Fabled 2-year Alaska Opportunity?

[gallens33]

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I am graduating in a couple year, and I have heard about opportunities for 2 year contracts with pharmacies in remote areas of Alaska. The pay is quite substantial with bonuses. I am wondering the validity of this, where I can find more information, and if anyone has done it and can tell me anything about it. I do not want to do a residency or fellowship. I just want to know if this opportunity actually exists, where to find more information, and whether or not it's worth it. Any suggestions?

 

[TonyRx]

I've heard similar stories. I have a friend that is a P4 at UF who was told about a 5yr/1mil contract(Alaska) from a member of faculty. I would assume that these contracts were more plausable a few years ago but probably unlikely nowadays. I tried searching online for more info but cannot find anything solid or concrete.

 

[Praziquantel86]

I've heard similar stories. I have a friend that is a P4 at UF who was told about a 5yr/1mil contract(Alaska) from a member of faculty. I would assume that these contracts were more plausable a few years ago but probably unlikely nowadays. I tried searching online for more info but cannot find anything solid or concrete.

That has gone down. It used to be $1 million/3 years...the shortage truly is over.

 

[rxlea]

Yeah man...you also get one of these:

 

[owlegrad]

Yeah man...you also get one of these:

They will also lease you a sweat toboggan.

 

[Sparda29]

Yup, and you get lease deals on these:

 

[TonyRx]

And if you sign before 2012, you get 1 free night with Bristol Palin.😱

 

[StevePerry]

And if you sign before 2012, you get 1 free night with Bristol Palin.😱

And in 9 months your Alaska contract will get extended to 18 years!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Someone should probably just be honest.

It's an old wives' tale. There has never been a "$1 million contract" for Alaska. Even during the deepest shortage. They make $130k at most. I have no idea how the hell this rumor became so widespread, either.

 

[StevePerry]

Someone should probably just be honest.

It's an old wives' tale. There has never been a "$1 million contract" for Alaska. Even during the deepest shortage. They make $130k at most. I have no idea how the hell this rumor became so widespread, either.

Yeah, and while we're at it, lets stop by a nursery and tell all the kids Santa Claus isn't real. Party pooper...

 

[rph3664]

And in 9 months your Alaska contract will get extended to 18 years!

That's not Bristol with her son. The baby is her (I believe) nephew Trig.

I, and a lot of other people, believe that Trig is not Sarah Palin's son, but her grandson, the offspring of her son Track and an unidentified girlfriend. JMHO and YMMV.

The Indian Health Service does have some clinics and hospitals in remote Alaskan villages, but the pay isn't any higher than for stateside service.

 

[diastole]

I was just talking about this with my friend who is actually from Alaska. She was saying that the pay is about 140k and you get a sign on bonus. I don't know if her info is correct. But she also talked about how much higher the cost of living is and apples are very expensive. It probably isn't worth it if you really like apples.

 

[p-rog]

It probably isn't worth it if you really like apples.

OR sunlight, or heat, or social interaction, or....

 

[TonyRx]

OR sunlight, or heat, or social interaction, or....

....but if you enjoy shooting animals, drinking 12 hours a day, snow, hiking, ice fishing and having no neighbors you'll love it!

 

[CUninja]

I was just talking about this with my friend who is actually from Alaska. She was saying that the pay is about 140k and you get a sign on bonus. I don't know if her info is correct. But she also talked about how much higher the cost of living is and apples are very expensive. It probably isn't worth it if you really like apples.

NOT THE APPLES!!!! 😱

 

[Praziquantel86]

....but if you enjoy shooting animals, drinking 12 hours a day, snow, hiking, ice fishing and having no neighbors you'll love it!

You've just described my perfect life. Add a cigar in there, and I'll do that for minimum wage.

 

[297point1]

Whatever big payday opportunities exist in Alaska (if they even exist at all) might be gone by 2017.

http://www.alaska.edu/health/downloads/FinalUAPharmacyReportNelsonFeb2010.pdf

For those of you who have never seen a needs assessment, this is a good example of what colleges and universities commission to help them decide whether or not to pull the trigger on a school of pharmacy.

If this happens, it will leave Delaware as the only state in the country that doesn't have a SOP.

 

[Sparda29]

You've just described my perfect life. Add a cigar in there, and I'll do that for minimum wage.

Replace the drinking with smoking hookah for me, and add it a T3 internet connection so I can play Starcraft 2, WOW, and Modern Warfare 2, I'll be happy.

 

[Praziquantel86]

Whatever big payday opportunities exist in Alaska (if they even exist at all) might be gone by 2017.

http://www.alaska.edu/health/downloads/FinalUAPharmacyReportNelsonFeb2010.pdf

For those of you who have never seen a needs assessment, this is a good example of what colleges and universities commission to help them decide whether or not to pull the trigger on a school of pharmacy.

If this happens, it will leave Delaware as the only state in the country that doesn't have a SOP.

That's a really interesting read, actually. Is this something that most of the new schools have completed before they begin?

I don't actually think an Alaskan pharmacy school would be a bad idea, especially if its the state University opening one. It seems foolish to have bright students leave the state and potentially not come back. If the numbers in the report are accurate - and they stick to 30/year enrollment - they'd be doing right by their state and the profession.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Someone should probably just be honest.

It's an old wives' tale. There has never been a "$1 million contract" for Alaska. Even during the deepest shortage. They make $130k at most. I have no idea how the hell this rumor became so widespread, either.

Whats wrong with you? Has unemployment made you soft hearted and weak?

 

[deleted205891]

If this happens, it will leave Delaware as the only state in the country that doesn't have a SOP.

Unfortunately, that isn't stopping Delaware from getting saturated, due to the schools opening around it (first Jefferson and now UMES) 🙁.
When Pharmacy in Alaska gets saturated, that'll be the end of the world. So I guess the world will end not in 2012 but in 2017.

 

[297point1]

That's a really interesting read, actually. Is this something that most of the new schools have completed before they begin?

I have no idea. I'd like to think that any school making a $20M to $40M investment to get a SOP started would spend the money (relative chump change) to do a needs assessment.

Recent evidence (several new schools going into already saturated markets) suggests otherwise.