Which classes should I finish before taking the PCAT?

[angioletto]

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I am trying to get my schedule worked out for the next few semesters. These are the classes I still need:

Principles of Biology 1 and 2
Principles of Chemistry 1 and 2
Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
Physics 1 and 2
Economics
Statistics 2
Calculus
Psychology

Can anyone recommend which classes I should be sure to finish before taking the PCAT? The perfectionist in me wants to finish all of them before taking it, but I don't want to have to wait an extra year to apply because I am waiting to take the PCAT!

 

[SexyPlexi]

I asked this once too...here is what I am planning on completing before I take the PCAT:

Chem I and II
Organic Chem I
Biology I (I won't have II yet, but I heard at LEAST Bio I)
Calculus

From what I understand, these are the very important ones for PCAT.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Bio 1 and 2, Chem 1 and 2, O.chem 1 and 2, A&P, Calc, Stats, and Microbio will all be on the test. You can probably get away with not taking O.chem 2, stats, and microbio, but those classes can only help you.

 

[angioletto]

Thank you!

A&P isn't listed as a pre-req on my school's website or the pharmacy school's website. Is it just a basic anatomy class?

 

[SexyPlexi]

Thank you!

A&P isn't listed as a pre-req on my school's website or the pharmacy school's website. Is it just a basic anatomy class?

Mine isn't either. And I can't really squeeze it in anywhere. I guess I'm just going to have to buy a book and TRY to learn it myself. I was planning to do the same with biochemistry. Maybe that'll at least help a little.

 

[angioletto]

I guess I'm just going to have to buy a book and TRY to learn it myself. I was planning to do the same with biochemistry. Maybe that'll at least help a little.

Good luck with that! I'll probably run to my bookstore today just to browse through the books and see if that would be a good option for me. I would gladly study it on my own if it will help me with the PCAT, but squeezing in an actual class might not be so easy! Sometimes I wish I had finished college before getting married and having a baby! It is so hard to squeeze everything in!

 

[Tuck]

If you graduated from high school you should be able to pass the PCAT. The test is very basic.

 

[angioletto]

Isn't there a difference between passing and getting a score that will actually get me into pharmacy school? I've never been one to settle for "passing" regardless.

 

[PharmDream]

I am trying to get my schedule worked out for the next few semesters. These are the classes I still need:

Principles of Biology 1 and 2
Principles of Chemistry 1 and 2
Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
Physics 1 and 2
Economics
Statistics 2
Calculus
Psychology

Can anyone recommend which classes I should be sure to finish before taking the PCAT? The perfectionist in me wants to finish all of them before taking it, but I don't want to have to wait an extra year to apply because I am waiting to take the PCAT!

For me Physiology helped me A LOT! It boosted my Biology from 40's to 80's.

 

[omnione]

Absolutely required:
All math courses leading to Calc I
Gen Bio
Cell structure and function
Gen Chem I and II
Organic I

Recommended:
Calc II
Organic II

Helpful for additional background information, but not vital
Microbio
A&P
Biochem

Unlikely to help and/or possibly overkill, but can help answer a question or two easily or easier:
Genetics
Differential Equations
Advanced/specialized biology courses
Latin/Greek classes (for Verbal section)

 

[rheumlife15]

honestly if you are cramped for time I would take these courses: Bio 1 ( and 2 is possible) General Chem 1 and 2, Organic 1 (organic 2 isn't really that important for pcat), and Calculus

Use a prep book like Kaplan to help learn extra things like more Biology or a review of statistics and algebra.

I didn't take Physiology or Micro prior to the PCAT and I got 91 percentile, so it's definitely not required.

 

[binghamkid]

It really depends on the attitude you approach things. If you're the type of person who says "I'm just going to get what is good enough to get me in", then you're probably not going to try as hard as someone who says "I"m going to get the highest score I can." The latter individual won't take anything about the test for granted; they will master as much of the material as they can prior to the exam and leave nothing to chance. These are the individuals who can consistently score 95+ on their PCAT. Now, if you're of the former type, you can probably still get a 90, if your foundations are good. If you're not a good test taker, or your foundatiosn are lacking...you run the risk of your scores fluctuating anywhere between 50 to 90. If you just aren't prepared at all...you shouldn't be taking the exam. That's just poor planning on your part. Think about how you would approach the test as a professional. If "I'm just going to do what's good enough" is your attitude as you approach pharmacy school, you're going to be in trouble. It's going to be a hard three-four years, and you'll be living test day to test day praying for a break. My personal philosophy is to do the best I can and not to assume I can get away with not studying something for an exam. It works well for me. I'll tell you that's the difference between me being at my pharmacy school now as opposed to reapplying this year, given my GPA.

So think about it, and whether you want to risk a score just because you haven't taken a firm foundation in chemistry or biology since other people tell you that "you can get a good enough score without certain material". If you choose to go for the good enough score and that's your mentality, then don't come back three months later when your score isn't as good as you would have liked it and complain that you didn't expect something to show up on the exam. Because there's definitely someone who took the exact same test as you, and got that 99 because they aimed for the top.

Just my two cents =) And now I must go to bed before Utterdevotion yells at me for staying up even though I said I'd be sleeping by now for our godawful 7:30 a.m. exam. 😴

 

[Twins fan]

I am trying to get my schedule worked out for the next few semesters. These are the classes I still need:

Principles of Biology 1 and 2
Principles of Chemistry 1 and 2
Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
Physics 1 and 2
Economics
Statistics 2
Calculus
Psychology

Can anyone recommend which classes I should be sure to finish before taking the PCAT? The perfectionist in me wants to finish all of them before taking it, but I don't want to have to wait an extra year to apply because I am waiting to take the PCAT!

I don't really think taking Organic 1 is entirely necessary to do well on the chemistry portion of the test if you have some sort of reference book. I'm not tooting my own horn when I say I got a 96 on the chemistry portion of the exam without ever taking an Organic class...I had the Kaplan test prep guide and got a few quick ideas of what to concentrate on from a chem teacher at the community college I'm attending. Although the Kaplan book is very dense, I read through it pretty thoroughly over the couple of months preceding my test last June, especially the Biology and Chem sections. If you take Gen Chem 1 and 2 and understand it well and do some sort of review of the most basic of Organic concepts you will be fine.

There is absolutely no need to take Stats 2 for the test...really there is not much of a need to take Stats 1. I would recommend taking Calculus 1 so you are familar with basic derivation but not too much is asked of you as far as Calculus goes on the test.

Taking Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 helped a lot for the test...Kaplan helped to refresh my memory on some of the things I had forgotten.

Economics is entirely unnecessary to prepare for the PCAT...interesting class but don't take it just for the PCAT

I hadn't taken a single physics course either...Physics 1 and 2 will help you in a general problem solving sense but you don't need either for specific PCAT questions.

All in all, don't stress too much over the PCAT while you are taking it. When I took it I saw people around me visibly frustrated....a couple of the girls who took it had even been crying!!! If you don't know a question just skip it and come back to it later...don't let it bug you, there will be plenty of them. Just take it one question at a time and let past sections be forgotten once you have taken them. In other words, if you feel like you bombed the verbal section just let it go and do your best for the next section.

The PCAT is just as much a test of how well you deal with stress as it is a test of knowledge in my opinion. Be positive and you'll be fine!

Sorry this post is so scatterbrained! I'm listening to the MN Wild/LA Kings hockey game so my concentration is limited!

 

[angioletto]

Thanks. This is some great info. I have already taken Biochem 1 and 2 and Micro for my previous degree. I definitely want to get the best score possible. My goal on every test and in every class is 100% and I am certainly going to prepare for the PCAT the same way I do for everything else. It's just my nature.

This is really helping me to work out my class schedule and to decide when I will take the PCAT. Thanks again!