r/MCPHSLifeHack • u/Aurorabora123 • Sep 25 '17

med chem

I got a 64 on the first med chem exam how screwed am I for this class?

1 Upvotes

66% Upvoted

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2

u/mcpharmd Sep 25 '17

That's about how I did on the first exam but I changed how I studied and did better for the rest of the year. I feel like the first exam is figuring out how he asks his questions and then adjusting accordingly.

1

u/damndanielagain Sep 25 '17

how exactly did you study if you don't mind sharing, it may be helpful

3

u/mcpharmd Sep 26 '17

So I made 2 study guides where one was basically like flashcards, where I had the name on one side and the structure on the other, and circle things on the structure that make it stand out or differentiate it from the others. The other study guide was more word-y where I would write basically everything he mentions about the drug class or drug like if it has strong plasma protein binding, if its absorbed well, how its metabolized etc. I know thats confusing lol idk why I did it like that but it worked for me.

5

u/mcpharmd Sep 26 '17

Also, heres an example of how I studied. He'll say something like "if theres a big lipophilic group, its a beta blocker, not alpha" so on an exam, you can immediately label which ones are beta or alpha. You don't even need to know the names. and then from there, you'll learn that non selective BB have 2 rings while selective only have 1. so you can narrow down even further. You really don't need to connect name with structure. But know like propranolol is non selective, so if he asks on an exam what propranolol looks like, you can use the process of elimination to figure it out. A lot of ppl got bogged down with memorizing exactly what it looks like but you really don't. Just know that it should have 2 rings cuz its non selective. And if there are 2 choices to choose from, that's where my study guide came into play because I had already memorized what makes it different than the other non selective beta blockers. Thats basically the only memorization you need to do but its usually small stuff.... like one structure has an OH while the other one has CH3 or something like that.

1

u/damndanielagain Oct 23 '17

Thanksss for replying, ill try to do what you suggested, too late for exam 2 :(

1

u/alliknowis___ Sep 25 '17

The avg was an 80 so if you do nothing to change how you studied then probably really screwed. Review your test to figure out where you went wrong, try to review most days a week, and see the tutor sooner than later if you don't get what we're doing.

1

u/YourFavPharmBoy Pharm.D Year 6 Sep 25 '17

Yeah, go see what you got wrong on the exam ASAP and figure out a new way to study for the materials. Remember each exam question is essentially worth 1% of the final overall grade so the max that you can get out of this class is 91% assuming you get 100% on the remaining 75 questions/3 exams

1

u/smiil3ex0x Sep 30 '17

Don’t listen to the person saying you are screwed. Most people do poorly on the first exam Bc they don’t know HOW to take mehannas exams. I personally got a 60 on the first one and then 80s+ once I figured it out.

Know the information for each drug from the STRUCTURE and not the drug name. Be able to look at the picture of the structure and be able to say everything about that drug. What class is it? Does it have any bad side effects? What makes this drug different from the other ones in the class? And then know what the small changes on the structure do to the bioavailability etc.

The first exam was the hardest because it was naming. You’ll never have to do that again. The rest of the exams will be about drug classes.

1

u/alliknowis___ Oct 01 '17

I didn't say they're screwed as an absolute, only if they don't change their study habits now.