Eh ... I have another class question ...

[MaybePharmacist]

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As I mentioned in another thread, I dropped the Anatomy class I was taking over summer because it got to be too much since I was also taking another class during that same month. I tried to register again for anatomy, but the class was full and when I emailed the professor about whether I could get in, he said he didn't have any control over that (I'm not sure how true that is). Therefore, I thought that perhaps I should just go ahead and take Physiology since my chances of getting into anatomy weren't looking too good. However, this upcoming semester will be my last one at my university and, being a business major, I will be taking 15 hours of 400-level business classes. Do you think it would be a mistake to take Physiology (a 5 hour class) in this same semester (bringing up my total hours to 20)? Furthermore, the professor who teaches Physiology is the same one who taught Anatomy over summer, and I kinda hated him. I'm wondering if I should just take Physiology (or maybe another class that I need to retake) at a community college instead of at my university, but I read another thread where people mentioned that "eyebrows would be raised" if I mixed classes at a university and a community college. Does anyone have any advice, opinions, ideas, etc.? I appreciate it!

 

[IrishRxMan]

It depends on if you mean you will be done at your university to mean you will be graduating. If you graduate but still have pre-reqs, there's no shame in taking them at a CC. Many people that took classes at a CC are pharmacy students and pharmacists. I think the comments you speak of are coming from people trying to get an edge over others, but I could be wrong. In Texas, it's not looked down upon. Now, if you have taken the same class at several universities and dropped every time you took it, that will look like you are fishing for the easy A instead of gritting through it.

As an aside, it doesn't really matter who is teaching the class or if you like them or not. In my experience with school, you are still responsible for knowing the material. Some professors are better than others at presenting the material in a way that you can grasp it and remember it easier. Regardless, I've said the same thing that the reason I didn't get an A was because the professor wasn't good but I've come to realize that the professor's teaching abilities have nothing to really do with it. You have a book and what the professor is presenting to you. You might have to do a little more work to learn but it will be better for you in the long run, especially when you get into pharmacy school. You don't know what work is until you hit those classes.

I would seriously think long and hard before taking on 20 hours. I have no idea how intense the upper level business classes are for your university, but the business majors I knew in undergrad all had big projects to do for at least one of their classes. It's something to carefully weigh before taking on another class where you would have to devote a lot of time to study for that is an important one to getting into pharmacy school.

 

[MaybePharmacist]

Hi! Thank you for your response. I will receive my bachelor's degree (in business) in December from my current university, but I still need to take about a total of 9 pre-reqs in order to apply to pharmacy school. I was planning on taking these classes at a community college in order to save some money (and frankly because I'm ready to get out of my university). Also, I haven't taken Physiology before, so I'm not exactly trying to fish for good grades (although I'd feel more confident taking these classes at a community college). I agree with you when you say that not everything depends on the teacher, but teachers do have some impact on the class and the students' grades. As for the upper level business classes I'll be taking, I'm pretty sure that they'll be difficult. I've already looked over some of the syllabi, and there are plenty of projects, presentations, papers, etc. present. It's just frustrating because I don't want to have to drop Physiology later down the road, but, at the same time, I don't want to seem like a slacker.

 

[IrishRxMan]

You won't be looked at as a slacker unless there's something else you haven't disclosed. You will have a degree in business and that's a plus. If all you have is 9 hours, you can do that in a semester at a CC and be fine. There are schools that will even accept you taking the classes the summer before you start. I'd hold off on physiology and take that when you can focus on it and do well. Getting a good base in that from the start will help you greatly in pharmacy school. The sciences are important for you to have a good foundation to build on, particularly biology classes. Chemistry classes you need to have a strong foundation in to a point, but unless you want to go into research, a good understanding on how things work chemically is really all you need (depending on the SOP curriculum).

 

[delano2000]

You won't be looked at as a slacker unless there's something else you haven't disclosed. You will have a degree in business and that's a plus. If all you have is 9 hours, you can do that in a semester at a CC and be fine. There are schools that will even accept you taking the classes the summer before you start. I'd hold off on physiology and take that when you can focus on it and do well. Getting a good base in that from the start will help you greatly in pharmacy school. The sciences are important for you to have a good foundation to build on, particularly biology classes. Chemistry classes you need to have a strong foundation in to a point, but unless you want to go into research, a good understanding on how things work chemically is really all you need (depending on the SOP curriculum).

I think he/she has a total of 9 classes left to take for Pre-Pharm. If that is the case, you probably won't be able to start next fall. Well, unless you can knock them out in the spring and summer I & II.

 

[diastole]

Red flags are raised for taking classes at a CC if you are at university and you keep ducking out of the hard classes. If a student attends a university but takes Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, and A&P all during the summer at a CC, it will raise a red flag. If you are only taking one class to fit it in your schedule or you finished your degree and you want to save some money like you are doing, I think it will be fine. You can always explain it at an interview if anyone asks.

 

[MaybePharmacist]

Thanks for the advice! I've decided to hold off on the physiology class, but to go ahead and take an online math class offered by the community college I plan on finishing the rest of my pre-reqs at. I plan on applying next August, by which time I should have 6 out of the 9 pre-reqs finished (if I take summer classes). I can finish the remaining 3 classes by the end of next fall. I'm also going to enroll in the Kaplan PCAT program now (it starts on the 25th), so hopefully I won't be overly overwhelmed with the 15 hours of business classes, the online math class, and the Kaplan classes. We'll see ... thanks again!

 

[MaybePharmacist]

Oh yea, and I'll be trying to fit some volunteering in there too ... 🙄