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I have a huge dilemma, and I would really appreciate any help/insight!
I have been accepted into a top ten pharmacy school and I'm starting to regret my decision. I've always wanted to become a doctor, but I was talked into applying to pharmacy school for one of those 6 year programs. While I'm happy I'll be done with school by the age of 24 (I may do a residency afterwards), I don't know if I should change my path and switch to medicine or dentistry.
Most people are going to say "do what you love!" but I honestly have a passion for each of these fields. I've shadowed each other them so I have a sense of what they are like. To me, job security, pay, time for family, not-a-super-stressful-job, time in school, etc, are the distinguishing factors.
Some of my worries:
1. Job outlook/pay. With the field saturated, will the pay become even lower in the near future? I know pay isn't everything, but it still plays a large role in occupation. I don't want to go to school for so long, rack up debt, and just end up getting paid less than all my non-health friends who don't have to go through so much schooling.
2. What if I go to pharmacy school and end up hating it? Will I still be able to drop out, finish my BA (I'm going into pharmacy school without a BA), and get into another program? I have great grades, but my undergraduate organizations are all pharmacy-based so I'm not sure if any other program would be willing to pick me. Not to mention my leadership positions are all in pharmacy-related fields; thus, when I leave for pharmacy school and come back, I'll lose all my leadership positions.... Will they just think that'll I'll drop out of their program too/don't have enough passion as other applicants?
3. I keep hearing about how pharmacists hate their job and how the "golden years" are forever gone. It seems like pharmacists are so underrated now! Even when I talk to professors/other people about my decision, they say "are you really sure you want to go into pharmacy? Medicine is more suited for you/you're a smart girl-go become a doctor!" I feel that they are looking down on me, already judging that I can't get into medical/dentistry school. I know that this is so superficial, but as a young adult, this judgement really bothers me and makes me doubt my decision more.
I appreciate any help! Thank you in advance!
I have been accepted into a top ten pharmacy school and I'm starting to regret my decision. I've always wanted to become a doctor, but I was talked into applying to pharmacy school for one of those 6 year programs. While I'm happy I'll be done with school by the age of 24 (I may do a residency afterwards), I don't know if I should change my path and switch to medicine or dentistry.
Most people are going to say "do what you love!" but I honestly have a passion for each of these fields. I've shadowed each other them so I have a sense of what they are like. To me, job security, pay, time for family, not-a-super-stressful-job, time in school, etc, are the distinguishing factors.
Some of my worries:
1. Job outlook/pay. With the field saturated, will the pay become even lower in the near future? I know pay isn't everything, but it still plays a large role in occupation. I don't want to go to school for so long, rack up debt, and just end up getting paid less than all my non-health friends who don't have to go through so much schooling.
2. What if I go to pharmacy school and end up hating it? Will I still be able to drop out, finish my BA (I'm going into pharmacy school without a BA), and get into another program? I have great grades, but my undergraduate organizations are all pharmacy-based so I'm not sure if any other program would be willing to pick me. Not to mention my leadership positions are all in pharmacy-related fields; thus, when I leave for pharmacy school and come back, I'll lose all my leadership positions.... Will they just think that'll I'll drop out of their program too/don't have enough passion as other applicants?
3. I keep hearing about how pharmacists hate their job and how the "golden years" are forever gone. It seems like pharmacists are so underrated now! Even when I talk to professors/other people about my decision, they say "are you really sure you want to go into pharmacy? Medicine is more suited for you/you're a smart girl-go become a doctor!" I feel that they are looking down on me, already judging that I can't get into medical/dentistry school. I know that this is so superficial, but as a young adult, this judgement really bothers me and makes me doubt my decision more.
I appreciate any help! Thank you in advance!