Pharmacy school vs. Medical School

[All4MyDaughter]

and i usually say, "you need to hurry up reconciliating room blah blahs meds" and hang up. sorry this is reality at our organization

Yeah, right.

You are a medical student. If you do that to me, your preceptor and school will be contacted. Watch it.

Fortunately, in a real setting, and not on the big bad internet, most of the physicians (residents and attendings alike) never talk to their co-workers like that.

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[eagleface]

Exactly. And the guy who discovered that the expansion of the universe is accelerating had no PhD. He was just an amateur astronomer. Just goes to show you that doing this with your youth:

May not be the best approach. But it certainly can be the safest path to a stable income.

Hubble? I didn't know that. Another example that comes to mind though would be Albert Einstein who had no formal doctorate.

In healthcare, there needs to be credentials to protect the public, but my point was that someone should never think a certain formal education should automatically command respect from the public.

 

[Bruna Mae]

Interesting...
When I answer the phone in the hospital I say, 'this is the pharmacist'

Interesting...
When I answer the phone in the hospital I say, 'this is the pharmacist'

That made me laugh out loud

 

[xiphoid2010]

To OP, Can't speak for you, but one of my, if not the biggest, regret I have is turning down the medical school I got into. But I was young and crazy in love, such was the price of letting emotion trump reason. It felt good and right at the time, but that was then. I've done well in this career, but just can't totally shake off the feelings of what if...

 

[W19]

To OP, Can't speak for you, but one of my, if not the biggest, regret I have is turning down the medical school I got into. But I was young and crazy in love, such was the price of letting emotion trump reason. It felt good and right at the time, but that was then. I've done well in this career, but just can't totally shake off the feelings of what if...

I did the opposite. I am a MS2 now and would have been a P4... I turned down pharmacy because of all the doom and gloom I read in this site... It's a decision that I am starting to regret. A former classmate in nursing school just graduated 3 months ago and got good hospital job making 6-figure salary...

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

I did the opposite. I am a MS2 now and would have been a P4... I turned down pharmacy because of all the doom and gloom I read in this site... It's a decision that I am starting to regret. A former classmate in nursing school just graduated 3 months ago and got good hospital job making 6-figure salary...

She's an RN?

 

[confettiflyer]

She's an RN?

There's a few RN's in the area that clear $200k/yr mostly due to overtime, differential, and bonus.

They also have no lives and will pull back to low six-figures later on.

#californiaprobz

 

[W19]

She's an RN?

She was just like myself and just graduated from pharmacy school 3 months ago... Sorry! I did not make that point clear..

 

[deleted158872]

I did the opposite. I am a MS2 now and would have been a P4... I turned down pharmacy because of all the doom and gloom I read in this site... It's a decision that I am starting to regret. A former classmate in nursing school just graduated 3 months ago and got good hospital job making 6-figure salary...

I'm about to withdraw from Pharm to go to med school, too...
Could you tell me why you regret it? (If it's too personal, please tell me in PM).

 

[W19]

@Maruko My main reason is that I am a non trad student and it will take me years before I start making real money. It took me two years to built a solid med school application when I could have started pharmacy... Not putting pharmacy down, but the competition get into US med school is more intense... As I said, I could have been a P4 now, and start making 120k+/year next year. However, since I chose the med school route, it will take me another 5+ years to start making real money.

 

[pharmadiazehhpine]

@Maruko My main reason is that I am a non trad student and it will take me years before I start making real money. It took me two years to built a solid med school application when I could have started pharmacy... Not putting pharmacy down, but the competition get into US med school is more intense... As I said, I could have been a P4 now, and start making 120k+/year next year. However, since I chose the med school route, it will take me another 5+ years to start making real money.

I believe the "120k" right off the bat days are not with us anymore but I may be wrong. Who knows

 

[W19]

I believe the "120k" right off the bat days are not with us anymore but I may be wrong. Who knows

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/chain-salary.1155962/

 

[radio frequency]

I believe the "120k" right off the bat days are not with us anymore but I may be wrong. Who knows

That's what I'm getting right out of school.

 

[rederza]

Wasn't hard for me to make the switch in all honesty. I was in pharmacy school, now Im interviewing for med school. The hardest part was just letting my parents know, but in all honesty, its not like you wasted a whole bunch of effort. Pre classes overlap, and PCAT was like a one week study/exam ordeal. Oh and I guess the time you spent as a tech but at least you made $.

 

[BIOGUY2119]

@Maruko My main reason is that I am a non trad student and it will take me years before I start making real money. It took me two years to built a solid med school application when I could have started pharmacy... Not putting pharmacy down, but the competition get into US med school is more intense... As I said, I could have been a P4 now, and start making 120k+/year next year. However, since I chose the med school route, it will take me another 5+ years to start making real money.

Everyone starts to doubt themselves whether they made the right decision. I am a PharmD in med school and right now I can tell you that going to med school was one of the best decisions of my life. It will be worth it in the end, just stick it out.

 

[W19]

Everyone starts to doubt themselves whether they made the right decision. I am a PharmD in med school and right now I can tell you that going to med school was one of the best decisions of my life. It will be worth it in the end, just stick it out.

I am always amazed when I see pharmacists make that switch... Leaving a prestigious profession and a 6-figure salary to go back to school for another 7+ years is something that should be commended. I am sticking it out and hopefully I can see light at the end of the tunnel... Thanks for your encouragement!

 

[Digsbe]

I've thought about making the switch, or trying too (assuming I could get accepted somewhere). Sometimes though I just want to be a wage earner. It's definitely commendable to go through all that training to do something you love.

 

[drhenPharmD]

Everyone starts to doubt themselves whether they made the right decision. I am a PharmD in med school and right now I can tell you that going to med school was one of the best decisions of my life. It will be worth it in the end, just stick it out.

Another PharmD, med student here. I'd like to add that you can carve out enough time to work 3-4 shifts/month and more over breaks if you want help with tuition. Good luck to anyone here considering making the switch. I also think it was one of the best decisions of my life.

 

[radio frequency]

Hats off to you switchers. That is an impressive commitment.

 

[Digsbe]

Another PharmD, med student here. I'd like to add that you can carve out enough time to work 3-4 shifts/month and more over breaks if you want help with tuition. Good luck to anyone here considering making the switch. I also think it was one of the best decisions of my life.

Did you go straight from a PharmD to MD/DO program or did you work as a pharmacist first for a while? It's nice to know you can work some to keep loans lower.

 

[Medicinemann]

I just made the switch from pharm to med school. You're going to be dealing with really sick people no matter where you are. People will cry at the pharmacy when they find out cancer drugs are thousands of dollars. They will call you up having a panic attack and not knowing what to do. You will get called every day by a lonely old woman who is neglected by her family and slowly losing the ability to take care of herself and doesn't know what meds to take and when. You'll see people with no money come to you begging for something that can help their sick children OTC because they can't afford a doctor. You will have a scared 14 year old girl ask you for Plan B and tell you she can't go to her parents to get it because they will kick her out of the house, and you'll have to say no. The guy you saw every week who was so much fun to talk to will be on one alzheimer's drug, then 2, and then he won't be around anymore.

True you won't be diagnosing sick children, but there are heartbreaking and difficult things in the pharmacy.

Eagles22 may I ask why you made the switch? I'm only curious because I'm 37 yo and hate my career and I'm considering applying to a professional school and med school is my first choice but I'm also considering pharmacy...

 

[Lnsean]

@Maruko My main reason is that I am a non trad student and it will take me years before I start making real money. It took me two years to built a solid med school application when I could have started pharmacy... Not putting pharmacy down, but the competition get into US med school is more intense... As I said, I could have been a P4 now, and start making 120k+/year next year. However, since I chose the med school route, it will take me another 5+ years to start making real money.

Also non-trad that switched over to med--currently M1. I don't think you will regret it if you had actually gotten out and practiced. That 120k is about 70k after taxes and the money gets stale really fast. If your decision to go to med school was based on passion and on deep inner self reflection then it's something I believe you will not regret. However, if you just willy nilly went into medical school because pharm was looking bad then I can see why you have those doubts now.

So my advice to everyone who's thinking of switching or going to med school----you have to really want it and see yourself being totally miserable if you cannot be a doctor. You have to be honest and really think about your motivation to be a doctor. If after all that self reflection and you cannot see yourself doing anything else...then make the switch.

Don't make the switch because pharmacy is bad or over-saturated. I can tell you from researching medicine that a lot of MD specialties are saturated too...there is encroaching from mid-levels at almost every angle...maybe surgery is safe for now. The grass is not always greener. It is alot of work and alot of lost time and wages. Financially it does not make any sense to switch...not this late in life. THE ONLY REASON TO SWITCH is if you are laying down at night on your bed...and the very thought of not being a doctor keeps you up...ONLY THEN...make the switch..because trust me...it will take you another 2 years to even bring your application up to "acceptable" terms when it comes to applying to medical school.

 

[Apotheker2015]

Hi guys, I am considering between medical school and pharmacy school.

The medical profession is not what I thought it to be. I realized that I dont want to deal with the emotional stresses that come along with the profession such as diagnosing a child with Cystic Fibrosis and such. I think Pharmacy will allow me the patient counseling without the emotional baggage associated with a physicians profession.

Can you think of any other reasons to make the switch to a Pharm. D. program instead of going to an MD/DO program? Am I missing anything?

What else can I say that draws me to pharmacy over medicine?

Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.

Become a PA instead. 28 months. In and out! Done. Believe me... counseling patients... they are not interested in what you have to say. They won't remember it, either. The field is saturated. Retail is saturated. The program is 4 years. It's too long. Seriously. Go to PA school. You'll work at a hospital. You'll be non-exempt and will get 1.5x for overtime and will have a chance to get your get your loans forgiven after 10 years if the institution is not-for-profit. Per US News, physician assistant ranked #3 for best job/reported satisfaction. Pharmacist - 45 or 49. That tells you.

Right now, every metro area is saturated for pharmacy. You end up having to settle for less or you end up stuck at jobs that you just hate or working with people you hate working with.

Compare the growth rate for both professions. 3% for Pharmacists and 30% for Physician assistants.
Pharmacists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Physician Assistants : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

 

[PAtoPharm]

Become a PA instead. 28 months. In and out! Done. Believe me... counseling patients... they are not interested in what you have to say. They won't remember it, either. The field is saturated. Retail is saturated. The program is 4 years. It's too long. Seriously. Go to PA school. You'll work at a hospital. You'll be non-exempt and will get 1.5x for overtime and will have a chance to get your get your loans forgiven after 10 years if the institution is not-for-profit. Per US News, physician assistant ranked #3 for best job/reported satisfaction. Pharmacist - 45 or 49. That tells you.

Right now, every metro area is saturated for pharmacy. You end up having to settle for less or you end up stuck at jobs that you just hate or working with people you hate working with.

Compare the growth rate for both professions. 3% for Pharmacists and 30% for Physician assistants.
Pharmacists : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Physician Assistants : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

^^^ This man speaks the truth. If you aren't going to go to medical school or dental school, go to PA school (and consider AA school if you like anesthesia and live in one of the states where they can work). Take it from me -- if I had started PA/AA school instead of pharmacy school last year, I would now be at least halfway finished. Instead, even if I had stuck with pharmacy school, I would be looking at completing AT LEAST three more years of school learning crap that most pharmacists don't even use regularly during day-to-day work (they can't even get reimbursed for providing those "services" in most states, either).

If you go to PA school, that first didactic year will be tough, but it will fly by, and when it's over with, you'll take your last final exam and say to yourself, "Am I really finished with taking classes for the rest of my life?" as you prepare to embark on a final year of clinical rotations. At that same point as a pharmacy student, you'd be looking at two more years of miserable didactic classes.

 

[Gpaige]

I just made the switch from pharm to med school. You're going to be dealing with really sick people no matter where you are. People will cry at the pharmacy when they find out cancer drugs are thousands of dollars. They will call you up having a panic attack and not knowing what to do. You will get called every day by a lonely old woman who is neglected by her family and slowly losing the ability to take care of herself and doesn't know what meds to take and when. You'll see people with no money come to you begging for something that can help their sick children OTC because they can't afford a doctor. You will have a scared 14 year old girl ask you for Plan B and tell you she can't go to her parents to get it because they will kick her out of the house, and you'll have to say no. The guy you saw every week who was so much fun to talk to will be on one alzheimer's drug, then 2, and then he won't be around anymore.

True you won't be diagnosing sick children, but there are heartbreaking and difficult things in the pharmacy.

Med school vs pharmacy school is a big question I am always asking myself. My real question is which one takes up more time. I am engaged and getting married soon. I know my marriage will be effected but I want to know which one will effect it the most.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Med school vs pharmacy school is a big question I am always asking myself. My real question is which one takes up more time. I am engaged and getting married soon. I know my marriage will be effected but I want to know which one will effect it the most.

Lol.

I don't know of a single engagement that survived Pharmacy school.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

neither, they're both bs and take too long, and won't make you nearly as much money as you think

 

[SpartanDOnoharm]

neither, they're both bs and take too long, and won't make you nearly as much money as you think

Not everyone goes into a medical field for money.

 

[PharmFarmed]

If you can pass pharmacy school with A's and B's, you can pass medical school. Difficulty-wise it is NOT much different. If you pass classes just getting C's, that's different. If you have the intelligence to do well in pharmacy school, you have the intelligence to do well in dental, medical, optometry, etc.

It also depends on the type of learner you are. Personally, I am a conceptual learner who did not have experience in pharmacy before before becoming a pharmacist so I think medical school would have been easier. Memorizing brand/generics of 200 medications was the hardest part because there is nothing to tie sitagliptin and Januvia conceptually.

 

[ExpressMaiL]

Medical school is not worth the prime years of your youth for the salary at the end. Some get their MD/DO because they truly care for their patient's health.

If someone goes to med school for the "money," that's worse than a person thinking pharmacy class of 2022 is a great investment.

 

[Son_Goku]

Lol.

I don't know of a single engagement that survived Pharmacy school.

Really?

Engagements and/or serious relationships aren't rare at all in pharmacy school. Most if not all of the class outside of a few single dudes would have already been taken.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

Medical school is not worth the prime years of your youth for the salary at the end. Some get their MD/DO because they truly care for their patient's health.

If someone goes to med school for the "money," that's worse than a person thinking pharmacy class of 2022 is a great investment.

exactly. just how many people go to medical or pharmacy school because they truly truly care for patient health? probably less than like 10%. going into these professions for money is a bad idea. unfortunately society portrays that these professions make the most bank and are rich, haha funny

 

[rederza]

Medical school is not worth the prime years of your youth for the salary at the end. Some get their MD/DO because they truly care for their patient's health.

If someone goes to med school for the "money," that's worse than a person thinking pharmacy class of 2022 is a great investment.

This sounds like a lie someone said to exaggerate their efforts...med student or otherwise. I travel internationally twice a year, and I can actually take out loans for a decent living and feel that it's justified in the end. Vs pharmacy school, I didn't want to take out loans because...was it really worth it? Anyways, I am in my prime as you say, and for me just finishing pre clinical years of med school, I had tons of spare time, to eat, travel, play, whatever. Does that compare to a person that's 24 making $100k as a CS major with no debt? No, but it surely isn't me withering away in my room with no will to live studying 20 hours a day. Will update when I start rotations though.