Study Strategies for PharmD Students

All exams require an allocation of study time.

• Allocate time for your most challenging coursework.
• Mastery of application-based content will typically require more study time than knowledge-based (recall) content.
• Review course (lecture) objectives and structure your review to align with the objectives.

Course objectives represent the critical areas of content acquisition.

• Create a study guide based on content objectives(either extracted from the syllabus or individual lecture handouts)
• Consider objectives to be the content headings in a study outline.
• In reviewing your notes, link the content to a specific objective.
• Create a section of the study guide for content items that do not align with a specific objective.

Review content based on three classifications in this order.

1. Definite (content will be tested on the final exam)
2. Probable (important concepts from slides, content mentioned by the lecturer, may be outside of objectives)
3. Potential (concepts mentioned briefly, likely not included within the slide deck, may be considered as “nice to know” versus “need to know”)

Reading a textbook chapter is an advanced preparation strategy for lectures, but there are more time-efficient strategies for exam preparation.

• Utilize sections of a required text to validate information presented in the lecture.
• Utilize sections of a required text to clarify confusing concepts presented in the lecture.

Re-listening to all the lectures via Zoom is not recommended.

• Utilize sections of the recording to clarify confusing concepts presented in the lecture.
• For cumulative exams, use recordings to re-visit concepts tested on prior exams for which mastery was not achieved (requires exam review attendance during the semester)

Memorization is not the best strategy for approaching professional coursework exams.

• A memorization strategy should only be used for the following: drug nomenclature, dosing (if faculty instruction includes knowing specific doses), dosage forms (tab/cap/solution), quantitative parameters in clinical guidelines, terminology, and definitions, structures (not functional groups), idiosyncratic drug reactions, excipient functions.

• Identify key terms in the question stem.
• Begin by answering the easiest items for you (leave more time for questions requiring more significant effort).
• Observe similarities/overlaps among distractors.

• Practice solving calculations according to type (dilution, titration, aliquot, direct dosing).
• For any practice problem, solve the problem forward and backward (completing the same calculation in reverse).
• Substitute different numerical values with each practice attempt of a calculation.
• Practice performing dimensional analysis (converting between units of measure).

• Before reading the actual case, read all of the questions about the case.
• Make a notation for any information representing an abnormality (abnormal lab value, sign/symptom, diagnosis).
• If a medication history is included, isolate narrow TI drugs and any drug associated with highly specific monitoring parameters.
• If PMH is provided, make note of the downstream effects on other organ systems.

• Create a study plan for each course.
• Keep the plan dynamic and adaptable.
• Use exams as “markers” for re-evaluation.
• Adjust strategies between assessments.
• Assess self-perceived course difficulty.

• Outcome: Aim for target course and exam grades.
• Self-Directed Study Time: Allocate hours weekly (multiply credit hours by 3-4).
• Exam Preparation Strategy: Start preparation 7 days before the exam.
• Resource Allocation: Utilize lecture recordings, textbooks, etc.
• Retrieval Practice: Incorporate into study sessions.
• Learning Style Assessment: Identify if you are visual, auditory, read/write, or kinesthetic.

• Create a study guide based on these objectives (from the syllabus or lecture handouts).
• Use objectives as content headings in your study outline.
• Link notes to specific objectives.
• Include a section in your study guide for content not covered by specific objectives.

• Definite: Content that will definitely be assessed.
• Probable: Important concepts from slides or lectures may be outside objectives.
• Potential: Briefly mentioned concepts, likely not assessed, considered “nice to know” rather than “need to know.”

• Identify “lost” points.
• Review foundational understanding of concepts.
• Analyze difficulties in concept/application.
• Address challenges in problem-solving approach.
• Clarify any unclear expectations.