I few Newbie Questions

[Maverick8828]

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Hi guys/gals.. 😉. I am currently going to college to get my degree in Bio. and a have a few questions.

1)How is it that some people finish their pre-reqs and classes in 2-3 years when one is required to take certain classes before going to the next? you need bio to go to the next class. chem for org. chem. so how to people fin ish so fast whne they must be in order?

2) Pharm school is usually 4 yrs. I was wondering if certain set of classes or already laid out for a person every semester/year or can someone take more than they are required and finish quicker?

Thanksh

 

[GT500]

1) Some people may be in the 6 year program where they finish all of their prereqs in 2 years and transfer to a 4 year pharmacy program. Taking classes in the summer will speed the process in finishing all your prereqs.

2) Pharmacy school has a set curriculum with a set number of credits for each semester. The only leeway you have in your courses is the electives you take. Some schools offer an accelerated 3 year program to obtain a PharmD. You may want to look into those schools.

 

[tk1tpod]

Also, you don't have to have all your pre-reqs completed in order to apply. But most schools want you to finish a certain amount of classes before you apply.

If you do get accepted, you usually have till the end of spring semester/quarter or even summer to finish the pre-reqs.

good luck!

 

[triumphbr]

Utilize your summer semesters

for example I took both semesters of biology in one summer session so I could concentrate on chem in the fall and skip straight to A/P in the spring.

BioI/BioII - summer
Chem I - fall (had to have chem before A/P)

Pre-calc spring
A/P I - spring
chmII - spring

A/P II - summer
pre-calc II - summer

ochem fall
calc - fall
Physics - fall

ochem II spring
micro - spring
physics II - spring

Mix in the other pre-reqs and your done with what is required. I didn't show all of the classes because these feel like the "core" classes that the rest of the schedule needs to be built around. The only thing I would caution you about would be putting harder classes into the summer semesters. Ochem, in my mind, is not a good choice for summer session.

I think you mentioned a BS in bio so you would probably have another year.

The main thing is to have a full plate every semester. (not an overfilled plate, good grades are important too) I aimed for 16-18 credits every semester.

I actually had 21 credits for last summer's semester but that number is misleading because they only hard class was Anatomy/Phys II. The rest were fluff classes. (history/english/medical terminology and the like) The upside was my fall/spring semesters were only 14 and 12 credits respectively so I felt like it was a good trade off.

 

[imperial frog]

Hi guys/gals.. 😉

1)How is it that some people finish their pre-reqs and classes in 2-3 years when one is required to take certain classes before going to the next? you need bio to go to the next class. chem for org. chem. so how to people fin ish so fast whne they must be in order?

I had a narrow window of opportunity to complete them so I wound up completing my prereqs at multiple schools at the same time, taking whatever I could at whichever school offered the class I needed. This also allowed me to benefit from a loophole at the schools which allowed me to take a higher course if I was taking the prereq for it at another school at the same time. For instance I was able to take organic chem at one school while taking regular chem at another during the same semester. Of course this mean't I was doing 20+ hours a semester.

2) Pharm school is usually 4 yrs. I was wondering if certain set of classes or already laid out for a person every semester/year or can someone take more than they are required and finish quicker?

Can't speak for other schools, but at UF there's no way of taking courses out of order.

 

[Maverick8828]

Thanks guys for the replies, to im perial frog what I meant is say you have to take 12 classes to get you pharm degree and you tool 3 classes every year to get there, could you take 6 classes instead to finish faster? or do you need a set a classes 123 to get to 456?

Sorry if it is hard to understand

 

[bananaface]

Schools will have a set curriculum that everyone in your class will take together with few exceptions (some people may be held back). Some schools let you finish the PharmD in 3 years by going during summers but the curriculum is designed that way and everyone does it together. At Wayne State students have an option to go one summer and finish in 3.5 years instead of 4.

The chem sequence is the longest sequence in the pre reqs should take 4 semesters or 6 quarters to complete. If you can't squeeze your other prereqs into 2 years, it shouldn't be because the series was designed to take longer. Bio should be a year and be able to go concurrently w/ chem.

 

[Maverick8828]

Thnaks guys Banana, thats what I figured.

I am currently taking pre-calc. and was wondering do I have to take pre-calc, calculus 1, and caluculus to or just pre-calc and calculus 1? I am confused because most of the schools pre-regs state two semesters of calculus but don't specify which two.

 

[mrblah]

if they say 2 semester of calc, its calc 1 and calc 2. Pre-calc is not one of the requirements but it is definitely a helpful class to take prior to calculus 1.

 

[Maverick8828]

if they say 2 semester of calc, its calc 1 and calc 2. Pre-calc is not one of the requirements but it is definitely a helpful class to take prior to calculus 1.

Well pre-calc is a pre-req to calc 1. I was wondering because some of the schools sites stated that one needed pre-calc and calc 1, but this was one of the few that specified.

 

[mrblah]

i should have been a bit more clear. My answer only pertains to your question when the school says "2 semesters of calculus). Pre-calc will not fullfill that requirement.

Its interesting that the school you are applying to requires pre-calc. If you really don't want to take pre-calc, you can always take a test that will place you out of it. I don't think the school you are applying will object to that, but definitely clarify with the school.

 

[Maverick8828]

i should have been a bit more clear. My answer only pertains to your question when the school says "2 semesters of calculus). Pre-calc will not fullfill that requirement.

Its interesting that the school you are applying to requires pre-calc. If you really don't want to take pre-calc, you can always take a test that will place you out of it. I don't think the school you are applying will object to that, but definitely clarify with the school.

Yeah I found it weird to. So, unless stated otherwise two semesters of calc means calc 1 and 2. Would this go for physics as well? At my school there is physics 6 and 7 but also 21 22 physics with calculus.

 

[lwang81]

some schools are on quarter system so you can take fall, winter, spring, and summer...some schools have summer session I and session II so technically if you pick the right school to take prereqs at, you have fall general chem I, winter general chem II, spring ochem I, summer I ochem II, and summer II biochem I mixed in with other prereqs