is precalculus important for PCAT or/and Calculus I ?

[dianer]

I took College Algebra 3 years ago. Although I got a A, I forgot most of it. Do I need take precalculus to prepare my math?

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[aboveliquidice]

There are certain laws utilized in pharmaceutics that require excellent understanding of integration / derivation...

Also - Pharmacokinetics uses AUC (Integrals) to make determinents such as bioequivalence.

This math was glossed for us, as they expected us to know foundational math already - so yes it is important.

However, there were people in our class that struggled with it, and still survived. It will not take you very long to bring it back - you just have to work at it. When I got out of the military - I was slated to go straight to Calc II, having taken Calc I 5 years prior.

No worries - just do what you have to.

~above~

 

[Sparda29]

I think he meant for the PCAT, not Pharm School. It's relatively important, I remember seeing a lot of geometry on the October 2007 Exam.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

I think he meant for the PCAT, not Pharm School. It's relatively important, I remember seeing a lot of geometry on the October 2007 Exam.

Since last year, geometry is no longer tested on the PCAT.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

There are certain laws utilized in pharmaceutics that require excellent understanding of integration / derivation...

Also - Pharmacokinetics uses AUC (Integrals) to make determinents such as bioequivalence.

This math was glossed for us, as they expected us to know foundational math already - so yes it is important.

However, there were people in our class that struggled with it, and still survived. It will not take you very long to bring it back - you just have to work at it. When I got out of the military - I was slated to go straight to Calc II, having taken Calc I 5 years prior.

No worries - just do what you have to.

~above~

I hope the calculus doesn't pose a problem for me because I took it 2 years ago (spring 2006) and remember very little, if anything at all, even though I did well and enjoyed the course. The only thing I easily recall is the power rule from derivatives...other rules from derivatives and integrals are out of my mind and recollection completely at this point. I honestly feel they shouldn't expect knowledge or recollection of calculus since only semester of it is required anyway....we don't study it as intently for four semesters as we do with chemistry. I can understand automatically assuming we know something from our chemistry foundation because we go through extensive study of the subject, but calculus is just of one of those courses we just skim over as pre-pharmacy students...that's why I don't think it's safe to assume we just know it as well as we know other subjects. But anyway, I just hope I can remember what I have to. By the way, at my school, I will have to take a course titled "Pharmacy Calculations". Does that also employ calculus or what kind of math?

 

[mike36]

I hope the calculus doesn't pose a problem for me because I took it 2 years ago (spring 2006) and remember very little, if anything at all, even though I did well and enjoyed the course. The only thing I easily recall is the power rule from derivatives...other rules from derivatives and integrals are out of my mind and recollection completely at this point. I honestly feel they shouldn't expect knowledge or recollection of calculus since only semester of it is required anyway....we don't study it as intently for four semesters as we do with chemistry. I can understand automatically assuming we know something from our chemistry foundation because we go through extensive study of the subject, but calculus is just of one of those courses we just skim over as pre-pharmacy students...that's why I don't think it's safe to assume we just know it as well as we know other subjects. But anyway, I just hope I can remember what I have to. By the way, at my school, I will have to take a course titled "Pharmacy Calculations". Does that also employ calculus or what kind of math?

When I took the PCAT it had been seven years since I had taken calculus. It doesn't get too detailed. I just went over some of the derivative and integral formulas and I was fine.

As far as pharmacy calculations, you don't need calculus for that. If is like the course at my school, it involves concentrations, dilutions, tonicity adjustments, alligations, aliquots, milliequivalents, etc.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Moving to PCAT forum because of topic.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Now that I read it, I guess I could have left it in pre-pharm since you are also asking about the class in general. Oh well, I needed to practice my skills.

Anyways, you should take pre-calc before calc. I remember a post on this before and some people said you can get away with not taking pre-calc, but I would honestly recommend it. I didn't have a good grasp of pre-calc before calc, and felt it made me struggle a bit more in the class. Both classes are on the PCAT.

 

[dianer]

Thanks, everyone

 

[omnione]

You could get away with it but stuff like trig functions may seem foreign to you once you have to learn integrals and derivatives of functions for example.

I recommend both classes. Calc II is good but one could survive without it.