Ochem

[Revolver]

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Ok, one pre pharmacy student that is getting ready to go to VCU told me as a general rule, pharmacy schools don't accept Ochem from a community college. Is this true? Can anyone confirm this please?

Second, she told me to try to find a book that explains ochem in layman's terms. She basically said there are books out there that explain ochem like you would explain it to a kindergartener. Do you guys know the names of any of these books? Perhaps theres a forum of people obsessed with ochem that can answer my questions in PLAIN ENGLISH - something college textbooks are notorious for NOT doing.

 

[JGo]

I've heard that Pharmacy schools don't accept students from Community Colleges...Yet, there are quite a few people who do get accepted each year from a Community College and they had to have taken Organic Chemistry there. Maybe there are some colleges that don't. I'm at a Community College right now and the advisor there told me that he has seen many students transfer from the CC into a Pharmacy school. Best bet would be to contact the admissions department of the college you want to attend.

 

[Revolver]

I've heard that Pharmacy schools don't accept students from Community Colleges...Yet, there are quite a few people who do get accepted each year from a Community College and they had to have taken Organic Chemistry there. Maybe there are some colleges that don't. I'm at a Community College right now and the advisor there told me that he has seen many students transfer from the CC into a Pharmacy school. Best bet would be to contact the admissions department of the college you want to attend.

Um that's kind of hard to do. I plan to do it the medical school way and apply to 30+ different schools on my pharmcas. I've looked over the pre-reqs for many different schools and I have yet to find one that says WE WILL ACCEPT STUDENTS WHO COME FROM A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY ONLY.

 

[undertow]

I'm gonna Ace Ochem. i'm study for it all summer. i am takin it at a CC.
i havent heard that its not accepted if taked there.

 

[arroz223]

Um that's kind of hard to do. I plan to do it the medical school way and apply to 30+ different schools on my pharmcas. I've looked over the pre-reqs for many different schools and I have yet to find one that says WE WILL ACCEPT STUDENTS WHO COME FROM A FOUR YEAR UNIVERSITY ONLY.

I have also been accepted in the VCU SoP, and did so as a student of a 4-year university. However, I have talked to the dean and he said that students from community colleges do get accepted. Having said that, he said that they are into the "risk management business." How would you know that 4.0 GPA is the same at a 4-year institution as that of a community college? Consequently, they prefer those that come from 4-year institutions since they generally do better than those in CCs.

Also, about the OChem, I don't think you'll need a "layman's term" study guide. That's taking the easy way out, and really might not do you much good anyway. Read your text book (the words used really aren't complicated), study your notes, and do practice problems. Keep doing it until you understand it, and you'll be bound to get it. Just don't get lazy. I honestly don't know why people have a hard time in OChem; to me it's a little easier than GChem. So, with regular and efficient study using your textbook, you should do fine.

 

[skeksis]

pharmacy schools don't accept Ochem from a community college. Is this true? Can anyone confirm this please?

This is false, I am proof. Nothing against VCU, as a side note, but I know the dean there does not like community colleges.

 

[sdn1977]

I'm a pharmacist & I have no opinion on whether you take your organic at a CC or 4 year - just LEARN IT! You can't dumb it down & expect to understand the complexities of pharmaceutical chemistry...so just learn organic!

One lesson - don't ever move on to another topic if you haven't previously learned the first topic well. Each one builds on the other - so as soon as you find you have trouble - go seek help. Also - read the text!!!!! It does not read like a piece of literature. Each assigned section may only be 3 pages, but those 3 pages will contain a wealth of information.

One good lesson my daughter learned when she had to seek help....as soon as you find you are doing something (using an equation, etc..) & you don't know why.....or if you don't know what the next step should be - that is when you know you need to stop. That is the point at which you don't understand...so go back from there & figure out why.

Its important to learn this basic stuff - I still use it daily!

 

[i.<3.pharmacy]

IMHO, it shouldn't matter whether Ochem is taken at CC or 4 year as long as the student knows the material needed to be successful in pharmacy school. I know the schools here in washington accept the CC classes without a problem... but there ARE certain upper division courses some schools require that can only be taken at 4 year schools, like biochemistry or some microbiology courses for example.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

Agree with SDN1977 100%, great post!!!

 

[DownonthePharm]

Second, she told me to try to find a book that explains ochem in layman's terms. She basically said there are books out there that explain ochem like you would explain it to a kindergartener. Do you guys know the names of any of these books? Perhaps theres a forum of people obsessed with ochem that can answer my questions in PLAIN ENGLISH - something college textbooks are notorious for NOT doing.

Organic Chemistry as a Second Language by David Klein. There are two books in the series and you can get them on Amazon.com. They are very short, in plain english, and amazingly are able to teach you most of the basic concepts.

A tip Ill give you is to be sure that you really understand electron pushing/. Once you understand this is makes eyeballing a mechanism sooo much easier because you can predict the way things will interact even if youve never seen that problem type before.

 

[kkelloww]

Ok, one pre pharmacy student that is getting ready to go to VCU told me as a general rule, pharmacy schools don't accept Ochem from a community college. Is this true? Can anyone confirm this please?

Second, she told me to try to find a book that explains ochem in layman's terms. She basically said there are books out there that explain ochem like you would explain it to a kindergartener. Do you guys know the names of any of these books? Perhaps theres a forum of people obsessed with ochem that can answer my questions in PLAIN ENGLISH - something college textbooks are notorious for NOT doing.

I got accepted everywhere I applied (except that new school in Oregon) with all my classes at a CC.

 

[MoXiEguRl]

your main choice midwestern at glendale will take organic from a CC. I think its just for the higher end pharmacy schools. I took it at CC and got into pharmacy school.. actually took majority of my pre-reqs at CC.

 

[Revolver]

your main choice midwestern at glendale will take organic from a CC. I think its just for the higher end pharmacy schools. I took it at CC and got into pharmacy school.. actually took majority of my pre-reqs at CC.

Why do people hold science classes from a CC to a lower standard? Both my Gen Chem 1 and my Biology 1 were professors at VCU. When I asked them how much harder their university counterpart was they said NO DIFFERENCE, just that at CC it's smaller class sizes. I found out that my upcoming Physics 1 professor next semester is also a professor at VCU, and a friend of mine who had him three semesters ago said his syllabus consists of Five tests, three quizzes, and a final. I'm willing to be my course at CC will be the exact same thing 🙂

Kinda quirks me... this is almost like the MD vs DO thing 😛 I always thought university classes conisted of nothing but a midterm, term paper and a final.

 

[DownonthePharm]

Every class I took at the Community College had waaaaay more tests than the "brand name" university that I went to. Does this make it easier or harder? Depends on the person I guess. I just know that I learned a lot more from my $60/credit hr CC with an actual professor (who also taught at a brand name university during the day) , lecturing in English, to a small class size than I did from my $450/credit hr university taught by a TA that barely spoke English lecturing to a room of 400+ students.

YMMV of course. 🙂

 

[Revolver]

Every class I took at the Community College had waaaaay more tests than the "brand name" university that I went to. Does this make it easier or harder? Depends on the person I guess. I just know that I learned a lot more from my $60/credit hr CC with an actual professor (who also taught at a brand name university during the day) , lecturing in English, to a small class size than I did from my $450/credit hr university taught by a TA that barely spoke English lecturing to a room of 400+ students.

YMMV of course. 🙂

How hard are the ochem labs by the way?

 

[i.<3.pharmacy]

How hard are the ochem labs by the way?

Ochem labs aren't "hard"... but they can be very time consuming.

 

[Revolver]

Ochem labs aren't "hard"... but they can be very time consuming.

Well I for one have always hated labs of any sort because the instructions tend to be so damn confusing... sometimes I think labs are pointless. I've never learned anything relevant from a lab, unless it had problems at the end that pertained to the lecture.

PS: Does anyone know what the Physics 1 and 2 labs entail?

 

[kiko]

I will attend pharmacy school at VCU, and I took Organic Chemistry at a community college. I have a MA in History and am changing careers so I took a lot of my science classes at community college over the past year.

That being said, at my VCU interview, they gave us a profile of their students which said that 75% had BA degrees and that 75% (not all the same people obviously) came from one of 12 4-year colleges in Virginia. The dean also told us during break that they look questionably at students who come from first-rate universities and take their science classes during the summer at community college.

I had all A's in organic (my school grades lab separately from lecture) and a 93rd percentile on the chemistry PCAT so I think that that showed I knew what I was doing. By the way, my lab partners from organic (also career changers) both got into veterinary school so it is possible.

 

[DownonthePharm]

Well I for one have always hated labs of any sort because the instructions tend to be so damn confusing... sometimes I think labs are pointless. I've never learned anything relevant from a lab, unless it had problems at the end that pertained to the lecture.

PS: Does anyone know what the Physics 1 and 2 labs entail?

My physics labs were a waste. Most involves swinging a pendulum back and forth or bouncing a spring. Physics two was mostly electrical things with transistors and capacitors and whatnot. Once in physics two we got to play with an osciloscope and make square waves and watch each others heart beats, that was the ONLY cool lab in physics.

 

[aboveliquidice]

Talking with admissions at UF - the advisor said point blank that CC classes fall under the category of "your mileage may vary". Meaining - some CC Ochem classes are going to be extremely difficult - and some will be sub-par. How can they tell which schools are better than others... they simply cant. Thus enter the PCAT. If you come from a CC - 4.0 with a 40 on the PCAT - you most likely will not be attending Pharm School (unless your school does not use it or not until that 40 gets up around the 75+ range anyway).

I am not making the argument that the PCAT is more important than GPA - rather that it is intended to give an accurate description of a student's knowledge and ability.

In the end - take Ochem where you choose - if (and when) you get your excellent grade in the class, follow it up with a 90 on the PCAT. Most ADCOMS would have no problem admitting a student with a 4.0 and a 90 PCAT - even if he just fell off the banana truck.

Sorry that was so long...

~above~ 👍

 

[tdkneo]

i dont think it matters where you take the prereqs, as long as the school is accredited..........