help me!

[whitneythegreat]

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Hi everyone, I'm new here, ut I figured I would join to get advice from all of you--so hopefully you can help me.

I graduated in May from my undergrad with a Political Science degree and my only experience has been with biology. I am currently doing my pre-reqs and am due to take my first PCAT at the end of june!!

I have math and the writing/verbal part down....I am really worried about chem and bio. When I take the PCAT, i will have taken bio 1, microbiology, and gen chem 1. basically I have to teach myself the rest before I take it.

So here is were I need your help--what resources should I utilize to prepare, and just how in depth is the chem? Do i need to memorize the whole damn textbook?

Does the kaplan bok help you go through the steps to work the chem problems? HELP ME!! thanks!

oh, and on a scale of 1-10, HONESTLY, how hard is it?

Thanks guys!

 

[stlouis79]

Alot of people on here will probably say..."Oh its not that hard," but trust me its a bitch. The quantitative reasoning and chemistry are pretty damn rigorous. I have a Bio degree so the biology was pretty simple, but for you only having Bio 1, you should definitely study using the kaplan books. I guess it also depends on how innately intelligent you are. The test are designed to test problem solving skills, so you might have an easier time. I got a 79 composite which is alright, but only because my verbal and biology were so high. My QR sucked (54) and my chem was not great (76). So definitely use the kaplan book its pretty good (except for the quantitative reasoning which didnt help me at all).

 

[FarscapeGirl]

There's also a lot of organic chemistry in the math part, more than the Kaplan book would have you believe. So, you might want to get one of those o-chem review books (although I think only first semester stuff is covered, but check with other people). Or take o-chem before you take the PCAT!

What got me the first time was calculus. I'm good at math, but it's been several years since I've had calc, so when I took the PCAT the second time, that's what I reviewed. That and stats, since I didn't remember much of my statistics class.

Oh, and without lots of practice, you'll most likely run out of time in both the chemistry and quant sections. Don't let it freak you out too much if it happens, since it happens to just about everyone.

 

[meowmeow]

Honestly, I think the best resources r taking classes like Ochem, physiology, biochem etc etc. Cant u take the classes 1st n then take the PCAT? For me, the test was probably an 8 where a 10 is the hardest. But its the time part that really messed me up.. mostly in the math section. You have to be really quick and u have to have the knowledge. So best advice: take the classes first....

 

[168533]

Since that is all the science classes you have taken, when do you plan to actually enter pharmacy school? 2010? If so, when do you plan to take the other science prereqs? If you're just finishing Gen Chem 1 at the time of the test, so basically you'll have to take Organic 1 in the spring and Organic 2 in the summer before you start, right or are you just wanting to take the PCAT a year early?

Honestly, I think you should definitely take all the required courses before you take the pcat (english 1 and 2, Gen Chem 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Bio 1 and 2). It's not impossible to teach yourself the material, but it's not easy. Especially if those are the only science classes you've taken. It's a lot of material to look over. I know you may want to jump in and get accepted right away, but this test is a pain in the butt to have to take more than once.

 

[orunri]

...Honestly, I think you should definitely take all the required courses before you take the pcat (english 1 and 2, Gen Chem 1 and 2, Orgo 1 and 2, Bio 1 and 2). It's not impossible to teach yourself the material, but it's not easy...

Why are you taking the test so early?
you should probably wait until you have atleast Orgo 1. Without it, you'll be at a disadvantage compared to your peers taking the test. You could self teach I guess, but it's not a good idea. I would think that schools look at the Chem section the most (if they look at individual section; some schools go by the composite) as it relates to the knowledge base necessary for pharm school. Its best to have a solid foundation in Math and Science before taking the test.

 

[TTUMike]

I also agree that it is going to be tough but is possible if you study on your own. I would suggest picking up the Kaplan MCAT review. I also took the test with only bio I and chem I & II and managed to score slightly above average. However, I definitely had to retake it because it was not a competitive score.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Moved to the PCAT forum because of topic. Whitney, in the future please don't make multiple threads on the same topic. It helps keep the forum more organized.

 

[Frederico Albin]

Quick question guys.

What other classes should I take in order to better prepare myself for the PCAT?
Mibrobio? Cell Bio? Genetics?

Thanks in advance

 

[Lordhokage]

Quick question guys.

What other classes should I take in order to better prepare myself for the PCAT?
Mibrobio? Cell Bio? Genetics?

Thanks in advance

Genetics is a really minor portion of the PCAT so it's not necessary. Microbiology is a must, Cell biology helps too. What would make the most difference is Organic Chemistry.

 

[Transformer]

Honestly, I think the best resources r taking classes like Ochem, physiology, biochem etc etc. Cant u take the classes 1st n then take the PCAT? For me, the test was probably an 8 where a 10 is the hardest. But its the time part that really messed me up.. mostly in the math section. You have to be really quick and u have to have the knowledge. So best advice: take the classes first....

Not to beat the horse anymore than we have to. Everyone is right.

Take the PCAT right after you ace your general and a few advance science classes.

 

[diastole]

Quick question guys.

What other classes should I take in order to better prepare myself for the PCAT?
Mibrobio? Cell Bio? Genetics?

Thanks in advance

Have you taken anatomy and physiology yet? I found that it was helpful for the bio section. I think I got a few more questions right because I took these courses. Micro is important too. You can probably get by without cell bio and genetics as long as you review the material from bio I.