I want to become a Pharmacist! Is it really that difficult?

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MsPharmacist2B

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What advise would you give someone who is eager to become a pharmacist? I am currently taking classes at a local community college and I have over two-years experience working as a pharm tech. I also plan on taking the national exam soon. Do you all think that experience and certification will look good on my application once I apply?

I really want to pursue this career... not because of the money, but to help people, which is a passion of mines. I want this so badly. I sometimes become little discouraged because I am not that smart - but I am willing to sacrifice a lot and learn all that I can to make this dream a reality.
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you don't have to be smart to succeed.
succeeding takes talent, skills, commitment, and time.

even then, sometimes talent isn't need. however you have to love what you do and be good at it. either through practice or naturally. and if you suck, thats where commitment comes in, keep at it. and all this will take time.
 
MsPharmacist2B said:
What advise would you give someone who is eager to become a pharmacist? I am currently taking classes at a local community college and I have over two-years experiencing working as a pharm tech. I also plan on taking the national exam soon. Do you all think that experience and certification will look good on my application once I apply?
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Yes, absolutely, it'll be a huge + for your app. Now, get yourself community service / volunteering (not necessarily in a hospital setting b/c you have exp in pharmacy already) and, in addition to good grades and a good PCAT, you're set. Also start working on your LoRs.

I really want to pursue this career... not because of the money, but to help people, which is a passion of mines. I want this so badly. I sometimes become little discouraged because I am not that smart - but I am willing to sacrifice a lot and learn all that I can to make this dream a reality.
Click to expand...

That's the attitude you need and that'll get you where you want to go.

When I started back in school after 4 years in the Army, I really got my butt kicked. But, I wanted to be a pharmacist and perservered and now I am living my dream... and it was DEFINITELY not easy. I am pretty objectively bad at math and science compared to my peers but still achieve above-average grades. Some folks have innate skill but not passion. You can learn skill and practice, but if you lack passion for something no one can help you get more of it.

You're on the right track, keep it up.
 
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Passion4Sci said:
Yes, absolutely, it'll be a huge + for your app. Now, get yourself community service / volunteering (not necessarily in a hospital setting b/c you have exp in pharmacy already) and, in addition to good grades and a good PCAT, you're set. Also start working on your LoRs.



That's the attitude you need and that'll get you where you want to go.

When I started back in school after 4 years in the Army, I really got my butt kicked. But, I wanted to be a pharmacist and perservered and now I am living my dream... and it was DEFINITELY not easy. I am pretty objectively bad at math and science compared to my peers but still achieve above-average grades. Some folks have innate skill but not passion. You can learn skill and practice, but if you lack passion for something no one can help you get more of it.

You're on the right track, keep it up.
Click to expand...

My heart burned with fire as I read your post! I'm so excited to read that there are folks like you out there who understand how I feel. Thank you so much for your encouragement. Best wishes to you in all your endeavors! 😍
 
Thank you all for responding. I know this is going to be difficult, but I have no desire to give up!
 
pharmhustle said:
you don't have to be smart to succeed.
succeeding takes talent, skills, commitment, and time.

even then, sometimes talent isn't need. however you have to love what you do and be good at it. either through practice or naturally. and if you suck, thats where commitment comes in, keep at it. and all this will take time.
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👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍
 
Whoever says you don't have to be smart in pharmacy school to succeed is nut. You do need to be smart at some level. A few classes at pharmacy schools require critical thinking such as therapeutics. Without it, you won't be able to pass at my school. However, not saying to turn you down, but to encourage you to improve your critical thinking skill. Success requires multiple factors, and hard working is "one of them". On the top of that, you need to have a good communication skill, and a good observation skill to stand above other people.

But don't be so worried for now. Many of us have to improve these skills over time.
 
Is there any job that doesn't require good communication skills wether it's verbal, writing, or with your body (stripper)?
 
5minutes said:
Whoever says you don't have to be smart in pharmacy school to succeed is nut. You do need to be smart at some level. A few classes at pharmacy schools require critical thinking such as therapeutics. Without it, you won't be able to pass at my school. However, not saying to turn you down, but to encourage you to improve your critical thinking skill. Success requires multiple factors, and hard working is "one of them". On the top of that, you need to have a good communication skill, and a good observation skill to stand above other people.
Click to expand...

Therapeutics does not require nary a critical thought. It requires memorization. Being a clinical pharmacist is easy. Just memorize guidelines and know them inside and out. We don't engineer anything, we take the evidence that's available and apply it in a very linear fashion. Occasionally, the requirement to improvise presents itself, but never really in pharmacy school. You might see that rare problem that doesn't have a solution in the literature every once in a blue moon. Pharmacy school is memorization and regurgitation. The people that actually spend the time memorizing useless, minute information that I could get with an internet connection and access to Clinical Pharmacology are the ones that succeed in pharmacy school.

Essentially, if pharmacy school was all open book, I think everyone would get all As in therapeutics. That reveals the level of critical thought truly needed.

The only critical thought is in various basic sciences...physics...organic chemistry...maybe medicinal chemistry...if you can deal with those, the concepts presented in pharmacy school are comparatively rather simple.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
Therapeutics does not require nary a critical thought. It requires memorization. Being a clinical pharmacist is easy. Just memorize guidelines and know them inside and out. We don't engineer anything, we take the evidence that's available and apply it in a very linear fashion. Occasionally, the requirement to improvise presents itself, but never really in pharmacy school. You might see that rare problem that doesn't have a solution in the literature every once in a blue moon. Pharmacy school is memorization and regurgitation. The people that actually spend the time memorizing useless, minute information that I could get with an internet connection and access to Clinical Pharmacology are the ones that succeed in pharmacy school.

Essentially, if pharmacy school was all open book, I think everyone would get all As in therapeutics. That reveals the level of critical thought truly needed.

The only critical thought is in various basic sciences...physics...organic chemistry...maybe medicinal chemistry...if you can deal with those, the concepts presented in pharmacy school are comparatively rather simple.
Click to expand...

You're making it sound like you, as a practicing pharmacist, know more about the profession than a pharmacy student. I have always been lead to believe from sdn posts that the most knowledgeable were pre-pharms, then pharm students and lastly pharmacists. 🙄
 
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5minutes said:
Whoever says you don't have to be smart in pharmacy school to succeed is nut. You do need to be smart at some level. A few classes at pharmacy schools require critical thinking such as therapeutics. Without it, you won't be able to pass at my school. However, not saying to turn you down, but to encourage you to improve your critical thinking skill. Success requires multiple factors, and hard working is "one of them". On the top of that, you need to have a good communication skill, and a good observation skill to stand above other people.

But don't be so worried for now. Many of us have to improve these skills over time.
Click to expand...

rofl, i agree with wvu pharmacy , pharmacy school requires almost no critical thinking whatsoever.
 
I think I'm using a lot of critical thinking skills on my current rotation (Amb Care Diabetes Mgmt). Yeah, I know the guidelines (AACE and ADA and JNC7 and ATP and NKOTB and ROFL) but it's not like every patient fits neatly within the flow charts. Patients have social/emotional/economic issues. They are noncompliant. They are depressed and unmotivated for self care. They have preconcieved notions about certain therapies and prejudices that must be overcome. You have to be able to assess the patient and come up with a plan that will work for that particular patient that the patient will at least try to comply with. My classmates who SUCK at this rotation are the ones who have only memorized the guidelines and are unable to think creatively about the patient sitting in front of them and determine how to engage the patient in their own care. JMO.
 
WVUPharm2007 said:
Nah. Trust fund kid. Anyone on Wall Street. Pro athlete. Female porn star. All easily less difficult ratio wise.
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lolwut

You mean those guys putting in countless hours into their respective sports in order to compete at the highest level?
 
I like how the posts on SDN always seems to go off topic of the original post.
Pharmacists, porn stars and pro-athletes 👍
 
kuroineko said:
I like how the posts on SDN always seems to go off topic of the original post.
Pharmacists, porn stars and pro-athletes 👍
Click to expand...

This is why Sdn is no longer a good place for information. It becomes a place where people to complain, criticize, go off-topics. It becomes a place where people talk down to another because either of their language barrier, or just simply asking a naive question. Sdn used to be a good place where people encouraged each other, shared positive opinions, discussed about the schools. Now, It becomes a place for people to show up (pride) either in the form of high gpa, high pcat, or I just got accepted, or I got a Ph.D and who are you. Lastly, people gang up, sucking one another shoe, flattery, and they don't even know each other.

There must be a need for reformation: restrict answers to the topic, stop bashing each other, stop going off the topic.

Just a thought from sdner.
 
5minutes said:
This is why Sdn is no longer a good place for information. It becomes a place where people to complain, criticize, go off-topics. It becomes a place where people talk down to another because either of their language barrier, or just simply asking a naive question. Sdn used to be a good place where people encouraged each other, shared positive opinions, discussed about the schools. Now, It becomes a place for people to show up (pride) either in the form of high gpa, high pcat, or I just got accepted, or I got a Ph.D and who are you. Lastly, people gang up, sucking one another shoe, flattery, and they don't even know each other.

There must be a need for reformation: restrict answers to the topic, stop bashing each other, stop going off the topic.

Just a thought from sdner.
Click to expand...


No longer?

Please, we've been doing that since at least 2003.
 
5minutes said:
This is why Sdn is no longer a good place for information. It becomes a place where people to complain, criticize, go off-topics. It becomes a place where people talk down to another because either of their language barrier, or just simply asking a naive question. Sdn used to be a good place where people encouraged each other, shared positive opinions, discussed about the schools. Now, It becomes a place for people to show up (pride) either in the form of high gpa, high pcat, or I just got accepted, or I got a Ph.D and who are you. Lastly, people gang up, sucking one another shoe, flattery, and they don't even know each other.

There must be a need for reformation: restrict answers to the topic, stop bashing each other, stop going off the topic.

Just a thought from sdner.
Click to expand...

I like how this off-topic post complains about people being off-topic :meanie:

Seriously though, there are still plenty of positive things going on. Yeah, the stuff you mentioned goes on too, but it's the internet. What do you expect?
 
I am in the middle of studying for p2 exams and I can say it is very stressful at times. The amount of workload is MUCH higher than in undergrad. You really have to be able to deal with stress well to get through it all. If you had an A average in undergrad you should be ready to drop in average by about 10% imo.

Much of the material involves memorization and repetition. It is very time consuming especially if you have other commitments. Damn I can't wait til this semester is over.
 
MsPharmacist2B said:
What advise would you give someone who is eager to become a pharmacist? I am currently taking classes at a local community college and I have over two-years experience working as a pharm tech. I also plan on taking the national exam soon. Do you all think that experience and certification will look good on my application once I apply?

I really want to pursue this career... not because of the money, but to help people, which is a passion of mines. I want this so badly. I sometimes become little discouraged because I am not that smart - but I am willing to sacrifice a lot and learn all that I can to make this dream a reality.
Click to expand...
I like your attitude. With this mentality, you can accomplish anything.

However...

I sometimes become little discouraged because I am not that smart
Click to expand...

this is something you have to get out of your head and overcome. If you keep telling yourself this, then that is exactly what is going to happen. Remove this thought/fear completely out of your head and every time you think about saying this, replace it with the exact opposite("I am smart and can do anything"). Over time, the power of repetition will take effect in your subconscious mind, and you will have nothing to stop you 👍
 
pharmhustle said:
you don't have to be smart to succeed.
succeeding takes talent, skills, commitment, and time.

even then, sometimes talent isn't need. however you have to love what you do and be good at it. either through practice or naturally. and if you suck, thats where commitment comes in, keep at it. and all this will take time.
Click to expand...

You can also replace talent with hard work.
 
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win, but you think you can't,
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will.
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But soon or later the man who wins,
Is the man who thinks he can.
Click to expand...




One of my favorite poems.
 
How many hours outside of classes does the typical pharmacy student study each week?
 
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