How common is it.........

[Jibby321]

How common is it for someone to graduate then get a retail offer work for a length of time about 2 years, then pay off your student loans and then go back and do a residency?

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[awval999]

How common is it for someone to graduate then get a retail offer work for a length of time about 2 years, then pay off your student loans and then go back and do a residency?

I would say extremely uncommon. Like probably less than a handful of people have ever done it. It would be extremely difficult paying off standard ~$150k student loans using highly taxed after-tax income after only two years of working. Only possible if you were living at home honestly. Second of all you would be two years out of school with only community experience and you wouldn't be very competitive for residencies. Not saying it would be impossible, just difficult.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I personally know of two people that have done it. They went to WVU. One went and worked retail in the Carolinas for a few years, then did a residency in Charleston. The other I forget the details, but the story was similar. Though student loans for WVU people are usually under $75k, so YMMV.

 

[Jibby321]

I would say extremely uncommon. Like probably less than a handful of people have ever done it. It would be extremely difficult paying off standard ~$150k student loans using highly taxed after-tax income after only two years of working. Only possible if you were living at home honestly. Second of all you would be two years out of school with only community experience and you wouldn't be very competitive for residencies. Not saying it would be impossible, just difficult.

Well I currently live at home and still work a few days a week while in school and make minimal payments on my loans a month. I will still live at home after I graduate so that I can pay my loans ASAP.

Why would I be less competitive with only retail exp?

Also are residencys worth it? I work retail now and have for the past 4 years. I like it just fine. But I think I would like to work for the VA later down the road.

 

[MatCauthon]

After 2 years, I've seen a few people do it (but there is no way they paid off their loans that quickly). 5 years is a more typical point for people to go for residency: enough time to pay off loans. I've enough heard about people going after 10 years.

One thing I've seen in my area in the last year is that residency programs are expanding in a major way (16-20 residents apparently at just one site). With that many residents it is going to be very difficult to get a job in the next couple years without the residency training.

There are ways to stay competitive when doing retail: go to local meetings, volunteer to do CE talks, build initiatives at your job, write in newsletters, get management experience, etc. There are lots of things to do to easily stand out above new grads, it just takes going above and beyond the normal job requirements.

Personally, I have seen some discussion about transition residency programs for working pharmacists at the VA. I would love to see that concept materialize, but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Jibby321]

After 2 years, I've seen a few people do it (but there is no way they paid off their loans that quickly). 5 years is a more typical point for people to go for residency: enough time to pay off loans. I've enough heard about people going after 10 years.

One thing I've seen in my area in the last year is that residency programs are expanding in a major way (16-20 residents apparently at just one site). With that many residents it is going to be very difficult to get a job in the next couple years without the residency training.

There are ways to stay competitive when doing retail: go to local meetings, volunteer to do CE talks, build initiatives at your job, write in newsletters, get management experience, etc. There are lots of things to do to easily stand out above new grads, it just takes going above and beyond the normal job requirements.

Personally, I have seen some discussion about transition residency programs for working pharmacists at the VA. I would love to see that concept materialize, but I haven't seen it yet.

Thanks for the info!

So it isn't completely impossible to transfer from retail to a hospital or clinical setting?

 

[FarmD711]

Make a great impression at your hospital rotations.

I did well at my hospital rotation, graduated working retail. I was offered a per diem job at the hospital where I did my rotation and that has turned into a full time job offer. I am working alongside residency trained pharmacists and they definitely have more experience and training than I, but that didn't preclude me from getting the job and doing well in it.

 

[zelman]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/pharmacy-residency-after-break.990669/#post-13805304

 

[zelman]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/pharmacy-residency-after-break.990669/#post-13805304

...though, in hindsight, I believe I also "won" the "stupidest thing you've said in a residency interview" thread.

 

[BMBiology]

How would someone with retail experience be less competitive than someone that's a new grad with zero experience?

because directors are snob and they discriminate against retail pharmacists.

 

[MackandBlues]

there are such things as non-traditional residencies done over 3 years while staffing and earns the same as a regular staff pharmacist

 

[zelman]

there are such things as non-traditional residencies done over 3 years while staffing and earns the same as a regular staff pharmacist

I think they earn 2/3 pharmacist salary.

 

[MackandBlues]

I think they earn 2/3 pharmacist salary.

No they don't, it's full. At least at one of the places I worked at it is.

 

[KidPharmD]

I came back after a year at retail. There are also several pharmacists in the area who came back after 1 to 5 years in the community.

 

[Jibby321]

Thanks for all the info!

 

[MackandBlues]

I also knew someone that came back after working retail. She said it was hard adjusting to the pay cut even though she lived at home.

 

[wucool33]

I don't think some of you know what you are talking about. It makes you more competitive if anything, because you are showing them you really want to do this. Yes, I heard this directly from someone that went from retail to a VA residency. Also, experience always matters.

 

[aznjeff07]

I'm glad I stumbled across this..I'm almost at year 2 out of school with 1 year retail and 1 year mail order. I have one more year until I pay off my loans and am looking to get a residency or another career. This gives me hope!

 

[BMBiology]

I'm glad I stumbled across this..I'm almost at year 2 out of school with 1 year retail and 1 year mail order. I have one more year until I pay off my loans and am looking to get a residency or another career. This gives me hope!

Another career already?

 

[Jibby321]

I'm glad I stumbled across this..I'm almost at year 2 out of school with 1 year retail and 1 year mail order. I have one more year until I pay off my loans and am looking to get a residency or another career. This gives me hope!

Let us know what happens.

 

[winnguyen]

How common is it for someone to graduate then get a retail offer work for a length of time about 2 years, then pay off your student loans and then go back and do a residency?

Just the other day, I heard about a local retail pharmacist who is leaving their staff position to enter a residency program. This is the first time I have heard about someone doing this. I do not know how long they have been out of school.

 

[aznjeff07]

Another career already?

I'm seriously thinking about it. The field in general has such a low ceiling in terms of money and position imo. Also the only thing I liked academically about pharmacy was getting a patient case and using the lab values and s/s to diagnose and treat their problems. However, I still have until my loans are paid off to think about it...