Can I survive pharm school without organic chemistry?

[MrTi]

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I took Organic Chemistry awhile back and I don't think I remember much. Now I am starting pharmacy school in the Fall and I am afraid that I might not have enough knowledge in Ochem to survive pharmacy school. Should I be worry? If so, should I review the textbook? How much of Organic Chem should I review. Ochem 1 or both 1 and 2?

 

[zelman]

You only need the very basics, and maybe not even those. I wouldn't worry.

 

[mustang sally]

I was in the same situation. Don't waste your time reviewing organic chemistry. As long as you study for your classes in pharmacy school, you will be fine. (And this is coming from someone who did horrible in organic chemistry when I was in it).

 

[RxMonkey]

I've knew a student who took "Advanced Organic Chemistry". It was an elective for our program, though.

 

[fewaopi]

You definitely do not need to know organic chemistry to survive pharmacy school. The only real world experience where I saw orgo chem knowledge might come into play in retail or any other setting is knowing about enantiomers and how esomeprazole is different from omeprazole.

 

[croquemonsieur]

I was in the same situation. Don't waste your time reviewing organic chemistry. As long as you study for your classes in pharmacy school, you will be fine.

I second this. They'll teach you everything you need to know - no pre-requisite knowledge required.

 

[molyhelp]

I third this, no need to review Organic Chemistry.

You may think about spending that time on studying TOP 200 drugs.
At the first meeting, the class for TOP 200 goes like this:

Here is the list of TOP 200 drugs as issued by Pharmacy Times.com.

You will have a test every 2 weeks. I will ask you 20 drugs each test. Next test, next 20 drugs and sometimes, knowledge of previous drugs.

You will study at home with whatever resources you have.
You will be asked anything and everything I mentioned below about these 200 drugs.
Again, let me repeat: you study at home, not in school. I will not teach you anything. I will have the right to ask you anything.

So,

Know all these:

Brand Name (If drug has many many brand names, we must only know the 3 most common brand names the professor picked.)

Generic Name.

Class it belongs to.
FDA approved indications.
MOA (Mechanism of Action.)

Adverse reactions that happened to show at above 10 percent (or top 2 adverse reactions).

Counseling to patient: with food? without food? whatever? lots of water? fear sunburn? Diarrhea...? Dizzy? Drowsy?

Overdose symptoms and treatments...

Strength: Milligrams, MEQ, %..........

Dosage form: Existing as Instant release? Slow release? Delayed Release? IV? Patch? Tablet, capsule, liquid, suppository...?

It it split-able? Not split-able?


Storage: must in fridge? Must out of fridge? Whatever? conditional fridge (in pharmacy must fridge but patient can have out of fridge for 6 weeks like Xalatan eye drops or 28 days like LANTUS insulin or 42 days like Levemir insulin)

Warfarin and Synthroid? Memorize the color for each milligram they exist.

Insulin? Clear or cloudy?


Did I mention you have to study at home? And you have a test every single 2 weeks for 20 drugs? And I will ask you anything? And the pass rate is 90% or more only. No exception.


As a bonus, no question about Organic Chemistry of Top 200.

No question about drawing or structural shape of Top 200.

No question about prices, no question about insurance coverage....
For anti-biotic, you don't have to know the bug it kills.
For IV, you don't have to know about IV compability.

This "self-study course of TOP 200" should be the pre-requisite for pharmacy school. Most of us passed those tests. Material is not hard, just time consuming to memorize which you should invest into now when you have a bank of time to invest.

 

[MrTi]

Thank you very much for all the replies. I am a little less worried now. I just downloaded the top 200 drug list from my school website and will definitely start on it early. Memorizing the drugs brand names, generic, and their indications sounds doable, just time consuming which is expected. But how about Drug MOA, should they teach you that first or you have to search that info up somewhere and memorize it?

 

[oldstock]

I third this, no need to review Organic Chemistry.

You may think about spending that time on studying TOP 200 drugs.
At the first meeting, the class for TOP 200 goes like this:

Here is the list of TOP 200 drugs as issued by Pharmacy Times.com.

You will have a test every 2 weeks. I will ask you 20 drugs each test. Next test, next 20 drugs and sometimes, knowledge of previous drugs.

You will study at home with whatever resources you have.
You will be asked anything and everything I mentioned below about these 200 drugs.
Again, let me repeat: you study at home, not in school. I will not teach you anything. I will have the right to ask you anything.

So,

Know all these:

Brand Name (If drug has many many brand names, we must only know the 3 most common brand names the professor picked.)

Generic Name.

Class it belongs to.
FDA approved indications.
MOA (Mechanism of Action.)

Adverse reactions that happened to show at above 10 percent (or top 2 adverse reactions).

Counseling to patient: with food? without food? whatever? lots of water? fear sunburn? Diarrhea...? Dizzy? Drowsy?

Overdose symptoms and treatments...

Strength: Milligrams, MEQ, %..........

Dosage form: Existing as Instant release? Slow release? Delayed Release? IV? Patch? Tablet, capsule, liquid, suppository...?

It it split-able? Not split-able?


Storage: must in fridge? Must out of fridge? Whatever? conditional fridge (in pharmacy must fridge but patient can have out of fridge for 6 weeks like Xalatan eye drops or 28 days like LANTUS insulin or 42 days like Levemir insulin)

Warfarin and Synthroid? Memorize the color for each milligram they exist.

Insulin? Clear or cloudy?


Did I mention you have to study at home? And you have a test every single 2 weeks for 20 drugs? And I will ask you anything? And the pass rate is 90% or more only. No exception.


As a bonus, no question about Organic Chemistry of Top 200.

No question about drawing or structural shape of Top 200.

No question about prices, no question about insurance coverage....
For anti-biotic, you don't have to know the bug it kills.
For IV, you don't have to know about IV compability.

This "self-study course of TOP 200" should be the pre-requisite for pharmacy school. Most of us passed those tests. Material is not hard, just time consuming to memorize which you should invest into now when you have a bank of time to invest.

that is a great post !! thanks 🙂

 

[molyhelp]

..............how about Drug MOA, should they teach you that first or you have to search that info up somewhere and memorize it?

In school, in theory, the class is supposed to teach us about MOA then we will have background to remember the drug. But, in reality, often, we got tested on drug before the class taught us anyway. So, we learned by self studying.

We don't have to know all details of MOA and how it works, we need to know just basic MOA.
For example,
amlodipine: basic MOA is Calcium Channel Blocker. If you really want to wonder about Calcium Channel Blocker, then, you can read more or watch youtube or get the class.
Lisinopril: basic MOA is ACE inhibitor. If you really want to wonder about ACE inhibitor, then, you can read more or watch youtube or get the class.
Atenolol: basic MOA is Beta Blocker.

The sites that are free and helpful for me during pharmacy school are:
www.rxlist.com
www.drugs.com
www.wikipedia.com (nice and surprisingly, you see right away the basic MOA with wikipedia, as presented at this link (while RXLIST.com OR DRUGS.COM did not):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amlodipine#Mechanism_of_action

Good luck...If you need tricks to memorize the color of Synthoid or color of Coumadin quickly and efficiently, let me know, I may find it in my computer somewhere out there...

 

[oldstock]

In school, in theory, the class is supposed to teach us about MOA then we will have background to remember the drug. But, in reality, often, we got tested on drug before the class taught us anyway. So, we learned by self studying.

We don't have to know all details of MOA and how it works, we need to know just basic MOA.
For example,
amlodipine: basic MOA is Calcium Channel Blocker. If you really want to wonder about Calcium Channel Blocker, then, you can read more or watch youtube or get the class.
Lisinopril: basic MOA is ACE inhibitor. If you really want to wonder about ACE inhibitor, then, you can read more or watch youtube or get the class.
Atenolol: basic MOA is Beta Blocker.

The sites that are free and helpful for me during pharmacy school are:
www.rxlist.com
www.drug.com
www.wikipedia.com (nice and surprisingly, you see right away the basic MOA with wikipedia, as presented at this link (while RXLIST.com OR DRUGS.COM did not):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amlodipine#Mechanism_of_action

Good luck...If you need tricks to memorize the color of Synthoid or color of Coumadin quickly and efficiently, let me know, I may find it in my computer somewhere out there...

great info again !! thanks 🙂