Gator Pharmacy Exploration Camp

Program Eligibility

All students who will be classified as a senior in high school as of Fall 2025 are eligible to apply. Graduating seniors are encouraged to contact the PharmD Program directly for other opportunities to connect at pharmdadmissions@cop.ufl.edu

Important Information: This program is available to Florida residents ONLY. Students must make a commitment to attend and participate in the entire program.  Please confirm no other academic, school-related, sports, or family events will conflict with the program dates.

In an effort to increase awareness and expand opportunities within the pharmacy profession, priority will be given to students from medically underserved areas as defined by HRSA, students who attend federally designated Title 1 schools, or those who face socioeconomic challenges. This support extends to individuals experiencing financial hardship, limited access to educational resources, or other obstacles that may affect their pursuit of opportunities in healthcare. The goal is to support and encourage students to explore the many rewarding career paths within the pharmacy field.

Application Fee: $20 (Application fees are non-refundable even if an application is rejected or waitlisted or in the event that a program is canceled due to other circumstances beyond our control.)

Program Cost : No Cost to Student

Applicants must create an account in our online application portal in order to apply for any student programs offered by UF CPET. The online application portal will open January 15, 2025.    All components are submitted using the online application process unless noted.  After all the below components of the application are completed, student must log into their account and SUBMIT their application.

User Information: Provide applicant and parent/guardian contact information.

Application Form:  Additional information as well as answering three writing prompts.  The three writing prompts are as follows (each is 300- 500 words):

Prompt 1: What is your favorite subject or activity? What do you enjoy about this subject/activity?

Prompt 2: Please share your experience with Pharmacy so far? If you don’t have any experience in this field, that’s absolutely fine—we’re just interested in learning about your background and any relevant knowledge you may have.

Prompt 3: Many pharmacists enjoy helping others, often by working with a team. Can you tell me about a time when you worked with a group to help someone? What was your job, and how did the team work together to get the job done?

Endorsement Form:  One online Endorsement Form filled out and submitted by a high-school or college-level math, science, research, or computer science teacher or mentor is required.

We encourage you to ask a teacher or mentor who knows you well in a subject area you would like to pursue while you are here.

Endorsers will receive an automated request from noreply@smapply.io once a student has requested an endorsement in their online application. However, we recommend that students contact their teacher prior to filling out the online request.

If they do not receive an email from our system, please double-check that you have their correct email address before contacting us. This is the #1 reason why teachers do not receive the endorsement form.

High School Transcript Submit your unofficial transcript with first semester (Fall 2024) grades as a PDF or Image to the Application Portal. 

Application Fee (Offline Task*, see note below):  The link to pay the $20 Application Fee is available from www.cpet.ufl.edu.  Students attending a Florida High School who qualify for free and reduced may request an Application Fee Waiver. 

*Offline Tasks: In the application portal, students are required to acknowledge the requirement of the each of these “offline” portions by clicking “submit for approval”. The CPET office will log receipt of each requirement. Please note that our system may be automated, but our process isn’t!  When you send your transcript, we still need to look it over and make sure it has everything we need before a person goes into the system to let you know that we’ve received it. This can take up to three business days based on how many applications we are receiving simultaneously. After the requirement is logged, students will need to complete the section by clicking “complete” in the on-line portal.

The application portal will open on: January 15^th, 2025

Application deadline - March 17^th, 2025

Application Invitation Notice - Early April 2025

As a participant, you will attend presentations, skills labs, discussion groups, workshops and social/teambuilding activities.  You will receive mentoring from pre-pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy students.  You will learn directly from pharmacists about their different practice settings.  Additionally, you will come to understand the wide variety of opportunities available for pharmacy students.  You will participate in a group project about public health.  The different pathways into pharmacy school will be shared so students can develop their individualized plans for their pharmacy journeys, including being exposed to the UF Pharmacy Early Assurance Program.  Finally, students will be introduced to wellness and self-care as important components of a successful collegiate experience.

Program activities may include (not an exhaustive list):

• Explore the College of Pharmacy: Step into the world of pharmacy with hands-on tours of our cutting-edge campus and labs. See firsthand how medications are made and even try your hand at creating custom treatments yourself!
• Meet Real-Life Pharmacists: Chat with licensed pharmacists from all fields—hospital, retail, research, and beyond! Get the inside scoop on their careers and discover the endless possibilities pharmacy has to offer.
• Unlock Pharmacy Math & Compounding: Learn the essential math skills used by pharmacists to calculate perfect medication doses, then dive into the hands-on fun of creating your very own custom formulas!
• Ask Current PharmD Students Anything: Get the real story straight from our current PharmD students about what it’s like to be part of the UF College of Pharmacy—ask your burning questions and get a peek into life as a pharmacy student.
• Discover Over 100 Career Paths: Explore the exciting variety of career options available with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree—find out how you can make a difference in healthcare in ways you never imagined!
• Join the Adventure with Your Peers: Experience the camp alongside fellow peers, share your excitement, and walk away with exclusive UF College of Pharmacy swag to remember the adventure!

Please contact the UF College of Pharmacy staff at prepharmacy@cop.ufl.edu