6-yr Doctor of Pharmacy Program

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yearof08

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I got accepted into a pharmacy school for a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. After I complete the 6 years of studying, does that mean i can become a Pharmacist right away? (Or- where do the 6 years of studying get you)? Thanks in advance!!

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Why did you apply to a 0-6 program without researching what you were actually getting yourself into and what your job would be afterwards?

Yes, after you graduate and take the NAPLEX and your state boards, you'll be able to practice as a pharmacist right away. You might choose to do a residency, which usually are 1-2 years after graduation.
 
My parents wanted me to apply to a pharmacy school.. what would the 2 yrs of residency do?
 
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Tell me you have not committed 6 years of your life through arduous academia without even knowing what you will be upon graduation?

How do you seriously go about doing that?
 
My parents wanted me to apply to a pharmacy school.. what would the 2 yrs of residency do?

Do you want to go to pharmacy school though? Have you looked into what a pharmacist does? I had no freaking clue what I wanted to be when I graduated from high school (actually, I thought that I did, but it definitely wasn't pharmacy).

I would just be really hesitant to commit myself to a 6 year program and then possibly a life-long career if I had no idea what I was getting myself into. And I don't let my parents make my decisions for me. My dad wanted me to be an electrical engineer. I didn't. Guess what? He's still proud of me.
 
Well I haven't confirmed yet to go to the pharmacy school. I've gotten into another school which i have wanted to go to because i feel like i would be happier and enjoy the school more than pharmacy school. But i feel that i should go to pharmacy school because my career is determined and safe. If i go to the school i want to go to, i don't know what my major would be and my future won't be as clear. Is isn't that i don't want to go to pharmacy school, i have been considering it for a while and science is my favorite subject. I could drop out of the program if i don't like it the first year, right??
 
I read that post^ and there are many things pharmacists do, not just fill bottles with pills...
 
I got accepted into a pharmacy school for a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. After I complete the 6 years of studying, does that mean i can become a Pharmacist right away? (Or- where do the 6 years of studying get you)? Thanks in advance!!

You have got to be kidding me?!?!?!? You're joking right? Please tell me you are joking....
 
yearof08 -

I think that the problem many people are having is that you're deciding to go to pharmacy school in such a laissez faire way. There are many,many, people on this board that have applied numerous times to pharmacy school and have not gotten in. They have researched what pharmacy is about and truly want to be part of the profession. For you not to have looked anything up about a PharmD education and the profession itself before deciding to go to this school is insulting to a lot of people. To top it off, you're going because your parents want you to - and this isn't even your top choice of career.

It's not that we're telling you NOT to go to pharmacy school. It's possible that you'll love pharmacy and think that it's the perfect career for you. And some people DO know that they want to be a pharmacist from day one and work hard towards that goal. It's just a really good idea to put research into such a monumental decision that will affect you, if not for the rest of your life, for several years to come. And yes, you could drop out after the first year if you don't like the program - but why go in with such a negative attitude? Go in to finish. Plus, you'd be wasting a year of schooling (time and money-wise).

The truth is, being a pharmacist can be a pretty stressful job. At other times, it can be boring. Yes, we do more than put pills in bottle - anyone on this board will tell you that. You should really spend some time volunteering/shadowing in a pharmacy so that you get a true taste for what it means to be a pharmacist. Do research for yourself as to what pharmacy entails (hint: look at the FAQs sticky in the pre-pharm forum). And for godsakes - don't jump into a career just because your parents want you to and pharmacy is a "safe" profession. This is your life - live it how YOU want to, not to please your parents or anyone else.
 
Wow. Please please please shadow a pharmacist, volunteer in a pharmacy, work as a pharmacy clerk, or something over the entire summer coming up if you don't have pharmacy experience yet. I agree with the above posts--you are potentially committing yourself to a whole profession and career. We might sound harsh here but the fact is none of us want to know that you dropped out of pharmacy school 2 or 3 years down the road because you decided it wasn't for you. Think smart about the life you want; you still got a lot of time! Good luck!
 
Obey thy father and mother! You will go to pharmacy school and you will like it mister!
 
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^haha.
Moxxie- Yes I am interested Pharmacy and I have previously tried to gain some insight and experience by applying for some jobs at local pharmacies & gave tried to volunteer at NIH pharmacy, but i wasn't able to. anyway, i know that it isn't right to go to pharmacy school Just because of my parents, but now i do have a true interest and believe i may end up really enjoying it.
 
yearof08,
Here's the thing. When it comes to pharmacy, people have preferences and practice within their niche. There are many different types of pharmacy jobs, and the settings will vary depending on the job.

You will reach your threshold of tolerance sooner if you work in a pharmacy that you hate. It might take you six months or a year to realize that you are unhappy with your job, but you can get another job. You can keep doing that until you've worked at every pharmacy in town. Eventually, if you don't actually enjoy the profession, you won't have anything else to fall back on.

I've worked with students who start out as pre-pharm students. Until they realize that they don't like the profession, these students will keep gaining experience. Once they become intolerant with the profession, they change their majors and do something else.
**They have one distinct advantage over you: they have experienced what it's like to work in a pharmacy for a long period of time.

I highly advise you to get experience in a pharmacy ASAP. The longer you work in a pharmacy, the more intimate you will be with the profession. You'll "know" if you can stand the job for an extended period of time.
 
My parents wanted me to apply to a pharmacy school.. what would the 2 yrs of residency do?


i second that.

you're in trouble.


go to community college for a few years, figure out what you want.....what YOU want, not your parents...and save them from wasting $$!
 
Thanks PharmDstudent.. i think im going to apply again for a job at my local CVS.
and i'm Not in trouble.. for those of you that are just discouraging me, you don't know everything, so you shouldn't tell me to Not go. especially when i studied hard in h.s. and have already gotten into a pharmacy school.. So i don't plan on going to a community college....
 
Please don't reply if you are going to give me negative feedback or discourage me. I didn't ask anyone if i Should go.
 
Thanks PharmDstudent.. i think im going to apply again for a job at my local CVS.
and i'm Not in trouble.. for those of you that are just discouraging me, you don't know everything, so you shouldn't tell me to Not go. especially when i studied hard in h.s. and have already gotten into a pharmacy school.. So i don't plan on going to a community college....


sorry, but i had plenty of classmates who went to pharmacy school b/c their parents wanted them to.

they ultimately grew up and decided for themselves what to do with their lives.

i, too, studied hard in HS, and got accepted to pharmacy school.....and then decided NOT TO GO....i didn't think it was what i wanted to do as a career. i went to another school for a year, then changed my mind, and re-applied.

pharmacy school is a fairly torturous process and you have to WANT it....you're going to be hating life otherwise!

and, if you're not ready for negative comments...DON'T be a pharmacist....that's easily 80% of the job!
 
Don't listen to these guys, yearof08. I am currently in my fourth and final pre-req semester in a 6-year program at the Univ. of Rhode Island. It is natural to have some doubts at such a young age, I had the same cold feet, but now I could not be happier and more excited to start real pharmacy courses in Fall 08. You will make friends that are also in the 6-year pharmacy program that will help you out along the way. The 0-6 model is a far superior model, I encourage anyone that gets in to one to take the opportunity. Sure, we have some people fail out, but the majority makes it to professional years and end up as great pharmacists. Hope this helps, congrats on your acceptance.
 
^ actually I think the 0-6 program is a terrible model for any Doctor of Pharmacy program. I'm currently far into one and really regret not getting my BS first. Once most people finish all of their undergrad. and start the professional year, they are completely unprepared for the coursework. Most people wind up either switching majors, taking an extra year or two to finish the PharmD coursework, or dropping out all together. It's been really difficult so far, but I am one of the lucky ones who is surviving. Do you want you want and what interests you for 4 years... then think about pharmacy school.
 
Seemed to work out pretty well with Tom Ryan, CEO of CVS, a Rhode Island grad.
 
Seemed to work out pretty well with Tom Ryan, CEO of CVS, a Rhode Island grad.
Does he still practice pharmacy full-time? No. So that example is pretty irrelevant to this thread. Anyone can be a CEO of a company. You don't need a special license or a 6-8 year pharmacy degree to be a CEO.

By the way, CVS is the worst company that I've worked for!
 
Bribriguy- Once you actually start pharmacy coursework, you may see what I mean. There certainly have been many successful people (and just as many unsuccessful) who graduate from the 0-6 programs, but I think allowing people into these programs straight out of high school is a mistake. Now that we have moved away from the BS Pharmacy to the PharmD, we should be trying to become even more like the medical/dental model by having candidates apply after finishing undergrad coursework. By going through one of these 0-6 programs, you miss out on some of the best years of your life... just my opinion!!
 
Don't listen to these guys, yearof08. I am currently in my fourth and final pre-req semester in a 6-year program at the Univ. of Rhode Island. It is natural to have some doubts at such a young age, I had the same cold feet, but now I could not be happier and more excited to start real pharmacy courses in Fall 08. You will make friends that are also in the 6-year pharmacy program that will help you out along the way. The 0-6 model is a far superior model, I encourage anyone that gets in to one to take the opportunity. Sure, we have some people fail out, but the majority makes it to professional years and end up as great pharmacists. Hope this helps, congrats on your acceptance.

Yeah, don't listen to us we don't know anything. Continue to live in the land of puppy dogs and rainbows. It will all be okay....mommy and daddy know best.......
 
Yeah, don't listen to us we don't know anything. Continue to live in the land of puppy dogs and rainbows. It will all be okay....mommy and daddy know best.......

Well of course they do! Besides, if things go wrong, it can always be blamed on mommy and daddy. This life model is SOOOOO much easier than any one that requires personal accountablity and personal choices.
 
MountainPharmD, you are a dick, I don't see the relevance of my mother and father in this discussion. I agree that this kid shouldn't just go because his parents think he should, and that is certainly not why I went to pharm school, so it would be nice to get a certain level of respect. Just because you didn't go to a 0-6 doesn't mean it is an ineffective model.

Rebelde, do you mind me asking what program you are in? You are further along than I am, so you may very well know better than me. From my experience here however, the coursework we take in our first tow years is pretty heavy duty and most of the P1-P3 students I know have adapted fine with many actually performing better in their P1 year than in sophomore year. So, all 0-6 programs are different, have different pre-reqs, different professors teaching those pre-reqs and so forth. You could be right though, all I know is that leaving high school I was very interested in being a pharmacist and personally, have not regretted going to a 0-6, I have made some great lifelong friends so far in the program and do not see why I should have to spend two extra years getting a Biology degree that really wouldn't do a lot for me. I am interested to know what you really think I am "missing out" on. Thanks for showing me a little respect though, unlike, MountainPharmD.
 
MountainPharmD, you are a dick, I don't see the relevance of my mother and father in this discussion. I agree that this kid shouldn't just go because his parents think he should, and that is certainly not why I went to pharm school, so it would be nice to get a certain level of respect. Just because you didn't go to a 0-6 doesn't mean it is an ineffective model.

Rebelde, do you mind me asking what program you are in? You are further along than I am, so you may very well know better than me. From my experience here however, the coursework we take in our first tow years is pretty heavy duty and most of the P1-P3 students I know have adapted fine with many actually performing better in their P1 year than in sophomore year. So, all 0-6 programs are different, have different pre-reqs, different professors teaching those pre-reqs and so forth. You could be right though, all I know is that leaving high school I was very interested in being a pharmacist and personally, have not regretted going to a 0-6, I have made some great lifelong friends so far in the program and do not see why I should have to spend two extra years getting a Biology degree that really wouldn't do a lot for me. I am interested to know what you really think I am "missing out" on. Thanks for showing me a little respect though, unlike, MountainPharmD.

Did I miss something in your senseless babbling? When did this become a discussion as to which program is better? Better yet when did this discussion become about you? Let me remind you of the original post:

yearof08 "I got accepted into a pharmacy school for a six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program. After I complete the 6 years of studying, does that mean i can become a Pharmacist right away? (Or- where do the 6 years of studying get you)? Thanks in advance!!"

All of the comments so far have been directed at this statement from a very confused and lost individual. How do you expect us to respond to someone who has went through the long and difficult process of applying to pharmacy school and has absolutly no idea what they are getting in to? Am I being a dick? Sorry if hard cold reality strikes you that way. This was one of the most rediculous post I have seen in a long time.
 
Well, it would certainly stand to reason, since you quoted me in the post. My fault if I misinterpreted it.
 
And THIS is why I think that 0-6 programs are a bad idea to begin with - but nooo, no one believes me.
 
And THIS is why I think that 0-6 programs are a bad idea to begin with - but nooo, no one believes me.

Having worked with students from 4-year and 6-year programs I am convinced that they are not a good idea. While there are great students in both, and there are awful students in both, the average level in 4-year programs is higher. And *gasp* they actually know what they want.
 
yearof08, don't listen to them... I am a p2 (or 4th year student) at a 0-6 pharmacy program at NSU.... I also went into it because my dad told me to... And now pharmacy ended up being my passion and I don't see myself in any other career other than pharmacy... In my class, out of the top 15 top students in my class, 3 of them were from the 0-6 program (not me though, cuz i'm not that studious) . Your parents know what's best for you and they will NOT do anything to destroy your life. You think these guys in this forum actually care about ur well-being more than ur parents?
 
yearof08, don't listen to them... I am a p2 (or 4th year student) at a 0-6 pharmacy program at NSU.... I also went into it because my dad told me to... And now pharmacy ended up being my passion and I don't see myself in any other career other than pharmacy... In my class, out of the top 15 top students in my class, 3 of them were from the 0-6 program (not me though, cuz i'm not that studious) . Your parents know what's best for you and they will NOT do anything to destroy your life. You think these guys in this forum actually care about ur well-being more than ur parents?

Oh god, another daddy knows what's best for you argument. It may be for financial stability, but your parents don't always know what's best for you and may inadvertently do harm. A lot of people learn that the hard way.

It's such a waste of resources to expect a certain attrition rate from students entering the program from high school. A school would be better off handling more mature students and maintaining retention rather than bending to money - what school wants to be known as a pharmacist factory? Is it worth sacrificing students who won't make it through the program who weren't ready just so that others can get a head start? It's not plausible for people to know what they want to do in high school. It's a physiological fact that cognitive function in teenagers is still impaired due to formative myelination. I don't subscribe to the get rich quick scheme and the pharmacy schools that pander to the shortage while risking the livelihoods of students. In my opinion, that's just unprofessional and a copout yield to economic pressure because there is an inherent and institutional philosophical flaw behind the education route.
 
Listen, I go to a 0-6 school, I am telling you that most students make it through the six years without having to re-do years and end up being fine pharmacists. I'm not sure why this is so hard to believe. Are two extra years of taking biology courses really going to make someone that much better of a pharmacist? I mean by the time people graduate from the program, they are 24 or 25 years old, I am confident that people of that age can make mature, informed decisions. I know at this school they hit us pretty hard our first two years making us take multiple difficult classes at once (as they should), so we are prepared once we get to professional years. When you get a B.S. degree first however, you will take all the same classes, but they will be spread out over four years. I personally don't think one model is necessarily better than the other, but I do think that the 0-6 was right for me, and can be the right thing for many people. The professional education is pretty much the same either way, I know I am committed to being a good pharmacist, with or without a B.S. in biology.
 
Listen, I go to a 0-6 school, I am telling you that most students make it through the six years without having to re-do years and end up being fine pharmacists. I'm not sure why this is so hard to believe. Are two extra years of taking biology courses really going to make someone that much better of a pharmacist? I mean by the time people graduate from the program, they are 24 or 25 years old, I am confident that people of that age can make mature, informed decisions. I know at this school they hit us pretty hard our first two years making us take multiple difficult classes at once (as they should), so we are prepared once we get to professional years. When you get a B.S. degree first however, you will take all the same classes, but they will be spread out over four years. I personally don't think one model is necessarily better than the other, but I do think that the 0-6 was right for me, and can be the right thing for many people. The professional education is pretty much the same either way, I know I am committed to being a good pharmacist, with or without a B.S. in biology.

I'm glad this is working out for you so far, but surely you realize that the positions you're taking on this aren't really defensible at this point in your academic career. You're all of what, 20-21, and you're trying to argue points that you won't even experience fully for another 3-4 years. Plus, the people you're arguing against have many years of experience in academia and in life after school. Don't discount their knowledge and experience.

I hope things continue to work out for you, but it would be interesting to revisit this conversation when you're 26.
 
Listen, I go to a 0-6 school, I am telling you that most students make it through the six years without having to re-do years and end up being fine pharmacists. I'm not sure why this is so hard to believe. Are two extra years of taking biology courses really going to make someone that much better of a pharmacist? I mean by the time people graduate from the program, they are 24 or 25 years old, I am confident that people of that age can make mature, informed decisions. I know at this school they hit us pretty hard our first two years making us take multiple difficult classes at once (as they should), so we are prepared once we get to professional years. When you get a B.S. degree first however, you will take all the same classes, but they will be spread out over four years. I personally don't think one model is necessarily better than the other, but I do think that the 0-6 was right for me, and can be the right thing for many people. The professional education is pretty much the same either way, I know I am committed to being a good pharmacist, with or without a B.S. in biology.

You're still missing the point. We're not arguing that 24 or 25 year olds can't make rational decisions. We're arguing that it can be very difficult for someone that is 16-18 years old to make a decision for a life-long career, and that you shouldn't let your mommy or daddy make this choice for you. Your parents might have the best intentions, but do they REALLY know what's best? Not always.

Also, people that do a 4 year degree really are more well-rounded than those that just rush through the pre-reqs and go straight into school. They've had exposure to other coursework, upper-division classes, plus have had more life experience in general. Whether you want to believe it or not, these things WILL make them a better pharmacist.

Finally, it isn't true that "most students make it through the six years without having to re-do years." Albany CoP, for instance, is having accreditation problems because they are losing waaay too many students the first few years. At my school, they let in 60 students per year with the intention of graduating 60 students 4 years later. It doesn't mean that the coursework is any less difficult - they just make sure that the students that they do let in are academically prepared (ISU requires at least 72 credits before admission and usually the average GPA of each class is 3.7 or so), and that they really really want to do pharmacy.

I'm sure that doing a 0-6 program will work out for you personally. But as an academic model, there are many more cons to this type of program than the typical 2+4 (or 3+4/4+4) programs out there.
 
Don't forget the happy souls at USP and the mass college of pharmacy.
 
I really wish I started in pharmacy school because there are a lot of opportunities. All I can say is do your research on what you can do with a Pharm D. There are a lot of non traditional careers popping up. You can go to law school, get an MBA, or MPHA and go run a hospital. If all else fails you go get a crappy CVS job that pays 100,000 dollars rather than making 35,000 dollars after getting a bachelors in dinking around for the same amount of time. Its a win win!
 
I really wish I started in pharmacy school because there are a lot of opportunities. All I can say is do your research on what you can do with a Pharm D. There are a lot of non traditional careers popping up. You can go to law school, get an MBA, or MPHA and go run a hospital. If all else fails you go get a crappy CVS job that pays 100,000 dollars rather than making 35,000 dollars after getting a bachelors in dinking around for the same amount of time. Its a win win!
When did you decide that you wanted to go to pharmacy school?
 
Oh god, another daddy knows what's best for you argument. It may be for financial stability, but your parents don't always know what's best for you and may inadvertently do harm. A lot of people learn that the hard way.

It's such a waste of resources to expect a certain attrition rate from students entering the program from high school. A school would be better off handling more mature students and maintaining retention rather than bending to money - what school wants to be known as a pharmacist factory? Is it worth sacrificing students who won't make it through the program who weren't ready just so that others can get a head start? It's not plausible for people to know what they want to do in high school. It's a physiological fact that cognitive function in teenagers is still impaired due to formative myelination. I don't subscribe to the get rich quick scheme and the pharmacy schools that pander to the shortage while risking the livelihoods of students. In my opinion, that's just unprofessional and a copout yield to economic pressure because there is an inherent and institutional philosophical flaw behind the education route.

I understand your point of the cognitive functions in teenagers, therefore, its important for the parents to guide their sons or daughters at that age. The only other choice is to let their children "explore" and live the college life and decide what they want to do when they are in their 22s or 23. But not everyone can afford to "explore" and live the college life. Some students need to get a stable job early to support their family. In that case, the best option is "daddy knows best". These students may not be as "fulfilled", passionate, or well educated from a fine institution like you, but despite their "pharmacist factory" education, they can contribute just as well as you can to public as a pharmacist.
 
I understand your point of the cognitive functions in teenagers, therefore, its important for the parents to guide their sons or daughters at that age. The only other choice is to let their children "explore" and live the college life and decide what they want to do when they are in their 22s or 23. But not everyone can afford to "explore" and live the college life. Some students need to get a stable job early to support their family. In that case, the best option is "daddy knows best". They may not be as "fulfilled", passionate, or well educated from a fine institution like you, but despite their "pharmacist factories" education, they can contribute just as well as you can to public as a pharmacist.
That's a ridiculous argument. There are a lot of jobs out there that a person could get with a four year degree and still support their family, e.g. engineer, chemist, actuary, accountant, or financial adviser. The whole problem with this thread is that the OP cannot answer these questions, Why pharmacy? Why are his parents insisting pharmacy?
 
I find it funny that people always ask "why pharmacy" and they don't seem to believe you when you say, "because that's my passion", but if you major in computer or something else along that line, rarely do anyone ever ask, "why computer" or why this why that, and even if they did, and if your answer were to be, "because that's my passion", then they would just believe you. Nobody ever asked me why this why that when I majored in something else and then suddenly everybody wants to know why pharmacy. Not a lot of people are gifted with some special talents to be really good at drawing or writing or a genius with math, and for those people...their skills are acquired. If you're those people, then I think you can love anything if you're good at it and the people around you help shape who you are.

To answer the OP's question, I think you should go for it and if during that first 2 years, you find yourself absolutely hate it, then it's not too late to switch. You have that 2 years to explore. It's a lot of hassle later on to re-apply.
 
People seem to think that pharmacists have easy jobs. I've heard it before. I know students who still think that way. My friends who do electrical, carpentry, and contracting work say that it's an easy job. They love to say, "Oh, well you get to work in the airconditioning all day, you get to talk to people, and you get to count pills all day." They don't understand what the job entails. Few people do.

In reality, it isn't an easy job. It's challenging. The job is more mental than physical, but that isn't always an advantage. It's hard working under the gun all day long; you can't make mistakes. You always have to focus on two or three different things at the same time while being a perfectionist. If you slip up, you could kill someone. Same thing if you get lazy. You have to stay on top of everything that's going on in the pharmacy. The techs are not the ones who are responsible for the final product, the pharmacist is.
 
I find it funny that people always ask "why pharmacy" and they don't seem to believe you when you say, "because that's my passion", but if you major in computer or something else along that line, rarely do anyone ever ask, "why computer" or why this why that, and even if they did, and if your answer were to be, "because that's my passion", then they would just believe you. Nobody ever asked me why this why that when I majored in something else and then suddenly everybody wants to know why pharmacy. Not a lot of people are gifted with some special talents to be really good at drawing or writing or a genius with math, and for those people...their skills are acquired. If you're those people, then I think you can love anything if you're good at it and the people around you help shape who you are.

To answer the OP's question, I think you should go for it and if during that first 2 years, you find yourself absolutely hate it, then it's not too late to switch. You have that 2 years to explore. It's a lot of hassle later on to re-apply.
The OP never said it was his "passion". Duh!
 
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