Interested in Pharmacy: Advice?

[ktranquang]

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Hi, I finished CEGEP with a DEC in Health Sciences. I got accepted into Software Engineering, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I had to take a leave of absence for one semester away from university. My situation seems very bleak, and I am in dire need of some good advice. I messed up big time. I currently am in unsatisfactory standing. My GPA is extremely low. It definitely was not my intention to do so poorly.

I am now somewhat interested in going into pharmacy, and perhaps maybe in other fields relating to health if I ever develop the interest.

I applied as an independent student at another university and I am planning on taking some courses I did not take in CEGEP with the intention of going into pharmacy. (Organic chemistry etc)

Again, I messed up during this time frame. I need some advice on fixing my situation. Should I appeal and finish Software Engineering before considering pharmacy? Or should I start making the switch right away? I am honestly quite lost at this point.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I would appeal first. You are already partially done with the program, so you might as well try to finish. Not to mention, your job prospects as a software engineer are probably a lot better than as a pharmacist.

 

[ktranquang]

I would appeal first. You are already partially done with the program, so you might as well try to finish. Not to mention, your job prospects as a software engineer are probably a lot better than as a pharmacist.

I thought it was easier to get a job as a pharmacist? In any case, thanks for your opinion.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I thought it was easier to get a job as a pharmacist? In any case, thanks for your opinion.

The job market for pharmacists was great until just a few years ago when a combination of an overall economic downturn, baby boomers not retiring from the profession, and worst of all, a massive expansion in the number of pharmacy schools and class sizes of established pharmacy schools have led to saturation in the field. See thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=639184&page=35

The rise in social media and smartphone use, meanwhile, has led to a tech boom. Not to say that it will last forever (remember the dot-com bubble burst), but so far most of the computer science majors from my undergraduate university still have had jobs lined up for them at Google, Facebook, etc. after graduation.

 

[JayHawks1983]

I am also a pre-med/pre-pharmacy student. I have heard from my college counselors that pharmacy isn't really doing too well because of the corporate stranglehold on pharmacists. When stockholders demand profit, business managers place the stress on pharmacists to output more work. It was funny that the very same college counselor came to my high school 4 years ago telling us pharmacy was an excellent field. I guess job saturation and school expansion are really destroying the field into oblivion.

 

[Lucky One]

If anyone is still reading this, if your on the software engineering path I would not drop that prospect for pharmacy.