How can I prepare for my P1 year?

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I will be attending Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Detroit, Michigan, for the PharmD program starting in Fall 2010. I am already working in a retail pharmacy. I am taking a biochemistry course this spring semester. I would like to know what else I can do currently and in the summer to help prepare myself for whatever I may face in the near future. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Sooner the suggestions are posted, more I can do to prepare myself. Thank you.

Originally Posted by RphSid

I will be attending Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Detroit, Michigan, for the PharmD program starting in Fall 2010. I am already working in a retail pharmacy. I am taking a biochemistry course this spring semester. I would like to know what else I can do currently and in the summer to help prepare myself for whatever I may face in the near future. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Sooner the suggestions are posted, more I can do to prepare myself. Thank you.

Don't do anything, studying things from your past courses will help you marginally at best. Just enjoy the summer and come in ready to study.

You will likely need minimal preparation for P1.

Now as you progress through your course work it may help to review prior material. For instance, I thought my Med Chem and PCol classes made much more sense after I reviewed mechanisms from Organic.

Really, the only other thing would be for you to get a job as an intern somewhere just for a few shifts a month.

RphSid,
One thing you can do is see how your pre-pharmacy courses compare to pharmacy courses in schools that offer 0-6 (straight through programs with a minimum GPA required to get into year 3) and 2+4 programs (programs that generally require students to re-apply to get into their third year). If your pre-pharm courses generally match the pre-pharm courses at these schools, you will be fine as your preparation from taking them will have prepared you to excel in the PY1 curriculum. Also, because you work in a retail pharmacy, you will have some background. I attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy-Boston and am currently in the 6th year there on rotation. Check out their curriculum or check out other pharmacy school curriculums. Also, to be more competitive in PY1, you could land a hospital job. Check out hospital jobs in your area at rxinsider.

Hope this helps and check out my portfolio,
Dean
--
Pharm.D Candidate 2011, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
http://rxportfolios.com/login_by_pin...91-09899-88362
www.mcphs.edu
www.rxinsider.com

Originally Posted by RphSid

I will be attending Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Detroit, Michigan, for the PharmD program starting in Fall 2010. I am already working in a retail pharmacy. I am taking a biochemistry course this spring semester. I would like to know what else I can do currently and in the summer to help prepare myself for whatever I may face in the near future. Suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Sooner the suggestions are posted, more I can do to prepare myself. Thank you.

Hey now that your in the program do you wish u brushed up on any certain subjects? I'll be a p1 this fall at wayne and want to know if I should look over anything b4 class starts. I havent taken a biochem class either and i know its in their p1 curriculum

Originally Posted by josh3479

Hey now that your in the program do you wish u brushed up on any certain subjects? I'll be a p1 this fall at wayne and want to know if I should look over anything b4 class starts. I havent taken a biochem class either and i know its in their p1 curriculum

I had Biochem last semester (P1 - first semester) and went into it with no Biochem from undergrad. Ended up with a B, not a big deal.

Professors will narrow down the scope of material you need to know, since it relates to other pharmacy school courses. So, don't waste your time randomly studying excess material...enjoy your summer and save your brain for when you "really" need to study.

Wrap up as many personal projects/goals as you can. Depending on how ambitious/organized you are, your life will be on hold for *at least* 4 years. Oh yeah, and if you're moving, I don't recommend doing that days before the 1st day of class. I had to learn the hard way! :-)

I know this thread is old but I would like to revive it. I know that MOST present students recommend that you rest, unstress, and divest yourself of unpharmacy related commitments before PG1 but........
if someone were to truly WANT to start preparing ahead of time what should they do?

Truthfully, think back to your first and second semester....What types of info that could fit on a flash card do you WISH you had known before school started? What types of simple memorization bogged you down?

Suggestions I have been given so far are:
1. Learn top 200 drugs brand name and generic and main disease state it is used for.
2. Know the structures, names and symbols of 20 amino acids and 4 nucleotides.
3. destress and get your life in order. Plan to have no life that is not connected to Pharmacy school.

ok now what beyond this could you point to?

IS there a mechanism that you would point to from Organic Chemistry that should be specifically reviewed?
Should you review different enzymes and hormones?

I feel this huge let down after the stress of interviews, Pharmcas, Supplemental applications and getting that last course finished. I simply need some type of mental excercise to get me through to starting P1 in August. HELP!

Enjoy your break. If you want to do something look at the top 200 brand/generic. Otherwise grab a brew and enjoy.

Originally Posted by readingfiend

I know this thread is old but I would like to revive it. I know that MOST present students recommend that you rest, unstress, and divest yourself of unpharmacy related commitments before PG1 but........
if someone were to truly WANT to start preparing ahead of time what should they do?

Truthfully, think back to your first and second semester....What types of info that could fit on a flash card do you WISH you had known before school started? What types of simple memorization bogged you down?

Suggestions I have been given so far are:
1. Learn top 200 drugs brand name and generic and main disease state it is used for.
2. Know the structures, names and symbols of 20 amino acids and 4 nucleotides.
3. destress and get your life in order. Plan to have no life that is not connected to Pharmacy school.

ok now what beyond this could you point to?

IS there a mechanism that you would point to from Organic Chemistry that should be specifically reviewed?
Should you review different enzymes and hormones?

I feel this huge let down after the stress of interviews, Pharmcas, Supplemental applications and getting that last course finished. I simply need some type of mental excercise to get me through to starting P1 in August. HELP!

Among the top 200 drugs, make sure you know how to calculate dosages for adults and children and memorize as much contraindications as you can. You know also know the laws of pharmacy for the State that your school is in. Make sure you brush up on your kinetics as well. Be sure to grab a study partner in medical school for anatomy and physiology classes because you guys will learn the same thing.

Seriously, just relax and enjoy yourself. You will have plenty of time to learn and pick things up once school starts.

I would make sure you know the basics of anatomy and physiology. Physiology is very helpful to be able to identify all of the effects of receptor activation and/or inhibition. Read about receptors and metabolism a little.

Just be ready and refreshed to study efficiently during the semester. If you follow pharmacynerd.wordpress.com it'll give you a better idea of what a pharmacy student is doing during the semester and what you can look forward to

Find an intern job now, hospital or retail (or, preferably, work 2 jobs), and drink a bunch when you aren't scheduled.