I want to go back to school

[ShannonIV]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I don't think pharmacy is for me - hospital has weird, erratic hours, and retail is stressful with long hours that aren't ideal either.

I am thinking of going back to school for something...and I'm not sure what. What is something close to pharmacy yet different enough to provide decent hours? I realize this is a rather vague question but I just need help with brainstorming. Thanks!

 

[CNPharmD]

Is it just the hours that are turning you off from pharmacy? I believe you can get more flexibility in your scheduling with management positions. Maybe you could work as some kind of manager in the health care setting. Honestly , I wouldn't even know what other professions were close to pharmacy other than the obvious pharmacist or tech position.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I'm going to go back for pharmacology or do a fellowship if hospital gets boring. So far, it's been rather entertaining in that "I can't believe how dumb some people are" sort of way.

 

[Hpower12]

I feel the same way. One thing i don't like is that I feel like there is no career ladder to climb. I want that feeling of getting a big promotion one day, or knowing that if I stick with a company and work hard I will be rewarded. I was thinking about going back to get an MBA and try to work in industry.

 

[Priapism321]

I feel the same way. One thing i don't like is that I feel like there is no career ladder to climb. I want that feeling of getting a big promotion one day, or knowing that if I stick with a company and work hard I will be rewarded. I was thinking about going back to get an MBA and try to work in industry.

Yeah, I hear you. No career ladder at all, I mean, the CEO of CVS only started out as a staff pharmacist there. Lot of good that lowly B.Pharm. got him.....

 

[Priapism321]

I don't think pharmacy is for me - hospital has weird, erratic hours, and retail is stressful with long hours that aren't ideal either.

I am thinking of going back to school for something...and I'm not sure what. What is something close to pharmacy yet different enough to provide decent hours? I realize this is a rather vague question but I just need help with brainstorming. Thanks!

How about a pharmacy technician? I think they get pretty good hours.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Yeah, I hear you. No career ladder at all, I mean, the CEO of CVS only started out as a staff pharmacist there. Lot of good that lowly B.Pharm. got him.....

That is one guy out of a company that employs how many pharmacists? In retail the career ladder ends at pharmacy manager for 99% of all pharmacists. Its not for lack of desire or motivation. It is the overall lack of opportunities for advancement beyond a pharmacy manager.

 

[RogerWilco]

The MHS or PHS have opportunities for advancement.

 

[PharmDstudent]

You could always go back and do nursing. I know of a pharmacist who works PRN. His/her main job is nurse anesthetist.

If you can get a PhD, then you could push through an academic hierarchy with time.

 

[mike36]

You could always go back and do nursing. I know of a pharmacist who works PRN. His/her main job is nurse anesthetist.

If you can get a PhD, then you could push through an academic hierarchy with time.

Academia usually is a pretty long work week though (50-60 hrs).

 

[pntbutter]

I don't think pharmacy is for me - hospital has weird, erratic hours, and retail is stressful with long hours that aren't ideal either.

I am thinking of going back to school for something...and I'm not sure what. What is something close to pharmacy yet different enough to provide decent hours? I realize this is a rather vague question but I just need help with brainstorming. Thanks!

Clinical research seems to have nice hours. pretty laid back too.

 

[PharmDstudent]

LTC is another option. It's usually pretty laid back. The hours are decent, regular working hours from what I've seen.

Academia usually is a pretty long work week though (50-60 hrs).

Nights and weekends off. 😉

 

[thefrontrow]

get an MBA from a top school

 

[njac]

how far along in school are you now?

 

[Allure]

how far along in school are you now?

She's a practicing pharmacist

 

[janeno]

I don't think pharmacy is for me - hospital has weird, erratic hours, and retail is stressful with long hours that aren't ideal either.

I am thinking of going back to school for something...and I'm not sure what. What is something close to pharmacy yet different enough to provide decent hours? I realize this is a rather vague question but I just need help with brainstorming. Thanks!

What about completing a pharmacy residency? I job-shadowed two specialized pharmacists - one in outpatient oncology and one in the ICU unit. Both of them worked 8 hour days usually 8am to 5 pm or 7am to 4 pm. The job was very interesting and it did not seem too stressful as long as you know your stuff. however, you would need to go through 60-80 hr weeks for 2 years during the residency to get those jobs. Unfortunately, pharmacist specialists do not have much job growth but they have other opportunities such as teaching and precepting students, presenting at conferences, etc.

If you want job-growth, you need to go into management.

 

[ShannonIV]

Thanks for all the replies! I am a practicing pharmacist right now and have worked in a few settings - both hospital inpatient and retail. I graduated in '07.

I don't really have any desire to manage people but I am considering a residency. Would it be odd if I went back and did one? Would my current place of employment keep my job for me if I ended up just coming back there?

I would think my year of experience as a practicing pharmacist would help me get a residency. However, it's not going to automatically advance my career as I would still have to find a clinical specialist job afterwards and those are hard to come by.​

 

[ShannonIV]

How do you get into clinical research?

 

[Hpower12]

Yeah, I hear you. No career ladder at all, I mean, the CEO of CVS only started out as a staff pharmacist there. Lot of good that lowly B.Pharm. got him.....

ok, thats one person so not really a great example. in general every pharmacy doesn't have a ladder to climb like working in some buisness. I know in retail you can do district manager and what not but I have heard many people say it is more hours and not that much more pay.

 

[Priapism321]

Thanks for all the replies! I am a practicing pharmacist right now and have worked in a few settings - both hospital inpatient and retail. I graduated in '07.

I don't really have any desire to manage people but I am considering a residency. Would it be odd if I went back and did one? Would my current place of employment keep my job for me if I ended up just coming back there?

I would think my year of experience as a practicing pharmacist would help me get a residency. However, it's not going to automatically advance my career as I would still have to find a clinical specialist job afterwards and those are hard to come by.​

I am a PGY-2 Oncology resident, and one of my colleagues did 4 years of retail (Target, CVS) before he couldn't take it anymore. We work like bloody slaves, and he repeatedly states that he would never consider going back to retail.

 

[Priapism321]

ok, thats one person so not really a great example. in general every pharmacy doesn't have a ladder to climb like working in some buisness. I know in retail you can do district manager and what not but I have heard many people say it is more hours and not that much more pay.

Well what the hell do you want me to tell you, that every retail pharmacist is bound to become the CEO of a major corporation? Nope, only the hardest working, most determined ones will even have a shot. Are you one of these individuals or not? Most of the ones who are not will complain about the lack of a "career ladder" no matter what they do for a living.

 

[pntbutter]

How do you get into clinical research?

University hospitals have clinical research jobs available sporadically. However I think you must start low, like as a research assistant(very low paying) unless you have experience/credentials and work your way up. The PI of the research will always be an md, but you can be like a sub PI.

Anyway the pharmacists i worked with went straight into clinical research after school. He completed two 1 year residencies i believe and got the job via connections.