dropping out of pharmacy school

[spiderluver]

Hey everyone! My first post on here was basically expressing my concerns about pharmacy. My biggest regret is not researching this career enough prior to starting and just jumping right in. Currently in my first semester as a P1 student and I am dropping out... I declined my loans & dropped my classes. I was originally thinking of pursing an engineering degree but decided to stick within healthcare and pursue the BSN to NP route.

To any pre-pharms out there that might be reading this post... please do your research before applying to schools! Admissions directors are not on our side and will make it seem like the profession is booming. There are non-traditional pharmacy jobs out there but are probably even more competitive since that's what many pharmacy students want to pursue anyways because of retail saturation.

Just wanted to give a little update and if anyone else is having doubts about pharmacy because of the job outlook it is not too late to pursue another career with better job security.

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[Sniper7Wolf]

Hey everyone! My first post on here was basically expressing my concerns about pharmacy. My biggest regret is not researching this career enough prior to starting and just jumping right in. Currently in my first semester as a P1 student and I am dropping out... I declined my loans & dropped my classes. I was originally thinking of pursing an engineering degree but decided to stick within healthcare and pursue the BSN to NP route.

To any pre-pharms out there that might be reading this post... please do your research before applying to schools! Admissions directors are not on our side and will make it seem like the profession is booming. There are non-traditional pharmacy jobs out there but are probably even more competitive since that's what many pharmacy students want to pursue anyways because of retail saturation.

Just wanted to give a little update and if anyone else is having doubts about pharmacy because of the job outlook it is not too late to pursue another career with better job security.

Are you dropping out because the material was difficult / overwhelming? Or because of over saturation?

 

[spiderluver]

Are you dropping out because the material was difficult / overwhelming? Or because of over saturation?

definitely because of over saturation. the material has not been too difficult and I have been doing well with minimum effort.

 

[HopelessStudentD]

Congrats on making the decision, definitely not easy, but your future self will definitely thank you. Good luck on your path towards NP. The job market for NP will only increase in the future as more states allow NP to practice independently.

 

[mentos]

Congrats on cutting your losses and choosing a good career! My workplace has so many new grads who are per diems and this is their only job, they are lucky to get one shift per week. Some I haven't seen in like two months. I don't know how they'll ever pay their loans. I heard the chains are paying $45/hr now with part time hours. You made the right choice.

 

[Sniper7Wolf]

definitely because of over saturation. the material has not been too difficult and I have been doing well with minimum effort.

Okay I just wanted to know because I just got accepted into pharmacy school. Now its making me think lol. Well I wish you the best !

 

[spiderluver]

Okay I just wanted to know because I just got accepted into pharmacy school. Now its making me think lol. Well I wish you the best !

Thanks! I was in your shoes last year when I got accepted... literally my only concern was getting in because I thought pharmacy school was competitive but that should have been the least of my worries lol. You still have time to reconsider. There are many other fields to pursue besides pharmacy. Good luck.

 

[mentos]

Okay I just wanted to know because I just got accepted into pharmacy school. Now its making me think lol. Well I wish you the best !

Don't do it. Schools are desperate to fill their seats now, waiving PCAT requirement and lowering GPA standards and accepting subpar students. They only want your money, they will lie to you about pharmacy being a great career with great job prospects. These are all lies, they are just like a used car salesmen. Go over to the main pharmacy board and read about all the unemployed new grads. The job market and working conditions only get worse each year. Every year hours get cut, that's all they do cut cut cut. CVS and Walgreens have been struggling, just look at their stock price for the last 5 years it's gone nowhere but down. Amazon pharmacy is real now so CVS and Walgreens are in trouble.

The ones who are lucky enough to have a job hate it, but are forced to keep working as long as possible because they have to pay the bills and there's no other job that you can use this degree for. Schools will tell you a pharmD is versatile, but that is also false. It's good for retail and hospital pharmacy and not much else.

There are so many great careers out there that have a low cost with a great job demand. I can't fathom how anyone would even consider spending $200,000 on a pharmD only to end up unemployed or underemployed in a job you hate. You can do nursing, engineering, finance, accounting, dental hygienist, insurance, or trades like carpentry, electrician, plumber, HVAC. All these jobs are just some examples of low cost, high reward careers.

 

[Momus]

Are you dropping out because the material was difficult / overwhelming? Or because of over saturation?

Anyone with half functioning brain can do rote memorization and pass pharmacy school with flying colors.

One of the many reasons why there are so many pharmacists is it's one of the easiest professional degree to graduate from. Plus, the standard has been lowered so much that just about anyone with a student loan can get in.

 

[spiderluver]

Don't do it. Schools are desperate to fill their seats now, waiving PCAT requirement and lowering GPA standards and accepting subpar students. They only want your money, they will lie to you about pharmacy being a great career with great job prospects. These are all lies, they are just like a used car salesmen. Go over to the main pharmacy board and read about all the unemployed new grads. The job market and working conditions only get worse each year. Every year hours get cut, that's all they do cut cut cut. CVS and Walgreens have been struggling, just look at their stock price for the last 5 years it's gone nowhere but down. Amazon pharmacy is real now so CVS and Walgreens are in trouble.

The ones who are lucky enough to have a job hate it, but are forced to keep working as long as possible because they have to pay the bills and there's no other job that you can use this degree for. Schools will tell you a pharmD is versatile, but that is also false. It's good for retail and hospital pharmacy and not much else.

There are so many great careers out there that have a low cost with a great job demand. I can't fathom how anyone would even consider spending $200,000 on a pharmD only to end up unemployed or underemployed in a job you hate. You can do nursing, engineering, finance, accounting, dental hygienist, insurance, or trades like carpentry, electrician, plumber, HVAC. All these jobs are just some examples of low cost, high reward careers.

yeah I knew something was up when colleagues of mine didn't have to take the PCAT or got less than 40 percentile...

 

[Timbo]

Okay I just wanted to know because I just got accepted into pharmacy school. Now its making me think lol. Well I wish you the best !

I wonder what's there to think about when job growth is literally negative. All other healthcare profession have projected positive growth at either national average or above

 

[PharmDWithaPorscheGT3RS]

yeah I knew something was up when colleagues of mine didn't have to take the PCAT or got less than 40 percentile...

You made a smart move, not many will do what you did. CS is a pretty decent career, I recommend looking into that. Good luck buddy!

 

[Sniper7Wolf]

I wonder what's there to think about when job growth is literally negative? All other healthcare profession have projected positive growth at either national average or above

I’ve been in pharmacy as a tech for 8 years now. I got accepted into school and the military is paying for 100%. But you guys are right, that the projected growth is terrible.

 

[mentos]

I’ve been in pharmacy as a tech for 8 years now. I got accepted into school and the military is paying for 100%. But you guys are right, that the projected growth is terrible.

Even if your tuition is fully paid for, you lose 4 years of your life and end up with a part time job at best. You can become an RN in two years and make $60-80,000 per year for two years in the same amount of time.

 

[Momus]

Even if your tuition is fully paid for, you lose 4 years of your life and end up with a part time job at best. You can become an RN in two years and make $60-80,000 per year for two years in the same amount of time.

RN in CA makes 45 minimum - up to 85 if you are at unicorn institution like kaiser.

 

[iamapharmacist]

Hey everyone! My first post on here was basically expressing my concerns about pharmacy. My biggest regret is not researching this career enough prior to starting and just jumping right in. Currently in my first semester as a P1 student and I am dropping out... I declined my loans & dropped my classes. I was originally thinking of pursing an engineering degree but decided to stick within healthcare and pursue the BSN to NP route.

To any pre-pharms out there that might be reading this post... please do your research before applying to schools! Admissions directors are not on our side and will make it seem like the profession is booming. There are non-traditional pharmacy jobs out there but are probably even more competitive since that's what many pharmacy students want to pursue anyways because of retail saturation.

Just wanted to give a little update and if anyone else is having doubts about pharmacy because of the job outlook it is not too late to pursue another career with better job security.

For most of people in this profession, this is what they wish they would've done lol

There are few of us that are happy with what we got but the problem is the profession as a whole is a sinking ship. Something needs to be done. Fast. Such as closing all these meaningless schools down, decreasing the number of grads and increasing the quality of students.

I would blame cvs, wag, walmart and deans of schools for the current situation of this profession.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Congrats on making the decision, definitely not easy, but your future self will definitely thank you. Good luck on your path towards NP. The job market for NP will only increase in the future as more states allow NP to practice independently.

Not true, NP's are rapidly becoming saturated, and in many areas NP's, are working as RN's. Which makes it a better career choice, because the NP's can always work as RN's and make decent pay (unlike pharmacists who can't work as pharm techs.) NP schools are not very similar to Pharm D schools, they have rapidly expanded, and they will take anyone who can get a loan for the tuition. You don't even have to be an RN anymore, to get accepted in to NP school.

A far better career path than NP, would be to get a BSN, and then work on moving up the ranks of hospital management.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Anyone with half functioning brain can do rote memorization and pass pharmacy school with flying colors.
One of the many reasons why there are so many pharmacists is it's one of the easiest professional degree to graduate from. Plus, the standard has been lowered so much that just about anyone with a student loan can get in.

A big part is that schools have lowered their graduation standards (as evidence by decreasing pass rates from schools.) Yes, pharmacy school is pretty much rote memorization, but then so is medical school. That doesn't mean it is eas.

 

[TerryTerry]

Congrats and good luck.
Sad part is that so many prepharms will think that they are special and different even if they read your post.

 

[HopelessStudentD]

Not true, NP's are rapidly becoming saturated, and in many areas NP's, are working as RN's. Which makes it a better career choice, because the NP's can always work as RN's and make decent pay (unlike pharmacists who can't work as pharm techs.) NP schools are not very similar to Pharm D schools, they have rapidly expanded, and they will take anyone who can get a loan for the tuition. You don't even have to be an RN anymore, to get accepted in to NP school.

A far better career path than NP, would be to get a BSN, and then work on moving up the ranks of hospital management.

Yeah it's definitely getting saturated, but at the rate their organization is lobbying will saturation affect them anytime soon? Hospitals administration will always prefer to hire NPs over PAs and even sometimes over physicians. If I was in this career I would ride the NP money train as long as possible and then if the market collapses then just go back being an RN.

 

[O.State]

smart choice, and done at the very best time with minimal damage. bravo

 

[blueangel12]

I totally agree. I was a P1 student as of yesterday, finally. Took them awhile to get their paperwork squared away. They might as well make pharmacy schools be listed as "for-profit". They were pleading with me to stay to collect more from me. Cut my losses and only took on 18K of debt versus if I had gone the full way to be stuck with likely 100K+. Likely after graduation be lucky to even get a part-time let alone perhaps a PRN role. Especially pharmacy interns getting paid worse than technicians. Where I was working, technicians were making about $15/hour while an intern was making about $9/hour. The admissions committee tried to say interns make about $1 more an hour than technicians.

 

[spiderluver]

I totally agree. I was a P1 student as of yesterday, finally. Took them awhile to get their paperwork squared away. They might as well make pharmacy schools be listed as "for-profit". They were pleading with me to stay to collect more from me. Cut my losses and only took on 18K of debt versus if I had gone the full way to be stuck with likely 100K+. Likely after graduation be lucky to even get a part-time let alone perhaps a PRN role. Especially pharmacy interns getting paid worse than technicians. Where I was working, technicians were making about $15/hour while a intern was making about $9/hour. The admissions committee tried to say interns make about $1 more an hour than technicians.

I'm currently in that process... officially let them know today but my loans have been declined for some time now. I didn't even think about the intern pay... but that's so true. Crazy how they lied to so many of us in so many ways. How are they getting away with this lol.

 

[blueangel12]

Which school did you attend? I attended LECOM Erie. The lowering of standards to me is a major concern, bringing in people who just came out of high school, not even have a bachelor's degree, or PCAT scores. Even most if not all master's programs out there all require at least a bachelor's degree or GRE scores. No matter if you are seeking a master's in science, business, kinesiology, etc. I guess at the end of the day, education is a business these days. Regardless of whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit schools, they got to make their money somehow and yet they can still have accredited status. They might as well be all University of Phoenix's, I would not be surprised if they open up a pharmacy school themselves as well.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Yeah it's definitely getting saturated, but at the rate their organization is lobbying will saturation affect them anytime soon? Hospitals administration will always prefer to hire NPs over PAs and even sometimes over physicians. If I was in this career I would ride the NP money train as long as possible and then if the market collapses then just go back being an RN.

I think it is going to happen real fast. We went from any pharmacist with a pulse being able to get a job pretty much anywhere they desired in 2005, to 2015 where if a pharmacist got a job, they held on to it knowing it could be months/years/forever before they got another job. NP's are about the 2010 stage, where the writing is on the wall, but people don't realize it yet, because they last looked for a job in the 2005 stage.

 

[radio frequency]

Which school did you attend? I attended LECOM Erie. The lowering of standards to me is a major concern, bringing in people who just came out of high school, not even have a bachelor's degree, or PCAT scores. Even most if not all master's programs out there all require at least a bachelor's degree or GRE scores. No matter if you are seeking a master's in science, business, kinesiology, etc. I guess at the end of the day, education is a business these days. Regardless of whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit schools, they got to make their money somehow and yet they can still have accredited status. They might as well be all University of Phoenix's, I would not be surprised if they open up a pharmacy school themselves as well.

To be fair, LECOM especially has generally been considered a somewhat predatory school for many many years. They always had lower standards.

 

[blueangel12]

To be fair, LECOM especially has generally been considered a somewhat predatory school for many many years. They always had lower standards.

I was kind of suckered into the lower tuition costs.

 

[Sniper7Wolf]

Which school did you attend? I attended LECOM Erie. The lowering of standards to me is a major concern, bringing in people who just came out of high school, not even have a bachelor's degree, or PCAT scores. Even most if not all master's programs out there all require at least a bachelor's degree or GRE scores. No matter if you are seeking a master's in science, business, kinesiology, etc. I guess at the end of the day, education is a business these days. Regardless of whether they are for-profit or not-for-profit schools, they got to make their money somehow and yet they can still have accredited status. They might as well be all University of Phoenix's, I would not be surprised if they open up a pharmacy school themselves as well.

Just because someone has a degree does not make them anymore smarter than other candidates. What if those candidates that do not have degrees have more leadership experience, actual pharmacy experience? You have a degree mommy and daddy paid for? Cool. Some of those candidates have the life experiences and may not have a degree. Also, they don’t just take people straight out of high school unless they have completed their pre-requisites 😂

 

[radio frequency]

Just because someone has a degree does not make them anymore smarter than other candidates. What if those candidates that do not have degrees have more leadership experience, actual pharmacy experience? You have a degree mommy and daddy paid for? Cool. Some of those candidates have the life experiences and may not have a degree. Also, they don’t just take people straight out of high school unless they have completed their pre-requisites 😂

I think a bachelors gives you a different perspective and ability to understand different people. You are always stuck in pharmacy with just a PharmD and no bachelors degree in an outside area.

How would patients feel about a medical doctor without an undergraduate degree? While it’s common get an MBBS straight out of high school for medicine outside the States, I think the expectations for medical education are different here partially because bachelor’s degrees are so common now and they give some shared background with patients who have achieved that level of schooling.

 

[Nguyen2021]

I totally agree. I was a P1 student as of yesterday, finally. Took them awhile to get their paperwork squared away. They might as well make pharmacy schools be listed as "for-profit". They were pleading with me to stay to collect more from me. Cut my losses and only took on 18K of debt versus if I had gone the full way to be stuck with likely 100K+. Likely after graduation be lucky to even get a part-time let alone perhaps a PRN role. Especially pharmacy interns getting paid worse than technicians. Where I was working, technicians were making about $15/hour while an intern was making about $9/hour. The admissions committee tried to say interns make about $1 more an hour than technicians.

Drop out of the pharmacy program early is a good decision. I cried a lot this week because I was dismissed from the PharmD program for failing classes in the 4th semester P2 year. I was in the state of ”unfunctional”, I feel like such a looser because I successfully waste 40 k . Yes, of course I know the pharmacy field have NO GROWTH to it, but I keep pushing my way through because I was so deep into it. I feel better now bc it force me out of it, it help me from further into debt if I have gone a full way like you mention then realizing I have to struggling just to get a part time job.

 

[VA77]

Your dismissal was a blessing in disguise. Just wait and see.

 

[sulking247]

The ones who are lucky enough to have a job hate it, but are forced to keep working as long as possible because they have to pay the bills and there's no other job that you can use this degree for.

This 100%. I am literally dreading going to work every date but need to pay that crippling debt somehow. Get out while you can. Do not put yourself in this position.

 

[iamapharmacist]

This 100%. I am literally dreading going to work every date but need to pay that crippling debt somehow. Get out while you can. Do not put yourself in this position.

Sorry to hear that. What pharmacy do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mentos]

Sorry to hear that. What pharmacy do you work for, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm guessing it starts with C or W.

 

[cali-native86]

I dropped out of one of the better pharmacy schools in CA in spring 2019- I was doing well in school but failed to research the profession in debt before matriculating. Unfortunately I am still paying back the 65k debt (I've recovered about 40k of it already) from 1.5 semesters of CA pharmacy school. Nevertheless, I am glad I cut my losses when I did. Some of my friends who graduated from the same school last year have over 250k debt and are still unemployed.

 

[Kavy979]

Currently finishing my P1 year and considering dropping out as well. I started training for my summer internship and I absolutely am not pleased with the experience. Just don't know how to go about telling admissions.

 

[cali-native86]

Currently finishing my P1 year and considering dropping out as well. I started training for my summer internship and I absolutely am not pleased with the experience. Just don't know how to go about telling admissions.

You just tell them. It's a very stressful and uncomfortable conversation, but you will feel free after you cut the tie. Feel free to pm if you want to chat

 

[doyinDO]

Hey everyone! My first post on here was basically expressing my concerns about pharmacy. My biggest regret is not researching this career enough prior to starting and just jumping right in. Currently in my first semester as a P1 student and I am dropping out... I declined my loans & dropped my classes. I was originally thinking of pursing an engineering degree but decided to stick within healthcare and pursue the BSN to NP route.

To any pre-pharms out there that might be reading this post... please do your research before applying to schools! Admissions directors are not on our side and will make it seem like the profession is booming. There are non-traditional pharmacy jobs out there but are probably even more competitive since that's what many pharmacy students want to pursue anyways because of retail saturation.

Just wanted to give a little update and if anyone else is having doubts about pharmacy because of the job outlook it is not too late to pursue another career with better job security.

I think you made a good choice based on the info out there on pharmacy's job outlook. I just hope you research the NP and RN profession well because they have their flaws too. I agree with one of the posters about how NP has the potential to become like pharmacy in a decade. There are a ton of schools being built and standards are not that high to get in. As for RNs, a lot of them hate their jobs and quit. Being a floor nurse is intense and many future RNs don't realize how hard the job is until they're in it.

 

[grizzlesgrizzlies]

Currently finishing my P1 year and considering dropping out as well. I started training for my summer internship and I absolutely am not pleased with the experience. Just don't know how to go about telling admissions.

Remember that you're the customer. It's the same as cutting the cord. Just tell them you've decided to leave the program

 

[Sniper7Wolf]

Remember that you're the customer. It's the same as cutting the cord. Just tell them you've decided to leave the program

Do you think pharmacy school is good to pursue if my tuition is fully paid for?

 

[grizzlesgrizzlies]

Do you think pharmacy school is good to pursue if my tuition is fully paid for?

Even if it's free IMO it's not worth spending 4 of your prime years studying. You should only do it if you really love pharmacy even if it meant working at a cvs/walgreens.

 

[cali-native86]

Do you think pharmacy school is good to pursue if my tuition is fully paid for?

No it's too great an opportunity cost for a bad outcome. Why not spend 4 years studying for something you actually want to become or get a job in an area you're interested in? From every angle you look at it, pharmacy is the absolute worst healthcare profession to enter and it's not even close!

 

[blueangel12]

Currently finishing my P1 year and considering dropping out as well. I started training for my summer internship and I absolutely am not pleased with the experience. Just don't know how to go about telling admissions.

I was in your situation about five months ago during my P1 year four months into the program. Feel free to PM me as well. I agree with what cali-native86 said. It is your choice. Of course, they are going to plead with you to stay so they can collect more tuition money out of you. You just have to say you have decided to pursue something else, you were not coerced into making your decision, and they do not put up any resistance after that.

 

[spiderluver]

I think you made a good choice based on the info out there on pharmacy's job outlook. I just hope you research the NP and RN profession well because they have their flaws too. I agree with one of the posters about how NP has the potential to become like pharmacy in a decade. There are a ton of schools being built and standards are not that high to get in. As for RNs, a lot of them hate their jobs and quit. Being a floor nurse is intense and many future RNs don't realize how hard the job is until they're in it.

Yes, I do agree that every profession has its flaws. I considered nursing and PA before pharmacy school because I enjoy the healthcare field in general I was just set on pharmacy after because it is a "doctorate" degree. I researched more about the NP saturation and it is scary how it may become like pharmacy in the future, but at least I will have my BSN to fall back on. Also, I will be in a lot less debt than if I stayed in pharmacy school.

 

[watchfulwaiting1957]

Yes, I do agree that every profession has its flaws. I considered nursing and PA before pharmacy school because I enjoy the healthcare field in general I was just set on pharmacy after because it is a "doctorate" degree. I researched more about the NP saturation and it is scary how it may become like pharmacy in the future, but at least I will have my BSN to fall back on. Also, I will be in a lot less debt than if I stayed in pharmacy school.

Pharmacy was a great major 20 years ago. Today not so much. Congrats on the great financial change you made in your life!

 

[alpha12]

Good job. You are getting out early with minimal debt and time spent. Good luck on whatever you choose next.

 

[Kavy979]

I was in your situation about five months ago during my P1 year four months into the program. Feel free to PM me as well. I agree with what cali-native86 said. It is your choice. Of course, they are going to plead with you to stay so they can collect more tuition money out of you. You just have to say you have decided to pursue something else, you were not coerced into making your decision, and they do not put up any resistance after that.

Thanks, appreciate your advice. I always had my heart set out for medical school but was really depressed and burnt out from

You just tell them. It's a very stressful and uncomfortable conversation, but you will feel free after you cut the tie. Feel free to pm if you want to chat

Sorry for the late reply, but thanks so much for the reassurance. I'm trying to formulate how I would go about telling them.

 

[babagandu2424]

One thing I’ll add to all of these replies is that if you manage to break into industry through a fellowship, healthcare consulting, or the biopharma finance space, then a PharmD comes out as being a high ROI. These are not easy to obtain and requires you to be pretty polished (i.e., network your a** off, leadership roles, summer internships outside of retail/hospital, solid research stint, etc.).

Otherwise, don’t bother with the degree.

 

[DocSherman]

One thing I’ll add to all of these replies is that if you manage to break into industry through a fellowship, healthcare consulting, or the biopharma finance space, then a PharmD comes out as being a high ROI. These are not easy to obtain and requires you to be pretty polished (i.e., network your a** off, leadership roles, summer internships outside of retail/hospital, solid research stint, etc.).

Otherwise, don’t bother with the degree.

Sounds kinda like law at this point - the bottom tiers being meh while the upper tiers being very profitable.

It isn’t like med where everybody who survives can make a decent cut - those that squeaked though and those that excelled.

 

[quickpic007]

Thanks, appreciate your advice. I always had my heart set out for medical school but was really depressed and burnt out from

Sorry for the late reply, but thanks so much for the reassurance. I'm trying to formulate how I would go about telling them.

Depending on your age and financial situation, you are in a great spot actually.

Can you just take a year off to try new things? Most schools will let you I think. Check your student handbook/manual.
If not, just email your school registrar and Dean and tell them you are not going to enroll for 2021 fall.