Anesthesiology for Dummies..

[PharmacistReb]

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Hey,

Pharmacy student here at Ole Miss. If you're aware of the campus, don't be too jealous that I get to be around that type of female product all day!

Any who, I'm strongly considering medical school following pharmacy school. I know it's light years away but just looking at different options following medical school if that were to occur. How much would an education in pharmacy benefit me in anesthesiology? I'm sure it's not much. Just out of curiosity?

I was thinking maybe some pharmacology will come into play and post-op drug regimen would be an area that I could be more advanced in. I'm young and ignorant to medicine and looking to become more informed!

Thanks in advance!

 

[checkov]

I'm positive that a degree in pharmacy would help you get through medical school -- starting out, you'd have a much more solid grasp of pharmacology than the average second-year medical student. I believe that the didactics in pharmacy school dovetail fairly closely with first/second-year medical school, so you'd also have an early upper hand in microbiology, immuno, and pathology. I'm not sure that an education in pharmacy will specifically benefit you in anesthesiology, but it'll certainly help up to USMLE Step 1.

I'm sure that you've heard this before, but if you intend to go to medical school, I'd encourage honing your critical thinking skills, and doing especially well at physiology and perhaps research. I personally know two researchers with a dual MD/PharmD, and they've become leaders in drug development.

 

[PharmacistReb]

I could not be a drug development guy. I am not a huge fan of medicinal chemistry. I did well in Med Chem 1 but I am not a chemical structure guy. I could not tinker with side chains and determine the best way to make a lipophilic version of Drug X all day.

I actually love Physiology and Pathophysiology. First year pharmacy school courses and what I would consider one of my stronger areas.

I love pharmacology as well.

Drug developer.. not for me. My personality is meant to be around people and I love anatomy/phys/patho

 

[pgg]

Any who, I'm strongly considering medical school following pharmacy school.

If you want to go to medical school, why on earth are you spending time and tuition on pharmacy school?

How much would an education in pharmacy benefit me in anesthesiology?

Not enough to warrant the delay and expense. From day 1 of medical school to anesthesiologist, you're looking at 8 long, long years. Plenty of time to learn the pharmacology anesthesiologists need.

 

[PharmacistReb]

Ok, to address your first question. Ole Miss only required two years pre-pharmacy before entry in the pharmacy program. However, the odds of getting in this early and without a degree are not great but I was very fortunate and did. I started the first year of pharmacy school in my junior year of college essentially. I will be in school an extra two years longer than a traditional Bachelor's student. If I were to gain acceptance to medical school, I would be the average age of everyone else, 24. That first two years of classroom based curriculum of med school will provide me a chance to work part time during summers as a pharmacist and give me the chance to earn about $60,000 before I am required to do the year round rotations. And I'm not sure where you did your undergrad but Ole Miss is dirt cheap, and I'd be willing to bet that my six years at Ole Miss is exponentially cheaper than your undergrad school's tuition rate in four.

As for the eight long years upon entry into medical school and finishing residency, I am well aware. When I said I was ignorant to medicine, I meant the practice of anesthesiology, not the process of becoming an attending. And with 8 years of pharmacology under one's belt, I am sure that you are right, people are able to garner a great understanding for pharmacology. However, my question was, will my pharmacy education add anything to my ability as a potential anesthesiologist in addition to eight years of training in medicine? Because if I do go to medical school, I'd like to train in a field where I could utilize my strengths as a pharmacist. This is the basis for asking these questions.

Thanks in advance

 

[dhb]

However, my question was, will my pharmacy education add anything to my ability as a potential anesthesiologist in addition to eight years of training in medicine?

No

 

[PharmacistReb]

No

Alright thanks.

Oh well, I still am interested in the field!

 

[SleepIsGood]

Here's the problem..

US MEDICAL SCHOOLS require a BACHELOR's Degree...you technically DO not have one.

If I were you, I would get the heck out of pharmacy school....apply to a US med school and start the 'process'. Like everyone said, you've got some time to go. I understand you are young, but seriously there's not added advantage of being a pharmacist. Yes, you may konw some more pharm then sme people, but there's soo much more to medicine. Dont waste the time...apply now.

 

[PharmacistReb]

Lol @ the pink pill remark. That could come in handy 🙂

And to the latter poster, I will be receiving a Bachelor's of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences this May. Our pharmacy program is a two degree program. A Bachelor's after the first two initial years in the program and a PharmD after the final two years.

And interestingly enough, most medical schools only require 90 hours of completion including your core courses and a competitive MCAT score. Though, the odds of getting in without a degree are slim to none I'm sure.

But yes, I will have a Bachelor's, so that's covered.

 

[drccw]

I think that your background as a PharmD will be quite helpful. Let's face it, most of the 3rd/4th yr clinicals is spent trying to figure out what drug to put someone on (at least that tends to be the question that is asked a lot of the junior student). Hell, it'll be a lot more useful then my background in french was... but, at the same time, don't expect to cruise through medical school just because you have a PharmD. It'll be tough still, sure maybe pharmacology will be easy (and trust me, I didn't really get physiology until I took pharm) but Anatomy, Embryology, etc etc will still be tough. And hey, the reason I am an anesthesiologist is because I love physio and pharmaco...

And to all the naysayers who say that all Pharm D's do is push pills, I will tell you that the a good Critical care pharmacist can save your butt, and a good onc pharmacist is what makes oncology tick...

CCW

 

[Rebel78]

When I graduated at Ole Miss in 2002 with a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3 went to med school that I know of off the top of my head, they had good grades P3 and P4 years and got in med school pretty easy, so go for it if you want.

 

[gasaddict54]

if u are serious apply asap and quit wasting time and money on pharm school. But unless u just are have your heart set on being an MD , whats wrong w being pharmD at 25 yo making 115K per year, no call, not terribly stressful........hhhhhmmmm

 

[Sergio99]

...whats wrong w being pharmD at 25 yo making 115K per year, no call, not terribly stressful........hhhhhmmmm

Or opening your own pharmacy (it still can be done!) and having the sky as the limit? Then, once your business is on the right track, you can go to any other school you want, just for the pleasure of it.

I agree with the posters above, you don't need a degree in pharmacy in order to do well in med school. In pharmacy school you are going to learn a lot of things you don't need in order to become a physician. But if it is only a matter of one extra year, as you said above, it may be worth it. You are to only one who can decide that.