Lack of Residency Programs, Too Many Grads

[megandupe]

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So they've been advising a lot of pharmacy students that if you want a job once you've graduated, to try and distinguish yourself from all the other pharmds in your graduating class. Residencies are a popular choice, but there arent enough to take on the growing demand. i was told that they'll like start expanding/adding more residency programs, but likely decrease the quality of the programs in the process. There's other routes too, like Phd, MBA, fellowship, law school (pharmacy/patent law anyone?) etc. Are many/any of you interested in these programs?

 

[Hello2011]

So they've been advising a lot of pharmacy students that if you want a job once you've graduated, to try and distinguish yourself from all the other pharmds in your graduating class. Residencies are a popular choice, but there arent enough to take on the growing demand. i was told that they'll like start expanding/adding more residency programs, but likely decrease the quality of the programs in the process. There's other routes too, like Phd, MBA, fellowship, law school (pharmacy/patent law anyone?) etc. Are many/any of you interested in these programs?

I am not. I have no interest in being a professional student.

 

[joetrisman]

So they've been advising a lot of pharmacy students that if you want a job once you've graduated, to try and distinguish yourself from all the other pharmds in your graduating class. Residencies are a popular choice, but there arent enough to take on the growing demand. i was told that they'll like start expanding/adding more residency programs, but likely decrease the quality of the programs in the process. There's other routes too, like Phd, MBA, fellowship, law school (pharmacy/patent law anyone?) etc. Are many/any of you interested in these programs?

I think if you find a passion in an area of pharmacy and follow it, you will go much further in your career success than if you are just chasing a job. These things show through.

 

[lorain]

yes a second degree is helpful

but that adds like 30 grand + another 2 yrs of education

at that point, is it really worth it? find other careers IMO

 

[rph3664]

More than one person has told me that some people are doing residencies, if they can get them, simply because they can't find a staff job and it pays better than, say, Starbucks. 🙁

 

[lorain]

More than one person has told me that some people are doing residencies, if they can get them, simply because they can't find a staff job and it pays better than, say, Starbucks. 🙁

yes people do residency cuz they cant find in the area they want to be at for the moment

there will not be enough spots for those interested

so what are the rest going to do?

 

[xiphoid2010]

yes people do residency cuz they cant find in the area they want to be at for the moment

there will not be enough spots for those interested

so what are the rest going to do?

The profession will become more stratified. I think it will become more like medicine, where a competitive training/residency/fellowship/boards process defines and restrict areas of practice.

 

[StreetFarmercy]

What field do you guys think will lead to long-term job stability?

We all know it's not retail, as you are expendable.

Would it be a "clinical pharmacist" in the inpatient setting?

Managed care role?

Position in industry?

Pharmacoeconomics?

 

[Hello2011]

What field do you guys think will lead to long-term job stability?

We all know it's not retail, as you are expendable.

Would it be a "clinical pharmacist" in the inpatient setting?

Managed care role?

Position in industry?

Pharmacoeconomics?

I think it's retail.

 

[KARM12]

What field do you guys think will lead to long-term job stability?

We all know it's not retail, as you are expendable.

Would it be a "clinical pharmacist" in the inpatient setting?

Managed care role?

Position in industry?

Pharmacoeconomics?

I would say an inpatient hospital role will provide the most stability.

 

[lorain]

What field do you guys think will lead to long-term job stability?

We all know it's not retail, as you are expendable.

Would it be a "clinical pharmacist" in the inpatient setting?

Managed care role?

Position in industry?

Pharmacoeconomics?

imo there is no stability for new grads

only those with experience and training (residency) will be comfortable

 

[joetrisman]

What field do you guys think will lead to long-term job stability?

We all know it's not retail, as you are expendable.

Would it be a "clinical pharmacist" in the inpatient setting?

Managed care role?

Position in industry?

Pharmacoeconomics?

There is no long-term stability.

However, the possible sustainability of jobs in different sectors of pharmacy is an interesting subject. My personal speculations:

I admittedly do not know that much about managed care. However, I see it as very unstable as health care laws could shift that market from extremely profitable to completely non-profitable overnight.

In-patient is interesting as an increasing majority of pharmacy students are eyeing residencies and in-patient pharmacy. However, hospitals in general are having a hard time maintaining profitability with many shutting down. While a clinical pharmacist will save soft dollars, in-patient pharmacy is not making any hard dollar revenue in the reimbursement processes I've seen at local hospitals. Therefore, I see it as a difficult prospect to increase the number of inpatient pharmacists to the numbers that many leaders in pharmacy have been talking about with increasing residencies.

Retail cannot maintain a dispensing role as its many source of profitability for much longer. Substantial services will have to be incorporated for retail to continue to be profitable with the trend in reimbursements and salaries. However, I see retail as having the greatest potential in pharmacy at the moment as it has the greatest potential for revenue generation through expanding services.

 

[xiphoid2010]

You want stability? Work for the VA. I picked it as my top residency choice, and loved it there. The job was very secure once you get one, and pharmacy's scope of practice is broader than most places. Yes, there are a lot of bureaucracies but you can learn to live with those.

I would encourage all clinically oriented students to look at career opportunities with the VA. 👍 Right now they are aggressively expanding primary care. So if you are into outpatient clinical services...

 

[joetrisman]

You want stability? Work for the VA. I picked it as my top residency choice, and loved it there. The job was very secure once you get one, and pharmacy's scope of practice is broader than most places. Yes, there are a lot of bureaucracies but you can learn to live with those.

I would encourage all clinically oriented students to look at career opportunities with the VA. 👍 Right now they are aggressively expanding primary care. So if you are into outpatient clinical services...

That's because the gov is the only healthcare org that can operate in the red Seriously though, I volunteer at the VA and love it there. I sincerely hope I land a career there someday.

 

[fauxden]

Aggresively expanding the role of pharmacist at the VA... the head of the pacific northwest region for the VA's spoke to our school. Essentially they are increasing the number of pharmacists at the VA by ~1000--> NATION WIDE... shouldn't be too hard to fill that w/ 2012 around the corning throwing out 14k new grads

If you really want a residency --> offer to pay for one, don't take the 30k...I'm pretty sure they'll bite that line

 

[MountainPharmD]

So they've been advising a lot of pharmacy students that if you want a job once you've graduated, to try and distinguish yourself from all the other pharmds in your graduating class. Residencies are a popular choice, but there arent enough to take on the growing demand. i was told that they'll like start expanding/adding more residency programs, but likely decrease the quality of the programs in the process. There's other routes too, like Phd, MBA, fellowship, law school (pharmacy/patent law anyone?) etc. Are many/any of you interested in these programs?

Back in the day you would distinguish yourself by getting your PharmD. Now that everyone has a PharmD you have to do a residency to distinguish yourself. Soon everyone will have a residency. Whats next? You need to complete medical school to distinguish yourself?

All of this is getting ****ing ridiculous. The cost of a pharmacy education is well over 100k. Then you have to do a 2 year residency at 1/3 pay. All to get a job at a hospital which you should have been able to get with your PharmD.

A retail pharmacist with a PharmD is the most overqualified and underutilized medical professional out there. Its a joke.