How to study in pharmacy school?

[DH1987]

Hey guys,

Well, I am about to finish my 1st year of pharmacy school. However, I am pretty displeased with my academic performance. 1st semester, I got 6 B's and 1 C, and this semester, I'm looking at what is most likely going to be 2 A's, 5 B's, and 1 C.

It's not that I don't try. I try extremely hard to the point where I feel I should be getting straight A's. I almost don't do anything except study and work on projects, except for the weekends. I do not have a job (though I am wondering if that is actually holding me back).

I know people in my class who are working (as pharm techs/interns), still enjoying social lives, AND still making much better grades than I am. I find it hard to believe that these people are that much smarter than I am (though it's always a possibility...maybe I really am just dense). What's even crazier is the fact that some of these people are playing around on Facebook in the middle of lectures (everyone in my school is given a laptop to take notes on) while I'm sitting there trying to absorb every bit of material that I can until my brain won't take any more, and yet the class average on each test is STILL either around my score or higher. I will sit there and study my ass off, but I will often find that what I am studying either doesn't carry a lot of importance on the test, or I will know a few things about the test questions but am unable to completely answer them (for example, K-type questions) and thus miss out on all credit.

So, to try to cut this already-too-long post shorter, I'll just finish with questions:

What are your general approaches to studying in pharmacy school? Do you just rush into the material head-on like I do, or are you more conservative with your energy?

How do you treat lectures - as a time to commit yourself to deep level learning, or just as a time to skim over material for later study?

How much does having a job in pharmacy help you with studying?

How many hours a week do you spend studying?

Do you consistently study daily, or do you "cram" before tests?

Thanks in advance.

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[gtpederson]

What are your general approaches to studying in pharmacy school? Do you just rush into the material head-on like I do, or are you more conservative with your energy?
Study smarter, not harder. Most professors, once you understand what they consider important, you know what to study for the test. School is more subjective than they make it seem.


How do you treat lectures - as a time to commit yourself to deep level learning, or just as a time to skim over material for later study?
Depends on the lecture. All of ours are recorded, so I treat most of them as "optional." Sitting there under cheap fluorescent lighting giving me a migraine isn't making me learn anything better than at home in my bathrobe.


How much does having a job in pharmacy help you with studying?
1000%. Not working seriously hampers you, in my opinion, in multiple ways. I feel sorry for the kids that don't work at all during school. Sometimes they can pull off good grades, but that means nothing if you can't apply it. And being immersed in pharmacy stuff helps retention.


How many hours a week do you spend studying?
Test weeks, probably 8-10. Non-test weeks, maybe 2-3.


Do you consistently study daily, or do you "cram" before tests?
Depends on the subject. I'll often pull a marathon 8 hours of watching lectures the day before a test. That's worked better for me than daily studying.

 

[DH1987]

Thanks for the reply!

So, does it really matter what job you get within pharmacy, whether you're a clerk, intern, or tech? Or whether it's in a hospital or community setting?

Thanks again. If anyone else has some input, I'd like to hear it, also.

 

[pillpharmer]

You might also consider that you have some sort of test anxiety. I didn't realize it until my last year of pharmacy school, which sucked. Getting help for it greatly helped me with tests and presentations.

I was like you, though. I could study all week for a test and make worse than one of my friends that crammed the night before. I found that actually printing out the lectures and writing on paper helped me rather than just taking notes on my laptop.

Good luck.

 

[Tonyg89]

Thanks for the reply!

So, does it really matter what job you get within pharmacy, whether you're a clerk, intern, or tech? Or whether it's in a hospital or community setting?

Thanks again. If anyone else has some input, I'd like to hear it, also.

I would think any job in a pharmacy besides a clerk position in where your actually doing something related to what you are studying in school will help. I am only a technician right now and am still doing my pharmacy prerequisites, but in that time i have learned how to handle billing almost all the insurances and dealing with the issues with them, and have developed good customer relation and communication skills as well. I feel that it will more than help me once I'm done with pharmacy school to fit right in (if i choose to stay with retail that is). Also just listening to the pharmacists speak to patients on the medications they are taking or recommendations they make has been helpful as well. I am also planning on trying to get a tech job at a hospital in about another 1 year to have experience in that setting as well.

 

[DH1987]

Thanks again, guys.

I think having a job will help with the more "practical" classes in pharmacy school. There are classes dealing with finance/law, pharmacy practice (which requires memorizing lots of drug names), and a class called Self-Care which is basically an introduction course to providing OTC recommendations to common problems. Self-Care was one of my C classes, because I could never memorize so many drug names, doses, contraindications, side effects, etc, in such little time they give us. I think if I had a job in pharmacy, I would be a lot more familiar with those drugs and would give me more opportunities to learn about the drugs.

Now, if I could cut out study time from those "practical" classes, I could put it more toward the more scientific/theoretical classes. It would probably help my grades out immensely.

I also do not think I have test anxiety. Throughout undergrad I was a pretty good test-taker, and even scored pretty well on the PCAT. I just think my lack of pharmacy experience is the #1 thing holding me back.

Again, thanks for the replies!

 

[Notecard]

I think after first year everyone was on the same playing field since we had all been in a pharmacy at that point. Finding a job is still a good idea because to a lot of people experience is more important than grades.

 

[Twentytwelve2]

Make use of quizlet, Put all your top drugs on there and go through them during your off time. If you have an iphone/ipad, get the quizlet app or go to the website on your laptop. Also a good way to make flash cards to support your studying on other materials.
Compress each lecture into a chart. Use microsoft word and draw tables to create rows and columns and organize it for easy studying. Use colors and highlights to make it look visually appealing. If you put in effort, your charts will look like posters (sort of). Also, they will be accessible for you to pull out on your ipad during your rotation years.

 

[Seahawksfan87]

What are your general approaches to studying in pharmacy school? Do you just rush into the material head-on like I do, or are you more conservative with your energy?
Study smarter, not harder. Most professors, once you understand what they consider important, you know what to study for the test. School is more subjective than they make it seem.


How do you treat lectures - as a time to commit yourself to deep level learning, or just as a time to skim over material for later study?
Depends on the lecture. All of ours are recorded, so I treat most of them as "optional." Sitting there under cheap fluorescent lighting giving me a migraine isn't making me learn anything better than at home in my bathrobe.


How much does having a job in pharmacy help you with studying?
1000%. Not working seriously hampers you, in my opinion, in multiple ways. I feel sorry for the kids that don't work at all during school. Sometimes they can pull off good grades, but that means nothing if you can't apply it. And being immersed in pharmacy stuff helps retention.


How many hours a week do you spend studying?
Test weeks, probably 8-10. Non-test weeks, maybe 2-3.


Do you consistently study daily, or do you "cram" before tests?
Depends on the subject. I'll often pull a marathon 8 hours of watching lectures the day before a test. That's worked better for me than daily studying.

Did I read that correctly? Only studying 2-3 hours a week during non-test weeks and 8-10 hours during test week? That is ridiculously low!! I was expecting those kinds of numbers for single days, not an entire week. Maybe it just depends entirely on your year, no? I am wondering how many people study as little as this and how many study as much as I previously expected. I'm pre-pharm going p1 this year, btw.

 

[Corpseman]

Did I read that correctly? Only studying 2-3 hours a week during non-test weeks and 8-10 hours during test week? That is ridiculously low!! I was expecting those kinds of numbers for single days, not an entire week. Maybe it just depends entirely on your year, no? I am wondering how many people study as little as this and how many study as much as I previously expected. I'm pre-pharm going p1 this year, btw.

I will be a P2 in the fall and I studied about the same....maybe a bit less last year. A lot of it has to do with how well you test. I had classmates study 80 hours for a single test and still earn two grades lower than I did. I am not trying to brag at all, I wish I had their work ethic....I am way too lazy when it comes to studying, but it gets the job done.

 

[DH1987]

I would also like to note something I found a bit odd. During finals week, my willpower broke and I ended up not studying for a test at all. I actually spent the entire night screwing around with my guitar - I just could not make myself study no matter how much I thought about it. However, the next day, I took the test, and scored one of the highest in the class. I also scored over 100% on a molecular biology final, even though I only studied the day before it.

I'm starting to wonder if I actually study too *much*? Then again, maybe I just got lucky.

 

[luongo321]

Hey, I just finished my first year of pharm at ubc.

Besides working in a pharmacy, does anyone have any tips on learning more about pharmacy? Are there any online textbooks or videos or websites that anyone can recommend? I'm asking this because I'd like to learn more during the summer break. It can even be info about compounding and dispensing. Thanks.

What do you think are the most important things to memorize as a pharmacist? Any lists online with this info?

 

[africanpharmd14]

Hey, I just finished my first year of pharm at ubc.

Besides working in a pharmacy, does anyone have any tips on learning more about pharmacy? Are there any online textbooks or videos or websites that anyone can recommend? I'm asking this because I'd like to learn more during the summer break. It can even be info about compounding and dispensing. Thanks.

What do you think are the most important things to memorize as a pharmacist? Any lists online with this info?

You attend Uni. MD??
That is where I am applying to this summer... do you mind if i ask you a couple of questions about the school??

 

[pharmacyrose87]

The way I studied changed tremendously from 1st semester, 1st year to 2nd semester, 3rd year. Going into school, I studied by myself, and made an outline of my notes for every single lecture topic. Most of my study guides from 1st year was 10-20 pages, which is better than 200 pages of material, but still overwhelming.

By my third year, I was studying a lot with my friends; which was great, because if you didn't understand something, someone else was bound to be good at it, and could explain it to you. But if you study in groups, make sure you still spend time reviewing by yourself, preferrably before you meet up. Make friends with the "smart" people...you don't want to be the smartest person in the group, because then you will be spending all of your time teaching other people (but that could help you reinforce the material).

Make sure you take good notes in class, and if they spend 20 minutes explaining one concept, that's probably going to be on the test! Also, a good thing about studying in a group, is that you can compare your notes with other people...sometimes they have different/more information written down than you wrote.

I'm a big fan of typing stuff, and I retain a lot of information by doing that. One advantage of typing up notes or outlines is that you will have a copy of them forever. I know a lot of my friends were frustrated because they handwrote notes, and they would get lost by the end of the semester/year.

I also highlight my notes, but not crazily...just keywords or main ideas...

Bottom line, I would keep experimenting with how you study until you find a good way. I have some friends who highlight the whole page in 20 colors to retain information, and I have some friends who read the notes allowed because that helps them remember it. You just have to know yourself, and do what works for you.

 

[generics]

It's not always about how many hours you've studied but just merely the way you've studied. I know people who study weeks prior to a test and end up doing worse than kids who study a few days before. I wouldn't say that's because the former are not as intelligent. They may not have an effective way of studying. It's impossible to study everything especially for those clinical classes. The first year of professional pharmacy school was probably the toughest for me, not because the material was crazy tough but because it was my first year as a pharmacy student and I struggled dealing with all that workload. With the second year of pharmacy school, I just developed better studying techniques and started focusing on things that stood out. For instance, if you're studying the side effects of a drug..there's no need to go crazy memorizing that drug A causes n/v, diarrhea, & dizziness when that's the obvious and something you're bound to remember..but really go over a side effect for drug A which stands out perhaps? such as hepatotoxicity and possibly understand how that happens. Understanding mechanism of actions are very, very helpful! A lot of times you figure out pretty much everything about a drug if you truly understand your mechs of axn. So, do your best in pharmacology!

Also, try recording lectures? It's hard to keep up with everything during in class lectures. I tend to doze off here & there in class so recordings have helped me a lot and I personally would recommend it. And, try your best to understand what you're learning especially in those clinical classes as opposed to memorizing.

In terms of working while you're in school..I think it's very helpful. I initially didn't think it mattered and how it just interfered with my school work..but with time I realized how easy it was for me to know my brand and generics, or recall drugs off the top of my head because of work. And, don't worry..you can surely manage studying even while working.

 

[DIVYAKV]

am a fourth year pharm-d student and i used to get above 70% and i want to know what s d scope of pharm-d in future and for getting good job what i have to do..pls 4gv me.. itz nt a reply..itz my doubt..i dnt noe hw to post my doubt becoz am a new joiner in ds forum...and n advance tanx for d replies...

 

[DIVYAKV]

It's not always about how many hours you've studied but just merely the way you've studied. I know people who study weeks prior to a test and end up doing worse than kids who study a few days before. I wouldn't say that's because the former are not as intelligent. They may not have an effective way of studying. It's impossible to study everything especially for those clinical classes. The first year of professional pharmacy school was probably the toughest for me, not because the material was crazy tough but because it was my first year as a pharmacy student and I struggled dealing with all that workload. With the second year of pharmacy school, I just developed better studying techniques and started focusing on things that stood out. For instance, if you're studying the side effects of a drug..there's no need to go crazy memorizing that drug A causes n/v, diarrhea, & dizziness when that's the obvious and something you're bound to remember..but really go over a side effect for drug A which stands out perhaps? such as hepatotoxicity and possibly understand how that happens. Understanding mechanism of actions are very, very helpful! A lot of times you figure out pretty much everything about a drug if you truly understand your mechs of axn. So, do your best in pharmacology!

Also, try recording lectures? It's hard to keep up with everything during in class lectures. I tend to doze off here & there in class so recordings have helped me a lot and I personally would recommend it. And, try your best to understand what you're learning especially in those clinical classes as opposed to memorizing.

In terms of working while you're in school..I think it's very helpful. I initially didn't think it mattered and how it just interfered with my school work..but with time I realized how easy it was for me to know my brand and generics, or recall drugs off the top of my head because of work. And, don't worry..you can surely manage studying even while working.

How to remember trade names, generic names and doses for drugs..is it possible to remember all drug's doses?

 

[xNeenax]

In terms of working while you're in school..I think it's very helpful. I initially didn't think it mattered and how it just interfered with my school work..but with time I realized how easy it was for me to know my brand and generics, or recall drugs off the top of my head because of work. And, don't worry..you can surely manage studying even while working.

You work during the school year? What kind of job? If you don't mind me asking, what year are you and what kind of grades do you get?
My pharm school told me that I should refrain from working during the school year because of the tough course load, which is the same reason why I decided not to do research with one of my professors
I kind of felt like I'll have too much stress and my grades will drop if I do get a job or do research.



To original poster:
Some people find that using printouts of notes are better than using their laptops. Also, using charts was really helpful for me when study and highlighting certain details in the notes.
Some people skip class and listen to the lecture recordings at home because if you think about it, you're staying in class for hours listening to one lecture after another. Its kind of hard to pay close attention to every lecture and you might not be getting in all the info that you need.
Lastly, here's a tip that a friend told me, look over the professor's notes before lecture, then listen to the lecture, then study the notes again after and then later near the examination date. It can help you pay attention to the lecture better and you will remember more.

 

[generics]

How to remember trade names, generic names and doses for drugs..is it possible to remember all drug's doses?

For my classes, the professors would always tell us what doses we should know..otherwise, they always told us you can always look up doses and that's true because you can and I personally think you should as opposed to recalling numbers etc off the top of your head. So, to answer your dosing question..no it's not possible to remember the doses to every drug out there so don't worry. However, from working it's easy to remember the drug doses to some of the more common medications out there because you get used to seeing their prescriptions every time you work.

Brand and generics too ..I feel are easier to remember if you work, but then again that's just me. A lot of people don't work and still know their brands and generics very well..but I feel you have to put a little more effort then.

You work during the school year? What kind of job? If you don't mind me asking, what year are you and what kind of grades do you get?
My pharm school told me that I should refrain from working during the school year because of the tough course load, which is the same reason why I decided not to do research with one of my professors
I kind of felt like I'll have too much stress and my grades will drop if I do get a job or do research.



To original poster:
Some people find that using printouts of notes are better than using their laptops. Also, using charts was really helpful for me when study and highlighting certain details in the notes.
Some people skip class and listen to the lecture recordings at home because if you think about it, you're staying in class for hours listening to one lecture after another. Its kind of hard to pay close attention to every lecture and you might not be getting in all the info that you need.
Lastly, here's a tip that a friend told me, look over the professor's notes before lecture, then listen to the lecture, then study the notes again after and then later near the examination date. It can help you pay attention to the lecture better and you will remember more.

yes, I work during the school year. I just started my APPE rotations, so I'm in my last year of pharmacy school. I work for Walgreens and have been throughout all of pharmacy school. And my grades are decent I'd say. I probably could have done a bit better if I managed my time somewhat better, but I personally won't say it was because I worked. A lot of my classmates work and one of my close friends worked crazy night shifts at her hospital job and still managed to get awesome grades. I won't say it isn't tough and overwhelming, it is ..but it isn't impossible to balance school and work. I feel not having any work experience in today's time isn't the best way to go. Sure, it requires a little more effort to handle everything on your plate and you may see some of your friends utilizing all of their time studying while you're working + studying..but, you don't know how resilient you really are, trust me. ..don't let someone tell you you can't do something before even trying..in this case the research you perhaps wanted to do with your professor? You should give it a shot and see how everything works out..I'm sure you can manage it if you try your level best.

 

[ShadowRX]

How to remember trade names, generic names and doses for drugs..is it possible to remember all drug's doses?

Um... how is it that a P4 is asking about how to improve their own studying habits when they are about to graduate in the spring?

 

[larobusty]

How to remember trade names, generic names and doses for drugs..is it possible to remember all drug's doses?

Um... how is it that a P4 is asking about how to improve their own studying habits when they are about to graduate in the spring?

ShadowRX, I believe you could answer that question for yourself by re-reading his/her previous post...

am a fourth year pharm-d student and i used to get above 70% and i want to know what s d scope of pharm-d in future and for getting good job what i have to do..pls 4gv me.. itz nt a reply..itz my doubt..i dnt noe hw to post my doubt becoz am a new joiner in ds forum...and n advance tanx for d replies...

Not sure how DIVYAKV has gotten through pharmacy school by writing like this in his spare time. It actually makes me feel like I'm killing brain cells as I read it. And the fact that he is one of my Kappa Psi brothers makes this post even more embarrassing.

But more constructively, ShadowRX, I believe as a P4 this would still be a pertinent question anyway. He is about to go out on rotations and, as we all know, the real world is definitely not how things are in school. Maybe DIVYAKV's professors required them to memorize doses for each medication they learned about in therapeutics? Or he would like to know our input on how to remember as many doses as you can?

As for your first question DIVYAKV, I believe if you create a new thread on the forum you found this thread in, you would be able to ask your question more effectively. Here is an interesting article: http://www.ashpintersections.org/2012/05/is-prescribing-the-next-step-in-the-evolution-of-pharmacy/

Unfortunately I cannot give any input on answering your second question DIVYAKV, as I'm only a sorry P2. I apologize.

 

[DH1987]

Hello again everyone,

Just thought I would come back to this thread one more time, almost one year later. My grades are starting to dramatically improve.

Ironically, it had nothing to do with my study methods, or even how much time I'm spending on it. There is definitely one thing that everyone should not forget to neglect...and that is...

EXERCISE.

Holy crap, I had no idea how important exercise is for studying. Before each study session, I now take 10 minutes to do the most intense running I can possibly do. I don't know if it restores blood flow to the brain or what, but when I come back, winded as I may be, I find that my focus becomes extremely sharp. Information simply seems to pour into my brain, rather than me sitting there trying to force it in. What might have taken me 5-10 minutes to do before, now only takes me around 2 minutes. This full effect lasts for about 30 minutes, and takes about 2-3 hours to diminish completely. Sometimes I might consider doing another 10 minutes of running if I feel my focus is diminishing, and I will come back with my focus completely revitalized.

Also, I would usually sleep in during the morning and study at night. That proved to be a mistake. Studies show that people study 50% more efficiently during the day than at night, though I guess everyone is different. For me personally, it turns out that even though I'm what most people call a night owl, that my focus is also sharper in the morning than at night.

Applying these principles, I am now scoring well above the class average on exams, sometimes near perfection.

Yes, it is that important. Hope this helps anyone who might have the same struggles as I did.

Side note: These site changes are cool.

 

[molyhelp]

EXERCISE.
Before each study session, I now take 10 minutes to do the most intense running I can possibly do. I don't know if it restores blood flow to the brain or what, but when I come back, winded as I may be, I find that my focus becomes extremely sharp.

Thanks for sharing....My guess is: Brief time of running cause surge of Adrenaline which helps us fixate information into brain longer and deeper.

Also, remember from biology class, glucose exist in brain with limited amount. To restore mental clarity during intense long study sessions during hard school times, others have tried taking glucose from glucose tablet or fructose from fruit juice, or sucrose from kitchen sugar.

Also, be sure not to take propranolol or beta blocker that cross Blood Brain Barrier while you study. Why? those drugs are thought to be memory eraser and are being testing in treating patient with horrible nightmares after suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Good luck.
Anyone else got anything to share?
I have heard of many things from people that were on the path of failing, they tried and some got help:
Adderall, or medications for Attention Deficit Disorder.
or
Pseudo-ephedrine to cause adrenaline effect to fixate memory.
Caffeine pill to stay alert and ensure proper dosing, ensure no overdosing and ensure no underdosing (and save money, too, 3 cents for 1 pill of caffeine to get 200 mg, same as milligrams that exist in 1 Starbucks coffee which cost 300 cents (3 dollars)
(Caffeine pills can be bought at any supermarket or drug store, at any hour.)
...
Excercise...That's excellent news....Please share more...folks...

 

[USFMICRO]

I'll share some of my habits/opinions for studying/testing with the hope that they will help someone.

Studying:
-Always read the lecture over once before taking notes. This gets you familiar with the material and provides a broad understanding of the overarching principals covered.
-At the very first sign of fatigue I'll take a break and either watch mindless television for 10 minutes or get up and stretch. You need to give yourself a break even if it's after 20 minutes of studying. In my opinion, there's no use in trying to force yourself to focus. Quality studying is way more important than quantity; I don't spend a lot of time studying for exams because I have found ways to get the most out of the time I do spend reviewing.
-I like to be comfortable when I study (sitting upright on the couch or outside in fresh air); however, I know I cannot studying laying down or in clothing that's too comfortable. I've always heard that you should emulate the testing environment when you study; I don't entirely agree only because I want to enjoy my study time and not make it feel forced. I personally don't feel that I retain as much information if I get worked up about studying; I like to think of it as reading a nice, challenging book.
Testing:
-Never stay up all night studying. I make sure I get at least 6-7 hours of sleep the night before an exam.
-Never study within 30 minutes of the exam. I like to clear my mind by listening to music or playing video games. I believe it is extremely helpful to give your mind a small break before the exam. You probably won't retain much within that 30 minutes anyway, so I think to myself, 'it is what it is, I studied what I could and I'm just going to do my best with what I have'.
-Don't stress! I am terrible at this one but have been working on it all year. Stressing doesn't help anything, it only makes it harder to retain information. Furthermore, the test is going to happen regardless of how stressed you are and in a week or two you'll have moved on already, so you might as well relax and make the best of the time you have to review.

I hope these little tips will help someone out there. I've found them very effective. Good luck!!

 

[trailmix86]

This is some really helpful advice. I also want to add that I found that P1 was the hardest year for me. But I quickly acclimated and found a studying habit that works for me. P2 is when you start taking all the therapeutic class, so make sure you keep up with the work, otherwise, it will pile up real fast. I have some old mediation charts/tables. If you like, just PM me

I'll share some of my habits/opinions for studying/testing with the hope that they will help someone.

Studying:
-Always read the lecture over once before taking notes. This gets you familiar with the material and provides a broad understanding of the overarching principals covered.
-At the very first sign of fatigue I'll take a break and either watch mindless television for 10 minutes or get up and stretch. You need to give yourself a break even if it's after 20 minutes of studying. In my opinion, there's no use in trying to force yourself to focus. Quality studying is way more important than quantity; I don't spend a lot of time studying for exams because I have found ways to get the most out of the time I do spend reviewing.
-I like to be comfortable when I study (sitting upright on the couch or outside in fresh air); however, I know I cannot studying laying down or in clothing that's too comfortable. I've always heard that you should emulate the testing environment when you study; I don't entirely agree only because I want to enjoy my study time and not make it feel forced. I personally don't feel that I retain as much information if I get worked up about studying; I like to think of it as reading a nice, challenging book.
Testing:
-Never stay up all night studying. I make sure I get at least 6-7 hours of sleep the night before an exam.
-Never study within 30 minutes of the exam. I like to clear my mind by listening to music or playing video games. I believe it is extremely helpful to give your mind a small break before the exam. You probably won't retain much within that 30 minutes anyway, so I think to myself, 'it is what it is, I studied what I could and I'm just going to do my best with what I have'.
-Don't stress! I am terrible at this one but have been working on it all year. Stressing doesn't help anything, it only makes it harder to retain information. Furthermore, the test is going to happen regardless of how stressed you are and in a week or two you'll have moved on already, so you might as well relax and make the best of the time you have to review.

I hope these little tips will help someone out there. I've found them very effective. Good luck!!

 

[SClENCE]

You might be wasting more time organizing material/copying notes/making outlines than you are actually studying/comprehending the material. Just a thought... this is a problem that I have.

 

[pharamacy_yo]

How many hours a week do you spend studying?
Test weeks, probably 8-10. Non-test weeks, maybe 2-3.

How can you only study 2-3 hours a week?

 

[KBHopeful]

Look up Emily Jerry (warning: devastating story about a toddler dying from a pharmacy oversight and the pain tearing a family apart). Then consider if you feel ready to protect patients, like Emily, from therapeutic mistakes. Make this your motivation to push that much harder. Its all about pushing harder. You can do it, you just need the motivation.
I make tons of flashcards, so I can get out and walk around the neighborhood or go on hikes while I study. It helps me from having to choose one or the other. Another great away to study is find anecdotes to help you remember. You know how when your professors tell a story about a drug, it really sticks in your mind? Find your own stories, search the web, make up a story in your mind, etc.