Preparing for Finals

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We talked to Dr P and she said she toned the material from block 1 wayyyyy down. I'm worried too but she said she was going to be somewhat lenient with the required 70, so that makes me feel a little better.
 
That's good, block one is by far the worst, at least for me.
 
My Organic teacher wants us to learn both chains of Insulin (21 & 30 amino acids a piece) 😱
 
They showed us a picture of insulin. In biochem, they never made us member the actual amino acid sequence.
 
Knipps said:
My Organic teacher wants us to learn both chains of Insulin (21 & 30 amino acids a piece) 😱
Click to expand...

Wow, that sucks. I am glad that my organic professor never made us do any of that. We haven't even had to learn that in pharmacy school.
 
firefighter9015 said:
Wow, that sucks. I am glad that my organic professor never made us do any of that. We haven't even had to learn that in pharmacy school.
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How are your finals going? My exams start Thursday, and I have an exam each day until next Tuesday (except on Sunday). I'm trying my absolute best not to freak out, but it's difficult. Do you (or anyone else) have any inspiring thoughts or phrases that might help? 😀 I think this should be the most difficult part of pharmacy school (minus the Naplex and the law exam). :scared:
 
^^^
You know what... I'm going to act like this is my preparation for a nice vacation. Since I will need to "pack a suitcase", I will rework kinetics problems which will include one and two compartment models, etc. I will study "brochure guides" to figure out what vacation destination is the most suitable, i.e. I will study for Med chem, Pharmacology, and Pharmacy Communications. Perhaps one of those "vacation packages" will suit my fancy. 😛 Last but not least, I have to organize all of my "vacation plans" to make sure that they're coherent with my needs, i.e. I will study for Therapeutics.

Ok. I think this will work! Besides, I will be on "vacation" after this if my "planning" goes well!!! 😀

(I don't think I've felt this overwhelmed with school before, so if I have to "plan my vacation" to get through it, then so be it!)
 
we still have to finish our oncology block before I can even think about finals.

but instead of studying (meh, I have 10 days until the test) I've been helping our residents do data entry for their research projects, working on a book chapter (kill me now. please.), and researching piggyback heart transplants.

I should probably worry about G-CSF and 5-HT3 antagonists a little more, but this is more interesting.

oh, and planning my trip to denver the week before rotations start. I'm going to see the CURE at RED ROCKS.

I bought these tickets over a year ago - 11th row, center. so. stoked.
 
njac said:
...researching piggyback heart transplants.
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I'm interested in transplants right now. The anti-rejection drugs sound cool.

I just can't think too much about it right now though because of finals. 🙁 I only have a few synapses left that haven't been burned, and I don't want to waste them.

njac said:
oh, and planning my trip to denver the week before rotations start. I'm going to see the CURE at RED ROCKS.

I bought these tickets over a year ago - 11th row, center. so. stoked.
Click to expand...
That sounds cool!
 
It wasn't even on the test.. good thing I only bothered learning Chain A:boom:
 
I only wish my pharmacy finals were like my elective exams where I can barely study and still pull a 99% out of my butt. I just want therapeutics to be over.

PharmDStudent, it sounds like we have the same course load this semester, and I agree this has been a terrible week as far as exams go. I am done on Friday and we started on Monday. Nice "vacation plans" though. Me and my friends just plan study time together that includes fun breaks to go places and eat out, since we hardly ever eat out at other times in thes semester.
 
It is time for my first final of the week: therapeutics of hepatitis, cirrhosis, diarrhea, and constipation.
 
Sounds like fun! Good luck.
I finished on Friday and couldn't be happier!
 
it felt weird not sleeping through a lecture this morning. So far all the finals grades have been really high, I hope no one failed therapeutics.
 
Yeah, hopefully we all got through and will be together next year. The only grade I am waiting for now is lab.
 
Done with liver, screw you hepatitis serologies. Now, it is time for Herbals + OTC bug protection and OTC GI. We really like GI here at UIC. Nothing like having the same lecture 4 times.
 
Yeah, it seems like you guys are really into the GI. I hope the lectures at least match up. We had a couple this year where we were learning different info for the same topic!
 
mattc_85 said:
Yeah, it seems like you guys are really into the GI. I hope the lectures at least match up. We had a couple this year where we were learning different info for the same topic!
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That is the worse thing ever, to have to learn it two ways and then not be able to keep it straight what way you need to know it for what class!

I am done with this semester, now it is all about planning a medical mission trip to Ecuador! At least that is something that I enjoy.
 
We also had a N/V lecture in oncology, but that was in the second midterm. We learned about Code Browns.
We had the OTC GI lecture the same day as the pharmacology of GI drugs in our therapeutics course.
 
I'm done with finals after tomorrow! No finals on Friday! I love this semester's schedule. I'm not motivated to study since I only need a 53% for a B and can only miss 2 questions for an A in neuro module. 🙁

Just out of curiosity, is OTC a required class at your school? (I'm asking everyone in general)
 
It boggles my mind that OTC isn't required at OU. I'm taking that as an elective anyways though. How do you guys like your OTC class?
 
DuocSi2010 said:
It boggles my mind that OTC isn't required at OU. I'm taking that as an elective anyways though. How do you guys like your OTC class?
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We were given a case a week before class and had to prepare a care plan that we presented to the class based on the topic for the week.
 
it was OK, I was already very familiar with most of the topics we covered so it was pretty boring. It did teach me a few things though, so I would definitely say that it should be a requirement in the curriculum, especially for the people who have never worked in a community pharmacy before.
 
Do y'all feel like you've accomplished anything (in particular) now that P2 year is over?

I'm starting to question career paths right now, and I don't know exactly what I would do in pharmacy. I enjoy counseling patients. It's fulfilling. I would consider doing the ambulatory thing, but I don't think that there's enough potential in that type of work right now... especially in the Deep South.

I like management too, but for completely different reasons.

I guess I'm "torn".
 
OTC is a requirement at UNM. It's a fairly new class.

I wasn't thrilled by it.

Frankly, I think the Clinical Toxicology elective should be a required class but I'm glad it's not - I prefer to be in classes with people who are there because they want to be (and having a really effing hard elective at 8am on fridays is a good way to guarantee that people want to be there)
 
The correct way to study for finals:

1. Make a plan to review the material in even, uncluttered segments. Feel good about yourself - you're being responsible.
2. Completely ignore the plan to study and wait until the night before the exam.
3. Cram and realize (for the first time) there isn't enough time to learn everything.
4. Swear to yourself you'll never, EVER make the same mistake again.
5. For your next final, go to step 1.
 
mattc_85 said:
We were given a case a week before class and had to prepare a care plan that we presented to the class based on the topic for the week.
Click to expand...

This is why I do not remeber it well though. I did make an OTC recommendation saturday at work!
 
PharmDstudent said:
Do y'all feel like you've accomplished anything (in particular) now that P2 year is over?

I'm starting to question career paths right now, and I don't know exactly what I would do in pharmacy. I enjoy counseling patients. It's fulfilling. I would consider doing the ambulatory thing, but I don't think that there's enough potential in that type of work right now... especially in the Deep South.

I like management too, but for completely different reasons.

I guess I'm "torn".
Click to expand...

For me, everything is just a jumble right now. It feels like I don't know anything, which can't be true. As far as career paths, I was really aiming towards oncology when I first started school but now I am not so sure. I know that I at least want to do a PGY1 residency. I don't want to work in community pharmacy, I found that out during my EPPE, it was just too repetitive. I like following patients in the hospital, so I think that is where I will end up. You get a good mix of things to do and there is always something new coming up.
I still have 2 years so who knows, this could all change!
 
OTC became a required course in 1998 because the students wanted it as a required course. It was previously a very popular elective.
My last final is today, pharmacoeconomics.
 
I hear you can teach yourself OTC but I just don't have the discipline to do that over the summer. Plus I'll be missing out on the "clinical pearls".
 
ExpressMaiL said:
The correct way to study for finals:

1. Make a plan to review the material in even, uncluttered segments. Feel good about yourself - you're being responsible.
2. Completely ignore the plan to study and wait until the night before the exam.
3. Cram and realize (for the first time) there isn't enough time to learn everything.
4. Swear to yourself you'll never, EVER make the same mistake again.
5. For your next final, go to step 1.
Click to expand...



:laugh: that was EXACTLY what I did my first year. It was a miracle I passed...barely. I've learned my lesson though.
 
ExpressMaiL said:
The correct way to study for finals:

1. Make a plan to review the material in even, uncluttered segments. Feel good about yourself - you're being responsible.
2. Completely ignore the plan to study and wait until the night before the exam.
3. Cram and realize (for the first time) there isn't enough time to learn everything.
4. Swear to yourself you'll never, EVER make the same mistake again.
5. For your next final, go to step 1.
Click to expand...

I had no idea this method is so universal!

I have the last test of my 3rd year in 9.5 hours and I'm on step 3. Someone calculated how many exams we've had (outside of electives) and it was something like 116. So this is the >100th time in the last past 3 years I've done this exact thought process!


our previous therapeutics exam was the 2nd time I'd ever gotten through all of the material at least once before the morning of the exam. And I got a 99%. The other time I had a 97%.

You'd think I'd learn that this studying thing works. But it obviously hasn't stuck.
 
This time I looked at my grades before going into finals, and realized I was already passing all my courses. Figured whatever will be will be. I am going to rotations.
 
njac said:
our previous therapeutics exam was the 2nd time I'd ever gotten through all of the material at least once before the morning of the exam. And I got a 99%. The other time I had a 97%.

You'd think I'd learn that this studying thing works. But it obviously hasn't stuck.
Click to expand...
The way they teach Therapeutics at my school leads me to doubt the course's legitimacy. The exam averages were always low... D's and F's. Our professor had to throw out questions to raise the averages to ~68%.
It seems like we learned so much about diagnosis and not enough about pharmacy (except dosing). Dosing was almost impossible anyway, because nothing was narrowed down. More class time --> more dosing to memorize.

I guess I'm just disappointed. It seems like the Therapeutics classes at other schools are more consistent with what's going on in pharmacy. Maybe you get what I'm saying Njac or maybe your classes just make sense inherently.

There would have been NO way that I could have studied the night before the exam and made a 99% or 97%. The highest grade that I had heard of on any exam was a 92.5%.

I feel alright about all of my grades this semester, however, I wouldn't be ok with my grades if I had been in a different situation. I have high expectations of myself, so this semester kinda feels like a curve ball.

Also, it was suppose to be the hardest semester of pharmacy school, and I believe it was. Hey... at least it's over with!
 
mattc_85 said:
For me, everything is just a jumble right now. It feels like I don't know anything, which can't be true.
Click to expand...
At least I'm not the only one!
mattc_85 said:
As far as career paths, I was really aiming towards oncology when I first started school but now I am not so sure. I know that I at least want to do a PGY1 residency. I don't want to work in community pharmacy, I found that out during my EPPE, it was just too repetitive. I like following patients in the hospital, so I think that is where I will end up. You get a good mix of things to do and there is always something new coming up.
I still have 2 years so who knows, this could all change!
Click to expand...
You'll probably need to do two residencies, especially if you want to follow around a specific group of patients. 😉
 
PharmDstudent said:
At least I'm not the only one!

You'll probably need to do two residencies, especially if you want to follow around a specific group of patients. 😉
Click to expand...

Nope, you aren't the only one!
Yeah, I am looking to possibly do a second year residency. Just depends on how I feel after all this other stuff.
 
PharmDstudent said:
The way they teach Therapeutics at my school leads me to doubt the course's legitimacy. The exam averages were always low... D's and F's. Our professor had to throw out questions to raise the averages to ~68%.
It seems like we learned so much about diagnosis and not enough about pharmacy (except dosing). Dosing was almost impossible anyway, because nothing was narrowed down. More class time --> more dosing to memorize.

I guess I'm just disappointed. It seems like the Therapeutics classes at other schools are more consistent with what's going on in pharmacy. Maybe you get what I'm saying Njac or maybe your classes just make sense inherently.

There would have been NO way that I could have studied the night before the exam and made a 99% or 97%. The highest grade that I had heard of on any exam was a 92.5%.

I feel alright about all of my grades this semester, however, I wouldn't be ok with my grades if I had been in a different situation. I have high expectations of myself, so this semester kinda feels like a curve ball.

Also, it was suppose to be the hardest semester of pharmacy school, and I believe it was. Hey... at least it's over with!
Click to expand...

Hey! you're done! you survived!

We spend a lot of time on patho and diagnosing but I'm slowly learning to filter that and just look for hallmark signs/symptoms and focus on the dosing. Averages are also much higher this year than they've been in the past for a multitude of reasons. I personally wish the program was harder. I'm a fan of inertia and have trouble making myself work much harder than necessary.

Also, the exams with the 97 and 99 - the 97 was our first ID test and I LOVE ID 😍😍 Plus I've been working in an IV room for almost 2 years - I didn't have to learn doses and frequencies, I already know what everything comes in and how often they give it. I'm sure the 99 was a fluke but I did manage to diagnose a guy with ITP 2 days afterwards so I guess I learned something...

Anyway, don't get too discouraged. It's very interesting comparing notes between schools. People also get too defensive and uppity - I had a friend at Temple who it seemed was always trying to make my education look subpar. Every school has their strengths and weaknesses. It's our job as students to identify these and adapt/fix them as we go through the curriculum.
 
njac said:
Hey! you're done! you survived!

We spend a lot of time on patho and diagnosing but I'm slowly learning to filter that and just look for hallmark signs/symptoms and focus on the dosing. Averages are also much higher this year than they've been in the past for a multitude of reasons. I personally wish the program was harder. I'm a fan of inertia and have trouble making myself work much harder than necessary.

Also, the exams with the 97 and 99 - the 97 was our first ID test and I LOVE ID 😍😍 Plus I've been working in an IV room for almost 2 years - I didn't have to learn doses and frequencies, I already know what everything comes in and how often they give it. I'm sure the 99 was a fluke but I did manage to diagnose a guy with ITP 2 days afterwards so I guess I learned something...

Anyway, don't get too discouraged. It's very interesting comparing notes between schools. People also get too defensive and uppity - I had a friend at Temple who it seemed was always trying to make my education look subpar. Every school has their strengths and weaknesses. It's our job as students to identify these and adapt/fix them as we go through the curriculum.
Click to expand...
I'm so happy it's over. The only thing that I'm still a little discouraged about is how it made me feel. I know it sounds silly, but it sucks to bust my butt for something that I can't succeed in 100%. I enjoyed the class, but now I have a sour taste in my mouth. 🙁

For the most part, we have C averages on all of our exams with a few exceptions. I've come to accept it though. Thankfully, my grades are above that. 🙂

I would love to do IV work here and there during school, but I just don't think it's going to happen. Lucky you! They wouldn't train me to work in the IV room at that hospital I had worked for, because I was a part-time student. Full-time employees, who would quit a couple of months after they were hired, were training in there though. 😱

My experience at that hospital makes me want to be a DOP, because I KNOW I could do a much better job.
 
well they just posted our therapeutics grades. If one has an A, the final is optional.

I got my A!!!!!!!!!!!

the 89 and I have been BFF throughout pharmacy school. so. relieved.
 
njac said:
well they just posted our therapeutics grades. If one has an A, the final is optional.

I got my A!!!!!!!!!!!

the 89 and I have been BFF throughout pharmacy school. so. relieved.
Click to expand...

89's an A? Wish I had that system. I'm used to 89.9999999 being B+. 🙁

Congrats.
 
nonono, I've gotten 4 or 5 89's over the last 3 years. At least you have the +/- system. I have to try to convince residency committees that those were 89s and not 81s, since they're both Bs.

I got a 92 in the class.
 
Nothing is optional at my school. We all have to take our finals since it's 40-50% of our grades. We don't even have +/- here, so 89.99999 is still a B. They don't even round!!! That's how evil they are.

OTC class at my school is so useless. I learned absolutely nothing in that class and I really looked forward to it too. I'm counting down days that I can take my last pharmacy exam ever. I also need to keep my grades up. Do they count your rotation grades as part of your GPA for residency?
 
Allure said:
Nothing is optional at my school. We all have to take our finals since it's 40-50% of our grades. We don't even have +/- here, so 89.99999 is still a B. They don't even round!!! That's how evil they are.

OTC class at my school is so useless. I learned absolutely nothing in that class and I really looked forward to it too. I'm counting down days that I can take my last pharmacy exam ever. I also need to keep my grades up. Do they count your rotation grades as part of your GPA for residency?
Click to expand...

yes. But you'll only have through November when you get your application in (we have December off)
 
ExpressMaiL said:
The correct way to study for finals:

1. Make a plan to review the material in even, uncluttered segments. Feel good about yourself - you're being responsible.
2. Completely ignore the plan to study and wait until the night before the exam.
3. Cram and realize (for the first time) there isn't enough time to learn everything.
4. Swear to yourself you'll never, EVER make the same mistake again.
5. For your next final, go to step 1.
Click to expand...

Currently on step 2 for pharmaceutics. The final is tomorrow at 9 am. :scared::scared:
 
Good Luck mike36!
 
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