Pharmacy School as a Returning Student

[lawrence34]

Hey Guys,

I have a question, I graduated college 4 years ago, needless to say it has been a while since I have studied chemistry, physics, calc, etc. That being said do you think that you can enter pharmacy school and be successful if it has been a while since you had your pre reqs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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[BMBiology]

Me, yes. You, maybe.

 

[BMBiology]

But seriously, you are not going to get any good answers here because we dont know who you are and what you are capable of.

 

[lawrence34]

Thanks,

I'm just nervous, I have a succesful career, I'm just really interested in pharmacy. I was a good student, I was good at memorizing and applications. I guess my biggest fear is chemical equations, organic compounds, electron configurations, I don't remember a lot about it but if first year is more introductory I know that I will be fine. I guess my question is if you are a good student but haven't been in school for a while amd you only had the summer to refresh your memory what courses would you audit or sit in on

 

[mike36]

But seriously, you are not going to get any good answers here because we dont know who you are and what you are capable of.

I agree. Everyone is different. I graduated with my B.S. in 2005, but didn't enter pharmacy school until 2007. Even though it had been 2 yrs since I had graduated, it was like I never left. I have not had any difficulty getting through my classes. But that is not to say it will work that way with everyone. Did you retain the information from your prereqs? Do you still have good study habbits? Only you know the answeres to those questions.

 

[BMBiology]

I guess my biggest fear is chemical equations, organic compounds, electron configurations, I don't remember a lot about it

Don't worry about it. The most common misperception is that there is a lot of chemistry in pharmacy school. Although it varies from one school to another, but generally, there is not much chemistry in pharmacy school anymore. In the old days, pharmacy schools focused on drug manafacturing but now, they focus on the applications of drug therapy.

If you really want to prepare for pharmacy schools, I suggest working in one and knowing the brand/generic of the top 100 drugs.

 

[lawrence34]

Thanks BMBiology,


That is a great help

 

[YiYaoYue]

I think it depends a lot on how you study and if you retain what you learned. If you are a procrastinator who crams the last minute, you may not remember much of what you learned, but if you have been studying the material for long term memory than a quick refresh should bring most of it back.

 

[mike36]

Don't worry about it. The most common misperception is that there is a lot of chemistry in pharmacy school. Although it varies from one school to another, but generally, there is not much chemistry in pharmacy school anymore. In the old days, pharmacy schools focused on drug manafacturing but now, they focus on the applications of drug therapy.

If you really want to prepare for pharmacy schools, I suggest working in one and knowing the brand/generic of the top 100 drugs.

Again, I agree with BMBiology. I would say that you should know about acids and bases, and about arrow pushing. But other than that, you will learn everything you need to know while in pharmacy school.

 

[lawrence34]

Thanks Mike36,

you all have been a great help

 

[WhiteSnows]

Thanks Mike36,

you all have been a great help

Perhap, noone really knows how you will perform in the future, but I can tell you one thing: If you accept challenges, you will succeed.

 

[BMBiology]

Perhap, noone really knows how you will perform in the future, but I can tell you one thing: If you accept challenges, you will succeed.

Well then, I challenge you to learn how to write.

 

[mustang sally]

Hey Guys,

I have a question, I graduated college 4 years ago, needless to say it has been a while since I have studied chemistry, physics, calc, etc. That being said do you think that you can enter pharmacy school and be successful if it has been a while since you had your pre reqs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was a returning student also. It had been about five to six years since I took chemistry, calculus, etc. when I took the PCAT . As long as you study hard, you will be fine!

 

[rxlynn]

Hey Guys,

I have a question, I graduated college 4 years ago, needless to say it has been a while since I have studied chemistry, physics, calc, etc. That being said do you think that you can enter pharmacy school and be successful if it has been a while since you had your pre reqs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I think you could make a case that you might be even more successful than some of your peers who have gone straight from undergrad to pharmacy school. I'm a P3 and I know my friends who did a BS and came straight to pharmacy school are really feeling the burnout by now. You've had a few years to presumably work, get a rest from tests, etc. As long as you can go back and review enough to do well on the PCAT, I don't see any problem with 4 years lapse. You'll find you have plenty of peers in the same boat (at least at Mercer).

 

[rxblitzrx]

I'm another returning student.

Undergrad '02 - Management Information Systems
PreReqs '05
Start PharmD 2006

Lots of people do it. If you want it bad enough, you can have it to. It's that simple.

 

[shortpump]

you should have no real worries... i understand where you are coming from though. graduated in '97 and now a P1... you'll be amazed how it all comes back (organic, gen. chem., calc, etc) if you learned it during undergrad.

 

[prepharmgirl09]

I'm 29 and do not have a science background. I completed my undergrad 6 years ago in a non-science field. I want to be a RPh as well...I'm very nervous about going back and completing the pre-reqs, since I've been out of school and switching careers. I think its just nerves though...I just need to jump in and get my feet wet.

 

[rxblitzrx]

I'm 29 and do not have a science background. I completed my undergrad 6 years ago in a non-science field. I want to be a RPh as well...I'm very nervous about going back and completing the pre-reqs, since I've been out of school and switching careers. I think its just nerves though...I just need to jump in and get my feet wet.

you should be fine. most people who go BACK to school are more focused and kick serious butt with undergrad level courses.

 

[ajh88]

you should have no real worries... i understand where you are coming from though. graduated in '97 and now a P1... you'll be amazed how it all comes back (organic, gen. chem., calc, etc) if you learned it during undergrad.

I'm right there with you (well, I'm P2, but close enough!) - B.S. in 1997, PharmD in 2011 xf!

To the OP, yes, it is possible. People have taken much longer breaks than 4 years. Personally, I'm not sure how much information from my pre-reqs I've really used. If you are considering doing some review (above and beyond studying for the PCAT), I'd maybe look at some A&P and maybe some organic functional groups (I bought a handy little guide to organic functional groups off of ebay for a few bucks - it's been a great help to me).

I do think the best advice has been given already - if you don't already, get to work in a pharmacy and start some hands-on learning. It helps tremendously! Good luck.

 

[jawnly211]

been there, done that

grad undergrad in electrical engineering backin 99

worked 2 yrs

went back to school for pre-reqs (org chem, bio, anatomy, etc)

pharm school 04-08

it sounds cliche, but trust me: if i can do it......ANYONE can