I don't know if I should be in pharmacy school anymore....

[Traziiramate09]

I don't know what to do. Lately, it feels as if my life has no direction. I feel depressed and down. I'm in my second year of pharmacy school now (the P2 year) and I don't think I have the resolve or dedication to continue on with this major anymore. I feel like my life has been stolen and sucked from me. I feel like a pharmacy career won't be fulfilling enough for me. I personally don't want to work at CVS forever. I worked in retail over the summer for an internship for school, and I did like the monotonous things the techs did, for some reason, but it's not something I would be able to do as a pharmacist and retail pharmacy would certainly not be my first choice of a career in pharmacy. Everyone has told me that the PharmD degree is so flexible. I hardly believe it at this point. I wanted to do hospital at first, because of the higher quality of life and supposedly less patient interaction. Then I learned that patient interaction will happen wherever you go, much to my chagrin, and decided that I should go into research. However, from what I have researched, research for PharmD=industry. I'm more interested in lab-based research or whatever people with masters in the sciences do with their degree.

You may notice a theme here. I don't want to interact with patients. That's true. You may ask, "Why go into pharmacy if you don't want to interact with patients?". Well, I was led to believe there was a niche for everyone with varying degrees of patient contact, but the fact that most jobs are in retail doesn't make me feel any better. I honestly chose this major in high school because 1) I did not believe I had the natural resolve to make it through med school of all things and 2) because I was interested in how drugs interacted with the human body. #2 is what led me to pharmacy. I think I was steered away from research by my family members. Plus there was the fact that since my program admits you into pharmacy school directly from high school, you were guaranteed a spot, unliked med school. So I went to the college that I attend now and I regret it. This college's graduates mostly go into retail from what I have heard, which is just what I don't want to do. The college also has poor research opportunities and I feel if I had gone to a better and/or bigger school, I wouldn't have this problem. I'm already four years into college with a ton of debt on my shoulders. I don't know if I should just make it through the next 3 years or just go to another major. The problem is I don't know what else I could do. I have an interest in graphic design, but my mother suggested I do it as a hobby, since I'm not great at it, and I never appeared to show interest in it, at least according to her. Personally I feel happy when I draw, but I am hesitant about going into it as a career because of what I previously mentioned. There is also the problem of job stability and the fact that I would be on my own with paying for school. I thought about going into a creative niche in pharmacy, but it seems that unsurprisingly, there aren't creative things you can do with the degree. Compounding is the closest thing that comes to mind, but I'm hesitant because of the patient interaction. I hardly enjoy going to class everyday and forcing volumes of information down my throat if I don't know if I'm going in the right direction in my life. I feel like it's a waste of time. What am I learning this for and why I am undertaking so much stress?

I really need help and guidance because I don't really have either of the two in real life. I told my mom how I feel and she thinks I should just push through this major and everything will work out. However, I think that method is a sloppy way of living life. I want to know and make sure that money is being spent on a degree that I will be able to use in the best way possible. Should I be focusing on my grades now? Should I or should I not join a pharmacy organization? Questions like the previous ones always pop into my mind. I'm really not looking forward to graduating only to struggle with getting a job in a saturated market or having to settle for a position I don't want to do.

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[UGAZ]

Pharmacy used to be a great career. As of this point, it isn't. I would not recommend people to go into this field. Jobs are getting so much competitive. You sound like you are not ready to be committed with this profession. I would bail out now if I were you.

 

[ImmunoglobulinE]

Its not too late to make a U-turn. Get out now. - Sincerely a concerned 2018 graduate

 

[projektreverb]

Used to be a great field. Amazing how quick the tables turned in Pharmacy. I’d get out while you still can I.E. before you’re two more years in debt and can’t afford to jump ship. At least now you can jump into something with a better future.

By the time you’ll graduate, we’ll probably be at mandatory PGY1 just to verify at WAGS or CVS in Nowhere, Kansas.

 

[BC_89]

If your second year grants you a bachelors (a lot do that if you come straight from two year pre-reqs) I would obtain the bachelors so you walk away with something to show.

For other reasons I had to leave pharmacy school, but since then I’ve been accepted to an Engineering major and definitely won’t have to worry for job prospects. It’s better you know now to get out to better control your future job prospects. Just know your not the first nor the last to take the walk from pharmacy.

 

[Timbo]

Dropping out now is not unheard of. In fact I've had classmates dropping out after or during P1 to pursue PhDs or other healthcare professional degrees. The truth is a PharmD degree isn't flexible at all. As you said most end up in retail and with the job market it is now they will be LUCKY if they end up with a retail job at all. Most of my class ended up retail too but in small/rural areas. The rest went to residency. Only one guy out of a class of 150 managed to get into industry. Sounds like you're more interested in research. A lot of pharmacy school campuses will have PhD programs as well. Heck I bet some of your professors are PhDs as well. Seek them out imo and ask for guidance

 

[Traziiramate09]

Pharmacy used to be a great career. As of this point, it isn't. I would not recommend people to go into this field. Jobs are getting so much competitive. You sound like you are not ready to be committed with this profession. I would bail out now if I were you.

Yeah pharmacy is not what I hoped it would be. My GPA isn't the best either, probably like early 3.0 and I don't have much experience. I can't even answer what field of pharmacy I want to be in when people ask me.

Its not too late to make a U-turn. Get out now. - Sincerely a concerned 2018 graduate

Yikes! I know a person that graduated and she had to deal with saturation. She works in NH. Freaking NH. My family knows this but they're so insistent on staying in this program since I'll still have a science degree.

If your second year grants you a bachelors (a lot do that if you come straight from two year pre-reqs) I would obtain the bachelors so you walk away with something to show.

For other reasons I had to leave pharmacy school, but since then I’ve been accepted to an Engineering major and definitely won’t have to worry for job prospects. It’s better you know now to get out to better control your future job prospects. Just know your not the first nor the last to take the walk from pharmacy.

How I wish they gave us a bachelors like some schools

Take the MCAT, look at other options for another program that interests you after your bachelor degree.

Really hoping we can pay off my spouses loans from medical school in the next 5 year, keep saving and go part time (24-30 hours a week)

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

Interesting you say take the MCAT? Do you think I should go to medical school?

Thank you for the messages everyone. Just to clarify, I don't have a bachelors. I just did two years of prereqs and then started pharmacy school. It's really interesting to hear your experiences without all the glitter and gold.

Dropping out now is not unheard of. In fact I've had classmates dropping out after or during P1 to pursue PhDs or other healthcare professional degrees. The truth is a PharmD degree isn't flexible at all. As you said most end up in retail and with the job market it is now they will be LUCKY if they end up with a retail job at all. Most of my class ended up retail too but in small/rural areas. The rest went to residency. Only one guy out of a class of 150 managed to get into industry. Sounds like you're more interested in research. A lot of pharmacy school campuses will have PhD programs as well. Heck I bet some of your professors are PhDs as well. Seek them out imo and ask for guidance

I'm trying to get experience in research during school, but my school is bad in that area. Is a PHD mandatory for research. I was thinking masters at a minimum.

 

[DrVader]

I don't know what to do. Lately, it feels as if my life has no direction. I feel depressed and down. I'm in my second year of pharmacy school now (the P2 year) and I don't think I have the resolve or dedication to continue on with this major anymore. I feel like my life has been stolen and sucked from me. I feel like a pharmacy career won't be fulfilling enough for me. I personally don't want to work at CVS forever. I worked in retail over the summer for an internship for school, and I did like the monotonous things the techs did, for some reason, but it's not something I would be able to do as a pharmacist and retail pharmacy would certainly not be my first choice of a career in pharmacy. Everyone has told me that the PharmD degree is so flexible. I hardly believe it at this point. I wanted to do hospital at first, because of the higher quality of life and supposedly less patient interaction. Then I learned that patient interaction will happen wherever you go, much to my chagrin, and decided that I should go into research. However, from what I have researched, research for PharmD=industry. I'm more interested in lab-based research or whatever people with masters in the sciences do with their degree.

You may notice a theme here. I don't want to interact with patients. That's true. You may ask, "Why go into pharmacy if you don't want to interact with patients?". Well, I was led to believe there was a niche for everyone with varying degrees of patient contact, but the fact that most jobs are in retail doesn't make me feel any better. I honestly chose this major in high school because 1) I did not believe I had the natural resolve to make it through med school of all things and 2) because I was interested in how drugs interacted with the human body. #2 is what led me to pharmacy. I think I was steered away from research by my family members. Plus there was the fact that since my program admits you into pharmacy school directly from high school, you were guaranteed a spot, unliked med school. So I went to the college that I attend now and I regret it. This college's graduates mostly go into retail from what I have heard, which is just what I don't want to do. The college also has poor research opportunities and I feel if I had gone to a better and/or bigger school, I wouldn't have this problem. I'm already four years into college with a ton of debt on my shoulders. I don't know if I should just make it through the next 3 years or just go to another major. The problem is I don't know what else I could do. I have an interest in graphic design, but my mother suggested I do it as a hobby, since I'm not great at it, and I never appeared to show interest in it, at least according to her. Personally I feel happy when I draw, but I am hesitant about going into it as a career because of what I previously mentioned. There is also the problem of job stability and the fact that I would be on my own with paying for school. I thought about going into a creative niche in pharmacy, but it seems that unsurprisingly, there aren't creative things you can do with the degree. Compounding is the closest thing that comes to mind, but I'm hesitant because of the patient interaction. I hardly enjoy going to class everyday and forcing volumes of information down my throat if I don't know if I'm going in the right direction in my life. I feel like it's a waste of time. What am I learning this for and why I am undertaking so much stress?

I really need help and guidance because I don't really have either of the two in real life. I told my mom how I feel and she thinks I should just push through this major and everything will work out. However, I think that method is a sloppy way of living life. I want to know and make sure that money is being spent on a degree that I will be able to use in the best way possible. Should I be focusing on my grades now? Should I or should I not join a pharmacy organization? Questions like the previous ones always pop into my mind. I'm really not looking forward to graduating only to struggle with getting a job in a saturated market or having to settle for a position I don't want to do.

It sounds like you should have gone into a PhD program for pharmacology. If you work for a drug company like Eli Lilly, you won't have any interaction with patients. But I can't recommend pharmacy anymore. If you don't have alot of debt I would switch programs.

 

[PA_dud3]

Have you thought about getting more experience? You only interned once, if I read your post, correctly.

Retail Isn't bad, in my opinion.

Hope you find something you enjoy, whatever it is. Best of luck.

 

[lord999]

Yeah pharmacy is not what I hoped it would be. My GPA isn't the best either, probably like early 3.0 and I don't have much experience. I can't even answer what field of pharmacy I want to be in when people ask me.



Yikes! I know a person that graduated and she had to deal with saturation. She works in NH. Freaking NH. My family knows this but they're so insistent on staying in this program since I'll still have a science degree.



How I wish they gave us a bachelors like some schools



Interesting you say take the MCAT? Do you think I should go to medical school?

Thank you for the messages everyone. Just to clarify, I don't have a bachelors. I just did two years of prereqs and then started pharmacy school. It's really interesting to hear your experiences without all the glitter and gold.



I'm trying to get experience in research during school, but my school is bad in that area. Is a PHD mandatory for research. I was thinking masters at a minimum.

You should read the other posts on research. I would say that you are not admissible to any PhD program in good faith at present as you lack the laboratory experience that is needed. (And before I get flamed, it is not just because of the technical skills, there's an unwritten rule that a numbers undergraduate without laboratory experience is always less desirable than a lower numbers applicant with experience and a good recommendation from the laboratory head). Get some experience, then consider research again. Unless you have a personal or other strong motivation, you will never finish.

If you want to work as a technician, the MS is sufficient. If you want to direct or lead your research in a lab, the PhD is necessary unless it is in Math/Statistics where you do individual work anyway.

 

[spacecowgirl]

If you don't want patient interaction, the very last thing you should do is go to medical school.

 

[Seriously Serious]

I don't know what to do. Lately, it feels as if my life has no direction. I feel depressed and down. I'm in my second year of pharmacy school now (the P2 year) and I don't think I have the resolve or dedication to continue on with this major anymore. I feel like my life has been stolen and sucked from me. I feel like a pharmacy career won't be fulfilling enough for me. I personally don't want to work at CVS forever. I worked in retail over the summer for an internship for school, and I did like the monotonous things the techs did, for some reason, but it's not something I would be able to do as a pharmacist and retail pharmacy would certainly not be my first choice of a career in pharmacy. Everyone has told me that the PharmD degree is so flexible. I hardly believe it at this point. I wanted to do hospital at first, because of the higher quality of life and supposedly less patient interaction. Then I learned that patient interaction will happen wherever you go, much to my chagrin, and decided that I should go into research. However, from what I have researched, research for PharmD=industry. I'm more interested in lab-based research or whatever people with masters in the sciences do with their degree.

You may notice a theme here. I don't want to interact with patients. That's true. You may ask, "Why go into pharmacy if you don't want to interact with patients?". Well, I was led to believe there was a niche for everyone with varying degrees of patient contact, but the fact that most jobs are in retail doesn't make me feel any better. I honestly chose this major in high school because 1) I did not believe I had the natural resolve to make it through med school of all things and 2) because I was interested in how drugs interacted with the human body. #2 is what led me to pharmacy. I think I was steered away from research by my family members. Plus there was the fact that since my program admits you into pharmacy school directly from high school, you were guaranteed a spot, unliked med school. So I went to the college that I attend now and I regret it. This college's graduates mostly go into retail from what I have heard, which is just what I don't want to do. The college also has poor research opportunities and I feel if I had gone to a better and/or bigger school, I wouldn't have this problem. I'm already four years into college with a ton of debt on my shoulders. I don't know if I should just make it through the next 3 years or just go to another major. The problem is I don't know what else I could do. I have an interest in graphic design, but my mother suggested I do it as a hobby, since I'm not great at it, and I never appeared to show interest in it, at least according to her. Personally I feel happy when I draw, but I am hesitant about going into it as a career because of what I previously mentioned. There is also the problem of job stability and the fact that I would be on my own with paying for school. I thought about going into a creative niche in pharmacy, but it seems that unsurprisingly, there aren't creative things you can do with the degree. Compounding is the closest thing that comes to mind, but I'm hesitant because of the patient interaction. I hardly enjoy going to class everyday and forcing volumes of information down my throat if I don't know if I'm going in the right direction in my life. I feel like it's a waste of time. What am I learning this for and why I am undertaking so much stress?

I really need help and guidance because I don't really have either of the two in real life. I told my mom how I feel and she thinks I should just push through this major and everything will work out. However, I think that method is a sloppy way of living life. I want to know and make sure that money is being spent on a degree that I will be able to use in the best way possible. Should I be focusing on my grades now? Should I or should I not join a pharmacy organization? Questions like the previous ones always pop into my mind. I'm really not looking forward to graduating only to struggle with getting a job in a saturated market or having to settle for a position I don't want to do.

The sector of pharmacy with the smallest patient interaction (I believe almost 0%?) and closest to bench-top type work would be Nuclear Pharmacy. I would definitely look at all your options in pharmacy before making the switch and losing your already invested time & money.

However, since you are still young with only a year of tuition invested, making the switch to a PhD in Pharmacology is not the worst idea ever. You would have to get your bachelors though. I know some pharmacy schools have a dual PharmD/PhD in Pharmacology.

 

[Sabril]

If you want to work as a technician, the MS is sufficient. If you want to direct or lead your research in a lab, the PhD is necessary unless it is in Math/Statistics where you do individual work anyway.

Is there a place in pharmacy for individuals who are good at math/statistics? I don't really know what you do but I think it is far beyond the realm of pharmacy (at least not what I would think of as "typical" pharmacy work anyways)

 

[DOOM N GLOOM]

Inpatient staffing/order verification at a hospital is also a 0% direct patient interaction job. I don’t know about y’all’s experience, but in the hospitals I worked at, MTM and counseling duties were the chores that the inpatient pharmacists were playing hot potato with because nobody wanted to talk to patients.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Inpatient staffing/order verification at a hospital is also a 0% direct patient interaction job. I don’t know about y’all’s experience, but in the hospitals I worked at, MTM and counseling duties were the chores that the inpatient pharmacists were playing hot potato with because nobody wanted to talk to patients.

That's what students and residents are for

 

[Lnsean]

wtf, you don't like to interact with patients but you want to go to medical school? lmao...jesus christ.

 

[projektreverb]

That's what students and residents are for

Yup the hospital I did my most of my rotations literally pawned it off onto the residents and students. Inevitably, the residents would pawn it off onto us lol

Edit: Inevitably, I was much happier doing this than staying in the inpatient pharmacy. I preferred to talk to the patients on the floors over staying in there. I don’t know if my experience was limited to where I was at, but the inpatient pharmacy had way too many turf wars/cattiness going on for me. It was a toxic environment and I wanted nothing to do with it. So I was glad to step out of there every chance I got lmao

 

[gwarm01]

Schools need to cut out all this nonsense about the PharmD being so versatile. Pharmacy school is training to become a pharmacist. You probably shouldn't enroll if you don't want to be a pharmacist.

 

[projektreverb]

Schools need to cut out all this nonsense about the PharmD being so versatile. Pharmacy school is training to become a pharmacist. You probably shouldn't enroll if you don't want to be a pharmacist.

Yup, every Jack, Jill and Joe thinks they won’t end up in retail or hospital. But that’s the majority of what a pharmacist does lol. Inevitably, most students will end up in one of those two lol

 

[PharmtoCS]

I would choose a non-healthcare field that is in demand, i.e. software development, data science, finance, accounting, engineering, etc. These professions are in demand, pay well, offer far better work conditions (esp compared to retail) for relatively little debt.

It's very misleading when others tell you that a PharmD is very versatile.

 

[Dolfina]

If you're at a state school and are paying a reasonable tuition it's not too late to switch gears. Even without them granting a degree, with all of your classes thus far and pre reqs you are probably a year away from a biomed or bio or chem degree that can transition you easily into a more research focused grad program. I'd even consider a master's in bio tech. If you learn programming in a lab setting, that's a very in demand skill.

 

[lord999]

Is there a place in pharmacy for individuals who are good at math/statistics? I don't really know what you do but I think it is far beyond the realm of pharmacy (at least not what I would think of as "typical" pharmacy work anyways)

It is and it is not. There's quite a number of informaticists who have statistics backgrounds (informatics is a sidejob, I'd say the actuarial and projection work is my main line). There's quite a number of graduate programs that specialize in that side.

And most definitely, the pharmacovigilance groups at minimum need a fairly good mathematician with a practitioner background (at least through differential). If you can survive Analysis, then pretty much any insurance company would hire you, period for either Industrial Organization, SCP, or Finance. But I chose government for the safety, and consult on the side. My government job occupies me around 6-12 hours a week in actual work (but provides me 40 hours of psychological grief from office politics), and I use the off hours to consult.

You could probably fit us into a hotel conference room. ICSA (although not as well-known as the larger ASA's Joint Statistical Meetings) tend to have more on topic and more technical presentations about what we do for a living. I'm actually in the program except for 2017 when I was at Lund.

http://www.icsa.org/icsa_login/symposium2018/ICSA 2018_files/abstractsBook.pdf

If you're interested in that sort of work, there are plenty of programs that accept pharmacists. From the presentation list, I could 35-40 of us as pharmacists and roughly half of that still in practice.

 

[Traziiramate09]

The sector of pharmacy with the smallest patient interaction (I believe almost 0%?) and closest to bench-top type work would be Nuclear Pharmacy. I would definitely look at all your options in pharmacy before making the switch and losing your already invested time & money.

However, since you are still young with only a year of tuition invested, making the switch to a PhD in Pharmacology is not the worst idea ever. You would have to get your bachelors though. I know some pharmacy schools have a dual PharmD/PhD in Pharmacology.

I think you misunderstood. I have four years invested so far. 2 years of prereqs and I repeated my P1 year because I failed a bunch of classes. I wish my school had that. Unfortunately the decision is not up to me. I'm thinking of doing biology/neuroscience.

Inpatient staffing/order verification at a hospital is also a 0% direct patient interaction job. I don’t know about y’all’s experience, but in the hospitals I worked at, MTM and counseling duties were the chores that the inpatient pharmacists were playing hot potato with because nobody wanted to talk to patients.

That makes me feel better.

wtf, you don't like to interact with patients but you want to go to medical school? lmao...jesus christ.

I never said I wanted to go to medical school. I said I was considering it. Besides, I know if I don't like interacting with patients, medical school would be a nightmare for me.

If you're at a state school and are paying a reasonable tuition it's not too late to switch gears. Even without them granting a degree, with all of your classes thus far and pre reqs you are probably a year away from a biomed or bio or chem degree that can transition you easily into a more research focused grad program. I'd even consider a master's in bio tech. If you learn programming in a lab setting, that's a very in demand skill.

The thing is that I'm at a private school with a relatively cheap tuition compared to other pharmacy schools in the area but still high. I would lose two years worth of credits since they wouldn't transfer over to another school, since I had been taking professional courses. A masters in biotech does sound interesting though. I would have to transfer to another school for that and that's something I have to discuss with my folks.

It is and it is not. There's quite a number of informaticists who have statistics backgrounds (informatics is a sidejob, I'd say the actuarial and projection work is my main line). There's quite a number of graduate programs that specialize in that side.

And most definitely, the pharmacovigilance groups at minimum need a fairly good mathematician with a practitioner background (at least through differential). If you can survive Analysis, then pretty much any insurance company would hire you, period for either Industrial Organization, SCP, or Finance. But I chose government for the safety, and consult on the side. My government job occupies me around 6-12 hours a week in actual work (but provides me 40 hours of psychological grief from office politics), and I use the off hours to consult.

You could probably fit us into a hotel conference room. ICSA (although not as well-known as the larger ASA's Joint Statistical Meetings) tend to have more on topic and more technical presentations about what we do for a living. I'm actually in the program except for 2017 when I was at Lund.


If you're interested in that sort of work, there are plenty of programs that accept pharmacists. From the presentation list, I could 35-40 of us as pharmacists and roughly half of that still in practice.

I've heard informatics is kind of a very small field and hard to get into, particularly hospital informatics. I would like to hear more information about how you got into your current field. They don't tell us about this in school. Did you get a dual degree in Pharmd/mathematics/statistics?

I would choose a non-healthcare field that is in demand, i.e. software development, data science, finance, accounting, engineering, etc. These professions are in demand, pay well, offer far better work conditions (esp compared to retail) for relatively little debt.

It's very misleading when others tell you that a PharmD is very versatile.

I was seriously considering engineering for a while. However, I am not exactly a math whiz and my parents feel as if I can't make up my mind about my career which stresses me out even further. I definitely want to do something related to drugs/and or the human body, so perhaps research is best for me. I also have an interest in psychiatry.

Inpatient staffing/order verification at a hospital is also a 0% direct patient interaction job. I don’t know about y’all’s experience, but in the hospitals I worked at, MTM and counseling duties were the chores that the inpatient pharmacists were playing hot potato with because nobody wanted to talk to patients.

It just sounds like ya'll were supposed to interact with them but you didn't want to do it though. Idk, Still kinda hesitant.

 

[gwarm01]

I've heard informatics is kind of a very small field and hard to get into, particularly hospital informatics. I would like to hear more information about how you got into your current field. They don't tell us about this in school. Did you get a dual degree in Pharmd/mathematics/statistics?

I broke into informatics with nothing more than a kind smile and the willingness to move.

 

[Traziiramate09]

I broke into informatics with nothing more than a kind smile and the willingness to move.

I'm really interested in hearing your story.

 

[gwarm01]

I'm really interested in hearing your story.

We have a healthy amount of archived discussion on this forum if you search for pharmacy informatics, including when I was in my own discovery phase a few years back. It is worth a read.

The short version of my story is that I was working for a few years as a clinical/staff pharmacist. I had volunteered to help with anything that could give valuable experience. Training staff on new inventory software, developing new workflows, optimizing procedures, really anything I could do. I also fought hard to be trained to cover as many shifts and practice areas as possible. I eventually applied to a position halfway across the country and had a decent enough background to get in.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I don’t know if my experience was limited to where I was at, but the inpatient pharmacy had way too many turf wars/cattiness going on for me. It was a toxic environment and I wanted nothing to do with it. So I was glad to step out of there every chance I got lmao

Hospitals are the most gossipy places on earth, and the same is true of inpatient pharmacies. Not all reach the level of being a toxic work environment, but dealing with pharmacy and hospital politics is an expected part of being a hospital pharmacist.

Schools need to cut out all this nonsense about the PharmD being so versatile. Pharmacy school is training to become a pharmacist. You probably shouldn't enroll if you don't want to be a pharmacist.

Very true. A PharmD degree is NOT versatile. There are a very limited amount of areas that hire PharmD's, and from those limited amount of areas, the vast majority of pharmacists will be working in either retail or inpatient hospital.

I think you misunderstood. I have four years invested so far. 2 years of prereqs and I repeated my P1 year because I failed a bunch of classes. I wish my school had that. Unfortunately the decision is not up to me. I'm thinking of doing biology/neuroscience.

You failed a "bunch of classes" your first professional year, and yet you are considering neuroscience/biology or med school? Maybe the truth is science is not your gig. Pharmacy school only gets harder, how are your classes going this year? Unless there was a concrete fixable reason for your poor grades your first year, I think you should bail before you take on years more debt and never actually get a degree. If you don't have a talent for graphic design, then definitely don't go into that area. You need to find out what your aptitudes and abilities are, what are you actually good at? Then explore what kind of careers would be a good fit for those aptitudes and abilities.

 

[projektreverb]

Hospitals are the most gossipy places on earth, and the same is true of inpatient pharmacies. Not all reach the level of being a toxic work environment, but dealing with pharmacy and hospital politics is an expected part of being a hospital pharmacist.



Very true. A PharmD degree is NOT versatile. There are a very limited amount of areas that hire PharmD's, and from those limited amount of areas, the vast majority of pharmacists will be working in either retail or inpatient hospital.



You failed a "bunch of classes" your first professional year, and yet you are considering neuroscience/biology or med school? Maybe the truth is science is not your gig. Pharmacy school only gets harder, how are your classes going this year? Unless there was a concrete fixable reason for your poor grades your first year, I think you should bail before you take on years more debt and never actually get a degree. If you don't have a talent for graphic design, then definitely don't go into that area. You need to find out what your aptitudes and abilities are, what are you actually good at? Then explore what kind of careers would be a good fit for those aptitudes and abilities.

I agree with everything you’ve said about OP.

Good to know it wasn’t just my hospital site. My APPE time at the hospital is what drove me away from wanting to do inpatient. I can’t imagine working under those conditions day in day out

 

[sozetone]

I don't know what to do. Lately, it feels as if my life has no direction. I feel depressed and down. I'm in my second year of pharmacy school now (the P2 year) and I don't think I have the resolve or dedication to continue on with this major anymore. I feel like my life has been stolen and sucked from me. I feel like a pharmacy career won't be fulfilling enough for me. I personally don't want to work at CVS forever. I worked in retail over the summer for an internship for school, and I did like the monotonous things the techs did, for some reason, but it's not something I would be able to do as a pharmacist and retail pharmacy would certainly not be my first choice of a career in pharmacy. Everyone has told me that the PharmD degree is so flexible. I hardly believe it at this point. I wanted to do hospital at first, because of the higher quality of life and supposedly less patient interaction. Then I learned that patient interaction will happen wherever you go, much to my chagrin, and decided that I should go into research. However, from what I have researched, research for PharmD=industry. I'm more interested in lab-based research or whatever people with masters in the sciences do with their degree.

You may notice a theme here. I don't want to interact with patients. That's true. You may ask, "Why go into pharmacy if you don't want to interact with patients?". Well, I was led to believe there was a niche for everyone with varying degrees of patient contact, but the fact that most jobs are in retail doesn't make me feel any better. I honestly chose this major in high school because 1) I did not believe I had the natural resolve to make it through med school of all things and 2) because I was interested in how drugs interacted with the human body. #2 is what led me to pharmacy. I think I was steered away from research by my family members. Plus there was the fact that since my program admits you into pharmacy school directly from high school, you were guaranteed a spot, unliked med school. So I went to the college that I attend now and I regret it. This college's graduates mostly go into retail from what I have heard, which is just what I don't want to do. The college also has poor research opportunities and I feel if I had gone to a better and/or bigger school, I wouldn't have this problem. I'm already four years into college with a ton of debt on my shoulders. I don't know if I should just make it through the next 3 years or just go to another major. The problem is I don't know what else I could do. I have an interest in graphic design, but my mother suggested I do it as a hobby, since I'm not great at it, and I never appeared to show interest in it, at least according to her. Personally I feel happy when I draw, but I am hesitant about going into it as a career because of what I previously mentioned. There is also the problem of job stability and the fact that I would be on my own with paying for school. I thought about going into a creative niche in pharmacy, but it seems that unsurprisingly, there aren't creative things you can do with the degree. Compounding is the closest thing that comes to mind, but I'm hesitant because of the patient interaction. I hardly enjoy going to class everyday and forcing volumes of information down my throat if I don't know if I'm going in the right direction in my life. I feel like it's a waste of time. What am I learning this for and why I am undertaking so much stress?

I really need help and guidance because I don't really have either of the two in real life. I told my mom how I feel and she thinks I should just push through this major and everything will work out. However, I think that method is a sloppy way of living life. I want to know and make sure that money is being spent on a degree that I will be able to use in the best way possible. Should I be focusing on my grades now? Should I or should I not join a pharmacy organization? Questions like the previous ones always pop into my mind. I'm really not looking forward to graduating only to struggle with getting a job in a saturated market or having to settle for a position I don't want to do.

I honestly didnt have time to read all of what you wrote however, i don't think anyone should go to pharmacy school anymore. there are more than enough pharmacists at this point to cover everything. Leave it be for 10 years and who knows? for now though, It's a dead end career. Thats my opinion though.

 

[BaSsHeAd]

I wanted to do hospital at first, because of the higher quality of life and supposedly less patient interaction. Then I learned that patient interaction will happen wherever you go, much to my chagrin.

You may notice a theme here. I don't want to interact with patients. That's true. You may ask, "Why go into pharmacy if you don't want to interact with patients?".

Well, 1) I did not believe I had the natural resolve to make it through med school of all things.

i’m sorry, what??

 

[sozetone]

Then quit

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Who me? Im a salaried manager at the moment for WM, until they push me out im collecting my hefty checks......but then, yes i am done.

 

[sozetone]

World doesn't revolve around you bro

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Correct , It revolves around the sun. lol.

 

[eeyore spice]

I don't know what to do. Lately, it feels as if my life has no direction. I feel depressed and down. I'm in my second year of pharmacy school now (the P2 year) and I don't think I have the resolve or dedication to continue on with this major anymore.

tbh, this sounds a bit like my experience. I planned on clinical research but ended up in retail, and discovered I don't loathe pt interaction (or even retail pharmacy) as much as I thought I did. Are you a CPhT at CVS? If you're just an intern, at this point I would strongly recommend taking the tech exam and getting a full time job as a tech, preferably in mail-order or you can try for a hospital tech position, and you can do income-based repayment for your loans.

 

[sozetone]

We have a healthy amount of archived discussion on this forum if you search for pharmacy informatics, including when I was in my own discovery phase a few years back. It is worth a read.

The short version of my story is that I was working for a few years as a clinical/staff pharmacist. I had volunteered to help with anything that could give valuable experience. Training staff on new inventory software, developing new workflows, optimizing procedures, really anything I could do. I also fought hard to be trained to cover as many shifts and practice areas as possible. I eventually applied to a position halfway across the country and had a decent enough background to get in.

The story is good, but you got lucky. Most will not. This pharmacy game will let us all down in the end.

 

[gwarm01]

The story is good, but you got lucky. Most will not. This pharmacy game will let us all down in the end.

I wasn't lucky. I was willing to move. Jobs like mine are attainable for people with the right disposition and a will to make it happen.

Will they exist in 5-10 years time? Will we all be in the soup line? Who can say.