UCSF School of Pharmacy

Form B: Biographical Information

This form is required.

About Form B

In order to best evaluate your application, we are interested in learning more about you as a person -- and the unique experiences, interests and skills which separate you out from the other candidates. The biographical information requested in Form B is used to expand upon the information you provided in the PharmCAS application.

Form B: Biographical Information PDF, 3 pages, 170 KB Requires Adobe Reader.

Instructions for Completing Form B

1. You must complete this form on a computer using Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. If you're not familiar with these software products, see About Adobe Reader.

2. Download and Save Before Starting

   We recommend that you download and save the forms to your computer and complete them in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader. If you instead view and complete the forms in your web browser, you might lose data you entered if you select a hyperlink which takes you to a different web page. Saving the forms to your computer and completing them in Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader prevents this problem.

   Saving the Information You Enter

   If you use the free Adobe Reader, be aware that Adobe Reader does not permit you to save the information you enter like Adobe Acrobat does. For details, see About Adobe Reader. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat and you don't want to purchase it, we recommend that you:

   1. Check what other resources available to you might have Adobe Acrobat: your public library, the computer lab at your school, nearby Internet cafés, your friends or family who are knowledgeable about computers. For example, work at Kinko's, saving your forms to your own USB drive.
   2. Or, complete each form only when you can do so in a single sitting where you have the ability to print. (You do not need to complete all the forms in a single sitting.)

   Adobe Acrobat is not required to complete our forms, and UCSF will not reimburse you for purchasing it.

3. Within Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, you can make the form easier to read by using the zooming tools.

4. To complete Form B you will need to refer to information you provided in 2 sections of your PharmCAS Application:

   • Extracurricular, Leadership, Volunteer, Community Activities
   • Work Experience

   After logging in to PharmCAS, these sections are found by selecting the Additional submenu from the My Application menu.

5. Each response is limited to the space provided using the font and size we have set. Only plain text is permitted -- no italics, bold, or underlining is permitted. You may not extend your response by attaching additional sheets of paper -- you must use only the space provided.

B1. Extracurricular, Leadership, Volunteer, Community Activities & Work Experience

In the PharmCAS application you listed examples of extracurricular, volunteer, and community activities as well as honors and awards, positions held, and work experiences.

This question asks that you provide evidence of leadership ability and/or self-initiative by expanding upon one of these experiences and discussing your level of involvement and the skills, knowledge, and insight you have gained from this endeavor.

We realize that the way you spend your time and the opportunities available to you can vary due to outside factors you do not control. For that reason we are interested in determining the depth of your commitment, and identifying the value you place on these experiences and accomplishments.

B2. Professional Acumen and Cultural Awareness

An increasingly diverse society in America has significant implications for the future practice of pharmacy. In this question you are asked to use examples from your own life to address some of the implications of this growing cultural diversity and how it will impact your professional practice.

B3. Personal Perspective

For this question you should summarize what you believe you have learned about the nature of humanity and how that will impact your tenure as a student at UCSF and your future as a pharmacist.

B4. Other Information (Optional)

This is your opportunity to provide the admissions committee with additional information that you believe is relevant for consideration but that is not requested in any other section of the application. Alternately, you may use this space to expand upon something mentioned in another section of the application.

Reapplicants: Use this section to focus on what you have done in the intervening year to further prepare for your pursuit of the PharmD degree.

B5. UCSF Candidate's Statement

Because the ability to write effectively will be important to you in pharmacy school and beyond, we ask that you write a second essay in addition to the Personal Statement in the PharmCAS application.

The theme of this essay is different from that of the PharmCAS Personal Statement and, therefore, the two essays should not be the same.

The UCSF Candidate's Statement should reflect who you are and what is meaningful to you. It should provide us with insight about your character and how you came to be the person you are today. You should pay particular attention to describing the unique qualities and personal characteristics that you believe separate you from the other candidates.

Like all writing segments of the application, this essay is also an opportunity to demonstrate a complex level of thought and critical thinking skills consistent with a professional, graduate-level degree program. Your discussion points should be presented in a logically cohesive manner and supported by relevant examples.

Problems? Questions?

See Supplemental Application Help.

Next Form: Form C: Statement of Educational Opportunity

Go To: Supplemental Application Forms or Supplemental Application