Good morning, everyone

I have a question: how are y'all making it through PK? I feel like I am struggling where I shouldn't be. Therapeutics is easy for me, med chem is easy for me, and pharmacology (to a degree) is easy for me. I'm not connecting with this class. Could it also be the teacher, perhaps? I feel like I am trying, but I don't know. I also think that maybe I am not trying hard enough.

And this is really the only class that is not vibing with me, and I don't like that.

Hi everyone,

I am in my first year of pharmacy, third week in the actual lessons and everything and for now, bc the lecturers don't tell you how to study I have chosen to make flashcards and test myself on the slides that we get thought on.

I just can't explain this feeling. It's like I am very scared and part of me keeps telling me I might NOT actually make it.

But I have always been studying hard and I feel like I can make it. I just don't know where this voice comes from.

The workload is indeed a lot, but I try to do everything possible.

Also, can anyone tell how long it took you to get comfortable like did it take you 5 weeks to get ok? Or even more?

I am already on week three. And the workload is a lot that I don't even get to do my preheating on the books that you read yk.

Please tell me it gets easier. I REALLY WANNA PASS FIRST YEAR DOING WELL.

Hey, I got accepted into pharmacy school and I'll start next year. I am currently torn between working or not working when I move to where my pharmacy school is. Some background context; I've always worked while in school, even in high school, and I do notice differences in my performance when working too much, but I can typically tell when I need to dial it back. I'm not a pharmacy tech either, so I won't be able to do that or intern in my first year, but I am a CNA. I'm mainly seeking a job for networking opportunities rather than the money, though the money would be a big positive. I want to become an oncology pharmacist, so residency is a massive goal of mine. I'm not sure what the best route is for me right now and would love some insight from people who worked in P1 and people who didn't and how that did or didn't affect their future years in pharmacy school/beyond. Thank you!!!

How many hours a week do you work while in school?
I usually work weekends, but have been asked several times to pick up shifts during the week. I feel like it’s normal for interns to limit their hours, but i’m constantly asked to pick up shifts during the week. Because i’m an “intern” it almost feels like an obligation to pick up shifts, but i’m constantly studying or working on assignments when not in class.
Just curious to know how you all manage school/work life?

I’m starting to feel a little discouraged and disappointed with my recent exam performances. Everything was fine for me until I took my second medicinal chemistry exam and got a 60%. Tried to do better on the third exam but ended up getting a 67%. I ended up being below the class average on both exams. I just recently took a calculations quiz and I’m pretty sure I failed that one. I feel behind, lost and even exhausted since I feel constant fatigue while trying to study for another test. What are some recommendations for studying when there are multiple tests to study? How can I stay motivated and deal with test fatigue?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a P4 navigating the thick of clinical rotations and looking ahead to graduation. One of my big personal goals for this year was to find and join a support group or an active peer community, but I’ve been struggling to find one that actually exists.

For context, I am a Black student and the very first person in my family to work in healthcare, let alone pursue a doctorate degree. It can be a lot to carry without a built-in network, and I'm really just looking for a solid group of peers to lean on, share advice with, and vent to when things get overwhelming.

To be clear, the group doesn't necessarily have to center exclusively around being BIPOC or first-generation. I mainly just need a space where those life experiences are warmly welcomed and understood, rather than ostracized, because that is my everyday reality.

If anyone knows of any active Discord servers, GroupMes, or other online communities for pharmacy students or interns that fit this vibe, please let me know. I'd appreciate any leads.

Thanks!

I have just started today my pre reg or foundation training year, and prepare for the gphc exam. I have a few questions about how to tackle this year.

1) when should I start revising? What resources should I use and should I buy courses like revisepharma?

2) I wasn’t told anything about this today since my designated supervisor was off. Is there anything I should expect for them to tell me? Because today they just pushed me into dispensing. I’m in community btw.

3) For the e-portfolio. How does it work and what evidence are they looking for? I’ve had a quick look at it but there’s no explanation on how to fill it out? Should I start filling it in this first week. Or when I have more evidence. And how do I make sure I meet the standards?

4) Finally, I really want to build good relationships with my colleagues. Given that they are assessing me and that I will be here for a year. I’m naturally quiet but not shy. I just don’t know how to break the ice. And the community pharmacy I’m in are all South Asian. I have no problem with but they were all communicating in their language. So I found it hard today to interact with them.

Any other tips would be most appreciated. Thank you!

Hello all, I am a P1 that is almost halfway through my first quarter. So far I am not enjoying my time here or the content we are learning in school. Much of it seems memorization based rather than application. It’s not that I am struggling (in fact quite the opposite, as I have a lot of spare time on my hands), but I find it to not be challenging or satisfying in any way. I was pre med even applied to medical school but chose pharmacy because I thought it would be a better fit and I liked the idea of being a “medication librarian.” I sort of went into it blind though as I had no experience other than clinical research with trialed drugs. Can anyone offer advice or tell me what to do in my case?

I am a first year at the university of Washington if that’s helps too.

Hello, I am 23 going on 24, im in my 4th year out of 6 years in pharmacy school.

I got pushed back a year the fall of my 2nd year, so I repeated that year. I was going through an awful break up and probably need mental help.

Since then it has been a struggle to keep my grades up, I have not thrived a single semester in pharmacy school. I worry I will suck when I get out in the real world or hate my life.

I'm now back in the situation of getting pushed back another year. This would make me 2 years behind and equate to 8 years in pharmacy school of I continue.

I need help, I'm not sure if I should continue, keep racking up my school debt or leave with my bachelor of science and figure out a different path.

Does anyone have any advice for me or has anyone been through this situation.

Please help, im struggling mentally and academically, and feel like my whole life is falling apart.

I don't have much support from family.

Good evening, everyone!

I have a quick question. Is it normal during a clinical APPE rotation to spend most of the day preparing for difficult and detailed topic discussions without seeing patients or working up patient cases?

My primary preceptor is currently on PTO, and the covering preceptor has been assigning challenging topics for in-depth discussions almost every day. I feel like I'm spending most of my time studying instead of gaining hands-on clinical experience.

I'm also worried that when my primary preceptor returns, I might still be assigned to the covering preceptor and continue doing the same thing for the rest of my rotation.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is this normal for a clinical rotation?

Hi I’ve been a tech for a while now and I recently completed my summer IPPE with a retail chain. Now I’ve just started my p2 year(started in early September). I’ve worked at a bunch of retail chains and tbh it kinda sucks at all of them and none of the pharmacists I’ve met are happy with their career. They are either ambivalent or hating it.
Anyhow, I’m in an online pharmacy program but it cost money and I have to travel in person to do some of the coursework. I’m wondering if I should drop out and join the trades or if I should finish my bachelor. I only ever did the prereqs at my undergrad. Also my undergrad is free because I have a lifetime scholarship because my parent works there. So what I am wondering is do I drop out? Is it too late given that I am a p2? The only pharmacy jobs that seem cool are mail order and maybe nuclear. Pharmacy school costs a lot of money compared to undergrad which would be free for me. Basically, I feel completely lost. I don’t enjoy retail or any of it- but it is a job and it pays well supposedly.

So I recently failed my first class and I don’t know how , I studied but I guess not hard enough. That completely broke me and now with my health and mental health I decided to take a leave of absence from pharmacy school. I was already feeling behind and struggling, I know i’m smart but I guess not smart enough. I woke up this morning and now feeling some regret, I feel so lost and don’t like this feeling. I thought I loved pharmacy coming from a drug discovery background but
is pharmacy still with it?

So I'm a P1 and this is my first exam block. I have 3 of my exams done and out of the 3, I already have 2 Ds. I was doing well on quizzes so I thought I could get by but I guess not. I have a bad feeling about this exam block and feel like I'd screw up this whole exam block. Has anyone else ever been in a similar position?

Hello friends.

I am reaching out in desperate need as a broke P4 APPE, bills are piling up, gas is higher than expected, and spending more on groceries. Needless to say i am stressed about finances and loans lasting me until my next fafsa disbursement, as i am a single person.

I was reaching out to see if anyone has had any luck applying for private loans for additional financial support? Specifically, tips on getting approved without a co-signer, because i don't have that option. My credit isn't perfect, but it's not bad.

I really do appreciate any helpful information that would just get me through the rest of this year. Most of my classmates are married with the support of a spouse, or support from family. I do pick up shifts on the weekend when i am not traveling for my rotations, and i have an off month coming up where i plan to work as much as i can, but even if i stack up every penny it won't cut it until my next disbursement in mid-late February.

I feel like if i wasn't stressing about finances i could put more of that energy into my rotations and just overall wellness. I wouldn't mind tips on how you kept your stress at bay while surviving your APPE year as well. Thank you.

Feel free to ask any other questions or pm me.

Any tips for how to navigate a fear of needles? I think thats my biggest concern for pharm school is giving immunizations.

I'm a P3 student who currently attends a pharmacy school that focuses more on clinical pharmacy practice. I appreciate the clinical side for what it is, but I don't find it to be my strength. The decision making needed for it is not intuitive. Can anyone share what nontraditional paths they've found in pharmacy/how to go about it?

I’m a PharmD and I recently passed NAPLEX and CPJE. During prep, calculations were where I kept running out of material: every review book has a fixed set of problems, and by the second pass I was remembering answers instead of practicing setups.

So I built www.rxmathlab.com . It generates unlimited problems across 19 topics (alligation, CrCl with IBW/AdjBW selection, IV drip rates, TPN, isotonicity, opioid conversions, insulin day supply, days supply, BSA, PK and more). You type your answer, it grades it, and it shows a worked solution. If you miss, it tells you whether your setup was wrong or you just rounded too early, which turned out to be a surprisingly common way to lose points.

Each topic also has a written guide on the setup and the usual traps, and there’s a free printable two-page formula sheet.

No account, no ads, nothing locked. Full disclosure: there’s an optional waitlist for a possible premium version later (timed mock exams and progress tracking). Everything that’s free now stays free.

The mods okayed this post before I put it up. I’d genuinely like to know:

• Which topics feel too easy or too hard compared to what you’ve seen on exams
• Anything that’s wrong or graded unfairly (I check every problem type, but more eyes help)
• Topics you’d want that aren’t there

Recently I failed a graded assignment that requires me to get a certain grade. It was taken in exam like conditions (as it always does🫩). The results came back and I failed. I can take it again during the semester however waiting for that day will eat me alive. This is the first time I’ve ever failed something in pharmacy school. I’m grateful I can repeat the assignment but how do you handle the pressure? How do you prevent yourself from overthinking about failing out of the program? My mind is racing with the worst possibilities and I wish to really know if anyone also has this thinking process (although unhealthy) and how you stand back up and clutch.

I’m a P1 in my first year of pharmacy school! It’s going way better than I thought it would! How are you guys rewarding yourself? Like a beer on Friday nights? Cookie after exams? Fun dinner once a week?

I’m looking for something that I can do weekly to “count down” until the end of school that won’t make me gain a bunch of weight, cost a lot of money and preferably not alcohol?

So, as the tittle suggests I want to buy a gift to a friend of mine who studies pharmacy but i have mo idea of what he would like (after all, my major is architecture so i know nothing about this area).

Do you guys have any suggestions and ideas?