Pre-Pharmacy

There is no requirement for a set undergraduate major before applying. It is important to work closely with your advisors to ensure you are meeting all prerequisites for pharmacy school.

We advise you to shadow in various settings, with at least 50 hours per set. While schools require different minimums for shadowing, having at least 150 hours puts you in a competitive position. You should be shadowing in different pharmacy settings and under different pharmacists.

The pharmacy schools you plan to apply to may or may not require the PCAT. Make sure you check your list of schools you plan to apply to before registering. Preparing for the PCAT largely depends on you and how you study. You should pace out study hours around your own current and anticipated schedules. Less or more time studying may vary depending on how extensive your knowledge of the material is. We recommend that you take the PCAT at least one full year before you submit your application. This would align with the summer going into junior year or the fall of your junior year, allowing adequate time to prepare if you need to retake it and ensures you have your results before your application deadline.

You will need to submit a personal statement with your application. To help craft your personal statement, attend our Personal Statement Workshop, typically held in the fall semester.

Expect to send around 2-3 letters of recommendation, with four being the maximum that the PharmCAS will allow. While different schools may have different requirements as to where these letters should be coming from, it is typical to need at least one from a science faculty member and one from a healthcare worker you shadowed under.

You should ask within six months of working with the professor or pharmacist you are asking for a letter from or 2-3 months at the latest before the application deadline. This way, they have adequate time to reflect upon their experience and write the best possible letter they can.

Carthage students usually apply to around 4-7 schools in total. However, the number of schools you are applying to may change based on your qualifications, test scores, and level of interest in the colleges you are considering applying to. You should only apply to schools you would genuinely consider attending.

Applications will be submitted through the PharmCAS platform. This opens in the summer, and if you plan on attending right after your undergraduate degree, you should apply in the summer of your junior year. Since Pharmacy School has a rolling admissions decision process, it is recommended that you have all materials ready when the platform opens and submit them in mid-July. Your application will be most competitive if you submit it before September 1. Below is the list of application materials.

• Personal statement 
• Shadowing hours
• Three or more letters of recommendation
• PCAT scores (if required)
• Transcripts (official copy)

Preparing for professional school starts year one at Carthage, and we are here to help you each step of the way! We recommend that you reach out to your advising team as soon as possible regarding your plans so they can help you start preparing. You should also join the Pre-Health Club at Carthage, which could help you foster connections with other pre-health students, understand your next steps, and deepen your experience with healthcare.

Carthage 3+4 Program with Rosalind Franklin University

Carthage has a 3+4 program with Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. If students successfully complete 96 credits from Carthage and fulfill all stipulated degree requirements, they could be eligible for early admission to Rosalind Franklin. Once they successfully complete 45 pharmacy credit hours, they will be granted both a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Rosalind Franklin. If you are interested in this, please reach out to the pre-health advising team.

Carthage 3+3 Program with Medical College of Wisconsin

Carthage has a 3+3 program with the Medical College of Wisconsin. The 3+3 dual-degree program consists of three years at Carthage and then three years at the Medical College of Wisconsin, allowing students to finish their studies sooner and save significantly on tuition. Qualifying Carthage students receive automatic admission to the School of Pharmacy at the Medical College, leading to both bachelor’s and doctorate degrees. If you are interested in this, please contact the pre-health advising team.

Learn more about the Pharmacy Dual-Degree Opportunities at Carthage