GED graduate & 30 yr old aspiring Pharmacist???

[TheLilRedRabbit]

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Ok, so I'm 30, no kids, and seeking information on becoming a Pharmacist. I would like to move from GA so I guess I'm trying to find a school out of state to study at. I'm looking for a decent school pretty much anywhere in the US. I have a GED and I never attended college, so yes, I'm starting from scratch. Any ideas, advice and city school suggestions?? Help! 😳

 

[pharm B]

Moved to pre-pharmacy where you might get a few more pertinent answers.

 

[Hello2011]

Ok, so I'm 30, no kids, and seeking information on becoming a Pharmacist. I would like to move from GA so I guess I'm trying to find a school out of state to study at. I'm looking for a decent school pretty much anywhere in the US. I have a GED and I never attended college, so yes, I'm starting from scratch. Any ideas, advice and city school suggestions?? Help! 😳

Have you thought about nursing? Seems more appropriate.

 

[PharmD for Me]

You can go pretty much anywhere for undergraduate for pharmacy school. It does not matter what you major in; all that matters is that you complete the pre-requisites required by the pharmacy schools (each school's reqs vary, but generally not by much). If you really want to move to a different state, I'd try to move somewhere that you could see yourself working after pharmacy school. Pharmacy is a small world, and it will help you to have those local connections when searching for a job after school. If you permanently relocate to the state you end up going to pharmacy school in for undergraduate, you may be able to get in-state tuition as well (huge plus!).

Check this out for more general information (includes pharmacy school locator): http://www.aacp.org/RESOURCES/STUDENT/Pages/default.aspx

Since you don't have any college education under your belt, count on it taking 6 to 8 years to finish the pre-reqs and PharmD program, provided you are accepted to a pharmacy school the first time you apply.

I would not be concerned about being a non-traditional student. We have many people in my pharmD class that are over 30 (oldest is 59, I believe). From what I've heard from them, most have extensive experience in health care in general or as a pharmacy tech prior to applying to the pharmD program, but I can't say for certain that's the case with all of them.

 

[vaughnpereira]

Welcome! I am also in a similar boat as you. I am 27, married, and have two children and I'm just one year into my pre-requisites so I've also got a ways to go. I will say you have an advantage over me and that's that you will be able to study un-interrupted (or, at least I'd imagine so...).

Where in GA do you live? I'm in Chattanooga, TN (right on the GA border). I am contemplating going to UGA or UF to complete my PharmD.

Best wishes to you.

 

[Dalteparin]

Pharmacy is a small world, and it will help you to have those local connections when searching for a job after school. If you permanently relocate to the state you end up going to pharmacy school in for undergraduate, you may be able to get in-state tuition as well (huge plus!).

Very good advice!

Stay away from CA, TX, and the Chicago area; all three are saturated (or nearly so) and the job market will be crappy.

Look for a state with only one or two pharmacy schools, or states with a more rural population. Fewer pharmacists want to move to rural areas, which means the job market will be a little better.

 

[xtsukiyox]

Excellent post PharmD for Me. 👍

TheLilRedRabbit, you might want to check out some of the 0-6 programs, since you're starting from scratch. They tack the prereqs onto the front end of the PharmD program, so you go one place to knock the whole thing out. Definitely something to think about if you're set on pharmacy. 🙂

Congrats on making the decision to go back to school - it can be a hard thing to do, especially when you've been out for some time. Since you're a returning student, you may want to check into any available scholarships. In-state school for prereqs (or undergrad, if you go that route) may be able to offer you the best financial package, but it definitely wouldn't hurt to look around.

 

[PharmD for Me]

Very good advice!

Stay away from CA, TX, and the Chicago area; all three are saturated (or nearly so) and the job market will be crappy.

Look for a state with only one or two pharmacy schools, or states with a more rural population. Fewer pharmacists want to move to rural areas, which means the job market will be a little better.

I've heard the same about CA, TX and Chicago. If you are not opposed to living/working in a rural area once you are licensed, that will be a huge advantage to you. Not only is the job market better, but some schools offer extra scholarships/tuition forgiveness if you work in a rural area for X number of years after school.

 

[PharmD for Me]

Excellent post PharmD for Me. 👍
.

😀 I try.

 

[PharmD RPh]

Ok, so I'm 30, no kids, and seeking information on becoming a Pharmacist. I would like to move from GA so I guess I'm trying to find a school out of state to study at. I'm looking for a decent school pretty much anywhere in the US. I have a GED and I never attended college, so yes, I'm starting from scratch. Any ideas, advice and city school suggestions?? Help! 😳

I don't see how anyone in the right mind would be considering going to pharmacy school given the state of the profession..... no jobs, too many schools pumping out grads and the cost to get the degree on average being over 200K. I'm happy for the most part with my profession, but if I were starting from scratch today and thinking about going to pharmacy school, I'd look real hard at other professions first based on the poor job outlook in the years ahead.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Excellent post PharmD for Me. 👍

TheLilRedRabbit, you might want to check out some of the 0-6 programs, since you're starting from scratch. They tack the prereqs onto the front end of the PharmD program, so you go one place to knock the whole thing out. Definitely something to think about if you're set on pharmacy. 🙂

One concern with that, the 0-6 programs tend to be more intense from the get-go and are very expensive compared to community college. Since the op has been out of a formal school system for quite some time, I think it would be better for her to start with a couple of classes at a community college to get warmed up.

 

[owlegrad]

I don't see how anyone in the right mind would be considering going to pharmacy school given the state of the profession..... no jobs, too many schools pumping out grads and the cost to get the degree on average being over 200K. I'm happy for the most part with my profession, but if I were starting from scratch today and thinking about going to pharmacy school, I'd look real hard at other professions first based on the poor job outlook in the years ahead.

I hope that is not true. 😱

 

[PharmD RPh]

I hope that is not true. 😱

Taking into consideration not just tuition, but cost of living while in school..... to clarify, it can vary highly based on your personal situation, but from what I've seen and know from others, it won't be uncommon to be that far in debt by the time you're done. I've been out of school about 6 years now and had no undergrad debt due to scholarships and still ended up with about 80K in student loan debt and that was 6 years ago.

 

[xtsukiyox]

One concern with that, the 0-6 programs tend to be more intense from the get-go and are very expensive compared to community college. Since the op has been out of a formal school system for quite some time, I think it would be better for her to start with a couple of classes at a community college to get warmed up.

I agree that perhaps taking some CC classes to reintroduce knowledge & get in the rhythm of studying before a 0-6 is not a bad idea, depending on the OP's comfort. A Chem or Math class would be particularly useful, IMO.

I don't think these are mutually exclusive - warm up at the CC, then move to an undergrad or 0-6 program. The comparison I was drawing was between a traditional 4-year Uni and a 0-6 school, and I was suggesting an option that may be attractive & that the OP may not have known about.

From what I understand, CCs are highly geographically dependent - the ones in my area have curricula equivalent to the Unis, but some are an extension of high school / mainly trade schools. In the former case, I would certainly suggest taking prereqs there - in the latter, they probably would not substitute for education at a Uni. As I understand, the CCs in my area are the exception, and more of them trend towards the less rigorous end of the pool. In this case, I don't believe the expense is a fair point to make, because the classes are not equivalent (or substitutable) in the two programs you are drawing a comparison between.

 

[Rx MPLS]

I hope that is not true. 😱

If one took out all the loans offered by my school, I think the price tag could easily reach that high. Especially if you are an out of state student. It's expensive, no doubt...and I'm pretty sure the U of M isn't the only school out there with a high cost. Lowest cost to get a degree that I've seen was in state tuition at one of the rural states neighboring Minnesota.

 

[pharm B]

If one took out all the loans offered by my school, I think the price tag could easily reach that high. Especially if you are an out of state student. It's expensive, no doubt...and I'm pretty sure the U of M isn't the only school out there with a high cost. Lowest cost to get a degree that I've seen was in state tuition at one of the rural states neighboring Minnesota.

When I was pre-med, I looked at a lot of different schools. One of them was MUSC in South Carolina. As an out of state student, it would cost more for me to attend there than it would to attend Harvard. That particular shock helped guide my decision as a pre-pharm to apply strictly in-state to public schools.

 

[TheLilRedRabbit]

Have you thought about nursing? Seems more appropriate.

Yes I have considered Nursing but I keep hearing that you are overworked and underpaid lol...if Im going to put time and effort into something I would like it to be worth it!

 

[TheLilRedRabbit]

You can go pretty much anywhere for undergraduate for pharmacy school. It does not matter what you major in; all that matters is that you complete the pre-requisites required by the pharmacy schools (each school's reqs vary, but generally not by much). If you really want to move to a different state, I'd try to move somewhere that you could see yourself working after pharmacy school. Pharmacy is a small world, and it will help you to have those local connections when searching for a job after school. If you permanently relocate to the state you end up going to pharmacy school in for undergraduate, you may be able to get in-state tuition as well (huge plus!).

Check this out for more general information (includes pharmacy school locator): http://www.aacp.org/RESOURCES/STUDENT/Pages/default.aspx

Since you don't have any college education under your belt, count on it taking 6 to 8 years to finish the pre-reqs and PharmD program, provided you are accepted to a pharmacy school the first time you apply.

I would not be concerned about being a non-traditional student. We have many people in my pharmD class that are over 30 (oldest is 59, I believe). From what I've heard from them, most have extensive experience in health care in general or as a pharmacy tech prior to applying to the pharmD program, but I can't say for certain that's the case with all of them.

Thank you! Very helpful! 🙂

 

[TheLilRedRabbit]

Welcome! I am also in a similar boat as you. I am 27, married, and have two children and I'm just one year into my pre-requisites so I've also got a ways to go. I will say you have an advantage over me and that's that you will be able to study un-interrupted (or, at least I'd imagine so...).

Where in GA do you live? I'm in Chattanooga, TN (right on the GA border). I am contemplating going to UGA or UF to complete my PharmD.

Best wishes to you.

I'm in Atlanta right now. Wow I commend you for taking on this long commitment while having the responsibility of the family life! Thank you. I wish you the best also.

I definately have an advantage as far as having no family. Now it's just a matter of figuring out which route to go.

 

[farmadiazepine]

pharmacists are overworked and underpaid. every hour of "overtime" at a certain chain simply means you make $6 more an hour than your regular rate.

its the wrong time to get into the pharmacy field. there are too many pharmacists, and not enough jobs. the ever expanding role of pharmacists has yet to see an expanding compensation. we are paid the same, but do more work than every before.

if you can take one thing from what i said, its that there are too many pharmacists. you will graduate in 6 years with a pharmd and no job.

your better off with nursing.

 

[xtsukiyox]

your better off with nursing.

I dig the value judgements inherent in this statement, and indeed, all of you jumping into this thread to bring the doom-'n-gloom. Why is nursing more appropriate? You don't know much about this person who's posting, besides what they choose to write in a paragraph or two in an online forum.

If the OP is considering pharmacy, I would assume she would be smart / responsible enough to do research on the field, especially considering she has been in the workforce for years - more than some of you giving the advice.

Rather than making a blanket suggestion like "take nursing" or a ridiculous claim like "there will be no jobs in pharmacy in 6 years" 🙄, how about the more reasonable suggestion - why not shadow a nurse and shadow a pharmacist and see first-hand what each has to deal with?

 

[redheadedrx]

I think pharmacy is just becoming more like the other fields out there, in that it's about who you know and your ability to network. You have at least 6 years to work hard as well as to make strong connections in the field.

Every pharmacy student I know that graduated this year was able to find a job, as long as they were flexible about where they were going and worked hard throughout school. I think those that did not have a job through school had a more difficult time because they did not have a place that was waiting for and expecting them to apply.

I am like you in that I am non-traditional (I will be 30 next month, married, and have a 15 month old). Don't let anyone scare you away if this is what you want to do.

Network hard, don't burn bridges, and have a great work ethic and I think you'll be fine.

 

[heart goes boOm]

Yes I have considered Nursing but I keep hearing that you are overworked and underpaid lol...if Im going to put time and effort into something I would like it to be worth it!

if i had to do it all over again, i think i would go into nursing and then become a nurse practitioner.

 

[PharmD RPh]

While I respect the pre-pharms for being optimistic, I'd have to respectfully disagree with their stance that pharmacy is "all about networking" and that there will be plenty of jobs in 6 years because these kind of comments are far from the truth. I know of the companies in my area that hired last year, but as far as this year is concerned, they aren't even making offers. 2012 will be the year the grads will finally fill up all the open positions in undesirable areas of the country where no one would want to live/work, all because they need a job and have debt to pay off.

New schools that haven't even graduated a class will be adding more graduates to the problem in the next few years. The market as it stands CAN NOT absorb all the graduates no matter how much you network, love the profession, etc. If you decide to go the route of pharmacy at this point, do it under the assumption that you will be 150-200k in debt and without employment. The truth hurts sometimes. We can only hope the market self corrects itself, but even the optimistic people are having a hard time finding anything optimistic about our profession's predicament.

 

[imherenow83]

Welcome! I am also in a similar boat as you. I am 27, married, and have two children and I'm just one year into my pre-requisites so I've also got a ways to go. I will say you have an advantage over me and that's that you will be able to study un-interrupted (or, at least I'd imagine so...).

Where in GA do you live? I'm in Chattanooga, TN (right on the GA border). I am contemplating going to UGA or UF to complete my PharmD.

Best wishes to you.

Thinking about attending UF as well. I graduated with a BS in health Management and currently finishing up my pre requisites at a community college in florida. I wish the OG poster the best in whatever she decides to pursue and if its Pharmacy, i say go for it!

 

[PharmD for Me]

While I respect the pre-pharms for being optimistic, I'd have to respectfully disagree with their stance that pharmacy is "all about networking" and that there will be plenty of jobs in 6 years because these kind of comments are far from the truth. I know of the companies in my area that hired last year, but as far as this year is concerned, they aren't even making offers. 2012 will be the year the grads will finally fill up all the open positions in undesirable areas of the country where no one would want to live/work, all because they need a job and have debt to pay off.

New schools that haven't even graduated a class will be adding more graduates to the problem in the next few years. The market as it stands CAN NOT absorb all the graduates no matter how much you network, love the profession, etc. If you decide to go the route of pharmacy at this point, do it under the assumption that you will be 150-200k in debt and without employment. The truth hurts sometimes. We can only hope the market self corrects itself, but even the optimistic people are having a hard time finding anything optimistic about our profession's predicament.

I don't believe anyone stated that there's going to be plentiful jobs available upon graduation in this thread. As far as networking... I said it would help to have connections, not that it's going to guarantee you a job. Some local connections are better than none, and could potentially make a difference in a saturated market... because we are aware that yes, that's what future grads are facing as things stand now 👎

 

[JonPrePharmD]

While I respect the pre-pharms for being optimistic, I'd have to respectfully disagree with their stance that pharmacy is "all about networking" and that there will be plenty of jobs in 6 years because these kind of comments are far from the truth. I know of the companies in my area that hired last year, but as far as this year is concerned, they aren't even making offers. 2012 will be the year the grads will finally fill up all the open positions in undesirable areas of the country where no one would want to live/work, all because they need a job and have debt to pay off.

New schools that haven't even graduated a class will be adding more graduates to the problem in the next few years. The market as it stands CAN NOT absorb all the graduates no matter how much you network, love the profession, etc. If you decide to go the route of pharmacy at this point, do it under the assumption that you will be 150-200k in debt and without employment. The truth hurts sometimes. We can only hope the market self corrects itself, but even the optimistic people are having a hard time finding anything optimistic about our profession's predicament.

The company I work at are hiring fresh out of school pharmacists. Young, very young pharmacists and throwing 6 figure salaries their way. It all depends on your location, and I do live in a capital city.

How easy is it for someone with a business degree to get a job? What about an MBA? I have friends with MBA's working crappy jobs, with friends without ANY degree making more than them. Tons of job markets are flooded right now, people are out of work, and unemployment is high. It's the truth of our times, but it's not the end of times. Yeah, pre-pharmacy posters are optimistic, but it's probably because we didn't just want to be a pharmacist yesterday, so it's kind of hard to back out of our goals now that we're so involved already...that would be giving up. But I agree with you somewhat, if I was starting college from high school, I might change my focus, but to what exactly? Tell me a job that isn't competitive and pays well with plenty of openings besides nursing (which have overbooked classes and waitlists at many universities/community colleges already).

 

[PharmD for Me]

My problem is a lot of people are equating not getting bonuses, cars, etc. to being saturated.

Are far as I can remember, every job I have applied for (over 10 years worth) did not include any of these things. All this means is pharmacy is like every other job field now and you actually have to work at selling yourself to your potential employer. This is not equal to there not actually being any openings.

^ This. I'm sure it also depends heavily on what part of the country you're in. In some parts it probably is truly saturated, whereas others the job market is just like the country's job market in general.

 

[PharmD for Me]

The company I work at are hiring fresh out of school pharmacists. Young, very young pharmacists and throwing 6 figure salaries their way. It all depends on your location, and I do live in a capital city.

How easy is it for someone with a business degree to get a job? What about an MBA? I have friends with MBA's working crappy jobs, with friends without ANY degree making more than them. Tons of job markets are flooded right now, people are out of work, and unemployment is high. It's the truth of our times, but it's not the end of times. Yeah, pre-pharmacy posters are optimistic, but it's probably because we didn't just want to be a pharmacist yesterday, so it's kind of hard to back out of our goals now that we're so involved already...that would be giving up. But I agree with you somewhat, if I was starting college from high school, I might change my focus, but to what exactly? Tell me a job that isn't competitive and pays well with plenty of openings besides nursing (which have overbooked classes and waitlists at many universities/community colleges already).

^ And this. I'm not entirely sure about the nursing part, though. That's an entirely different monster in and of itself.

 

[Kansas Pharmer]

^ This. I'm sure it also depends heavily on what part of the country you're in. In some parts it probably is truly saturated, whereas others the job market is just like the country's job market in general.

Thanks for the quote. I must really be special now that people are cross-thread quoting me 😀...

Seriously though... I am turning 38 in 3 weeks and applying for my first time. If pharmacy is what you want, then go for it. Find a good prepharm program and run with it.