Most Challenging Aspect of Pharmacy School

[ultracet]

What is the most challenging aspect of pharmacy school for you all?

For me in the first year it was getting adjusted....
Then the second year... time management....
Now in the third....becoming a specialist in 5 short days..
not a fourth year yet.... hoping to become one after this year....

Thankgoodness they are currently reviewing our curriculum and readjusting everything therapeutics included.

BTW... our 1st year is basic stuff biochem, pathophys, drug lit, ID1 etc
2nd year.. pcol, medchem, ID 2&3, OTC 1, law, therapeutc drug management (pharmacokinetics) etc
3rd year.. business, physical assessment, therapeutics, OTC 2&3, drug lit, HR etc...
4th year -rotations and research project

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[emogrrrrl]

I've only just begun my first year. I think as of right now it's time managment. I've never taken anymore then 16 credit hours a semester so 22 hours tends to take a lot of juggling. I haven't had a problem yet with any of my classes, but it does get a bit tiring having a minimum of 2 exams every week (in addition to presentations, papers, research, labs, etc). It never ends. I swear they are trying to burn people out and drive some of them out of the program.

 

[ultracet]

I've only just begun my first year. I think as of right now it's time managment. I've never taken anymore then 16 credit hours a semester so 22 hours tends to take a lot of juggling. I haven't had a problem yet with any of my classes, but it does get a bit tiring having a minimum of 2 exams every week (in addition to presentations, papers, research, labs, etc). It never ends. I swear they are trying to burn people out and drive some of them out of the program.

and let me tell you....
i am burned out by now too...

 

[kwakster928]

I have to say time management as well. it is kind of sad when you have group gathering for the organization you are in become only your social activity. i think i have total of 23 or 24 class hours. plus i have to work at the pharmacy which is not so much fun. but it is doable. hopefully as i get adjusted little more, it will ease up little. but so far i love it.

 

[Tuck]

Boredom...That is my biggest enemy so far. Pharmacy school has not proven to be particularily difficult, but there is a lot of mindless busy work. I can see the need for a number of things, but some are quite insignificant overall. At any rate, for the most part I enjoy what I am doing.

 

[pinkyrx]

For me the most challenging thing has been convincing myself not to procrastinate like I did in undergrad. I'm doing pretty well in my classes, but I know I could be doing much better. I guess it all boils down to time management.

 

[baggywrinkle]

I've only just begun my first year. I think as of right now it's time managment. I've never taken anymore then 16 credit hours a semester so 22 hours tends to take a lot of juggling. I haven't had a problem yet with any of my classes, but it does get a bit tiring having a minimum of 2 exams every week (in addition to presentations, papers, research, labs, etc). It never ends. I swear they are trying to burn people out and drive some of them out of the program.

Relax and enjoy the ride. Many of the most important lessons in pharmacy
school are never addressed in lecture. You either learn them on your own
or you do not succeed. Time management and prioritization are two lessons
which will haunt you your entire career.

You are not paranoid, they really are out to kill you. Seriously, throughout
your academic years they are asking you a question;

"How badly do you want it?"

 

[dgroulx]

By far it's time management. They throw so many projects on the schedule that it cuts into studying time. Since there are 1-2 exams each week, plus quizzes and homework, something has to give. I went from a 3.9 math/science GPA in undergrad to a 3.42 in P1 year to a current 2.5 in P2. Right now I'm happy to be getting C's when I have friends who are failing. Unfortunately, next semester has the exact same classes as this one. I'm hoping that my 2 weeks off at Christmas will rejuvenate me.

 

[baggywrinkle]

By far it's time management. They throw so many projects on the schedule that it cuts into studying time. Since there are 1-2 exams each week, plus quizzes and homework, something has to give. I went from a 3.9 math/science GPA in undergrad to a 3.42 in P1 year to a current 2.5 in P2. Right now I'm happy to be getting C's when I have friends who are failing. Unfortunately, next semester has the exact same classes as this one. I'm hoping that my 2 weeks off at Christmas will rejuvenate me.

Chin up Dana, if **I** did it you surely can. I'm not the sharpest tool in the
shed, okay? I graduated with a 2.5.

Before you gunners get smug resting on your four points, C students tend to
cash in later as successful business persons while the academic types are busy pontificating in the journals

 

[OSURxgirl]

I guess sort of the same thing here. Except it's hard to cite "time management" when it seems I have NO time to manage. Between class, my externship, my job, and the meager amount of studying I do, it seems there's not much time left. And I'm the kind of person who needs "me" time (that's why I'm on SDN right now...lol) A "good" night's sleep is now 6 hours at best. My apartment is a mess, and there's no time to get caught up with cleaning and laundry. My husband is in a graduate program, and it's a rare moment we get to spend together. It's not that all the material from classes is hard...it's the sheer VOLUME that is staggering. Next week, we have 3 exams and a quiz. They never lay off us. At first I thought I was being melodramatic about conspiracy theories, but now I really wonder. I truly think they're trying to break us. Each pharmacy class starts out with 120 students. The current third year class is down into the mid 90s now. That really scares me. I understand, dgroulx about the grades changing. I used to be unhappy scoring the class average on an exam...now I cheer when I score average. And it seems no matter how insane the test, there's always those few mutants who score a 98. Aaah...the wonders of pharmacy school...

 

[Motiv8]

I really don't feel pharmacy school is preparing me for what really is "out there." Most of the assignments and tests don't require extreme critical thinking but rather memorization skills which are not particularly difficult only when combined with numerous other things to memorize. Most likely, the skills we'll be learning in the 3 - 4 years will not be utilized in our professional careers...I would rather they teach us more practical learning aspects of pharmacy..than memorizing...

I understand that in order to become drug experts, we need to have essential knowledge of drugs, but I feel the only class that really prepares us for that is med.chem which stresses critical chemistry skills and aspects the pharmacist should be aware of..the other classes like pharmacology are memorization, which I could utilize any electronic reference..to figure that out..

 

[jdpharmd?]

I really don't feel pharmacy school is preparing me for what really is "out there." Most of the assignments and tests don't require extreme critical thinking but rather memorization skills which are not particularly difficult only when combined with numerous other things to memorize. Most likely, the skills we'll be learning in the 3 - 4 years will not be utilized in our professional careers...I would rather they teach us more practical learning aspects of pharmacy..than memorizing...

1. I think that it's pretty hard to "teach" someone to think.
2. You need to core classes/memorization so that you know who/what/why/when to even begin to change things. I love all the students with one month of experience who think they are "clinical pharmacists."
3. Rotations give you a great oppertunity to start applying what you know to real situations (i.e. critical thinking)

 

[ultracet]

I really don't feel pharmacy school is preparing me for what really is "out there." Most of the assignments and tests don't require extreme critical thinking but rather memorization skills which are not particularly difficult only when combined with numerous other things to memorize. Most likely, the skills we'll be learning in the 3 - 4 years will not be utilized in our professional careers...I would rather they teach us more practical learning aspects of pharmacy..than memorizing...

I understand that in order to become drug experts, we need to have essential knowledge of drugs, but I feel the only class that really prepares us for that is med.chem which stresses critical chemistry skills and aspects the pharmacist should be aware of..the other classes like pharmacology are memorization, which I could utilize any electronic reference..to figure that out..

what year are you? because i have a feeling.... you have it coming if you are just a p1 or even p2.....

perhaps its your school b/c in p2 and p3 they are all about critical thinking here....

 

[lord999]

Chin up Dana, if **I** did it you surely can. I'm not the sharpest tool in the
shed, okay? I graduated with a 2.5.

Before you gunners get smug resting on your four points, C students tend to
cash in later as successful business persons while the academic types are busy pontificating in the journals

Speak for yourself, Baggywrinkle I can't spell pontificate, much less do it on a regular basis in journals.

I agree with the above, but I also think that 4th rotations are also an introduction to thinking on your feet with a deadline on your head. I also strongly believe that you learn more by apprenticing than studying pharmacy. Pharmacy is an applied science after all.

Also, the four years of pharmacy school test and retest your ability to take BS with a smile.

 

[ultracet]

Also, the four years of pharmacy school test and retest your ability to take BS with a smile.

amen...