Applying same time as MD?

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girlspowerss

girlspowerss

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Hi,
I am currently applying to medical schools... however, if that fails I was considering pharmacy as a back up.... so how does that work?
Can I apply to pharm now, as well? Or do i have to wait until next year?
When can I take the PCAT? When can I apply to pharmacy schools?
Whats my best plan of action for this type of situation without wasting time?
Thank you 🙂
 
ugh...really?

I saw that you also posted in the dental forum asking whether you could apply to med school and dent school at the same time. How about you actually do some research and find a career thats right for you before applying to every health professional field available.

Obviously you want to be a MD. But I'm guessing your stats aren't so good because you don't think it will work out. My suggestion to you is this: apply to med school this year. If you don't get in, improve your stats and try to get in again the next year. If you really don't think you can get in at all, then do some research to find another career. Shadow a pharmacist or dentist, use a career center or even the internet to find out what each career entails. If you find that something besides medicine is viable for you, then apply next year, but stick to one path.
 
I was initially pre-Med, but working in a pharmacy. I told one of the pharmacists that maybe I'd apply to both and watched the color drain from his face. 😆

He pointed out that here, especially, the app cycle is shorter for pharmacy school. So you'd see people get accepted and start classes, only to leave some time later because their MD school picked them up.

Why take a seat if you're not sure you want it?
 
This is a decision that affects the rest of your life.

Apply to Caribbean med. schools if you have to. Wait a year, work full-time (if possible) at a hospital or something, then apply again. A year is not a big deal when it AFFECTS THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
 
girlspowerss said:
Hi,
I am currently applying to medical schools... however, if that fails I was considering pharmacy as a back up.... so how does that work?
Can I apply to pharm now, as well? Or do i have to wait until next year?
When can I take the PCAT? When can I apply to pharmacy schools?
Whats my best plan of action for this type of situation without wasting time?
Thank you 🙂
Click to expand...
I do not have a problem with you applying to medical and pharmacy school. Heck, I applied to med, pharm, and grad school after undergrad. I do, however, have a problem with you not using the search function, or reading our FAQ. It's one of the stickies located at the top of this forum.
 
so you can apply to both at the same time
but it looks down upon by both?
 
LOL you're in here too! This is hilarious! Dont answer this poster, refer to post above me!
 
themulya said:
ugh...really?

I saw that you also posted in the dental forum asking whether you could apply to med school and dent school at the same time. How about you actually do some research and find a career thats right for you before applying to every health professional field available.

Obviously you want to be a MD. But I'm guessing your stats aren't so good because you don't think it will work out. My suggestion to you is this: apply to med school this year. If you don't get in, improve your stats and try to get in again the next year. If you really don't think you can get in at all, then do some research to find another career. Shadow a pharmacist or dentist, use a career center or even the internet to find out what each career entails. If you find that something besides medicine is viable for you, then apply next year, but stick to one path.
Click to expand...
I knew a kid who really wanted to be a Vet and didn't make it--pharmacy was his back up and is now a RPh. It seems like a lot people are using pharmacy as a back up these days.
 
rphfan2009 said:
I knew a kid who really wanted to be a Vet and didn't make it--pharmacy was his back up and is now a RPh. It seems like a lot people are using pharmacy as a back up these days.
Click to expand...

I think there should be a distinction between being unsure about what you want to do in the medical field and just choosing a profession you think is easier to attain if you fail at your main choice. People who just look at pharmacy as a backup and really do not have their hearts in to it should not practice in this field IMO. You must do it because you love it or at least you should.
 
delano2000 said:
I think there should be a distinction between being unsure about what you want to do in the medical field and just choosing a profession you think is easier to attain if you fail at your main choice. People who just look at pharmacy as a backup and really do not have their hearts in to it should not practice in this field IMO. You must do it because you love it or at least you should.
Click to expand...
I agree with you, but a lot of people are out there for the bottom line anymore--and that my friend is a cold hard reality of the world we live in.
 
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Personally, as a patient, if I am asking a health professional for advice on something, I don't care if they have passion for their field or not. I want the smartest, brainiest, high-GPA-est doc/dentist/pharmacist I can get my hands on. As a practitioner, I might feel differently about my coworkers' motives -- but as a patient, I really don't care.
 
Jetninjin said:
Personally, as a patient, if I am asking a health professional for advice on something, I don't care if they have passion for their field or not. I want the smartest, brainiest, high-GPA-est doc/dentist/pharmacist I can get my hands on. As a practitioner, I might feel differently about my coworkers' motives -- but as a patient, I really don't care.
Click to expand...

The person that applies to all fields and goes with the one that accepts them won't be the smartest, brainiest, high-GPA-est whatever. They'll be the C=MD, PharmD, etc.. A lack of care about your profession generally is a trend and not just a blip in a career.
 
Jetninjin said:
Personally, as a patient, if I am asking a health professional for advice on something, I don't care if they have passion for their field or not. I want the smartest, brainiest, high-GPA-est doc/dentist/pharmacist I can get my hands on. As a practitioner, I might feel differently about my coworkers' motives -- but as a patient, I really don't care.
Click to expand...

Brain-i-est as in how? Who can memorize the most definitions from a textbook? That doesn't make a good health professional if all you do is memorize, and you can't USE it and put it toward real life applications. What if it ISN'T what you read in the textbook - what then? You need to be able to think quickly and on your feet, as well as think critically. You also have to make sure your patient feel comfortable - if they feel as if you don't care whether they live or die.... well, /i/ wouldn't like that person as my doctor.

Life is not a textbook - those who succeed in classes don't necessarily succeed at life. The skills needed to succeed are not all taught in the classroom - nor can you really be graded on it.
 
Here is the problem. People say I want Medicine/Pharmacy/Dentistry

A. because their grandpapy's uncle's sister's daughter told them that they make good money, or that they better get into one of these fields "or else".

B. Because they want to make the money.

C. Because they don't know what to do.

D. because they want "prestige".


They will even apply to multiple health careers. My guess is they usually start with Medicine (highest pay possible), then look at dentistry(if they can handle the hand in mouth thing), or pharmacy. They think, well if I can JUST get through the schooling I'll be fine and the money will roll in and that will make me happy. Others think, if they make it through the rigorous coursework in professional school they will be able to do the work just as well, so why note let them in? What are all these people missing????

Simple, LIABILITY! RESPONSIBILITY! HAPPINESS! among other things. If you aren't really motivated your more likely to make mistakes in your boredom/arrogance/whatever. Then, remember those 6-10 years of professional school? Down the drain.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/106383/florida_passes_threestrikes_law_for_doctors__three_malpractice_judgments/

If your lucky, all that you get is fines and the loss of your license.

There is a lot of talk of people who choose pharmacy as a "back-up"? Lube up folks, cause it is certainly NOT counting by fives. http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1250325193310800.xml&coll=2

Now, if in your quest for financial stability, you also find careers in health care fascinating. THEN consider all of them. Otherwise, save yourself and others. The richest people in the country are NOT in health care practice. You want money? Power? Go to busniess. The last president had an MBA. The richest people in the country tend to work in busniess, and may have no college degree at all (Bill Gates if you've heard of him).

The bottom line that we all on this forum try to convey is, do something you can be happy doing. Not, do something that will pay you and then be happy on the one weekend you might get off. Life is short, "health care field" hours are long, and stressful. It's not uncommon for people to work 50-70 hours. All the while they are under enormous stress not to screw up. In order to not screw up, they have to use the knowledge they gained in school. If you did not like chem. or bio. in school, and you just hated them, what makes you think you'll suddenly find them fascinating while you are working.

This is sort of a rant aimed in general at pre-healthers. I've met many in my undergrad classes that I just didn't want to get to any health field, to be honest many of them did NOT want to either. However someone was egging them in this direction, so they followed not their hearts but their ears and their fears.

One final note specfic to pharmacy. Pharmacy schools tend to be less competitive than Medical schools (though some maybe as competitive as certain Medical schools, esp. DO) this DOES NOT mean that the actual education is easy. Esp. if you don't like the courses taught. If you think pharmacy will be a "walk in the park" compared to med. school think again. Look at these links ( they may not be the best but I'm sure you'll find others that concurr).

http://www.valuemd.com/st-matthews-university-school-medicine/30861-hardest-classes.html

http://www.valuemd.com/medical-university-americas-mua-nevis/18318-hardest-classes.html

http://www.valuemd.com/st-georges-university-school-medicine/178208-hardest-1st-term-class-poll.html

http://www.startmedicine.com/app/typicalday.asp

That was from a quick google for the term "hardest class in medical school". Notice a trend? Basically all contained bio chem. (which you take in pharmacy) and/or pharmacology, which you take all through pharmacy (only 1 or 2 semesters in med. school if I'm not mistaken). So no, this is not the easy route either.

Summery:
Now I hope you've gathered the following points.
1. Do something you enjoy and are good at.
2. Pharmacy as a back up plan even though you might not like it = fail.
3. Health care fields pay a lot for a reason, it is not all "easy money" with no responsibility or effort.
4. Pharmacy is not easy either.
5. Most importantly, work takes a lot of your life, make sure you enjoy it.

I'll leave you with this thought. After conducting studies, they found that increase in pay past 50k range does not neccessarily increase happiness by much. Imagine that, money DOESN'T buy you happiness.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/43884

Disclaimer(s):
I've tried to take this from a rant to an acceptable argument by including some sources. I possibly should have put this in a separte post. I'm in no way implying that the OP would be a bad healthcare practioner, just that he/she needs to take a good look inside and find out what they are really after.

There are ways/compromises where you can please yourself and your family etc. If you are having problems with "family pressure" pushing you into a certain career you might not like, PM me and and maybe I can help.

Disclaimer to the disclaimer, I am not implying that the OP has this latter problem either. Like I said I am directing this to all pre-healthers who stumble upon it.
 
sometimes It may be hard to decide. When I first started out I was straight on the MD path then I a job as a tech to help me thru school and the more I worked as a tech the more I found that I love the field of pharmacy. I was going to apply to Med school along with Pharm school like you, but I decided I was better off focusing on just one field. Go find out which one you love more and dedicate your time and efforts for that field. You cannot go to Pharm school with half your heart set on MD or the other way around you'll never have a satisfying career.
 
One more thing to add. Ive personally worked with a Pharmacist who told me out straight that the only reason he got into the field was because he wanted to be rich and the easiest way to do that was get into pharmacy. I do notice a HUGE difference in those who do it for the money and those who do it out of passion.
 
pr33st said:
The person that applies to all fields and goes with the one that accepts them won't be the smartest, brainiest, high-GPA-est whatever. They'll be the C=MD, PharmD, etc.. A lack of care about your profession generally is a trend and not just a blip in a career.
Click to expand...


Thank you. That just shows also that some people just don't give a ***k what quack be giving them information. And furthermore, how are you gonna know what doctors etc are the brainiest, smartest according to you? Jetninjin, will you be giving them a diagnostic test prior to seeing you? 😕

Or maybe it will be an IQ test....whatever works for you.
 
lo|a said:
one more thing to add. Ive personally worked with a pharmacist who told me out straight that the only reason he got into the field was because he wanted to be rich and the easiest way to do that was get into pharmacy. I do notice a huge difference in those who do it for the money and those who do it out of passion.
Click to expand...
+1
 
What specifically indicates that he/she is trolling?

It is plausible that they're applying to med school and considering submitting applications for either Pharm or Dent as a backup.

Just because you are offended that your profession may be a "backup" or because his/her motives offends your delicate sensibilities, doesn't mean that the OP is trolling.
 
ffpickle said:
What specifically indicates that he/she is trolling?

It is plausible that they're applying to med school and considering submitting applications for either Pharm or Dent as a backup.

Just because you are offended that your profession may be a "backup" or because his/her motives offends your delicate sensibilities, doesn't mean that the OP is trolling.
Click to expand...


Lets be realistic. The OP posted a similar thread in the Dental forum. It is obvious that the OP has his/her mind set on the medical field but career hopping because one might not work out for you is unrealistic especially when dealing with people's lives. One question I would want to ask the OP is why do you want to be a pharmacist? If he/she gets an interview then this question will be inevitable. From his/her post nothing suggests to me that she wants to be pharmacist. This will lead to her being unsatisfied and frankly not giving a damn. As someone else stated, these professions come with liability and I sure in hell would not want just anyone holding my life in their hands. Just my 5 cents. 🙂
 
delano2000 said:
Lets be realistic. The OP posted a similar thread in the Dental forum. It is obvious that the OP has his/her mind set on the medical field but career hopping because one might not work out for you is unrealistic especially when dealing with people's lives. One question I would want to ask the OP is why do you want to be a pharmacist? If he/she gets an interview then this question will be inevitable. From his/her post nothing suggests to me that she wants to be pharmacist. This will lead to her being unsatisfied and frankly not giving a damn. As someone else stated, these professions come with liability and I sure in hell would not want just anyone holding my life in their hands. Just my 5 cents. 🙂
Click to expand...

So what if Pharmacy isn't the right fit for the OP? How can we even reliably determine this? That is their problem, i.e., having to feel like they "settled" for the rest of their life and thus not really get the professional satisfaction they may (or may not) be looking for. It doesn't bother me that people have backups or if they are motivated by money. If I was on an ADCOM, then it most certainly would...otherwise, do whatever you want.
 
ffpickle said:
So what if Pharmacy isn't the right fit for the OP? How can we even reliably determine this? That is their problem, i.e., having to feel like they "settled" for the rest of their life and thus not really get the professional satisfaction they may (or may not) be looking for. It doesn't bother me that people have backups or if they are motivated by money. If I was on an ADCOM, then it most certainly would...otherwise, do whatever you want.
Click to expand...


Well that is understandable but why waste your time? I am sure the OP will do whatever it is he/she wants anyways. I was just looking at the issue realistically. I personally don't want to be competing for a seat that someone else did not even want to begin with. However, like we agreed, it is the OP's decision.
 
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