Pharm help

[treysdaddy08]

I'm starting the nursing program in 2 weeks. All I've heard is how tough Pharm is; how it's a killer to get through. I've already started studying the book, but everyone says that the most important information to have is the classifications of drugs. Does anyone know any mnemonic devices or tips for learning these? I.E. olol = betta blocker (most of the time)? Any tips would help greatly!!! THANKS!

[MikeyJ, RN]

I didn't find pharmacology far too difficult. Granted, I didn't manage an 'A' (although close), but I got through pharmacology making up my own menmonics. I discovered that using other mnemonics developed by other students at other schools didn't help me at all because it never failed that my professor would never test on those specifics of the drugs.

I think the best way to do well in pharmacology (for me anyway), was to focus on what the professor stressed about the drug or drug class. You will not remember everything about a drug/drug class, and I wouldn't even attempt to try. So if you focus on what your professor stresses in class, you should be fine. And for memonics, I would go through each drug class and figure out what the professor stressed and make my own mnmonic. I was more apt to remember my own than someone elses.

And if you do a search on this forum, there are many many threads regarding pharmacology help and many pointers on how to effectively study for it. :)

[MB37]

Although I didn't buy it myself, the Memory Notebook series of books is supposed to be full of mnemonics. My professor always talked them up, but she also included most of the good ones in powerpoint slides. They have one for pharm, and a lot of my classmates bought it and found it helpful. Page through a copy if you can and see if it's something you'd like.