Pre-Pharmacy Student FAQ

Drake Direct Admission provides pre-pharmacy students with preparation for admission into the professional pharmacy program.  It includes information about the benefits, requirements, application process and considerations for pre-pharmacy students applying to the PharmD program.  Please click here for information from Drake's Office of Admission about pre-pharmacy application requirements and deadlines.

Each student that applies to the PharmD program has a variety of educational, professional and personal experiences that make him or her unique.  The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences admits students into the PharmD program that we believe have the potential for academic and professional success.  Our faculty believe that our students are individuals and not "numbers."  Therefore, our admission process allows us to get to know individual applicants as people rather than only considering their academic profiles.  Our faculty have determined several characteristics they feel are important for pharmacists to possess in addition to academic abilities.  Top characteristics that we look for when interviewing potential PharmD students include: 

• Motivation
• Values and ethics
• Communication skills
• Ability and desire to be a self-learner
• Ability and desire for personal and professional improvement
• Open-mindedness
• Professionalism

Few of these personal characteristics can be assessed by considering a grade point average.  This is why the PharmD admission process includes an interivew process that evaluates students' professional potential.

Interpersonal skills are extremely important to the pharmacy profession, which is why the interview is an integral part of the admission process.  Pre-pharmacy students complete their interviews in the fall of their sophomore year.  Students will discuss academic, professional and personal thoughts and accomplishments in order to help the Admissions Committee asses them in the areas of: 

• Motivation
• Values and ethics
• Communication skills
• Ability and desire to be a self-learner
• Ability and desire for personal and professional improvement
• Open-mindedness
• Professionalism

The PharmCAS essay will allow students to demonstrate their written communication abilities.  Students are asked to respond to a written prompt provided by in the PharmCAS application.  Students are assessed on how well they communicate their thoughts through writing in the areas of clarity, focus, organization, structure, elaboration, detail, support and mechanical conventions.

Students have an opportunity to complete a mock interview through their first year CAPS (Career, Academic, and Professional Success) courses.  Every pre-pharmacy student is encouraged to sign up for a mock interview.  Not only will this help students prepare for their interview for admission into the professional program, but will also provide experience as students interview for future employment opportunities.

The admission decision is based on academic accomplishment and interpersonal and written communication skills.  While the interview and essay are very important parts of the admission process, academics are also important.  The Admissions Committee will consider students' overall GPA, math/science GPA from their required math and science courses, interview evaluation and essay. 

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences waives the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) requirement for all Drake pre-pharmacy students.

Students who wish to use transfer credit earned through dual college credit must earn a C- or higher in the course and make sure it is identified as equivalent to the required course at Drake.  Students who wish to use Advanced Placement (AP) scores for credit must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam.  Students who are able to use AP or dual college credits for pre-pharmacy requirements will not need to take these course at Drake.  

Students may use AP credit for all first-year pre-pharmacy requirements EXCEPT the general (inorganic) chemistry and biology requirements.  AP Biology will not fulfill the biology coursework required for pre-pharmacy and AP Chemistry will not fulfill the chemistry coursework requried for pre-pharmacy.  Taking AP Biology or AP Chemistry and scoring a 4 or above on the exam would allow the credits to transfer to Drake as elective credit.  A College representative will meet with each student at orientation to determine the best academic plan for the student based on courses they have taken in high school.  To see a list of AP credits Drake accepts, please see the University's AP Credit Policy.

Drake students are able to complete study abroad experiences during either semester of the sophomore year of pre-pharmacy.  In addition, a number of summer opportunities are available for academic credit as well as study abroad opportunities during the January term (J-Term). Students also have the opportunity to complete one rotation abroad during the P4 year in locations such as Belize, New Zealand, Australia, France, South Africa among others.