3 jobs while in pharmacy school? Doable?

[cakezyum]

I'm currently employed part-time at a hospital for 8 hours per week, retail one 4-hour shift a month, and planning to work at this new hospital every weekend. The reason why I'm applying to this new hospital is because it is the place that I would like to work after graduation so I thought it would be wise to work there part-time. Residency is my goal. How do you think I should approach from this?

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[rxkrafted]

I used to work two jobs while in school, 1-2 five hour shifts in retail every week and 8 hour shifts every weekend. If I were in your shoes, I would just drop the retail shift since you're only working one 4-hour shift a month and I'm sure there are plenty of interns already working for that company. If your plan is to get into residency, why are you even wasting your time in retail? If retail is your ultimate goal, not transitioning into any job that you land right out of school (if lucky...), then I would not even waste my time at more than one hospital location unless you really need money or want to leave a good impression for their residency program (if they have one).

 

[PharmDBro2017]

I had 3 as well, it is doable and I give you props for doing it.

There's 168 hours/week. You're only working ~36 of them right now. Sleep 6-7 hours a night (42-49/week). Use your time on weekends wisely to study and catch up on school. And fit time in to exercise 30-60min/day to keep your sanity... that can be as simple as banging out some pushups and situps and a run around the block. It's important.

 

[Sine Cura]

What do you even get from a 4-hour retail shift a month? Certainly not a good letter of rec nor consideration for a staff pharmacist position once you graduate

Hedging is not a good idea

 

[Dred Pirate]

I worked nearly full time during school - and 60+ hours a week during the summer - so - yes you can do it, and it will show you are compettive if/when you apply for a residency go for it!

 

[Seriously Serious]

Inb4 everyone has a pissing contest. Do you need the money? If no, stop wasting your time at companies that will not benefit you long-term, spend your time and energy on being really good at the one location that matters. It is better to work at one pharmacy 40 hr/wk than 40 pharmacies 1 hr/wk.

 

[Dred Pirate]

It is better to work at one pharmacy 40 hr/wk than 40 pharmacies 1 hr/wk.

agree with this part - but it is hard to find a place that an intern can pull 40 hours and they work around school- mine was two places within the same hospital - plus I had a lot of "on your own work" I could do. If it affects your grades, I wouldn't, but if you can still pull good grades, I think it can only benefit you

 

[BC_89]

Some years ago when I initially went to pharmacy school I did 2 jobs: One at wags as an intern and the other as a welder (cool story to talk about now but looking back probably should’ve avoided it).

I had a fellow nontrad do 3 jobs: Bartender, pharmacy intern, and security guard. My humble experience says if you can juggle the jobs with good grades for residency then do it. If it’s for ends meat while in school like I did, just accept the difference you would’ve earned as loans and get a 4.0 GPA

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Work at both hospitals and drop the retail gig. 4 hours per month isn't exactly telling your district manager you want a job there after graduation.

 

[Rybko90]

I worked one retail and one hospital gig during school. I say, keep all three. The four hours a week of retail don't even count, but you're staying in their system. If they ask you to work more, then quit retail. But you never know. Four hours a month is nothing. If it's a big company like CVS, then just stay in their system. You never know, period.

 

[rxkrafted]

I worked one retail and one hospital gig during school. I say, keep all three. The four hours a week of retail don't even count, but you're staying in their system. If they ask you to work more, then quit retail. But you never know. Four hours a month is nothing. If it's a big company like CVS, then just stay in their system. You never know, period.

OP says residency is his/her goal. Why suffer for 4 hours a month when that time could be used for anything else?

 

[Sine Cura]

Someone questioned me on the logic on working at two retail outfits in another thread.

If you are working at CVS and a grocery chain at the same time, are you ever gonna claim your CVS "experience" if you are even allowed to become a pharmacist at the grocery chain? Why give the grocery chain a reason to rescind your offer or just fire you for working at CVS?

Also why would you even want to work for CVS after graduation? I myself can handle the workload of 500 Rx a day only RPH >10% CII by sold Rx in the middle of some dusty white-trash hellhole or whatever worst-case scenario you can come up with. >90% of pharmacists cannot.

Now if you want to do residency instead, why spend 4 hours at CVS or whatever chain a week, since you are basically ****ed if you don't get a residency as those chains will not hire you having worked 4 hours a week.

 

[owlegrad]

Eh those 4 hours per week might be a really good reminder of how important it is to not end up in retail. Good motivation to stay on track for that PGY-3.

 

[Lnsean]

Why would you want to do this? It's inefficient and 4 hr shift isn't going to help you gain anything valuable. I can't think of a reason why you would want to do this other than trying to hedge yourself with all these companies. You can't hedge yourself like this in life; it prevents alot of growth.