What Are The Pharmacist Education Requirements?

Pharmacy is very sought after profession. It is high paying with many perks that other professions don't offer. It is considered to be one of the best health care professions these days. Working as a health care professional can be messy at times, considering the blood or body fluids, and not everybody can handle that. So if you are a person who can't handle the messy part but still want to be in health care, pharmacy can be the right thing for you.

Pharmacist education requirements are not difficult at all. You can join a pharmacy school right after graduating from high school. If you have decided that early, meaning that you made the decision while still in high school, it will be wise to opt for math and science courses while you are still in high school. But even after that, during college or later, you can join a pharmacy school anytime.

The basic pharmacist education requirements to pursue a degree in this filed will be to clear the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) but all colleges listed by PharmaCAS do not require a test. The interview, application and letter of recommendation are all part of the process.

The prerequisites are an important part of the pharmacist education requirements. If you are joining a pharmacy school right after high school you can join a joint undergraduate and Pharm. D program. This way you will be completing your prerequisite courses in two years and the actual pharmacy education in the next three to four years.

But if you are a bachelor's degree student than the courses you are taking can make a lot of difference. Science and life science subjects will give you a greater advantage over arts subjects. You can always get the most accurate information from the websites of the particular schools you are interested in. By getting that information you can be sure about the pharmacist education requirements and the admission process will become easier for you.

The bachelor's degree for pharmacy has been phased out. You will very rarely hear about a registered pharmacist meaning a pharmacist who is only a BS. It has become essential to obtain a Pharm. D Degree before you become a licensed practicing pharmacist. Another important thing to note is that the doctor in Pharmacy is different than both PhD and MS in pharmacy.

Being in a pharmacy school is as demanding and as hard as being in a medical school. There is extensive study and practical work involved. But once you have completed your years at a pharmacy school the road ahead is comparatively easier. To begin with, you will not have to go through years and years of residency. At the most the residency will be one to two years and that also only if you want to.

You can get straight to practicing without the residency. It is important to get a license from the state before you start practicing. You don't necessarily have to work at a drug store. Pharmacy is exciting and diverse. You can work alongside doctors as part of a medical team or choose to work in the lab for further research. Once you obtain your degree it is up to you to decide what you want to do with it.

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