CVS RPh's input wanted

[PillpusherPDX]

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This is my first post, but I've been reading these forums for years.
I'm in need of some career advice preferably from current CVS pharmacists. I'm a p6 and have done my entire internship with CVS. I have been given a job offer for the area I listed as my first choice and wanted some advice before I make my decision to accept or decline it.
I have always been interested in critical care, ID, and emergency medicine and honestly always saw myself going the residency route after graduation. Now that the time has come to decide and I have a standing offer, I'm having a harder time than I though making my decision. Whereas previously I was 100% going to do a residency, I'm now at about 50/50 between residency and retail.
Here is my current thought process: I know I would enjoy my job more as a clinical pharmacist, but I realize that I would be working a lot more hours and subsequently have to make more sacrifices in my time outside of work. As a CPS, you work until your work is done regardless of how much time that takes and in most cases, you are the only one capable of doing that work. On the other hand, I don't dislike retail pharmacy, but I'm not crazy about it either. However, I realize that I will be working less hours, have more time for things outside of work, and still be making good money. I'm trying to decide which is more important to me: a job that I will enjoy more or a job that allows me to enjoy things besides work.
Most of the advice I have received thus far has been from pharmacists who have been with the company for a long time and the majority of them are burnt out. For you younger or more recent grads, how do you like working for CVS overall? Am I in the ballpark with my rationale? And finally, would you go the same route if you could do things over again?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Momus]

Minimize resentment. You can have both. Do part time float with CVS and finish residency. If you don't like your job after residency you can go back to CVS.

 

[BMBiology]

Take the CVS offer and apply for residency at the same time. Keep your option open. Working long hours is not tough when you like what you do. Retail is okay when you do it just one or two days a week but when you do it 5 days straight, it's a nightmare and you will burn out. Most of my friends leave retail after 2 years.

 

[Fushi.tarazu]

I worked for CVS and have seen management treat pharmacist as replaceable object. You either get along with their agenda - no matter if it's ethical or not - and meet their quotas and expectations based on limited resources or become a floater despite your seniority with the company.

Even if you do residency it doesn't mean you get a job right away or in city you want but if you looking at this long term, it's worth it since you are more marketable and you can say f you to them anytime. People who work at CVS for long time can't do that since it's harder to find good paying pharmacist job.

Good luck

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[R xxx]

Take the offer from CVS. Still apply/do a residency. Working at CVS as an intern is VERY different than working at CVS as a pharmacist. I only do it a few times a month and each time I work, I think to myself, "how can anyone do this full time?" When I was an intern, working 40 hours a week didn't really bother me because I didn't have to work a 14-hour shift and I was never stressed out. Being a pharmacist...everything is on you especially if you don't have good techs.

You will be physically incapable of doing anything after a day or 2 at CVS. You will use the next day just to recover. So don't think you will have "more time" to do things outside of work. Ok...maybe not that extreme, but you get the picture.

 

[bob1234]

Take the offer from CVS. Still apply/do a residency. Working at CVS as an intern is VERY different than working at CVS as a pharmacist. I only do it a few times a month and each time I work, I think to myself, "how can anyone do this full time?" When I was an intern, working 40 hours a week didn't really bother me because I didn't have to work a 14-hour shift and I was never stressed out. Being a pharmacist...everything is on you especially if you don't have good techs.

You will be physically incapable of doing anything after a day or 2 at CVS. You will use the next day just to recover. So don't think you will have "more time" to do things outside of work. Ok...maybe not that extreme, but you get the picture.

I never understood how the 14 hour day without a lunch is even legal. I thought all employees were mandated AT LEAST two 15 minute breaks every 8 hour shift

 

[R xxx]

Because you're on "salary", so you work out your schedule with your partner. You can each work 7-hour shift and come to work every single day if that's what you want. Of course nobody would do that. That's how they get away with it.

 

[Old]

Take the offer from CVS. Still apply/do a residency. Working at CVS as an intern is VERY different than working at CVS as a pharmacist. I only do it a few times a month and each time I work, I think to myself, "how can anyone do this full time?" When I was an intern, working 40 hours a week didn't really bother me because I didn't have to work a 14-hour shift and I was never stressed out. Being a pharmacist...everything is on you especially if you don't have good techs.

You will be physically incapable of doing anything after a day or 2 at CVS. You will use the next day just to recover. So don't think you will have "more time" to do things outside of work. Ok...maybe not that extreme, but you get the picture.

Wise words spoken well.