Medical Math...barely passed now onto pharm--Scared (m)

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Nov 25, 2005

AWESOME book - the ONLY way to learn drug calculations reliably!!!! And perfect for math dummies like me!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076685938X/103-7560021-7893444?v=glance&n=283155&n=507846&s=books&v=glance

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2005

What I can speak to is the math as I am currently working toward taking Calculus. One of the biggest reasons students make mistakes on math problems is because they get a label wrong, change a + to a -, or erroneously add or multiply something incorrectly that they find out later was so incredibly easy they can't understand how that happened. It is because your mind is going faster than your pencil. Any math teacher will tell you that students lose points for all these little errors. Here's what you do to minimize them. If you have time, rework the math of the problem and then compare both final answers. It they are the same there is a good chance the math is correct. If they are wrong, start comparing the two workings of the problem step by step until you find the error. When reading word problems circle the label that needs to go onto the final answer (mL, mg, tablets, etc.) It also helps if you re-read the word problem after you've gotten an answer, but before you move on to make sure you've given the answer the problem is looking for. The last line of a word problem is usually what tells you what the problem is looking for in an answer. Don't let extraneous imformation contained in the body of a word problem fool you. Some instructors will throw red herrings like that into a problem to see if you are reading closely and to see if you know what you are doing. If you've done division to find an answer, check your answer by multiplying back to get the original numbers you started with. So, if you had to divide two numbers, multiply your answer and the divisor to see if you get back the multiplicand. If your answer is 2 tablets of 500 mg. Multiply the 2 and the 500 to see if you get the 1000mg the problem was asking be determined. If you had to add, change the sequence of the numbers and re-add them again to see if you get the same answer. For subtraction, add your final answer and the term above it to see if you get the top, or larger number back. If a problem is talking about numbers of pills or amounts of cc's draw a simple picture with simple labels--you'd be surprised how your brain will respond to a picture. You can't apply the rule of "the first answer that comes to mind is most likely the correct one" with math problems. It just doesn't work. If a problem is stumping you, don't waste time on it, move on and come back to it later. Part of our brain has the ability to cogitate on a way to solve the problem that we are unconscious of, but often by going back later, the way to solve it becomes as clear as the nose on our face!

peds4now, RN · Nov 30, 2005

Pharmacology IS a lot of memorization of drug actions,contraindications, what to monitor when someone takes, and INDICATIONS. Under indications comes a bit of physiology, so be ready to brush up on that.

the medical math: you will need to get it down at some point. don't forget. You must review it, and online course, or Kaplan, or working a book on your own during a break.

that said, I'm taking a 16-week pharm course. What do they expect you to memorize (or LEARN?!) in 10 days??????

luvmy2angels · Nov 30, 2005

WOW! I would have LOVED to have been able to get an 86% in Med math and pass!! We have to take 2 math tests per semester and get a 100% on both or we must leave the program!!! Good luck in Pharm, I thought it would be hard but managed to get a 96%. A lot of memorizing drug actions, adverse effects, etc.

Good luck!!

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2005

Hi,

Our Math for Meds was "self taught". They didn't teach it to us at all. My suggestion is don't look at the 2 pages of conversion all at once. It is too overwhelming. Break it apart. Do one section and test yourself, then do another section and test yourself. THAN, take a 15 minute break and go back and test your self on the first part again. Then study the 3rd section and so on... You will fry your brain if you try doing it all at once.

Possibly try flash cards, but I learned by just writing it over and over and over again. But the main point is breaking into sections and making sure you take multiple breaks or switch into a different subject for a little and then go back.

We really didn't have to learn apothocary but there is something about the "clock" method. Unfortuanately I borrowed my Math for Meds book to my sister in law so I don't have it to tell you it exactly. You can do it!!

~ Psych