Location, Location, Location...

[fps374]

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If you were a graduating from pharmacy school right now (or in the next couple years), and worked for a retail company that allowed you to relocate anywhere in the U.S., where would you go? (factoring evythg like saturation, pay, state pharm laws, cost of living, weather, taxes, etc)

The area I am in (in the northeast) is pretty saturated and a lot of interns move elsewhere. I don't have any ties to stay in the area so am open to moving just about anywhere.......ok, well not anywhere - Idaho 🙄

just a couple thoughts MD?, SC? FL? (if I am looking at the east coast)


Didn't see any similar threads in the past couple years, so any thoughts appreciated!

 

[littleowl]

Hmm...good question. I've lived in SC my entire life and comparatively the cost of living is low versus largely saturated markets for example in FL. I would caution only to investigate the legislative/political climate here and see if it might be a good fit for you. I'm strictly looking at OOS pharmacy school programs for the above reason. My husband's family is from NY and relocated solely for the savings in cost of living. They stated that the home that they purchased here would have cost triple "up home." My heart is set on a permanent relocation in suburban Seattle...for what its worth 😀

 

[owlegrad]

Have you seen the manpower project? That would be a good place to start. I have heard FL is saturated so I would avoid it. 👍

 

[fps374]

Thanks. That site pretty much confirms what I feel the job market is in my home state... 50 out of 50 🙁

 

[Pojman]

What is wrong with Idaho?

 

[AngelaCL]

I'd stay in Indianapolis - a decent sized city, not completely saturated, super low cost of living, and pretty close to my family. Not glamourous but suits my needs.

 

[MountainPharmD]

I would go where ever I had to get a job.

 

[Its Z]

Fl or Tx.

 

[Patrickthetiger]

 

[fps374]

I had not considered Texas. Is it the low cost of living? guns a plenty? or maybe since everything's bigger?

 

[xiphoid2010]

It pretty cheap because there is no state income tax. Texas make up for the revenues using 8.25% sales tax + 2.5-2.7% property tax. But since the federal tax code allows for deduction of either state income tax or sales tax, but not both, the sales tax in Texas in reality is like a state with a 6% sales tax. The 2.6ish property tax is still much cheaper than a state with 4% income tax + 1% property tax. Basically 2-3% more goes to you instead of taxes, and a living cost on par with most of the Midwest instead of the outrageous amounts on the coasts. The down site is its not very exciting, oh well.

 

[awval999]

Texas is great, if you mean Dallas County or Travis County. If not, then well.... not so much.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Texas is great, if you mean Dallas County or Travis County. If not, then well.... not so much.

Don't discount Houston and San Antonio. Have to admit, I'm kinda partial to Austin since I did undergrad there, 6th street and there about is awesome... So awesome I'm almost ashamed of it...

 

[IndustryPharmD]

Definitely not New York.

 

[fps374]

This is kind of a side note, but where in Fl do you have to know a decent amount of Spanish to work? I'm guessing this is the same in parts of Tx, Ca, etc...

 

[GamecockPharmD]

There are no jobs in SC unless you move to the middle of nowhere. I live in SC but work in NC. 2 new Rx schools opened recently in SC and SCCP is considering a satellite campus in the Greenville area last i heard. 4 or 5 Rx schools in SC is too much.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

You better move to MD stat if you're interested in working here- the two new schools are graduating their first class this May.

 

[littleowl]

There are no jobs in SC unless you move to the middle of nowhere. I live in SC but work in NC. 2 new Rx schools opened recently in SC and SCCP is considering a satellite campus in the Greenville area last i heard. 4 or 5 Rx schools in SC is too much.

I live in Greenville and work for the largest healthcare system in the area...plus I work relief on the side with a big-box retailer for extra cash and I can tell you first hand that we are suffering from a huge shortage of pharmacists. Also, the satellite for SCCP in Greenville is already an operational program for P3 and P4 students. Perhaps you are referring to the need for clinical pharmacists? There aren't many openings for those positions because all of the pharmacists occupying them are relatively young and are paid nicely with excellent schedules so in that aspect I suppose you'd be right.

 

[fps374]

Is NC much worse? Where I'm from North and South are seen as the Carolinas, and pretty much considered the same state. The only difference being outer banks vs myrtle 😀

 

[rxlea]

My current list (not in any particular order):

Massachusetts, preferably near Boston
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Vermont
Rhode Island
southern Maine
east/coastal Virginia
east/coastal North Carolina
Portland, Oregon
Chicago, Illinois
Vancouver, Canada
Denver, Colorado
France
Spain
Belgium

I would consider:

Maryland
Pennsylvania
New York
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seattle, Washington
Atlanta, Georgia
San Francisco, California

Absolute no's (I'd hold out for something better):

Florida
Mississippi
Alabama
Dakotas
Montana, Utah, Idaho
Texas
West Virginia

Everything else I haven't thought about. 😀😛

 

[type b pharmD]

Grand Junction, CO
Cedar Rapids, IA
Oshkosh, WI
Cheyenne, WY


Are on my short-list. Open to other fascinating destinations such as maybe Boise or some rural new mexico town i havent heard of, but prolly will end up finding me in the midwest.

My highest priority factor is a population limit of around 100,000-200,000, cheap land, access to outdoors, and staying within midwest or west.

Absolute no's would be anything east of indiana pretty much. Cant handle the population density of the east coast or the temperatures of the south. Although rural TN or WV would be potentially acceptable.

 

[rxlea]

Grand Junction, CO
Cedar Rapids, IA
Oshkosh, WI
Cheyenne, WY


Are on my short-list. Open to other fascinating destinations such as maybe Boise or some rural new mexico town i havent heard of, but prolly will end up finding me in the midwest.

My highest priority factor is a population limit of around 100,000-200,000, cheap land, access to outdoors, and staying within midwest or west.

Absolute no's would be anything east of indiana pretty much. Cant handle the population density of the east coast or the temperatures of the south. Although rural TN or WV would be potentially acceptable.

Have you been to Silver City, New Mexico? I think you'd like it there....

 

[SHC1984]

My current list (not in any particular order):

Massachusetts, preferably near Boston
Connecticut
New Hampshire
Vermont
Rhode Island
southern Maine
east/coastal Virginia
east/coastal North Carolina
Portland, Oregon
Chicago, Illinois
Vancouver, Canada
Denver, Colorado
France
Spain
Belgium

I would consider:

Maryland
Pennsylvania
New York
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seattle, Washington
Atlanta, Georgia
San Francisco, California

Absolute no's (I'd hold out for something better):

Florida
Mississippi
Alabama
Dakotas
Montana, Utah, Idaho
Texas
West Virginia

Everything else I haven't thought about. 😀😛

Whats wrong with Florida?

All the other states I agree with especially Montana and the Dakotas. lol

 

[rxlea]

Whats wrong with Florida?

All the other states I agree with especially Montana and the Dakotas. lol

Heat. I don't want to go from hot to hot. I like seasons. Truthfully, I'd like to have a winter home in Tucson to visit during the holidays....but I need a climate change for sure. Plus I like snow.

 

[Eichhoernchen]

Boston or New York.
I would even work as a waitress first. Haha If this doesn't work out at all, I am moving back to Europe!

 

[bacillus1]

There are no jobs in SC unless you move to the middle of nowhere. I live in SC but work in NC. 2 new Rx schools opened recently in SC and SCCP is considering a satellite campus in the Greenville area last i heard. 4 or 5 Rx schools in SC is too much.

I don't know...there's a job posting in Myrtle beach (PGY1 required) that's been open for about 2 months now, and they extended the application deadline. Granted it's not too populated, but it's not exactly "middle of nowhere" either. I'm seriously thinking about some palm trees in my life while I'm freezing in the Northeast.

 

[pezdispenser]

This is kind of a side note, but where in Fl do you have to know a decent amount of Spanish to work? I'm guessing this is the same in parts of Tx, Ca, etc...

Just some parts of Miami. Even there, it's not mandatory. Usually you can get a tech or other staff member to translate if necessary.

No state income tax in Florida
Sales tax is 6%

 

[owlegrad]

Just some parts of Miami. Even there, it's not mandatory. Usually you can get a tech or other staff member to translate if necessary.

No state income tax in Florida
Sales tax is 6%

Depends on county.

 

[ucrx]

I don't know...there's a job posting in Myrtle beach (PGY1 required) that's been open for about 2 months now, and they extended the application deadline. Granted it's not too populated, but it's not exactly "middle of nowhere" either. I'm seriously thinking about some palm trees in my life while I'm freezing in the Northeast.

Seriously. I keep wondering why I moved back to New England.