apply to both pharm and med schools?

[Suey]

I am thinking that I might try applying to pharm schools and med schools. The reason for this is because I just can't decide between the 2, I'm completely torn between them. A part of me wants to do med because I'd enjoy the challenging profession and great patient interactions, but don't know if I can deal with the major stress and no free time. I want to do pharmacy because I also want to be able to start a family and spend time with them, better working hours, and less schooling and I'd still be doing something in the health field, which I really want to do, but I don't know if it'll become mundane for me after a while. I've shadowed/volunteered both fields and I enjoy both and I'm still torn at this point so I'm thinking of just applying to both and see what happens then.

I'd like to apply to some pharm and med schools in CA that actually have both pharmacy and medical programs (ie. UCSF, UCSD, USC). What I like to know is that would they have any way of finding out that you applied to 2 different programs at their school? Do they usually look it up on their system? I'm just afraid that if I apply to those schools and they see that I apply to a different program there, I'd have no chance in getting in since it doesn't seem like I have my "heart and soul" put into 1 profession. Have you or known anyone that's been through this before? Any feedback would be appreciated! Thanks!

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[LabBrat04]

I feel the EXACT same way! I am interested in hearing what other people think about this...

 

[LVPharm]

Well, this is one of our forum's perennial "dead horses", before we beat this one to death again,

you might want to check these threads out, plus others available via the "search" function:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74386

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=92490

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65150

As for schools offering both programs? I'm not quite sure about that...but you'll have to weigh your desire for a true choice with the fact that in one of these programs you will be competing with other, perhaps more committed (and perhaps more deserving?) candidates for a limited number of seats...I think you owe it to yourself (and the other dedicated candidates you'll be competing against) to find out what you truly want to do...any professional program is an expensive investment in time and money in your training, both by the school (faculty, administration, etc) and by you (and in the case of the UCs, partially by the California taxpayer). What's your "passion"?

As far as pharmacy becoming mundane, the good thing about a PharmD is the variety of practice settings available to you. If you think it will help you decide, check out http://www.pfizercareerguides.com/
which has career guides for both pharmacy and medicine.

Good luck!