Master's level pharmacology?! wowza!

[rehric00]

Ok guys-

I think I am just looking for a little reinforcement and encouragement here...

I am enrolled in my online master's program... working towards FNP. Ill be done in 2 years. I was lucky enough to be able to take "pharmacotherapy" this summer... However- it has proven to be extremely difficult. We are 4 weeks in, and have out first exam next week- it is all antibiotic therapy and infectious diseases.

I have never, ever, felt so unsure of myself before. I have actually felt like I may have to just drop it... I cannot retain this stuff for anything. I start making flash cards, but get overwhelmed and don't seem like I am making a dent in the info.. then I just give up bc it is too much to process.

Ok- whining over... anyone have any tips/tricks that might help? I've got a 4.0 right now so it is not like I am a "pass by the skin of my teeth" type of person, but this stuff is hard!!!

Thanks!!

[Jules A, MSN]

Flash cards are great, I used to read them into a recorder and listen to it in the car also. To lower the anxiety, which sounds prevalent here :), perhaps look over the syllabus and identify the areas that you are experienced in as a nurse to increase your comfort level that it will not be as difficult for you when it comes to those sections. Good luck!

[Anonymous1257]

Listen to podcasts in your car, in the shower, while you exercise, whenever you would've normally listened to music. Study EVERY day for at least an hour. Find a study partner and quiz each other for a couple hours 2-3 times before the exam. Adv pharm is a tough one, if you want to keep that 4.0 you're going to have to put in a lot of time and effort.

[nyc2011]

Hello there! this is a normal feeling..nobody feels like psh I got it all!!! so just take a few deep breaths and if you are studying a lot you should be retaining more than you think

What I used to do is record myself IT HELPS SO MUCH..like on my mac where you take pictures…you can make a video there…and I would make tiny videos about concepts I couldn't' remember and as I made them I would be understanding and memorizing…

i wouldn't drop it per say…unless you are not studying at all?

I have a 4.0 also… but my school is my life literally…I don't work now and focus all my energy there! Thankfully i have the luxury to do that..but i know some don't….if you are working full time in a advanced pharm course..that would be a different story now...

[rehric00]

Yes, I am working full time. It's three 12s though- so I have more days off that I can dedicate to studying. Thanks for the tips, guys... I used to record myself for my undergrad- I forgot about that and will have to try it again.

I can say I could probably spend a little bit more time studying- as I get overwhelmed easily in this course and just put it all down before I should.. but I do put in many hours a week. I think after the first exam some of the anxiety will go away, as I will know what to expect.

[Barnstormin' PMHNP]

How refreshing to see a post on the student NP forum about something other than what school to go to!!

Adv. pharm was almost as hard as patho, very tough classes in my program. I tend to learn best by using colors to highlight specific concepts, and I just read, read, read and concentrate on your weak areas. If you have a solid advanced patho understanding that goes a long way to helping in the pharma class. Basically, there's no easy way out, you need to study much harder than you have before.

[SierraBravo]

I'm probably going to be the odd person out here, but I found advanced pathophysiology and advanced pharmacology rather easy; the classes left me wanting more. I did an accelerated BSN program and already had a Bachelors degree in biology. With my science background, I found those classes easy, albeit they were quite a bit of work. The students in my class that did a traditional BSN program struggled with the advanced material because in nursing school you don't learn hardcore science (at the cellular and molecular level) like you do in college if you were pursuing a science degree. With that being said, I'm not saying that the traditional BSN students can't do it, they just had a more challenging time with the material than those of use with science backgrounds.

In terms of studying for the class, it just takes time and effort. You might just have to invest more time into studying for this class than you are used to. But you can learn the material and master it, otherwise you likely wouldn't have been accepted to the program. Take it one day at a time, break things down into chunks so that they are easily digestible and understandable. Then repeat things out loud to yourself as you compile information. Believe me, invest the time now to learn the material because it is going to be critical information when you get to clinicals and they expect that you already have command of that knowledge.

[rehric00]

Thanks for the reassurance. I have to remind myself ALOT, that I made it this far- many other people ahead of me have made it- I can do it!

I have gone over the notes many times, and I have been going into deep detail with every area I do not fully understand, and while I do not have everything memorized, the concepts are coming to me in time. Just need more repetition!

Thanks again!