Do others discourage you?

[Scrubs Fan]

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I don't know if it's just me that's been having this problem, but I've had several people on different occasions discourage me from going into pharmacy. I'm a sociable guy and can be the comic relief in a group and I have had a people tell me that pharmacy is not something that they see me doing, that I won't be happy being a pharmacist.

I have also had people tell me that pharmacists don't make as much money as I think that they do.


Does anyone else run into these problems? I'll admit that part of my reason for going into pharmacy was for the money, but I also felt that it was a respectable job and it's not as stressful as other jobs, like being a doctor or lawyer. I have my goals and I am working towards them, but it's hard when people are constantly discouraging you.

Maybe it's b/c i had a long horrible day and it's friday the 13th, but i just want to know if anyone else can relate to this? What kind of personality does a pharmacist have? this is just really stressing me out? Do these people just want me to fail so I can be unhappy in their lives like they are?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[phAnicillin]

hell yeah! other people discourage me but u know what, if u dont let that get to you then pharmacy is the profession for u.

I'm currently volunteering at Kaiser and completed my second day today. So far both days, I've had people ask me "Are you sure you want to work in pharmacy, it's really boring?"

the work can be monotonous and stressful at times..but every profession has it's negatives points. have u worked in a pharmacy? maybe some work will reinforce your decision to pursue pharmacy.

 

[ADN1226]

Yup yup a lot of my pre-med soon to be med student friends are like why "go back" and do pharmacy when you can "go ahead" and do med school, dental, or phD... and they really do believe all pharmacists do is retail... then i explain how I'd like to do clinical pharmacy specializing in oncology and they had no idea that pharmacists can specialize.

 

[sdn1977]

Are the "important" people in your life supportive - your SO, parents, sibs....whomever is really close to you?

Everyone else is just an opinion & everyone has one.

How many people said they really, really wanted to be a proctologist when they were 20? Yet...people become them.....

Just keep those people close who are supportive of you.

 

[Namexxx]

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Suess 😉

 

[Scrubs Fan]

Thanks for the encouraging words.

phAnicillin, yes i am currently volunteering in a pharmacy as a tech (b/c i'm having trouble finding a tech job) and I could see myself being a pharmacist. For me, I'm the type who will do my job, and just make it fun, esp w/ the people I will be working with.

sdn1977, very strong advice. You're right, the people that have told me that aren't very close to me. Some are people that I interact with at my work, some are people i don't even like. It's just frustrating b/c i feel like i have to defend my choices to them b/c they're so quick to attack me for them.

adn1226 i'm so glad i'm not the only one who gets this crap from people. whenever i was studying for a harsh ochem midterm, i always liked studying w/ other people b/c i felt like we were all suffering together (as twisted as that might sound) i guess it's along the lines of misery loves company, or to put it in better words, its comforting knowing someone else knows how you feel.

gchiq, i actually read that quote on my google home page about a month ago and i really liked it. It was one of my fav away messages on my aim. thanks!

Thanks all, i'd love to hear more posts or encouragement. I imagine that a lot of people feel the same way too. Thanks all.
Good Luck and cheers

 

[Sego]

They don't know what they are talking about. Ignore all negative comments.

 

[PolarBear21]

Well I originally wanted to be a vet, but I changed my mind after I had to have my dog euthanized, I just couldn't see myself doing that again. Also I sort of just lost interest and I started considering pharmacy. And I've volunteered at Vet Hospital Pharmacy and Rite Aid Pharmacy and its something I really can see myself doing and being really good at.

Anywhoo.. when I mention to my friends I'm applying to pharmacy school I usually get a.. "Oh.. what happened to vet school.. hmmm.. why Pharmacy!?" The way they say is like I have failed my dream and pharmacy is my backup plan. And in the past I've actually been affected by them and I've had to seriously analyze myself. Bah, well thats over, but yes I tototally know what you're saying.

I also get a "oh .. I still really see you as a vet..." and its like OK, because you really know me better than I know myself 🙄

Just do what you want I say.. its your journey that theirs 👍

 

[bugslife]

ScrubsFan -

hang in there! just want to say that i can relate to your situation. i was a pre-med and all my family pretty much want me to become a doctor and "see me" becoming one. however, after shadowing both physicians and pharmacists for an extended period of time, i decided that pharmacy is my choice.

now... my dad who is a physician is still not quite supportive and thinks that i'm "limiting myself" by going into pharmacy. aside of having many family members who are doctors, i have a sister doing pre-med and a brother doing pre-dent...

anyway... sorry to ramble on, but i guess i just want to say though it's tough at times, just take it one day at a time.

 

[MsLovely]

...

 

[ageldred]

Excellent topic! I too feel that way often. Just keep your head up. I am the funny one in crowds (or so I think!) and I think a little comic relief can go a long way on a stressful day. I can't imagine myself being chained to a desk all day long, I am too hyper for that. I'm the dorky one humming along to the muzak at my pharmacy.

A problem I have at my pharmacy is that we have a lot of interns that work there, and I feel as if they look down upon me because I am not in pharmacy school YET. I am going to do what it takes to achieve my dream, and so should you. I got asked the other day, "What are you going to do if you don't get into pharmacy school?" Well people I'm pretty sure I've asked myself that question 354654654 times. I am going to keep trying, duh! I'll re-evaluate in a few years if I'm still not in pharmacy school, but at this point I am going to apply apply apply.

Nothing worth getting is easily gotten.

 

[ForcedEntry]

Not once.

 

[rxlynn]

Yes - I have had this problem, mostly with my parents. They said everything they reasonably could to dissuade me from applying. I chose a) use that as motivation to get accepted and b) to ignore it and go ahead with my plans once I got accepted to pharmacy school because my spouse and friends were all very supportive. Now that I'm actually in school, my parents have wisely decided to keep their opinions to themselves. I've been married awhile, so it really wasn't up to them - they aren't paying for it this time.

 

[Moxxie]

I got a little discouragement from people - one of my uncles was aghast and couldn't figure out why I woud want to follow doctor's orders to put pills in bottles all day. I explained to him a little bit about how retail isn't the only thing available as a career and how retail pharmacists do a little more than put pills from big bottles into little ones.

But the rest of my family has been great - and they are the ones that I interact with the most. One thing my grandma said to me the other day was great - "I see my doctor only every few months, and for maybe 15 minutes at a time. But I see my pharmacist at least once a week and I can talk to him about anything. You'll be able to help so many more people like me this way."

On another note, I have laughed the hardest in my life around pharmacists recently - we're not all a dull bunch 🙂

 

[FutureGaPharm]

I don't know if it's just me that's been having this problem, but I've had several people on different occasions discourage me from going into pharmacy. I'm a sociable guy and can be the comic relief in a group and I have had a people tell me that pharmacy is not something that they see me doing, that I won't be happy being a pharmacist.

I have also had people tell me that pharmacists don't make as much money as I think that they do.


Does anyone else run into these problems? I'll admit that part of my reason for going into pharmacy was for the money, but I also felt that it was a respectable job and it's not as stressful as other jobs, like being a doctor or lawyer. I have my goals and I am working towards them, but it's hard when people are constantly discouraging you.

Maybe it's b/c i had a long horrible day and it's friday the 13th, but i just want to know if anyone else can relate to this? What kind of personality does a pharmacist have? this is just really stressing me out? Do these people just want me to fail so I can be unhappy in their lives like they are?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yes, I get discourage all the time! Mainly because of my gpa. For more info, read my prev post.

 

[GrignardRX]

People are just ignorant...they dont know what pharmacy is really about.

They think that pharmacists just put pills in a bottle all day and that it is soooo boring.

OK, if they just simply put pills in a bottle they wouldn't be making 100k plus a year. Idiots.

 

[maxbaner]

People are just ignorant...they dont know what pharmacy is really about.

They think that pharmacists just put pills in a bottle all day and that it is soooo boring.

OK, if they just simply put pills in a bottle they wouldn't be making 100k plus a year. Idiots.

Haha, if pharmacist are paid over 100k for just counting pills then everyone else has made a bad choice in career.😉

 

[andrewattheU]

Haha, if pharmacist are paid over 100k for just counting pills then everyone else has made a bad choice in career.😉

wow lol where did you find this old thread

 

[IrishRxMan]

I don't know if it's just me that's been having this problem, but I've had several people on different occasions discourage me from going into pharmacy. I'm a sociable guy and can be the comic relief in a group and I have had a people tell me that pharmacy is not something that they see me doing, that I won't be happy being a pharmacist.

I have also had people tell me that pharmacists don't make as much money as I think that they do.


Does anyone else run into these problems? I'll admit that part of my reason for going into pharmacy was for the money, but I also felt that it was a respectable job and it's not as stressful as other jobs, like being a doctor or lawyer. I have my goals and I am working towards them, but it's hard when people are constantly discouraging you.

Maybe it's b/c i had a long horrible day and it's friday the 13th, but i just want to know if anyone else can relate to this? What kind of personality does a pharmacist have? this is just really stressing me out? Do these people just want me to fail so I can be unhappy in their lives like they are?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Man, how did this thread survive this long?

 

[dann]

maybe you should do some shadowing or become a pharmtech/intern and see what it's like.

I too have close friends that discourage me. I personally think theyre right: pharmacy is a boring career that doesn't pay enough (IMHO)

i knew this from the very beginning however. i made my decision to enter pharmacy knowing very well that I'll probably hate my career 10 years from now

 

[laimyours]

Being a pharmacist isn't that easy. I think thats why a lot of people become pharmacists, but they really don't belong in the field. You have to be VERY patient! You are going to deal with a lot of difficult people. You will become jaded. You will have people asking you "What shampoo should i use?" or "What collar is best for my german shepard?" (i'm speaking from a retail perspective)
I suggest reading www.theangrypharmacist.com to get some insight 👍

 

[bwsalvas]

maybe you should do some shadowing or become a pharmtech/intern and see what it's like.

I too have close friends that discourage me. I personally think theyre right: pharmacy is a boring career that doesn't pay enough (IMHO)

i knew this from the very beginning however. i made my decision to enter pharmacy knowing very well that I'll probably hate my career 10 years from now

Are you kidding me? I'm speechless.

 

[Sparda29]

I haven't had any discouragement for Pharmacy from anyone other than my boss who sometimes tells me to go into Medicine while I still can.

This is usually after we have to talk to a ridiculous customer or someone complaining about insurance or someone who dropped off 10 scripts, then we find out that they just got 7 of them, and then they don't come back for the other 3 for 3 weeks only to find out we already returned the drugs to stock, then we gotta do everything again.

My parents always try to discourage me from the military. I want to become a Navy Seal after Pharmacy School, and I'm pretty sure they are gonna try to discourage me again. Or the Air Force, I just love flying.

 

[IrishRxMan]

I haven't had any discouragement for Pharmacy from anyone other than my boss who sometimes tells me to go into Medicine while I still can.

This is usually after we have to talk to a ridiculous customer or someone complaining about insurance or someone who dropped off 10 scripts, then we find out that they just got 7 of them, and then they don't come back for the other 3 for 3 weeks only to find out we already returned the drugs to stock, then we gotta do everything again.

My parents always try to discourage me from the military. I want to become a Navy Seal after Pharmacy School, and I'm pretty sure they are gonna try to discourage me again. Or the Air Force, I just love flying.

Sparda, from what I have seen you are a very interesting person. I was in the military prior to going to school and I would discourage you from going into the SEALs because it would be a complete waste of your talents gained through school. The Navy, or any service for that matter, would also be trying to discourage you from this b/c your having a professional degree is more valuable to them than you going into a job where your chances of getting killed increase exponentially.