Should I consider hospital pharmacy over a more medical profession/tract?

[rushthesand]

I kind of chose to be in the Pharmd. program in MCPHS University on a whim. I'm going to be a second year starting September. The reason I chose it is because I didn't do well in highschool, so I knew grades wouldn't affect me as much in the stable Pharmacy program rather than in a Med program.

However, after doing well my first year of college, I decided that grades shouldn't matter as much, as long as I'm willing to work hard for whatever I wanted. From the start, I've always wanted to be a doctor- moreso in a hospital setting than anything, because I wanted a job I'm passionate about. I want something that's about helping people, and where I still need to use background medical knowledge to help solve mysteries about people's diseases and injuries. After more research, however, I also realized that E.R. pharmacists exist.

I unfortunately don't know much about E.R./hospital pharmacists, so I was hoping if people could answer me and, based on whatever I said, whether I could consider this profession over a Medical profession?
I'm wondering if: The job overall does not eat away at one's personal life (because I heard surgeons and nurses practically live at their life lol...and that they have to go through so many years of school and residency etc etc...they can't really get married or have kids at a younger age and stuff...)? I also want to know what they do and stuff, and if they have a big part in helping out the patients. Do you think these pharmacists consider their job as exciting (or almost as exciting) as the doctors and surgeons do? or are they most of the time in a lab setting or something?

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[joetrisman]

Career, personal life, fitness. Pick two.

 

[rushthesand]

Career, personal life, fitness. Pick two.

Okay...Well career is obviously going to be top...and a little bit of the other two xD But, I'm guessing hospital pharmacy has the same amount of work and stress-level then?

 

[knight on horse]

I'm not going to interview you or worry about your grades (probably because I'm sleepy and should be out and about on a Friday night)

Nevertheless OP, if you are smart, then you will be able to do medical. If you are also good at math and would rather work with things than people, perhaps consider biomedical engineering, or bioinformatics

 

[MackandBlues]

I kind of chose to be in the Pharmd. program in MCPHS University on a whim. I'm going to be a second year starting September. The reason I chose it is because I didn't do well in highschool, so I knew grades wouldn't affect me as much in the stable Pharmacy program rather than in a Med program.

However, after doing well my first year of college, I decided that grades shouldn't matter as much, as long as I'm willing to work hard for whatever I wanted. From the start, I've always wanted to be a doctor- moreso in a hospital setting than anything, because I wanted a job I'm passionate about. I want something that's about helping people, and where I still need to use background medical knowledge to help solve mysteries about people's diseases and injuries. After more research, however, I also realized that E.R. pharmacists exist.

I unfortunately don't know much about E.R./hospital pharmacists, so I was hoping if people could answer me and, based on whatever I said, whether I could consider this profession over a Medical profession?
I'm wondering if: The job overall does not eat away at one's personal life (because I heard surgeons and nurses practically live at their life lol...and that they have to go through so many years of school and residency etc etc...they can't really get married or have kids at a younger age and stuff...)? I also want to know what they do and stuff, and if they have a big part in helping out the patients. Do you think these pharmacists consider their job as exciting (or almost as exciting) as the doctors and surgeons do? or are they most of the time in a lab setting or something?

I've worked as an ER pharmacist for over a year and I'm applying to medical school.

 

[MackandBlues]

Ok, more to answer your questions. No the job does not eat into my personal life. In fact it really helped it because I was exposed to tons of people outside of the pharmacy department. So I've made several good friends and alot of drinking buddies. Even went to Vegas with a couple of the attendings.

You do get patient interaction but as a pharmacist you can only do so much. Hence why I am applying to medical school. However getting a clinical specialist type job is going to be difficult. There are few EM pharmacy residencies and not as many job opportunities after residency. Most likely will have to move for residency then for your job. Which is probably going to be true with medicine as well.

 

[rushthesand]

Ok, more to answer your questions. No the job does not eat into my personal life. In fact it really helped it because I was exposed to tons of people outside of the pharmacy department. So I've made several good friends and alot of drinking buddies. Even went to Vegas with a couple of the attendings.

You do get patient interaction but as a pharmacist you can only do so much. Hence why I am applying to medical school. However getting a clinical specialist type job is going to be difficult. There are few EM pharmacy residencies and not as many job opportunities after residency. Most likely will have to move for residency then for your job. Which is probably going to be true with medicine as well.

Thank you!! Do you mind telling me more of what you did as ab ER pharmacist?

 

[rushthesand]

oops double post

 

[BenJammin]

You really can't compare hospital pharmacy with being a physician or midlevel. It's not Pepsi vs coke, it's water vs wine. Whatever you consider to be the wine is up to you.

 

[MackandBlues]

I agree with the above statement. Two different animals. I'm still trying to decide what to do but figured applying is a good place to start. One of my best buddies is an em attending and yes adamant that I don't do it.

 

[MackandBlues]

It= medical school

 

[MackandBlues]

I can tell you what I do but the best way to fully understand is to go shadow an ER pharmacist and an ER physician for their ENTIRE shift to see what they do on a day to day basis. I recommend this to anyone wondering if a certain job is right for them. Get out there and do it.