3 year programs

[rebith75]

Hi, I am interested in a couple three year programs until I talked to a student at UCSF pharmacy. She informed me that a 3 year program is a straight shot to retail and nothing more because you dont get a chance to do a residency or any research, you just shoot right throught. Is this true? What are the negatives of a 3 year program, besides going to school year around...ha..? In other words if say I was offered admission to a 3 year school (USN...UOP) and to my state school (4 year program) is there a legit reason not to do the 3 year and get done sooner but work harder for those years? pretty scrambled thoughts....thanks

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[marine123]

My hospital supervisor went to UOP. A pharmacist I work with also went to UOP which is a 3 year program. So, I don't think that you are doomed to work in retail.

 

[rebith75]

I am pretty sure that Pacific in oregon just opened and is 3 years.you may be referring to pacific in California...???, is this also a 3 year program

 

[Glowwyrm]

I really believe the whole "straight to retail" thing is a myth. After all, you learn the same material but also go during the summers so it decreases the number of years you go. You'll also be taking the NAPLEX just like a 4 year program grad would do. I would call the 3 year programs you are interested in and ask them. But, I would not be surprised to hear that they tell you that their grads are able to do residencies if they choose. I am going to LECOM (3 yr program in Erie) next year and have no desire to be a retail pharmacist.

From LECOM's webpage:
"The future is very bright for our graduates. The demand for pharmacists is high due to the increased medication and health care needs of an older population. There are also a wide variety of practice settings for our graduates to choose from including, community, hospital, industry, mail service/internet, managed care, government, academia, and others."

As you can see, retail is not the only option for their graduates.

 

[sdn1977]

That student from UCSF should be embarrassed!!!!

I'm a graduate of UCSF & I've worked both retail & 23 years in hospitals. I've also done Home Infusion & teaching and your student friend is sorely mistaken.

A degree in pharmacy will get you the opportunity to do anything within the field! What you do with that degree rests solely on you!

If you expect to go thru & not put yourself out, not work hard & try new things, not volunteer to take that extra opportunity.....yeah - you might go straight to retail - they need warm bodies - perhaps moreso than hospitals right now.

However...retail is like the hospital environment. You can be clinically involved in both. You can just fill rxs all day long or check pyxis fills all day long. Or.....you can get involved in MTM & specific hospital therapeutic areas.....they are both clinical & both covered in all schools.

That student should get her nose out of the Sutro tower fog & get back down to reality or she'll not get along with her coworkers nor be an asset to her pts.

 

[ZpackSux]

That student from UCSF should be embarrassed!!!!

I'm a graduate of UCSF & I've worked both retail & 23 years in hospitals. I've also done Home Infusion & teaching and your student friend is sorely mistaken.

A degree in pharmacy will get you the opportunity to do anything within the field! What you do with that degree rests solely on you!

If you expect to go thru & not put yourself out, not work hard & try new things, not volunteer to take that extra opportunity.....yeah - you might go straight to retail - they need warm bodies - perhaps moreso than hospitals right now.

However...retail is like the hospital environment. You can be clinically involved in both. You can just fill rxs all day long or check pyxis fills all day long. Or.....you can get involved in MTM & specific hospital therapeutic areas.....they are both clinical & both covered in all schools.

That student should get her nose out of the Sutro tower fog & get back down to reality or she'll not get along with her coworkers nor be an asset to her pts.

What's wrong with you UCSF folks???

 

[rebith75]

so the advantage that some refer to from going to 4 year school is the extra time to make contacts and do more residencies but if you work your but off that is still doable in a 3 year but most are just unwilling? I am just really interested in the like hospital outpatient and the MTM work and dont want to go to a 3 year if this reduces my options of doing this, thanks again

 

[gsinccom]

so the advantage that some refer to from going to 4 year school is the extra time to make contacts and do more residencies but if you work your but off that is still doable in a 3 year but most are just unwilling? I am just really interested in the like hospital outpatient and the MTM work and dont want to go to a 3 year if this reduces my options of doing this, thanks again

good points. another thing is the reputation that some of the 4 year programs have-i.e., the three year programs haven't been around as long. if two pharmDs are equal in every way but one graduated from UCSF and the other from a lesser known program then who do you think more likely will get the job and/or residency?

 

[pharmacology]

Right now I think only about 20% of all pharm graduates actual do residencies after they graduate. There are many more spots available than are filled so at this point in time getting in to a residency is not all the competitive (at least most of them). All pharmacy schools in the US my train their students in a variety of areas for a certain number of hours. Some schools my provide more hours than needed but most do not. Therefore your training from one school to the next should be on par with each other....within reason. Certainly a large state school in a big city with multiple hospital settings and a large retail based may afford students more training opportunities then a smaller school in a different setting. However, for the average student there is only a minor difference in training hours. Add to that the low numbers going into residencies, the large residency openings available and thus only moderate competition for these spots......3 year or 4 year should matter little.

The pharmD is a pretty new degree and unlike medicine, the drive to go into a residency isn't something most students do. It is moving in that direction but not there yet.