Do you agree with an adviser that told me how well you do in Organic Chemistry is a strong indication of how you will do in Pharmacy school? I am really worried about it if this is a pretty hard and fast rule.
-
Scholarship Access: Becoming a Student Doctor course
Free access to comprehensive medical school prep. Eligible students include AAMC FAP recipients and HS graduates from underserved areas. Apply today.
OChem Grade predicting success
- Thread starter jemc2000
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2003
- Messages
- 2,642
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 4,571
- Location
- Woodinville, Washington
- Pharmacist
jemc2000 said:
I don't agree with that statement at all. We have so little organic chemistry in pharmacy school. You need to know functional groups, some acid/base stuff and a couple of mechanisms for med chem and nothing for any other class. Organic and physics were my worst courses and thank God I don't need them in pharmacy school. They are just weed out courses. Physiology is more indicative of what you will experience in pharmacy school.
dgroulx said:
Thank you. 🙂 I can do that. And I absolutely love physiology. I enjoy all Chemistry, it just seems whatever I studied for on Organic wasn't what was on the test. 🙁
I received my lowest grades in my entire school career (from kindergarten to pharm school) in my O-chem undergraduate courses. I graduated from pharm school "Summa Cum Laude". Draw your own conclusions.
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2004
- Messages
- 355
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Medical Student
your gpa (and your ochem grade) don't predict how well you will do in pharm schools ... that's why it matters so little when it comes down to admission stuffs ... everything depends on how you present yourself in the app ... then after you get in, it depends on how hard you study [I think]
- Joined
- May 17, 2004
- Messages
- 449
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Age
- 50
- Location
- Illinois
- Pharmacy Student
jemc2000 said:
I've never heard that before, but unless you advisor has actually been through pharmacy school, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I asked a neighbor pharmacist of mine and he said the same thing about only needing to know the basic groups.
Do your best always and take comfort in the fact that everything else will fall into place. 🙂
Chris
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
- Messages
- 176
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,551
- Pharmacist
i heard of this myth
It is what we were told at the Orlando UF Open House by the faculty. 😡
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2004
- Messages
- 548
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 4,571
- Pharmacist
jemc2000 said:
Organic chemistry is the only subject I have ever truly struggled with, and I find it silly that my success in pharmacy school will be predicted by my performance in two classes out of all the prerequisites I need for pharmacy school. (I've made A's in almost all of my other prereqs.) I have spoken with many successful pharmacists since gaining an interest in the field, and almost all of them have told me that it was all they could do to just pass organic so they could move on to pharmacy school! My advisors have all told me that organic is just one of those things you survive and be done with...pharmacy schools (at least around my area) are happy if you do well in it but won't necessarily count it against you if you get C's in it.
As far as the school telling you that it matters that much, I wouldn't worry about it. Lots of schools will say things like that to psych people out. I'm sure you'll be fine! Good luck!
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2004
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Dentist
I think what the faculty means is that out of your transcript, the class that they look for more than others is perhaps Ochem. Although Ochem might not be the indicator for pharmacy succuess, that's probably what they want to see u do good in, instead of, non-related courses. However, getting a bad grade in Ochem certainly don't mean u're hopeless. If u're good with other courses in biology and physiology, those would definitely help. But i would think getting all As in history / social sicences and all bad grades in sciences would be very bad.
staroceanX said:
Nope. They specifically said that the grade we get in OChem is usually indicative of the grades we will get in Pharmacy School.
Oh well. I'm going to let go OChem I, OChem II starts tomorrow.
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2003
- Messages
- 2,642
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 4,571
- Location
- Woodinville, Washington
- Pharmacist
jemc2000 said:
UF takes great pleasure in scaring their students. Their are several people in my class who did well in organic who are struggling to make C's. Physiology is way more important. Everything builds off of that. You can't treat disease very well unless you understand the human body. Knowing how to perform chemical synthesis has no relevance in pharmacy school and you will not see it in any of your classes. We are not making drugs, we are selecting the best drug to treat a disease.
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2004
- Messages
- 1,938
- Reaction score
- 7
- Points
- 4,531
I made an A in both Ochem 1 and 2....jemc2000 said:
Let me just tell you that it did not predict my "success" in pharmacy school......
Though i did do well in biochem 4 hrs and medchem 8 hrs....
I'm really surprised that they said that (especially since I attend the Orlando campus) although I have a good idea of who said it. This particular person isn't the most pleasant and probably said it to scare you. However, they might know something we don't. Maybe on average people who had to retake and/or struggled with Ochem don't do as well. Who knows, but I don't think that statement's true. Maybe they were just relating the topic of how hard you have to study for Ochem is somewhat comparable to how hard you'll study in Pharm school (although you'll study way more). Not sure why they said that but I don't think you should sweat at all!
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2004
- Messages
- 184
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
The University of South Carolina's pharmacy college won't accept you until you take at least the first Organic Chemistry because they think that is a good indicator of sucess in pharmacy college. However, I know a few girls who got in with Cs in both Organic Chemistry courses, but they had pretty good grades in everything else. When I talked to him, the dean seemed most impressed with my A in Human Anatomy / Physiology 2 because the professor has a reputation of being tough.
I think they say Organic Chemistry is a good indicator of potential pharmacy school success because it and physics are really the only classes where you have to develop a good sense for critical thought to do well; the same type of critical thought that is needed for pathophys/therapeutics and pharmacology.
