A Student’s Nontraditional Path to Pharmacy School

Abstract

Although professional pharmacy programs tend to require and focus heavily on applicants’ grade point averages and pre-admission test scores, there is noted value in the matriculation of students exhibiting strong leadership and soft skills. Such attributes are advantageous to a pharmacist, particularly when considering the current need to develop trailblazers prepared to adapt to the ever-changing demands of our healthcare system. Pharmacy school applications and enrollments have been declining across the nation for the past decade. Pharmacy job prospects, particularly in community pharmacies, are projected to decline over the next decade, but inpatient and clinical roles are projected to increase in demand. To accommodate this role shift, schools may consider engaging with and recruiting students with unique skill sets from less traditional backgrounds. This commentary explores one student’s pharmacy school experience via the lens of a nontraditional background and postulates that pharmacy schools may benefit from altering their admissions approach.