when should i take PCAT?

[mel0n]

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i'm planning to apply to pharm school this fall and so i wanna take PCAT this summer..but i'm only going to be finishing gen chem 2 by june. should i take OCHEM 1 during summer before i take my PCAT? i'm afraid if i don't, i won't be able to submit my PCAT score in time for the following year and i dont know if that will delay a year... >< ... so confused..🙁

 

[tellsarah]

Okay, O-Chem is a difficult course. I took O-Chem lecture(3hrs) and O-Chem lab (2hrs) over the summer. We had exams about every other week. I found it difficult to assumlate all of the information within that time period. Deciding to take the course in a condensed format depends on how easily chemistry comes to you and the difficulty of the course IMO. I wouldn't risk a poor O-Chem grade. I would determine the schools you are applying to and contact them to see if they can offer any guidance.

The course I took was a 3000 level course. I recieved a C in lecture and an A in lab.
I will be looking to take the PCAT in June as well. Those scores will determine if I re-take O-Chem I in the fall and re-take the PCAT in October.

Good luck

 

[omnione]

Organic I should be taken prior to taking the PCAT. Many second year students face a similar issue where they take organic I the same semester as the October PCAT during the admissions cycle of choice. This is problematic since only half of the relevant content has been learned. If you do take it during the fall, then you probably should accelerate your studying a little. Perhaps a better alternative is to get your hands on the fall/spring syllabus and use that to self-study during the summer. Organic involves a lot of problem solving so learning is improved through doing a lot of reaction problems.