how much chemistry is invovled in pharm school

[jk0221]

i'm currently a sophmore in college, majoring in biology, and i would love to go on to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist.

lately, i have been having major doubts of whether or not i am the type of person capable of getting accepted to, and successfully completeling pharmacy school (i'm actually more worried about being able to handle the stress of pharmacy school once i get in, more than i'm worried about getting in). i'm in organic chem right now and i HATE it, and as a result i have no motivation to study and my grade in the class is suffering for it. i have never liked chemistry and i dread going to chem labs every single week. i know for a fact that if pharm school is going to require as much chemistry and devotion to chemistry as my undergrad work has, then i should probably pick a different career path.

on the other hand, i work in a pharmacy as a tech and i enjoy my job. i could see myself working in that environment for the rest of my life and being satisfied with my career choice. pharmacists make great money, have the option to work in any part of the country, and can work full time or part time if they choose. i know want to have a family one day and need to pick a career that will allow me to do so.

...how much chemistry is involved once you actually get into pharmacy school? i don't think it's worth it to be unhappy and uninterested all throughout my college years...what other subjects do you take in pharm. school (specifically your 1st and 2nd year) any advice?

for those who are not particually good at chemistry, how hard is organic in comparsion to the material you learn in pharm. school courses?

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[DoctorRx1986]

i'm currently a sophmore in college, majoring in biology, and i would love to go on to pharmacy school and become a pharmacist.

lately, i have been having major doubts of whether or not i am the type of person capable of getting accepted to, and successfully completeling pharmacy school (i'm actually more worried about being able to handle the stress of pharmacy school once i get in, more than i'm worried about getting in). i'm in organic chem right now and i HATE it, and as a result i have no motivation to study and my grade in the class is suffering for it. i have never liked chemistry and i dread going to chem labs every single week. i know for a fact that if pharm school is going to require as much chemistry and devotion to chemistry as my undergrad work has, then i should probably pick a different career path.

on the other hand, i work in a pharmacy as a tech and i enjoy my job. i could see myself working in that environment for the rest of my life and being satisfied with my career choice. pharmacists make great money, have the option to work in any part of the country, and can work full time or part time if they choose. i know want to have a family one day and need to pick a career that will allow me to do so.

...how much chemistry is involved once you actually get into pharmacy school? i don't think it's worth it to be unhappy and uninterested all throughout my college years...what other subjects do you take in pharm. school (specifically your 1st and 2nd year) any advice?

for those who are not particually good at chemistry, how hard is organic in comparsion to the material you learn in pharm. school courses?

Hello there. I was recently accepted into pharmacy school and will begin this fall after working very hard in all of my prerequisite classes in college for about 3.5 years (I didn't have to earn a bachelor's degree...I earned an Associate's Degree in 2006). Personally, I have loved chemistry with a passion since first taking it back in my junior year of high school and organic, at least for me, is a delicacy. However, in terms of applied chemistry in pharmacy school, from what I've heard, is not as in depth as it is in your college level chem courses. This makes sense because you have to remember that the chemistry courses in college are specifically designed for chemistry majors and therefore include material that is necessary for future chemists to know, but unnecessary for future medical and pharmacy students. Countless people I have spoken to have told me you need to have a basic understanding of chemical principles such as bonding, intermolecular forces, and have a basic understanding of organic chemistry. What you will take out of organic chemistry is exposure to countless structures and functional groups...this basic knowledge, such as being able to identify and distinguish an aldehyde from a ketone, is what will be necessary in your studies because you must keep in mind that almost all pharmaceuticals consist of organic molecules. Acquaintances of mine have told me you will NOT need to do hardcore synthesis, retrosynthesis, or remember all the reactions from organic chemistry and all of the math from general chemistry. As I said, just a basic understanding of molecules. To back up what I have said, a friend of mine in her 2nd year at UF told me she has used very little, if any, chemistry or organic chemistry or even some of her other prereqs in pharmacy school. Pharmacy schools simply require these courses, whether you use them or not, to assess your ability to perform well in the sciences. Additionally, when I was at my interview at NOVA, I asked the student tour guide, who was a P4 student, how much organic chemistry we will use in the curriculum, and she replied, "Honestly, very little. I don't even know why they require some of these courses..." Even though you are not an organic chem freak like I am, and I don't blame you, I still recommend and suggest you study and do well in this course. Your chances of getting in are greatly enhanced if you do well and demonstrate that you can handle one of the toughest courses pre-professional students usually take. Based on knowledge of my upcoming first year schedule, pharmacy students take a variety of courses such as biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pathophysiology, anatomy and physiology, among others. As you can see, you don't have individual chemistry courses anymore except for biochem. The other courses, however, do incorporate chemistry to explain drug metabolism, mechanism of actions, etc...but in ways that are more applicable and relevant to the human body....therefore, your experience now doesn't automatically foreshadow your enjoyment of future pharmacy coursework. If you have any other questions, pm me.👍

 

[Sparda29]

From what I've heard from the 6th years, and the pharmacists that I know, there is very little organic chemistry involved other than the structures of the molecules, something that could have easily just been taught at the end of General Chemistry, which even that a lot of people have said they have never used.

Personally, I think Organic Chemistry was put into the prerequisites section as a weed-out course, kind of saying if you can't handle the intensity of Organic Chem, you can't handle Pharm School? The pharmacists I know told me that got D's in Organic Chem.

However, they took it like 5-10 years ago when pharmacy school really was not as competitive as it is now. And they took it at St. John's so all they needed to move to the next semester was a 2.3.

 

[Amanda C]

Hello there. I was recently accepted into pharmacy school and will begin this fall after working very hard in all of my prerequisite classes in college for about 3.5 years (I didn't have to earn a bachelor's degree...I earned an Associate's Degree in 2006). Personally, I have loved chemistry with a passion since first taking it back in my junior year of high school and organic, at least for me, is a delicacy. However, in terms of applied chemistry in pharmacy school, from what I've heard, is not as in depth as it is in your college level chem courses. This makes sense because you have to remember that the chemistry courses in college are specifically designed for chemistry majors and therefore include material that is necessary for future chemists to know, but unnecessary for future medical and pharmacy students. Countless people I have spoken to have told me you need to have a basic understanding of chemical principles such as bonding, intermolecular forces, and have a basic understanding of organic chemistry. What you will take out of organic chemistry is exposure to countless structures and functional groups...this basic knowledge, such as being able to identify and distinguish an aldehyde from a ketone, is what will be necessary in your studies because you must keep in mind that almost all pharmaceuticals consist of organic molecules. Acquaintances of mine have told me you will NOT need to do hardcore synthesis, retrosynthesis, or remember all the reactions from organic chemistry and all of the math from general chemistry. As I said, just a basic understanding of molecules. To back up what I have said, a friend of mine in her 2nd year at UF told me she has used very little, if any, chemistry or organic chemistry or even some of her other prereqs in pharmacy school. Pharmacy schools simply require these courses, whether you use them or not, to assess your ability to perform well in the sciences. Additionally, when I was at my interview at NOVA, I asked the student tour guide, who was a P4 student, how much organic chemistry we will use in the curriculum, and she replied, "Honestly, very little. I don't even know why they require some of these courses..." Even though you are not an organic chem freak like I am, and I don't blame you, I still recommend and suggest you study and do well in this course. Your chances of getting in are greatly enhanced if you do well and demonstrate that you can handle one of the toughest courses pre-professional students usually take. Based on knowledge of my upcoming first year schedule, pharmacy students take a variety of courses such as biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, pathophysiology, anatomy and physiology, among others. As you can see, you don't have individual chemistry courses anymore except for biochem. The other courses, however, do incorporate chemistry to explain drug metabolism, mechanism of actions, etc...but in ways that are more applicable and relevant to the human body....therefore, your experience now doesn't automatically foreshadow your enjoyment of future pharmacy coursework. If you have any other questions, pm me.👍

Wow, what a great response to the OP's question. I commend you for your that 🙂 I had been wondering the same thing.

 

[panzer]

Yes, for me, the supposed emphasis on chemistry is scaring me away from pharm school.

 

[azPharmD2B]

It depends on the school really. Check the curriculum out. Some schools have you take biochem, phys chem, and med chem. But as others have and will say, just like physics, its a good weeder course. It shows how well you adapt to difficult and very different material. If you hate the class and are doing that poorly, you might want to consider dropping the class and taking it with another instructor or when you have more time to devote to it.

 

[RX CARE]

People tend to downplay issues and scenarios, once they've already been through them. I guess it's just so that when you ask, and you are given the answer you want to hear, you wouldn't be discouraged, or shy away from what you are passionate about. For now, just know you DO NEED chemistry and organic chemistry. And you'll see how it personally influences you once you get there. A lot of things about academics are subjective, and I don't know why people still do not understand that. It depends on what you want out of your learning experience. Whoever told you that they didn't really use much orgo, and don't see it's importance was maybe an underachiever and prob just had the mindset of just getting by, and it's possible to do so with every course in pharmacy school. Prerequisites or other advanced courses are not solely required because you will use them again. They are meant to facilitate your ability to integrate multiple aspects of pharmaceutical education that come together in an intricate way. You'll understand what I mean when you take medicinal chemistry and therapeutics. You also need orgo for biochem too...as a matter of fact. Especially if you haven't taken it before.You know, I don't know, maybe it's just me. Like someone said it depends on the school, I totally agree. One of our med chem professors is really into reaction mechanisms.....

 

[RX CARE]

People tend to downplay issues and scenarios, once they've already been through them. I guess it's just so that when you ask, and you are given the answer you want to hear, you wouldn't be discouraged, or shy away from what you are passionate about. For now, just know you DO NEED chemistry and organic chemistry. And you'll see how it personally influences you once you get there. A lot of things about academics are subjective, and I don't know why people still do not understand that. It depends on what you want out of your learning experience. Whoever told you that they didn't really use much orgo, and don't see it's importance was maybe an underachiever and prob just had the mindset of just getting by, and it's possible to do so with every course in pharmacy school. Prerequisites or other advanced courses are not solely required because you will use them again. They are meant to facilitate your ability to integrate multiple aspects of pharmaceutical education that come together in an intricate way. You'll understand what I mean when you take medicinal chemistry and therapeutics. You also need orgo for biochem too...as a matter of fact. Especially if you haven't taken it before.You know, I don't know, maybe it's just me. Like someone said it depends on the school, I totally agree. One of our med chem professors is really into reaction mechanisms.....

 

[RNtoPharmD]

I am currently taking Biochem and of course, we'll all be required to take it in pharm school.

You definitely need strong background of Orgo and Gen chem as a foundation of Biochem!! eg. Steriochemistry, functional groups, nucleophile-electrophil, isomerization, Hess's law,nomenclature etc..etc...

 

[UES Girl]

I agree with the above posts. I am not in pharmacy school - but just by looking at pharm schools curriculum I can see we'll be required to take organic,biochem, pchem, medicinal chem. I don't know how much further you can simplify those subjects. Pchem will always be pchem, I imagine it must not be as intense as undergrad but how simple can it be ?😉 Same with organic and biochem. Those subjects can only be simplified sooo much. I also doubt there are THAT much simplier - when I was taking biochem as an undergrad and my friend was taking it at UCSF we were even studying together because our classes required similar knowledge and types of problems.

I also think people tend to downplay things too. When people ask me: Oh, how was pchem ? I say: not as bad as everyone makes it to be. But then again I got like the highest score in a class. They'd probably get a different aswer if they asked somebody else.

I would never discourage you from pursuing pharmacy school but I think you need to figure out why you don't like chemistry. People usually do not like certain subjects because they are not doing well in them. And given the fact that I was Ochem TA and tutor for a couple years I know exactly why most people do not like ochem - and it usually has to do with the fact that they do not study properly for it.

I can't remember what it is called but I know some pharmacy schools will let their students bring a guest non student to class with them. UCSF I think does that. Perhaps you can try going to the chem classes in pharmacy school and see for yourself how hard or easy they are.

 

[bwsalvas]

Pharmacy school is chemistry. Organic chemistry covers the basic principles that are played out daily in the pharmaceutical sciences.

Biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, therapeutics, kinetics....these all have to do with a strong background in chemistry.

If you don't like or can't do well in chemistry I suggest a rethinking of your career goals.

 

[UES Girl]

Pharmacy school is chemistry. Organic chemistry covers the basic principles that are played out daily in the pharmaceutical sciences.

Biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, therapeutics, kinetics....these all have to do with a strong background in chemistry.

If you don't like or can't do well in chemistry I suggest a rethinking of your career goals.

Good🙂, I guess those of us who are strong chemists we'll be in luck. I was almost worried I wouldn't be able to apply my degree after reading all the posts in this thread.

 

[jk0221]

i def. appriciate the advice...what about chem labs in pharmacy school? are they similar to the labs you do as an undergrad? do you even have labs? or do you just take the classes in a lecture format and learn the information for what it's worth? just curious...

 

[LuvCaramelFraps]

Pharmacy school is chemistry. Organic chemistry covers the basic principles that are played out daily in the pharmaceutical sciences.

Biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, therapeutics, kinetics....these all have to do with a strong background in chemistry.

If you don't like or can't do well in chemistry I suggest a rethinking of your career goals.

This is great! I absolutely love chemistry and anything dealing with chemistry. I wonder if it's okay to say that I want to go to pharmacy school because a) I love chemistry b) I love working in a healthcare setting?
Anyway, when I shadowed the clinical pharmacist (who was also a chemistry major) at the hospital I work at she said she knew exactly who were the chemistry/chemical egineering majors majors in her classes - apparently they sailed through the P-chem, Med-Chem, and other chemistry courses during the first 2 years.

 

[UES Girl]

This is great! I absolutely love chemistry and anything dealing with chemistry. I wonder if it's okay to say that I want to go to pharmacy school because a) I love chemistry b) I love working in a healthcare setting?
Anyway, when I shadowed the clinical pharmacist (who was also a chemistry major) at the hospital I work at she said she knew exactly who were the chemistry/chemical egineering majors majors in her classes - apparently they sailed through the P-chem, Med-Chem, and other chemistry courses during the first 2 years.

That's great to hear.

 

[Amanda C]

I love chemistry too. Before I loved it though, I hated it, because I didn't know how to do anything that was chemistry related. Last year, I actually FAILED chemistry at my community college before transferring over to my university (this was before I even thought of pharmacy school). I was so upset. So, it made me even more determined to learn it and do well. The next semester, I dedicated so much time to it. I read my chem text constantly, was doing practice problems, visiting the tutor when I couldn't figure something out - and guess what? I got an A! Now that I'm in chem II I still have an A 🙂 It just makes me appreciate the fact that for some people it just comes easy and some people it comes hard and for some it never even gets there. I am proud to say that I didn't let it intimidate me and I am now getting my minor in chem 🙂

 

[jonnyboi303]

So what kind of Pchem is in the pharm school curriculums (I know it probably varies from school to school)? I'm guessing (praying) it's not quantum. If it is, I should probably start crying now. But it shouldn't be because when I took it I remember wishing (only kind of) that I had had a DiffEQ class so I could actually understand what was going on, and all of the pharmacy schools prereqs I've seen so far only require up to Calc I so that shouldn't be the case. Anyways I digress. So, what's Pchem in pharm school?

 

[DoctorRx1986]

Honestly, i've never heard of pharmacy schools incorporating physical chemistry as a class in the curriculum. Biochemistry and medicinal chemistry are must haves, but physical chemistry i've just never heard of in the pharmacy curriculum. I will be a P1 at NSU this fall and pchem is NOT part of the curriculum. We have to take one semester of biochemistry and four semesters of a course titled pharmacodynamics. The latter course incorporates pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. There is no pchem at all.

 

[LuvCaramelFraps]

Honestly, i've never heard of pharmacy schools incorporating physical chemistry as a class in the curriculum. Biochemistry and medicinal chemistry are must haves, but physical chemistry i've just never heard of in the pharmacy curriculum. I will be a P1 at NSU this fall and pchem is NOT part of the curriculum. We have to take one semester of biochemistry and four semesters of a course titled pharmacodynamics. The latter course incorporates pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. There is no pchem at all.

Hi! The clincial pharmacist I shadowed went to UCSF and their pharmacy program has a P-Chem course called Chem 111 Physical Chemistry.The course description word for word from the UCSF website, "This course teaches the fundamentals of thermodynamics and its application to chemical, biochemical and pharmaceutical systems." Also, a pharmacy student who was interning at the same hospital I work at was telling me about her physical chemistry class at UCSD - it's called Pharmaceutical Chemistry II - Physical Chemistry. Maybe pharmacodynamics is another word for some form of physical chemistry at NSU?

 

[LuvCaramelFraps]

Honestly, i've never heard of pharmacy schools incorporating physical chemistry as a class in the curriculum. Biochemistry and medicinal chemistry are must haves, but physical chemistry i've just never heard of in the pharmacy curriculum. I will be a P1 at NSU this fall and pchem is NOT part of the curriculum. We have to take one semester of biochemistry and four semesters of a course titled pharmacodynamics. The latter course incorporates pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. There is no pchem at all.

May I ask if you were a Chem major as an undergrad? Usually when words such as "chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, mechanics, etc." show up in a course description that pretty much indcates some if not a lot of physical chemistry.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

Hi! The clincial pharmacist I shadowed went to UCSF and their pharmacy program has a P-Chem course called Chem 111 Physical Chemistry.The course description word for word from the UCSF website, "This course teaches the fundamentals of thermodynamics and its application to chemical, biochemical and pharmaceutical systems." Also, a pharmacy student who was interning at the same hospital I work at was telling me about her physical chemistry class at UCSD - it's called Pharmaceutical Chemistry II - Physical Chemistry. Maybe pharmacodynamics is another word for some form of physical chemistry at NSU?

According to the course description found in NSU's course catalog, pharmacodynamics incorporates both pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. No mention of physical chemistry is made. This course runs four semesters (2 years) and is probably one of the most important classes in the curriculum. I will be taking biochemistry in the fall. Pardon my lack of understanding or possible ignorance, but I don't really see the importance of physical chemistry in the pharmacy curriculum. Pchem in college is nothing but multivariable calculus and application of physics to solving chemical problems. I can understand the relevance and importance of organic chemistry because almost all drugs are organic compounds and many drug principles are based on organic chemistry concepts. However, I'm skeptical of pchem. I love chemistry, especially organic chem, with a passion, but when I looked at physical chemistry books in college, I was repelled. I don't see how any of those multivariable equations, Schrodinger's equation, and quantum physics like material has any relevance to pharmacy. I'm really happy I don't have to take pchem in pharmacy school.

 

[UES Girl]

According to the course description found in NSU's course catalog, pharmacodynamics incorporates both pharmacology and medicinal chemistry. No mention of physical chemistry is made. This course runs four semesters (2 years) and is probably one of the most important classes in the curriculum. I will be taking biochemistry in the fall. Pardon my lack of understanding or possible ignorance, but I don't really see the importance of physical chemistry in the pharmacy curriculum. Pchem in college is nothing but multivariable calculus and application of physics to solving chemical problems. I can understand the relevance and importance of organic chemistry because almost all drugs are organic compounds and many drug principles are based on organic chemistry concepts. However, I'm skeptical of pchem. I love chemistry, especially organic chem, with a passion, but when I looked at physical chemistry books in college, I was repelled. I don't see how any of those multivariable equations, Schrodinger's equation, and quantum physics like material has any relevance to pharmacy. I'm really happy I don't have to take pchem in pharmacy school.

Perhaps, the reason you were repelled is because you never took it hence never spent hours studying it and growing accustomed to it. Probably, because of same reason you wouldn't understand the importance of physical chem. Pchem is much more than just calculus. 🙂

 

[DoctorRx1986]

Perhaps, the reason you were repelled is because you never took it hence never spent hours studying it and growing accustomed to it. Probably, because of same reason you wouldn't understand the importance of physical chem. Pchem is much more than just calculus. 🙂

I am well aware of the importance of physical chemistry in the field of chemistry as a whole, but not of its importance or application in pharmacy. If it were so important in pharmacy, why don't all schools of pharmacy offer it as a course? I read the course catalog of NSU and not once did I see key words such as chemical thermodynamics, equilibrium, etc... I am not saying physical chemistry is not used at all in pharmacy...i'm sure it is, especially in pharmacokinetics. However, the school itself does not teach an entire course specifically in physical chemistry like some of the other posters in this thread have claimed about their schools doing so. That is exactly what I have been referring to all along...that not all schools teach a course in physical chemistry and NSU is one of them.

 

[jonnyboi303]

Perhaps, the reason you were repelled is because you never took it hence never spent hours studying it and growing accustomed to it. Probably, because of same reason you wouldn't understand the importance of physical chem. Pchem is much more than just calculus. 🙂

I (grudgingly) agree. While dots and arrows make things easier, the equations are actually the most accurate things we have of describing things. That being said, I still shiver at the thought of the massive blood loss that would occur after stabbing myself repeatedly because of not understanding (and quite possibly never understanding) quantum theory if I had to take it again. The lightheadedness (and unconsciousness) ((and likely death)) that would occur after would probably make studying it harder too.

 

[mike36]

So what kind of Pchem is in the pharm school curriculums (I know it probably varies from school to school)? I'm guessing (praying) it's not quantum. If it is, I should probably start crying now. But it shouldn't be because when I took it I remember wishing (only kind of) that I had had a DiffEQ class so I could actually understand what was going on, and all of the pharmacy schools prereqs I've seen so far only require up to Calc I so that shouldn't be the case. Anyways I digress. So, what's Pchem in pharm school?

At my school, we take Pchem the first semester. In my opinion, it should actually be changed to Introductory Pharmaceutics. It is basically the second semester of general chemsitry applied to drug formulations. There is acid/base, solubility, introductory kinetics, thermodynamics, colligative properties, etc.

It wasn't difficult if you like that kind of thing. Lots of calculations, but nothing like Pchem for chem/biochem majors and no calculus.

 

[rxlynn]

At my school, we take Pchem the first semester. In my opinion, it should actually be changed to Introductory Pharmaceutics. It is basically the second semester of general chemsitry applied to drug formulations. There is acid/base, solubility, introductory kinetics, thermodynamics, colligative properties, etc.

It wasn't difficult if you like that kind of thing. Lots of calculations, but nothing like Pchem for chem/biochem majors and no calculus.

My school has a very similar course in the first year. I can tell you it was NOTHING like PChem I and II when I did my chemistry major - much easier, not much in the way of calculus, and very focused on topics applicable to pharmaceuticals. I'm with the earlier poster - I'd really rather be stabbed than have to take PChem again - it was the worst grades I made in college.

 

[thanawalt]

Do you think one semester of molecular biology is enough to prepare me for pharmacy school, or should I take a year sequence of biochemistry to be sure?

This has been bothering me all week as I'm registering for fall classes.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

Do you think one semester of molecular biology is enough to prepare me for pharmacy school, or should I take a year sequence of biochemistry to be sure?

This has been bothering me all week as I'm registering for fall classes.

Simply put, if pharmacy schools thought applicants must have biochemistry under their belts, most would require it as a prerequisite to ensure the future success of their students. Therefore, even if you decide not to take biochem at all, you'll be fine. From what i've heard, you'll be taught everything you need to know about biochem in pharm school. In fact, and this is something I cannot back up with proof, the biochemistry taught in pharmacy is probably different than undergrad biochem because the latter course is usually for biochem majors and incorporates material/concepts that are important for such students, but irrelevant for pharmacy students. In other words, pharmacy school biochem emphasizes mostly pharmaceutical applications.

 

[jonnyboi303]

Do you think one semester of molecular biology is enough to prepare me for pharmacy school, or should I take a year sequence of biochemistry to be sure?

This has been bothering me all week as I'm registering for fall classes.

take into account what doctorrx said above, but also take into account that a lot of schools are making, or thinking about making, a semester of biochem a prereq. yes you should be fine even if you don't take it before getting into pharmacy school, but it definitely helps. and while doctorrx is right in saying that a lot of the stuff you learn doesn't really concern pharmacists that much, there is a lot that does, such as glycolysis, tca cycle, lipid metabolism, things like that. while even in these you probably learn more details than you need, it doesn't hurt in my opinion.

 

[labrat024]

I agree with the above posts. I am not in pharmacy school - but just by looking at pharm schools curriculum I can see we'll be required to take organic,biochem, pchem, medicinal chem. I don't know how much further you can simplify those subjects. Pchem will always be pchem, I imagine it must not be as intense as undergrad but how simple can it be ?😉 Same with organic and biochem. Those subjects can only be simplified sooo much. I also doubt there are THAT much simplier - when I was taking biochem as an undergrad and my friend was taking it at UCSF we were even studying together because our classes required similar knowledge and types of problems.

I also think people tend to downplay things too. When people ask me: Oh, how was pchem ? I say: not as bad as everyone makes it to be. But then again I got like the highest score in a class. They'd probably get a different aswer if they asked somebody else.

I would never discourage you from pursuing pharmacy school but I think you need to figure out why you don't like chemistry. People usually do not like certain subjects because they are not doing well in them. And given the fact that I was Ochem TA and tutor for a couple years I know exactly why most people do not like ochem - and it usually has to do with the fact that they do not study properly for it.

I can't remember what it is called but I know some pharmacy schools will let their students bring a guest non student to class with them. UCSF I think does that. Perhaps you can try going to the chem classes in pharmacy school and see for yourself how hard or easy they are.

They let you TA organic as an undergrad?

 

[labrat024]

Do you think one semester of molecular biology is enough to prepare me for pharmacy school, or should I take a year sequence of biochemistry to be sure?

This has been bothering me all week as I'm registering for fall classes.

Big gulps ay? Alright...

 

[UES Girl]

They let you TA organic as an undergrad?

If you are exceptionally good at it, yes.

I got hired because of two reasons:

1. I was exceptionally good at it.

2. The guy who was involved in the process of hiring a TA had a really big crush on me. Being hot has its advantages sometimes.


The final decision was made by several Ph. D's though.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

My university also hires undergrads to TA o.chem. I've known a couple of people who have done it. Something I would not want to do!

 

[SnDividedbyn]

I love chemistry too. Before I loved it though, I hated it, because I didn't know how to do anything that was chemistry related. Last year, I actually FAILED chemistry at my community college before transferring over to my university (this was before I even thought of pharmacy school). I was so upset. So, it made me even more determined to learn it and do well. The next semester, I dedicated so much time to it. I read my chem text constantly, was doing practice problems, visiting the tutor when I couldn't figure something out - and guess what? I got an A! Now that I'm in chem II I still have an A 🙂 It just makes me appreciate the fact that for some people it just comes easy and some people it comes hard and for some it never even gets there. I am proud to say that I didn't let it intimidate me and I am now getting my minor in chem 🙂

Really? I found it is hard for anyone to loved chemistry just because they got a good grade in it. I got a B in Calculus, but I loved it. Anyway, chemistry is awfully hard, it's a central discipline and required physics and math to be a master of it. I personally hate the naming nomenclature as well as theoretical rxn mechanisms but I liked the lab works.