Which to take first: Pathophysiology, A&P I and II or Microbiology

[PurpleLVN]

I am preparing to take Prereq's for my ADN. I've taken A & P I&II (111 and 121)for LVN level nursing. The required subjects are: A&P 2401 and 2402, Pathophysiology 2301 and Microbiology with lab for non-science majors 2420. I'm wondering which should I take first-How can I take them where they would 'transition" me from one class to the other smoothly!!?? Thanks in advance:)

[shortnorthstudent]

I would take them in the order you listed in your post - A&P I, A&PII, Patho, Micro

You could take micro in a different spot, but you likely cannot even take patho until you've completed A&P and it would be a good idea to take patho immediately following A&P so that anatomy and normal physiology are fresh for patho.

[PurpleLVN]

Thanks shortnorthnurse for your reply!! I think this is what I will do!!:)

[RNKPCE]

I agree no patho until regular A&P, I would bet most schools wouldn't let you take them any other way. Micro is very different. Hard class let that be your hardest class that quarter if you can help it. For me I found micro to be a lot of memorization. Having micro first might help with some of the pathophysiology but not sure if I'd take them at the same time and not sure if I'd have too long a break between A&P and patho. Not all nsg programs have patho so that is a plus. You will be ahead of the game in nursing school.

[PurpleLVN]

Thanks batmik-The program that I've applied to doesn't specify any specific order. They don't even have a time limit on any classes, except patho (5 years within actually attending the program) which is awesome. I plan on taking the next 2 years to do these along with pharmacology and Life Span/Growth Development.

[TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP]

Check the course catalog for your school - while the program may not prescribe an order, the various higher-level courses may have stated prerequisites. Myself, I think that micro and patho are interchangeable in the order, but you should finish Anatomy and Physiology before you do either of them.

[Rylee2008, ASN, RN]

Our school recommended A&P I, A&P II and then Micro. I took A&P I, Micro and then A&P II and it worked well. A&P II and Mirco had a lot of the same information and test material. We didn't have to take Patho. because ours was incorporated within AP.

[NurseMercy]

Funny, I had to take Micro before A&P I and II. I felt it helped to go in that order because when you get into topics like Sodium-Potassium pumps, calcium-phosphorus balances, cellular membrane permeabilities, etc... you have a better understanding on how it works. And I agree with everyone else when they say you won't make it through Pathophysiology if you haven't gone through A&P. Good luck to you! It's a long and treacherous journey but very interesting along the way! :)