Advice please

[instigata]

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Hi,

I wasn't sure if I should post this here, so sorry for that. My friend is stuck between medical school and pharmacy school. She gets queasy when she sees needles and blood. Is this something you can overcome? Is this a reason somebody should give up going to medical school? Does pharmacy school open their students up to blood, needles, and cadavers? THANKS!

 

[All4MyDaughter]

One will be exposed to some "yucky" stuff in pharmacy school, but way, way, WAY less than one would see in medical school.

Also, many pharmacy schools teach giving injections as part of their curriculum, so one can't entirely escape needles.

Pharmacy is definitely cleaner than medicine, though.

They really are totally different fields...

 

[vafcarrot]

I'm going to be a PY2 next year and we've already been told that we're going to have to inject each other sub q with saline solution. I don't trust myself giving an injection, much less some of the folks in my class, so that will be interesting.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

I'm going to be a PY2 next year and we've already been told that we're going to have to inject each other sub q with saline solution. I don't trust myself giving an injection, much less some of the folks in my class, so that will be interesting.

Goody, something for me to look forward too!! 😱

 

[Glycerin]

Moving to pre-pharmacy...

 

[dgroulx]

Last week during my rotation we brought up this issue. We filled a prescription for Condylox, a topical treatment for genital warts. I mentioned that it was nice that we didn't have to examine and assess the patient. My preceptor said, "That's why I went to pharmacy school".

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Last week during my rotation we brought up this issue. We filled a prescription for Condylox, a topical treatment for genital warts. I mentioned that it was nice that we didn't have to examine and assess the patient. My preceptor said, "That's why I went to pharmacy school".

Exactly. 👍

 

[insipid1979]

PrePharmacy opens you up to cadavers.

Well at least it did for me.

 

[sdn1977]

Hi,

I wasn't sure if I should post this here, so sorry for that. My friend is stuck between medical school and pharmacy school. She gets queasy when she sees needles and blood. Is this something you can overcome? Is this a reason somebody should give up going to medical school? Does pharmacy school open their students up to blood, needles, and cadavers? THANKS!

Yes - your friend can overcome her aversion to blood and needles if it falls within the realm of the usual aversion because she's just not around it much. However, if it is severe....no.

Is this a reason to give up going to medical school? Not in my opinion. And, more importantly, that is not a reason to go into another field either. IMO...you should go into a field because you like field itself - not because you don't like a technical aspect of a different field.

Most of us in pharmacy don't "handle" pts much at all. However, I've dissected cadavers, taught pts to give insulin, lovenox, flushed heparin locks, given immunizations....but - its all within the realm of my field.

If medicine is your friend's first choice - I'd recommend she shadow physicians in different fields. She should ask the question of the folks she shadows...I think she'd find that not all fields of medicine are invasive & while learning basic medicine, she'd become immune to the more distasteful technical aspects.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Yes - your friend can overcome her aversion to blood and needles if it falls within the realm of the usual aversion because she's just not around it much. However, if it is severe....no.

Is this a reason to give up going to medical school? Not in my opinion. And, more importantly, that is not a reason to go into another field either. IMO...you should go into a field because you like field itself - not because you don't like a technical aspect of a different field.

Most of us in pharmacy don't "handle" pts much at all. However, I've dissected cadavers, taught pts to give insulin, lovenox, flushed heparin locks, given immunizations....but - its all within the realm of my field.

If medicine is your friend's first choice - I'd recommend she shadow physicians in different fields. She should ask the question of the folks she shadows...I think she'd find that not all fields of medicine are invasive & while learning basic medicine, she'd become immune to the more distasteful technical aspects.

Just curious, did you do the cadaver work during school or in your professional career?

I agree that if someone really wants to be a doctor, they can probably overcome most of the gross stuff. At least that's what my MD uncle told me when he was trying to convince me to follow in his footsteps.