Concerned, very concerned.

[Methylphenidate]

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Hey team, I'll try to keep this short.

I am a student who originally dropped out of high school (family problems). I'm now almost graduated after returning back. I have a high 90 average so far, but I REALLY struggle with math, and to get a 75+ average I had to pretty much study 3-4 hours extra, compared to a equivalent level course in a different subject, like say biology.

I've been pretty much OBSESSING about pharmacy. Pharmacy is honestly the only job I can see myself doing. Really, it is. I have read all the information available on my future universities site, including searching up the courses, then actually looking up the material online. In my university you need to be able to do calculus, something I know nothing about. (I have only took math A30 so far)

How likely is it that I will be able to handle this math? There is no math requirement for pre-pharmacy. But in first year pharmacy, you need to take a life sciences math, which includes calculus.

Please help me out guys, this is really,really stressing me out. I'm loosing confidence, and it's scaring me to death.

 

[seaswim]

First of all, I have no idea what math A30 means. Schools number their courses differently and I can't tell if A30 is arithmetic or calc 2. It sounds like you're going to take classes (your pre-reqs?) at a university, then apply to pharmacy school. Many, if not all pharmacy schools, require calc 1. Some schools require you to take calc 2 as well. I'm not sure where you're getting that there is no math requirement for pre-pharm, but it would be best to check with each school specifically about their requirements.

Also, I don't know what information you're looking up about pharmacy as a profession on your university's website, but I can guarantee you that you will learn much more about the profession by working/volunteering in one. I would strongly recommend that you shadow a pharmacist or get some sort of hands on experience, because that will be much more informative than any online material.

 

[NickW9682]

i work in a hospital pharmacy and the majority of the math involved is discussing the number of beers they had the previous weekend. Unless your in the IV room, then you actually have to use math

 

[Methylphenidate]

First of all, I have no idea what math A30 means. Schools number their courses differently and I can't tell if A30 is arithmetic or calc 2. It sounds like you're going to take classes (your pre-reqs?) at a university, then apply to pharmacy school. Many, if not all pharmacy schools, require calc 1. Some schools require you to take calc 2 as well. I'm not sure where you're getting that there is no math requirement for pre-pharm, but it would be best to check with each school specifically about their requirements.

Also, I don't know what information you're looking up about pharmacy as a profession on your university's website, but I can guarantee you that you will learn much more about the profession by working/volunteering in one. I would strongly recommend that you shadow a pharmacist or get some sort of hands on experience, because that will be much more informative than any online material.

University info: http://www.usask.ca/pharmacy-nutrition/undergradprograms/bscpharmacy.php

Math A30 - Permutations & Combinations, Data Analysis, Polynomials & Rational Expressions,
Exponents & Radicals

 

[smercer]

I think the above poster said it correctly. Working in a pharmacy is completely different than reading about it. I would think that getting some shadow experience or even work experience in a pharmacy would greatly increase your chances of getting into this pharmacy program.

As far as for the math, yes you will need calculus. Calc. takes algebra, geometry, and trig and smashes them together, then adds this thing called a derivative to it all. It is a very easy class....if you understand the 3 maths listed. If you are bad at one or more then it can become a horrid class. I would talk to math teaches at your school and mention to them your goals. I am sure they would love to go over the basics for all 3 of those maths with you.

No one can really tell you how well you can handle math. It is pretty based on the idea that you understand all the pre-req's well. If you do not, then you will always struggle when you need to use those skills with the pre-req to complete a problem. An example with calc. would be taking the derivative of one of the trig. functions in an equation (sin, cos, tan). You will know what the derivative is, but you may be asked to manipulate the equation after taking the derivative. Here if you do not understand the trig. part you will be lost. Thus you will be unlikely to solve the problem.

In the US most universities want you to pass (it looks crappy for them if most fail out...unless the school builds it cred off being extremely hard). This does not mean they will give you grades, but it does mean that they will have tutors and other resources available to assist you in learning the information for your classes. I would recommend visiting this university and asking about any of these types of support they offer for students.

Also I would base the idea of this school being setup as a 5yr program to mean that it should be fairly competitive. I would not bank of getting into any competitive university program like this having dropped out of HS and not having a 4.0 GPA. You may need to look into taking pre-pharm courses at a school and applying into a pharmacy school after you have completed the pre-req's. I gather this based off of experience with programs in the US, thus it may be completely different in Canada.

Either way best of luck.

 

[Rx MPLS]

I loved math up until calculus, but others I know were the opposite. Just because you've struggled with some types of math doesn't mean you'll find calculus difficult.

The friend I know who did the best in that class truly worked her fanny off. Math was not something that came naturally to her. She put in many, many hours doing the problems over and over and checking her answers with the professor. It paid off for her. You can do the same, if you want. There's actually a lot more memorization involved in calculus than in other math classes, which is one of the biggest reasons I didn't care for it as much.

 

[Digsbe]

I can do math, but I dislike it and it isn't my strength. I was able to do calculus and get accepted into pharmacy school. I think you should be able to pass calc 1 if you put time into studying if you are able to have a 75+ average (like you said) in other math courses.

 

[Doulos]

Whatever you do, make sure you take the right Math course. Don't take a harder one than you KNOW you're ready for.

At my school, they offer two different Calculus series. Calc 113 & 114 or Calc 115 or 116. Either one would have worked but the 113 is easier and the 115 is the one recommended for the engineering students.

I needed to take Calc 1 over the summer in order to open the door for some other classes but the 113 was full. So I said, what the heck, I'll take the harder one. Bad decision. I was doing poorly on the first test and then had to choose between backing out or trying to pull up the nose on things. I went with the latter. It was a bad choice. I'm not going to say what the grade was, but it was more than disappointing. Easily the worst grade I've gotten in my life for any class I can ever remember taking.

Don't take a Math that you're not ready for and don't take a harder one than you need in order to meet your requirements.

 

[Uwrf]

To be honest, I found Calculus (first semester calculus that is) to be easier than any higher level algebra course. I maintained an A the entire time. I received C's in intermediate algebra courses and B's in college algebra courses. Granted for calculus, I studied hard and did all the homework, but it paid off. I was a horrible math student before and needed extra study time to understand many different concepts. Its ironic how it got easier, but it's probably because you end with higher level algebra and go into lower lever calculus. Calculus I is not the super-beast that many call it... not unless you are talking about calculus II.

 

[358265]

Hey team, I'll try to keep this short.

I am a student who originally dropped out of high school (family problems). I'm now almost graduated after returning back. I have a high 90 average so far, but I REALLY struggle with math, and to get a 75+ average I had to pretty much study 3-4 hours extra, compared to a equivalent level course in a different subject, like say biology.

I've been pretty much OBSESSING about pharmacy. Pharmacy is honestly the only job I can see myself doing. Really, it is. I have read all the information available on my future universities site, including searching up the courses, then actually looking up the material online. In my university you need to be able to do calculus, something I know nothing about. (I have only took math A30 so far)

How likely is it that I will be able to handle this math? There is no math requirement for pre-pharmacy. But in first year pharmacy, you need to take a life sciences math, which includes calculus.

Please help me out guys, this is really,really stressing me out. I'm loosing confidence, and it's scaring me to death.

Why are you OBSESSING about pharmacy? I mean it's good to be passionate, but have you actually been in a pharmacy? Or have you just read about it? It's good to actually have hands-on experience in a pharmacy to determine if it's the right path for you.

 

[smercer]

Why are you OBSESSING about pharmacy? I mean it's good to be passionate, but have you actually been in a pharmacy? Or have you just read about it? It's good to actually have hands-on experience in a pharmacy to determine if it's the right path for you.

I feel you on this. I remember a guy at one of my pre-pharm club meetings talking about how Pharm. is so easy cause all you gotta do is check drugs & sign labels. I was like yea...thats the physical part of the job. Pharmacy is a mental job for the most part. I think a good bit of people over look that. I mean it does not exactly take 6+ years of college to learn how to sign your name and copy information from a sheet of paper into a computer.

Getting experience in a pharmacy is very good. No need to get yourself into 100k+ debt to realize you hate your job.

 

[358265]

I feel you on this. I remember a guy at one of my pre-pharm club meetings talking about how Pharm. is so easy cause all you gotta do is check drugs & sign labels. I was like yea...thats the physical part of the job. Pharmacy is a mental job for the most part. I think a good bit of people over look that. I mean it does not exactly take 6+ years of college to learn how to sign your name and copy information from a sheet of paper into a computer.

Getting experience in a pharmacy is very good. No need to get yourself into 100k+ debt to realize you hate your job.

About 50% of the students (or maybe 70% by the time they've graduated) that I have seen stated that they wish someone told them the honest truth about pharmacy.

Well, you just have to know what you're getting yourself into. Pharmacy is a great profession but too many people go into for the wrong reasons. If you take it for what it is, then you'll do fine. But like the majority who have no clue until it's too late... 😡