How I Passed Pharmacology the First Try

...during the COVID-19 pandemic!

If you are a health science student, you may be well aware of this class and why so many people dread taking it. At my school, they call it "the course that weeds students out." So of course, that can be a little intimidating, right?

Well, I passed the course with an A on the first try... while being forced to switch from in-person lecture to online learning. And I would like to share my tips to helps others because I know others may find it helpful.

Let us jump in:

What I Found Extremely Helpful:

• Knowing how I study: I retain information through repetition, so I spent a lot of time re-writing my notes, going through flashcards, taking practice exams, and re-reading PowerPoint slides. If you are like me, do these things because you will be surprised how fast you start to remember the drugs and information. On the other hand, if you do not know how you learn best, figure it out fast. This is not a course where you want to constantly switch up your studying methods. Unless of course, you need to do better.

• Studying a lot: Now, that sounds like common sense but it is very true. On the first day of our class, the professor suggested we study three hours per day six to seven days a week. He had his Ph.D., so of course, I took that advice and it paid off. I went into every exam feeling pretty great (minus normal testing anxiety) and I always felt confident that I knew the materials. There was never a time that I sat at my exam and thought, "OMG, I have never seen this drug or concept before!"

• Go to tutoring or study in a group: Normally, I am not one for studying in groups but in this class, I found it very helpful. Here is why: there is so much information to remember so you will likely use mnemonics, and when you put multiple heads together, its easier to create them. Tutoring is always good b/c the additional resources the tutor will provide to you. (This may include notes, flashcards, simplified powerpoints, etc) And they will likely be better than the prof's resources b/c the tutor was recently a student and knows what people struggled with or what things to pay extra attention to. Bonus: if someone in the study group doesn't understand something, you can help explain it, which helps you commit it to your long term memory.

• Engaging during class: During every class session, I asked questions, I took notes, and most importantly I actively listened. This goes such a long way! When you participate in class and the prof knows who you are, they may take that into consideration when you are asking for extra credit or an extension on a due date. (Same goes for tutoring! The tutor can vouch for your attendance and commitment to the class.) Now, our prof did not offer these, nor did I need one but it is still worth adding. However, I paid attention when my prof said not to buy the very expensive book that was listed as class materials, so it saved me money. I also found it helpful when the prof is telling you what is not going to be on exams, so you can focus your time on the important things. Also when they are adding extra info that is not on the slides.

What I Did Not Find Helpful:

• Outside materials: Before the course started, I got PharmFlash cards and a free PicMonic membership. Neither of these things really helped me. Honestly, I never once touched the cards, literally! Now, I did use PicMonic but not for the videos... I actually studied my class materials from the prof/ tutor then did practice questions on PicMonic. That was it. Personally, I could not find everything I needed for class on there plus some of the videos were more confusing than just learning the drugs straight up. Not worth it. I would 110% not suggest buying it because you can definitely pass your class without it. Plus, Youtube is free! They have more information with less confusing animations. On the other hand, I had a friend who paid for it and loved it. Everyone learns differently but do not think you are missing out on anything if you decide not to buy it. (Also... I did not even need those practice questions b/c I am sure you can find more other places or make your own with Quizlet. I just went there b/c I already had the free account.)

• Taking advice/ worksheets/ etc from outside people: This is a big one. Many students belong to FB groups for their major, myself included, and people are always trying to help one another. It seems nice but it may not be a great idea and here is why: your prof may be testing over totally different materials/ drugs than the other prof. So you could potentially study someone else's class materials for hours and get into your exam and you are under-prepared. I have seen it happen in my own FB groups. In fact, this almost happened to me. The same goes for randomly googling worksheets/ mnemonics/ resources. Before my class started, I saved tons of pharm worksheets from my FB groups and did not use a single one. Their prof had grouped different drug classes together so the sheets were useless. On one occasion, I googled a random mnemonic that I thought was amazing. I later got into my final tutoring session before my exam, just to realize it had left off two drugs I needed to know while adding in two that I did not need to know. You do not want to end up in that situation from studying other people's materials. If you must use someone else's materials, definitely customize it to fit your class's materials and make sure you are not studying unnecessary info.

Lastly, I suggest going into the course with an open mind. Do not let other people's horror stories intimidate you. At my school, it is recommended that you take it alone, so that is something else to consider. But overall, I enjoyed this course and it has been the most interesting course I have taken thus far.

-Cherisse!