Just a few questions: Chemistry is Awesome!

[LupoUNCO]

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Hi all, summer is upon us and I hope you wouldn't mind if I asked a few questions: You don't have to answer them all 1 is fine.

1.) I will be going into Biochemistry classes after taking Gen Chem I/II and OrganicI/II, I love chemistry but I've only gotten B's never any A's and it's frustrating because I'm not the best at my favorite subject. I want to start breaking this pattern, any strategies you guys can offer that would help me break my threshold?

2.) I want to shadow a pharmacist this summer but when I asked a local Walmart pharmacist if I could shadow, he said there was too many liability issues and wasn't a possibility. What can I do?

3.) Since I like chemistry so much I was wondering if I should just be an engineer but engineers are likely buried in a basement somewhere and I want to be interacting with patients and I don't like sharing oxygen. I enjoy synthesizing drugs (reflux, distill, fume hood etc.) are there pharmacists that engineer drugs as well as interact with patients?

4.) I am an NCAA athlete and have been for 3 years, I was wondering if that helps my resume any while getting a 3.0 GPA when applying to Pharmacy school?

Thanks guys, have a wonderful summer

 

[PharmD for Me]

1. I personally had an easier time with biochemistry than any other chemistry classes, but I think that was because I found it more interesting and applicable so I was more inclined to study. Make sure you take advantage of office hours, free tutoring, and stay on top of the material. Like pretty much everything, biochemistry builds off of itself, so once you fall behind it's hard to catch up. Try to make sure you understand the big picture and the concepts instead of memorizing.

2. Try independent pharmacies (if there are any around you) or hospitals. I was never able to shadow in a retail setting, but every hospital I talked to was very open to shadowing and enthusiastic about it.

3. I'll let someone else tackle this.

4. Not sure, but I think it would have at least a little bit of weight. One of the best ways to make up for a lower GPA is to do very well on the PCAT.

 

[danderson]

3.) Since I like chemistry so much I was wondering if I should just be an engineer but engineers are likely buried in a basement somewhere and I want to be interacting with patients and I don't like sharing oxygen. I enjoy synthesizing drugs (reflux, distill, fume hood etc.) are there pharmacists that engineer drugs as well as interact with patients?

Not that I can think of. Clinical work and bench work are basically polar opposites haha.

 

[Pojman]

3.) I found that I had a blast in organic chemistry lab. I enjoyed it so much, that I am literally bummed that it is over as of last week. I went ahead and applied as a teaching assistant for the lab next year, just to keep the interest alive.

Drug synthesis/manufacture is not exactly a "hands on process" anymore.. From what I have researched, a huge majority of the drug manufacture factories are overseas in places like India and China. They pump out massive quantities of synthetic drugs every year, and most of it is done via machines.

It seems like most of the jobs are in actual research/development. If you are smart enough to come up with some new cheaper/easier synthetic methods of drug development, or better yet can invent your own drugs, this is where the opportunities seem to be.