Prerequisite Coursework for Pharmacy

[Pharmacy321]

from what i've read, people either take 2-3 years of prerequistite coursework.

I was just curious how many people took 2 years and how many people have taken 3 years, and why

I was also wondering how hard the classes are during that period, comparing to regular highschool classes, and AP highschool classes


helphelphelp me :]]

thanks guys

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[SCCpharm]

2 years at CC. Not that hard.

 

[pharmgrl5]

I'm only in my 2nd semester of my freshman year so am probably not much help. BUT being honest with myself I KNOW it's going to take me 3 years at least to complete things. Reason for that is simply that I've been out of high school for 6 years now and need to start further back to catch up. I've taken a full course load so far but don't feel much further ahead then I did when I started. At this point I'd almost be ok if it took me 4 years, I never realized how normal it is for it to take longer till I came here.

How hard are the classes compared to high school and AP high school...
Well, it's college, it's going to be harder. Count on that. My only example I can give you is this really... in high school Algebra 2 is a higher level class... well at least in my school I've found it to be comparable to Intermediate Algebra. Does that make sense? Intermediate Algebra (level in college prior to college Algebra) is comparable to Algebra 2 in high school. That is likely something that differs from school to school but that's what I've found to be true at my school. Just expect things to be harder. In general. And the prerequisites are no cake walk, can't speak for all of them but when I was in Cell Biology I got a good taste of what it's like. Wasn't easy. That said, if you have a good foundation in high school you should be able to manage ok. I'm really struggling because I don't have a good starting level in things.

 

[phuang06]

it's going to take me 3 years, but then again, I am applying to a school that requires 6 semesters of undergrad before matriculation, and I am planning on getting my bachelors degree as well.

 

[angioletto]

from what i've read, people either take 2-3 years of prerequistite coursework.

I was just curious how many people took 2 years and how many people have taken 3 years, and why

That depends on a lot of things. First, if the pharmacy school you want to go to requires a bachelor's degree (which many do) it isn't a questions of how many years do you want to take.

For those who do not need a bachelor's degree there are still other factors. All of the pre-requisites seem to be pretty similar for most pharmacy schools. Again you will want to find out what is required at the school you want to go to.

At my university the Chem 1 and 2, Org chem 1 and 2 and Biochem 1 and 2 have to be taken in sequence, and org chem 1 and 2 is only offered in a fall-spring sequence. That pretty much leaves me no option to finish in 2 years because that is clearly 6 semesters of sciences that cannot overlap. I don't know how AP classes work, but I am guessing that you could finish that in 2 years if you are placed into org chem right off the bat.

The final factor is yourself. How many classes can you handle at one time? Some people can do 18 credit hours while others do better with only 12-14 credit hours. Can you take 2 major sciences at the same time and still keep your grades up?

As far as comparing the level of difficulty in AP vs college level courses it really isn't possible. Obviously moving up from HS to college means the work gets harder. College isn't just like "re-doing" HS. In my experience (7 years in college ) college classes really depend on the professor and how their teaching style compares to your learning style. I know that I learn best visually and with analogies. Not every prof teaches that way so some classes are harder than others for me just because of that. I guess that is just part of the college experience - learning to adapt to things that aren't exactly as you'd like them.

Anyways, if you are looking for an educational path that "isn't too difficult" you may want to take a few college level science and math classes before deciding to pursue pharmacy. You may end up hating it. It isn't really known for being "easy."

 

[Pharmacy321]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback, I was looking up colleges around Tennessee, and it looks like too me that ETSU only requires you have 63 hours of prerequisite work, so it looks like you could do it in two years there. While at the University of TN, you have have to atleast go 3 years.

Does anyone know anything about ETSU, if you do, i would love to hear anything :]

 

[veyep]

2 years at CC. Not that hard.

I totally disagree. The subjects are hard regardless of where you take it.

 

[phuang06]

I totally disagree. The subjects are hard regardless of where you take it.

can't really categorize it entirely one way or the other. some subjects or concepts may be harder or easier for others than it is for you. it all depends on the person.

 

[Pharmacy321]

Thanks for the post phuang06, i could see it being like how you say it is, how much do you think you would have to study in that time period while you are in that 2-3 year period before you finally get into the real deal?

 

[phuang06]

personally, for me, i've taken no less than 6 classes per semester including labs since my freshman year, and now i'm taking 8 classes including labs and undergraduate research (counts for 3 credits). Since exams haven't come around just yet, I can't really say how much time I will spend studying for all my classes, but I can estimate about 3-4 hours for every class, for two days studying for each exam. That is to say, 3-4 hours x 2 days x 7 classes (not including undergrad research) = about 42-56 hours every exam block (weeks of exams for each class). This doesn't include reading for classes and doing homework and lab reports and whatnot. So definitely more time consuming when exam time comes around.

You also have to take into consideration that general chemistry is easier than organic chemistry, so when you take the general courses, it will be easier than the upper level courses, so you won't need to spend as much time on general courses than you would upper level courses. Which begs to say that freshman year, you should bunker down, start your freshman year focused on doing work and doing it well, because it can only get harder from freshman year out if you stay on top of things. That way, you have somewhat of a buffer for your GPA and you begin a steady, focused work ethic that can only help you later on.

but remember, this is just for me. Some people need to study more, and others less. Personally, I have plenty of time for my social life, clubs, research, and everything else in between. Just stay focused and motivated, and you'll be fine!