not use unprofessional language or talk negatively of others, including other healthcare professions. 

There is objective best when it comes to a pharmacy, or any specialty, residency program. The “best” program for you is one that coincides with your research interests, professional goals, and educational background. 

No. AI cannot write in detail about your experiences, your emotions, and what you’ve done to prepare yourself for this residency. An AI-generated personal statement is easy to spot because it will generate a generic, incoherent repetitive mess that will surely get you rejected before the rest of your application is viewed. 

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Evaluators (letter writers) must submit evaluations (aka letters of reference or recommendations) to PharmCAS online via the “Letters by Liaison” Evaluator Portal. Evaluators will complete a 2-part process:

• Part I:   Complete questions and evaluation ratings via the Evaluator Portal.
• Part II:   Upload letter of reference via the Evaluator Portal.

Before You Begin

• Research Program Evaluation Requirements : Visit the   PharmCAS School Directory   to view program-specific evaluation requirements. The number and type of evaluations required vary by program. Some programs prefer that evaluations are sent directly to them.
• Contact Evaluators : Contact your evaluators in advance to confirm they are willing to submit an evaluation on your behalf and to obtain their preferred email address. Enter each evaluator on the application as soon as possible, so they have adequate time to submit an evaluation on your behalf. Alert your evaluators to watch for an email from PharmCAS with the login instructions for the Evaluator Portal. PharmCAS emails are sometimes caught in spam or junk folders. Advise your evaluators to designate   [email protected]   as a safe email sender.

Evaluation Rules

• PharmCAS will accept up to four (4) evaluations per applicant.
• Applicants cannot complete or submit the evaluation.
• PharmCAS will not notify applicants about missing evaluations.
• Paper and emailed evaluations are not accepted by PharmCAS.
• All programs will receive the same set of evaluations, regardless of requirements.

Submit an Evaluation Request

• In the Evaluations section, click "Create Evaluation Request."
• Determine if you are requesting a committee evaluation.
• Enter the evaluator’s full name and email address.
• Select the date by which you would like this evaluation completed. You are advised to select a date that is at least four weeks before your earliest deadline.
• Enter a brief message or note for the evaluator.
• Select whether you want to waive your right of access to the evaluation.
• Click the checkboxes to grant PharmCAS and your selected programs permission to contact your evaluators.
• Click "Save This Evaluation Request" to submit your request and trigger an automated email to the evaluator.
• Confirm with your evaluators that they received the email notification.
• Use the Check Status tab to monitor the status of your evaluations. Follow up with your evaluators if their evaluations are still marked as “Requested” or “Accepted.” It is your responsibility to ensure that evaluation requests are received and completed on time.

Evaluation Status Key

• Requested  status indicates your evaluation request has been sent to the evaluator via email and the evaluator has not yet responded.
• Accepted  status indicates the evaluator has agreed to submit an evaluation on your behalf and has not yet completed it.
• Completed  status and date indicate the evaluation has been received by PharmCAS and it was sent to your designated program(s). Your designated colleges and schools can view your evaluations once your application is verified.
• Declined status indicates that the evaluator declined your evaluation request. You can click Update Evaluators to add a new evaluation request.

Authorization and Privacy

Authorization statements.

Before PharmCAS will process your evaluation, you must certify the following statements:

• I hereby give PharmCAS permission to contact the evaluator below via email to request the completion of the PharmCAS reference form and letter of reference. If my evaluator does not submit an online evaluation form to PharmCAS in response to the email request, it is my sole responsibility to contact the evaluator directly to ensure all references required by my designated Pharm.D. programs are received by the deadline.
• I understand that the Pharm.D. programs to which I am applying may contact the evaluator either to verify the information provided and/or for further clarification of the information provided, and I hereby give permission for the Pharm.D. programs or PharmCAS to do so.

Privacy Waiver

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) gives applicants the right to access letters of reference written unless they choose to waive their right of inspection and review. Prior to requesting a reference from a reference writer, you are required to indicate whether you wish to waive your rights. PharmCAS will release your decision to waive or not waive access to an evaluation to your evaluator and programs.

Your waiver decision on the PharmCAS application serves the same purpose as a legal signature and is   binding . If you decide to change your waiver decision, you must login to your PharmCAS application to edit your selection online.  Once your reference is received electronically, you cannot make changes to your waiver decision .

• Selecting  Yes  indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you would not be able to view it. This means you will not be able to see the content of the evaluation or letter of recommendation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a more accurate representation of an applicant’s qualifications.
• Selecting  No  indicates to programs that your evaluator completed their evaluation with the understanding that you may choose to view it in the future. Selecting this option does not allow you to view your reference via the application. If you do not waive your right to view the reference, you may ask your reference for a copy of the recommendation. Programs may view this type of evaluation as a less accurate representation of an applicant’s qualifications and may ask you to explain your reasons for your choice during interview(s).

Evaluation Form and Policies

Evaluator form.

• Evaluators must complete and update a profile section with their contact information in case a program needs to communicate with them.
• Evaluators must complete a ratings section to evaluate you on multiple criteria.
• Evaluators must upload a letter of recommendation on institutional or organizational letterhead via the Evaluator Portal. Accepted formats for uploads are .pdf, .doc (Microsoft Word), .rtf (Rich Text Format) or .txt (ASCII Text File) files only. Uploaded letters must be less than 5MB in size. Since all evaluations are sent to every school you designate, evaluators should avoid referring to any specific pharmacy school or individual in the letter.

Missing or Late Evaluations

Arrange for PharmCAS to receive all evaluations by the application deadline date set by your designated programs. PharmCAS does not enforce evaluation deadlines and will not hold your application for missing evaluations. Evaluators can submit a reference on your behalf after you submit the application or the school’s application deadline has passed, however, schools may choose not to consider late materials. References will be released to all of the applicant’s designated programs, even if they arrive late.

Committee Letters

If you want to submit a committee letter as part of your application, you can do so by entering the committee chair (or their alternate) as an evaluator. The committee chair must then complete the evaluator form and upload one letter (that mentions the assessments of various committee members) via the Evaluator Portal. A committee letter only counts as one reference.

Change Evaluator’s Email Address

If you entered an incorrect email address for an evaluator, or if your evaluator asks that you send the evaluation request to a different email address, you must delete the evaluator and then re-add with the correct email.

Editing Evaluators

If an evaluator is unresponsive or declines your invitation to submit a reference on your behalf, you may edit the evaluator’s contact information on your PharmCAS application before or after you e-submit your application to PharmCAS. You cannot make edits to your reference writer’s information once the reference writer’s evaluation is received.

Extra Evaluations

You cannot submit more than four (4) evaluations to PharmCAS. Send any additional evaluations directly to your designated programs, if the program requires them. Unless required, programs might not consider extra evaluations.

Investigations

PharmCAS may verify an evaluator's identity. If a Pharm.D. program suspects an evaluation is falsified, it is the program's responsibility to contact the applicant or evaluator to investigate. PharmCAS will share any suspected cases of falsified evaluations reported by a program with the applicant and the applicant's other designated programs. PharmCAS will not attempt to verify the accuracy of the program’s investigation results.

Evaluation Form Questions for Reference Writers

The list of evaluator questions is provided for informational purposes only and intended to help you select evaluators who can best respond to them on your behalf. All responses to these questions must be submitted by your evaluators via the Evaluator Portal.

Evaluator Information

• Address, City, State, Postal Code
• Phone Number
• How long have you known the applicant?
• How well do you know the applicant?
• How do you know the applicant? 
• If you selected "Instructor/Professor" above, in what subject area (e.g. biology, chemistry, mathematics, etc.) have you taught the applicant?
• If you selected "Employee/Supervisor" or "Colleague/Coworker" above, please indicate the applicant's position and title:
• If you are a pharmacist, please indicate the pharmacy institution from which you graduated:

Ratings (Scale: Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, Poor, Not Observed)

• Adaptability : reacts well to stress, is poised and controlled. 
• Empathy : considerate, sensitive, and tactful in response to others. 
• Ethics : displays honesty, integrity, and ethical behaviors. 
• Intellectual Ability : academic competence and aptitude for pharmacy degree program. 
• Interpersonal Relations : able to get along well with peers and superiors. 
• Judgment : displays critical thinking skills, common sense, and decisiveness. 
• Leadership : takes initiative and motivates others. 
• Oral Communication : speaks clearly with precision and accuracy, without ambiguity. 
• Reliability : dependable, responsible, prompt, and thorough. 
• Written Communication : writing is precise, accurate, grammatically correct, and unambiguous. 

Overall Recommendation Concerning Admission

• I highly recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant 
• I recommend this applicant with some reservations 
• I am not able to recommend this applicant

Document Upload

Evaluators can upload one document to support their recommendation of the applicant.