Early Assurance Program
PCOM School of Pharmacy

The PCOM School of Pharmacy Early Assurance (EA) Program is designed for undergraduates interested in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, providing a clear roadmap to admission as early as freshman year in college.

What is an Early Assurance Program?

An Early Assurance Program provides eligible current college students with the opportunity to secure a spot in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program while still pursuing their bachelor's degree. As an Early Assurance Program participant, you are assured of the availability of a seat within the PharmD program as long as admissions requirements are met. Additionally, program participants may take part in events and activities prior to matriculation which will help them prepare for pharmacy school and be successful in the program upon matriculation.

What are the benefits of the Early Assurance Program?

Students who meet the requirements and are accepted under the EA Program receive conditional acceptance to the PCOM School of Pharmacy. Additionally:

Students will not have to compete against the traditional pool of PharmCAS applicants.
Accepted applicants are eligible for PCOM scholarships to offset the cost of attendance.
Applicants have access to and can participate in PCOM School of Pharmacy events and activities prior to matriculation.

Who should apply for conditional acceptance under the Early Assurance Program?

You should apply for the Early Assurance Program if you:

Are a freshman who is enrolled full-time at an accredited two-year community college or four-year undergraduate college or university.
Intend to matriculate to the PharmD program at a date beyond the immediate PharmCAS admissions cycle.

Admissions Requirements

All applications undergo a holistic review process whereby careful consideration is given to all the credentials presented by applicants.

Early Assurance Program requirements

Applicants must intend to intend to matriculate to the PharmD program at a date beyond the immediate PharmCAS admissions cycle. They must be enrolled full-time at an accredited two-year community college or four-year undergraduate college or university. Full time is defined as a minimum of 12 semester credits per term.

Requirements related to undergraduate course work

The requirements related to undergraduate course work are:

Must not have received any grades of D, F, NP, W/F or any non-passing grade in any courses at the time of acceptance.
Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above.
Must have completed 10 credits of science and math pre-requisite coursework at C- or higher.
Must have completed three (3) credits of English Composition with a grade of B- or higher.
Maintain good academic and disciplinary standing in school for the duration of time enrolled.

Additional requirements

A personal statement/essay on motivation for pursuing career in pharmacy or letter of interest (LOI) describing the candidate’s interest in pharmacy profession and PCOM.
At least one letter of recommendation from a department chair or a faculty at the candidate’s primary undergraduate institution. Ideally this would be from a faculty member in the department of the candidates’ major program of study.
Complete the PharmDirect online application prior to the annual deadline.

Other considerations

Pharmacy-related work experience or healthcare-related volunteer work is not required, but strongly encouraged.

What other factors are considered for EAP applicants?

Good for up to three (3) years after early assurance acceptance.
Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits will be accepted if noted on official college transcript.
Courses completed in high school as part of a dual credit program will be accepted if noted on official college transcript.
Courses may be completed at any U.S. Department of Education (DOE) accredited community college, four-year college, or university. Online course instruction from an accredited college or university is acceptable. Note: Live labs are not required for those classes taken during spring/summer/fall 2020 and spring/summer 2021 semesters for the 2020-21 PharmDirect application cycle.

Application Process

How to apply to PCOM’s PharmD Early Assurance Program

PCOM School of Pharmacy participates in the centralized application service known as PharmDirect for early assurance candidates applying to direct entry PharmD degree programs in a college or school of pharmacy. College freshman, sophomores and juniors may submit their application through PharmDirect. The PharmDirect application will include all undergraduate course work, official transcripts and one letter of recommendation.

APPLY NOW

For questions regarding submission of the PharmDirect application, contact PharmDirect directly at info@pharmdirect.org or 617-612-2071.

PCOM will review the application, and acceptance into the EA Program will be determined by the PCOM School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee.

All applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the EA Program by the PCOM Office of Admissions.

EA Program participants are required to apply directly to PharmDirect. The PharmDirect application will serve to confirm that all conditional provisions for admissions are met and will include an in-person interview.

Questions?

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at PharmDadmissions@pcom.edu.

Additional information about the PCOM School of Pharmacy and the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program is available on our frequently asked questions page.

All inquiries about admission to the PharmD program should be directed to:

PCOM Georgia Office of Admissions
625 Old Peachtree Road, NW
Suwanee, GA 30024
678-225-7500