Gap Year?

[FuturePharmerOfAmerica]

What do you guys think about taking a gap year before my first year in Pharmacy School? Would it be beneficial, or would it be better to take it after Pharmacy school.
I hear from multiple people saying they wish they traveled more before they started working, and I fear to be one of those people.

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[bacillus1]

If you want to take one, take it before pharmacy school rather than after, since employers will wonder why there's a one-year gap between graduation and you looking for a job.
Also, it's not that hard to travel when you have a job, depending on the job. I went to Vietnam last year and to Peru and Puerto Vallarta this year. Hopefully Iceland next year. Much easier to afford travel when you are actually getting paid. Of course, I don't have children, so that makes travel easier.

 

[rph3664]

Have you worked in the pharmacy field at all? DO THAT before you embark on this often-futile journey.

You need to know what you are getting into first.

 

[gwarm01]

I took a "gap year" between high school and college, which is to say I slummed it in a tiny apartment with my friends, worked a minimum wage job, and partied hard. Man, I wish I could do that again.

 

[Wickett]

What do you guys think about taking a gap year before my first year in Pharmacy School? Would it be beneficial, or would it be better to take it after Pharmacy school.
I hear from multiple people saying they wish they traveled more before they started working, and I fear to be one of those people.

I took a gap year between grad school and pharm. It gave me time to concentrate on just the pcat, relax a bit, as well as work as a tech full time to see if this is what I really wanted. I wouldn't recommend it after pharm, especially if you have loan payments that you'll have to start paying off in less than a year.

 

[pharm B]

I'd do it before pharmacy school. As others have said, though, it's easy to travel if you're unencumbered (no spouse, no kids, etc)


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[samuricool]

If you go to a four year school you can still do this during the summer breaks. Not nearly as fun as a whole year but I'm sure the decompression between years will be nice. And you don't have to leave a whole year of salary behind.


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[CMUchicka]

You may not want to hear this but if I were you, I would take year off and explore other healthcare fields or some totally different profession.

 

[CMUchicka]

Have you worked in the pharmacy field at all? DO THAT before you embark on this often-futile journey.

You need to know what you are getting into first.

I have many classmates who have never worked in pharmacy but somehow they have gotten accepted. And they think that they are too good to work in retail and look down on people who work in retail. They all say they are hospital bound and willing to do anything to get residency.

 

[lord999]

My view on people who want to take a gap year is that if they are thinking about it, they should as it should give them some time for introspection and getting certain habits indulged. I specifically laugh at people who think they can take a gap year after pharmacy school with debt burden and a possible family. Agree with the above posters, but I'd also say that doing it now is not resume wrecking, but also psychologically maturing and that's worth the economic offset. There's mistrust of people who do that between jobs right now and is expected to get worse in the future. That said, try not to get a drug charge or be in a place which begs the question of drug use (Amsterdam or southern Thailand). The darker reason is that you also may learn what it is like to live poor (not in poverty per se but without easy means), and that's educational in and of itself where college nowadays simulates the upper middle class in ways that are not sustainable from the debt loads afterwards.

Even if you don't take a gap year, I'd do what Wickett did and work in the field for a bit just to figure out whether this is for you or not. It's also more educational than any of the prerequisites.

 

[Oink]

Some people take a gap year to strengthen their applications for pharmacy school. Usually it is because they need more time to get some work experience, extracurriculars, or grade boosting classes to add into their applications. I took a gap year to work as a tech and I am really glad I did. Plus, it was such a fun year. Outside of working as a tech, I felt like I had all the freedom in the world. I got to hang out with my friends a lot and I didn't have to worry about school at all. Yeah I had pharmacy applications to worry about, but the application process and going through all the interviews was kind of fun. Then it was literally months of worry free happiness after I got accepted into pharmacy school. The only thing I wish I did during my gap year was travel, but I didn't have the money to do that.

There are so many times when I find myself wishing I can have my gap year again. I would not recommend a gap year only to people who believe they won't do anything fun or enjoyable.

 

[gwarm01]

I have many classmates who have never worked in pharmacy but somehow they have gotten accepted. And they think that they are too good to work in retail and look down on people who work in retail. They all say they are hospital bound and willing to do anything to get residency.

Hah, typical pharmacy student. Completely convinced that they are going to be a "clinical pharmacist" yet has no idea what that even means. I've seen them taking down about being a hospital staff pharmacist during their P4 rotations, only to come crawling back begging for an evening staff position after their PGY1. Classic.

 

[BenJammin]

Absolutely not. Maybe I'm old school but gap year is an absolutely terrible idea. All of the people that I know who did gap year gained nothing from it except an extra year of school. The gap year tells me that you lack passion. Might want to find another field if undergrad is too much of a wake up call for you.

 

[pharm B]

Passion? If they're not shooting for clinical pharmacy, I'd turn it down a bit. I'm comfortable in my job, but getting yelled at because the burger (prescription) isn't ready on time doesn't require much passion.


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[BenJammin]

Passion? If they're not shooting for clinical pharmacy, I'd turn it down a bit. I'm comfortable in my job, but getting yelled at because the burger (prescription) isn't ready on time doesn't require much passion.


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You say that but they're not even enrolled in the college of pharmacy. Has absolutely nothing to do with retail pharmacy. If you have no drive to go to pharmacy school, why they have the drive to complete pharmacy school?

 

[sakigt]

IMO when youre 18 years old you have enough energy to do gap evenings, spring breaks, extended summer trips. No need for an entire year. I used to work 0700-1500, go to school afterwards then party until 0200 then do it all over again. During Pharmacy school I did school, worked 20 hours per week then traveled on breaks.

Yes its hard to travel with debt and with kids, but its only hard when you want to backpack for two weeks with unrealistic expectations. With two young kids and still 2/3 of my student loans to go with daycare we still do our best to drive around and see cool stuff. Embrace the change.

 

[rph3664]

Hah, typical pharmacy student. Completely convinced that they are going to be a "clinical pharmacist" yet has no idea what that even means. I've seen them taking down about being a hospital staff pharmacist during their P4 rotations, only to come crawling back begging for an evening staff position after their PGY1. Classic.

Except for the PGY1 reference, there was a lot of that when I was in school 25 years ago too. It's nothing new.

 

[ldiot]

I took a gap year between college and pharmacy school just because I didn't decide to apply to pharmacy school until it was too late. It was beneficial for me because I got to work as a tech for a year but honestly if I were to do it over again I wouldn't have taken a gap year if I had a choice. It's just a lost year of salary and it hurts knowing that I would be a year ahead of where I am now in school. You can travel over summer breaks in school if you really want to travel so badly a not to mention you can travel as a pharmacist when you take vacation time.

Taking a gap year after you graduate is an even worse idea and makes it look like you couldn't get hired. Not to mention the interest building up on your loans.

 

[Deja]

I would do it... I love traveling and meeting new people, I have met a couple of people during my travel abroad who decided to travel for a year and they all say it's life changing... most of those people decided to continue to live abroad or have plans to quit their job to do it again

Yes, you can travel when you are working too, but it will only be for a few weeks at a time at most, it's just not the same... I did a rotation abroad and I loved every minute of it... I also met a pharmacist when I was doing my rotations that would work for a few years then quit and travel for extended periods of time

I sometimes think to myself that I should quit my job and travel for a year lol

but then again, if your plan was just to take short trips then don't do a gap year

 

[FuturePharmerOfAmerica]

Have you worked in the pharmacy field at all? DO THAT before you embark on this often-futile journey.

You need to know what you are getting into first.

I've been a technician trainee and a technician. I really enjoy my job!!

 

[CountBy5s]

Calm down people. Take a a year.. hell take a few years. Explore other career options if your still interested apply to pharmacy school go for it.. I took 6 years off. It was the best thing I ever did. I found a good paying job with my bachelor's learned about corporate america and the politics involved. Made mistakes learned from them etc.... I had no problem getting into pharmacy school. I had a good application with real world experiences. Not bake sales and organizational junk. Phamacy school was easier than undergrad for that reason. Understanding time management and how to retain info quickly, not just cram. Graduated in the top of the class, graduated with a job well before graduation. The trick is to use that time off to grow not just as time off.

 

[quickpic007]

heck ya take a year, get prn tech at hospital/retail travel wherev i should have done that!