Why am I like this??

[olivia00]

Hi guys!! This is my first post ever.. I've never joined a forum before, but I really need some feedback and words of encouragement. Im currently doing my pre requisites to transfer to Nova (hopefully!!) I am only missing three classes. BUTTTT lately Ive been really really entertaining the thought of becoming a Psychiatrist.. heres the thing.... I am a 30yr old mother... time and money are a huge factor for me. I currently work as a server 3 days a week because of school and i manage, but lately I've been feeling too old for the job. i know a couple pharmacists and students that start working at CVS pharmacy which was what i planned to do, but they all hate it. I spoke to my mom, and she told me i should do nursing because it is faster than pharmacy, she even said i could focus on becoming psychiatric nurse once i become an RN..
anyways... im just so lost and confused! i guess my questions are..

1.Would i be able to start working in the pharmacy or psychiatric field now? while i am still attending school?
2. What are your thoughts on changing pharmacy to nursing to focus on psychiatry?

THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!

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[BigBoss]

1. You'll do rotations when you start school, but you do your rotations wherever your school tells you to, i.e. retail and hospital
2. If you want to be involved in psychiatry, then either medical school or nursing school is your best bet

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

Hi guys!! This is my first post ever.. I've never joined a forum before, but I really need some feedback and words of encouragement. Im currently doing my pre requisites to transfer to Nova (hopefully!!) I am only missing three classes. BUTTTT lately Ive been really really entertaining the thought of becoming a Psychiatrist.. heres the thing.... I am a 30yr old mother... time and money are a huge factor for me. I currently work as a server 3 days a week because of school and i manage, but lately I've been feeling too old for the job. i know a couple pharmacists and students that start working at CVS pharmacy which was what i planned to do, but they all hate it. I spoke to my mom, and she told me i should do nursing because it is faster than pharmacy, she even said i could focus on becoming psychiatric nurse once i become an RN..
anyways... im just so lost and confused! i guess my questions are..

1.Would i be able to start working in the pharmacy or psychiatric field now? while i am still attending school?
2. What are your thoughts on changing pharmacy to nursing to focus on psychiatry?

THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!

Hi @olivia00 and welcome to the forum! If you want to work in the pharmacy field while in school, you could consider a pharmacy technician or an intern position. My pharmacy school has positions open for students to do research or administration for a couple of months (such as during the summer). In regards to a pharmacy technician at CVS, just remember that you have a plethora of options. In addition to CVS, you may have local independent pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, or even specialties such as nuclear or informatics that you could work for.

Remember that you're really never "too old for the job". If psychiatry or pharmacy is your passion, go for it and pursue it. I would explore in more detail which journey you want to take whether it's pharmacy, medical, or nursing. Perhaps seek out individuals in each profession and shadow them for a couple of days. Each path will require a minimum of 2-4 years so just be prepared for the ride once you're on it.

Good luck!

 

[lalaland33]

1.Would i be able to start working in the pharmacy or psychiatric field now? while i am still attending school?

If you want to work in a pharmacy while in school, get a position as a pharmacy technician. In a psychiatric field, you may get a reception job but otherwise you'll have to have some kind of healthcare degree.

2. What are your thoughts on changing pharmacy to nursing to focus on psychiatry?

Get experience in pharmacy to see whether you like the field. Working as a technician is a great way to observe the pharmacist as see whether you can see yourself doing that in four years. Nursing is a lot more stable than pharmacy but it is tough. Even if you want to move up the ladder and do something else, you have to work as a regular nurse for a minimum of two to three years to gain experience. Nursing is worth it in the long run but like I said, it's a tough job.

 

[beautifulrobot]

If psychiatry is your passion go the MD or NP route. You could also consider becoming a licensed clinical social worker, they do some amazing work in the realm of mental health as well. There are psych pharmacist jobs out there, but they are far and few, and they might not be the kind of work you are looking for if you are interested in psychiatry. I would recommend shadowing a number of different professionals in the psych world to get an idea of what you think would be a good fit for you.

Remember, pharmacists are not experts in patient care, but in drug management. You are first and foremost someone who audits prescriptions for legal and clinical soundness. Your goal is to catch the mistakes that prescribers make. Pharmacists do not routinely make decisions regarding patient care - this is a privilege that is given to a few pharmacists and that can easily be taken away whenever a new medical director decides they dont want to pay for pharmacists anymore. After several years of paying your dues and working overtime to prove yourself as more than a pill counter, you might gain the respect of other physicians and prescribers and some of them might come to you with questions about drug therapy. The number of pharmacists that achieve that kind of status in the medical community, and even more so in the psychiatry community, is very small. The ability to see and assess patients and prescribe treatments is a unicorn job in the pharmacy world.

So the question is, what do you want to do? Do you want to have more autonomy or are you okay with being in more of a supportive, ancillary role? If you like auditing and doing thankless work behind the scenes, then pharmacy is a good idea. If you like learning about patients experiences and help them by ensuring they are getting the best treatment available, while also researching better ways to treat disease, and taking part in setting the standard of treatment, then being an MD is a good idea. If you are passionate about patient care and directly providing access to primary mental health care, then being an NP is a good option. If you like the idea of counseling and connecting people with resources and supporting their social wellbeing, being a LCSW is a good way to go. Shadow people, make a list of pros and cons, talk to a prehealth advisor at your school.

Bottom line, if you are not 100% committed to being a pharmacist, and willing to do retail or hospital pharmacy for a good portion of your career, i would not recommend investing your time and money with pharmacy school.

 

[Modest_anteater]

Hi guys!! This is my first post ever.. I've never joined a forum before, but I really need some feedback and words of encouragement. Im currently doing my pre requisites to transfer to Nova (hopefully!!) I am only missing three classes. BUTTTT lately Ive been really really entertaining the thought of becoming a Psychiatrist.. heres the thing.... I am a 30yr old mother... time and money are a huge factor for me. I currently work as a server 3 days a week because of school and i manage, but lately I've been feeling too old for the job. i know a couple pharmacists and students that start working at CVS pharmacy which was what i planned to do, but they all hate it. I spoke to my mom, and she told me i should do nursing because it is faster than pharmacy, she even said i could focus on becoming psychiatric nurse once i become an RN..
anyways... im just so lost and confused! i guess my questions are..

1.Would i be able to start working in the pharmacy or psychiatric field now? while i am still attending school?
2. What are your thoughts on changing pharmacy to nursing to focus on psychiatry?

THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!

1. pharmacy is a dying career especailly with automation, techs checking techs and saturation. Have you done any research at all on pharmacy?

2. a 2 year nursing degree is less stressful, pays very well minimal debt and is actually in demand.

3. at 30 with a child I would say you are too old to go to start the medical school thing. By the time you finished everything you would be in your 40's.

If you still want to do pharmacy you should work as a tech at CVS