How to plan ahead and stay on course

[Reirrac]

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I will be starting pharm school this August , but the gloomy atmosphere in this forum is making me a wee bit worried.

Right now I'm working as a pharm tech in a hospital, and will probably transition to an intern soon. Should I keep on doing that during pharm school and aim for a staff pharmacist position after graduation? Or should I do some more exploring and try out gov't/research/retail internships?

To be honest, I'm pretty indifferent about what I eventually do. As long as I work 40 hrs and get compensated well for the time spent, then I'll do anything. What kind of pharmacist work is in demand and lucurative? I'm thinking I'll tailor my focus on that and hope for the best.

Any words of advice?

 

[Kwiz]

What jobs are in demand now is going to be different than when you graduate. Best thing you can do is work your butt off in pharm school, spend your extra time networking and you'll be good to go

 

[Digsbe]

If your hospital has a program to contract on interns after they graduate I would stick with it (assuming that's what you want to do). Treat every future rotation that you go on in pharm school as a potential employment opportunity and network yourself.

 

[PharMed2016]

If your hospital has a program to contract on interns after they graduate I would stick with it (assuming that's what you want to do). Treat every future rotation that you go on in pharm school as a potential employment opportunity and network yourself.

Too true. Also rotate where you want to work too.

 

[gambit78]

You are fortunate in that you are already a hospital tech. This is an added bonus if you wanted a hospital RPh gig. I had looked at hospitals on the board of pharmacy and saw employee rosters. One situation was a tech who had been working at one hospital for four years and then went to the local pharmacy school and just graduated and got moved up to a pharmacist gig at same hospital. You could see her tech cert. expired and how her pharmacist licence showed on the hospital roster page!

 

[Reirrac]

So, what I'm doing now is as good as it gets? I know at least three pharmacists at my hospital who worked as a tech during pharm school and got hired after graduation. Perhaps that route is the best course of action?

I got a lot to experience before making up my mind, I know. I heard good things about working at Walgreens, so I'll look into that. I'll also ask faculty on how to get their jobs!