Considering career switch

[pharm4312]

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Hello

Current P3 student, top 10 pharmacy school, prior BS before entering school, interning at an honor roll hospital, with an additional year of community experience at a couple independents. Not interested in residency.

I am considering taking a year off school and applying to PA school out of concerns for the job market. It is difficult to say that the future of pharmacy will be positive with the mass influx of new grads that is coming. I had thought about this extensively before beginning school, and had decided to stick with pharmacy, but have been reconsidering. Hard to say if it is best just to jump ship now before it really is too late. My debt level is currently 65k and will jump to 120k after the next two years.

I am solely interested in working in a major metropolitan area (NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc.), and I fear this will simply not be possible with pharmacy. The PA path seems to offer a much more stable future. I prefer the work of the pharmacist but could see myself being a PA just as easily. The 55k of debt that the last two years of pharmacy school will cost aren't too far off the ~70k to go get a masters in PA. I can't tell if this is a good idea or just a temporary halfway-there crisis.

 

[gotdrugs]

Hello

Current P3 student, top 10 pharmacy school, prior BS before entering school, interning at an honor roll hospital, with an additional year of community experience at a couple independents. Not interested in residency.

I am considering taking a year off school and applying to PA school out of concerns for the job market. It is difficult to say that the future of pharmacy will be positive with the mass influx of new grads that is coming. I had thought about this extensively before beginning school, and had decided to stick with pharmacy, but have been reconsidering. Hard to say if it is best just to jump ship now before it really is too late. My debt level is currently 65k and will jump to 120k after the next two years.

I am solely interested in working in a major metropolitan area (NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc.), and I fear this will simply not be possible with pharmacy. The PA path seems to offer a much more stable future. I prefer the work of the pharmacist but could see myself being a PA just as easily. The 55k of debt that the last two years of pharmacy school will cost aren't too far off the ~70k to go get a masters in PA. I can't tell if this is a good idea or just a temporary halfway-there crisis.

I don't know the correct answer as there probably isn't one.

One thing to keep in mind is that 10-12 years ago, pharmacy was a "hot" field.

Now the NP/PA route is "hot" and getting a lot of play.

If you were a PA right now, you could get your pick of jobs, similar to how pharmacy was just 10 short years ago.

Think about why pharmacy isn't so rosy now and apply similar thinking to the PA field.

History doesn't always repeat itself, but sometimes it does.

If you are doing this because it seems to be the current hot thing, be careful.

 

[minette]

I don't know the correct answer as there probably isn't one.

One thing to keep in mind is that 10-12 years ago, pharmacy was a "hot" field.

Now the NP/PA route is "hot" and getting a lot of play.

If you were a PA right now, you could get your pick of jobs, similar to how pharmacy was just 10 short years ago.

Think about why pharmacy isn't so rosy now and apply similar thinking to the PA field.

History doesn't always repeat itself, but sometimes it does.

If you are doing this because it seems to be the current hot thing, be careful.

👍👍

 

[D5WwithNSS]

hello

current p3 student, top 10 pharmacy school, prior bs before entering school, interning at an honor roll hospital, with an additional year of community experience at a couple independents. Not interested in residency.

I am considering taking a year off school and applying to pa school out of concerns for the job market. It is difficult to say that the future of pharmacy will be positive with the mass influx of new grads that is coming. I had thought about this extensively before beginning school, and had decided to stick with pharmacy, but have been reconsidering. Hard to say if it is best just to jump ship now before it really is too late. My debt level is currently 65k and will jump to 120k after the next two years.

I am solely interested in working in a major metropolitan area (nyc, boston, chicago, etc.), and i fear this will simply not be possible with pharmacy. The pa path seems to offer a much more stable future. I prefer the work of the pharmacist but could see myself being a pa just as easily. The 55k of debt that the last two years of pharmacy school will cost aren't too far off the ~70k to go get a masters in pa. I can't tell if this is a good idea or just a temporary halfway-there crisis.

yes!!! Less competition!!!

 

[BenJammin]

When a boat has sprung a leak, it's better to catch it before it happens rather than when your boat is 50% underwater. The PA bubble will burst by the time you graduate from PA school and you will be in the same position as if you graduated from pharm school. By the way, PAs aren't real doctors. We have more training than them yet they look down upon pharmacists as if they were physcians.

 

[Parklife]

When a boat has sprung a leak, it's better to catch it before it happens rather than when your boat is 50% underwater. The PA bubble will burst by the time you graduate from PA school and you will be in the same position as if you graduated from pharm school. By the way, PAs aren't real doctors. We have more training than them yet they look down upon pharmacists as if they were physcians.

Their job is a PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT. They can't look down on DOCTORS of PHARMACY. Even though neither are real doctors.


Why do you think the PA bubble will burst? PAs are in MASSIVE demand - not pharmD demand - MASSIVE demand. As America gets dumber and dumber, we'll need more and more mid-levels.

Abandon ship friend. Your leak is not a leak anymore.

 

[jblil]

Their job is a PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT.

As an aside: The official job title is now "Physician Assistant." I follow a PA forum and you wouldn't believe the grief they give people who still call it "Physician's Assistant."

So, OP, make sure you use the correct title if you apply to PA schools.

 

[Hendlefe]

Their job is a PHYSICIAN'S ASSISTANT. They can't look down on DOCTORS of PHARMACY. Even though neither are real doctors.


Why do you think the PA bubble will burst? PAs are in MASSIVE demand - not pharmD demand - MASSIVE demand. As America gets dumber and dumber, we'll need more and more mid-levels.

Abandon ship friend. Your leak is not a leak anymore.

I think we should spend less time worrying about who looks down on who and instead focus on working competently to provide the best care for our patients. Only then should people look up to you.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I agree, as short a time as 5 years ago, I was getting calls from recruiters every day, and my mail was filled with pharmacist wanted ads/letters. Only 5 years ago. Everything cycles around. I remember in the late 80's how PT's were the hot new job, and then by the late 90's they were overglutted. Now PT's are coming back in demand.

One thing to remember, the economy right now is bad, very bad. This is affecting ALL industries & all professions for a myriad of reasons. PA's/NP's included. And yes, I think PA's/NP's are going to follow the same cycle as PT's & RPH's.

 

[Requiem]

Hello

Current P3 student, top 10 pharmacy school, prior BS before entering school, interning at an honor roll hospital, with an additional year of community experience at a couple independents. Not interested in residency.

I am considering taking a year off school and applying to PA school out of concerns for the job market. It is difficult to say that the future of pharmacy will be positive with the mass influx of new grads that is coming. I had thought about this extensively before beginning school, and had decided to stick with pharmacy, but have been reconsidering. Hard to say if it is best just to jump ship now before it really is too late. My debt level is currently 65k and will jump to 120k after the next two years.

I am solely interested in working in a major metropolitan area (NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc.), and I fear this will simply not be possible with pharmacy. The PA path seems to offer a much more stable future. I prefer the work of the pharmacist but could see myself being a PA just as easily. The 55k of debt that the last two years of pharmacy school will cost aren't too far off the ~70k to go get a masters in PA. I can't tell if this is a good idea or just a temporary halfway-there crisis.

Hey Pharm,

Good for you for thinking critically and asking yourself difficult questions which a lot of people are afraid to do. A couple of questions I would ask you: Is the job market the sole reason for your consideration of switching field? Or are you also not sure about the profession itself. I think that's an important point.

What are your thoughts on the PA field? Does the job excite you as a potential career?

With regard to demand, I'm not an American but I can tell you that due to an aging population increasingly laden with more comorbidities, the demand for access to mid-level providers will increase, especially in rural and underserved areas. PAs in these areas may enjoy more autonomy, but I can't speak for certain.

 

[lisinopril]

There is no doubt that I would do PA/NP if starting all over again at this moment. PA has more authorities and it's true that they have more power than pharmacists in most cases. Usually, the PA can do pretty much everything that an MD can, with less cost. Thus, most hospitals are hiring PAs a lot now. The demand is to be more and more in future...for sure. Plus, people call you Dr all the time (even though you don't have a doctorate degree) at clinic and they never call the pharmacists Dr. (even though he/she has a doctorate degree)

Pharmacy is way over-saturated. The respect for pharmacy profession also has been going downhill since the massive influx of new grads pumping out to job market every year.

So yeah. To the OP : Just do it, you will not regret. Go to PA School now!

 

[SMDoc]

I am a P1 (starting next week) at a decent, well established, state school and the thought of the job market and my debt is already making me strongly consider the PA route. The new P4s are already feeling the crunch- I thought we still had a ways to go before getting hit here on the West coast.

My school also has a PA program. I don't know of how the logistics would work out if i switched over.

There are some idealistic, somewhat naive posts, about providing the best patient care, etc. We can't provide any patient care if we don't have jobs. Plus, we have $100,000 debt over our head, which will never go away-even in bankruptcy! 😡

OP I feel your pain!

 

[Shnurek]

And PAs have a bridge program to become a DO. Honestly, if I didn't want to be the boss and didn't want to have my own practice one day I would have definitely become a PA, no doubt.