Hi jacksmith228833!
I see that you are concerned about the job market. I have recently attended a recent virtual pharmacy school fair and got to speak with many school administrator, professors, and students. While it is true that retail is going through a rough patch, they had this to say about endless other opportunities with pharmacy!:
- The Pharmacy Workforce is a study. It is not an exact prediction of the future.
- Pharmacy is an evolving profession. New domains are opening up. There is still a very bright future for the profession in the hospital, community and industrial settings.
- Pharmacy for me which is a non profit agency has information about different Career paths visit Pharmacy Careers | Pharmacy for me
- There is no accurate prediction of the future. So many variables do change. As an example, in California now, the Governor just granted pharmacists the authority to order and administer Covid-19 tests: Pharmacists Granted Authority to Order, Administer COVID-19 Tests in California
- last year, around 80% of our graduates had a job offer before the graduation. - LECOM School of Pharmacy
- I have not heard of any students from last year's graduating class struggling to find positions - WesternU
- Many of our graduates go on to work in hospital and community pharmacies, as well as opened their own pharmacies - WesternU
These are all great points!
I am going to be honest with you and everyone else - Until 6 months ago, I hired pharmacists. I reviewed applications, did interviews, and extended offers. We would get over 100 applications for every job. And these were just the ones that made it through HR to us. We are generally only hiring PGY2 for any position that has some sort of specialty (ICU, Onc, etc). and a PGY1 for any less specialized area. We are offering salaries similar to what I was making 10 years ago. I personally have talked several young undergrads out of pharmacy when I tell them the stats. Saying this, I enjoy my job, I just know I am very lucky to have stumbled into it over a decade ago and am holding on to it as long as possible.
To address the statements above.
1. it has been fairly accurate over the years.
2. This is the same line they were telling me back in 2000 - and for the most part it has NOT come true.
3. These "other career paths" acount for less than 3% of all jobs
4. Being able to administer one new test for a virus that likely will have a vaccine in a year will not have an appreciable affect on the job market.
5. 75% pass rate on the NAPLEX, wouldn't trust that school. Plus my class had 100% job placement rate (full time, not this part time stuff offered now) when we walked across the stage. Many of us (myself included) had 4-5 job offers and we got to choose. Plus we got a 15-45k sign on bonus for it.
6. They didn't ask hard enough. I just spoke to our new residents and many many of them have friends who are jobless.
7. Virutally no one is opening their own pharmacy now days - (rare exceptions) you need so much capital, plus the big chains will drive you into the ground. (I worked at an independent before going to pharmacy school - he was bought out and make big $$ - he admits he was one of the few lucky ones)
please please do yourself a favor and listen to those in the trenches - not those at the school who are detached from the real world and have an incentive to sell you on their program. You wouldn't go to a ford dealerships and expect them to be honest with you and tell you a toyota is actually a better vehicle? that is what these recruiters are, salespeople who have their best interest in mind.
