Feeling Kinda Down, Need Advice

[PA_dud3]

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Hey Guys, looking for some advice from current RPh's/Physicians/Graduate Students.

So, some of you may know that I originally had aspirations for medicine. I worked for a time as a CNA student and didn't like it, and my enjoyment of being a pharmacy tech pointed me towards pharmacy so that is what I'm doing. I'm doing well in undergrad, and I've already got over a year of experience as a tech, and I'm on track for my school's 2+4 program.

It's just like, every now and then I just start feeling like a quitter. I did a lot of shadowing in doctor's offices, hospitals, and really enjoyed it. I want to do pharmacy, but at the same time part of me says I will regret not going for MD/DO. I just don't think I could thrive for an additional two years of undergrad, if it is like how it is now. Not because of the work, just living like I am now with everyone who just cares about partying and drinking and drugs, I just don't like it. I like being able to study alone without some idiot blaring his music beside me. Plus I kinda liked the idea of pharmacy where I start practicing in less than 6 years

If you were in my shoes, (disregarding saturation), what would you do? MD/DO or RPh? Why?

I don't know what I hope to get out of this thread, maybe some advice that will set me straight or something, who knows.

Thanks for any advice or words you can offer.

Dd3

 

[lord999]

...I just had a recent portfolio case sent about someone who went through medical school, got an ophthalmology residency and finished, and then in a Informatics residency resigns out of cycle without taking the primary boards. This person intends to work for Silicon Valley in a capacity that the training was meaningless. I'm not upset with the resignation per se, but I am not happy about the amount of wasted time and resources that could have gone to someone who would practice and would do something with it. I do condemn people for not having intentions to work and just want the status or failing to be introspective enough to understand the work circumstances. I do reserve my vitriol for people who fail to supervise their people and processes especially when it comes to education which is a limited resource.

You ought to know that quite a number of RPhs were failed medical/veterinary students (some on admission, some from failure). Most reconciled themselves eventually, but it's not a happy decision. In the present day, pharmacy school seems trivial to get into, so you can use it as a fallback option, but you're going to need to work pretty hard for an MD admission right now since the competition no longer stops there. That'd be for medical residency placement where there's less residencies than medical school placements at this point, and there's foreign competition hungry and willing to tolerate less ideal circumstances during the residency.

But, you need to be realistic about your performance. If you can't get into a state school pharmacy program (which is somewhat competitive), you'll probably be outcompeted for US medical schools.

The reward for all of that grief is that you get to practice as a physician, no more or no less at this point. It remains to be seen in your future whether or not this is financially better than not going to medical school (only your residency placement will be able to give you a scale for that). But at present, pharmacy has always had the lowest admissions rate into medical school, and I fully recommend against using pharmacy as a premed degree. Even just getting an MD is no longer sufficient if you do not practice.

 

[PA_dud3]

...I just had a recent portfolio case sent about someone who went through medical school, got an ophthalmology residency and finished, and then in a Informatics residency resigns out of cycle without taking the primary boards. This person intends to work for Silicon Valley in a capacity that the training was meaningless. I'm not upset with the resignation per se, but I am not happy about the amount of wasted time and resources that could have gone to someone who would practice and would do something with it. I do condemn people for not having intentions to work and just want the status or failing to be introspective enough to understand the work circumstances. I do reserve my vitriol for people who fail to supervise their people and processes especially when it comes to education which is a limited resource.

You ought to know that quite a number of RPhs were failed medical/veterinary students (some on admission, some from failure). Most reconciled themselves eventually, but it's not a happy decision. In the present day, pharmacy school seems trivial to get into, so you can use it as a fallback option, but you're going to need to work pretty hard for an MD admission right now since the competition no longer stops there. That'd be for medical residency placement where there's less residencies than medical school placements at this point, and there's foreign competition hungry and willing to tolerate less ideal circumstances during the residency.

But, you need to be realistic about your performance. If you can't get into a state school pharmacy program (which is somewhat competitive), you'll probably be outcompeted for US medical schools.

The reward for all of that grief is that you get to practice as a physician, no more or no less at this point. It remains to be seen in your future whether or not this is financially better than not going to medical school (only your residency placement will be able to give you a scale for that). But at present, pharmacy has always had the lowest admissions rate into medical school, and I fully recommend against using pharmacy as a premed degree. Even just getting an MD is no longer sufficient if you do not practice.

Thank you for the advice. I'm still at a point where I could pursue medicine or pharmacy, but I'm just not sure which I should do.

 

[ImmunoglobulinE]

As far as I’m concern medicine all the way.

Pros
Better Job Market
Better pay
Better job prospect
Higher Statue than Pharmacist
No corporate telling you to meet a certain metrics
No slashing of workers base hours
You have more autonomy ( you can work for more than one organization)

Cons
Much Expensive
More competitive and lots of hard grinding but it’s worth it
Longer time in school but worth it ( but most medical residents I talk to in their fourth year and residency say they like it better than the first three years of medical school)



My advise for you is that, if it’s pharmacy vs medicine, definitely aim for medicine

Pharmacy job market is terrible now in 2018, imagine how bad it will be four years from now. When we have more graduates in the market, and more corporate Pharmacy foreclosures, layoff and downsizing. You can look around all the threads in the forum and you ll be aware of the impending doom awaiting this profession if no action is taken. At the end of the day the choice is yours to make. Good luck

 

[mustang sally]

It sounds like you are already regretting not doing MD/DO route, so I think you should go for it if that's what you really want. Don't let a couple more years in undergrad be the deciding factor that holds you back, at any rate. Yes, I know where you are coming from with the issues of partying because I felt the same way. To be honest, you are going to deal with this in professional school as well (at least to some extent), so I would not plan my career around that factor. The time goes by fast and you will be out of school before you know it.

Is there any way you can change your living situation? Kind of sounds like you are stuck living with some people that you don't have much in common with. Or maybe you are just talking about the whole university atmosphere in general, but like I said, it is what it is and it will be over before you know it.

 

[PA_dud3]

It's not that I regret it, per se. I really do enjoy pharmacy and find it extremely interesting and enjoyable work. I just feel like I might regret it eventually, not going to medical school, down the road.

 

[Modest_anteater]

Hey Guys, looking for some advice from current RPh's/Physicians/Graduate Students.

So, some of you may know that I originally had aspirations for medicine. I worked for a time as a CNA student and didn't like it, and my enjoyment of being a pharmacy tech pointed me towards pharmacy so that is what I'm doing. I'm doing well in undergrad, and I've already got over a year of experience as a tech, and I'm on track for my school's 2+4 program.

It's just like, every now and then I just start feeling like a quitter. I did a lot of shadowing in doctor's offices, hospitals, and really enjoyed it. I want to do pharmacy, but at the same time part of me says I will regret not going for MD/DO. I just don't think I could thrive for an additional two years of undergrad, if it is like how it is now. Not because of the work, just living like I am now with everyone who just cares about partying and drinking and drugs, I just don't like it. I like being able to study alone without some idiot blaring his music beside me. Plus I kinda liked the idea of pharmacy where I start practicing in less than 6 years

If you were in my shoes, (disregarding saturation), what would you do? MD/DO or RPh? Why?

I don't know what I hope to get out of this thread, maybe some advice that will set me straight or something, who knows.

Thanks for any advice or words you can offer.

Dd3

100% after you get your pharmacy degree you will go to med school after. Better to bite the bullet and just go to medical school now.

 

[PA_dud3]

100% after you get your pharmacy degree you will go to med school after. Better to bite the bullet and just go to medical school now.

I don't think I could, I wouldn't have a bachelor's degree. Just two years of pre-reqs and my doctorate.

 

[lord999]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my earlier post, but you probably need to make especially sure that you actually intend to practice as a physician and not just go for the status, money, or other perks. The work is much more time-consuming and hard than pharmacy, and although it is not as corporate as pharmacy, it is far more political (if you don't get referrals as a specialist, good luck surviving) and much harsher in terms of the business (surgeons and cosmetic procedure physicians are notorious for cheating each other and prey upon the young without business knowledge). It's not just about getting in, it's about sustainable work where giving up practice too early has larger consequences for everyone where one of the beauties about pharmacy has always been that you can walk away without significant damage to yourself or the system. I'm really happy that I'm not so invested in work that I can't leave it unlike Medicine and Big Law while still making more than comfortable money.

 

[PA_dud3]

Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my earlier post, but you probably need to make especially sure that you actually intend to practice as a physician and not just go for the status, money, or other perks. The work is much more time-consuming and hard than pharmacy, and although it is not as corporate as pharmacy, it is far more political (if you don't get referrals as a specialist, good luck surviving) and much harsher in terms of the business (surgeons and cosmetic procedure physicians are notorious for cheating each other and prey upon the young without business knowledge). It's not just about getting in, it's about sustainable work where giving up practice too early has larger consequences for everyone where one of the beauties about pharmacy has always been that you can walk away without significant damage to yourself or the system. I'm really happy that I'm not so invested in work that I can't leave it unlike Medicine and Big Law while still making more than comfortable money.

I understand you now, I apologize.

That's what I'm worried about. I feel like the only reason I want to be a physician instead of a pharmacist is for the prestige/paycheck. Don't get me wrong, the pay for a pharmacist is not something to scoff at, and is something I would be more than happy earning. I just can't help but think that the reason I keep thinking about medicine has to do with my ego and what people will think about me. I don't know, maybe that sounds crazy.

 

[AlwaysContrary]

If ego and status is what you worry about, pharmacy is a prestigious career choice and many people will look up to you for what you completed (except for drug addicts and other pharmacists). Pharmacists on this board really like to talk down about the profession so don't let it get to you. I know many people who went into medicine for their own egos/status and most have failed out. The ones who didn't have gotten stuck so far up their own butthole that no one likes them even though they are a ''doctor" lol

 

[Momus]

If ego and status is what you worry about, pharmacy is a prestigious career choice and many people will look up to you for what you completed (except for drug addicts and other pharmacists). Pharmacists on this board really like to talk down about the profession so don't let it get to you. I know many people who went into medicine for their own egos/status and most have failed out. The ones who didn't have gotten stuck so far up their own butthole that no one likes them even though they are a ''doctor" lol

No one looks up to pharmacists. If you want status, money and flexible career choices, be a doctor. It's idiotic to go on and settle as a pharmacist knowing the job market now. You aren't even guaranteed 40h/w anymore, that's like a joke after getting a professional degree. You shouldn't even think twice about this. Regret minimization framework - Jeff Bezos.

 

[JamesPharmD]

no second thought. Of course, medical school is best option. You worked in the pharmacy so you know how rude customers and nurses are. If you want to do medical, then do it because I don't think it benefits to get pharmacy degree first if you are not going to use it. Once you become a pharmacy student, your loan kick in and no more financial aid. Plus, you need to keep CE hours and paid money to renew your pharmacy license while you in medical school. Also, pharmacy job market is saturated and it will be super saturated when you are done with pharmacy. Not worth it.

Keep us post what you decided to do

 

[sozetone]

Hey Guys, looking for some advice from current RPh's/Physicians/Graduate Students.

So, some of you may know that I originally had aspirations for medicine. I worked for a time as a CNA student and didn't like it, and my enjoyment of being a pharmacy tech pointed me towards pharmacy so that is what I'm doing. I'm doing well in undergrad, and I've already got over a year of experience as a tech, and I'm on track for my school's 2+4 program.

It's just like, every now and then I just start feeling like a quitter. I did a lot of shadowing in doctor's offices, hospitals, and really enjoyed it. I want to do pharmacy, but at the same time part of me says I will regret not going for MD/DO. I just don't think I could thrive for an additional two years of undergrad, if it is like how it is now. Not because of the work, just living like I am now with everyone who just cares about partying and drinking and drugs, I just don't like it. I like being able to study alone without some idiot blaring his music beside me. Plus I kinda liked the idea of pharmacy where I start practicing in less than 6 years

If you were in my shoes, (disregarding saturation), what would you do? MD/DO or RPh? Why?

I don't know what I hope to get out of this thread, maybe some advice that will set me straight or something, who knows.

Thanks for any advice or words you can offer.

Dd3

The choice is simple my friend. YOU WANT A JOB? A REAL PROFESSION? = medicine.
YOU WANT TO BE A CORPORATE SLAVE AND LOSE A JOB EVERY 1-3 YEARS = pharmacy.

Done....

 

[RxPreceptor]

Don't let A-hole comments get to you. Some of us do not really care about money that much & are truly fascinated by chemicals & drugs.
To some extent, you will have to deal with A-holes who misdirect anger @ you (usually $ related) if you are involved in any form of healthcare.

Only you can decide for yourself...indecisiveness is not a good mindset to have if you plan on working in community pharmacy (often I find these people move on to other careers or part-time/struggle moving constantly)

 

[Old Timer]

Do what you love. Medicine is corporate now too. Almost all of the PCP practices are owned by hospitals. They dictate how many patients you see a day. They have customer satisfaction surveys.... It's not as bad as pharmacy, but it is heading in that direction

 

[BMBiology]

Get the grades first then think about your options.

 

[FinallyOnTrack]

I will say this - there is a student in my class who completed med school, passed his boards - and decided Med school wasn’t for him so he applied and got accepted into pharmacy school..

You have your entire life in front of you.. focus on school now and let your success dictate your fun later on.. trust me, you’ll have plenty of time to have fun, to party, and to get chocolate wasted in the future...


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[ornithoptor]

Do what you love. Medicine is corporate now too. Almost all of the PCP practices are owned by hospitals. They dictate how many patients you see a day. They have customer satisfaction surveys.... It's not as bad as pharmacy, but it is heading in that direction

This post really hit the nail on the head. I will further elaborate with some background and example to illustrate independent medical practice is becoming the thing of the past.

Billing issues: CMS Medicare reimbursement, ICD 10 coding, fraud and abuse penalties means that individual Physicians may not have resources to pay for these types of services. Thus, more providers sell and contract with hospitals so they don't have to deal with this hassles.

MACRA: haha, providers are now being reviewed and graded on performances. Furthermore, your grades carries with you.

Recent contract dispute lead to departure of 200 providers from our organization. Guess what, 150+ came back knowing how difficult for them to work independently. You are told what to do, how many patients you see. Worse, you are measured how many labs that order. I learned about this when I had a meeting with our CFO in my last hospital.

I totally agree with everyone's opinions. I urge you to do more research and some soul searching.
I have seen a few posts from you, and I like to ask a difficult question without being offensive. Do you currently feel that you have the maturity to be a physician? It is a huge commitment and no one should undertake this for the wrong reason.

I wish you best of luck.


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[sozetone]

Don't let A-hole comments get to you. Some of us do not really care about money that much & are truly fascinated by chemicals & drugs.
To some extent, you will have to deal with A-holes who misdirect anger @ you (usually $ related) if you are involved in any form of healthcare.

Only you can decide for yourself...indecisiveness is not a good mindset to have if you plan on working in community pharmacy (often I find these people move on to other careers or part-time/struggle moving constantly)

Oh stop coddling this guy. Flat truth is we wouldn't go so far into debt if the job paid 12.50 an hour. Without money, you have problems. Cash is king. That does not mean do something you have no interest in for the money however. It means a career you can hold without having to wonder if your bills are going to be paid next month due to job loss, constant worry...etc. wanna avoid that? = medicine.

 

[PharmtoCS]

That's what I'm worried about. I feel like the only reason I want to be a physician instead of a pharmacist is for the prestige/paycheck. Don't get me wrong, the pay for a pharmacist is not something to scoff at, and is something I would be more than happy earning. I just can't help but think that the reason I keep thinking about medicine has to do with my ego and what people will think about me. I don't know, maybe that sounds crazy.

I would look at the trades, IT, computer programming, etc. instead. You only need to see how high tech professionals are treated vs pharmacists. The former get showered with lavish perks, i.e. catered gourmet meals, employee shuttles, on-site gym and laundry, on-site pet daycare, free massages, etc. whereas a pharmacist you might be lucky to even get a bathroom break while being on your feet for 14 hours.

 

[RxPreceptor]

Oh stop coddling this guy. Flat truth is we wouldn't go so far into debt if the job paid 12.50 an hour. Without money, you have problems. Cash is king. That does not mean do something you have no interest in for the money however. It means a career you can hold without having to wonder if your bills are going to be paid next month due to job loss, constant worry...etc. wanna avoid that? = medicine.

Seems like an oversimplification...more money, more problems. Soul searching it is

 

[AlwaysContrary]

No one looks up to pharmacists. If you want status, money and flexible career choices, be a doctor. It's idiotic to go on and settle as a pharmacist knowing the job market now. You aren't even guaranteed 40h/w anymore, that's like a joke after getting a professional degree. You shouldn't even think twice about this. Regret minimization framework - Jeff Bezos.

@Doktor_dud3 my point has been proven.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Pros
No corporate telling you to meet a certain metrics
No slashing of workers base hours]/b]
You have more autonomy ( you can work for more than one organization)]

I disagree with these pros. There are very few independent physicians anymore, and the ones who are, are usually in specialty groups. This has been a massive change over the past 10-15 years. I would say 90% of the doctors with admitting privileges at my hospital are either 1) employees of the hospital or 2) employees of a sister hospital. I have seen doctors "fired" (ie their contract was not renewed), for no discernible reason, other than that the hospital wanted to replace them with a new grad. Certainly physicians still have many more "pros" over pharmacists, but dealing with corporate bureaucracy is not one of them.

Cons
Much Expensive
More competitive and lots of hard grinding but it’s worth it
Longer time in school but worth it ( but most medical residents I talk to in their fourth year and residency say they like it better than the first three years of medical school)

Another big con you left off the list, most doctors work very long hours. Yes, they get paid more than pharmacists, but they are working 60 - 80 hours/week. Unlike pharmacy, where one can easily work part-time (which is why so many women are attracted to pharmacy), this is often not possible for most medical specialties.

Get the grades first then think about your options.

This.

OP, can you move out of the dorm? If your main complain about college is you don't like being around partiers, see if you can't live elsewhere. I would definitely recommend getting your bachelor's degree.

 

[PA_dud3]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and comments.

I think at this time I'm going to stay on the Pre-Pharmacy track. I can't think of any concrete reasons to personally pursue medicine over pharmacy, and I can think of many just in Retail pharmacy. It also aligns more with the amount of time I feel comfortable going to school, not to mention my personal interests.

Thanks again for all your help, I appreciate the advice immensely.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Thanks to everyone for your advice and comments.

I think at this time I'm going to stay on the Pre-Pharmacy track. I can't think of any concrete reasons to personally pursue medicine over pharmacy, and I can think of many just in Retail pharmacy. It also aligns more with the amount of time I feel comfortable going to school, not to mention my personal interests.

Thanks again for all your help, I appreciate the advice immensely.

My two cents:

Go to medical school and suffer for the next 10-12 years, and live the rest of your life content. Do not go to pharmacy school and go 150-250k in debt for a job that pays 120-140k, that barely increases every year, especially in this ever increasingly awful job market. The ROI of a Pharmd is piss poor today, and I regret not sucking it up and going for MD/DO school. I partied hard my first 3 years in college and barely got a 2.75gpa, doing zero homework or studying. I buckled down a little for my 4th year and got on the deans list, but had to still do a 5th year (deans list again) because I changed to pre-pharm my senior year and I took extra classes to ensure I got into a pharmd program... taking electives like immunology and genetics. My GPA was still ****, like 3.3 I think, so I didn't even dream of doing medical school. I regret all of that now; I wish I had studied hard and earned good grades right off the bat, taken the MCAT instead of the PCAT, and done medical school.

The earning potential for a pharmd vs MD is laughable, and when you factor in the program costs and how you can begin PSLF in residency and throughout fellowship... the smart move by FAR is to go into medicine. You can be year 5, 6, or 7 into PSLF by the time you're an attending (depending on your specialty). Pharmacy is a dumpster fire in its current state... by the time you finish pharmacy school god only knows what it will be like. You already see the chains cutting hours now!

You need to think long and hard about this. You should try to rent a house with a few other guys, ones that are focused and have similar goals (if you can find them), and split the rent cost. That will be far cheaper and give you freedom from the dormlife.

 

[NITRAS]

I disagree with these pros. There are very few independent physicians anymore, and the ones who are, are usually in specialty groups. This has been a massive change over the past 10-15 years. I would say 90% of the doctors with admitting privileges at my hospital are either 1) employees of the hospital or 2) employees of a sister hospital. I have seen doctors "fired" (ie their contract was not renewed), for no discernible reason, other than that the hospital wanted to replace them with a new grad. Certainly physicians still have many more "pros" over pharmacists, but dealing with corporate bureaucracy is not one of them.



Another big con you left off the list, most doctors work very long hours. Yes, they get paid more than pharmacists, but they are working 60 - 80 hours/week. Unlike pharmacy, where one can easily work part-time (which is why so many women are attracted to pharmacy), this is often not possible for most medical specialties.
.

1. Yes, large chunks of physicians are employed, and those that aren't are part of larger groups to pay for overhead. There are so many metrics, its hard to keep track of them all. You don't want to know how many times we have had talks about length of stay and readmissions. Thankfully my personal HCAPPS is not tied to my compensation (for now).

2. I disagree about the 60-80 hour weeks. Just about every specialty has parts of it that suck. And most every residency have part that just suck. But long term there are available positions that don't require as much call or direct patient contact hours. The best thing about being a physician is the variety of the job market. Everything I know people that work one week every few months via locum tenens. As an internist, I can work in a SNF, LTAC, small hospital ICU, urgent care, clinic, hospitalist, nursing home, and concierge.

Ultimately I can set up my practice doing the things I like. Right now I work 14 days on, 14 days off. I moonlight 3 or so days on my "off" weeks. I don't take night call, and have very little clinical responsibilities while I'm off. I don't make a half million dollars a year, but I made more than I thought I would in med school. The future will change. I don't plan on being a hospitalist forever, and I'm not sure what my 10 year plan is. May not even be in clinical medicine.

 

[Sabril]

Am I the only ***** that sees pharmacy going down but do not regret not going to medical school? I mean I'm not saying pharmacy is the right choice for me but most pharmacists/pharmacy students I know want to become doctors at one point or another.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I never wanted to be a doctor, I don't understand this idea of them being similar careers at all. I don't like direct patient care, touching other people's yucky parts or dealing with excretions. I get enough of that as a parent. PharmD and MD/DO are completely different paths and as far as I know you have to pass go (touch yucky parts) to collect the $200 no matter where you ultimately end up as a physician.

I would not advise pharmacy because the market sucks, but I still think it's a great field. I love pharmacology; that's why I went into pharmacy. There is a ton of burnout for physicians - tons of metrics. They might not be about how quickly you answer the phone but they are often just as out of your control. Read KevinMD or any medical journal. Plenty of disgruntlement there. This health care spending bubble has to burst and where **it will land, I do not know. I'm just glad I have my loans paid off (don't trust PSLF to be there) and am a decade into my career.

 

[Seriously Serious]

Time >>> money

Even if you are not filthy rich at the end of the day, you'll make a great salary at >32 hrs. Enjoy your life/friends/family before it all expires.

 

[Cleaveland]

...I just had a recent portfolio case sent about someone who went through medical school, got an ophthalmology residency and finished, and then in a Informatics residency resigns out of cycle without taking the primary boards. This person intends to work for Silicon Valley in a capacity that the training was meaningless. I'm not upset with the resignation per se, but I am not happy about the amount of wasted time and resources that could have gone to someone who would practice and would do something with it. I do condemn people for not having intentions to work and just want the status or failing to be introspective enough to understand the work circumstances. I do reserve my vitriol for people who fail to supervise their people and processes especially when it comes to education which is a limited resource.

You ought to know that quite a number of RPhs were failed medical/veterinary students (some on admission, some from failure). Most reconciled themselves eventually, but it's not a happy decision. In the present day, pharmacy school seems trivial to get into, so you can use it as a fallback option, but you're going to need to work pretty hard for an MD admission right now since the competition no longer stops there. That'd be for medical residency placement where there's less residencies than medical school placements at this point, and there's foreign competition hungry and willing to tolerate less ideal circumstances during the residency.

But, you need to be realistic about your performance. If you can't get into a state school pharmacy program (which is somewhat competitive), you'll probably be outcompeted for US medical schools.

The reward for all of that grief is that you get to practice as a physician, no more or no less at this point. It remains to be seen in your future whether or not this is financially better than not going to medical school (only your residency placement will be able to give you a scale for that). But at present, pharmacy has always had the lowest admissions rate into medical school, and I fully recommend against using pharmacy as a premed degree. Even just getting an MD is no longer sufficient if you do not practice.

I know two of my friends who graduated from a pharmacy school, which also had a osteopathic medicine program and got accepted right after. Without an MCAT.

 

[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

I will say this - there is a student in my class who completed med school, passed his boards - and decided Med school wasn’t for him so he applied and got accepted into pharmacy school..

Med students take the STEP 1 board exam at the end of their 2nd year, STEP 2 board exam between their 3rd and 4th years, and the STEP 3 board exam during their 1st year of residency... unless they're foreign medical graduates. It sounds like your classmate either (A) failed out of medical school, or (B) failed to match into residency.

 

[Lnsean]

OP, take it from someone who has made the switch from pharmacy to medicine, make sure you know what you're getting into. I'm going to go against a few of the posts here and say that medicine has its own challenges and difficulties:

1. There is saturation in medicine...pathology...cardiology...rad onc...eg. Many specialties are getting saturated because everyone wants to specialize now. Healthcare is getting saturated in general.

2. There is increased "corporatalization." There's a lot of consolidation going on with hospitals and providers. There are more and more men in suits with no medical degree running these hospitals. They're the administrators. They'll badger you on this procedure and that procedure or why your patient surveys aren't up to par or why you're not bringing in enough revenue for the hospital.

3. There is a lot of encroachment by mid-levels...NPs...PAs...you have optometrists in a few states trying to do their own laser eye surgeries and sht. These mid-levels will continue to fight and become more and more aggressive.

But, I'm sure you're aware of all this...and if you still find yourself always thinking about medicine and not being able to let go...I'd go for it. I couldn't shake the feeling and went for it. No regrets.

 

[FinallyOnTrack]

Med students take the STEP 1 board exam at the end of their 2nd year, STEP 2 board exam between their 3rd and 4th years, and the STEP 3 board exam during their 1st year of residency... unless they're foreign medical graduates. It sounds like your classmate either (A) failed out of medical school, or (B) failed to match into residency.

From what I gathered was he completed all 4 years and just decided he wanted to do pharmacy... so I would assume that he either didn’t match for a residency or he really didn’t want to pursue it anymore..


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