Got owned on the PCAT

[smileyman22336]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Yeah so pretty much this thread is to ask what is next to do...i got a horrible pcat composite score today (didnt study, bad choice, i know...but classes were overwhelming)...i got less than 30 composite. I didn't choose the opt out option so the schools will be receiving my score. I'm scared to even apply now cause wont they see this score as well as my future one...pretty much, I got 2 months now to go from a below 30 composite to a 90, that is what I really need. I'm taking only one class in fall, that's genetics, and I'm trying to get a pharmacy tech job to work part time in, hopefully that'll serve me approximately 5 hours a day to study for the pcat. I need a 90 or above so urgently. I have dr. c material as well as kaplan, rea flashcards, and some old text books, but idk, what do you suggest I do, or what study schedule should I follow to ensure an above 90? It's my last shot before I apply to pharmacy school. I really need your help for those of you who got 90's or above. I even heard several of you all got 99's on here. Please advise me of what to do from now until then so that I will own the pcat and get my revenge. Thanks.

 

[harmonidrum]

Yeah so pretty much this thread is to ask what is next to do...i got a horrible pcat composite score today (didnt study, bad choice, i know...but classes were overwhelming)...i got less than 30 composite. I didn't choose the opt out option so the schools will be receiving my score. I'm scared to even apply now cause wont they see this score as well as my future one...pretty much, I got 2 months now to go from a below 30 composite to a 90, that is what I really need. I'm taking only one class in fall, that's genetics, and I'm trying to get a pharmacy tech job to work part time in, hopefully that'll serve me approximately 5 hours a day to study for the pcat. I need a 90 or above so urgently. I have dr. c material as well as kaplan, rea flashcards, and some old text books, but idk, what do you suggest I do, or what study schedule should I follow to ensure an above 90? It's my last shot before I apply to pharmacy school. I really need your help for those of you who got 90's or above. I even heard several of you all got 99's on here. Please advise me of what to do from now until then so that I will own the pcat and get my revenge. Thanks.

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

 

[Incitatus]

.

 

[ky1234]

seriously... i'm a business major and had 95 composite today

 

[pharmschooler]

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

You have an awful lot of opinions about others for a pre-pharm student. Note that your attitude will be a barrier at your interview, if you get that far.

As far as advice to the OP: You just have to do it. Studying for the PCAT is pretty dull, I admit, but you have to make it a priority. If you don't...well, you already know what will happen if you don't study.

 

[JonPrePharmD]

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

Like I said in another thread, I know someone who got below a 50% composite and they got into pharmacy school for the c/o 2015!

A lot of people seem to think that the PCAT will get you in...that a 90+ composite will be the golden ticket and it's smooth sailing after leaving the testing center...this couldn't be further from the truth. Interviews, recommendations, personal statements, GPA, extracurricular, experience, I mean I can keep going with strengths that can buffer low PCAT scores.

I'm not saying that people who score below 50% shouldn't retake, because they should, but it has been proven at least once not to be an issue. Maybe that person is the luckiest person in the world, if that's the case, I'll have them pick my lotto numbers!

 

[smileyman22336]

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

Wish it was a joke but it isn't. IDK, my computer also crashed half way through. Not to make it as an excuse, but I didn't even study for the exam not even a minute. I've been in class literally 8 hours a day both summer sessions, it's been hard to study for this test. I wont change my major, no matter what.

 

[smileyman22336]

If anybody has a good study plan or ideas of how to get a high percentile please let me know. I've already started studying now but I don't know how much to focus on each section...or when to do practice tests, etc.

 

[harmonidrum]

You have an awful lot of opinions about others for a pre-pharm student. Note that your attitude will be a barrier at your interview, if you get that far.
.

Yeah, I am pretty skeptical, oh well. I guess I missed the part where being a medical professional required you to be a blithe romantic. Just because I think this profession isn't for everyone doesn't mean I don't understand interview propriety or don't hold myself to professional standards. I guarantee I'm getting over 90 on the PCAT next week, is that going to be a hindrance to getting an interview? Probably not, so speak for yourself.

 

[Lid04pp1]

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

This is a place where people get advice. If have nothing nice to say, then don't say it at all. This is pretty rude. I know people did get into Pharmacy school with low PCAT score. I believe PCAT is not the only factor that people get accepted. It is very immature of you to say thing like that.

P.S. you not only insult smileyman22336, but also insulting business and comm major! Every major has their own difficulty....Nothing is easy, you got to work hard to get the grade you deserve!

 

[Elisaveth]

Yeah so pretty much this thread is to ask what is next to do...i got a horrible pcat composite score today (didnt study, bad choice, i know...but classes were overwhelming)...i got less than 30 composite.

Well, so what's done is done, and what's the point of beating yourself up? Take the one offered in September after studying. Don't beat yourself up. It's time to forge ahead, soldier.

 

[Elisaveth]

This is a place where people get advice. If have nothing nice to say, then don't say it at all. This is pretty rude. I know people did get into Pharmacy school with low PCAT score. I believe PCAT is not the only factor that people get accepted. It is very immature of you to say thing like that.

I agree. It's disturbing that a prospective pharmacist's first instinct after reading about someone's misfortune is to be a jackass. Perhaps a career that doesn't deal with people needing help is more suitable for him.

 

[pharmschooler]

Yeah, I am pretty skeptical, oh well. I guess I missed the part where being a medical professional required you to be a blithe romantic. Just because I think this profession isn't for everyone doesn't mean I don't understand interview propriety or don't hold myself to professional standards. I guarantee I'm getting over 90 on the PCAT next week, is that going to be a hindrance to getting an interview? Probably not, so speak for yourself.

I don't really care what you get on the PCAT.

I'm not a blithe romantic, but I'm not needlessly rude, either. Moreover, I don't insult large swaths of humanity by insulting their major choice, nor do I find others and go out of my way to insult their intelligence.

 

[Elisaveth]

Yeah, I am pretty skeptical, oh well. I guess I missed the part where being a medical professional required you to be a blithe romantic. Just because I think this profession isn't for everyone doesn't mean I don't understand interview propriety or don't hold myself to professional standards. I guarantee I'm getting over 90 on the PCAT next week, is that going to be a hindrance to getting an interview? Probably not, so speak for yourself.

This is the real you, and even if you attempt to mask it temporarily, the real you comes out at one point or another. And while you might get into pharmacy school based on the strength of your numbers, your personality will undoubtedly hinder your future. People will know there is something "off" about you when you attempt to crack another joke at the wrong time or say something callous about a person who is suffering some misfortune, and they'll call you creepy behind your back. Eventually, they won't want to work with you and you'll get let go.

I worked with a young woman a few years ago who was an excellent hire on paper. She had a high GPA from Harvard in economics, and had amazing GMAT scores and grades and experiences that had gotten her into Stanford's business school. She was a lovely person in real life---wasn't rude, carried herself well, was really pleasant. But on our office email, her tone was undoubtedly rude. After making a very slight error that anybody else would have been forgiven for, they decided to can her (nicely, by suggesting she look into other opportunities), because the founding partner thought one of her emails lacked professionalism and he thought it was disrespectful.

You can say that you're different in real life, but the things you do anonymously are the ones that define how you act in the many unguarded moments you have in your day when supervisors and coworkers are observing you. Everybody wants to work with good people who are nice and helpful colleagues. No one wants to be around arrogant jerks who think they're masking their arrogance and lack of compassion.

 

[danibella]

Smileyman: If it helps, I took Kaplan's diagnostic exam before studying at all and got more than half the answers wrong... so yeah, pretty bad. Now I'm taking Pearson and Dr. Collin's practice tests scoring around 85% in every subject. What I've done is work through every single Dr. Collin's packet & tests and use Kaplan to review bio & chem. I'd estimate I've been studying about an hour/day everyday for 6 weeks.

I take my PCAT the 27th so HOPEFULLY those scores are reflective of my practice tests 🙂 but my goal here is to show you that you probably just need to refresh and then focus on a couple specific sub-areas (ex. calc and micro for me) to significantly raise that score. You can get there by September, good luck!

 

[Lid04pp1]

Yeah, I am pretty skeptical, oh well. I guess I missed the part where being a medical professional required you to be a blithe romantic. Just because I think this profession isn't for everyone doesn't mean I don't understand interview propriety or don't hold myself to professional standards. I guarantee I'm getting over 90 on the PCAT next week, is that going to be a hindrance to getting an interview? Probably not, so speak for yourself.

Who care if you get over 90 PCAT!!! Stop your ignorant! Yes, this profession isn't for everyone, but doesn't mean you have the right to determine that. You can't tell someone to change their career just because he/she did not get a good PCAT score! Maybe they have a great GPA, EC, PS, and LOR! How rude are you to tell people to change their career.... and you not only insult that person, but also whoever in business or comm major! Every major have their own difficulty! Nothing is easy, you got to work hard to get the grade you deserve! You are very immature!

 

[dudecoolname]

To OP's original question - Just retake it and study your arse off next time. You should improve your score significantly.

 

[Lid04pp1]

I am using Dr. C and Pearson practice test. I heard alot of good thing about Dr.C ! I haven't take the test yet. I guess once I did, I will let you know! Since you said you didn't study... then you should spend more time to study your PCAT. GOOD LUCK 🙂

 

[smileyman22336]

thanks guys. currently ill be doing a quick review on the kaplan guide, and work my way through collins. do you think i should read through the collins material first then save the tests, or do a test every day per section until then? what i want to prevent from happening is memorizing the answers. i want to grasp the concepts. 69 days till september 28... im starting now.

 

[smileyman22336]

i was considering studying for the pharm tech certification exam simultaneously cause im already applying to pharm school but i dont have experience and i tried volunteering but they told me theres not much opportunity for me without it. is it a bad idea to study for both simultaneously? of course ill put way more emphasis on the pcat...

 

[harmonidrum]

I really didn't insult business or comm majors by the way, just mentioned those due to their putative simplicity compared to an intellectually tasking major such as pharmacy.

 

[Lid04pp1]

thanks guys. currently ill be doing a quick review on the kaplan guide, and work my way through collins. do you think i should read through the collins material first then save the tests, or do a test every day per section until then? what i want to prevent from happening is memorizing the answers. i want to grasp the concepts. 69 days till september 28... im starting now.

I feel like Kaplan has too much information. I would go through Collins's review first, if you don't understand the concept then go to kaplan. Um...... Since Collins has 9 tests each section...I would do half like homework.... and once you are used to the problems, then do the other half and time yourself.

 

[smileyman22336]

Sounds good, so my technique right now is to do 4 as homework and 5 as practice exams. And every now and then refer to the kaplan book. At the very end I will take a quiz over the complete rea flash guide book. Any other tips, keep them coming...

 

[gotgame740]

I have the rea flashcard book and I didn't find it to be too helpful. It's good to look at every once in a while but you wanna make sure you buy the pearson practice tests if you haven't already

 

[smileyman22336]

I have the rea flashcard book and I didn't find it to be too helpful. It's good to look at every once in a while but you wanna make sure you buy the pearson practice tests if you haven't already

Oh for sure then I wont concentrate too much on the rea, but I will look over them every once in a while. I got the pearson tests and I did one and it seems to be very similar to the actual thing. I don't know how often I should take one, but I'm thinking once every week? Good idea?

And also, what do you all think about studying for the pharmacy tech at the same time (putting more emphasis on the pcat though), I'm applying for pharmacy school this fall and have zero hours in a pharmacy cause every time I'd try to volunteer they advised me to get a pharmacy tech license...

 

[Incitatus]

I really didn't insult business or comm majors by the way, just mentioned those due to their putative simplicity compared to an intellectually tasking major such as pharmacy.

LOL
I'm sorry, but the "sarcastic internet douchebag" fascade is so over played that it's hard for me to even try to take you seriously.

 

[gotgame740]

Oh for sure then I wont concentrate too much on the rea, but I will look over them every once in a while. I got the pearson tests and I did one and it seems to be very similar to the actual thing. I don't know how often I should take one, but I'm thinking once every week? Good idea?

And also, what do you all think about studying for the pharmacy tech at the same time (putting more emphasis on the pcat though), I'm applying for pharmacy school this fall and have zero hours in a pharmacy cause every time I'd try to volunteer they advised me to get a pharmacy tech license...

you should try to shadow at a pharmacy or two and then volunteer at the hospital (anywhere with patient contact). that's currently what i'm doing. that way you can have a good amount of experience

 

[bigwave]

👎

 

[harmonidrum]

Harmonidrum: I don't know you and I can tell your personality blows. You are an internet troll. And guess what, you'll probably get into pharmacy school with your 😍90+😍 Pcat score, but once you're there, no one is going to care about your score, they'll just care about avoiding you because you're a complete jerk.

And p.s.. quit acting like the friggin' PCAT is the most important thing in the world. Go watch a sunset, or pet a cute cat, or talk to a girl, and realize there are things outside of a standardized test. 😀

I think we are neglecting an important point here, this guy got less than a 30 percentile, to me that is indicative of someone who does not grasp even the most basic tenets of the prerequisite coursework. Is my advising him to reconsider his career aspirations that rude? And in regards to your ad hominem jabs, I really could care less about immersing myself in plebeian frivolities for future payoff. I'm sure their will be plenty of kittens around to be petted after I get my PharmD.

 

[dudecoolname]

I think we are neglecting an important point here, this guy got less than a 30 percentile, to me that is indicative of someone who does not grasp even the most basic tenets of the prerequisite coursework.

Well, he mentioned that he had absolutely no time to study...I know If I didn't study I probably wouldn't make much better than a 50-60

He still did better than 30 percent of the people who took the exam....

Now that I think about it....50 percent of people who take the PCAT make less than a 51.......Why do so many people do so bad? LOL

 

[smileyman22336]

I didn't even study an hour for it and thats cause I retook chem 1 and 2, and now have physics and precal, each in both summer sessions are 8 hours a day so there was no time. its my fault for the scheduling but now i have more time to correct it so that way i can get a 90 or higher on the pcat hopefully.

 

[chemguy79]

I didn't even study an hour for it and thats cause I retook chem 1 and 2, and now have physics and precal, each in both summer sessions are 8 hours a day so there was no time. its my fault for the scheduling but now i have more time to correct it so that way i can get a 90 or higher on the pcat hopefully.

May I ask why you didn't postpone your test date given that you "didn't even study an hour for it?" You can always postpone your test date and given your schedule, the poor score will reflect quite poorly on your application.

Furthermore, you could have chosen the "no score" option if you knew that you were doing that poorly on the exam. (If you scored below 30, you likely knew that you were doing poorly on the exam before that point.)

These are definitely things to think about before you take the exam in September. You definitely have time to fix these issues. However, if you're scoring below 30 composite, I'd think about not taking the exam until you have time to relearn the material because a score that poor illustrates that you didn't grasp much of the material on first glance. Study guides like Dr. Collins provide practice, but it sounds like you may need to learn the material properly again; As evidenced by your retaking of Chem 1 and 2.

 

[jtichinel1]

Yeah so pretty much this thread is to ask what is next to do...i got a horrible pcat composite score today (didnt study, bad choice, i know...but classes were overwhelming)...i got less than 30 composite. I didn't choose the opt out option so the schools will be receiving my score. I'm scared to even apply now cause wont they see this score as well as my future one...pretty much, I got 2 months now to go from a below 30 composite to a 90, that is what I really need. I'm taking only one class in fall, that's genetics, and I'm trying to get a pharmacy tech job to work part time in, hopefully that'll serve me approximately 5 hours a day to study for the pcat. I need a 90 or above so urgently. I have dr. c material as well as kaplan, rea flashcards, and some old text books, but idk, what do you suggest I do, or what study schedule should I follow to ensure an above 90? It's my last shot before I apply to pharmacy school. I really need your help for those of you who got 90's or above. I even heard several of you all got 99's on here. Please advise me of what to do from now until then so that I will own the pcat and get my revenge. Thanks.

I am excited to see somebody on this forum reaching out for help. It takes a lot to get up after a harsh reality check, such as your PCAT experience. What you may not know is how close you really were to doing well. A 30% may seem like a far cry from a good grade but its NOT! I just got a 394 (31%) on my PCAT last week, as I was walking out of the Pearson test center a nether test taker asked how I did. We compared scores, and she had a 404 with a 54%! Now I know 54% isn't ideal, but the point is that the grading curve goes straight up after the 400's.. Hang in there, don't give up on yourself, and you will be a great success.

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

As for you harmonidrum... I think it's clear that you were not "advising" him to consider a nether career. You were badgering him, taking the opportunity to sit on his shoulders and call your self tall. Thousands of students get 90% on the PCAT every year, and even more importantly three times that many people get less than a 30%.. that's beside the point. This isn't about that PCAT or getting into a pissing contest with fellow students. It's about showing some humility, compassion, and respect towards man kind. You sit there and launch attacks on people who have found hard times, and do it from a thousand miles away. The funny part is it takes a real coward to kick somebody while there down, but it takes tons of courage to be down and get back up and hit the books. I don't know you, but I doubt you became a successful student on your own. You have a support system? Friends? Family? God? What would they think if they knew that while they encourage your aspirations of being successful you attack others attempting the same thing. One day you will be down for the count, who's going to help you up?

 

[pharmschooler]

I think we are neglecting an important point here, this guy got less than a 30 percentile, to me that is indicative of someone who does not grasp even the most basic tenets of the prerequisite coursework. Is my advising him to reconsider his career aspirations that rude? And in regards to your ad hominem jabs, I really could care less about immersing myself in plebeian frivolities for future payoff. I'm sure their will be plenty of kittens around to be petted after I get my PharmD.

plebeian....bwahahaha!

This is hilarious, until I realize there's always the chance this guy is applying to my school. 🙁

 

[harmonidrum]

I don't know you, but I doubt you became a successful student on your own. You have a support system? Friends? Family? God?

Well now that you ask, my father is mentally ill and incarcerated 3 states away from New York. My mother is on welfare and cannot afford to support me herself. So yeah I kind of did do this on my own. And beat out competitors that have been dealt the colloquial better hand.

 

[FuturePharm015]

I've been reading posts for awhile and decided I had something worth sharing regarding this post.

I was accepted to a well-known, amazing pharmacy school and will be a P1 in August 🙂
However, last year after I received my PCAT scores, if you would have told me I'd be entering pharmacy school in 2011 I would have laughed in your face! My composite was a 27, Biology being my highest score at a 56. I graduated with a B.S. in Biology as Summa Cum Laude, had several extracurriculars, worked in a pharmacy (less than a year), and had amazing recommendations. I am living proof that while your PCAT score is important, it isn't the deciding factor to whether you will be accepted to pharmacy school or not. I applied to TWO universities (both well-known) and received interviews at both. Luckily I was accepted to the school I wanted to attend.

I'd also suggest prayer because I'm pretty sure God helped me out on this one 🙂 Good Luck!!

 

[dudecoolname]

^ What was your GPA if you don't mind me asking

 

[Greggy Weggy]

^ What was your GPA if you don't mind me asking

Summa Cum Laude is 3.9-4.0

 

[lilsweetpea01]

I've been reading posts for awhile and decided I had something worth sharing regarding this post.

I was accepted to a well-known, amazing pharmacy school and will be a P1 in August 🙂
However, last year after I received my PCAT scores, if you would have told me I'd be entering pharmacy school in 2011 I would have laughed in your face! My composite was a 27, Biology being my highest score at a 56. I graduated with a B.S. in Biology as Summa Cum Laude, had several extracurriculars, worked in a pharmacy (less than a year), and had amazing recommendations. I am living proof that while your PCAT score is important, it isn't the deciding factor to whether you will be accepted to pharmacy school or not. I applied to TWO universities (both well-known) and received interviews at both. Luckily I was accepted to the school I wanted to attend.

I'd also suggest prayer because I'm pretty sure God helped me out on this one 🙂 Good Luck!!

Definitely agree. A low score shouldn't discourage you, but rather motivate you to do better. I did terrible both times I took the PCAT. Afterwards, I worked hard and graduated with a Bachelors in business, had tons of ECs and a fairly decent GPA. Pharmacy schools look at the PCAT, but don't automatically rule a student out if his or her score is low. They know not everyone is good at standardized testing, which is why it's only ONE of the determining factors. I know a lot of students who have gotten a 99, but still didn't get in. Keep your head up, seriously work hard, study, and retake it.

 

[Tokki0202]

This is a joke right? If this is legit you now have set the bar as the lowest score I have seen so far. Maybe switch your major to comm? Or business?

Wow, I am shocked at how arrogant and rude you are. A fellow student has put pride aside and told us all their scores, (which obviously they are not ecstatic about because why else would they ask for help), only to be told by you that they have now "set the bar as the lowest score". So who are you do be so condescending? Good luck impressing anyone either during an interview or in another area in life regarding compassion and encouragement. I agree with the previous posts mentioning the PCAT is simply a fraction of the entire application process.
Since you are so eager to recommend changes for others, maybe you should take a step off your "pedestal" and change your attitude.

For my fellow student, I wish you the best of luck. The PCAT is one of those exams you just have to be dedicated and focused to do well. I have used Kaplan, but I am currently using Collins and it really does help. Good luck! You can achieve anything if you really want it, and work hard for it! 😀

 

[Bigj5768]

Yeah so pretty much this thread is to ask what is next to do...i got a horrible pcat composite score today (didnt study, bad choice, i know...but classes were overwhelming)...i got less than 30 composite. I didn't choose the opt out option so the schools will be receiving my score. I'm scared to even apply now cause wont they see this score as well as my future one...pretty much, I got 2 months now to go from a below 30 composite to a 90, that is what I really need. I'm taking only one class in fall, that's genetics, and I'm trying to get a pharmacy tech job to work part time in, hopefully that'll serve me approximately 5 hours a day to study for the pcat. I need a 90 or above so urgently. I have dr. c material as well as kaplan, rea flashcards, and some old text books, but idk, what do you suggest I do, or what study schedule should I follow to ensure an above 90? It's my last shot before I apply to pharmacy school. I really need your help for those of you who got 90's or above. I even heard several of you all got 99's on here. Please advise me of what to do from now until then so that I will own the pcat and get my revenge. Thanks.

I think you should take a free Kaplan PCAT practice test or a Pearson practice test (under time condition) to see where your at. Pearson you have to pay to use the Pearson one. After, the Pearson will give you an breakdown in each of the subjects and you should use this breakdown to design a study plan. I think the Kaplan might do that, but I not 100% sure and also I believe that they have preset dates so you can't just take it when ever you want. I suggest you find that information out if you decide to do it with Kaplan.

 

[Tokki0202]

I've been reading posts for awhile and decided I had something worth sharing regarding this post.

I was accepted to a well-known, amazing pharmacy school and will be a P1 in August 🙂
However, last year after I received my PCAT scores, if you would have told me I'd be entering pharmacy school in 2011 I would have laughed in your face! My composite was a 27, Biology being my highest score at a 56. I graduated with a B.S. in Biology as Summa Cum Laude, had several extracurriculars, worked in a pharmacy (less than a year), and had amazing recommendations. I am living proof that while your PCAT score is important, it isn't the deciding factor to whether you will be accepted to pharmacy school or not. I applied to TWO universities (both well-known) and received interviews at both. Luckily I was accepted to the school I wanted to attend.

I'd also suggest prayer because I'm pretty sure God helped me out on this one 🙂 Good Luck!!

Wow, congrats! Thanks for sharing and giving other students encouragement, especially those with imperfect resumes. Best of luck!!!

 

[smileyman22336]

May I ask why you didn't postpone your test date given that you "didn't even study an hour for it?" You can always postpone your test date and given your schedule, the poor score will reflect quite poorly on your application.

Furthermore, you could have chosen the "no score" option if you knew that you were doing that poorly on the exam. (If you scored below 30, you likely knew that you were doing poorly on the exam before that point.)

These are definitely things to think about before you take the exam in September. You definitely have time to fix these issues. However, if you're scoring below 30 composite, I'd think about not taking the exam until you have time to relearn the material because a score that poor illustrates that you didn't grasp much of the material on first glance. Study guides like Dr. Collins provide practice, but it sounds like you may need to learn the material properly again; As evidenced by your retaking of Chem 1 and 2.

I got 2 A's in chem 1 and 2 as well as all of the other prereqs that I had already taken or retook. But the fact was I didn't study and had been burned out because in one semester I took calculus, microbiology, statistics, organic chem 1, then I took chem 1 and chem 2 again to ace them and physics and precalculus for lab which I didn't have. So in between all the labs and study I had inadequate time for study, which I do agree was my fault. But I planned to finish the prereqs on time for this application cycle which is why I combined all courses as simply as I could. The pcat wasn't bad, but for taking the pcat as my first practice test I didn't expect much else. I was unaware once we paid if we'd be able to reschedule. Also, I've been doing Dr. C's practice exams and since the pcat I've been scoring in the 50's ranges. So I do see some improvement, even if it's not drastic. I want to continue to study for it. I really do not attribute my low score to not grasping the material I attribute it for not having a lighter schedule in order to prepare and by underestimating the time. I knew how to solve the answers for most of the questions but found myself having to pick a answer choice because there'd be very few minutes left. So the one thing I want to work on is timing and I feel I'd be able to better work on the material. Putting in daily time is my goal now, which has been serving me so far as of yet. I guess I wasn't in the mindset of test taking, since my car battery died the morning of, (5am), and I had to drive an 1 and a half to make it by 8, which I barely did. There was a whole bunch of things running through my head. But I just want to know how to handle Dr. C's material as far as when to take an exam, when to review notes, and when to move onto the next sections in order to adequately space and pace myself while reviewing in order to maximally absorb and engulf the given information. Also, some of the questions I need to review, because these prereqs have spanned from about 3 years, so it's been a while since I've seen some of them. I believe there's nothing a little effort, work, and positivity can't accomplish.

 

[cmspharm]

.

 

[Niosh]

Don't they have a rule where following a large gain in scores results in throwing out the new score? Something like a 50% gain and you have to get permission to keep your new one.

Yep, found it.
http://www.pearsonassessments.com/hai/Images/dotCom/pcatweb.info/PCAT_CIB.pdf

Check out pages 17-19 and cancellation of score by questionable gain. Although the fact you said your computer crashed during the test seems like the score you already got should have been cancelled. To me that would qualify as a testing irregularity.

 

[harmonidrum]

I am usually not so critical of others, but since you appear to be, I would like to point out a few things. Please stop using words (e.g., plebeian) that no one actually uses in day to day conversation. Also, learn the difference between their and there. You should also learn when to use a comma vs. a period. It seems as if someone like you, who is so confident enough to guarantee you will receive a 90+ on the PCAT, would know such things "due to their putative simplicity."

Additionally, I know someone who got close to that low of a score on their original PCAT. However, they studied and improved their (notice my use of their instead of there) test-taking skills. They then ended up doing quite well on the PCAT and are now one of the top students in their class at an extremely well-known pharmacy school. People have bad test days or have other circumstances which may inhibit them from performing at their maximum ability on test day. You should not jump to conclusions and say that the OP needs to change his or her major and reconsider their career aspirations because of one test score. Would you want admissions committees to jump to conclusions about your previous academic history? If they used the logic you have used with the OP's test scores, they could assume you too aren't fit for pharmacy. However, they look at the entire picture and often understand when people have circumstances beyond their control. While this is entirely different than that of the case of the OP, I just want you to understand that one should not jump to such extreme conclusions. If the OP is passionate about becoming a pharmacist, he or she should not give up based solely off of one test score. He or she can improve vastly upon that score and do amazingly the next time around. There is no reason for you to be so critical of someone in a situation like this.

That was a typo...and I will readily admit my grammar skills are lacking as far as punctuation is concerned. I do use "plebeian" in everyday speech fairly often. Everyone seems to think this guy has outstanding peripheral achievements and that he somehow slipped up on the PCAT. I do not agree. The OP states "I spend less than an hour studying". Believing that <1hr of studying will be sufficient for an exam of this caliber is a strong indication of lack of fundamental reasoning skills needed for this profession.

 

[Incitatus]

That was a typo...and I will readily admit my grammar skills are lacking as far as punctuation is concerned. I do use "plebeian" in everyday speech fairly often. Everyone seems to think this guy has outstanding peripheral achievements and that he somehow slipped up on the PCAT. I do not agree. The OP states "I spend less than an hour studying". Believing that <1hr of studying will be sufficient for an exam of this caliber is a strong indication of lack of fundamental reasoning skills needed for this profession.

Firstly, a PharmD buddy of mine's explicit advice to me was to not study at all for the test, advice that served him very well. His reasoning being that the PCAT is testing you on information that you have already learned, and testing your ability to conceptually manipulate that information.

Secondly, can you just give it up already? Not one person seems to appreciate your unsupportive candor.
Surely your mother taught you when you were 5, that when you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.

 

[smileyman22336]

I studied an hour given the classes I was taking was too much for me to handle so I spent more time on then, I should have rescheduled but wasn't too sure on pcat policy regarding that.

 

[smileyman22336]

If any one knows of an ideal schedule for how often to take Dr. C's exams or study a section per day, I'd appreciate that.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Just a friendly reminder to please keep discussions civil. This is a community of future professionals - let's act like it.