Massachusetts college of pharmacy and health sciences

MCPHS University – Boston

-Interview with Gyu Ryeong Kim-

We have asked for information about applying for US pharmacy school to Gyu Ryeong Kim who is very much interested in pharmaceutical studies despite different school year and curriculum from other schools.

Q. Hello, please tell us about yourself.

I’m Gyu-Ryeong Kim, and I go to Massachusetts College of pharmacy and health sciences (MCPHS University – Boston). After completing the first semester of the first year of high school, I came to Vermont as an exchange student as a 10^th grade student. Based on the experience, I thought about studying abroad. After one year as an exchange student, I went to Pennsylvania to study and finished the rest of my high school.

Q. When did you start studying abroad? What made you study abroad?

I was introduced to the opportunity to participate in language study abroad and programs held overseas as I attended an academic institute run by parents of my friend. In 2014, for the first time, I went to US for APPA Summer Short-Term Mission Trip and UN International Organization Training Program. I really liked the places I visited during the programs and the people I met, so I wanted to return to US and went to school through 2016 Exchange Student Program.

Q. You are going to MCPHS University – Boston. Why did you choose the school?

MCPHS has three campuses in Boston, Worcester and Manchester. I am attending a campus located in Boston and majoring in Doctor of Pharmacy-Boston program. The program is a 0+6 Direct-entry and it is a 6-year accelerated program. You can think of it as similar to a 6-year pharmaceutical university in Korea. I couldn’t decide the field of interest until I submitted graduate school application, so I submitted application as a Liberal Arts major for other schools.

I had a lot of consultations with my parents and the teachers from the study abroad center about the major. Since I liked science and I was good at chemistry, we came to a conclusion to apply for one of those related places. I have two younger brothers, and the youngest one is physically weak and suffered from a new pandemic every time it occurred. At the time, I chose to go to pharmacy with gratitude and respect for the medical researchers who are striving to develop treatments and vaccines.

Q. How is the application prep for pharmacy school? Please recommend things to be prepared for from the high school.

I did not study with a major field set in mind in high school, so I only studied the basic course and required by high school and honors course I wanted additionally. However, when I entered the pharmacy school, I met many students who had already worked at a CVS (convenience and drug store) or a pharmacy, or had experience in regular volunteer at a hospital and experiment assistants which are available for high school students. What is always emphasized in the pharmacy school is the smooth communication between the patient and the pharmacist. If I have gained experience in pharmacies, hospitals, labs, etc. with the goal to get in pharmacy school from high school, I believe I would be able to fulfill the diversity and importance of communication methods. Students with such experiences have much more knowledge and information when memorizing names of drug, explaining names of disease, and interpreting medical reports (understanding acronym, data analysis, etc.) than those without such experience.

In terms of learning, friends who took AP Bio, AP chemistry, statistic, physics, and calculus were much faster in understanding classes thanks to advance learning. International students took AP, IB, and CLEP in middle and high school, so the students had were able to invest more time in other classes as they transfer credits in advance because the school requires science and mathematics, as well as literature and social studies. But just because you didn't take AP course it didn't mean you couldn't keep up with classes or receive lower grades. In my school, in particular, I was able to receive help in learning through tutoring and SI sessions (coaching and mentoring from seniors) for each class.

Q. Is a bachelor degree necessary to apply for pharmacy school in US?

It depends on which pharmacy program you choose, but I don’t think it is required. If you see PharmD as a graduate course, my school is a 0+6 year program. So the school has a curriculum of Pre-professional course designed to acquire the knowledge required by the pharmacy from the first year to the admission to main course. Students completing pre-pharmacy course at the undergraduate may go into the main course by transferring to schools with 0+6 programs. Besides, I understand that a bachelor's degree is not required because those who have completed general university for at least two years will enter the graduate school's original course through the PCAT test after taking more than a certain number of credits in a subject required by a pharmacy school.

Q. We understand that helpful condition for applying for pharmacy schools is volunteer experience related to a pharmacy/school of pharmacy. Please tell us about your volunteer experience.

As a matter of fact, I haven't had any experience in volunteer activity yet, so I applied for volunteer activities this summer. But the plan has been canceled and came back to Korea due to the coronavirus. Sometimes I receive emails for internships and volunteer activities through school email account. In my school, there is a school-sponsored organization called Center for Professional Career Development (CPCD). The organization is preparing a certificate program for students who have not gained experience in internships due to coronavirus pandemic and I am preparing for the program. If possible, I plan to apply for volunteer activity in hospital in Korea.

Q. What jobs would you get after graduating from a pharmacy school in US? What career path are you considering now?

There is an association called American Pharmacist Association. In its website (APhA), it has compiled a list of Career Option that graduates can go to after graduating from pharmacy school. It is a good place for interested students. I am considering to get a job in a chain community pharmacy, which is the most common path.

Q. What is good and hard about studying pharmacy?

To me, studying pharmacy is so exciting and fun. I really like the experiment we do at school, and I find it very interesting like a piecing together a puzzle when the things I learn in school actually happen in real life, when I have opportunity to use the names of the drugs at a CVS, which I have learned in class, or when I understand how the current coronavirus is reacting in our body. The only thing that was difficult was to learn medical concepts, terms, and names of drug in English. Words themselves are too long and difficult to read, so I had a hard time memorizing them.

Q. What is required from the students considering majoring in pharmacy?

I believe it is important to meet different people and to improve communication skills. When working in the field, communication with patients is a must. So it is a something that I keep working on as I take classes and conduct experiments in school.

Q. How did you like the study abroad consulting with Connected?

At Connected, I constantly received a lot of helps during the consulting for study abroad. Connected has been continuously paying attention to me from high school to college, and even to the present day when I done with the help of the Connected. And I am always thankful for helping me build a vision for future for myself. Support and advice from the CEO was energy for me to rekindle my enthusiasm whenever I find it difficult to study abroad.