Pharmacist and pharmacy students. I NEED YOUR ADVICE! should I go back?

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Hey people how are you?

I would like to know the opinion from current pharmacy students and future pharmacist about my particular situation. Serious advice, not trolling stuff.

Last year I started pharmacy school, but I had to take a leave of absence because my father got very sick and I had (and wanted) to take care of him. He passed away ( due to pulmonary fibrosis) on November last year just 1 month after I took the leave of absence. If I wanted to return to take the finals by December I could have done it, but my mind was not ready for it.

I received a W (withdrawal) in my transcript for all the courses that I was taking as a P1 student. Now, I am reconsidering my decision to go back to pharmacy school for the following reasons:

1- My father and my grandmother died of the same disease 5 months apart. This affected me a lot, and got me thinking about becoming a physician and becoming a pulmonologist, so I can help patients with lung disease in a more direct fashion. Or do a Ph.D and fight in the lab against this monster. I do have a bachelors degree in chemistry, and my undergraduate gpa was 3.32. Also, I always had medical school in the back of my mind. But, thought as a chemist, pharmacy would suit me better as a professional career (yes money did play a role in my decision, and location as well). Plus, I was 28 years old in 2011, and I thought pharmacy was a better way to get my foot in a secure and relatively well pay career.

2- I read sdn every day (and it got me thinking as well).I do believe it is somewhat a mistake because it is an online forum, and opinions are subjective. However, I don’t think pharmacist and pharmacy students in general have the time to waste in an online forum warning and debating their points with other people about how bad the job market is, pharmacy schools popping up everywhere, and the profession’s future

3- Job security, job market, unemployment. Oh sorry, I said that again

4- I would be very happy to become a pharmacist, but not a retail one. I want to go ahead and do residence. However, I am EXTREMELY concern, that I will not be able to get a residency position because I got from my first semester in pharmacy school a transcript FULL of W(withdrawal) and a 87 for pharmacy calculations. I am worried that admission committees will not even look at my entire application because of these…

5- I might get out now, and owe only 17.000 from that first semester. I go to nova pharmacy school in florida. And I am florida resident, this what they say in their website; (Anticipated tuition for 2011-2012 (subject to change by the board of trustees without notice) is $25,175 for Florida residents and $29,300 for out-of-state students.)


So, again, what do you guys/girls think I should do? Or better yet, what would you do If you were in my shoes?

Thanks

If I were you, I would get out while I still could, but only if you knew you had some sort of income to tie you over until you could matriculate into medical school.

It sounds like your true passion is medicine, always choose what your zealous about it may come
Down to you being a pharmacy resident wannabe doctor, yuck, right?

I am a pharmacist thinking about applying to med school. I did the 2+6 pharmacy route. 2 years of residency and have worked for several years now as a clinical pharmacist. My recommendations: I would start working on putting together a med school app while you decide. Make sure you have the minimum prereq's of 1 year of physics and such. Study for the MCAT which will take 3 months. Make sure you have enough volunteer hours, etc. Check out the premed forums especially the "what are my chances" where Catslyick will give her opinion on applications. My opinion: go to med school but no one can make the decision for you or tell you what to do via a forum. We don't know your full story. Again, this is your life and your decision, do what you think will make you happy and don't worry about what anyone else thinks or what you are "supposed" to do. It's never too late to go to med school if that is where your heart lies.

Unless you have an undying passion to be a pharmacist or something, I would just say no.

You are lucky to not have much school debt. I graduated this May, so I'm basing this off of my personal experiences and what I have seen and learned over the last four years. Good luck to you!