Rethinking Pharmacy

[ConfusedAboutLife]

I am currently a p1 student. I decided on pharmacy because I had no clue what I wanted to do and my parents pushed me toward it. I am in a 7 year program, 3 years of undergrad and 4 of pharmacy school. I will get a bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences at the end of my p1 year. I’ve only been in pharmacy school for a month and am very unhappy with the decisions I’ve made.I guess I never thought too much about the job, just about the salary. I’ve been reading a lot online though and I am so worried I will hate it. Standing for 12 hours and barely getting a lunch break sounds hellish. Hospital pharmacy jobs sound better but I hate the thought of adding another year to do a residency. At this point, I have no desire to be in the health field at all.

I have no idea what I should do. I want to switch before I get into more student debt for a career I think I will hate. I kind of want to go back to undergrad and major in something different. I hate chemistry but biology is good. I have no idea what I would do with a biology degree since I am not that interested in the health field or research. Business sounds interesting but that would be starting completely from scratch for a degree. Commercial pilots seems like a cool job, but it costs so much money to become a pilot.

Mainly I want a job with decent benefits and vacation time where I won’t be miserable. I am just not sure what to do, because I feel like I’ve already put so much into pharmacy. What if I end up hating whatever I switch to or what if pharmacy isn’t as bad as I’m thinking. Should I start over even though even though I won’t have a scholarship for undergrad now? Should I stick with my pharmD program? I just don’t know what to do with my life.

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[Mounjaro]

If you didn't have previous experience in a pharmacy prior to applying, this is somewhat expected. KNOW what you're getting yourself into. I spent three years in a retail pharmacy before applying, and despite the stressful conditions; I loved it.

I couldn't see myself doing anything else. The mentors and connections I've gained are all apart of the experience and why I continue to push through pharmacy school with enthusiasm.

To answer your question, if you don't like pharmacy school, then don't do it. Go back to undergrad and pursue something you have a passion for. No use in doing something that you'll hate for the rest of your life.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Computer science / software engineering will provide you with a very good quality of life. You get much better perks, i.e. catered gourmet meals, on-site gym and laundry services, employee shuttles, etc., whereas in retail pharmacy you might be lucky to even get a lunch break. You will take home as much as a pharmacist does in net income, since you will not have to graduate with $200k+ in loans and lose 4 years of potential income opportunity. You can easily break six figures after a few years of experience. Job prospects are also much better as a software engineer, as recruiters will hound you, whereas you will have to hound recruiters for job openings, especially if it's in non-retail and/or in a saturated job region.

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[idatarx]

I'm assuming you are relatively young... just out of high school? The most important tip I can give you is to know what you want to do in life. It may take a bit of time to figure it out, but it's worth it. Once you know the answer, things will just follow...

We can't all be doctors and pharmacists. We can't all be computer engineers, either. Society needs a few of everything. The key is to know what drives you and gives you meaning in life.

in the mean time, do your best in school. Once you establish a routine, an academic year goes by fairly quickly. You've already paid your tuition and you're not likely to get anything back at this point. So make your tuition work. Decide what to do when you're on break.

p.s. any job can be miserable, including jobless. Some people thrive in retail settings, some love the hospital work. Some others prefer industry. It ultimately depends on you. It is what you make of it.

 

[rph3664]

Where can you get a separate degree in pharmaceutical sciences? Is the OP in the U.S.?

 

[Lucky One]

Seems like you don't have much life experience. I would leave pharmacy school since that is not prosperous for you and perhaps work part time somewhere until you figure out your next step. Do some shadowing/research about different careers. No point in getting a useless degree and feeling obligated to it.

Every job has its own pro and cons to it. I would just find something you'll enjoy doing as a career.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I am currently a p1 student. I decided on pharmacy because I had no clue what I wanted to do and my parents pushed me toward it. I am in a 7 year program, 3 years of undergrad and 4 of pharmacy school. I will get a bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences at the end of my p1 year. I’ve only been in pharmacy school for a month and am very unhappy with the decisions I’ve made.I guess I never thought too much about the job, just about the salary. I’ve been reading a lot online though and I am so worried I will hate it. Standing for 12 hours and barely getting a lunch break sounds hellish. Hospital pharmacy jobs sound better but I hate the thought of adding another year to do a residency. At this point, I have no desire to be in the health field at all.

I have no idea what I should do. I want to switch before I get into more student debt for a career I think I will hate. I kind of want to go back to undergrad and major in something different. I hate chemistry but biology is good. I have no idea what I would do with a biology degree since I am not that interested in the health field or research. Business sounds interesting but that would be starting completely from scratch for a degree. Commercial pilots seems like a cool job, but it costs so much money to become a pilot.

Mainly I want a job with decent benefits and vacation time where I won’t be miserable. I am just not sure what to do, because I feel like I’ve already put so much into pharmacy. What if I end up hating whatever I switch to or what if pharmacy isn’t as bad as I’m thinking. Should I start over even though even though I won’t have a scholarship for undergrad now? Should I stick with my pharmD program? I just don’t know what to do with my life.

In addition to what other posters wrote, if this is in state tuition, you may consider finishing the degree before moving on to other things.

 

[BidingMyTime]

So if I understand you correctly, you are in your 4th year of a 7 year program and will get your BS at the end of this year. At this point, you have too much invested not to finish out and get your BS, you would most likely lose to many credits trying to transfer. But I would be considering what you want to do after you get your BS, it seems pointless to continue towards your Pharm D when you have no desire to work in health care.

This is why it is a bad idea to pick a job solely on salary. You need to figure out what you want to do (try an on-line career assessment for starters.) Once you have an idea of what you want to do, you'll be in a better position to figure out where to go from here. You may need to pick up another bachelor's or a master's degree. Or, your bachelor's alone might be enough to get you an entry-level position in your new field.

 

[ldiot]

I am currently a p1 student. I decided on pharmacy because I had no clue what I wanted to do and my parents pushed me toward it. I am in a 7 year program, 3 years of undergrad and 4 of pharmacy school. I will get a bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences at the end of my p1 year. I’ve only been in pharmacy school for a month and am very unhappy with the decisions I’ve made.I guess I never thought too much about the job, just about the salary. I’ve been reading a lot online though and I am so worried I will hate it. Standing for 12 hours and barely getting a lunch break sounds hellish. Hospital pharmacy jobs sound better but I hate the thought of adding another year to do a residency. At this point, I have no desire to be in the health field at all.

I have no idea what I should do. I want to switch before I get into more student debt for a career I think I will hate. I kind of want to go back to undergrad and major in something different. I hate chemistry but biology is good. I have no idea what I would do with a biology degree since I am not that interested in the health field or research. Business sounds interesting but that would be starting completely from scratch for a degree. Commercial pilots seems like a cool job, but it costs so much money to become a pilot.

Mainly I want a job with decent benefits and vacation time where I won’t be miserable. I am just not sure what to do, because I feel like I’ve already put so much into pharmacy. What if I end up hating whatever I switch to or what if pharmacy isn’t as bad as I’m thinking. Should I start over even though even though I won’t have a scholarship for undergrad now? Should I stick with my pharmD program? I just don’t know what to do with my life.

Just find something else. Everyone and their mother wants to work in a hospital but the cost of that is slaving away in a residency just for the opportunity to make less money than retail. Then if you go retail for the money you get to deal with the general public all day long and your techs are miserable people making minimum wage.

Unless your parents are funding your education they shouldn't be pushing you into anything. You at least have a BS so you really haven't wasted your time.