Is pharmacy school worth being in 220k of debt?

[PharmBoy90]

I posted this thread in the pre-pharmacy section, but I figured I'd get more of a response here. Here's my situation:

So, I recently graduated with my Bachelor's in Business Management and I'll be turning 26 this summer (I changed majors/took time off of school, etc). I've decided that I would really like to give pharmacy another shot. It's what I enjoy doing and I wasn't prepared my first time around.

My issue is that I have 70k in existing student loans. I've been accepted at ACPHS, but I have one more year of pre-reqs to complete before going into the professional phase. As long as I meet the minimum requirements, there is a seat reserved for me.

I'm getting a $5,000 yearly scholarship, but the first year tuition alone is $31k ($26k after scholarship). The next 4 years are $36k ($31k after scholarship). Pharmacy school in total would cost me $150k, assuming I don't get any additional grants/scholarships once I begin the professional portion. That combined with my existing $70k would put my student loan debt at $220k. During the program, I could stay with family who lives near Albany, so my living expenses wouldn't be too crazy. My Mom even mentioned perhaps living at home a year after I graduate and just putting the majority of my salary toward my student loans for that year. I just don't know if I want to be doing that at 31 years old.

My other option is to wait for SUNY Stony Brook's program to open in a year or so and try there, since it's a public school and lot cheaper for me as a NY resident (I live on Long Island and could commute there). I'd just hate to wait another year or so before going back to school, since I'm not getting any younger.

I'm pretty confident I can land a job after graduation, as a friend of mine is a pharmacist and owns his own independent pharmacy. Plus, I have connections from my former job as a tech at CVS.

My question is, would it be smart of me to do this, financially?

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[zelman]

I posted this thread in the pre-pharmacy section, but I figured I'd get more of a response here. Here's my situation:

So, I recently graduated with my Bachelor's in Business Management and I'll be turning 26 this summer (I changed majors/took time off of school, etc). I've decided that I would really like to give pharmacy another shot. It's what I enjoy doing and I wasn't prepared my first time around.

My issue is that I have 70k in existing student loans. I've been accepted at ACPHS, but I have one more year of pre-reqs to complete before going into the professional phase. As long as I meet the minimum requirements, there is a seat reserved for me.

I'm getting a $5,000 yearly scholarship, but the first year tuition alone is $31k ($26k after scholarship). The next 4 years are $36k ($31k after scholarship). Pharmacy school in total would cost me $150k, assuming I don't get any additional grants/scholarships once I begin the professional portion. That combined with my existing $70k would put my student loan debt at $220k. During the program, I could stay with family who lives near Albany, so my living expenses wouldn't be too crazy. My Mom even mentioned perhaps living at home a year after I graduate and just putting the majority of my salary toward my student loans for that year. I just don't know if I want to be doing that at 31 years old.

My other option is to wait for SUNY Stony Brook's program to open in a year or so and try there, since it's a public school and lot cheaper for me as a NY resident (I live on Long Island and could commute there). I'd just hate to wait another year or so before going back to school, since I'm not getting any younger.

I'm pretty confident I can land a job after graduation, as a friend of mine is a pharmacist and owns his own independent pharmacy. Plus, I have connections from my former job as a tech at CVS.

My question is, would it be smart of me to do this, financially?

The job market is going from bad to worse. I'd steer clear of pharmacy.

 

[BMBiology]

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" - Mike Tyson

You have been preparing for the best case scenario but you have not been preparing for the worst case scenario.

- Don't count on your "connections" at CVS. People come and go all of the time at that place
- Is your "scholarships" conditioned on you maintaining a certain GPA in pharmacy school? Schools love to give this type of "scholarships" because the majority will loss it after their first year.
- have you added interest to your student loan while you are in school?
- even if you stayed at a relative, you are going to spend at 10-15 k a year in personal expenses (gas, parking, food, professional clothes, going to conferences, etc). It adds up.
- living at home after you have graduated is fine but what if you had to move to another state for a job?

These are some of the things you should be thinking about. It is nice to have a plan but often things don't go as planned. You need to be prepare for that scenario as well.

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[nervoushabits]

I owe $260k.

It was worth it to me because it's what I've always wanted to do and with my specialty, I'd end up in a nonprofit sector (IE: loan forgiveness). If you're not in love with the idea of being a pharmacist and could see yourself in another profession, don't do pharmacy. If you absolutely want to be a pharmacist regardless, then absolutely - do it.

But be warned!

The job market is crap. I did two years of residency and I got REAL LUCKY to find a spot. I know in all 3 cities that I've lived in, the availability of ANY pharmacist position is very slim - including CVS, Walgreens, and other chains. It's getting tougher and tougher every year. Good luck finding a job in NY - all of my students have struggled to find jobs here and most weren't able to find anything until right before or after graduation. The smartest move would be to move out of state after graduation.

 

[farmadiazepine]

Don't go into pharmacy. I wouldn't do it again.

 

[Gombrich12]

You have to consider your other debt a sunk cost, so the question is going to pharmacy school in 2016 worth $150,000 in debt. I would still say no. You have to figure with declining salaries and declining hours if you go into retail you'll probably only get 30 hours a week to start, if that. So you might come out making $85,000-100,000 which is barely respectable in New York these days. If you go the alternative route of looking to work in a hospital that's at least an additional year of training, if not two years. So if it's not a prudent financial decision the only thing left is job satisfaction and once again I think you'll be disappointed.

 

[amt811]

EDIT

 

[PharmBoy90]

Is it true that you can get a 7-figure salary in Alaska? Because I'd totally be willing to work there for a couple of years lol.

 

[zelman]

Is it true that you can get a 7-figure salary in Alaska? Because I'd totally be willing to work there for a couple of years lol.

Nope. Lies.

 

[Matrix187]

The so called shortage in Alaska couldn't be further from the truth. A self fulfilling prophecy comes to mind. So many thought there was a huge demand and huge pay and then the staffing needs were met quickly.

 

[Carol is Alpha]

http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-many-law-schools-need-to-close.html

We need to barrage this guy about pharmacy schools.

 

[sakigt]

I did what you did. It was totally worth it, but!

1. I borrowed $2k total for undergrad
2. I did my prereqs for free with tuition reimburesement at CC
3. I went to a cheap Pharmacy school, still ended up with $142k in debt (6.8% while in school sucks!)
4. I did all this starting 7 years ago
5. I got lucky/made connections and got my current job without a residency

You have to wait anyway to do prereqs so if you REALLY want to do this you:
Finish up prereqs at a local CC, work like CRAZY at a CVS and Uber and save as much as you can (since your previious debt isnt at 6.8%?) to borrow less.

Youre still going to be screwed afterwards but if youre willing to hustle for 5 years while in school then 10 years afterwards youll be a Pharmacist in 15 years without student loan debt. Is that what you want?

 

[rph3664]

Is it true that you can get a 7-figure salary in Alaska? Because I'd totally be willing to work there for a couple of years lol.

Depends on which currency you exchange it into.

 

[PharmBoy90]

Why do people keep going for pharmacy and more and more schools open if there isn't a demand then?

 

[Momus]

Why do people keep going for pharmacy and more and more schools open if there isn't a demand then?

Schools is there to make millions of dollars out of you. When there is profit, they will sell snake oil to uneducated freshman.

You'd be a fool to pick pharmacy nowadays.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Why do people keep going for pharmacy and more and more schools open if there isn't a demand then?

There's been a noticeable decline in the number of applications to pharmacy schools lately, but you're still seeing a lot of people go into pharmacy. It's because a lot of people (even the general public) still think that pharmacy is a golden ticket to an awesome and stable job. You would not believe the number of people outside of pharmacy telling me that I picked a "great field with lots of job security."

Oh and delusional pre-pharm students who have no idea about the job market/put up WAMC threads on their trash GPA and PCAT scores don't really help the situation much at all.

 

[CMUchicka]

There's been a noticeable decline in the number of applications to pharmacy schools lately, but you're still seeing a lot of people go into pharmacy. It's because a lot of people (even the general public) still think that pharmacy is a golden ticket to an awesome and stable job. You would not believe the number of people outside of pharmacy telling me that I picked a "great field with lots of job security."

Oh and delusional pre-pharm students who have no idea about the job market/put up WAMC threads on their trash GPA and PCAT scores don't really help the situation much at all.

Agree with poster above. I just started pharm school and ask me about the kind of classmates i have met.. It's seriously makes me question about going to pharmacy school. Most of them are think that they will be making $100 K + right after graduation and there are plenty of jobs out there for them. I seriously couldn't believe what i was hearing..Just like how the poster above said schools don't care about profession, they only care about $$$.. Its the case with the school that i am in.. I just cant believe the lies i hear from professor everytime i am in class.. Provider status, fast growing field, health care professionals bla bla bla 😵 Also, we also have some nursing students in our class, i couldn't believe why would they pursue pharmacy instead of going for NP..

Also, i want to add if i had time and i knew about this job situation i would have pursued something else.. I am too far into this and i came to know about job saturation very late.. So i had no option but to go in it.

 

[cj98]

Agree with poster above. I just started pharm school and ask me about the kind of classmates i have met.. It's seriously makes me question about going to pharmacy school. Most of them are think that they will be making $100 K + right after graduation and there are plenty of jobs out there for them. I seriously couldn't believe what i was hearing..Just like how the poster above said schools don't care about profession, they only care about $$$.. Its the case with the school that i am in.. I just cant believe the lies i hear from professor everytime i am in class.. Provider status, fast growing field, health care professionals bla bla bla 😵 Also, we also have some nursing students in our class, i couldn't believe why would they pursue pharmacy instead of going for NP..

Also, i want to add if i had time and i knew about this job situation i would have pursued something else.. I am too far into this and i came to know about job saturation very late.. So i had no option but to go in it.

You are too far into it? Didn't you just say you just started your first year?

 

[boriqua]

Why do people keep going for pharmacy and more and more schools open if there isn't a demand then?

a sucker is born everyday. that's why there are still scam websites using 15 year old strategies to steal your SSN and CC info

 

[zelman]

a sucker is born everyday. that's why there are still scam websites using 15 year old strategies to steal your SSN and CC info

It's a real shame. Once my Nigerian friend can gain access to his riches, we will spend much of it shutting down those websites.

 

[PAtoPharm]

It's a real shame. Once my Nigerian friend can gain access to his riches, we will spend much of it shutting down those websites.

Someone else has a Nigerian friend? As soon as my buddy's uncle the Honorable Lieutenant General Secretary of The Treasury Mr. Harambe Mtombo is taken off life support next month, I will be receiving around $15 mil. At least, that's how much I'm expecting to get based on calculating what 5% of $300 mil is (all I have to do is hold the money in my checking account for a week).

 

[mentos]

220k OMG!! I know people from the class of 2013 who are still unemployed, you think you'll have a better shot than them in 2021/22/23??? You're better off becoming a plumber or electrician. Serious.

 

[lcow2004]

I posted this thread in the pre-pharmacy section, but I figured I'd get more of a response here. Here's my situation:

So, I recently graduated with my Bachelor's in Business Management and I'll be turning 26 this summer (I changed majors/took time off of school, etc). I've decided that I would really like to give pharmacy another shot. It's what I enjoy doing and I wasn't prepared my first time around.

My issue is that I have 70k in existing student loans. I've been accepted at ACPHS, but I have one more year of pre-reqs to complete before going into the professional phase. As long as I meet the minimum requirements, there is a seat reserved for me.

I'm getting a $5,000 yearly scholarship, but the first year tuition alone is $31k ($26k after scholarship). The next 4 years are $36k ($31k after scholarship). Pharmacy school in total would cost me $150k, assuming I don't get any additional grants/scholarships once I begin the professional portion. That combined with my existing $70k would put my student loan debt at $220k. During the program, I could stay with family who lives near Albany, so my living expenses wouldn't be too crazy. My Mom even mentioned perhaps living at home a year after I graduate and just putting the majority of my salary toward my student loans for that year. I just don't know if I want to be doing that at 31 years old.

My other option is to wait for SUNY Stony Brook's program to open in a year or so and try there, since it's a public school and lot cheaper for me as a NY resident (I live on Long Island and could commute there). I'd just hate to wait another year or so before going back to school, since I'm not getting any younger.

I'm pretty confident I can land a job after graduation, as a friend of mine is a pharmacist and owns his own independent pharmacy. Plus, I have connections from my former job as a tech at CVS.

My question is, would it be smart of me to do this, financially?

I think if you are confident that you can have something lined up after graduation, I think you should just go for it now. I know the debt sounds daunting but if you wait another year, you'll be losing out on another year of pharmacist salary which I think outweighs the incremental difference in debt. Besides, you're not getting any younger... ;P

 

[sosoreal]

Is it true that you can get a 7-figure salary in Alaska? Because I'd totally be willing to work there for a couple of years lol.

No I live in Alaska . Living expenses is very high up here but you don't get paid 7 figures. Not even close .

But if u convert it to Zimbabwean Dollars it might be 7 figures, Maybe even 8 or 9 figures.


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[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

There's been a noticeable decline in the number of applications to pharmacy schools lately, but you're still seeing a lot of people go into pharmacy. It's because a lot of people (even the general public) still think that pharmacy is a golden ticket to an awesome and stable job. You would not believe the number of people outside of pharmacy telling me that I picked a "great field with lots of job security."

Oh and delusional pre-pharm students who have no idea about the job market/put up WAMC threads on their trash GPA and PCAT scores don't really help the situation much at all.

There's also been a noticeable decline in the quality of the students. There are people who could barely muster a 2.5 at a community college and still manage to get into pharmacy school.

It makes you question the pharmacy organizations and academic pharmacists that 'insist' we are "doctors."

ANSWER TO OP'S QUESTION: F@#$ NO. A PharmD is not worth 200K of debt.

I owe $260k.

It was worth it to me because it's what I've always wanted to do and with my specialty, I'd end up in a nonprofit sector (IE: loan forgiveness). If you're not in love with the idea of being a pharmacist and could see yourself in another profession, don't do pharmacy. If you absolutely want to be a pharmacist regardless, then absolutely - do it.

$260K??? That's private med school debt!

Sorry to burst your bubble. But PSLF is unlikely to survive in it's current form. If a bunch of debt-ridden law, pharm, opto, dental and medical students get their 200-300K loans forgiven scott-free, then every news outlet will run that story non-stop.

Politicians got rid of subsidized graduate student loans only a few years ago. I still remember seeing emails and letters from all the professional and graduate programs fighting to keep it. But none of their lobbying prevented congress from chucking that program into the dumpster.

 

[Pharmd = Phake Doctor]

Agree with poster above. I just started pharm school and ask me about the kind of classmates i have met.. It's seriously makes me question about going to pharmacy school. Most of them are think that they will be making $100 K + right after graduation and there are plenty of jobs out there for them. I seriously couldn't believe what i was hearing..Just like how the poster above said schools don't care about profession, they only care about $$$.. Its the case with the school that i am in.. I just cant believe the lies i hear from professor everytime i am in class.. Provider status, fast growing field, health care professionals bla bla bla 😵 Also, we also have some nursing students in our class, i couldn't believe why would they pursue pharmacy instead of going for NP..

Also, i want to add if i had time and i knew about this job situation i would have pursued something else.. I am too far into this and i came to know about job saturation very late.. So i had no option but to go in it.

Funny story. I went to get my hair buzzed off at Great Clips for their $7.99 "haircut" promotion. I found out the 40-something, chain-smoking, divorced, wrinkly-skinned, single mother who was cutting my hair is a law student.

Anyone who doesn't know law school is a complete joke (been that way for two decades) is really out-of-touch or desperate. Let's hope pharmacy doesn't get this bad. Gotta fight the diploma mills at Chapman, California Northstate, and UT-Tyler.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

At your age, I would definitely NOT recommend beginning pharmacy school. Being 30+ before having an income, with 250k+ in debt is not ideal by any means.

PA school (~2yrs), may better suit you. Just my two cents.

 

[CMUchicka]

You are too far into it? Didn't you just say you just started your first year?

Yes, i am in one of those accelerated programs. And let me explain what i mean by "far into", from high school i knew i wanted to be either dentist / pharmacist. When i went to college, i decided to pursue pharmacy exclusively but then my mind changed and i started pursuing other major. In my senior of college, my mind changed again and i came to back to pharmacy.Now, I am in my late twenties, finally in pharmacy school. I won't lie i don't exactly enjoy pharmacy school but thinking back how much time and amount i have spent to get here forces me to stay in it.I thought of other professions like PA but that would require additional one or two years to prepare and be competitive. I don't think i have option to wait like that..

 

[knight on horse]

You think you can be a successful businessman and also think that pharmacy is a good idea? At least you're doing research beforehand

But who knows, perhaps you'll come up with a clever angle to make money

 

[princepharmd]

I think the more intelligent question is, are YOU worth 220k of debt. Whether it is pharmacy, medicine, business, or the arts, what you do needs to be something you plan to be successful at. Most people are scared of debt because they are not good at planning how to take care of it. I have seen people who make 80k/year complain about their 20k in student loans. Do some soul searching to decide if you really want to do pharmacy, apply yourself in school, and things will work themselves out in the end.

 

[radio frequency]

The only way this is smart financially is if you snag a nonprofit job after school (easier said than done) and can discharge your loans after ten years. Otherwise this is a really bad move and your debt is going to haunt you for the rest of your life.

 

[GypsyHummus]

Cvs hires pharmacists at 120-130k. Take out taxes, that like 80-90 take home. Live off of 20k/year, throw the rest of the 60 at loans. Live like that for 5 years and ur debt is paid off.

It is not the end of the world to make 120k/year. Optometrists have it much worse.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Cvs hires pharmacists at 120-130k. Take out taxes, that like 80-90 take home. Live off of 20k/year, throw the rest of the 60 at loans. Live like that for 5 years and ur debt is paid off.
It is not the end of the world to make 120k/year. Optometrists have it much worse.

This is now in 2016. Nobody knows what the future will be in 2020 (or 2021/2022 if he does a residency.) BM is right, one should be prepared for the worse case scenario, not the best case scenario.

 

[confettiflyer]

This is now in 2016. Nobody knows what the future will be in 2020 (or 2021/2022 if he does a residency.) BM is right, one should be prepared for the worse case scenario, not the best case scenario.

Yup, I entered pharmacy school in 2008 (after really starting the process fall 2007) when multiple job offers with bonuses were falling into peoples' laps and there were routinely unmatched residency spots.

2012, not so much.

People may have passively predicted a pharmacist surplus, but the majority of employment issues stemmed from the recession and uncertainty over Obamacare (lots of hospitals sat tight until the cards dropped).


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[justbe@pharmacist]

Wow... reading this is really daunting. I'm not even in Pharmacy School yet or even taken my PCAT. I did the majority of of the prerequisites already.

Now, that I've read this, I think it is true. So many pharmacy schools. The job listings for pharmacists are small compared to the number of new graduates every year.

"In 2014-15, 13,994 first professional degrees in pharmacy were awarded: 61.6 percent to females and 39.4 percent to males. In addition, 273 post-B.S. Pharm.D. degrees were awarded" - American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (http://www.aacp.org/about/pages/vitalstats.aspx)

 

[mentos]

Wow... reading this is really daunting. I'm not even in Pharmacy School yet or even taken my PCAT. I did the majority of of the prerequisites already.

Now, that I've read this, I think it is true. So many pharmacy schools. The job listings for pharmacists are small compared to the number of new graduates every year.

"In 2014-15, 13,994 first professional degrees in pharmacy were awarded: 61.6 percent to females and 39.4 percent to males. In addition, 273 post-B.S. Pharm.D. degrees were awarded" - American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (http://www.aacp.org/about/pages/vitalstats.aspx)

Run far away and don't look back.

 

[TimeZero]

I am in a hospital clinical/administrative role and agree with the sentiments expressed above. We are not adding positions nor are any other organizations in the area. Most of the discussion focuses on cutting FTEs and doing more with less. The job security is no longer there. I can only imagine what the market will look like in a few years. Save the 220k. Find a technology related field you are interested in.

 

[trailerpark]

220? Nope. I'd say max 150k in loans


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[gwarm01]

I am in a hospital clinical/administrative role and agree with the sentiments expressed above. We are not adding positions nor are any other organizations in the area. Most of the discussion focuses on cutting FTEs and doing more with less. The job security is no longer there. I can only imagine what the market will look like in a few years. Save the 220k. Find a technology related field you are interested in.

My technology related field was pharmacy informatics. I'm hoping to be the lone survivor, left behind to repair and maintain the robot pharmacists of the future.

220? Nope. I'd say max 150k in loans


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I had $140k and even that is pushing it. I live very comfortably but I'm also in the south with a low cost of living. I think $150k should be a hard limit, with $100k being a better goal. Pro-tip: be born into a family of means. My friends whose parents paid for their school are living the good life. Buying luxury cars and nice homes with cash. Turns out you can do a lot when you aren't spending >$1000/month on student loans.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Why do people keep going for pharmacy and more and more schools open if there isn't a demand then?

Actually, fewer people are going for pharmacy each year, but that doesn't solve the problem of saturation since schools will accept just about anyone who applies in order to fill their seats, provided that you can secure $200k+ in loans from the government or banks.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Actually, fewer people are going for pharmacy each year, but that doesn't solve the problem of saturation since schools will accept just about anyone who applies in order to fill their seats, provided that you can secure $200k+ in loans from the government or banks.

And that's difficult to do?

 

[PharmtoCS]

And that's difficult to do?

Yes, they actually check your credit history, grades, test scores (PCAT), previous work experience, etc. in detail, and make sure that you're choosing a profession that is in demand before they they approve you of the loans. /sarcasm

 

[pezdispenser]

Actually, fewer people are going for pharmacy each year, but that doesn't solve the problem of saturation since schools will accept just about anyone who applies in order to fill their seats, provided that you can secure $200k+ in loans from the government or banks.

We should start saying: "to get into pharmacy school you just need a SSN and a pulse".

 

[Amicable Angora]

Yes, they actually check your credit history, grades, test scores (PCAT), previous work experience, etc. in detail, and make sure that you're choosing a profession that is in demand before they they approve you of the loans. /sarcasm

But what if I can't answer their on site interview essay??????

 

[justbe@pharmacist]

I have friends who are going into pharmacy and I'm wondering should I tell them about all the negative aspects of pharmacy currently, like the ones discussed on these forums?

Now... I want to change my username. What am I to do with my life? Even worst, I just received my Dr. Collins' study material!

 

[lord999]

This malaise/ fear is not just pharmacy though, this is every health profession (even physicians) who is having a gut check right now about their continued existence. Right now, I'm reading a proposed service line merger in VA Central Office between Radiology and Pathology (it's really weird, but there's quite a bit of politics that the Clinical Pathologists and Radiologists more or less should be combined into a Diagnostic Services department. While I think AP is always going to be the same sorts of work, CP and Radiology can be thought of as a continuum. And remember, even if you work for the private industry, if you use insurance of any sort, the government is more or less financing it directly or through tax treatment. The payment structures are still based off CMS rules, even if the insurance companies are not CMS. Whether there is going to be a continued willingness to pay even through these indirect mechanisms, probably not.

No other system in the world, even the Japanese, pays their clinicians in the same relative scales that we do. Relative to the general worker salary, an IM primary care physician is paid 3X-5X than that in the US, while at most in almost every other country, this is at most 3X. Pharmacists making 3X-4X the general worker's salary is a new thing, the salary disparity was never that high throughout history until now.

http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1351351+
And that's presupposing you'll work a full career in the business. The 10 year and 20 year drop out rates for medical professions are extremely high and disproportionate to the general US working population (and the nurse marriage impact now is always adjusted out). There are very few pharmacists that I know in the civil service who have worked a complete career as a pharmacist and the K-M statistics bear it out. The current OPM statistics have standard retirement rates at less that 15% for those with career tenure in civil service and less than 8% for more than 20 years of service as an 0660 pharmacist, although that percentage is supposedly going to be higher in a decade due to no one leaving over job-lock issues). What I am worried about is that more pharmacists will be involuntarily separated when they are 50. Ageism happens too in the hospital, it's just a lot harder than to fire someone in retail for nonperformance.

If you want to work as a pharmacist, I still would recommend it with the qualifications that earning a living means that you have to work at it, it isn't going to be given to you like it was to me. But whether it turns out to be a good deal or not really depends on what timespan you want to devote to being employed as a pharmacist as while I think members on this board may quibble about how difficult it is to work retail or hospital (I really don't find it difficult to be a 30 year retail worker if you really appreciate the work environment and the pay), we do work for a living.

But yes, knowing what I do now, I would take the $220k hit and repeat the experience with 15 years less time to practice if I applied as of today for next year's class. However, I have some niche interests that are quite marketable. If I were not in informatics and management, I would happily return to FTE practice as an BCNP mixing radiopharmaceuticals. My main regret with my current job is that I don't get enough time in the hood to retain as much of the muscle memory as I wish for efficiency reasons.

If you don't have a good reason for becoming a pharmacist, then look for something that you do have a good reason as existential reasons have to be understood to avoid burnout.

 

[CountBy5s]

Ive heard there are still jobs in rural East Texas And deep south Texas along the boarder. But there are reasons these jobs are open. Language and cultural barriers might shock you into a coma.

 

[veyep]

The problem with healthcare is, it takes so long that by the time you graduate it's a different field. If Secretary Clinton becomes president she will have a single payor system healthcare, and as pharmacist your pay will decrease significantly. If Mr. Trump becomes the president and tries to do something different that could also turn the healthcare upside down. I don't have kids, but if I did my answer would be to go into business and sales if you want to make a good living.

 

[awval999]

The problem with healthcare is, it takes so long that by the time you graduate it's a different field. If Secretary Clinton becomes president she will have a single payor system healthcare, and as pharmacist your pay will decrease significantly. If Mr. Trump becomes the president and tries to do something different that could also turn the healthcare upside down. I don't have kids, but if I did my answer would be to go into business and sales if you want to make a good living.

This is not how the US Government works.

Obama couldn't get a public option passed with a Democratic Senate supermajority and a Democratic House.

Mrs. Clinton has no chance, and has no desire, for single payer.

 

[Michael_Scott]

Ive heard there are still jobs in rural East Texas And deep south Texas along the boarder. But there are reasons these jobs are open. Language and cultural barriers might shock you into a coma.

....also the drugs and cartel control there. so you have competition in those terms also.