The stinky reality of being a pharmacist and future pharmacy profession..

[lisinopril]

updated 5/26/14

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[Jibby321]

I am here to give a cold reality of being a pharmacist:

1. Nobody will ever call/address you as "Dr" even though you earn the tittle and the degree.
2. Expect to be yelled/screamed at by a lowlife drug seekers, old farts (if you work in retail), and by nurses (if you work in hospital).
3. Expect to be looked down by MDs/PAs ("what do you know? Just fill my script and don't call me every 5 mins for a stupid drug interaction! "click*)
4. Expect to be disgraced by stupid people who you try to save their lives when the doc wrote a prescription with 100 times dosage higher than the legit dosage.
5. Expect "Why my medication takes so long to fill?" everyday, every hour, everytime
6. Expect to get robbed.
7. Expect to ring up tampon, milk, cheese, etc...

I am here to give a cold reality of future job market:

1. Currently supersarturated in most areas.
2. Pharmacy schools cranks up 12,000 new grads every year now...and projects to shoot up 16,000 per year....Meanwhile jobs are shrinking and cannot keep up with number of new grads. Do the math and you will see #grads>#jobs.

Read this :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687123/ (" A looming joblessness crisis for new pharmacy graduates").
3. A lot of applications for 1 job. I've seen one part time openning at my friend's place and he, as a director, reviewed 35 applications.
4. Pharmacy school tuition keeps rising up. Bet on unemployed with heavy student debt.
5. Call around your local area and pretend you are a pharmacist looking for work...see how they answer. If they give u a general answer like this "Please contact district manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX" then you know there is no job.
6. Don't rely on jobs posting online. Those are already filled/gone before being posted. Posting online is just a form to show equalness in labor act. In reality, those jobs have already been reserved by others.

Are you a pharmacist? Or an arms dealer?

 

[lisinopril]

Are you a pharmacist? Or an arms dealer?

I am a pharmacist, pharmacy preceptor/coordinator , a licensed arm dealer (side job), a stock investor(short maket now and buying gold/silver), an US Navy, an NRA member, a 2nd Amendment supporter, a co-business owner of a restaurant, a husband, and a father of a son.

 

[Jibby321]

I am a pharmacist, pharmacy preceptor/coordinator , a licensed arm dealer (side job), a stock investor(short maket now and buying gold/silver), an US Navy, an NRA member, a 2nd Amendment supporter, a co-business owner of a restaurant, a husband, and a father of a son.

Just curious.

 

[rxphd]

The first 1-7 is def true! Lol

 

[rxtech2012]

I am here to give a cold reality of being a pharmacist:

1. Nobody will ever call/address you as "Dr" even though you earn the tittle and the degree.
2. Expect to be yelled/screamed at by a lowlife drug seekers, old farts (if you work in retail), and by nurses (if you work in hospital).
3. Expect to be looked down by MDs/PAs ("what do you know? Just fill my script and don't call me every 5 mins for a stupid drug interaction! "click*)
4. Expect to be disgraced by stupid people who you try to save their lives when the doc wrote a prescription with 100 times dosage higher than the legit dosage.
5. Expect "Why my medication takes so long to fill?" everyday, every hour, everytime
6. Expect to get robbed.
7. Expect to ring up tampon, milk, cheese, etc...

I am here to give a cold reality of future job market:

1. Currently supersarturated in most areas.
2. Pharmacy schools cranks up 12,000 new grads every year now...and projects to shoot up 16,000 per year....Meanwhile jobs are shrinking and cannot keep up with number of new grads. Do the math and you will see #grads>#jobs.

Read this :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687123/ (" A looming joblessness crisis for new pharmacy graduates").
3. A lot of applications for 1 job. I've seen one part time openning at my friend's place and he, as a director, reviewed 35 applications.
4. Pharmacy school tuition keeps rising up. Bet on unemployed with heavy student debt.
5. Call around your local area and pretend you are a pharmacist looking for work...see how they answer. If they give u a general answer like this "Please contact district manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX" then you know there is no job.
6. Don't rely on jobs posting online. Those are already filled/gone before being posted. Posting online is just a form to show equalness in labor act. In reality, those jobs have already been reserved by others.

You are pretty much dead on. It's something a lot of people need to understand because its true how glamorous the schools make it out to be but it's a tough field(esp retail) and the students usually find out when it's too late. However, there are also students like myself who've been in this field for >6 years and truly enjoy this field. But yes, you're pretty much right.

 

[joetrisman]

IIRC, the outpatient hospital pharmacy I volunteered at had 75 or so apps for one spot last year.

 

[Littlet]

Exactly why I backed out of starting pharmacy school and will be starting medical school this week. Thanks for the wise words, many should heed your warning.

 

[Corpseman]

Right or wrong, there are 100 other threads about this same subject, there was no need to create another one.

BTW what is "an US Navy"?

 

[bacillus1]

I don't work retail, so most of that is not true for my position. And at my hospital most of the clinical pharmacists are addressed as "Dr. __________" by their patients, must be a VA thing.

As for jobs, yep, it's pretty saturated. I haven't had too many problems in that department yet, but I imagine it'll get worse as time goes on. I'm moving across the country for a job, and the people that want to stay locally are definitely having a harder time.

 

[Jibby321]

I don't work retail, so most of that is not true for my position. And at my hospital most of the clinical pharmacists are addressed as "Dr. __________" by their patients, must be a VA thing.

As for jobs, yep, it's pretty saturated. I haven't had too many problems in that department yet, but I imagine it'll get worse as time goes on. I'm moving across the country for a job, and the people that want to stay locally are definitely having a harder time.

Do you think that it has something to do with there used to be an option for BS or pharmD so not all pharmacists are DR.?

Since all graduating pharmacists now get a pharmD does anybody see that transition being made in the future?

 

[joetrisman]

Do you think that it has something to do with there used to be an option for BS or pharmD so not all pharmacists are DR.?

Since all graduating pharmacists now get a pharmD does anybody see that transition being made in the future?

Dr or not, at the end of the day its how much added value you provide to patient care. This speaks for itself.

 

[rxtech2012]

I am here to give a cold reality of being a pharmacist:

1. Nobody will ever call/address you as "Dr" even though you earn the tittle and the degree.
2. Expect to be yelled/screamed at by a lowlife drug seekers, old farts (if you work in retail), and by nurses (if you work in hospital).
3. Expect to be looked down by MDs/PAs ("what do you know? Just fill my script and don't call me every 5 mins for a stupid drug interaction! "click*)
4. Expect to be disgraced by stupid people who you try to save their lives when the doc wrote a prescription with 100 times dosage higher than the legit dosage.
5. Expect "Why my medication takes so long to fill?" everyday, every hour, everytime
6. Expect to get robbed.
7. Expect to ring up tampon, milk, cheese, etc...

I am here to give a cold reality of future job market:

1. Currently supersarturated in most areas.
2. Pharmacy schools cranks up 12,000 new grads every year now...and projects to shoot up 16,000 per year....Meanwhile jobs are shrinking and cannot keep up with number of new grads. Do the math and you will see #grads>#jobs.

Read this :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687123/ (" A looming joblessness crisis for new pharmacy graduates").
3. A lot of applications for 1 job. I've seen one part time openning at my friend's place and he, as a director, reviewed 35 applications.
4. Pharmacy school tuition keeps rising up. Bet on unemployed with heavy student debt.
5. Call around your local area and pretend you are a pharmacist looking for work...see how they answer. If they give u a general answer like this "Please contact district manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX" then you know there is no job.
6. Don't rely on jobs posting online. Those are already filled/gone before being posted. Posting online is just a form to show equalness in labor act. In reality, those jobs have already been reserved by others.

You are pretty much dead on. It's something a lot of people need to understand because its true how glamorous the schools make it out to be but it's a tough field(esp retail) and the students usually find out when it's too late. However, there are also students like myself who've been in this field for >6 years and truly enjoy this field. But yes, you're pretty much right.

 

[Jibby321]

Dr or not, at the end of the day its how much added value you provide to patient care. This speaks for itself.

I agree with that completely. I was just cuurious.

 

[corey407woc]

as long as it pays the bills and allows me to be able to live the kind of lifestyle I want to, who cares. There are pros and cons of every job, and in the end a job is a job

 

[Corpseman]

In the a job is a job and as long as it pays the bills and allows me to be able to live the kind of lifestyle I want to, who cares. There are pros and cons of every job

Must be new here.

Pharmacy is the only profession right now that has saturation.

Pharmacy is the only major in school that requires student loans.

Pharmacy is the only job that has cons.

 

[owlegrad]

must be new here.

Pharmacy is the only profession right now that has saturation.

Pharmacy is the only major in school that requires student loans.

Pharmacy is the only job that has cons.

lol!

 

[Jibby321]

Must be new here.

Pharmacy is the only profession right now that has saturation.

Pharmacy is the only major in school that requires student loans.

Pharmacy is the only job that has cons.

Med school, dental school, law school etc. don't require loans?

 

[owlegrad]

Med school, dental school, law school etc. don't require loans?

Correct. They are all stress-free compared to pharmacy as well.

Lawyers may technically have it worse than us in some ways, but at least they are allowed to go to the bathroom if they work 14 hour shifts.

 

[Corpseman]

Just to beat BMBiology to the punch.....

Corpseman,

"you are ignorant, you have not had a real job, you do not know what the real world is, and Uncle Sam is paying for your education."

XoXo,
BMBiology

 

[BMBiology]

Just to beat BMBiology to the punch.....

Corpseman,

"you are ignorant, you have not had a real job, you do not know what the real world is, and Uncle Sam is paying for your education."

XoXo,
BMBiology

I am glad to know that I strike fear in your post.

 

[Corpseman]

I am glad to know that I strike fear in your post.

 

[joetrisman]

Correct. They are all stress-free compared to pharmacy as well.

Lawyers may technically have it worse than us in some ways, but at least they are allowed to go to the bathroom if they work 14 hour shifts.

Psssh. Cath it and you're good to go

 

[Jibby321]

Correct. They are all stress-free compared to pharmacy as well.

Lawyers may technically have it worse than us in some ways, but at least they are allowed to go to the bathroom if they work 14 hour shifts.

Just looked up a 1md students tuition. And it was alot more expensive than a 1pd.

 

[owlegrad]

Just looked up a 1md students tuition. And it was alot more expensive than a 1pd.

Lies. Who has ever heard of a doctor with debt? Ridiculous.

 

[Jibby321]

Lies. Who has ever heard of a doctor with debt? Ridiculous.

Lol. Got ya.

 

[Skrumpy]

Don't cry for me Argentina...

I am here to give a cold reality of being a pharmacist:

1. Nobody will ever call/address you as "Dr" even though you earn the tittle and the degree.

You have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree but the title of Doctor has been used for quite some time to denote Medical Doctor. I know it's confusing which is why the medical community doesn't want anyone else to be called 'Doctor.' There are so many titles and positions out there the average Joe can't keep up. In the end does it really matter? Do you need some super special title to make you feel all warm inside?

2. Expect to be yelled/screamed at by a lowlife drug seekers, old farts (if you work in retail), and by nurses (if you work in hospital).

Everyone gets yelled at in the healthcare industry. It's what I call trickle down ****inomics. The CEO gets **** on by the investors and then that trickles on down to you screaming at the janitor (oh I'm sorry, Environmental Services Staff Member) for not sweeping to your high standards.

3. Expect to be looked down by MDs/PAs ("what do you know? Just fill my script and don't call me every 5 mins for a stupid drug interaction! "click*)

I'm 6'5' no one looks down on me. If you feel that you are inadequate then perhaps you need to step back and reevaluate what you bring to the profession. Your job is to provide the best care possible to the patient, not appease a provider. In the end, we all answer to the patient. Everyone becomes a tough guy on the phone, just like everyone becomes a tough guy on the Internet. You gotta love that anonymity. Your best weapon is knowledge and an equally loud voice.

4. Expect to be disgraced by stupid people who you try to save their lives when the doc wrote a prescription with 100 times dosage higher than the legit dosage.
5. Expect "Why my medication takes so long to fill?" everyday, every hour, everytime
6. Expect to get robbed.
7. Expect to ring up tampon, milk, cheese, etc...

I am here to give a cold reality of future job market:

1. Currently supersarturated in most areas. Welcome to recession aftermath.

2. Pharmacy schools cranks up 12,000 new grads every year now...and projects to shoot up 16,000 per year....Meanwhile jobs are shrinking and cannot keep up with number of new grads. Do the math and you will see #grads>#jobs.

Read this :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687123/ (" A looming joblessness crisis for new pharmacy graduates").

Yep. This makes where you go to school all the more important. The top hospitals out there can afford to be picky. I agree that there needs to be more reform in this area.

3. A lot of applications for 1 job. I've seen one part time openning at my friend's place and he, as a director, reviewed 35 applications.

Pretty sure your 1 piece of anecdotal evidence doesn't really come close to satisfying the requirements for a good sample size when you are lambasting the national pharmacist market.

4. Pharmacy school tuition keeps rising up. Bet on unemployed with heavy student debt.

Tuition in general keeps rising. Why should pharmacy be immune? If you are a diploma mill grad living in a highly saturated area (the coasts) good luck to you, as you will need it. IMO most of you are trash and should be doing something else anyways. Sorry, but many of these 5 PCAT with 1.65 GPA PD1 students aren't fit to be working at McDonalds, much less as a healthcare professional.

5. Call around your local area and pretend you are a pharmacist looking for work...see how they answer. If they give u a general answer like this "Please contact district manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX" then you know there is no job.

I already have a job lined up for when I graduate in 4 years. Networking > Pretend phone calling. Spend your time wisely is all I can say.

6. Don't rely on jobs posting online. Those are already filled/gone before being posted. Posting online is just a form to show equalness in labor act. In reality, those jobs have already been reserved by others.

Agreed. You should be networking through school and if you are in a supersaturated area you should have explored things a bit more before jumping into a field that you thought would be easy money. I really have no sympathy for those who are crying for the days of hiring bonuses and 1% loan rates. Yea those days were nice.. but they were never going to last forever.. keep crying though, while you are drying your tears the more qualified applicant is taking your job.

 

[Corpseman]

Wish I could rep.

 

[joetrisman]

I already have a job lined up for when I graduate in 4 years.

I was with you until this point...nothing in life is certain 4 years out, much less tomorrow.

 

[Skrumpy]

I was with you until this point...nothing in life is certain 4 years out, much less tomorrow.

Yea, I'm not naive enough to believe that anything is ever set in stone.. hell I could walk out my front door tomorrow and be shot and paralyzed from the waist down. You just never know. I say plan for the worst and you'll never be unprepared.

 

[lisinopril]

Dr or not, at the end of the day its how much added value you provide to patient care. This speaks for itself.

I call this "BS". Just as BS when student is asked "Why becoming a doc?" and his/her answer is "to help/heal people". Absolutely BS! There is no patient care in reality. I repeat NONE. If you want real patient care experience, go volunteer at RED CROSS. You have earned a degree where it has taken you 7-8 years post highschool graduation. You deserve to be addressed/called and treated with such tittle. I am sick of people saying "I don't care to be called Dr...". You know you just BS.

When people hear others call you "Dr" or address you as a "Dr", they will treat you differently. Trust me. I've been in healthcare profession not long, but enough to see where the prestige is. It is no longer in pharmacy.

 

[Skrumpy]

I call this "BS". Just as BS when student is asked "Why becoming a doc?" and his/her answer is "to help/heal people". Absolutely BS! There is no patient care in reality. I repeat NONE. If you want real patient care experience, go volunteer at RED CROSS. You have earned a degree where it has taken you 7-8 years post highschool graduation. You deserve to be addressed/called and treated with such tittle. I am sick of people saying "I don't care to be called Dr...". You know you just BS.

When people hear others call you "Dr" or address you as a "Dr", they will treat you differently. Trust me. I've been in healthcare profession not long, but enough to see where the prestige is. It is no longer in pharmacy.

That is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul Farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the MD vs PharmD but then you look at that MD and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who I'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."

There is a good reason why pharmacists will never be at the prestige level of doctors (at least here in America) and that is because doctors are revenue generators and pharmacists are revenue protectors. Our society is all about revenue generation, not saving money, which is why pharmacists are treated differently. That is a trait that is pretty prevalent in American society. We're always about money generation and damage control over preventative measures.. this is why nothing meaningful will happen about global warming until the skies ignite and California is under 300 feet of water.

Anyways, getting off topic here.. but the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. no one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

 

[lisinopril]

that is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the md vs pharmd but then you look at that md and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who i'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."
anyways, getting off topic here.. But the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. Or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. No one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

lies....

 

[hye345]

lies....

Such an eloquent response... clearly you were a champ in many a debate

 

[68quebec]

That is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul Farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the MD vs PharmD but then you look at that MD and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who I'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."

There is a good reason why pharmacists will never be at the prestige level of doctors (at least here in America) and that is because doctors are revenue generators and pharmacists are revenue protectors. Our society is all about revenue generation, not saving money, which is why pharmacists are treated differently. That is a trait that is pretty prevalent in American society. We're always about money generation and damage control over preventative measures.. this is why nothing meaningful will happen about global warming until the skies ignite and California is under 300 feet of water.

Anyways, getting off topic here.. but the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. no one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

best one ive ever seen since I joined SDN. look for what makes u happy not what makes u earn more money. do you know how many people regret at the moment of death? almost everyone. one of their regret is "why didnt I choose what I want to do". I truly agree with you skrumpy. Thx for great answer! I admire you.

 

[AlPacino]

That is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul Farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the MD vs PharmD but then you look at that MD and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who I'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."

There is a good reason why pharmacists will never be at the prestige level of doctors (at least here in America) and that is because doctors are revenue generators and pharmacists are revenue protectors. Our society is all about revenue generation, not saving money, which is why pharmacists are treated differently. That is a trait that is pretty prevalent in American society. We're always about money generation and damage control over preventative measures.. this is why nothing meaningful will happen about global warming until the skies ignite and California is under 300 feet of water.

Anyways, getting off topic here.. but the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. no one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

This should be the default post for any future "pharmacy is doomed" thread.

 

[chemguy79]

lies....

Such an astute observation! You must be doing well as a post-doc since you're able to troll on a message board to serve as a benevolent career guidance counselor for future pharmacy students.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

This has gotta be a troll thread. If not then oh my goodness...

 

[y0ssarian87]

That is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul Farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the MD vs PharmD but then you look at that MD and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who I'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."

There is a good reason why pharmacists will never be at the prestige level of doctors (at least here in America) and that is because doctors are revenue generators and pharmacists are revenue protectors. Our society is all about revenue generation, not saving money, which is why pharmacists are treated differently. That is a trait that is pretty prevalent in American society. We're always about money generation and damage control over preventative measures.. this is why nothing meaningful will happen about global warming until the skies ignite and California is under 300 feet of water.

Anyways, getting off topic here.. but the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. no one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

I agree completely. Prestige and value (of various healthcare practitioners, in particular) are such interesting concepts to talk about. Anyway, I appreciate your comment, and I hope your first week next week treats you well! PM me and let me know how things go.

 

[Skrumpy]

I agree completely. Prestige and value (of various healthcare practitioners, in particular) are such interesting concepts to talk about. Anyway, I appreciate your comment, and I hope your first week next week treats you well! PM me and let me know how things go.

Hey y0ssarian87,

Good to hear from you and I will definitely connect with you once I get started next week. I'm hoping the new curriculum turns out to be worth all the time/effort. Not necessarily favoring the idea of losing another month of summer, but if it's well spent I guess that will make up for it.

 

[Viccij01]

Love the sarcasm....

 

[Xeal0007]

Correct. They are all stress-free compared to pharmacy as well.

Lawyers may technically have it worse than us in some ways, but at least they are allowed to go to the bathroom if they work 14 hour shifts.

This is perfect lmao

 

[Xeal0007]

That is a pretty jaded view of the world. There are plenty of people out there that go into healthcare to help/heal people. Paul Farmer (my personal hero) is a good example of such an individual. Do some people go into it for the prestige and money? Of course, but your blanket statement is surely not a universal truth. I don't deny that there is greater inherent prestige going for the MD vs PharmD but then you look at that MD and there are different "prestige tiers" within that degree as well. Look at orthopedic surgeons ($500k+/year) compared to pediatric physicians ($170k/year). There are some ortho surgeons who I'm sure look down and scoff at the "lowly" pediatricians. Where does it end? The truth of the matter is no matter how much you make and no matter how much prestige you think you have, there is always someone out there earning more and who has "more prestige."

There is a good reason why pharmacists will never be at the prestige level of doctors (at least here in America) and that is because doctors are revenue generators and pharmacists are revenue protectors. Our society is all about revenue generation, not saving money, which is why pharmacists are treated differently. That is a trait that is pretty prevalent in American society. We're always about money generation and damage control over preventative measures.. this is why nothing meaningful will happen about global warming until the skies ignite and California is under 300 feet of water.

Anyways, getting off topic here.. but the moral of the story is to be happy with what you have.. or you will never be happy. Because in this world, to much is never enough. This is why many high salary athletes are bankrupt shortly after their careers end. Armor yourself against that type of thinking and you will win at life.. no one can make you envious of what they have if you are truly satisfied with your life.

 

[lisinopril]

Liars :" I want to become a doctor/pharmacist to help people so they can get better and get healed ....I hate to see people suffering....blah blah blah"

Honest people :" I want to be come a doctor/pharmacist to ultilize my knowdlege in healthcare and get paid decently with a comfortable lifestyle. And I will volunteer to help people as leisures ".

Big differences...

Don't get me wrong. I love and admire those who are actually helping other people (volunteer). By that, you don't have to be a doctor to volunteer. You can just help an old man crossing the street...that's really good already.

Bottom line: we all go to school to get an education so we can make money and live comfortably , then we can think about actual helping people. Don't just say you wanna become a doctor or in healthcare career because mainly you wanna heal people. Would you still wanna be a doc/pharmacist if the pay is only 10 dollars/hour? Do it, then I say you truly have a heart to help people all the time.

 

[68quebec]

Liars :" I want to become a doctor/pharmacist to help people so they can get better and get healed ....I hate to see people suffering....blah blah blah"

Honest people :" I want to be come a doctor/pharmacist to ultilize my knowdlege in healthcare and get paid decently with a comfortable lifestyle. And I will volunteer to help people as leisures ".

Big differences...

Don't get me wrong. I love and admire those who are actually helping other people (volunteer). By that, you don't have to be a doctor to volunteer. You can just help an old man crossing the street...that's really good already.

Bottom line: we all go to school to get an education so we can make money and live comfortably , then we can think about actual helping people. Don't just say you wanna become a doctor or in healthcare career because mainly you wanna heal people. Would you still wanna be a doc/pharmacist if the pay is only 10 dollars/hour? Do it, then I say you truly have a heart to help people all the time.

I don't know what your problem is..Hopefully you will find a better job one day...

 

[Corpseman]

Liars :" I want to become a doctor/pharmacist to help people so they can get better and get healed ....I hate to see people suffering....blah blah blah"

Honest people :" I want to be come a doctor/pharmacist to ultilize my knowdlege in healthcare and get paid decently with a comfortable lifestyle. And I will volunteer to help people as leisures ".

Big differences...

Don't get me wrong. I love and admire those who are actually helping other people (volunteer). By that, you don't have to be a doctor to volunteer. You can just help an old man crossing the street...that's really good already.

Bottom line: we all go to school to get an education so we can make money and live comfortably , then we can think about actual helping people. Don't just say you wanna become a doctor or in healthcare career because mainly you wanna heal people. Would you still wanna be a doc/pharmacist if the pay is only 10 dollars/hour? Do it, then I say you truly have a heart to help people all the time.

 

[lisinopril]

 

[68quebec]

I think that one is hilariouis

 

[WhiteSnows]

I am here to give a cold reality of being a pharmacist:

1. Nobody will ever call/address you as "Dr" even though you earn the tittle and the degree.
2. Expect to be yelled/screamed at by a lowlife drug seekers, old farts (if you work in retail), and by nurses (if you work in hospital).
3. Expect to be looked down by MDs/PAs ("what do you know? Just fill my script and don't call me every 5 mins for a stupid drug interaction! "click*)
4. Expect to be disgraced by stupid people who you try to save their lives when the doc wrote a prescription with 100 times dosage higher than the legit dosage.
5. Expect "Why my medication takes so long to fill?" everyday, every hour, everytime
6. Expect to get robbed.
7. Expect to ring up tampon, milk, cheese, etc...

I am here to give a cold reality of future job market:

1. Currently supersarturated in most areas.
2. Pharmacy schools cranks up 12,000 new grads every year now...and projects to shoot up 16,000 per year....Meanwhile jobs are shrinking and cannot keep up with number of new grads. Do the math and you will see #grads>#jobs.

Read this :http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3687123/ (" A looming joblessness crisis for new pharmacy graduates").
3. A lot of applications for 1 job. I've seen one part time openning at my friend's place and he, as a director, reviewed 35 applications.
4. Pharmacy school tuition keeps rising up. Bet on unemployed with heavy student debt.
5. Call around your local area and pretend you are a pharmacist looking for work...see how they answer. If they give u a general answer like this "Please contact district manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX" then you know there is no job.
6. Don't rely on jobs posting online. Those are already filled/gone before being posted. Posting online is just a form to show equalness in labor act. In reality, those jobs have already been reserved by others.

I am sorry to tell you this: your failure to handle your life does not mean other people can't do so. I am myself an international student who graduated from a US school recently and I even got business offer from one of my rotations. It is all about your personal attitude toward people. If you are a qualified pharmacist, you still can get a job in this economy. If you can't handle people around you, it does not matter what professional you are in you still fail.

 

[lisinopril]

I am sorry to tell you this: your failure to handle your life does not mean other people can't do so. I am myself an international student who graduated from a US school recently and I even got business offer from one of my rotations. It is all about your personal attitude toward people. If you are a qualified pharmacist, you still can get a job in this economy. If you can't handle people around you, it does not matter what professional you are in you still fail.

You got a job offer? Good for you! I am just pointing out the facts so that pre-pharm students can understand what they get themselves into. Really....I am a pretty successful person, not a "failure to handle life" as you stated above. I have houses, 401K, stocks, guns, gold, reserve cash, beautiful wife. If there's a job posted, I am sure I will get it before you. It may sound cocky but I just know it.