Pre-Pharmacy Pathway
Career Overview: Roles and Responsibilities of a Pharmacist
Pharmacists are licensed healthcare professionals trained to safely store, handle, prepare, and dispense medications while ensuring appropriate medication use and patient safety. Their responsibilities include verifying dosages, preparing prescriptions, evaluating patient risk for potential adverse drug reactions, and maintaining accurate records and administrative documentation. Pharmacists also play an important educational role by counseling patients on how to properly use their medications, explaining possible side effects or interactions, and answering medication-related questions. In many settings, pharmacists additionally provide preventive healthcare services such as administering vaccinations. Through these responsibilities, pharmacists help support effective treatment outcomes and promote safe medication practices within the healthcare system.
- Community Pharmacies
- Hospitals
- Cardiac Care Centers
- Oncology Centers
- Specialty Clinics
- Mental Health Facilities
- Addiction Treatment Centers
- Nursing Homes and Long Term Care Facilities
- Hospice or home care centers
- Medication distribution centers
(After earning a PharmD)
- Certified Specialty Pharmacist (CSP)
- Ambulatory Care (BCACP)
- Critical Care Pharmacy
- Geriatric Pharmacy
- Cardiac Pharmacy
- Compounded Sterile Preparations Pharmacy
- Emergency Medicine Pharmacy
- Infectious disease Pharmacy
- Nuclear Pharmacy
- Nutrition Support Pharmacy
- Oncologic Pharmacy
- Pain Management Pharmacy
- Pediatric Pharmacy
- Pharmacotherapy
- Pharmacy Informatics
- Psychiatric Pharmacy
- Solid Organ Transplantation Pharmacy
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
- National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP)
- American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
Most Pharmacy schools require or strongly recommend:
- General Biology – 2 semesters with the labs
- General chemistry – 2 semesters with the labs
- Organic chemistry – 2 semesters with the labs
- General Physics – 1 semester, lab not required
- Human Anatomy and Physiology – 2 semesters, labs not required
- Microbiology – 1 semester, lab may or may not be required
- Calculus
- Statistics
- English Composition/Writing -- 2 semesters
- Public Speaking
- Economics
- Social/Behavioral Science (psychology, sociology, anthropology)
Coursework varies by school. Always verify specific requirements on each program’s website.
Most programs do not have a testing requirement; however, some programs may consider MCAT or GRE scores if you choose to submit them.
The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is a discipline-specific exam to assess critical thinking, problem-solving, and foundational knowledge in the sciences and behavioral sciences that are important for success in medical education.
The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a standardized test designed to test your critical thinking skills in general categories rather than on specific “pre-requisite” content: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing.
Because requirements vary by program, applicants should review each school’s admissions policies to determine whether an assessment is required.
Application for PharmDs: Pharmacy College Application Service
- Personal information
- Academic History
Transcript Entry
Standardized Tests - Supporting Information
Evaluations
Achievements
Personal Essay
Experiences
Licenses and Certifications - Program Materials
Learn more about the PharmCAS application
Access the Applicant Help Center for quick questions
Research Programs: Create a list of programs and review their individual requirements for prerequisite courses, observation hours, testing, letters of recommendation, etc.
Explore a list of accredited colleges
Learn more about USC’s College of Pharmacy
Obtain Shadowing/Observation Hours: Shadowing helps you understand the general organization and structure of a day in the healthcare field. Shadowing a Pharmacist specifically can help introduce you to the role of a PharmD and their scope of practice. Most programs expect at least some shadowing of a Pharmacist specifically, but shadowing of other clinicians may also be accepted.
Typical Expectations
- Recommended 100-150+ shadowing hours
- Try to gain experience in multiple specialties (primary care, surgery, emergency medicine, etc.)
- Prioritize shadowing a MD/DO, but consider also shadowing PAs, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, or other healthcare professionals to broaden your perspective
- Be sure to accurately document and organize all your hours by listing the type of experience, with whom you shadowed, their contact information, and a small reflection of your experience.
Gain Research Experience: While not explicitly required, research can be an additional way to show your engagement with medicine.
For many applicants, research helps show that they can analyze data, think scientifically, and contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge. These experiences may involve working in laboratory science, clinical research, public health studies, or social science research related to healthcare. Students who participate in research often develop skills in literature review, data collection, statistical analysis, teamwork, and scientific communication. Long-term involvement that leads to presentations, posters, or publications can further strengthen an application, but these outcomes are not required.
Getting Started
- Visit the USC Office of Undergraduate Research for programs, funding, and project listings
- Talk to your professors after class or during office hours about possible openings
- Ask older pre-med students or peer mentors about labs and faculty they’ve worked with
Letters of Recommendation: Most programs require between 2-4 letters of recommendation, but be sure to check each program’s specific requirements.
- 1-2 is/are typically from a science faculty
- 1-2 is/are typically from a pharmacist
To obtain meaningful letters, build relationships early by actively participating in class or clinical experiences, seeking feedback, and demonstrating reliability and initiative. When requesting a letter, ask well in advance, provide your resume, your personal statement, and clearly share deadlines and submission instructions. Thoughtful, detailed recommendations from individuals who know you well can significantly strengthen your application by offering credible, personalized perspectives on your strengths and potential.