How Hard Is Pharmacy School?

[missSunshine]

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Hi all!

I really am excited to become a pharmacist but I just want to know how difficult Pharm school is?

Do you need to have a very strong foundation in pre-reqs or does the program teach you what they want you know?

Thanks!!!

 

[Carboxide]

Pharmacy school is very difficult. They will teach you what you need to know for the most part - but they expect you to remember things like functional groups from organic and basic gen chem principles. The hardest thing is the workload - my class averaged about 80 hours a week last year when you included working, which was about 10 hours a week or so on average.

 

[Chris co2012]

Let's just say that I would never do it again if I had to...

 

[Digsbe]

As a new P1 I can say it's definitely a transition from undergrad. The course load is much heavier and the classes compact much more information than what you would have in an undergrad course. The material isn't too hard to understand, but a lot of studying will be required to grasp all of it. You will have to balance IPPEs on top of school on top of a job (if you have one) and labs depending on your curriculum. It's definitely time consuming.

 

[Carboxide]

As a new P1 I can say it's definitely a transition from undergrad. The course load is much heavier and the classes compact much more information than what you would have in an undergrad course. The material isn't too hard to understand, but a lot of studying will be required to grasp all of it. You will have to balance IPPEs on top of school on top of a job (if you have one) and labs depending on your curriculum. It's definitely time consuming.

P2 year was AT LEAST 100% harder than P1 year. Maybe more.

 

[Digsbe]

P2 year was AT LEAST 100% harder than P1 year. Maybe more.

That's what I was warned about. During orientation they showed us the GPA distributions for each class/semester and during P2 year GPAs dropped by 0.4 on average. They say therapeutics is what makes it harder.

 

[Doctor M]

P2 year was horrible. Some people liked it. I never was the studious type. I hated the book work, but enjoyed the last year.

 

[bw6]

Not hard.

Well, let me clarify. The material was not harder than my undergraduate degree (biochem/molec bio), but there is a lot more material. If you can understand and do well in higher level undergrad classes, you will be fine in pharmacy school as long as you are willing to put about 2x as much time into studying. Probably more.

 

[Momus]

P2 year was horrible. Some people liked it. I never was the studious type. I hated the book work, but enjoyed the last year.

Dude P2 sux in Buffalo lol. Probably the combination of Kinetics, Labs, and Therapeutics in general. It did not help when I only studied 2 days before the exam :x

P4 is the easiest, I was coasting and and still get As

 

[missSunshine]

Thanks all for the feedback!! I think I'm ready but you never know what to expect...

 

[missSunshine]

Not hard.

Well, let me clarify. The material was not harder than my undergraduate degree (biochem/molec bio), but there is a lot more material. If you can understand and do well in higher level undergrad classes, you will be fine in pharmacy school as long as you are willing to put about 2x as much time into studying. Probably more.

you must be book smart? 🙂

 

[xiphoid2010]

you must be book smart? 🙂

not really. What he said is true. Basically if you have the intelligence and foundational knowledge to comprehend key concepts, then it's only a matter of putting in the time.

In undergrad, if you put in even half an hour studying for each hour spent in classrooms, you got A's because the other 99% of the class didn't study at all. But in pharmacy school, your peers are people who aren't slackers in undergrad, and the amount of material they throw at you will actually take 2x of what you spend in class to really get it down-down.

Another thing is that pure memorization that worked for undergrad, won't take you all the way. I know a lot of students had that deer in the head light look when faced with mostly mathematical concepts and derivations of P2 Pharmacokinetics.

 

[missSunshine]

not really. What he said is true. Basically if you have the intelligence and foundational knowledge to comprehend key concepts, then it's only a matter of putting in the time.

In undergrad, if you put in even half an hour studying for each hour spent in classrooms, you got A's because the other 99% of the class didn't study at all. But in pharmacy school, your peers are people who aren't slackers in undergrad, and the amount of material they throw at you will actually take 2x of what you spend in class to really get it down-down.

Another thing is that pure memorization that worked for undergrad, won't take you all the way. I know a lot of students had that deer in the head light look when faced with mostly mathematical concepts and derivations of P2 Pharmacokinetics.

Well I dont have a science degree, I have mine in business and I'm just going back to take some prereqs, did you see anyone in my similar situation do well in pharm school?

 

[Momus]

Well I dont have a science degree, I have mine in business and I'm just going back to take some prereqs, did you see anyone in my similar situation do well in pharm school?

Anyone with average IQ can do well in pharmacy school if she studies enough...

 

[Rx MPLS]

Well I dont have a science degree, I have mine in business and I'm just going back to take some prereqs, did you see anyone in my similar situation do well in pharm school?

A lot of people in pharmacy school don't even have a degree, they just did prerequisites (this is school-dependent, of course). You'll be fine!

 

[Its Z]

Ivy League pharmacy schools are really tough. I know this.

 

[sde780]

I'm a P1, been in school for about a month now. It's definitely different from undergrad, imagine organic chemistry level classes throughout your schedule.

Time management is key.

 

[SHC1984]

P4 is the easiest, I was coasting and and still get As

P1 year was the easiest.

And I thought P3 year was the hardest. Lost my 4.0 GPA in my P3 year. 🙄

 

[Twentytwelve2]

If you understand everything from your pre-reqs, it makes pharmacy school a lot easier but its not enough to get you an A. To get an A, its more than just knowing the material because the test questions are worded and meant to trick you. Especially with addition of "check all that apply" questions at my college.

I find the material easy yet the questions they ask during the exam confuses me. 😳

So in a nutshell, as a p1, I think pharm school is easy if u want a B but difficult to get an A. There are no curves, exams consist of little questions (45-50) so getting a few wrong brings you to a B.

 

[rph3664]

MissSunshine, have you worked in a pharmacy? If you haven't, get a job in one. It won't be worth it if you find the theory interesting and the practice not so, which happens to a lot of people. Have some idea what awaits you at the end.

 

[Doctor M]

Dude P2 sux in Buffalo lol. Probably the combination of Kinetics, Labs, and Therapeutics in general. It did not help when I only studied 2 days before the exam :x

P4 is the easiest, I was coasting and and still get As

Oh yeah, P2 was absolutely horrible. I think I just about didnt sleep that year. My buddy and I would study the day of the test. Id sleep from 8p to around 2am, and we would study from 230a until test time. Crazy...

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

Academically speaking, my last 2 years of high school were by far the most challenging! Primarily because it demanded the most amount of critical thinking.

Undergrad was a cake walk after that, and Rx school ebbed and flowed.

In pharm school, I definitely spent more time than I should have focusing on academic mastery rather than obtaining real world experience. I now think you're doing yourself a disservice if you limit yourself to learning primarily within those 4 walls. So regardless of how "hard" your pharmacy program is, get out there and make the most of it by seeing how pharmacy really is practiced (using didactic to augment); rather than vice versa.

 

[missSunshine]

MissSunshine, have you worked in a pharmacy? If you haven't, get a job in one. It won't be worth it if you find the theory interesting and the practice not so, which happens to a lot of people. Have some idea what awaits you at the end.

Well I have volunteered in the hospital pharmacy and I liked it a lot...but I was hoping to go in the industry when I was done with school.

 

[RxRunner]

Pharmacy school isn't that hard, I went to a top 10 school and while the courses are more challenging than undergrad, everyone in your class is taking the same set of classes so you have a lot of people to learn with. I didn't see much in the way of competition except with a small group, otherwise everybody was cool about helping each other out. Didn't everyone coming into pharmacy school say, "I want to help people." Those are the kind of people you have as classmates. It's a good deal if you're social enough to work in groups.

 

[maldini99]

Pharmacy school isn't that hard, I went to a top 10 school and while the courses are more challenging than undergrad, everyone in your class is taking the same set of classes so you have a lot of people to learn with. I didn't see much in the way of competition except with a small group, otherwise everybody was cool about helping each other out. Didn't everyone coming into pharmacy school say, "I want to help people." Those are the kind of people you have as classmates. It's a good deal if you're social enough to work in groups.

I agree with this. If you are trying to pass, or have like a b average, i'd say 1-2 hours daily studying is enough (no textbook reading is necessary). however, if you are gunning for grades then it can get extremely tough

 

[missSunshine]

I agree with this. If you are trying to pass, or have like a b average, i'd say 1-2 hours daily studying is enough (no textbook reading is necessary). however, if you are gunning for grades then it can get extremely tough

Thats all good to hear! Thanks guys!

 

[missSunshine]

So I am in Ochem right now but I dont feel like the professor is making it tuff (not complaining) but I am worried that if she doesnt give a stong foundation will this hurt me in Pharm school since I hear that most classes in pharm school are all about this subject?

 

[nnguyenc]

it's easy to spend hours to remember facts but understanding it is what matters in the long run


one of my best friend has photographic memory in which she has the highest GPA in the class


however,
during clinical rounds, i was standing there explaining why i would use this drug over the other because of certain disease conditions whereas, she couldn't support or reason it out

 

[angryrx]

it's not. it's just a different way of thinking from undergrad. i think undergrad was more difficult because most of my classes had nothing to do with each other.

if you can tie concepts together from various classes, it gets easier. i worked 2 part time jobs, skipped a lot of class, and got through no problem, even made the dean's list and set the curve a couple times.

 

[HoltMD]

Ivy League pharmacy schools are really tough. I know this.

 

[IndustryPharmD]

For me it was more boring than hard... At least, I can't remember a single class where I did more studying than reviewing my notes the night before exam in addition to attending all the lectures...

 

[missSunshine]

would you say in todays market the industry is impossible to get into?

 

[bw6]

would you say in todays market the industry is impossible to get into?

Quite a ridiculous question. No.

If it were impossible to get a job in pharmacy then no graduates would find jobs. Someone has been reading SDN forums too much.. The doom and gloomers love to complain via the internet how they can't find work or hate their jobs. People who are happy tend not to post about their jobs. Also, you are worried so you search and find all the threads with people complaining about the job market... please understand the concept of confirmation bias to see what I mean.

It isn't the 90's, you won't get a job just because you graduated. Honestly though, if you go to a decent school, get decent grades, and have decent experience, it isn't that hard. Out of 125, I don't think a single P4 at my school last year didn't either find a job, match for residency, or at least have a job offer. The only people who didn't get jobs were those unwilling to relocate.

 

[missSunshine]

Quite a ridiculous question. No.

well I was asking about pharmaceutical industry and I think someone working in that field has a little bit more knowledge.

Also you should not assume that I dont realize that there is still a job market out there, its deff not like before, but I have done my research to know that there are possibilites still there.

 

[vardenafil]

i think pharmacy school wasnt very hard. however it was very time intensive and demanding but not hard. if you put your time in (studying, memorizing, understanding) things you will be ok. if i made it through school working full time with a family anybody can do it. you just have to make time to do what is asked of you

 

[Trinoxium]

I'm a new P1 and it has been a giant leap from undergrad for me. I was accepted with just the prerequisites but it doesn't seem like people with degrees have that much of an edge on me. The hardest part for me has been the studying. In undergrad I only had to study for Ochem but now I have to study 3-4 hours a day to keep up(I'm not the smartest of people) so far I'm pulling off high C's in my exams but I'm adjusting studying techniques in order to be more efficient and hopefully raise the grades.. Which is really going to be necessary for P2 year..everyone says that and P3 is a beast.. We also have cadaver labs on some Saturdays so it's been kind of a toll on motivation to have class 6 days a week.. It is really nice that most of the classes tie in together so Biochem, immunology, and physiology all tie together.

It's been a big jump but you're there with motivated people and that really helps you to step your game up. Don't let the difficulty sway you! I love it here so far.

 

[bw6]

Quite a ridiculous question. No.

well I was asking about pharmaceutical industry and I think someone working in that field has a little bit more knowledge.

Also you should not assume that I dont realize that there is still a job market out there, its deff not like before, but I have done my research to know that there are possibilites still there.

And you should not assume that I don't have experience working in the pharmaceutical industry. So I have plenty of knowledge about it. My previous post is still relevant - be it to retail, health-system, or industry.

 

[owlegrad]

I'm a new P1 and it has been a giant leap from undergrad for me. I was accepted with just the prerequisites but it doesn't seem like people with degrees have that much of an edge on me. The hardest part for me has been the studying. In undergrad I only had to study for Ochem but now I have to study 3-4 hours a day to keep up(I'm not the smartest of people) so far I'm pulling off high C's in my exams but I'm adjusting studying techniques in order to be more efficient and hopefully raise the grades.. Which is really going to be necessary for P2 year..everyone says that and P3 is a beast.. We also have cadaver labs on some Saturdays so it's been kind of a toll on motivation to have class 6 days a week.. It is really nice that most of the classes tie in together so Biochem, immunology, and physiology all tie together.

It's been a big jump but you're there with motivated people and that really helps you to step your game up. Don't let the difficulty sway you! I love it here so far.

You know, I found 2PD (same thing as P2) to be the hardest year, but GPA wise my first year was the worst. I had a hard time adjusting. I didn't start really doing well in my classes until the third year (at my school third year is when it really starts to come together and the focus shifts dramatically). And make no mistake, I still found the third year to be a challenge.

I guess my point is don't despair - yes, it gets worse but that doesn't mean you won't do well! Maybe you just need time to adjust. 🙂

 

[bw6]

You know, I found 2PD (same thing as P2) to be the hardest year, but GPA wise my first year was the worst. I had a hard time adjusting. I didn't start really doing well in my classes until the third year (at my school third year is when it really starts to come together and the focus shifts dramatically). And make no mistake, I still found the third year to be a challenge.

I guess my point is don't despair - yes, it gets worse but that doesn't mean you won't do well! Maybe you just need time to adjust. 🙂

This part seems all but unanimous. If have heard from sooo many people that P2 is the real ass kicker.

 

[missSunshine]

And you should not assume that I don't have experience working in the pharmaceutical industry. So I have plenty of knowledge about it. My previous post is still relevant - be it to retail, health-system, or industry.

Whatever... lol

 

[missSunshine]

I'm a new P1 and it has been a giant leap from undergrad for me. I was accepted with just the prerequisites but it doesn't seem like people with degrees have that much of an edge on me. The hardest part for me has been the studying. In undergrad I only had to study for Ochem but now I have to study 3-4 hours a day to keep up(I'm not the smartest of people) so far I'm pulling off high C's in my exams but I'm adjusting studying techniques in order to be more efficient and hopefully raise the grades.. Which is really going to be necessary for P2 year..everyone says that and P3 is a beast.. We also have cadaver labs on some Saturdays so it's been kind of a toll on motivation to have class 6 days a week.. It is really nice that most of the classes tie in together so Biochem, immunology, and physiology all tie together.

It's been a big jump but you're there with motivated people and that really helps you to step your game up. Don't let the difficulty sway you! I love it here so far.

Thanks for your positivity!!! 🙂 I am deff motivated and I can't wait to start!!!! 🙂

 

[naseuy]

P1 was the hardest for me, simply because the material was so dry and uninteresting to me. My grades jumped up for P2, and up even further for P3.

But speaking from my experience only, the material in pharmacy school wasn't really that tough, however it's just exams after exams. Immediately after taking one exam, I had to move on and cram for the next exam.

 

[Kwiz]

It was a piece of cake. Never studied, graduated 2nd in my class, went on to become the world's most interesting man, retired at 30 and now all I do is go outside and rake my yard, the money trees aren't gonna pick themselves you know.

If you're not much of a thinker, or have never been exposed to any pharm., then P2 might kick your butt beyond repair. Possibly even P3 depending on the curriculum.

So make sure that prior to entering pharmacy school, you find a reputable, board-certified Podiatric Removal Proctologist.

If drugs is what you do in your undergrad (studying them, not self-administering them), then you might be okay for some classes but eventually your knowledge will be matched by the majority of your classmates that are planning to graduate.

 

[joetrisman]

It was a piece of cake. Never studied, graduated 2nd in my class, went on to become the world's most interesting man, retired at 30 and now all I do is go outside and rake my yard, the money trees aren't gonna pick themselves you know.

If you're not much of a thinker, or have never been exposed to any pharm., then P2 might kick your butt beyond repair. Possibly even P3 depending on the curriculum.

So make sure that prior to entering pharmacy school, you find a reputable, board-certified Podiatric Removal Proctologist.

If drugs is what you do in your undergrad (studying them, not self-administering them), then you might be okay for some classes but eventually your knowledge will be matched by the majority of your classmates that are planning to graduate.

Yup. I worked community in undergrad and took pharmacology as well. Put me ahead of the game in the beginning but eventually we all kind of leveled out.

 

[Kwiz]

Yeah haha! I thought I had the masterplan going on. It actually was nice to not feel all the stress a lot of others felt first and second semester.

 

[hye345]

I'm actually torn on this... I'm a P1, and we have had our first exams for biochemistry, calculations, and pharmaceutics. On the first two, I got B+/A-'s, so can't complain. But pharmaceutics was another story...

 

[rxlea]

You know, I found 2PD (same thing as P2) to be the hardest year, but GPA wise my first year was the worst. I had a hard time adjusting. I didn't start really doing well in my classes until the third year (at my school third year is when it really starts to come together and the focus shifts dramatically). And make no mistake, I still found the third year to be a challenge.

I guess my point is don't despair - yes, it gets worse but that doesn't mean you won't do well! Maybe you just need time to adjust. 🙂

This would be my advice. I also had a difficult time adjusting. P1 was a really crappy year for me because I was working, dealing with personal issues, and trying to get through the workload. I had to shift my studying/learning style a bit, as I was not used to rote memorization for multiple choice exams. My undergraduate degree was primarily projects, analyzing journals, discussing theory, and investigating disparities in mental health. All of those things involved more critical thinking skills.

I think it depends on your skill set coming in and your work experience. Eventually, you'll adjust. Would I go through it again? Not sure.

In terms of difficulty accounting for my own deficiencies/problems, P1 > P2> P3. If I look at just difficulty of the material, P2 = P3 (so far) > P1. Overall, I excelled at case studies, therapeutics, and patient care courses and totally sucked at things like biochem, immunology, med chem. I pulled through with good grades overall but almost lost my **** a couple of times.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Having a degree in bioscience or o-Chem makes p1 easy. It was a year of partying, getting back into the college way, basically all around drunken fun. Then p2 was when they hit you with all that brand new stuff, and a lot of it.

Now, some of the schools started to require an undergraduate degree, so that early advantage for degree holders might be mostly gone.