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Why pharmacy instead of med school?
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this is probably obvious and not extrememly helpful for everyone (as we know this site is full of overachieving solid-3.89-4.0 GPA students) but one reason could be that pharmacy school is easier to get into than med school in terms of statistics (and of course PCAT is quite easier than MCAT...plus don't even need a BS in a lot of cases!).
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alright you ruined this thread in my opinion....well people PLEASE KEEP GOING ON THE ADVANTAGES OF PHARM SCHOOL as Contrasted to MED SCHOOl...Im tryin to make the decision myself and leaning towards pharm school 😀
Hey Nae614 btw: you can easily do a search on this subject and find some threads...why pharmacy school or pharm interview and you;ll find people's comments...i know a couple good threads of that nature exist.
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oh and use ur judgement...you can twist these selfish or lazy sounding responses to ones that show ur moral character. ex: he said good pay , flexible hours; you say- I would like a profession which I do not have to spend a lot of time and work, and need to option to schedule my own hours- to take care of my future children which will be a priority in my life over my work and I want to ensure they have a comfortable life; he said shorter/less expensive; you say I dont wanna burden my parents, who are as for not that well off, with my tuiton, etc, and I dont want to take many loans after so much already in undergraduate...etc etc, u can figure which "excuses" sound good to u
Why pharmacy?? I went to nursing school. I hated it. You were told what to do and when to do it. Everything was set in stone and there were no "options". After working in a pharmacy, there is no where else I'd rather be for the next 50 years of my life. There is so much to learn in a pharmacy. Always new drugs, new compounds, new this, new that. So many opportunities in different fields too. Retail, hospital, whatever. You don't have to go practice in an office seeing patients day in and out. You get time to spend with your family. You're not always working. Good pay is just a plus. I love the opportunity to learn something new when I go to work everyday.
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No - it wouldn't be okay to say it.....but you could try!
Agree with another poster.....use the search function...then search your heart. This would be a question which is asked of YOU. There is no right answer...only yours.
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I'am not a pre-pharm. I was just browsing this forum and came across this post.
Its like asking an electrical engineer why did you chose electrical engineering over Mechanical Engineering. Pharmacy and Medicine are two totally different fields.Pharmacy is the study of development & dispensing of drugs. Medicine is medical practice. MD doesnt make drugs, he just prescribes them. A Pharmacist is involved in developing of drugs, research,etc. In Medical School you take courses in Pharmacology but its not Pharmacy. So you cant do the work of a Pharmacist if you do MD.
If someone has a desire to practice medicine he would go to Medical School. if someone has a desire to develop or dispense drugs, he would go to Pharmacy School.It would be very ignorant to say that Pre-pharm students join Pharmacy because they didnt had stats to join Med school or they liked Pharm School because it was shorter. Its about their preference, even if a guy has 4.0 gpa but he likes Pharmacy he would go to Pharmacy no matter it takes 4yrs or 8yrs. its his interest.
They are two different branches of Healthcare system. You should make up your mind what do you want to do. Best option is shadowing a D.pharm as well as a MD.
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I can sum it up in two words: bodily fluids.
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I completely agree with you! I was going to say the same thing but you said it very well! 😉
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In contrast to medical school, pharmacy is more about business and economics. Btw, education seems the cost the same (in California where it'll be $200K).
Personally, if you would like to dedicate your life to healthcare and spend 100+ hours/week in the field... be my guest and apply to medical school and "save the world." If you're concerned about having healthier lifestyle pharmacy is a better choice.
Personally, if you would like to dedicate your life to healthcare and spend 100+ hours/week in the field... be my guest and apply to medical school and "save the world." If you're concerned about having healthier lifestyle pharmacy is a better choice.
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What does that mean..."education seems the cost the same?" are you saying that the cost of pharmacy education is the same as medicine? What difference does that make?
Altho business & economics was always a consideration in my job, it was never my priority since I never owned a business (except that of being a spouse of a business owner...which makes me a part owner with no say at all😛 ).
When I work in a hospital....I don't worry about the budget - that is not my job...that is the job of the dop. When I'm on the P&T committee, my job is to advise on the best available drug in all aspects - economics is only one. Sometimes, the more expensive drug really does make the better choice, but not always (often you have to know how "bundled" contracts are arranged).
When I work retail...I work for a large corporation. I really don't care...if the claim goes thru - I'm all good. They have contratual arrangements which are so far beyond my involvement that if they've agreed to accept $0.30 for each $1.00 submittted...who am I to disagree?
But...what does that have to do with what is of ultimate interest to an individual? It wouldn't have mattered what the cost of a medical education was, I didn't want to be a physician. Likewise...I could have sent my daughter to pharmacy school for much less money than I'm spending on her medical education...but...that wasn't her interest.
I don't even agree the lifestyle of a pharmacist is healthier. I've known many overworked, stressed pharmacists who don't know how to set limits on what people want from them. How is that healthy?
Because Medical school is a bit overrated.
I mean even the question you asked is somewhat centered on medical school.
I mean even the question you asked is somewhat centered on medical school.
I second the bodily fluids part. If it involves blood, cutting, scapels, stitching, needles, etc. I get a bit light-headed. 
I think I will have trouble doing flu shots when I start. 🙁 My gf told me when she did the flu shot, one of her classmates went too deep and poked the bone??!?! Or maybe she was trying to scare me on purpose. Either way, the thought already creeps me out.
I think I will have trouble doing flu shots when I start. 🙁 My gf told me when she did the flu shot, one of her classmates went too deep and poked the bone??!?! Or maybe she was trying to scare me on purpose. Either way, the thought already creeps me out.OMG no....please don't say that in your interview. I was told over and over again to never mention anything related to money or the "ease" of the job in terms of hours, whatever. If they ask you that, just talk about how you think Pharmaceutical care is important and you want to be a part of it and blah blah blah.....I don't think the interview is completely about being honest, it doesn't really matter what your motives are if you're going to be a good pharmacist in the end.......just tell them what they want to hear....everyone else does......sad...but tru.
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dont forget "compound fractures"
Definitely the only reason I wouldn't do medicine. Can't stand blood, guts, gore. Don't want to hear about chronic vomit, check out foot fungus, and certainly not stick my finger up ... you get the picture.
I understand I'm only looking at negatives in MD, but you know what, that's all I need to know right there.
Well, my advice is to be honest. However, if your main reason is money and only money, then I guess you "need to lie." Although everyone here can tell you the money isn't worth the work itself.
During my interview, I did bring up the idea of having good flexible hours so I can spend time with family, the long term need for pharmacists/job-security and it's a good, well-compensated, well respected profession. However, I stressed the idea of helping people and being so open/accessible to the public and having a career you can feel good about (which are my main reasons of being a pharmacist).
If you give a generic answer such as (I like helping people and blah blah) they're going to ask you WHY NOT be a physician or nurse.
Coming from economics point of view, if you want to make money, become a financial consultant (series 7 and 66 licenses only cert's you need, which I still hold thanks to Wells Fargo 🙂 ) or do investment banking.
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"Pharmacy vs. Agricultural Engineering"
I chose pharmacy over med school, because I want to help people and make a difference in people's lives -- but I don't like to touch people I don't know. You could say I'm not a big hands-on person. Also, pharmacy has the potential to provide a more flexible schedule when I'm married and have kids.
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i have a quick question about this question that was asked this year at midwestern for the interview process...
explain your last group project, and explain what you would do if one of the group member doesnt do his/her work
i have thought about the second part of this question...but i cant find a way to answer it...you cant say like oh i will complain or somethig stupid.
i would really appreciate you guys feedback on this question
thanks
explain your last group project, and explain what you would do if one of the group member doesnt do his/her work
i have thought about the second part of this question...but i cant find a way to answer it...you cant say like oh i will complain or somethig stupid.
i would really appreciate you guys feedback on this question
thanks
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I'd probably pick up his or her dead weight to get the project completed in due fashion and not impact anyone else's grade in my group. Even if Slacker X gets a sweet grade on the group project in question, s/he certainly won't get a good grade in the class (and ostensibly, the class grade isn't 100% based on the project, LOL). Chances are, the instructor already has noticed that this student is a slacker and low speed, high drag... So if you're not a whiny type, and you can't feasibly remove the offending student from your group, I'd just go with the high-road, professional approach.
Doesn't necessarily "teach a lesson" but then again, it's not your place as a student to be 'teaching lessons'.
Doesn't necessarily "teach a lesson" but then again, it's not your place as a student to be 'teaching lessons'.
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Just say you'd kick their candy ass until they did their work. Or threaten to kill their dog. That usually works too.
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honestly, i don't even see a relation between pharmacy and medical, other than the fact that they're both health-care related fields. they are completely different areas of study and i hope nobody picked pharmacy "over" med school (especially if they think it was just easier to get into). to choose pharmacy, you have to enjoy the study of pharmaceutics (more chem/bio chem than seen in medical). to succeed pharmacy, you have to have the right drive. Picking pharm as your backup choice won't get you very far in pharmacy.
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I am a 30 year old career changer so this will reflect my own thoughts.
When I went to college I was dead set on becoming an anesthesiologist. My best friend was going to be the surgeon me the anesthesiologist and we were going to start our own practice and life would have been good. The more and more I was going through college the more and more I realized I didn't want to go to medical school, so one day I said the hell with it. My best friend is a a surgeon (orthopedics) and I can say I do not envy his life at all. He bitched at me for 4 years saying I should have gone to medical school with him, and then he hasn't had any control of his life since he graduated top 10% of his medical school class because of the matching process and residency requirements. He works 80 hours per week and I am sure he goes over that and doesn't log hours. He cannot walk away from work and is always on call. He is married and doesn't spend much time with his wife because he is working. Once he gets done with his 5 year program making $40K per year he has to do another 1 year fellowship making $40K if he wants to stay in Louisville, KY. If not, he already has job offers. He will start out making about $400K per year but he is married to his job.
Pharmacy - I chose this because I can help patients in a why that I find to be interesting, I will work 40 hours per week and earn around $100K starting out. I am married with a 2-year old son so I can still be a family man and leave work at work. You earn a solid income and you have work-life balance, which is what I want. Remember, I've never heard any man say he wished he worked more on his death bed....just sayin'. 😉
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There is actually a pretty big relationship between the two. Medical diagnosises and pharmacy treats.
I never want to have to ask someone to urinate in a cup and then give it back to me. I just want to say, "take two of these and call me in the morning." You Med students can keep your cups.
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obviously you misunderstood. i mean in their respective professions, a doctor and a pharmacist will be doing completely different things, and will be exposed to different situations. choosing a career path (pharm vs med) is highly dependent on what you want to see yourself doing in 5-10+ years. The roles are completely different.
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heyy wes ^ ^ anesthesiologist? my mom currently works as a CRNA, and i was just thinking about going AA[anesthesiologist assistant], school after getting my pharmd. but, i dunno. anyway... i was just wondering if you noticed the date of Nae614s, post?
heyy wes ^ ^ anesthesiologist? my mom currently works as a CRNA, and i was just thinking about going AA[anesthesiologist assistant], school after getting my pharmd. but, i dunno. anyway... i was just wondering if you noticed the date of Nae614s, post?
I just found out about that program about 2 weeks ago. Kind of interesting but I am still sticking with Pharmacy because that is my dream.
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God, I couldn't have said it better myself. I totally agree. And judging by your reply, that's plain experience talking...a source that simply cannot be refuted.
During my interview at Madison a couple weeks ago, I was interviewed by two female pharmacists. Since it was more of a conversation, they brought up how they got into pharmacy, and both of them highlighted the fact that especially for females, it is a better choice than being a doctor. They repeated it several times, and it was obviously an important deciding factor for them. The hours are more reasonable, and it is easier to raise a family. I wouldn't have said this outright, but they brought it up first. As a female who plans to marry and have a family, I think that it IS an important deciding factor.
On the topic of medical school vs. pharmacy school...two other major things for me: the bodily fluids part and the fact that I only needed 2 years of pre-reqs for pharmacy school as opposed to a BS for medical school. Save some time and some money.
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I genuinely enjoy pharmacology and I want to do research in biologics and pharmacogenomics. There will always be new things to learn and I enjoy direct patient care. I hope to become a "lifer" for the institution I work at now which is the largest non-profit integrated health system in the country. I am truly amazed by what the pharmacists do here and their impact on improving the quality of life for patients. It has the fast-paced challenging environment that I seek while offering consistent hours.
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bodily fluids
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Blood doesn't bother me as much as excrement, urine, and pus.
Don't those all count as bodily fluids?
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Why yes, but I am saying that BLOOD doesn't bother me like other bodily fluids do.
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IMO, this question indicates a lack of experience...shadow a pharmacist and shadow a doctor, etc. and decide for yourself.
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Sounds like a lie to me. The needles on modern syringes are only like 1/4 inch long.I second the bodily fluids part. If it involves blood, cutting, scapels, stitching, needles, etc. I get a bit light-headed.
Why all the aversions to bodily fluids/human anatomy? Personally, I could watch a heart transplant while eating a steak, but each to his own I guess.
Bones don't have nerve endings as far as I know, so it doesn't actually hurt you - you just feel a slight pressure.
I've been poked in a bone quite a number of times, especially during the immunization training and it's not painful.
I've been poked in a bone quite a number of times, especially during the immunization training and it's not painful.
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I have seen a heart transplant and I did just fine! Blood and organs don't bother me. It is excrement that bothers me the most.
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I also had an experience where someone had to get ear wax removed and it was honestly just yuck. And I've seen skin lesions which made me want to gag. Even putting ointment on a pus filled, discolored wound was not my cup of tea. Of course, I think everyone just treats it like a job. Just something you do.
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This is why there is a shortage of primary care physicians. There are enough physicians, all specializing in the name of medicine, but not primary care. This is also why physician assistants and nurse practitioners came onto the scene.
Pharmacy and Medicine are not related. At all. You get top board scores, you can specialize. If you don't may just end up in primary care. I respect primary care physicians very much so, but that is just not how I want my life to play out.
Pharmacy and Medicine are not related. At all. You get top board scores, you can specialize. If you don't may just end up in primary care. I respect primary care physicians very much so, but that is just not how I want my life to play out.
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There is a need for primary care because it doesn't pay well (relatively speaking).
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Well I'm sure that no doctor particularly likes feces, so I wouldn't say you're alone on that one. But how often would you actually come into contact with it unless you were some kind of GI surgeon? It's not like everyone admitted to a hospital comes in spewing the stuff.
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