Prereq Sequence and grades/ Hardest classes

[Smilescali]

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Hey everyone! For all of you that are in pharmacy school or are almost done with the prereq's! I ENVY you! 🙂

My question is in your experience, is it better to take a lighter load and get A's or take a heavier load and potentially get a couple of B's. I am trying to keep my GPA high because I have no work experience, but have volunteered in unrelated fields and was involved in EC's in my earlier years in college

Thank you for all of your input in previous posts regrading Ochem and GChem taken concurrently. I am going to do it! Hopefully I will get A's in both. (Those are the only two classes I will be taking next semester) 🙂

Also, what are the hardest classes in everyone's opinion? Ochem? Calculus?

Did everyone take Calculus with Analytic Geometry? Or did some just take General Calculus? I have noticed that some schools don't care which one you take and some like UW Madison are VERY picky. I have emailed course desciptions for my General Calculus class that I want to take to USC, but have not received any response regarding if it will be accepted. 😕
Anyone know?
Thanks and Good Luck

 

[nguyenkd]

I would definately take a lighter course load and get the A's. It's better to take 2-3 years doing pre-reqs and getting a great GPA rather than rushing it and end up with an okay GPA. That way, you have more time to work, volunteer, etc. Don't forget, you can knock the core classes out of the way during the summer (hisory, govt...) It just all depends on the person though; you could very well carry a full load and end up with a 4.0.

My hardest class was Biology. 😡 For some reason, I could not get a darn A in either sequences. Organic is definately tough, but I think it just all depends on your study skills and whether or not you'll put in the great deal of effort that it requires. It's not hard to pass with a C, but to get an A is quite the challenge. Well, that's just in my opinion.

 

[kwakster928]

completely agree w/ previous post. take your time and get good grades. there is no reason to hurry it up. A is def better than B, more time you have to concentrate on a course, more chance you will do well. i took organic over the summer, i think that was by far the smartest move i have ever taken. even though it is organic 24/7, since you are exposed to the material every day in a short period of time, more likely you will remember a lot of them, and information will go into your brain a lot quicker and effectively. try it out. good luck 😀

 

[panda103]

I'm sorry to say but I believe that having a heavier load is more impressive to admissions than a lighter load. From what I have read, taking 15-17 credits per semester helps students prepare for the curriculum in pharmacy school.
And then as always, colleges prefer students who carry out a challenging curriculum. Getting a B in ochem while taking 3 other classes is better than getting an A while taking 1 other class. Gpa is not the only thing they look at.

However, if taking 15-17 credits is too hard, then of course you should take it a little easy. I'm just saying how you could be a candidate to be most likely admitted.

Now, if I'm actually wrong about pharmacy schools recognizing students that have challenged themselves even when they have a gpa that isn't within their prefered range, then you could ignore everything that I've had stated and I'll just say, " That just sucks!!! 😡 ".

As all can tell, I'm not so sure if I'm right since I am still working on my pre-pharm stuff. So, for those who have experienced being admitted to pharmacy school, I ask you to speak up about this so I could be either reassured or told the truth.

 

[DaveyDoo]

absolutely get the A with a lighter load...u are first looked at by your grades if you are givewn an interview...if you are on the same level as someone else, well then they might look at course load...just my opinion...course load is not that important

 

[DorySyndrome]

if u guys dont mind me asking...what was ur overall gpa and science gpa when u applied. I'm afraid mine isnt competitive enough. Mine is 3.4 overall and 3.2 science. i get this impression everyons has a 3.5 or so. any reassurances? thanks a lot

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

I tend to agree that challening yourself is the right idea. Almost anyone could get an A if they only took one or two classes. Unfortunately Rx school isn't like that and you haven't really proven that you can handle the rigor (which I think the admin committe would like to see). I'm not sure how Rx school works out, but they told us that one semester of med school was the equivalent of 26 semester hours (and I'd assume the two programs are comprable). You haven't adequately prepared yourself to handle that by taken 6 or 8 hours a semester.


Dory....A lot of the grade debate can depend on the difficulity of where you are attending undergrad. I don't know much about Rx admissions but I'd imagine your grades should allow you to attend somewhere. You might not end up at your dream school, but I'm not sure that matters too much at the end of the day. Best of luck!

 

[nguyenkd]

It depends on what you mean by a heavy load. 1-2 hard classes taken with 2-3 easier classes is totally do-able, but I wouldn't advise taking 3-4 hard classes to "prove" to the adcom that you can handle it. When I went on my interview, I had a folder with all of my grades written on the front so I don't know how important course load is to them. On my school's website, they said: "Keep your grades up and do not take too many college hours and risk lower grades." That being said, I still stand by what I said in my previous post. I know GPA isn't everything, but it is heavily weighed.

 

[ucdbiochem]

depends how much much you can handle. if you are gonna get C's with 25 units, isn't it more reasonable to take less units so that you can hv the time to learn better and do well?
upshot: don't be hero. take what you can handle.
good luck.

 

[Tuck]

In reality, most people tend to slack and not study much until test time in my experience. If you are this kind of person, then having a lighter load will make it much easier to do well during midterm and final weeks because of less conflicts. I tended toward this method of study mainly because I never found much of the material all that challenging, but it was quite a pain in the ass for me because I went to a small school in which some classes are only offered once every other year. As a result, I ended up with a couple of terms where I ended up taking 5 science classes, which is not much fun around test time. I actually fell asleep in my microbiology final because I was studying non-stop for like 4 days trying to get through them all. I still managed to get all A's, and I think that I learned to improve my study skills and manage my time much more effectively because of it. If you have good study skills and are able to manage your time well, then take advantage of that. They do note the load that you take, my interviewer actually mentioned the fact that I had 24 credits of science with a 4.0 when we were discussing the rigors of the pharmacy curriculum. Most people are capable of doing well under heavy loads, it just depends on how much of the rest of your life you are willing to sacrifice to do so!

 

[Smilescali]

. Most people are capable of doing well under heavy loads, it just depends on how much of the rest of your life you are willing to sacrifice to do so!

This is the key I think. Most people have the mental capacity to learn the material and do well. It is just how one opts to spend their time. If you work full time or have kids then that time for studying suffers.

 

[jemc2000]

I've been doing it one class at a time, but I am working full time and have a family, also. Do you think this will count against me?

I am dropping down to part-time at work, starting the volunteer program in the pharmacy at the hospital, and taking 10 hours each semester for Fall and spring. (Anatomy & Physiology and Organic Chemistry).

Do you think this will count against me? Because of my 20 year ago classes, my GPA is not rocking, but I have gotten 3-A's and 1-B since I have started back to college.

 

[dgroulx]

UF has an admission tip sheet on their website. It states that you should demonstrate a sustained record of 14-16 credit hours per semester with 2 science classes per semester. But, do not overload to get finished ahead of time.

My final semester of undergrad was 21 credit hours, all sciences with labs except for 1 credit hour for a senior research project. It was really tough, but still slightly easier than my first semester of pharmacy school. I believe that I was well prepared for pharm school by carrying that load. People that were taking lighter loads before really freaked out during that first semester. But, they were used to the load by second semester and everyone did fine.

I recommend taking a full load, unless you are working or raising a family. It will give you better preparation for the road ahead.

 

[jemc2000]

Unfortunately it is too late for me to take 14-16 hours per semester. I only have Biology 2 (which is only offered in the Spring and Summer II terms), Ochem I&II and A&P I&II left to take. With perhaps taking microbiology next summer.

I guess I could triple up in the spring and take that last class of Bio 2 with A&P II and OChem II instead of putting it off until next summer as my Biology instructor recommended. But on the other hand, by the time spring term comes around, UF will have already made their decision. <sigh> I am so stressed about this. I know Pharmacy School is going to be a challenge, but I feel that once I get accepted, a lot of my stress will drop.

 

[Smilescali]

I would think that the admissions committee would take a look at the individual's grades and course load based on their life circumstances. As long as you can jusify why you only can take a couple of classes at a time (family or work), I don't see how this can hurt you, especially if the interviewers are parents themselves. If anything they will see that you have drive and perserverance in acheiving your goals. 🙂

 

[Tuck]

I would doubt that this would count against you. The majority of applicants to PharmD programs are younger, but those who have worked in the field and have families are often at an advantage because they are seen to have more life experience behind them. The fact that they are choosing pharmacy as a profession now can really be played upon. That being said, be sure when you apply to make sure you incorporate your family, life, and work into your personal statement as that goes a long way toward explaining and personalizing your situation.

 

[Smilescali]

Although my journey has just begun, my hardest class believe it or not has been my Speech class. The teacher was horrible! So picky and arrogant. That class consumed more time than Gen Chem and my Bio clasees for sure. 🙂

 

[groo1515]

Your GPA gets you an interview. Then you can amaze the admission committee with all the other things you have accomplished. I would not risk a lower GPA. Most schools have a minimum GPA that they will look at. If you are pulling a 3.40 and a 3.50 is needed for interviews, the hard course load does you no good! I studied something that had nothing to do with science (German). I took one hard class per semester and took summer school so I could really focus on the science classes. This strategy got me a 4.0 in my core required classes. This number got me alot of interviews. I've been told to have fun as an undergrad. There will be plenty of time in graduate school and life to be serious.

 

[maxell]

for me Ochem was hardest class, then calc. biology classes are easiest for me specialy the bioI & II its like high school biology review. other classes were ok for me. calculus is an easy subject, but i screwed up and got a C because i didnt practice any problem than the teacher lecture problems .

 

[lord999]

I would doubt that this would count against you. The majority of applicants to PharmD programs are younger, but those who have worked in the field and have families are often at an advantage because they are seen to have more life experience behind them. The fact that they are choosing pharmacy as a profession now can really be played upon. That being said, be sure when you apply to make sure you incorporate your family, life, and work into your personal statement as that goes a long way toward explaining and personalizing your situation.

I disagree. Pharmacy is admitting an older population than in the past. The only snag I had on my application was that I was young, and the interviewing panel emphasized the "why don't you just take some time off" theme during the interview. Being really young is a handicap these days.

BTW, adcoms also know that people in stable families (parental relationships or spouse and children) are generally more motivated to succeed.

 

[vilraj]

My hardest class was Immunology..teacher was hard. Ended up with a C in there, but that's all I needed so that I could start Pharm. School in fall, and I'm crazy and taking 18 hrs this summer to finish off my requirements.

I know most schools look at GPA and PCAT for admissions(at least the ones I applied to). But there are always exceptions, so although you might not have the highest GPA, but you have a high PCAT, do a lot of stuff, you still have a good chance. I know a guy who had a 2.5 and got a 95% on his PCAT and he's starting pharm. school in the fall. He got pulled off the wait-list but he pulled his GPA up to around a 3(i think maybe a 2.9).

 

[Tuck]

Lord999 I think you misread my post, I was indicating that being older is often times an advantage over younger applicants. Re-read it maybe 🙂

 

[Smilescali]

I have talked to various admission reps from pharmacy schools and they all pretty much say the same thing. Undergraduate school preference doesn't matter at all. In fact, UOP said there is a name for it... "Academic Snobbery". 🙂 Additionally, they told me that legally and ethically they can not preference an undergrad school as long as it is accredited. It is your GPA that counts.
Now having said that, I also believe that it is inherent for people (admission reps included) to mentally discriminate and judge applicants based on their own opinions of schools and values.