Creative Career Paths for Pharmacists

[PharmacyPodcast]

Professor Erin Albert, PharmD of Butler University School of Pharmacy shares some great advice for new pharmacy graduates:

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Pharmacists: Off-The-Beaten-Career-Paths
Erin Albert returns to the Pharmacy Podcast Show – with some advice for our #Pharmacy Future Leaders and recent graduates of Pharmacy:

She writes:

I get quite a few requests to help coach others about their career paths, particularly pharmacists and STEM professionals. As I traded email with someone this weekend about my career coaching service, I was reminded to go back and recall which books are about career development. So, I thought it was worth a post to share all these, as I think they are great places to start when shopping for a one-of-a-kind off-the-beaten-career-path. (All these are on the Amazon Author page):

1. The Medical Science Liaison: An A to Z Guide – A classic for MDs, PharmDs and PhDs who want to enter the pharma/biotech environment, but love autonomy and science. There’s the first book-book edition, and the second e-book edition.

2. The Life Science Lawyer - If any healthcare professional comes to me about law school, this is my must-read for them. I also of course recommend Law School: A Few Short and Plain Statements as well…

3. The New Pharmacist: 46 Doses of Advice – This is more for younger pros in pharmacy, but I do end the book with dual degree/grad school options. For the uber young, there’s #STEMPrincess.

4. Single. Women. Entrepreneurs. – One of the fastest growing demographics in entrepreneurship, and the only place where women beat men in starting businesses, this is for the 60%+ of women who are now in pharmacy–and other professions.

5. Plan C: The Full-Time Employee and Part-Time Entrepreneur – One of THE smartest options for pharmacists who have the entrepreneurial itch, but don’t want to fight the 65,000 pound gorillas in healthcare (PBMs, Wholesalers, etc.) by starting their own pharmacy. I’m here to tell you that you can work as a pharmacist for someone else AND have your very own thing on the side part time! This book is full of people doing just that.

6. Multipationals – I talk about one of the most creative avenues I’ve found thus far for pharmacists in this book. I even experimented with my own career using the model. What IS the model? Guess you’ll have to read the book to figure that out.

There. For all the pharmacists who keep on asking me, “Is this all there is?” – I offer you these 6+ books. And while creating custom ANYTHING is hard (including a career) it’s way more rewarding than just treading water, creating nothing, and waiting for everyone else to hand cool stuff to you to do. (Hint: you could be waiting for a while…)

References:

http://www.amazon.com/Erin-Albert/e/B001JS14U2

Celebration of Flexible Work Arrangements Week Prompts Author to Release New Book on New Career Trend

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Multipationals/Erin-L-Albert/prweb12701154.htm

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[gwarm01]

Interesting idea, but that podcast felt more like a commercial for her books than discussion on the actual topic.

Does anyone here have experience working in a non-traditional pharmacy path who could share their story?

I'm the typical pharmacist whom the author spoke of. Two years out of school, working in an institutional setting, asking myself "is this all there is?" I would love to hear from people who branched out, because I feel like I'm spinning my wheels with nowhere else to go.

 

[PharmacyPodcast]

Interesting idea, but that podcast felt more like a commercial for her books than discussion on the actual topic.

Does anyone here have experience working in a non-traditional pharmacy path who could share their story?

I'm the typical pharmacist whom the author spoke of. Two years out of school, working in an institutional setting, asking myself "is this all there is?" I would love to hear from people who branched out, because I feel like I'm spinning my wheels with nowhere else to go.

Gwarm01:

Thanks for taking a listen. Be sure to look into other shows which could help with your ideas for other career paths.

Dr. Albert writes from passion to assist pharmacists maximize their potential not make money from her books.
Read more on "Multipationals" and contact her for other ideas. Tell her you found her on the podcast:
Email: pharmdmba@gmail.com

What about Pharmacogenomics - with those dedicated organizations looking for pharmacist representatives?

Pharmacogenomics and New Opportunities for Pharmacists
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/blogs/pharmacy-podcast-show/0215/Pharmacogenomics-and-New-Opportunities-for-Pharmacists

The Pharmacist Leveraging Pharmacogenomics
http://www.pharmacytimes.com/blogs/pharmacy-podcast-show/0115/the-pharmacist-leveraging-pharmacogenomics

 

[Jbrl]

Pharmaceutical advertising is another path for people looking to tap into their creative side. It's quite interesting and a lot of work goes into it that goes unnoticed by most (in terms of positioning, creative briefs, pitches, and the like).

 

[gwarm01]

Thanks for the links. I will check out those episodes when I get a chance.

 

[Guilded_Age]

I can't help but feel that some of these paths are very, very niche jobs. As in you'll have to hustle for a few years to even show the value you bring to earn some decent income. And if you ever get the axe wherever you're at you'll have to go scramble somewhere else to go work for another wholesaler or database.

And I'm not too sure that that freelancing / entrepreneurship is a good option for newer pharmacists with the debt loads they are currently crushed under. Those can maybe be on the table when you have all debts cleared and all a steady stream of passive income. Could be viable for the 65 year old RPh's- but they're already wanting to retire and go sip alcohol in some tropical location.

Still admirable that you're taking the time to explore some of these options. Plan C sounds like an interesting read... can't tell if it will be worth $9.99.

 

[LeeB76]

Interesting idea, but that podcast felt more like a commercial for her books than discussion on the actual topic.

Does anyone here have experience working in a non-traditional pharmacy path who could share their story?

I'm the typical pharmacist whom the author spoke of. Two years out of school, working in an institutional setting, asking myself "is this all there is?" I would love to hear from people who branched out, because I feel like I'm spinning my wheels with nowhere else to go.

This is how I feel, I graduated in 2013 and I've working in retail, mail order and long term care, just hired on in an institutional setting as like a last resort. I need some direction I don't want to wait 20 years and think I should have done something else.