Which is easier? Pharm School or Undergrad?

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Transformer

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This question is directed towards students currently in Pharmacy School and those who already graduated and have their PharmD.


Based on your experience, Is or was your pharmacy school curriculum easier than your undergraduate studies or is it the other way around?


I know this question depends on the type of pharmacy and undergraduate schools everyone went to and the type of classes taken, so feel free to share your experiences with all of us.

:)

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This question is directed towards students currently in Pharmacy School and those who already graduated and have their PharmD.


Based on your experience, Is or was your pharmacy school curriculum easier than your undergraduate studies or is it the other way around?


I know this question depends on the type of pharmacy and undergraduate schools everyone went to and the type of classes taken, so feel free to share your experiences with all of us.

:)

Someone asked this recently...do a search for quicker responses :)
 
Both are hard, but pharmacy school is WAY harder. Well, at least it is here. I can't speak for other programs.
 
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I thought it got a little harder going into the third year at ACP... but I have better study habits now... so there's my view.
 
I thought it got a little harder going into the third year at ACP... but I have better study habits now... so there's my view.


Thanks for the response AsianGuy26,

Can you further elaborate how your study habits have gotten better throughout the years at ACP?

More specifically, can you please give us an example of your improved study habits?

Perhaps, your experiences can help others reading this improve their own study habits...we're all ears...or in this case...all eyes..(I know, I'm corny)..

:)
 
Search in the Pharmacy forum (as opposed to pre-pharm). This has been asked multiple times before.
 
Undergrad was more stressful and pressurized because of the need to keep grades up to stay competitive.

Pharmacy school is more challenging in terms of time demand and amount of material covered. There are also higher expectations of performace directed at developing a knowledge base in a complex field.

I'm having a harder time with pharmacy school, but I think that's mostly due to burnout. One more semester to rotations. I cannot wait to leave my most of my classmates behind. We have spent way too much time with each other.
 
My friend is at Wingate for Pharmacy school right now. She actually said 1st year was EASIER than undergrad!! But she is a 2nd year now and she is having to study a lot. She saids 2nd year is a lot harder than 1st year!!!
 
I personally think Pharmacy school to me is a lot harder than undergrad years. Don't get me wrong 'cuz I majored my undergrad in Biochemistry. and my senior year was very challenging too with all the advance synthesis labs and biochemical genetic classes.... UT pharmacy school's curriculum, on the other hand, is just crazily intensive and demands a hell lot more time for me to study. Classes normally start at 9am, and we usually don't get out the last class of the day until 4 or 5pm. And, all P1 tests at my school are held in the evening (7pm-9pm). So imagine if it's test day, you'll be up at school literally 12 hours that day. Well, we have 5 weeks left 'til the end of this semester, and we have 6 tests + 4 finals. That's an average 2 tests/week, in addition to all the in-class presentations, writings, term papers, other organizational, professional or volunteering activities...so, yeah, you can imagine how everyone just feels exhausted, and can't wait to Thanksgiving for a serious semi-break now :)
 
Pharmacy school. There is a lot of memorization. Not for the week minded.
 
Pharmacy school. There is a lot of memorization. Not for the week minded.


Not to be the Nazi spelling police here, ironically, I think you mean "weAk minded."

:)
 
i guess I am also a weak minded person
 
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hah. hahah. haha.

pharmacy school is infinitely more difficult. no way around it.
 
This question is directed towards students currently in Pharmacy School and those who already graduated and have their PharmD.


Based on your experience, Is or was your pharmacy school curriculum easier than your undergraduate studies or is it the other way around?


I know this question depends on the type of pharmacy and undergraduate schools everyone went to and the type of classes taken, so feel free to share your experiences with all of us.

:)

I guess it would also depend on which undergrad you went to and which pharm school you attend...don't you think? like if someone went to Harvard undergrad then maybe their undergrad would be harder??:confused:
 
Pharmacy school is way harder than undergrad. I can't even describe how difficult it is, but in the end, you and the majority of the class will make it to graduation day, unless you are part of the 5% that don't.
 
The only part of pre-pharm that makes it "hard" for me is the need to keep grades high.

Other than that, a challenge is just part of the fun. So I would imagine pre-pharm is the worst time of my life.
 
The only part of pre-pharm that makes it "hard" for me is the need to keep grades high.

Other than that, a challenge is just part of the fun. So I would imagine pre-pharm is the worst time of my life.


Since I work with a lot of interns, I've heard other pharmacy students tell me the same.

A student has to keep up pre-pharm GPA high in undergrad years and once you get into pharmacy school, all you have to do is pass your classes, graduate, pass the NAPLEX, and the state law exam. Passing is absolutely important since some schools only offer the class once a year and failing means holding you back an extra year.

If your goal is to apply for competitive pharmacy residency spots (especially in California), don't you have to keep your pharmacy grades up to stay competitive?

I guess it really depends on whether a pharmacy students wants to just work or apply for a particular residency spot after graduation.

Any Pharmacy students who aren't just settling for passing and aspires for a high GPA in pharmacy school? (I know getting a high GPA in pharmacy school might be a lot easier said than done)
 
Since I work with a lot of interns, I've heard other pharmacy students tell me the same.

A student has to keep up pre-pharm GPA high in undergrad years and once you get into pharmacy school, all you have to do is pass your classes, graduate, pass the NAPLEX, and the state law exam. Passing is absolutely important since some schools only offer the class once a year and failing means holding you back an extra year.

If your goal is to apply for competitive pharmacy residency spots (especially in California), don't you have to keep your pharmacy grades up to stay competitive?

I guess it really depends on whether a pharmacy students wants to just work or apply for a particular residency spot after graduation.

Any Pharmacy students who aren't just settling for passing and aspires for a high GPA in pharmacy school? (I know getting a high GPA in pharmacy school might be a lot easier said than done)

There's significantly less stress in Pharm School than during the undergrad. However, the work is definitely more intense.
 
Pharmacy school is much harder because its a lot of material in a short time frame.

Undergrad was tough because you were trying to stay competitive by not dropping below a B. In Pharmacy school, you know that a C will still get you a degree so that keeps you from getting frustrated when you're getting 60s and 70s on the exams.
 
Any Pharmacy students who aren't just settling for passing and aspires for a high GPA in pharmacy school? (I know getting a high GPA in pharmacy school might be a lot easier said than done)

I'm trying to keep my GPA up because 1) I want to apply for a residency, 2) it's hard to just stop striving for the A after doing it for so long, and 3) I know my GPA will suffer in 2nd year with the hard classes so I might as well get A's in the easy ones. I figure if I can get the A, then why not go for it? My class' test averages have been really high; mostly in the 80s but the last immuno test was a 92!
 
I'm trying to keep my GPA up because 1) I want to apply for a residency, 2) it's hard to just stop striving for the A after doing it for so long, and 3) I know my GPA will suffer in 2nd year with the hard classes so I might as well get A's in the easy ones. I figure if I can get the A, then why not go for it? My class' test averages have been really high; mostly in the 80s but the last immuno test was a 92!

I heard applying for pharmacy residencies have gotten really competitive lately. I hope you get into your residency of choice. Good luck.:)

Another concern I had was regarding study groups.

Is is common for pharmacy students to help one another and form study groups? This way everyone can go over what was lectured on and address everyone's questions and concerns.

The reason I asked was because I used to attend university classes with pre-meds and some of these students would do anything to get the highest GPA. It really made me question whether my classmates were taking the class to learn or just to get the highest GPA so one can get accepted to medical school.

I hope this is not the norm in pharmacy school...
 
What are some examples of pharmacy residencies? I know there is nuclear...but thats the only one I know....LOL...
Also aren't most people going into retail? or not?
 
Since I work with a lot of interns, I've heard other pharmacy students tell me the same.
I'm in Canada, doing a 5th year of undergrad to get missing pre-reqs and applying to Canadian pharm schools for 2009 entry. My first time applying.

I am beyond stressed. My cumulative GPA is competitive, but nothing special. My pre-req GPA is horrible. And I will be writing the PCAT for the first time this coming January - I have zero experience in writing standardized tests, and I tend to be the type to mess up examinations even if I know all the material.

I hate my life.
 
What are some examples of pharmacy residencies? I know there is nuclear...but thats the only one I know....LOL...
Also aren't most people going into retail? or not?

There's a PGY1 which is a broad, clinical residency program that exposes you to all topics (think rotations, but more in depth). The PGY2 year is where you can specialize, and if there's a traditional medicine route such as cardiology, infectious disease, surgery, anesthesia, etc, then there will most likely be a pharmacy specialty somewhere in the US. Things are changing so that more there are more and more areas where pharmacists can focus their study/practice.
 
I'm trying to keep my GPA up because 1) I want to apply for a residency, 2) it's hard to just stop striving for the A after doing it for so long, and 3) I know my GPA will suffer in 2nd year with the hard classes so I might as well get A's in the easy ones. I figure if I can get the A, then why not go for it? My class' test averages have been really high; mostly in the 80s but the last immuno test was a 92!

Yeah, that's a ridiculously high average. Our averages at Touro have been in the 60s and I think even that is high. Then again I'm used to averages being in the 30s and 40s from my Organic Chemistry days.
 
I'm in Canada, doing a 5th year of undergrad to get missing pre-reqs and applying to Canadian pharm schools for 2009 entry. My first time applying.

I am beyond stressed. My cumulative GPA is competitive, but nothing special. My pre-req GPA is horrible. And I will be writing the PCAT for the first time this coming January - I have zero experience in writing standardized tests, and I tend to be the type to mess up examinations even if I know all the material.

I hate my life.

I'm sorry to hear you are stressed and feeling down.

Just know this. If you feel you've hit rock bottom, then the only place to go is really upwards. I've been down several times in my life. It may feel like we're the only ones going through it and no one can possibly understand what we're going though. It really does feel horrible.

But...But...I've come to realize without the hard times in my life, I would not know how to appreciate the good times and I would definitely learn very little from what life has to offer.

You wanna know the secret to being successful?! Its call confidence. You will need confidence If you decide to retake and perform well on your pre-pharm classes. You will need it when you are taking the last section of your PCAT exam; the proctor calls out the 5 minute warning, yet you are only on problem number 29 or number 30. What do you do? Be intimidated by the lack of time and give up or do you keep fighting?

I believe you will find your way. Now, it's time for you to find your own way, get it together, and believe in yourself.

:)
 
I don't know, I'm in my second year, and pharmacy school still doesn't seem as hard as undergrad to me. It's not that UCSF is easy, but my undergrad was particularly difficult. I was a chem major at UC Berkeley, which made my life very difficult. Maybe I've also gotten better at school? I don't know, but I was debating this question the other day. School is getting progressively harder. Maybe I'll change my mind by 3rd year. Actually a few of my fellow UC Berkeley classmates agree with me that undergrad was more difficult :p. Does anyone else feel this way?
 
In my opinion, undergrad is far easier than professional school. What makes any professional school challenging is that you need to be able to prioritize and manage time efficiently. In undergrad, you had more time to do everything unless you were a student that worked 35+ hrs a week and had 21 credits every semester.
 
How about which year in pharmacy school is the hardest? 2nd? 3rd? or 4th?

1st is most likely the easiest.
 
How about which year in pharmacy school is the hardest? 2nd? 3rd? or 4th?

1st is most likely the easiest.
second in UF is the worst because you memorize and regurgitate all the drugs. thats about it.
 
I heard applying for pharmacy residencies have gotten really competitive lately. I hope you get into your residency of choice. Good luck.:)

Another concern I had was regarding study groups.

Is is common for pharmacy students to help one another and form study groups? This way everyone can go over what was lectured on and address everyone's questions and concerns.

The reason I asked was because I used to attend university classes with pre-meds and some of these students would do anything to get the highest GPA. It really made me question whether my classmates were taking the class to learn or just to get the highest GPA so one can get accepted to medical school.

I hope this is not the norm in pharmacy school...

My classmates are great about helping people out with anything! Everyone shares the little tidbits of info they learn from other classes. We copy notes for each other, remind each other when things are due...basically all the good stuff. I tend not to go the study group route because if I'm memorizing I need quiet, but I know a lot of people do study together in my class. Sometimes during the day I will study with people, and I've had no problems with any of my classmates if I want to do so. I know the P2s are also like this. However, I know the 3rd years are not, are actually really competitive, and don't help each other out as much as the other classes. They still do have study groups and hang out, you just have to find the right people you click with. So basically, it comes down to the dynamic of your class, but you can always find some people who want to help you out.
 
I'm looking forward to pharmacy school because the ONLY thing I'm going to have to worry about is school. No working fulltime, no horses to train(sad), no ferrying kids to activities... I understand that the work is harder and that I'll still have to prioritize my time but I feel I will have FEWER responsibilities.

I look forward to this, but I also see myself filling up my schedule with class organizations and such. Perhaps I'm doomed to scramble through school always :laugh:
 
When I was a little kid I couldn't fathom learning how to do math with letters in it (I spotted my mother's college math book) and my dad assured me that things will always seem impossible, but when you actually get there, you'll realize you can do it and that you are ready. I try to remember that. :)
 
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