I searched and searched...

Most retail chains offer some support if you're willing to work for them, but I would be very surprised if they'd cover everything. The military is probably the only one who would cover everything.

 

I think the most you would get out of retail stores is a few grand/year, doesn't seem worth being owned by them after school. Like the above poster said look into military, they will pay for all your school if you sign on for 4 years after as a pharmacist. All the options pretty much involve you not having control of where you work for 4 years after school, in my opinion that is not worth the money. Take out loans and be free!

 

I totally agree. I work for CVS and they will only give you money if you're in your last 2 years of schhol. Then, it's just $5K (and I think that's a lump sum, not per year) AND you have to agree to work in certain areas after graduation...i.e., the areas no one else wants to live in. It is soooooooo not worth 5 grand to live there, unless you were already from those areas and were planning on moving back. I got my flier in the mail about a month ago--I threw it away, or I would post some of the areas.

 

Haha, I work for CVS as well, and I did the same thing you did. However, it is $5K per year for 2 years, but it's still not worth it. Plus, a lot of times retail pharmacies like CVS will give you a sign-on bonus upon hiring, which you will not get if you accepted a scholarship from them. I think CVS gives around $10K as a bonus, so why would anyone get the scholarship?

 

A friend of mine worked for CVS during school. She got $5k per year for years 2, 3 & 4. She signed with them during her 4th year, got an $8k signing bonus and they increased her pay to the graduate intern rate of $37 per hour even though she was still in her 4th year. Oh, she also got her choice of store. She picked the one 5 minutes from her house, which is in a nice area of Tampa.

 

While I'm not sure about the Tampa/St. Pete area, I've heard that Fl in general has a high demand for pharmacists currently. Maybe that's why they gave her a sweeter deal?

 

Ah, I didn't read it that closely!

For students at 3 year schools (that's me!), you are only eligible during your last year of school, even though you are technically a P3 before then. This is the 1st year I have received such an offer (and I graduate next spring) and I have been with them since I started pharm school. I had also inquired previously (before I knew the deal was so crappy), and was told I wouldn't be eligible in my last year.

 

You are not very "free" if you have 100k in student loans.

 

yes...its the laws of economics!

You're not going to find many if not any retail places that will foot the bill for an education. However, there are some hospitals in such need that will. There really isn't a list, you kind of have to investigate it from hospital to hosptial. Typically these are your more rural hospitals or "big" hospitals in small cities (think places like El Paso TX & Racine WI)

Happy hunting!