Career path

[telomerein]

Hello everyone
This may not be the best place to post this question blso please redirect me if so.

I have worked as as an ltc pharmacist, set up dispensing processes relating to two ehrs, been a pic of a small hospital pharmacy and have been an iv room operations manager. I'm trying to figure out what my next career path can be since the company i work for doesn't have a promotion path set up. I wonder if I should get a masters degree in business and go from there?

I'm really un interested in clinical at this point tbh

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[Prepharm1214]

Within pharmacy I always feel as though you will hit a cap within 1 to 2 promotions beyond entry level. At a certain point you just have to accept the career for what it is and be content riding out your current role.

 

[libra08]

I have worked with many PharmD/MBA…it didn’t do anything for their careers.

Unless you went to a top 20 MBA school and network like crazy, you can gain almost the same knowledge online.

Business is more about instinct than actual knowledge anyways so don’t think having an MBA will open many doors.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

While the two posters above may be right sometimes, that's a ****ty mindset to have. You'll never get the promotion if your attitude/work ethic/mindset is like theirs.

Having an MBA and prior leadership experience(s) gives you a large advantage and you'd be an immediate interview for assistant DOP or DOP positions, and potential future growth into the C suite. Bring good energy backed by your clinical and financial acumen into the interview and you'll get the job. Don't get the first one? Refine your interview skills. Rinse and repeat.

 

[libra08]

While the two posters above may be right sometimes, that's a ****ty mindset to have. You'll never get the promotion if your attitude/work ethic/mindset is like theirs.

Having an MBA and prior leadership experience(s) gives you a large advantage and you'd be an immediate interview for assistant DOP or DOP positions. Bring good energy backed by your clinical and financial acumen into the interview and you'll get the job. Don't get the first one? Refine your interview skills. Rinse and repeat.

Having a ****ty mindset will save you $100,000-200,000. How many years do you have to work in order to save that much?

Plenty of DOP don’t have a MBA…why spend money on something that is not necessary?

Anyone can get an online MBA nowadays so how are you special? It is a waste of money for most pharmacists.

 

[mentos]

MBAs were a dime a dozen 15 years ago before all the online only programs were popular. Imagine how many MBAs there are now.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Lol libra it's good to see you back on the forums. But if you're mindset is like that; I hate to be in your shoes.

After being a DOP and going through survey, handling the new regs (USP 795, 797, 800), I've realized my end game is C suite, or at least not directly involved with pharmacy. If I need an MBA to get there, so be it.

 

[mentos]

Within pharmacy I always feel as though you will hit a cap within 1 to 2 promotions beyond entry level. At a certain point you just have to accept the career for what it is and be content riding out your current role.

I agree with this. Pre-Covid, when you became a new grad pharmacist then your salary wasn't much different than someone with 20+ years experience. I know new grads make even less now.

The ROI just isn't there for promotions in pharmacy. 1-2 year residency, certificates etc. They take too long for minimal raises.

Pharmacy is good for a steady paycheck and insurance benefits. You are better off going into other fields like people here have done with real estate to become wealthy.

 

[storyhill2]

I agree with this. Pre-Covid, when you became a new grad pharmacist then your salary wasn't much different than someone with 20+ years experience. I know new grads make even less now.

The ROI just isn't there for promotions in pharmacy. 1-2 year residency, certificates etc. They take too long for minimal raises.

Pharmacy is good for a steady paycheck and insurance benefits. You are better off going into other fields like people here have done with real estate to become wealthy.

Pharmacy is like an annuity for a retirement. No high gains but a steady paycheck that will cover your expenses. I actually like that about it. Compared to how I grew up, I'm living pretty good. But yeah, I'm not "ballin".

 

[storyhill2]

I got hired as a DOP after graduation.....right out of school. Just the pharmD and being fine with working in rural area. That might be a path? go rural, get experience, come back to a more desired location for promotion?

 

[pharmdeep]

Depending on where you are you might want to try an independent pharmacy. Open your own when you feel comfortable or become a partner.

 

[ornithoptor]

I have worked as director at three hospitals. I move to NorCal for another director job and recently received a promotion.

I would say that MBA could open some doors, but it is not a deciding factor. At some level, it become a check box. I don’t have MBA or MS, yet I have been successful in my career.

I posted my old positions recently and reviewed hundreds of resume and interviewed a handful of candidates. I paid no attention to the MBA degree on the resume, just job experience and accomplishments. I also noticed that MBA make no differences during my interview experiences.

I think consistent delivery of results, proactively identifying issues and take on projects to fix them, communication, office politics sensitivity, timing and most importantly decision makers who can advocate for you make a world of differences.

 

[lord999]

I have worked as director at three hospitals. I move to NorCal for another director job and recently received a promotion.

I would say that MBA could open some doors, but it is not a deciding factor. At some level, it become a check box. I don’t have MBA or MS, yet I have been successful in my career.

I posted my old positions recently and reviewed hundreds of resume and interviewed a handful of candidates. I paid no attention to the MBA degree on the resume, just job experience and accomplishments. I also noticed that MBA make no differences during my interview experiences.

I think consistent delivery of results, proactively identifying issues and take on projects to fix them, communication, office politics sensitivity, timing and most importantly decision makers who can advocate for you make a world of differences.

I think you undersell yourself. If you can easily get a Director, you almost certainly walked into an undesirable position which I would suspect is how you got into that line by taking a dirty job. After one or two of those, managing a hard but fair position is easy by comparison.

FACHE is the other credential you’ll see.

 

[RXDOC1986]

As everyone has pointed out, Pharmacy, is not a "climb the ladder" type of profession. I have been a Pharmacist for 38 years, never retail, but 9 different jobs. I have done Home Infusion, as DOP, and regional manager, Oncology, Hospital Clinical, Hospital Staffing and Rehab services. Never experienced vertical integration at any job. At the same time Pharmacy has provided me with a very comfortable life style, while never even getting close to $200K/year! Slow and steady, that's how we do it. Don't get burned out, change jobs often. It worked for me.