taking microbio. and/or biochem as part of your pre-reqs.

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sm521

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just curious to see..

who here has taken or is planning to take microbio and/or biochem. as part of their pre-reqs before they enter pharm school?

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I took micro last year and I'm taking biochem right now (even though it is not required). I applied this cycle and hope to get in. I am taking biochem just because.
 
I took them both because they were part of my Biology degree...neither class is that bad of a class though...you just have to stay on top of it
 
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I'm taking micro right now and finishing up the biochem series before I apply for the entering class of '11. Micro is probably the easiest science class I've taken so far. :)
 
I will have to take 400-level biochem for my top choice school, and microbio for several schools. Next fall's going to be a mess!
 
ACPHS, among many other schools, requires microbiology, so I'm finishing that this semester. Others require biochem as well.

However, some schools also have course waivers if you completed some of their classes (i.e. biochem, etc.) in undergrad.
 
i'm taking microbio b/c it's required for a few schools i plan on applying to. i really really enjoy it too! if things don't work out with getting in after two years i'll probably head towards a bachelors in microbiology.. who knows though
 
I think that biochem is a better choice because it will focus on metabolic pathways and mechanisms that will be pertinent to pharmacy school. Microbiology is a fun class but I thought biochem was more applicable to pharmacy.
 
I think that biochem is a better choice because it will focus on metabolic pathways and mechanisms that will be pertinent to pharmacy school. Microbiology is a fun class but I thought biochem was more applicable to pharmacy.

Microbio is very applicable to pharmacy (Gram +/- drugs, etc)

Every school I applied to either required it or will make you take it the first year.
 
Microbio is very applicable to pharmacy (Gram +/- drugs, etc)

Every school I applied to either required it or will make you take it the first year.
If I have to work in a lab as a pharmacist I will kill myself. I don't want to grow and identify bacteria, I want to play the role of a consultant specializing in drug interaction. Most of the schools I applied to required micro but after looking at the curriculum of most of those schools, I think biochem will be more beneficial. I really did like microbiology but I don't want to be a lab rat.
 
If I have to work in a lab as a pharmacist I will kill myself. I don't want to grow and identify bacteria, I want to play the role of a consultant specializing in drug interaction. Most of the schools I applied to required micro but after looking at the curriculum of most of those schools, I think biochem will be more beneficial. I really did like microbiology but I don't want to be a lab rat.

I'm not talking about working in a lab bud. I'm talking about understanding how the different antibiotics work against various bacteria.
 
i'm not talking about working in a lab bud. I'm talking about understanding how the different antibiotics work against various bacteria.
high amounts of peptidoglycan in the cell wall!
 
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And I didn't say don't take micro sweetie, I just thought biochem was more useful.
 
I took both Micro and Biochemistry (And Analytic Chemistry, let me go hang myself, why did I care about x-ray spectography?) as "pre-requisites". I hope Phathead is right - Not that Micro is a particularly difficult class, it is very cogent material for the practice of pharmacy as a science.
 
high amounts of peptidoglycan in the cell wall!
What about Gram (-) bacteria. Not much peptidoglycan in those buggers. Micro is useful but pharmacist are chemist more than biologist.
 
what about gram (-) bacteria. Not much peptidoglycan in those buggers. Micro is useful but pharmacist are chemist more than biologist.
counterstain that beezy! (safranin plz)
 
What about Gram (-) bacteria. Not much peptidoglycan in those buggers. Micro is useful but pharmacist are chemist more than biologist.

There was a bit of sarcasm there, if you didn't pick up on it.

If it wasn't an important class why would most schools either require it as a pre-req or have you take it during your P1 year?

Micro is just as important as a class like A&P. Biochem may be more useful on a broad sense, but Micro gets into the nitty gritty of a particular area.
 
I took biochem already, but some schools that I applied to require Microbio so I will take it over the summer if it is necessary
 
Biochem is a little useful when it comes to studying physiology and pharmacology. Knowing microbiology will help you A LOT in pharmacy school. Although you really don't need to know the histology, it helps a lot when you get to the antibiotics section of Therapeutics.
 
I was a biology major & chem/psych minor, but neither micro or biochem was required for my degree so I decided to wait and maybe take them post-bac. The only reason being that I was on scholarship at a really expensive school and I wanted to take advantage of more unique upper level classes I probably wouldn't find anywhere else (Biology of Aging- I'm interested in geriatrics, Uniqueness of the Human Brain, Health Economics- Pharmaceutical and Insurance Industry, etc).

Micro and biochem are only required for one school I applied to- Palm Beach Atlantic... but I wanted to apply there- so I am taking micro now and biochem over the summer. I have to say that we haven't really learned anything unique in micro (yet) that wasn't covered in other bio classes, but it is interesting and a good cumulative review. I think biochem will be really helpful even if I get into a school that doesn't require it though.

I would say definitely take them because they get to the core of the basic info you will need to know... for the PCAT as well, if you haven't already taken it.
 
I majored in Biology with a concentration in Microbiology and Immunology & minored in Biochemistry.

Most schools don't have either as a requirement, yet, but I've heard Biochem is good to take as prep for PD1.

Surprisingly I felt like the PCAT had tons of genetics on there, or that's probably coz I'm not a very big fan of genetics and it just stood out all that more :rolleyes:
 
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