is it just me

[cystapharm]

or is pharmacy a vietnamese dominated career? Maybe its just cuz i live in southern california and all the pharmacies have vietnamese employees. Even when I go up to northern cali and checked out the Rx ther are vietnameses working in the corporate chains. When I took the PCAT at UCLA like 90% were asians with a majority of them speaking vietnamese and I could tell just by looking at them that they are vietnamese. Is it like this all over the US......like the Nail Salons?

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[All4MyDaughter]

or is pharmacy a vietnamese dominated career? Maybe its just cuz i live in southern california and all the pharmacies have vietnamese employees. Even when I go up to northern cali and checked out the Rx ther are vietnameses working in the corporate chains. When I took the PCAT at UCLA like 90% were asians with a majority of them speaking vietnamese and I could tell just by looking at them that they are vietnamese. Is it like this all over the US......like the Nail Salons?

I think it is regional. Pharmacy is certainly not viet-dominated in Kentucky but that is to be expected because of demographics.

 

[KellyBean]

or is pharmacy a vietnamese dominated career? Maybe its just cuz i live in southern california and all the pharmacies have vietnamese employees. Even when I go up to northern cali and checked out the Rx ther are vietnameses working in the corporate chains. When I took the PCAT at UCLA like 90% were asians with a majority of them speaking vietnamese and I could tell just by looking at them that they are vietnamese. Is it like this all over the US......like the Nail Salons?

Are you Vietnamese?

 

[djquiksilver]

It's not just in USA, it happens in other countries too and other state such as Texas where the Vietnamese population is more dense.

Also, it's becoz Vietnamese parents and in general Asian parents force their kids to do either medicine or pharmacy half of the time. It makes me wonder, how many really do med/pharm because of their own interest, rather than being forced by parents.

I don't mean this in a negative way since parents want their kids to have a bright future.

 

[senzabee]

I think it might also be a domino affect sort-of thing. There may have been a small group of Vietnamese students who went to pharmacy school a while ago and became pharmacists. Others saw how successful they were, how much money they made, and just that their status grew, so they were influenced by this to go into it. They may have felt comfortable going into it because they see others of the same ethnicity succeeding and know it is a possibility. But I'm sure there are many students who do find pharmacy interesting. It's hard for me to say because I didn't grow up among a dense ethnic community, and I could imagine growing up in one would really influence your interests and choices.

 

[Jessly56]

It's not just in USA, it happens in other countries too and other state such as Texas where the Vietnamese population is more dense.

Also, it's becoz Vietnamese parents and in general Asian parents force their kids to do either medicine or pharmacy half of the time. It makes me wonder, how many really do med/pharm because of their own interest, rather than being forced by parents.

I don't mean this in a negative way since parents want their kids to have a bright future.

very true.. i feel more pressured from parents than anyone else. either way, i too think its a regional thing. california is highly populated by asians. i visited uop a few months ago and a lot of the students there were asian, not necessarily vietnamese though. however when you look at schools in the midwest, its predominantly populated by nonasians. also, i wouldnt say the profession consists mainly of vietnamese.. id say the profession consists mainly of girls haha.

 

[Khoioiii]

It's not just in USA, it happens in other countries too and other state such as Texas where the Vietnamese population is more dense.

Also, it's becoz Vietnamese parents and in general Asian parents force their kids to do either medicine or pharmacy half of the time. It makes me wonder, how many really do med/pharm because of their own interest, rather than being forced by parents.

I don't mean this in a negative way since parents want their kids to have a bright future.

I am Vietnamese, and my parents had nothing to do with my decision to pursue a career in pharmacy. I find pharmacy to be a fascinating profession. Yeah, so asian parents (not just vietnamese parents) want their kids to be successful in life and do something that can benefit the world. Most of these asian parents were immigrants and didnt have the chance that their kids now have. They want to see their kids live out the "american dream." I dont blame them...

 

[eightball]

during a trip to VietNam,I also noticed that most of the pharmacists there are also Vietnamese! Me thinks they are taking over the profession!

 

[KellyBean]

during a trip to VietNam,I also noticed that most of the pharmacists there are also Vietnamese! Me thinks they are taking over the profession!

hahahahah

 

[Jessly56]

during a trip to VietNam,I also noticed that most of the pharmacists there are also Vietnamese!

well yeah...

 

[PharmacistApril]

I never thought about that until now there is alot of asian people and indian people in medicine. However, I do understand the pressures to do well because I am African American and my family wants me to have an "official title" in life. Thats why I try and study very hard to get good grades!

 

[PharmDJH]

You can't generalize the state of Cali. For the whole U.S to have all Vietnamese pharmacist. I'm also Vietnamese and in the same boat with the upcoming generation of Asians, Blacks, Americans etc... My parents came to the U.S in the early 1980's, only hopes for coming to U.S was to better their kids they were too old to go back to school. So during my childhood years my parents forced me to study to get the good grades b/c they know how hard the real world is, but ultimately to receive a good education. Plus coming from a 3rd world country they know how hard it is back home to make a dollar. So from a very young age you’re taught to give it your hardest at all times. As for pharmacy being mostly Vietnamese I think cystapharm needs to get around more.

 

[RX CARE]

I never thought about that until now there is alot of asian people and indian people in medicine. However, I do understand the pressures to do well because I am African American and my family wants me to have an "official title" in life. Thats why I try and study very hard to get good grades!

Hey....Did u get into hampton??

 

[Da Alchemist]

No Cyta. Only In Cali Because All The Asians Are In California. But The Other Side Of The Country Are Mostly White. Lol

 

[PharmacistApril]

Hey....Did u get into hampton??

Unfortunately I am not done with Chemistry yet, so as soon as I can knock that out this summer I am gonna start applying places. Have you been accepted anywhere?

 

[omnione]

or is pharmacy a vietnamese dominated career? Maybe its just cuz i live in southern california and all the pharmacies have vietnamese employees. Even when I go up to northern cali and checked out the Rx ther are vietnameses working in the corporate chains. When I took the PCAT at UCLA like 90% were asians with a majority of them speaking vietnamese and I could tell just by looking at them that they are vietnamese. Is it like this all over the US......like the Nail Salons?

I wouldn't go as far to say that Vietnamese people dominate pharmacies like they do with nail salons. I think that it's regional. After all, California is home to the highest number of Vietnamese-Americans in the country. Places like Los Angeles and San Jose are filled with them. UCLA probably has the most Vietnamese students in the world outside of Vietnam. So, it's no surprise that you'll find more of them in pharmacies out there.

Before I continue, I like to mention that I am a Vietnamese guy applying to pharmacy school FWIW.

In Nebraska where the number of Vietnamese people is much lower, the number of "us" in pharmacies isn't really noticeable. So, the trends go with each region.

As for the parents angle, I think that's an overblown angle. Though I have friends whose parents pressured their them into pharmacy and my parents did suggest a health-related career, it was my decision to do so. I have many more Vietnamese friends in business, computer engineering, architechture, and even interior design! For the most part, the stereotypical "Asian" parent wants their children to get a job with high job security so that the children won't repeat the parents' mistakes.

Specifically for Vietnamese parents, some of them don't want their children to experience the financial hardship the parents' endured when coming to the United States. So, parents will prefer jobs with decent wages where the children won't live paycheck to paycheck or struggle to pay off debt. Also, some Vietnamese parents are more traditional where the child never "leaves the nest" where the children supports their parents in their old age. Thus, a job with a decent wage becomes critical hence the slant toward the health professions that pay a high wage. My parents didn't suggest a health-related profession for alturistic reasons, they suggested it because of the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

 

[lvp0021]

You should not stereotype that the pharmacy profession is dominated by any particular group. It's just if you have talents, stamina, and the "it" to make it through the profession, you'll be in it. That's what I like about this country where hard-working people get recognized, mostly. Besides, Cali is like a little Vietnam country so no wonder why you have such observation. Try Idaho, Rhode Island, or Nebraska, you'll see something different! I am vnamese and choose to pursue pharmacy as I like the study of sciences, drugs, and diseases and judge that this profession offers the most potentials for my future.

 

[Farmercyst]

You should not stereotype that the pharmacy profession is dominated by any particular group. It's just if you have talents, stamina, and the "it" to make it through the profession, you'll be in it. That's what I like about this country where hard-working people get recognized, mostly. Besides, Cali is like a little Vietnam country so no wonder why you have such observation. Try Idaho, Rhode Island, or Nebraska, you'll see something different! I am vnamese and choose to pursue pharmacy as I like the study of sciences, drugs, and diseases and judge that this profession offers the most potentials for my future.

Has anyone considered the great American brain drain. If you look at who tops the waitlists for Visa's, green cards, etc. It is those who US feels would be of the greatest worth to the US. Doctors, nurses, educators, engineers, etc. Anywhere there's a shortage somebody gets bumped. One of the reasons why you'll see a lot of foreigners, not just Viet or Indian, in healthcare professions and other professional positions.

 

[LECOMorBUST]

You should not stereotype that the pharmacy profession is dominated by any particular group. It's just if you have talents, stamina, and the "it" to make it through the profession, you'll be in it. That's what I like about this country where hard-working people get recognized, mostly.

I agree with this, but this is the real world where politics speak louder than merit. The last part stating "mostly" rings true in an optimistic kind of way.