Constant talk about how "pharmacy is boring/depressing or sucks"

[SHC1984]

Residency is also working close to 80 hours a week... it's not 4 years of chill out in training mode working 40 hours a week and make some dough... it's 4 years of hell.

A pharm student will also have the luxury of living in their 20s... like a 20 something year old... yes not THAT much, but still a lot more than a med student... and that includes pre pharm vs. pre med/ pharm school vs. med school / and then working vs. residency ?

A doctor also works what? 55 hours a week on average? (according to some stats I saw on this site) vs. 40 hours a week as a pharmacist.

How about liability? malpractice risks? sticking your finger up the ass to check the prostate? etc etc vs. touching medication

Becoming a primary physician does suck, but dermatologist, plastic surgeons and radiologist have a sweet job! Make 10X that of a pharmacist.

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[druggeek]

Becoming a primary physician does suck, but dermatologist, plastic surgeons and radiologist have a sweet job! Make 10X that of a pharmacist.

Yea definitely but its also incredibly competitive to become any of those specialists

 

[Its Z]

Becoming a primary physician does suck, but dermatologist, plastic surgeons and radiologist have a sweet job! Make 10X that of a pharmacist.

I don't know if they make $1.2 million per year on the average.

 

[SHC1984]

I don't know if they make $1.2 million per year on the average.

Dermatologist, I have no idea how much they make, but I know they only work like 3 days a week! Not bad at all. They proberly make 200K a year? I am not sure.

Plastic Surgeons proberly make 1.2 million a year if they are good.

Radiologist make what? 500K a year? I am not very sure either. Lol...

Point is Specialist>>Pharmacist>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Primary physican

 

[karizma098]

Shc1984,

Your breakdown may be a bit skewed. A dermatologist makes anywhere from
300-500k a year On a 40 hour week. Being a primary care physician doesn't suck, It doesn't pay half a mil a year but it's a great, low stress job, most family practice docs work 4 days a week and take no call, and easily make 180-240k on year, about average. Also, being a specialist is not necessarily better. Some surgeons work 70 hours a week and make 250k a year, and it's a very stressful 70 hours.. It's all relative.

Geek, putting my finger up a rectum to check a prostate is part of the job, and I'm happy to do it. It's not gross but part of my oath as a professional to help treat those that are sick. The fact that you list that as a con, well, medicine probably isn't for you. Yes, 45-50 hours a week is average. Again, it's not a job but something we enjoy doing, so I don't mind the hours. To each their own, no one profession outshadows another and it's silly to rank them in my opinion.

 

[owlegrad]

Shc1984,

...Geek, putting my finger up a rectum to check a prostate is part of the job, and I'm happy to do it. It's not gross but part of my oath as a professional to help treat those that are sick. The fact that you list that as a con, well, medicine probably isn't for you. Yes, 45-50 hours a week is average. Again, it's not a job but something we enjoy doing, so I don't mind the hours. To each their own, no one profession outshadows another and it's silly to rank them in my opinion.

I call BS. You enjoy 50 hours/week and doing rectum checks? And we pick on people here whose only vice is enjoying working at CVS!

But seriously I agree with your point, but no need to embellish. If I take you at your word, I would be willing to bet you are one of 2 med students in the country who enjoy the above.

 

[SHC1984]

Shc1984,

Your breakdown may be a bit skewed. A dermatologist makes anywhere from
300-500k a year On a 40 hour week. Being a primary care physician doesn't suck, It doesn't pay half a mil a year but it's a great, low stress job, most family practice docs work 4 days a week and take no call, and easily make 180-240k on year, about average. Also, being a specialist is not necessarily better. Some surgeons work 70 hours a week and make 250k a year, and it's a very stressful 70 hours.. It's all relative.

Geek, putting my finger up a rectum to check a prostate is part of the job, and I'm happy to do it. It's not gross but part of my oath as a professional to help treat those that are sick. The fact that you list that as a con, well, medicine probably isn't for you. Yes, 45-50 hours a week is average. Again, it's not a job but something we enjoy doing, so I don't mind the hours. To each their own, no one profession outshadows another and it's silly to rank them in my opinion.

Oh my bad! Being a dermatologist would be the only sweet job then! I would do it if I didn't hate patient contact so much. I rather work from home. Thanks.

 

[SHC1984]

I call BS. You enjoy 50 hours/week and doing rectum checks? And we pick on people here whose only vice is enjoying working at CVS!

But seriously I agree with your point, but no need to embellish. If I take you at your word, I would be willing to bet you are one of 2 med students in the country who enjoy the above.

I agree 100%.

I am going to use the example I always use. EVERYONE would not work right now if they won the 250 million dollar lottery.

It's the fact that we haven't won the lottery, is the reason why we are working.

Work is work, we all rather win the lottery and retire...winning the lottery is what we LOVE. Work is what we tolerate.

And if you disagree with that statement then you are lying.

 

[karizma098]

Oh my bad! Being a dermatologist would be the only sweet job then! I would do it if I didn't hate patient contact so much. I rather work from home. Thanks.

Working from home can be great, not for everyone. I love seeing patients.

 

[karizma098]

I call BS. You enjoy 50 hours/week and doing rectum checks? And we pick on people here whose only vice is enjoying working at CVS!

But seriously I agree with your point, but no need to embellish. If I take you at your word, I would be willing to bet you are one of 2 med students in the country who enjoy the above.

Haha, I don't love doing rectals, but it's part of the job in med school. Honestly after a while you don't even think about it anymore, it's just something you get used to.

 

[Its Z]

Working from home can be great, not for everyone. I love seeing patients.

I work from home. And I love contact with people I work with. But contact with sick patients isn't something I love. To each his own.

 

[karizma098]

I agree 100%.

I am going to use the example I always use. EVERYONE would not work right now if they won the 250 million dollar lottery.

It's the fact that we haven't won the lottery, is the reason why we are working.

Work is work, we all rather win the lottery and retire...winning the lottery is what we LOVE. Work is what we tolerate.

And if you disagree with that statement then you are lying.

I disagree. A lot of people work because it's their passion, medicine is mine. If I won the lottery I'd still work, probably part time though

If work was just something I tolerated I'd be pretty miserable.

 

[karizma098]

I work from home. And I love contact with people I work with. But contact with sick patients isn't something I love. To each his own.

Absolutely. I love helping a sick patient. Our differences probably play a big role in our profession choices.

 

[owlegrad]

Absolutely. I love helping a sick patient. Our differences probably play a big role in our profession choices.

I was delivering medicine one day and there was a patient in the hall just sobbing. I mean load, echoing sobs. No idea why. A nurse was with him, presumably trying to comfort him. I don't know how people do it, I couldn't. Even just hearing the sobs as I passed shook me up, I didn't even speak with the patient.

I have nothing but respect for people who truly do want to interact with patients, at the hospital I prefer to keep my head down and not talk with patients. I can't do anything for them anyway, so I prefer to keep the interactions to a minimum.

 

[karizma098]

I was delivering medicine one day and there was a patient in the hall just sobbing. I mean load, echoing sobs. No idea why. A nurse was with him, presumably trying to comfort him. I don't know how people do it, I couldn't. Even just hearing the sobs as I passed shook me up, I didn't even speak with the patient.

I have nothing but respect for people who truly do want to interact with patients, at the hospital I prefer to keep my head down and not talk with patients. I can't do anything for them anyway, so I prefer to keep the interactions to a minimum.

I understand where you're coming from, It took me some time to deal with a lot of the sad stuff we see as well. However, as a pharmacist you play a very important role in healthcare. In the hospitals we rely often on the pharmacists to formulate medication plans and manage patients with complex pathological backgrounds, allergies, etc. I've put pharm on consult for multiple patients, and they are great at what they do. My girlfriend is a pharmacist and the favorite part of her job is consulting with patients, working at diabetes clinics, etc. Don't keep your head down - you are an equally important part of a patients care, as essential as the next guy.

 

[womp]

Residency is also working close to 80 hours a week... it's not 4 years of chill out in training mode working 40 hours a week and make some dough... it's 4 years of hell.

A pharm student will also have the luxury of living in their 20s... like a 20 something year old... yes not THAT much, but still a lot more than a med student... and that includes pre pharm vs. pre med/ pharm school vs. med school / and then working vs. residency ?

A doctor also works what? 55 hours a week on average? (according to some stats I saw on this site) vs. 40 hours a week as a pharmacist.

How about liability? malpractice risks? sticking your finger up the ass to check the prostate? etc etc vs. touching medication

We get it. Pharmacy is perfect for you because it has the best salary, risk, liability and hours combination.

Just don't whine and bi*ch when inflation goes up 200% and you still make the same $120k.

I like what my parents told me: do what you love, be good at it and the money will come. Don't do it purely for the money, as you never know what the free market will bring you.

 

[PharmaTope]

I call BS. You enjoy 50 hours/week and doing rectum checks? And we pick on people here whose only vice is enjoying working at CVS!

But seriously I agree with your point, but no need to embellish. If I take you at your word, I would be willing to bet you are one of 2 med students in the country who enjoy the above.

id rather do rectal exams than ringing up milk at CVS pharmacy.

id do 10,000 rectals before doing that. i guess it depends how you look at patient care.

 

[karizma098]

Yeah, but the luxury of living in your 20's loses it's charm when you're in your 30's, 40's and 60's and have exhibited 0 salary growth.
Any internal medicine physician, ER physician, family practice doc, anesthesiologist, etc ( not super competitive fields ) will be earning 200k-400k per year in their 30's and their income grows every year they are in practice. It's not only about the money, but the fact that you're not bound to doing the same thing every single day. An internal med doc can work in a hospital, a clinic, an urgent care center, or none of the above. An anesthesiologist can do a pain clinic, cardiac/peds/OB anesthesia, consult to hospitals, or none..an ER doc can work in an ER, urgent care clinic, open their own clinic, or anything else. In medicine there are tons of opportunities in practice. Opportunities are endless for surgeons or family practice docs - they can even do derm if they like. Does that freedom exist in other health fields?

Also, with the costs of putting kids through college, buying a home, saving for retirement, etc..that extra 200-300% of income helps. 120k today is the equivalent of what 75k was in the 90's, with inflation.The figures i'm stating here are pretty conservative, nothing out of the norm. As far as 'living' in your 20's goes, i work nearly 70 hours a week and still easily go out once or twice a week. Residency is only awful the first year or two, it's normally pretty decent hours the last 2 years.

I agree with above poster, i'd rather do a rectal exam than work in a retail store and deal with customer BS for 8 hours a day. My gf is a pharmacist and hates the crap she deals with day in and day out - as many of you complain, it's the lack of respect that really makes the job blow after a while - that's not something we have to deal with.

And whats with the fear of rectals? Less than 1% of docs have to do them, they are a great screen for prostate cancer, take about 1 minute, with a gloved hand, and are not really that big of a deal. Life goes on people.

Residency is also working close to 80 hours a week... it's not 4 years of chill out in training mode working 40 hours a week and make some dough... it's 4 years of hell.

A pharm student will also have the luxury of living in their 20s... like a 20 something year old... yes not THAT much, but still a lot more than a med student... and that includes pre pharm vs. pre med/ pharm school vs. med school / and then working vs. residency ?

A doctor also works what? 55 hours a week on average? (according to some stats I saw on this site) vs. 40 hours a week as a pharmacist.

How about liability? malpractice risks? sticking your finger up the ass to check the prostate? etc etc vs. touching medication

 

[PharmaTope]

@ doing 10,000 rectals before working at CVS. Old Timer, do you care to comment?

well see the difference is PERFORMING THE RECTAL.... OR working at CVS and RECEIVING THE RECTAL

 

[rxlea]

... The PharmD is also a versatile degree. You don't have to be stuck doing the same thing forever, either.

PharmaTope, so terrible!!! I was going to make an additional comment but I decided against it at the last second. But, surely, you have an idea of what just went through my mind after reading your post.

 

[MountainPharmD]

id rather do rectal exams than ringing up milk at CVS pharmacy.

id do 10,000 rectals before doing that. i guess it depends how you look at patient care.

I am with PharmaTope....

Isn't working for CVS kind of like getting a rectal exam everyday?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Yeah, but the luxury of living in your 20's loses it's charm when you're in your 30's, 40's and 60's and have exhibited 0 salary growth.
Any internal medicine physician, ER physician, family practice doc, anesthesiologist, etc ( not super competitive fields ) will be earning 200k-400k per year in their 30's and their income grows every year they are in practice.

I think the future is quite murky for anyone in health care doctors included. There is no doubt there will be more government intervention into health care. Doctors are going top come under the same scrutiny everyone else is. I doubt $175 15 minute office exams will be part of the new deal. Everyone will be taking a cut in the name of improved efficiency and saving money.

 

[PharmaTope]

... The PharmD is also a versatile degree. You don't have to be stuck doing the same thing forever, either.

PharmaTope, so terrible!!! I was going to make an additional comment but I decided against it at the last second. But, surely, you have an idea of what just went through my mind after reading your post.

yes, PharmD is INCREDIBLY versatile!!!!

You can be an unemployed PharmD looking for a hospital job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a retail job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a industry job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a job waiting tables

there are so many different ways you can be unemployed and looking for work as a PharmD. They should publish this in university print.

 

[MountainPharmD]

yes, PharmD is INCREDIBLY versatile!!!!

You can be an unemployed PharmD looking for a hospital job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a retail job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a industry job
or
an unemployed PharmD looking for a job waiting tables

there are so many different ways you can be unemployed and looking for work as a PharmD. They should publish this in university print.

Now that is funny!

 

[rxlea]

Charming, PharmaTope..

Admittedly, it made me giggle.

 

[SHC1984]

Working from home can be great, not for everyone. I love seeing patients.

I will admit one thing having an MD does guarantee you a job upon graduation. Having a PharmD doesn't guarantee you anything. I admit the job security is much better with an MD. The money isn't bad either. I am not denying that. I have also taken the MCATs before (and did well on it) due to my parents wishes. My grades are also competitive enough for medical school...however, I just cannot see myself doing an MD's work. I mean for goodness sake the site of ONE DROP of BLOOD makes me sick to my stomach for hours, so I just don't think I can do the job. I am learning about blood right now in class, we are talking about GI bleeding, platelets, clotting factors, etc. and just listening to someone TALK about blood makes me sick. LOL... But again, I do admit MD definetly has it better in job security. There is no job more secure than a doctor's.

 

[IndustryPharmD]

There is no job more secure than a doctor's.

I wouldn't be so sure about it, looking outside US. It may be secure in terms of "people will always get sick and will need someone to take care of them" but not necessarily in the sense "I will have a job that allows me to make a living".

 

[rph3664]

Geek, putting my finger up a rectum to check a prostate is part of the job, and I'm happy to do it. It's not gross but part of my oath as a professional to help treat those that are sick.

One of the medical residents at my last job said that her 8-year-old daughter thought she wanted to be a doctor too, "until she found out that doctors have to stick their fingers up people's butts." Could you imagine her coming home, and the daughter says, "Mommy, did you have to stick your finger up anyone's butt today?"

When I was in school, I volunteered at a free clinic (and still send them money) and once heard a group of female medical students talk about how much they loved doing pelvic exams. *****Twilight Zone theme plays in background*****

 

[gambit78]

about the gARbage men analogy, I thought about that 20/20 piece about happiness in several nations...they interviewed a garbage man from holland? sweden? who was absolutely content with his job. The home owners knew him very well and would often greet him when he was doing his rounds. He only worked mornings, and it allowed him time in afternoons to coach his daughter's handball team.

About specialists: the radiologists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons...yea they make good money but the time/money/training for those fields???
How much tougher is it to get into med school versus phar. school?

 

[PharmaTope]

about the gARbage men analogy, I thought about that 20/20 piece about happiness in several nations...they interviewed a garbage man from holland? sweden? who was absolutely content with his job. The home owners knew him very well and would often greet him when he was doing his rounds. He only worked mornings, and it allowed him time in afternoons to coach his daughter's handball team.

About specialists: the radiologists, dermatologists, plastic surgeons...yea they make good money but the time/money/training for those fields???
How much tougher is it to get into med school versus phar. school?

fact: much much harder to get into med school
fact: much much harder to do well in med school
fact: derm, plastics, radiology are EXTREMELY competitive fields to get into. You are competing against the best of the best gunners in the medical world. i am talking about kids from wealthy families who pay for everything in their world so they can just get into those luxury fields. no worries about rent, take a summer and work for free in a high pace publishing lab to gain publications.

you need to be unreal to get into those fields or EVERYONE would go into them.

you just need to do a job you find interesting and enjoyable in some way. otherwise it will blow. reality is WE ALL MUST SPEND AT LEAST 8 HOURS AWAY FROM FAMILY AND WHAT WE LIKE. If you can find something that you actually do like and look forward to doing, then those 8+ hours are not painful as a hot needle in the eyeball.

don't do any of it for money, bc it will just be a nightmare when it comes down to it. try to findout what truly makes you happy.

 

[FarscapeGirl]

So I switched from research to pharmacy. I'm now in an outpatient hospital setting, and for the most part, I like it. Granted, it's stressful at times, especially when we're near closing and have three big discharges to do, they're all new patients, and none of them have their insurance card. But I always have something to do, which I love. I show up pretty much at the same time, and I leave when my shift is up, or usually at most half an hour later. The pay's much better than research, no more sitting around figuring out what to do while your experiment sits for an hour, and it's a much more dependable schedule.

I didn't really want to go to med school. I don't think I'd do well with blood (plus, I have a really good sense of smell and get nauseous really easily). And, there's the residency and the long hours, even after you finish all the school part. So far, I've been in school for 24 years. I don't think I'll be doing a residency.

I'd probably have some issues with the corporate stuff if I end up retail, but there are some better chains in my area that I'd probably do okay in. I like the people contact in pharmacy, too, and there's something satisfying to me about making sure the pharmacy is stocked and more of the mundane things we do every day.

 

[Farmpharm]

Life is about doing something that you like. You need to find something challenging/enjoyable or else you'll go borderline insane/midlife crisis/all of the above.

Thats why you should SHADOW as many professions as you can before entering a field. I shadowed physicians, dentists, and nurses/pas etc. I found my calling in pharmacy.

For those that say pharmacy is boring/depressing...you should of shadowed and understood that THIS is the rest of your life.

It's never to late to go back. Two of my pharmacist friends went straight into MD school after getting their pharm D. There is always that alternative...coupled with A TON of debt.