PharmD Program! Any Advice Is Helpful!

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Hi guys,
After doing some research about the job outlook of pharmacy, I am starting to be really worried. I am currently wait listed for a pharmacy school and seriously reconsidering pharmacy. I am not sure if I want to be in school for another 4 years with a private loan around 230k afterward and then not guaranteed a job. Throughout my whole college career I have been too focus on fulfilling Pharmacy schools' prerequisites and doing everything(internship, volunteer, etc) in able to hope to get into pharmacy school. But right now I am really consider a different path, maybe podiatrist of physician assistant or Grad school to get a Master in Psychology? Any current PharmD students and current pharmacist please share your thoughts!!! I am totally stressed out about this as it is such a sudden 360 degree turn for me. Sometimes, I consider just to go into pharmacy since I am way too deep into it to turn back but I seriously don't know anymore. I feel so lost and hopeless. Please help.

PS. I have a BS in Psychology w/ Minor in Biological Science

Pre-pharmacy topic.

Best of luck with your decision. What do you find more appealing about being a podiatrist or a PA? You're casting a pretty wide net. As has been said elsewhere, pharmacy is not unique in being a profession where you are not guaranteed a job after graduation. What made you want to get into pharmacy so badly in the first place? If you were just in it for the job security, then I wouldn't look at a bad economy as a reason not to continue, but I might weigh my decisions and figure out if pharmacy was what I really wanted in the first place.

I had a lot of second thoughts before starting school, too. My debts were going to be about half of yours, though, which played a big factor in my decision.

I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted out of a job and life, and ultimately decided that I would probably work in a pharmacy as a technician if I didn't work as a pharmacist. That made the choice simple for me: if I was going to be in a pharmacy anyway, I'd rather be a pharmacist than be a tech for life.

This is a personal decision you will have to make. Look at your other choices: will they make you happier long term? Consider your monthly payments on that debt; determine how much you need to make to pay those off and still live the lifestyle you want.

You have a few months to consider; the answers don't all have to come at once. Good luck!

Well, I don't think you are too far in because you haven't even gone to pharm school yet! The job market isn't the best so I would seriously evaluate if pharmacy makes you happy as a career and if it's worth 230k to you. Personally I would not spend 230k on pharmacy or recommend for anyone else to either, but that's just me. There are definitely not any job guarantees anymore, so I think it's only worth it if you want to do it for personal fulfillment reasons and can finish school with minimal debt.

PharmD is not worth 230K of debt.

Originally Posted by psaric

PharmD is not worth 230K of debt.

Taking on that much debt is not worth it.

Originally Posted by psaric

PharmD is not worth 230K of debt.

With the pharmacy profession heading towards an uncharted territory right now, anything above 100k+ of debt for it is not good. It's also not a smart way to plan out your future finances. Imagine spending many, many, many, many years in debt. It's never a good idea to have any debt at all, if possible.

Originally Posted by pharmerboi

Hi guys,

PS. I have a BS in Psychology w/ Minor in Biological Science

Since when did a BS in psychology put you too deep into pharmacy. Seems to me that if you wanted to work in the medical field then you should have went with a true science degree. Not knocking your degree, but you make it seem like you got some retarded BS in Pharmacy degree that is worthless for anything besides pharmacy. Truthfully you need to consider that pretty much ALL graduates are having trouble getting jobs as they graduate. Yes Pharmacy is filling up fast, but I am sure if you go find a forum for any other profession you will see "THE SKY IS FALLING" threads. Also med school is going to put you into big debt also. If you are truley worried about debt then grad school is the way to go. There are several ways you can get your school paid for...esp if you get into a medical based science grad program.

Pharm school pre-reqs are all lower level sciences that you would need to complete for med school. If you chose to get a masters in a med. based science having and doing well in those classes would only help you. Thus you have wasted nothing...except the time you spent making this thread.

Also why did you want to be a pharmacists any way? I am starting to think that pretty much everyone pissing and moaning about job outlook around here just went into pharmacy cause they thought they could live anywhere and make 100k.

Also as for job outlook...every job is about WHO YOU KNOW and being in the right place at the right time. You remember all those hours you spent working with Pharmacists....well make some damn connections. Make sure they know you WANT to be a pharmacist. Get phone numbers, get emails, and keep in touch with those people. Who knows maybe they can help you get a job if you cannot find one. You do realize that a large poriton of the new pharm grads are in their mid-20s and prob. have 0 connections beyond their internships. This makes getting jobs hard. This is also another reason to bust your butt when you do work as a tech. Maybe some guy remembers you and says "Hey...I worked with that kid. He always did what he was supposed to and then some."

In 5-10 years a large portion of the baby boomers will have to go PRN or retire. When they do who do you think will fill those positions. Yes that will only last 10-15 years until most of them die off and the increased demand goes back down. You know what though, you can use those 10-15years to get good experience and make yourself known as an employee worth keeping.

Originally Posted by pharmerboi

Hi guys,
After doing some research about the job outlook of pharmacy, I am starting to be really worried. I am currently wait listed for a pharmacy school and seriously reconsidering pharmacy. I am not sure if I want to be in school for another 4 years with a private loan around 230k afterward and then not guaranteed a job. Throughout my whole college career I have been too focus on fulfilling Pharmacy schools' prerequisites and doing everything(internship, volunteer, etc) in able to hope to get into pharmacy school. But right now I am really consider a different path, maybe podiatrist of physician assistant or Grad school to get a Master in Psychology? Any current PharmD students and current pharmacist please share your thoughts!!! I am totally stressed out about this as it is such a sudden 360 degree turn for me. Sometimes, I consider just to go into pharmacy since I am way too deep into it to turn back but I seriously don't know anymore. I feel so lost and hopeless. Please help.

PS. I have a BS in Psychology w/ Minor in Biological Science

If you are not averse to surgery, you should strongly consider podiatry. Podiatry is a growing field and it is not hard to get into pod school. (3.2 GPA and 20+ MCAT). I heard starting salary is 100K+ and after a few years (3+) you can make 200K+. I know someone who is moving to another state because she cant find a job in FL after having a PharmD and has been looking for a job for almost 7 months. All the interviews she went to, there were 100+ applicants for 1-2 jobs. I was gonna do pharmacy as well, but now I change my mind and will try DO. I dont like surgery; that is why I dont consider podiatry.

Originally Posted by Temperature101

If you are not averse to surgery, you should strongly consider podiatry. Podiatry is a growing field and it is not hard to get into pod school. (3.2 GPA and 20+ MCAT). I heard starting salary is 100K+ and after a few years (3+) you can make 200K+. I know someone who is moving to another state because she cant find a job in FL after having a PharmD and has been looking for a job for almost 7 months. All the interviews she went to, there were 100+ applicants for 1-2 jobs. I was gonna do pharmacy as well, but now I change my mind and will try DO. I dont like surgery; that is why I dont consider podiatry.

Originally Posted by Temperature101

If you are not averse to surgery, you should strongly consider podiatry. Podiatry is a growing field and it is not hard to get into pod school. (3.2 GPA and 20+ MCAT). I heard starting salary is 100K+ and after a few years (3+) you can make 200K+. I know someone who is moving to another state because she cant find a job in FL after having a PharmD and has been looking for a job for almost 7 months. All the interviews she went to, there were 100+ applicants for 1-2 jobs. I was gonna do pharmacy as well, but now I change my mind and will try DO. I dont like surgery; that is why I dont consider podiatry.

Podiatry is the shiz