Any long distance Pharmacy schools outside USA

I am too sick and tired of chasing jobs in an ever changing software industry field.

I am looking at some other career options like medicine and pharmacy that have continuous demand. I know that it is not possible to study medicine through long distance. Can you suggest if it is possible to do Under Graduate or Graduate studies in Pharmacy through Long Distance?

I checked with Creigton University. They have stringent list of pre-requisites in Biology with lab work. I guess the same must be applicable to other American Universities. My undergraduate degree was in electronics (with math courses). Since, I do not have biology course background, it is not possible to do in USA. Also, one has to put up with PCAT.

Any suggestions if it is possible to do Under Graduate or Graduate studies in Pharmacy through Long Distance from other countries? Occassional visits to those countries for exams and lab work should not be a problem.

Your help will be appreciated.

Thanks

 

Assuming that there are any such distance learning PharmD. programs outside the US, you would have to make absolutely certain of a vital point: does a degree from that school qualify you for licensure in any state in the USA or qualify you to take the licensure exams?

Possibly a pharmacy school from Canada, the UK, Australia may qualify, although I doubt it, at least not without an internship or other requirements. In the USA currently, the majority of PharmD. programs are six years, and as you have no doubt discovered, the few remaining distance learning PharmD. programs are primarily for pharmacists who already have a bachelor's in pharmacy.

If you are interested in practicing pharmacy in a given state, you should check with the pharmacy licensing board in that state to check on their educational requirements. Every state that I have ever checked has required a degree from an accredited pharmacy program in the USA, or sometimes, the USA or Canada. It would be unfortunate to start an offshore program only to later find out that you could not get licensed in your state of choice.

 

I forgot to mention in my earlier post. If you are looking for a lucrative healthcare career with great growth potential that won't require spending too many years in school, consider the following:

Nursing
Radiology technology
Respiratory therapy
Physical therapy

I work in healthcare administration, and I can assure you that these four fields in particular right now have shortages, and in the case of nursing and radiology technology, the shortages are going to get worse in the near future as people start to retire. If I wanted to get a maximally-lucrative career with only two to four years of training, I would look at becoming a radiology technician or a radiology technologist. After a few years experience, and getting certified in MRI or CT scanning, you will be making in the mid five figures easy, if you work in an urban medical center.

 

Hmmm. I confess that I'm a little puzzled. Your question seems to indicate that, while US Pharmacy programs have strict requirements (biology with labs, etc) that non-US schools will not have these same requirements. I think this is a mistake in your thinking. Also, you seem to be interested in avoiding all those biology courses and their lab requirements yet you seem willing to jet off to foreign lands "for exams and lab work." My guess is that even if you found a program that did not require such coursework, that program would not be up to US standards (or perhaps any other for that matter) and you would not be eligible for licensure. Finally, I do not know of any Bachelors degree programs in Pharmacy that are offered by DL. There are a number of Masters programs, however and I've listed a few below. I'd suggest that you pay special attention to the admission requirements. I'm guessing that you'll discover that all those nasty bio courses are required (along with a few in Organic Chemistry as well). In any case, good luck.
Here's the list:
DeMontfort U
Keele U
Queens U (Belfast)
Robert Gordon U
U of Bradford
U of Manchester
U of Melbourne
U of Tasmania
Jack

 

I also considered Pharmacy as part of a career change. I spent a lot of time looking over various programs, particularly distance programs. I eventually decided to go for a marketing degree instead. My reasons for not going with Pharmacy were:

1. Too expensive
2. Too time-consuming
3. Not many distance programs

In the U.S., Creighton is really your only choice if you are doing a DL degree and starting from scratch. You will have to take the PCAT. You could take pre-pharmacy at a local community college and then transfer to Creighton, but make sure the program meets Creighton's pre-requisites.

There are numerous DL graduate pharmacy programs in the U.S., but they are for pharmacists who already hold a bachelors degree in pharmacy and want to get their PharmD.

If you are looking at doing Pharmacy in the U.S., studying at a foreign school won't do you much good. Each state has strict licensing requirements for pharmacists, and that includes educational requirements. A foreign degree may not meet various state licensing requirements.

I agree with what a previous poster said. If you are considering the health care field, looking into nursing or some kind of technology degree such as radiology. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that job growth in this area will be very strong, which means you will basically have your pick of jobs out there.

 

Although not a PharmD degree, the UF college of Pharmacy offers 2 online degrees that seem to be in high demand by they pharmaceutical, government, and biotech industries. On is an MS in Forensic DNA and Serology, the other is a Master's in Forensic Toxicology.

Prereq's are only a Bachelor's degree in a science related subject. Check it out http://www.forensicscience.ufl.edu/Default.asp. Looks VERY interesting.

 

Thank you Michael Lloyd, Jack Tracey, TCord1964 and edowave for your valuable suggestions.

My motivation in the pharma courses is to look for well paying jobs. The guy who packs your madicine at walmart/CVS pharmacy stores makes $100 K, while in software it has been a continuous downward spriral in my wages since 1999. And the heart burn of losing job any day..............

I was looking for Pharma courses outside USA primarily because, upon completion of a 4 year pharma course, one could take a USA licence exam and start working behind those counters in pharmacy stores drawing $100+ K

Thanks

 

Perhaps you should go back and re-read my post. This is what I was trying to explain to you. You may NOT be able to take the licensing exam in certain states in the U.S. if you have a foreign Bachelor of Pharmacy degree. Also, during my searches, I was unable to find a totally DL pharmacy degree outside the U.S.

If you decide to go for a degree in Canada, Australia or other countries outside the U.S., make sure the licensing board where you plan to work will accept a foreign credential. They may not.

 

First, let me start by saying that I'm a supporter of Distance Learning in most forms (with the exception of Portfolio Credit, VAE, PLA, or whatever you want to call it). But I find this thread a little disturbing. Am I alone here in thinking that Distance Learning is just not the right channel to train people in health care? I would not want a doctor, pharmacist, therapist, psychologist, radiologist, or nurse (or whom ever has my life in his or her hands) without practical training to treat me or my loved ones.

There are things that simply can not be learned from a book, a video, or audio tapes. There are things that can only be learned by the kind of practical, hands on experience that a resident program can provide.

Just my 2 cents.

 

The DL program at Creighton is something of a misnomer. Although many of the classes are delivered via distance learning, there are a series of residencies which must be completed at the college. On top of that, when you get to a certain point in the program, Creighton has you work in a pharmacy in your area to get that "hands-on" experience.

Other DL bachelors-to-PharmD programs are for those who are already working pharmacists and have taken all of the courses which require labs during their bachelors program.

I agree there are some things which just cannot be taught via DL. Brain surgery comes to mind.