Admitted to Med School, Leaning to Pharm

[flipasta]

Hey guys, LLOONG time reader...first (or second) time poster.

I've been reading this forum religiously lately because I have to make a decision pretty soon regarding the rest of my life (either pharmacy school which I'd have to apply to, or medical school which I've been admitted to and will have to start in Aug if I decide on it.)

I've seen some threads in the forum about med vs. pharm cost/benefit and it has been really helpful but I wanna ask this:

Have you guys ever met someone who had been admitted or attended medical school, decided it wasn't for them and changed their path? Did you ever get a reasoning from them? I'd like to know how prevalent it is out there in the real world or if I'm making history here.

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[bananaface]

Moving to pre-pharm as this is a career choice question.

 

[Requiem]

There were a couple here that actually completed med school and one [so far as I know] that was halfway through a residency - FamilyMD I believe - that have done what you're describing so you won't be making history

Without speaking for them, the common complaint that your career is your lifestyle - endless sacrifices on individual time and the time of others - for the sake of your job starts to wear on you.

Personally, that was a huge selling point of pharmacy: you can easily work just 30-40 hours a week, make an amazing salary and leave your work at work. That's a statement physicians can't make, the whole concept of "call" makes me shudder.

I do a lot of things outside of work,school etc that I'd consider truly enjoying my time - pharmacy affords any hobby and gives you the time to enjoy it. But feel free to ask a couple others why they did it.

*edit: I remember something i've heard countless times: If you have any doubts whatsoever, if medicine is something you don't truly yearn to do and can see yourself doing anything else - do that instead of medicine.

 

[chem123]

actually i know many physcians that have a "life." One of my close relatives is a family physcian, she has 3 kids, and spends alot of time with them. Her practice is only open 3 days a week, and she works at a hospital only once or twice a week. Usually she has fridays saterdays and sundays off. Her and her family are constantly going on trips together (more so than i do and i'm not even a physcian!!!) She goes to the gym every single day!!!!!!....shes a nature person so once a week or once every other week she goes hiking. SO that covers her life and it seems pretty cool . so being a physcian does not necessarily mean ur life is over, it depends what kind u want to be. Now a surgeon or OBGYN, thats a different case ANOTHER THING, i havnt met any doctor that hates there job, every doctor i know (and i know many) love there job, BUT i have met pharmacists who dont like there job, and say if they could go back, they wouldnt have been pharmacists. I know this one pharmacist that works with me, i was like do u like ur job, hes like not really, i like the money (hes like 60 years old), i was surprised when he said that. Anyway i still want to be a pharmacist b.c i cant stand blood and touching ppl.... hope that helps

 

[omnione]

actually i know many physcians that have a "life." One of my close relatives is a family physcian, she has 3 kids, and spends alot of time with them. Her practice is only open 3 days a week, and she works at a hospital only once or twice a week. Usually she has fridays saterdays and sundays off. Her and her family are constantly going on trips together (more so than i do and i'm not even a physcian!!!) She goes to the gym every single day!!!!!!....shes a nature person so once a week or once every other week she goes hiking. SO that covers her life and it seems pretty cool . so being a physcian does not necessarily mean ur life is over, it depends what kind u want to be. Now a surgeon or OBGYN, thats a different case ANOTHER THING, i havnt met any doctor that hates there job, every doctor i know (and i know many) love there job, BUT i have met pharmacists who dont like there job, and say if they could go back, they wouldnt have been pharmacists. I know this one pharmacist that works with me, i was like do u like ur job, hes like not really, i like the money (hes like 60 years old), i was surprised when he said that. Anyway i still want to be a pharmacist b.c i cant stand blood and touching ppl.... hope that helps

Conversely, I've met a pharmacist who loves her job and I've met a physician who was admitted as a patient and went off about how bad the professional side of medicine was to me during an interview. People will hate their job if they've made the wrong or forced decision.

As a former pre-med student, I can attest to the potential flexibility of physicians. However, the average physician will work more hours than the average pharmacists and the latter professional has more options for flexibility. That was one reason that got me to shift professions.

To the OP, you have a big decision coming up. I think the major things to think about are why you want to make a change. Though you have stated a couple of reasons, do some deep thinking about why you want to change. Think of any external, friends, peer, and professional reasons that may be swooning you. Some people simply have cold feet upon matriculation so maybe that's your case. Some have the figurative "light bulb" go off in his head where you realize something is wrong.

 

[Requiem]

Avoid anecdotal evidence like the plague.

Speak to as many people as you can, get as much experience as you can and evaluate what you want from a career - and contrast that with what each of the respective professions has to offer.

They are very different, yet similar in some respects.

 

[xshooshix]

Think of it this way: if you went to pharmacy, 10-15 years down the line, are you going to love what you do? I have an aunt who is a physician, and married her husband when he was finishing his junior year in college. By the time he finished his degree, my aunt was trying to coax him into becoming a doctor, but he was really set on becoming a denist. Fast foward 17 years later, he tells my aunt, ''You know what... I should have listened to you, the whole process (dentist school) was easy, but now I want to be challenged and I want something more''.

 

[DOPharmMD]

Hey guys, LLOONG time reader...first (or second) time poster.

I've been reading this forum religiously lately because I have to make a decision pretty soon regarding the rest of my life (either pharmacy school which I'd have to apply to, or medical school which I've been admitted to and will have to start in Aug if I decide on it.)

I've seen some threads in the forum about med vs. pharm cost/benefit and it has been really helpful but I wanna ask this:

Have you guys ever met someone who had been admitted or attended medical school, decided it wasn't for them and changed their path? Did you ever get a reasoning from them? I'd like to know how prevalent it is out there in the real world or if I'm making history here.

This was something I read from SOBEGEKKO: "As physician recruiters began contacting me and I started considering practice opportunities post-residency, I realized I didn't like the fundamental tasks of my job. Basically I disliked the uncertainty and subjectivity in elucidating meaninful patient complaints, trying to make diagnoses, managing unpredictable patient courses, being on call etc. There was a lot less basic science to clinical medicine than I expected and I missed doing calculations and using tenets of basic science to solve medical problems. In short, I liked the science behind the medicine but felt the practice of medicine had very little to do with the science. It was more about recognizing signs, symptoms, assuaging patient concerns, etc. This is root of why I am changing to a career in pharmacy. Helping design and implement drug regimens, managing dosing schedules, helping adjust formulareis and similar tasks seem much more up my alley."

Read post # 8 from SobeGekko: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=4445803#post4445803

Here is a three year old report:
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/05/17/prsd0517.htm


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=195799

 

[Trancelucent1]

My physician has told me on more than one occasion that she would have been a pharmacist if the PharmD program was more prominent back when she was in school. When I was rounding with a physician he told me that he has friends who were in pharmacy school when he was in med school and now he wishes he would have joined them instead of going into medicine. The lifestyle is what is hardest for him. He works solely in the hospital and is on call quite frequently and sees 20-30 patients each day. He said it's exhausting and he regrets his decision now even though he likes being a physician (and is a good one).

Just as people have pointed out you can also find pharmacists who feel the same way. I think the main thing is doing what will make you happy. I've known many people in many careers who went into them for the wrong reasons and have ended up miserable. The trick is to find something that makes you happy and go into that field.

 

[flipasta]

thanks a lot for all the advice guys.

let me tell yall, anyone in the same situation...talking to people in the know (aka studentdoctor.net forums) and following around people in the know (aka shadowing) are really whats solidifying my situation.

And thanks for your advice and referring me to that post by sobegekko, dopharmd. ive spent a lot of time combing the forum for anything he has written. seriously, he could write a book and id buy it (though i could say that about a few people on here.)

Trancelucent1, is your physician an internist or what does she specialize in?

 

[RZArectah]

i got this point from someone else who participates in these forums. you can actually work a 40hr work week and still make 6 figures as a pharmacist. i imagine you could work just 40hrs as a physician or dentist as well, but that would be a rare scenario i think.

 

[Trancelucent1]

Trancelucent1, is your physician an internist or what does she specialize in?

She's an OB/GYN and although she says she loves delivering babies and helping women, she says she doesn't have as much time for her family as she'd like. Good luck with your decision!

 

[AtomicLuv]

I was a pre-med that switched to pre-pharm.
I think its possible to work normal hours as a physician, and many do, I think its just if ur willing to look for those type of jobs, and set boundaries, etc.
however,
there is still medical school and residency, which is insane hours, and thats like 7 years at least. and personally, 7 years of my life is no laughing matter either, I wouldn't want to work insane hours even for a year.
I think my point is, its important to do as much research as u can about what each of these jobs is actually like, including the training to get there, the opportunities, where the fields are going, etc. and then make a decision.
there are happy doctors and there are happy pharmacists.
also, i think its important to know if u can handle constantly interacting with patients. many doctors have to do that A LOT. (unless ur a pathologist or some other specialty that doesn't require it but u will still have to in training)
also
i think if u want to be a doctor, u really have to make it ur life, at least until ur actually a physician, because to be a good one, u have to be constantly learning and studying and not much time left over for hobbies...


I think I am going on and on here. I think everyone has to make the choice for themselves, and the way I did it was to do as much learning as possible about what each of these fields is like. read forums, talk to physicians, pharmacists, talk to everyone, read books, read memoirs, do as much as u can. and then you will come to a decision, you'll see.