How long can you leave the field before coming back?

[tojh1]

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I have gotten into pharmacy school, but plan on having a family after I have graduated and worked for about a year. (of course life doesn't go according to plan...but I'd still like to make one).

I know maternity leave is like 1~1 & 1/2 month, but I'd like to care for the baby for the first 3~4 years. Is there a way I can work like 2 days a week as a pharmacist? do I have to quit the job and put in a resume again after not working for 3~4 years? Am I even going to be able to get back into the pharmacy job market?

I'm just wondering how people go back into this field if they've been away from it for awhile...

Advice and other considerations would be helpful! (Especially to those pharmacists who have babies!)

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Have you ever held any type of job before? It seems like you aren't familiar with the job market at all. To answer a few of your questions... yes, it is possible to work part time as a pharmacist. No, I have not heard of any workplace that would hold your job for 3 or 4 years. If you aren't going to work for that long, you'll have to quit and reapply. Whether you can get back into the job market at that time will depend on market conditions and supply/demand for pharmacist labor.

 

[dingerx]

Have you ever held any type of job before? It seems like you aren't familiar with the job market at all. To answer a few of your questions... yes, it is possible to work part time as a pharmacist. No, I have not heard of any workplace that would hold your job for 3 or 4 years. If you aren't going to work for that long, you'll have to quit and reapply. Whether you can get back into the job market at that time will depend on market conditions and supply/demand for pharmacist labor.

Well said. +1.

 

[Momus]

I know maternity leave is like 1~1 & 1/2 month, but I'd like to care for the baby for the first 3~4 years.

Who is going to be more cost effective person to raise the child? If your husband bring less money in than you do as a full time pharmacist. Let him raise the baby as a stay at home dad. It doesn't make sense if you let him work and he brings in less money than you do. Oh ya, there is this thing called part time + day care too! >_>;

And of the record, the first 3-4 years, the baby won't remember who take cares of her/him anyway... except those early year is the time when you can really boost the brain IQ.

 

[rph3664]

There's also a big market for weekenders, and some people also choose to work evenings or even overnights for this reason.

And one other thing, before anyone else goes there first. Your husband doesn't babysit. He's the co-parent. 'k?

 

[Its Z]

I once left pharmacy for 1.5 years while starting my own business. Then I went back and worked like nothing has happened.

 

[tojh1]

Have you ever held any type of job before? It seems like you aren't familiar with the job market at all. To answer a few of your questions... yes, it is possible to work part time as a pharmacist. No, I have not heard of any workplace that would hold your job for 3 or 4 years. If you aren't going to work for that long, you'll have to quit and reapply. Whether you can get back into the job market at that time will depend on market conditions and supply/demand for pharmacist labor.

not trying to get attacked here. BUT i have worked several jobs, and by several i meant ive been working since i was 16. I know how jobs work. I know they won't hold my position.

my question was worded awfully i guess. but another question: as a pharmacist, if you do not work for several years, would you have to somehow take another test or something to show that you still know what you are doing?

 

[rph3664]

my question was worded awfully i guess. but another question: as a pharmacist, if you do not work for several years, would you have to somehow take another test or something to show that you still know what you are doing?

Because every place does things differently, you'd have to start from square one regardless of the environment you choose. However, as long as you maintain your license (and that does include continuing education - 30 hours every 2 years in all 3 states where I have a license) you shouldn't need to do additional testing or anything like that.

At my last job, we had a tech who had not worked at all, anywhere, outside the home for 11 years. She had a pharmacist's license in another state but had never gotten one in this state, and had she not had the RPh license, she wouldn't have lasted very long because she was one of the worst techs I've ever worked with. Because she knew the final responsibility didn't fall to her, she just.didn't.care. She worked in the unit dose and retail areas at the hospital, and half the stuff she gave us to check was wrong in some way. 😡 I sure was glad they never trained her on IVs; if they had, I would have refused to check them.

 

[Ackj]

At my last job, we had a tech who had not worked at all, anywhere, outside the home for 11 years. She had a pharmacist's license in another state but had never gotten one in this state, and had she not had the RPh license, she wouldn't have lasted very long because she was one of the worst techs I've ever worked with. Because she knew the final responsibility didn't fall to her, she just.didn't.care. She worked in the unit dose and retail areas at the hospital, and half the stuff she gave us to check was wrong in some way. 😡 I sure was glad they never trained her on IVs; if they had, I would have refused to check them.

This just seems outrageous. Why would a pharmacist take a tech job? I don't think reciprocity is that big of a deal that you would just completely give up on your license. If they were always careless, I wouldn't doubt that they lost their license. That would at least make some sense.

 

[DownonthePharm]

Of course you can find a place that will hire you for a few days a week. That would actually probably be a good idea so you keep the job fresh in your brain, especially since you plan on going to part time so soon after you start your career.

Even if you stop working entirely you need to still keep your license current, otherwise it will probably be a big hoop to jump through to get it renewed when you plan on returning to work.

 

[tojh1]

I really appreciate all the feedback. Hopefully everything will fall into play perfectly fine. Even now I actually just found out a friend of mine started a night shift at a local CVS, where she takes care of the baby in the morning to afternoon and her husband takes care of the baby at night. They say it's tough... but for some reason after she works one week, she gets a full week off the following week. Strange, but hey... it works for them!

 

[rph3664]

This just seems outrageous. Why would a pharmacist take a tech job? I don't think reciprocity is that big of a deal that you would just completely give up on your license. If they were always careless, I wouldn't doubt that they lost their license. That would at least make some sense.

Without giving too many details that could potentially identify her, I and a lot of other people believed that her husband was abusive (we had no evidence of physical abuse, but it can certainly be done other ways) and wouldn't let her get a license in this state. 😡

 

[rph3664]

I really appreciate all the feedback. Hopefully everything will fall into play perfectly fine. Even now I actually just found out a friend of mine started a night shift at a local CVS, where she takes care of the baby in the morning to afternoon and her husband takes care of the baby at night. They say it's tough... but for some reason after she works one week, she gets a full week off the following week. Strange, but hey... it works for them!

There are millions of families that do this. For some, they find that they really can't swing it, for whatever reason, but if it works for them, terrific.