Dosage calculations or pharmacology first?

[CeSoirLeCiel, BSN, RN]

My school allows pre-nursing students to take dosage calculations & pharmacology prior to entering the program (as long as certain pre-requisites have been completed. All mine will be completed by the end of this quarter, and I'm starting nursing school in the fall).

My school offers these classes in the same quarter, 1 credit each. Each one is half of the quarter. I am given the option to choose which order to take them in. Do you all think that it's better to do them in a certain order, or is it really up to personal preference?

[iShaybie, ADN]

I'm doing the same thing! I'm taking dosage calculations first. So far, I think I made the right choice. It's just math!

[CeSoirLeCiel, BSN, RN]

That's what I was planning to do! I'm more excited to do pharmacology....so I hope my excitement will stop me from feeling burnt-out with the school year.

[JBudd, MSN]

2 separate subects, as said above, one is math, the other is studying the drugs themselves. Do the math first, so if the pharm course has anything about dosages you'll know what you are talking about.

[Julius Seizure]

I'm inclined to say the opposite - pharm first

[Hypnotica]

That's interesting there is a dosage calculation class. My program doesn't have that but we have to pass a med math test each term (must make at least a 90% to pass) in order to stay in the program. Med math is very simple. I'd go with with Pharmacology first so when you are in a more challenging class, the med math class will be a break and also an easy A.

[JBudd, MSN]

I'm inclined to say the opposite - pharm first

My rationale is, that having taught Med Calc, the math has little to do with the drugs themselves. I taught routes, abbreviations, conversions and the ever present dimensional analysis. As pharm includes drugs and dose ranges, the math would then come in handy. Just MHO.