Dropping PhD for PharmD?

[sidge]

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Hi all,

Saw there were a few similar posts out there but wanted to post my own situation. I'm about to finish the first semester of a PhD program in a biomedical science at a mid-tier research university (actually I did an early rotation so I've been there for 6 months). I had a part-time research job for 3 years as an undergrad and worked full-time for 2 years after in academic research (not because I loved research per se, but b/c it was a job, and I had the opportunity to write a bunch of publishable papers in that lab). After the first year I decided to apply to PhD programs (was deciding b/w PhD and PharmD). During the second year of working, though, and waiting to find out where I'd be going to grad school, I got super turned off to research, and find myself still feeling that way. I'm not going to list all of the reasons why, but they're pretty similar to what everyone else on this forum has said (lack of jobs, poor pay, spending at least 5 years in grad school working by yourself on an obscure project).

I worked in a pharmacy as a tech for like 6 years, full-time in the summers during college, and truly loved it, thus the initial interest. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has dropped a PhD for a PharmD and how that worked out, or if anyone has any advice on the matter. I pretty much know at this point that research is not for me, but I'm just not sure how to handle the leaving part. Maybe stay for the Master's (another 1.5 years) and take the PCAT and remaining pre-reqs. in that time? My schedule as a grad student is already so crazy that it's hard to imagine doing both at the same time.

Thanks

 

[desklamp]

Hi all,

Saw there were a few similar posts out there but wanted to post my own situation. I'm about to finish the first semester of a PhD program in a biomedical science at a mid-tier research university (actually I did an early rotation so I've been there for 6 months). I had a part-time research job for 3 years as an undergrad and worked full-time for 2 years after in academic research (not because I loved research per se, but b/c it was a job, and I had the opportunity to write a bunch of publishable papers in that lab). After the first year I decided to apply to PhD programs (was deciding b/w PhD and PharmD). During the second year of working, though, and waiting to find out where I'd be going to grad school, I got super turned off to research, and find myself still feeling that way. I'm not going to list all of the reasons why, but they're pretty similar to what everyone else on this forum has said (lack of jobs, poor pay, spending at least 5 years in grad school working by yourself on an obscure project).

I worked in a pharmacy as a tech for like 6 years, full-time in the summers during college, and truly loved it, thus the initial interest. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has dropped a PhD for a PharmD and how that worked out, or if anyone has any advice on the matter. I pretty much know at this point that research is not for me, but I'm just not sure how to handle the leaving part. Maybe stay for the Master's (another 1.5 years) and take the PCAT and remaining pre-reqs. in that time? My schedule as a grad student is already so crazy that it's hard to imagine doing both at the same time.

Thanks

I'm not really in the same boat as you but I was deciding between a PhD and a PharmD. I was basically told that a PhD in the sciences was pretty worthless pay-to-time wise and job availability wise unless you wanted to go into academia (which is already pretty competitive). Since pharmaceutical/biotech companies end up just hiring BAs and MS's and promoting them up to director, a PhD isn't really all that hot anymore considering the time spent. However, at least when you do the PhD you're getting paid to go to school, instead of being 100k in debt after pharm school.

I ultimately chose PharmD because of the career options. If you wanted to work at a pharmaceutical company, you could. If you wanted to work in a hospital, or a CVS, you could. If you wanted to teach, you can do that too. There's PharmD/PhD programs out there as well.