Is it good to be a pharmacy professor?

[forever27]

I am getting interested in clinical pharmacy professor position. If anyone interested in this field, can we discuss the pros/cons in this field?

I am interested in this field primarily because it is very stable after I am tenured and the workload totally depends on myself. At the same time, if I want to earn some extra money, I can be a consultant or handle a second job, such as a floater.

The bad side is the salary is not good as other pharmacists, especially to the community. I don't know if I count the extra money, can I compete to the community?

other than that, the location is not as flexible as others. there are only around 100 pharmacy schools in the U.S.

By the way, does anyone know where can I find the position openings of pharmacy professor?

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[kristakoch]

I am getting interested in clinical pharmacy professor position. If anyone interested in this field, can we discuss the pros/cons in this field?

I am interested in this field primarily because it is very stable after I am tenured and the workload totally depends on myself. At the same time, if I want to earn some extra money, I can be a consultant or handle a second job, such as a floater.

The bad side is the salary is not good as other pharmacists, especially to the community. I don't know if I count the extra money, can I compete to the community?

other than that, the location is not as flexible as others. there are only around 100 pharmacy schools in the U.S.

By the way, does anyone know where can I find the position openings of pharmacy professor?

One thing about being a pharmacy school professor is that you pretty much HAVE to have at least 1 year of residency before you can get the job. Also, you better like research because to be tenured at any school you will have to prove you can do beneficial research and be published. Now, this research is not lab work type thing (unless you are med chem or other pharm sci), but you do need to do some type of research to be a faculty at a school. My adivce is, if you are in school, sit down with your fav professor and have them tell you what they did to get into that position. Also, start researching which schools you would like to be at.

Also, for the most part, salary is way lower than retail. Up to 20,000 or more less per year. I know faculty who are earning 75 000 a year instead of the 95 000 + you can get at retail. You just need to decide if this is what you really want to do and start maping out what you will do after graduation.

Good Luck

 

[sdn1977]

forever....I think you have significant misconceptions of academic positions.

You need to spend a significant amount of time networking. To obtain an associate assistant professor position in CA requires at least 1 yr of residency & in some cases another year (UCSF).

You spend years & years & years being in the position of teaching some of the least interesting classes during which you must publish, network & become savy politically in the academic world. Then, if your performance is adequate, you become an assistant professor. To become a full professor takes decades & you must be able to pull in a significant amount of grant money to validate your position. You have to keep validating until you have tenure - again - years & years & years!.

Its not an easy route by any means. My brother-in-law was a professor of biochemistry (PhD) at a medical school in Texas & left after 15 years. He published, did significant research on gene identification & finally left beccause of the difficulty with obtaining grants which is an extremely political process. He found private industry much easier for his personality.

I would agree with the last poster you need to speak with one of your favorite professors. To go this route you need a mentor so start with someone you respect.

You need to look to yourself to see if you have the personality & drive to take this course. These are very knowledgable people who are a very small group who all know each other.

Get a mentor, get involved in your state ASHP society, take on a position within a committee & start networking.

 

[forever27]

forever....I think you have significant misconceptions of academic positions.

You need to spend a significant amount of time networking. To obtain an associate assistant professor position in CA requires at least 1 yr of residency & in some cases another year (UCSF).

You spend years & years & years being in the position of teaching some of the least interesting classes during which you must publish, network & become savy politically in the academic world. Then, if your performance is adequate, you become an assistant professor. To become a full professor takes decades & you must be able to pull in a significant amount of grant money to validate your position. You have to keep validating until you have tenure - again - years & years & years!.

Its not an easy route by any means. My brother-in-law was a professor of biochemistry (PhD) at a medical school in Texas & left after 15 years. He published, did significant research on gene identification & finally left beccause of the difficulty with obtaining grants which is an extremely political process. He found private industry much easier for his personality.

I would agree with the last poster you need to speak with one of your favorite professors. To go this route you need a mentor so start with someone you respect.

You need to look to yourself to see if you have the personality & drive to take this course. These are very knowledgable people who are a very small group who all know each other.

Get a mentor, get involved in your state ASHP society, take on a position within a committee & start networking.

I agree with you that for biochemistry professor, your brother-in-law's case is normal. However, I don't see the same situation in pharmacy practice. I don't know the pressure in a top tier school, such as UCSF. but, at least in my program, a tier two school in big city, most of the pharmacy practice professors have another position in medical centers while they are professor in department.

I am thinking of after I am tenured, I will have a real free life. I know that I will have a much lower (20K) start salary than retail. But everytime when I thought about I still have to count pills ten years after graduation, I get upset...

As you and the other post said, I should talk to my professors about this career path. It seems not many people are interested in this position.

 

[forever27]

One thing about being a pharmacy school professor is that you pretty much HAVE to have at least 1 year of residency before you can get the job. Also, you better like research because to be tenured at any school you will have to prove you can do beneficial research and be published. Now, this research is not lab work type thing (unless you are med chem or other pharm sci), but you do need to do some type of research to be a faculty at a school. My adivce is, if you are in school, sit down with your fav professor and have them tell you what they did to get into that position. Also, start researching which schools you would like to be at.

Also, for the most part, salary is way lower than retail. Up to 20,000 or more less per year. I know faculty who are earning 75 000 a year instead of the 95 000 + you can get at retail. You just need to decide if this is what you really want to do and start maping out what you will do after graduation.

Good Luck

I know one year of residency is a must, perhaps 2 years or more. But after two years of residency, am I qualified to be a specialty too? If I change my mind at that time, can I still find a specialty position in hospital? Is it a good choice? 😳

 

[kwizard]

I know one year of residency is a must, perhaps 2 years or more. But after two years of residency, am I qualified to be a specialty too? If I change my mind at that time, can I still find a specialty position in hospital? Is it a good choice? 😳

Perhaps we have some double posting. Please see the other post as I replied to that one.

2 yrs of residency is the max for clinical training in order to specialize. Fellowship training would be the option after that to gain research training if necessary for your appointment (please see other post). Very few people leave academia to go to clinical practice at a hospital. It is just a different set of politics and hierachy depending on how "specialized" you are in academia and it may not be fiscally feasible to find a similar position outside of academia. Typically those that become tired of academia end up going to industry in a MSL (medical science liaison) position given the increased salary, helping w/ drug studies development, and/or educating other health care providers.

FYI...SDN1977's comment on the brother-in-law and academic promotion really aren't that far fetched. It really depends on the pharmacy school and faculty appointment tracks available.

 

[Jeddevil]

Also, for the most part, salary is way lower than retail. Up to 20,000 or more less per year. I know faculty who are earning 75 000 a year instead of the 95 000 + you can get at retail.

I have heard from several people whom I trust (a current faculty member who is making around 65K and my pharmacy manager who was offered a job) that a certain school with two branches about 1500 miles apart hires newbies at a rate much lower than the $75000 you stated. Lets just say, 15-20K lower.

It reminds me alot of normal school teachers paid to teach the children of this nation. They have a very important job to do but are not paid squat.

 

[forever27]

Perhaps we have some double posting. Please see the other post as I replied to that one.

2 yrs of residency is the max for clinical training in order to specialize. Fellowship training would be the option after that to gain research training if necessary for your appointment (please see other post). Very few people leave academia to go to clinical practice at a hospital. It is just a different set of politics and hierachy depending on how "specialized" you are in academia and it may not be fiscally feasible to find a similar position outside of academia. Typically those that become tired of academia end up going to industry in a MSL (medical science liaison) position given the increased salary, helping w/ drug studies development, and/or educating other health care providers.

FYI...SDN1977's comment on the brother-in-law and academic promotion really aren't that far fetched. It really depends on the pharmacy school and faculty appointment tracks available.

I started a thread in residency block before I realized I should post it here as there are more people here. 😛


Bananaface, I appreciate if you can merge the two posts together as what kwizard said in my other post are very helpful.


something I don't get is, as kwizard and others said, professor's pay is low compare to retail and hospital, plus they have to cost two more extra years of residency, why this position is ompetitive. IS it because there are more residents than clinical or specialty position in hospital OR there are a lot of people really love teaching than money.

I prefer to have a residency training, but I heard somebody said there are not enough specialty positions, so you still have to start as a staff pharmacist. Is it true?

 

[kwizard]

I started a thread in residency block before I realized I should post it here as there are more people here. 😛


Bananaface, I appreciate if you can merge the two posts together as what kwizard said in my other post are very helpful.


something I don't get is, as kwizard and others said, professor's pay is low compare to retail and hospital, plus they have to cost two more extra years of residency, why this position is ompetitive. IS it because there are more residents than clinical or specialty position in hospital OR there are a lot of people really love teaching than money.

I prefer to have a residency training, but I heard somebody said there are not enough specialty positions, so you still have to start as a staff pharmacist. Is it true?

Some of your information sources are a little inaccurate. One of the big reasons why positions in academia are so competitive is that the turnover is low. How many jobs do people go into that they are likely to stay for at least 6yrs w/ many staying for at least 10yrs (either waiting for tenureship, faculty appointment, etc.)? So if you do get tenure then you have the job for life so overall you are looking at a very low turnover rate, even if you consider those that leave w/o receiving tenure. The other factor is that new positions aren't created as often as private sector b/c as you mentioned there are a whole lot less pharmacy schools in the nation than hospitals or retail pharmacies. Competition and demand>supply drives up salary. In academia the positions are competitive b/c the supply of potential applicants is often > demand.

So the # of specialty positions really isn't that big of an issue. Those that do the 2 yrs of residency training and still take staffing positions are likely to be in over saturated areas and are possibly unwilling to move around to get a clinical position. The likelihood of doing 2yrs of residency training and still staffing full time isn't a great idea so I would advise the individual to open up to other areas geographically or to look into developing their own position where they are now. There just isn't much sense in taking a staff position after 2yrs of training unless you are doing so for financial/family related reasons, otherwise such a scenario would be quite rare.

 

[sdn1977]

forever - remember......all pharmacists are trained clinically - whether they really put it into practice or not - they are.

You have to be DESIRED to be offered a faculty position. They have to want you - not vice versa. You have to offer the university something which is not available to them in each graduating class.

You either have to have the ability to teach - which few pharmacists actually can do. Or you have to have the ability to do research - very few PharmD's do bench research, but some do clinicial studies of one kind or another.

In other words - you have to make yourself distinctive from the rest. A PharmD won't get you anything other than a nontenure trac associate assistant professor of something - nothing which will be a career trac. You must be able to distinguish yourself in something, so you must specialize in what is of interest to you & what the university wants in your area.

Which means....you must absolutely present posters at APhA conventions & clinicall meetings as a student. You must be a co-author on papers which are published in peer reviewed journals. You must jump through all those hoops - otherwise - you are just like any other PharmD - nothing much to recommend you as a teaching faculty.

If you hold two positions - a faculty & a clinical position - your life is not free. Ultimately, you will choose between the two. An academic position is one which a lifetime is devoted to the job - you must absolutely love to teach & mentor beyond all things. The money is secondary - as it becomes in all jobs, in my opinion.

 

[PhatPharm]

Are these positions really competetive?? My professor had told me that they were easy to get as long as the basic criteria were met!

 

[Requiem]

Are these positions really competetive?? My professor had told me that they were easy to get as long as the basic criteria were met!

Have you read a single post above yours?

 

[forever27]

Are these positions really competetive?? My professor had told me that they were easy to get as long as the basic criteria were met!

Did you talk to your professor what the basic criteria are? I check the accp website, it seems the opennings are not many and most of them are non-tenure track position. On their job prescriptions, the requirements are not very high, something like PharmD degree, residency or fellow, be able to teach, patient care...

 

[sdgirl1507]

Did you talk to your professor what the basic criteria are? I check the accp website, it seems the opennings are not many and most of them are non-tenure track position. On their job prescriptions, the requirements are not very high, something like PharmD degree, residency or fellow, be able to teach, patient care...

A friend of mine was an assistant professor at Western- now he is an associate professor at Loma Linda. Teaching is his passion. I think if its your passion too, then by all means you should investigate this opportunity. I don't think he had a hard time getting either position. He graduated, did a fellowship and the teaching position was his first job.