10+ yrs. PharmD Considering a 12-14 Accelerated BSN Program.

[CYNTO]

Hi Fellow PharmD's. Has anyone considered the Accelerated BSN Program? Will it be seen as a set back or an addition to a PharmD degree?
Have been in the job mrk over a little over two two months now. CVS automatically kicked me out after using me for their covid pandemic shifts. I actually started the BSN program this past winter but because of the covid job offer from cvs I stopped thinking I will get a full term rph position with them. But that unfortunately didn't happened. So I"m thinking of:

a: Adding couple of other states like Tx. and Cali license to my current state license.
b: Going back and finishing that BSN program (wish will add to my debt of already 200K + from pharmacy sch) The accelerated prog cost roughly 30k
c: Keep applying and praying believing God will make a way for the right and perfect job (which am currently doing anyway and I believe it will work out).

Anyone else in similar boat?? pls share your advise or input if you can relate.
Thanks.

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[PharmDBro2017]

Seems like a bad career choice if you have 200k debt from pharmacy.... we're talking a 1:3, 1:4, or potentially 1:5 income/debt ratio depending on how many overtime shifts you pick up. That's a tough place to be in.

 

[grizzlesgrizzlies]

Out of curiosity what exactly did you do with the money you made over the past 10 years as a pharmacist? A 200k loan is huge but after making pharmacist pay for 10 years you should have been able to pay off at least half of that debt.

 

[Gombrich12]

Out of curiosity what exactly did you do with the money you made over the past 10 years as a pharmacist? A 200k loan is huge but after making pharmacist pay for 10 years you should have been able to pay off at least half of that debt.

They probably lived it up like most Americans. Paying debt off is for suckers and middle class people.

 

[VA77]

OP is never going to be able to pay off original 200k anyway so gotta try something. I think 30k is a smart investment of you cannot get job with original degree.

 

[CYNTO]

Out of curiosity what exactly did you do with the money you made over the past 10 years as a pharmacist? A 200k loan is huge but after making pharmacist pay for 10 years you should have been able to pay off at least half of that debt.

Was paying it down gradually.. over the years until I got kick of from one of the biggest retail chain which I don't want to mention the name and it kept pilling up since..

 

[watchfulwaiting1957]

Hi Fellow PharmD's. Has anyone considered the Accelerated BSN Program? Will it be seen as a set back or an addition to a PharmD degree?
Have been in the job mrk over a little over two two months now. CVS automatically kicked me out after using me for their covid pandemic shifts. I actually started the BSN program this past winter but because of the covid job offer from cvs I stopped thinking I will get a full term rph position with them. But that unfortunately didn't happened. So I"m thinking of:

a: Adding couple of other states like Tx. and Cali license to my current state license.
b: Going back and finishing that BSN program (wish will add to my debt of already 200K + from pharmacy sch) The accelerated prog cost roughly 30k
c: Keep applying and praying believing God will make a way for the right and perfect job (which am currently doing anyway and I believe it will work out).

Anyone else in similar boat?? pls share your advise or input if you can relate.
Thanks.

"Have been in the job mrk over a little over two two months now" Welcome lol. I have "been in the job market" for 18 months. I tell my few friends that I'm "in-between jobs". It's a rough market for pharmacists right now! I didn't even get a call back for the $35 an hour vaccination clinics.

I think adding more states to your pharmD will help make you more marketable. I view it like a video game. Every state you unlock, unlocks another X potential jobs you can apply to. This is actually my current strategy. I am signing up for many MPJEs and will keep get licensed in additional states to make myself more marketable. Hopefully I get a job before I have to pass the Alaska MPJE as I'm not in love with the cold.


BSN is interesting choice. Nurses are in demand but the work is hands on and intense (there is a nursing shortage for a reason!). But if you can make it through the RN then you can go into NP or CRNA which is a great job to have.

I like option c I think many things can go well if you stick to God's plan for you

They probably lived it up like most Americans. Paying debt off is for suckers and middle class people.

You realize our own Federal Government is unable to spend within its means and has to constantly borrow money it doesn't have just to balance its budget? So if our own government is setting such a poor example you can't really blame its constitutes. Right now, with significant inflation coming, I think it's good to have debt as the value of the debt will decrease with increased inflation.

 

[Dred Pirate]

You realize our own Federal Government is unable to spend within its means and has to constantly borrow money it doesn't have just to balance its budget? So if our own government is setting such a poor example you can't really blame its constitutes. Right now, with significant inflation coming, I think it's good to have debt as the value of the debt will decrease with increased inflation.

I am sorry but this is a poor excuse - I agree our government (even the "budget conscious" wing) doesn't know how to balance its budget- but that is because it is someone else's money, and hey, they want to get re-elected. But that discussion aside, debt is never good. Your interest is higher than inflation, so that just shows a poor understanding of economics.

I am debt free - paid off 115k in student loans, and no have the freedom to take a job I enjoy vs I have to take to pay the bills. Once you are out from under debt, you will be amazed what it does for your life.

Not to pile on the OP, but if you were 10 years out - you were making good money out of school, you made poor decisions to get to this point, but that is in the past, and now you have to work to get yourself out of the mess. With 10 years experience, I would think you should be able to find a job, but I guess retail is a dog eat dog world right now. BSN's can make good money, (honestly depending on location and shift diff and OT - more than new rph grads are making). But 30k seems like a lot. There are public schools that have cheaper programs, isn't there? Don't plan on going CRNA- that is a hard gig to get into. NP's will also soon be saturated soon - every RN I know seems to be going into NP. I would try to get a Rph job, literally anywhere, then pay off those loans, with BSN as a back up plan

 

[Alexis_pharmD]

I am debt free - paid off 115k in student loans, and no have the freedom to take a job I enjoy vs I have to take to pay the bills. Once you are out from under debt, you will be amazed what it does for your life.

Totally agree. getting debt free is the best feeling in the world.

 

[watchfulwaiting1957]

I am sorry but this is a poor excuse - I agree our government (even the "budget conscious" wing) doesn't know how to balance its budget- but that is because it is someone else's money, and hey, they want to get re-elected. But that discussion aside, debt is never good. Your interest is higher than inflation, so that just shows a poor understanding of economics.

I am debt free - paid off 115k in student loans, and no have the freedom to take a job I enjoy vs I have to take to pay the bills. Once you are out from under debt, you will be amazed what it does for your life.

Not to pile on the OP, but if you were 10 years out - you were making good money out of school, you made poor decisions to get to this point, but that is in the past, and now you have to work to get yourself out of the mess. With 10 years experience, I would think you should be able to find a job, but I guess retail is a dog eat dog world right now. BSN's can make good money, (honestly depending on location and shift diff and OT - more than new rph grads are making). But 30k seems like a lot. There are public schools that have cheaper programs, isn't there? Don't plan on going CRNA- that is a hard gig to get into. NP's will also soon be saturated soon - every RN I know seems to be going into NP. I would try to get a Rph job, literally anywhere, then pay off those loans, with BSN as a back up plan

Currently interest is higher than inflation on most assets. However that may not always be the case. In such a situation, if you have loads of debt at a static interest rate, that is one not based off the prime rate, then you will be an a excellent situation where your debt becomes less of a burden. I agree with you that this idea is not intuitive and not easy to understand.

Congrats on being debt free! Though I am not debt free like you I also have the freedom to take a job I enjoy or in fact not work at all as my government loans allow for Income-Based-repayment. It is within the realm of possibility that my payment on my hundred thousand dollars of loans could be zero if I did not work at all. I do work though and make meager payments on my loans.

"retail is a dog eat dog world right now" love this quote btw

 

[Dred Pirate]

Currently interest is higher than inflation on most assets. However that may not always be the case. In such a situation, if you have loads of debt at a static interest rate, that is one not based off the prime rate, then you will be an a excellent situation where your debt becomes less of a burden. I agree with you that this idea is not intuitive and not easy to understand

Currently interest is higher than inflation on most assets. However that may not always be the case. In such a situation, if you have loads of debt at a static interest rate, that is one not based off the prime rate, then you will be an a excellent situation where your debt becomes less of a burden. I agree with you that this idea is not intuitive and not easy to understand.

Congrats on being debt free! Though I am not debt free like you I also have the freedom to take a job I enjoy or in fact not work at all as my government loans allow for Income-Based-repayment. It is within the realm of possibility that my payment on my hundred thousand dollars of loans could be zero if I did I am

Currently interest is higher than inflation on most assets. However that may not always be the case. In such a situation, if you have loads of debt at a static interest rate, that is one not based off the prime rate, then you will be an a excellent situation where your debt becomes less of a burden. I agree with you that this idea is not intuitive and not easy to understand.

Congrats on being debt free! Though I am not debt free like you I also have the freedom to take a job I enjoy or in fact not work at all as my government loans allow for Income-Based-repayment. It is within the realm of possibility that my payment on my hundred thousand dollars of loans could be zero if I did not work at all. I do work though and make meager payments on my loans.

"retail is a dog eat dog world right now" love this quote btw

I am going to have to disagree with you somewhere. It is actually a fairly easy concept to understand What are you interest rates? When in recent memory has inflation been higher than that? And two. You took out a loan. It is your responsibility as an adult to pay it back.

 

[CYNTO]

"Have been in the job mrk over a little over two two months now" Welcome lol. I have "been in the job market" for 18 months. I tell my few friends that I'm "in-between jobs". It's a rough market for pharmacists right now! I didn't even get a call back for the $35 an hour vaccination clinics.

I think adding more states to your pharmD will help make you more marketable. I view it like a video game. Every state you unlock, unlocks another X potential jobs you can apply to. This is actually my current strategy. I am signing up for many MPJEs and will keep get licensed in additional states to make myself more marketable. Hopefully I get a job before I have to pass the Alaska MPJE as I'm not in love with the cold.


BSN is interesting choice. Nurses are in demand but the work is hands on and intense (there is a nursing shortage for a reason!). But if you can make it through the RN then you can go into NP or CRNA which is a great job to have.

I like option c I think many things can go well if you stick to God's plan for you



You realize our own Federal Government is unable to spend within its means and has to constantly borrow money it doesn't have just to balance its budget? So if our own government is setting such a poor example you can't really blame its constitutes. Right now, with significant inflation coming, I think it's good to have debt as the value of the debt will decrease with increased inflation.

Thanks for your insightful input.. at 45 yo though not sure even if I manage the bsn will have energy further. I am also concern about loosing my rph career to nursing lol.. Pls if you don't mine to dm ur email that will be great. I love option c as you, I am think on adding 3 mpje one after the other now.

 

[CYNTO]

I am sorry but this is a poor excuse - I agree our government (even the "budget conscious" wing) doesn't know how to balance its budget- but that is because it is someone else's money, and hey, they want to get re-elected. But that discussion aside, debt is never good. Your interest is higher than inflation, so that just shows a poor understanding of economics.

I am debt free - paid off 115k in student loans, and no have the freedom to take a job I enjoy vs I have to take to pay the bills. Once you are out from under debt, you will be amazed what it does for your life.

Not to pile on the OP, but if you were 10 years out - you were making good money out of school, you made poor decisions to get to this point, but that is in the past, and now you have to work to get yourself out of the mess. With 10 years experience, I would think you should be able to find a job, but I guess retail is a dog eat dog world right now. BSN's can make good money, (honestly depending on location and shift diff and OT - more than new rph grads are making). But 30k seems like a lot. There are public schools that have cheaper programs, isn't there? Don't plan on going CRNA- that is a hard gig to get into. NP's will also soon be saturated soon - every RN I know seems to be going into NP. I would try to get a Rph job, literally anywhere, then pay off those loans, with BSN as a back up plan

If you are in my boat honestly from your heart what will you do? fyi I am 45+yo..

 

[watchfulwaiting1957]

Thanks for your insightful input.. at 45 yo though not sure even if I manage the bsn will have energy further. I am also concern about loosing my rph career to nursing lol.. Pls if you don't mine to dm ur email that will be great. I love option c as you, I am think on adding 3 mpje one after the other now.

Yes, energy does seem to be a finite and fleeting resource as we age. No one lives a tribulation-free life. I feel like you can muster enough energy for BSN if you will it.

 

[ValeRx]

I think adding more states to your pharmD will help make you more marketable. I view it like a video game. Every state you unlock, unlocks another X potential jobs you can apply to. This is actually my current strategy. I am signing up for many MPJEs and will keep get licensed in additional states to make myself more marketable. Hopefully I get a job before I have to pass the Alaska MPJE as I'm not in love with the cold.

I disagree. I had 15-16 state licenses and it was a massive pain in the ass to keep up with all the requirements. Not to mention it's expensive to keep them all current. If you have a plan to potentially move to a state, that would be a prudent time to start the process - not just randomly start getting licenses just because.

 

[CYNTO]

"Have been in the job mrk over a little over two two months now" Welcome lol. I have "been in the job market" for 18 months. I tell my few friends that I'm "in-between jobs". It's a rough market for pharmacists right now! I didn't even get a call back for the $35 an hour vaccination clinics.

I think adding more states to your pharmD will help make you more marketable. I view it like a video game. Every state you unlock, unlocks another X potential jobs you can apply to. This is actually my current strategy. I am signing up for many MPJEs and will keep get licensed in additional states to make myself more marketable. Hopefully I get a job before I have to pass the Alaska MPJE as I'm not in love with the cold.


BSN is interesting choice. Nurses are in demand but the work is hands on and intense (there is a nursing shortage for a reason!). But if you can make it through the RN then you can go into NP or CRNA which is a great job to have.

I like option c I think many things can go well if you stick to God's plan for you



You realize our own Federal Government is unable to spend within its means and has to constantly borrow money it doesn't have just to balance its budget? So if our own government is setting such a poor example you can't really blame its constitutes. Right now, with significant inflation coming, I think it's good to have debt as the value of the debt will decrease with increased inflation.

If You don't mind me asking. Why Alaska MPJE of all states? Do you plan on moving there wt your family or this is for traveling rph job?

 

[CYNTO]

I disagree. I had 15-16 state licenses and it was a massive pain in the ass to keep up with all the requirements. Not to mention it's expensive to keep them all current. If you have a plan to potentially move to a state, that would be a prudent time to start the process - not just randomly start getting licenses just because.

Well the reason of thinking of adding 2 more licenses is to get a travel rph or contract job Finish that assignment and then come bk to my home state of MI. and keep applying until a get job.( This covid era made me realized that there are travelling pharmacist jobs too). Moving part is dicey as my family are all here in Michigan and although my husband have an open mind ..not 100% certain he'll love to move because of his own job of here.

 

[ValeRx]

Well the reason of thinking of adding 2 more licenses is to get a travel rph or contract job Finish that assignment and then come bk to my home state of MI. and keep applying until a get job.( This covid era made me realized that there are travelling pharmacist jobs too). Moving part is dicey as my family are all here in Michigan and although my husband have an open mind ..not 100% certain he'll love to move because of his own job of here.

Two isn't bad. I maintained three adjacent states when I worked retail (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky)... only because it was required that we had them. Unless whomever you're working for will reimburse you, which is why I had 16, it's not worth the hassle.

 

[Dred Pirate]

If you are in my boat honestly from your heart what will you do? fyi I am 45+yo..

I would give it more than two months of job searching before you give up on it. I know you know this but apply for every and any job where you are licensed. Research out the areas with the least saturation and focus their. If 6+ months out I would then look at something else. Also don’t hesitate to apply for other type of mgmt retail jobs (chipotle was paying 100k+ for mgmt jobs)

 

[watchfulwaiting1957]

If You don't mind me asking. Why Alaska MPJE of all states? Do you plan on moving there wt your family or this is for traveling rph job?

I'm saying that will be the last state i get a MPJE in.

 

[mentos]

Ouch 200k after 10 years of working? Whatever you do, pay down those loans ASAP.

 

[CYNTO]

I'm saying that will be the last state i get a MPJE

I see..

 

[CYNTO]

Two isn't bad. I maintained three adjacent states when I worked retail (Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky)... only because it was required that we had them. Unless whomever you're working for will reimburse you, which is why I had 16, it's not worth the hassle.

Could you share with me more light on how to a's the Indiana license? what material did you se then?

 

[RN2RPh]

I was an RN before pharmacy school. Nursing school was tough. Clinical rotation is much more demanding than pharmacy school. Usually 40-50% of your clinical group would not make it by the end of your rotation. Yes, I had bad days as a RXM at a mega retail chain, but it is nothing compared to my bad days when I worked as a RN (acute care setting in a big medical center). No one dies at your retail pharmacy, but if you work long enough (as a RN in acute care setting), some of your pt would die on your shift. I went to nursing school at the high of the so-called "Nursing shortage". It was when employers actually offered immigrant visa to import RN from oversea. However, even at that time, employers only wants "seasoned RN" and so for a new grad RN, it was tough for me to find a decent job also. I got paid $19/hr for my first RN job (in the Midwest). Yes, there are good jobs for RN out there just like there are still good job for RPh. Think hard before jumping the boat.