med school difficulty vs. pharmacy difficulty

[bankai123]

I personally pursued Pharm D. when I was 20. Many of my friends said that if they were as young as me, they'd definitely go for medicine. Didn't do it cuz too much studying and time commitment.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Priapism321]

If you are going to compare the two professions, pharmacy and medicine, to two drugs at least make them in the same class of drugs. Pharmacy and medicine are both in the healthcare arena, while an antibiotic and an ACE inhibitor are not that related. Let's say we compare lisinopril and amlodipine, used for high BP, to pharmacy and medicine to make the analogy more precise.

I do agree with your overall theme though. I just did not want any pre-pharms preparing for the PCAT to miss any more analogies than they have to if they just happended to be reading this thead and were trying to work in some extra analogy studies!!

I would venture a guess that amlodipine would be the physician, providing a "direct" antihypertensive effect, while lisinopril is more "indirect"? I think that may be a pretty good analogy in several instances. However, when a patient on amlodipine comes back with peripheral edema, what do you do? If blood pressure can tolerate it, you could add an ACE inhibitor to alleviate this uncomfortable adverse event, as lisinopril would also offer dilation to the venous side of the circulatory system, therefore relieving the pressure buildup in the microvasculature. I don't know where I am going with this, I guess it is also for the students that may be studying for a therapeutics test.

However, a physician would have to prescribe the amlodipine and the lisinopril, so who knows where that leaves us in the analogy.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Pharmacy is much more difficult a major. Why? Because it now apparently involves creating ridiculous analogies and then presenting them to other pharmacy majors for decryption. they don't do THAT in medical school.

 

[TyK]

PM me if you want specifics. I might be able to help since I've been a pharmacist for 30+ years & my daughter is an MSIII & I've friends (of both sexes) in medicine, pharmacy & dentistry (husband is a dentist).

I've kept out of this discussion since the whole premise is a bit odd. It seems to me like asking which is tastes better - turnips or rutabagas. I'd honestly have to say neither...but, that's not a choice, apparently.

I like asparagus which is as unlike a turnip as pharmacists are to physicians. But, oddly enough - MSIII also likes asparagus....so - go figure!

What profession did your other child go into?

 

[sdn1977]

If you are going to compare the two professions, pharmacy and medicine, to two drugs at least make them in the same class of drugs. Pharmacy and medicine are both in the healthcare arena, while an antibiotic and an ACE inhibitor are not that related. Let's say we compare lisinopril and amlodipine, used for high BP, to pharmacy and medicine to make the analogy more precise.

I do agree with your overall theme though. I just did not want any pre-pharms preparing for the PCAT to miss any more analogies than they have to if they just happended to be reading this thead and were trying to work in some extra analogy studies!!

Aaargh ! You missed my point entirely!!!

I intentionally compared two DIFFERENT classes of drugs (gawd - I should know that after 30 yrs - no???) because I really, really believe that you can't compare these professions in difficulty.

Honestly - I LIVE this!

I come home with stories of my days (all privacy protected!) & my husband comes home with his. My days will be filled with pts septic in RF having to go back to the OR where they take down the tpn & use the line for anesthesia.....& the pt comes back @ 4PM with all new orders.

His days are filled with crown preps, root canals, OCD or chronically depressed employees (ok - so our days are kinda similar) & new equipment that will mean we sign yet another loan for 100K+....

Then, we get a call from MSIII - she's on Gen Med right now & got a new pt - htn, dm, foot ulcer, some as yet undiagnosed pulm disorder which may be obstructive, but sounds more restrictive. She's going home with all that stuff & having to read up on PFT's & tx for restrictive & obstructive lung disease. Oh & her second pt is HIV/AIDS with a pulm infection - on lots of antiretrovirals & she mentions, "do I have a minute to explain them??).

Tonight, I'm having to rewrite a protocol for opioid conversion & in my "other" job, having to implement a new QA practice.....

All the while, drsdn is looking to see what additions he'll add to this new piece of equipment he'll need & how to get it wired into an office which is overwhelmed with wiring.

Now - we really are talking ace inhibitors & antibiotics here(dissimilar stuff).

To my way of thinking.......they are soooooo different, yet sooooo simiilar. All are hard in their own way.

But - I'm all good with saying medical school is more difficult with pharmacy school if thats what everyone believes (I don't) - but, I won't tell MSIII that. I'm her cheerleader & last month when she was on psych - I had no problem telling her, "you'll learn all those antipsychotics & antidepressants" (which, btw she doubted on week 1). Well - by week 4 - she was pretty d*mn good at them - not great, but good!

We all come home tired, having to study & learn, and sometimes.....its all more than we can perhaps take at the moment. But - IF I had desired to go into medicine - I KNOW it would have been no more difficult for me than what I did in pharmacy. Why??? Because it would have been important enough for me to do it - just like dentistry was/is for drsdn & medicine is for MSIII.

I can honestly say - I work as hard now at keeping up as I did in pharmacy school. Its not given to me in a syllabus - I have to go out there & find it.

But right now - I work on my own stuff, listen to drsdn spend my retirement & tell MSIII she'll learn all the bronchodilators, inhalational steroids & antiretrovirals in no time at all.

Good luck at what everyone decides - choose to live without regret. Professionally, I have none.

 

[sdn1977]

What profession did your other child go into?

He's the smart guy in the bunch!

He's in digital media. He's a very creative guy (gets that from dad) & is really smart with computers (not sure where that comes from - I think its just a 22 yo thing). He's my own personal "help desk" guy when I have trouble with my computer.

I'd talk about him (& do endlessly at home....) - but, he's not in healthcare & gets a bit pasty looking or his eyes glaze over when the dinnertable talk turns to anything illness related.

But - his longtime g/f has just been accepting to a BSN program - so he's sunk!

 

[sdn1977]

Pharmacy is much more difficult a major. Why? Because it now apparently involves creating ridiculous analogies and then presenting them to other pharmacy majors for decryption. they don't do THAT in medical school.

 

[omnione]

**grabs bag of freshly-popped popcorn and watches thread**

 

[Priapism321]

Pharmacy is much more difficult a major. Why? Because it now apparently involves creating ridiculous analogies and then presenting them to other pharmacy majors for decryption. they don't do THAT in medical school.

I probably pushed the analogy thing one step too far, we should go back to the vegetables. However, my intention was for it to sound ridiculous, as I find this entire thread to be that way. "My major is harder." "No, my major is harder." Who gives a ****? Go to school and shut up.

My actual answer to the original poster is this: if you are asking if something is too hard for you to handle, then it probably is. A lot of people say that medicine was their calling, and that is what they were put here to do, so to speak. The difficulty of medical school and residency is not going to slow these individuals down.

I think both pharmacy and medical school can both be categorized as this: not easy. If you are driven to do medicine, then do it, if you like the unique aspects of pharmacy, dive right in. If you really want a straight answer to your question, just do both I guess. A lot of people around here seem to take that route.

As for residency, pharmacy residents do not have 30 hour shifts like our colleagues in medicine. In the surgical intensive care unit, I would show up at around 0530 with the rest of the medical residents, but there was always one who had been there since 0530 the previous morning and wasn't leaving until 1100 when rounds concluded. I have put in some 13 hour + days, but nothing approaching what these guys were going through (this was as a 4th year student at the hospital where I am now a resident, the SICU rotation is fairly similar). I have witnessed the post call resident almost fall of their chair during morning conference several times, and subsequently wondered if they were going to be alright to drive home.

 

[sdn1977]

**grabs bag of freshly-popped popcorn and watches thread**

You should've chosen the Milk Duds - its over & now your popcorn is cold & chewy

 

[acetyl]

(or better fruit, car, state to live in...) I'm just never gonna order turnips on the side & neither will MSIII (who btw parties much more than I EVER did

Definetly, North Carolina, and I like to party, too...

 

[sdn1977]

Definetly, North Carolina, and I like to party, too...

Whew! Teeing off at 2PM in NC will be hot! Is that where you're golfing today?

Altho...I was there last weekend & it was cool & windy - go figure...

 

[acetyl]

I'm playing in KY and still here until next Saturday, but I'm moving to Chapel Hill and plan to live in NC for awhile-so maybe I'm a little early with my statement...and I drive right through Winston-Salem on the way. That city drives me crazy with their roads...I wonder how many wrecks they have with people trying to get on and off exits. I bet I could get MSIII some Duke-UNC b-ball tickets...

 

[sdn1977]

I'm playing in KY and still here until next Saturday, but I'm moving to Chapel Hill and plan to live in NC for awhile-so maybe I'm a little early with my statement...and I drive right through Winston-Salem on the way. That city drives me crazy with their roads...I wonder how many wrecks they have with people trying to get on and off exits. I bet I could get MSIII some Duke-UNC b-ball tickets...

Yep - the MS students get the tickets for FREE.

The whole d*mn town is crazy road wise. I keep going round & round & round. I swear, Forsythe Medical Center is behind me, but then I turn the corner & its right there. I can keep the WFMC in its place, but that other one, I'd swear moves.....

She says its because the roads are curved - cute, but crazy.

Yeah - those off/on ramps are nothing like CA's - short & fast. Mix that with signs that say the same road that goes two directions & I'm lost.

Have a good game this afternoon!

 

[abefromann]

pharmD school is harder than medical school? WTF -- are you kidding?

 

[PHARMDhope2b]

pharmD school is harder than medical school? WTF -- are you kidding?

BEFORE YOU START YOUR RANT. THE THREAD IS DIEING DOWN (thank God).
Yes from your comment we know that you think otherwise. Which is fine. But frankly "who cares!!!!!!" I have friends that are dentist, physicians, vets, phd's, and we all congratulate one another on our accomplishments. We call one another when we have questions regarding something that falls within their realm of expertise. We each know what one another knows the most about and respect that. Only people who are insecure in their profession worry about if another is harder than theirs or not. Im happy being a pharmacy student. I dont really care if another professional school is harder- im in pharmacy school, not in dental, med, etc. So their difficulty has no effect on me, lol.

ok, that was my "dos centavos"

 

[max831]

If you must know the real difference between Pharmacy school and Med school, simply look at the salary difference after graduation. I'm not knocking Pharmacy school at all, I respect the degree and profession very much. The honest answer is simply that MD's and DO's can make a lot more $.

 

[nightcrawleRx]

If you must know the real difference between Pharmacy school and Med school, simply look at the salary difference after graduation. I'm not knocking Pharmacy school at all, I respect the degree and profession very much. The honest answer is simply that MD's and DO's can make a lot more $.

I didn't wanna even help this thread stay alive b/c as previous posters have stated...who gives two shats. However, this arguement has no validity really. I get what you're trying to say I think but if that were the case then why can someone majoring in communications make as much as, say for example, a biologist. Don't even tell me comm is just as hard or demanding as majoring in a natural science. Anyways, hopefully this thread will dissipate to a back page.

 

[Requiem]

If you must know the real difference between Pharmacy school and Med school, simply look at the salary difference after graduation. I'm not knocking Pharmacy school at all, I respect the degree and profession very much. The honest answer is simply that MD's and DO's can make a lot more $.

Your argument:

P1 - Salaries differ between two professions.
P2 - Salaries indicate how hard a professional school was

C- If I make more money than you, my professional school was harder than yours.

Your premise is false. Brutal argument. I actually hope with that capability you're not in any professional school.

 

[Dr JPH]

I didn't wanna even help this thread stay alive b/c as previous posters have stated...who gives two shats.

The original poster...which is why they asked the question in the first place I imagine. Thats why I chimed in initially.

 

[max831]

Your argument:

P1 - Salaries differ between two professions.
P2 - Salaries indicate how hard a professional school was

C- If I make more money than you, my professional school was harder than yours.

Your premise is false. Brutal argument. I actually hope with that capability you're not in any professional school.

Are you serious? You make up an argument for me and then question my ability to reason? I made no claims about difficulty whatsoever, however if you really want to know my experience you can PM me. I am in medical school and my wife is in Pharmacy school so I am probably uniquely qualified to answer this question. Many people seemed interested in differences other than pedantic ones and compensation is certainly one to consider. I make no judgements in these posts, as difficulty is often subjective and opinions do not mean much. The salary difference, however, is a fact.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Your argument:

P1 - Salaries differ between two professions.
P2 - Salaries indicate how hard a professional school was

C- If I make more money than you, my professional school was harder than yours.

Your premise is false. Brutal argument. I actually hope with that capability you're not in any professional school.

Learning to play baseball must be hard as hell.

 

[max831]

I didn't wanna even help this thread stay alive b/c as previous posters have stated...who gives two shats. However, this arguement has no validity really. I get what you're trying to say I think but if that were the case then why can someone majoring in communications make as much as, say for example, a biologist. Don't even tell me comm is just as hard or demanding as majoring in a natural science. Anyways, hopefully this thread will dissipate to a back page.

One thing I have learned in med school is how to read and reason. Can someone please highlight for me where I made any reference to salary being related to difficulty?

 

[sdn1977]

One thing I have learned in med school is how to read and reason. Can someone please highlight for me where I made any reference to salary being related to difficulty?

You didn't, but neither did the OP. So...whatever you learned in med school (hmmmm - still learning from your other posts) - you didn't answer the OP's question which was about difficulty - not salary. I think the first thing to do when presented with a question is - read the question.

Now - you'll make more money, your course of study is very hard, you'll have lots of respect (sometimes - if your not a jerk when you finally finish) & you'll complain about poor reimbursement. Good - all done!

Now - go back & study. I don't think you've taken your Step I or Complex I & your wife needs some attention. After all - she's not going to be making as much as you, so her self esteem is already in the dumper.

Let this DIE.....please!

 

[Dr JPH]

Wow sdn1977, just when I start gaining some respect for what you have to say, you screw it up with your condescending comments. Hope your future-physician daughter has a better role model than you in life.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

You know what pisses *me* off? The fact that "down" is the societal norm for toilet seat configuration. And they say America still has an aura of misogynistic undertones.....ha!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Wow sdn1977, just when I start gaining some respect for what you have to say, you screw it up with your condescending comments. Hope your future-physician daughter has a better role model than you in life.

Dude. You just defined irony perfectly. I don't know if *you* know this, but you kinda come of as the most pompous douchebag on the planet. It's like Hitler accusing me of being a racist.

I don't mean to start anything because, frankly, I don't care all that too much about this idiotic debate, but I *do* quite enjoy irony because it is my favorite type of humor and pointing it out gives me roughly the same rush as a hit of heroin.

More..I demand more. Tell us again about how unpretentious you are....

 

[Dr JPH]

I don't know if *you* know this, but you kinda come of as the most pompous douchebag on the planet.

I am well aware of how I am percieved around here.

Perhaps thats the reason I was told by the moderator to stay out of these forums...apparently I tend to upset the fragile Pharm types.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I am well aware of how I am percieved around here.

Perhaps thats the reason I was told by the moderator to stay out of these forums...I tend to upset the fragile Pharm types.

Well, you think you are better than us....what do you expect?

I really don't care personally because I actually am better than everyone so it just kind of goes in one ear and out the other as an instantly absurd concept. When the crazy guy down the street tells me there is a pink elephant up in the community basketball court handing out snow cones and hot dogs, I don't really take it to heart, I just kind of ignore it. Kinda like how I should just ignore you...but darn it, you just had to do something beautifully ironic, didn't ya, you darn crazy diamond...

 

[Dr JPH]

Well, you think you are better than us....what do you expect?

I really don't care personally because I actually am better than everyone so it just kind of goes in one ear and out the other as an instantly absurd concept. When the crazy guy down the street tells me there is a pink elephant up in the community basketball court handing out snow cones and hot dogs, I don't really take it to heart, I just kind of ignore it. Kinda like how I should just ignore you...but darn it, you just had to do something beautifully ironic, didn't ya, you darn crazy diamond...

So fragile you people.

Time for bed. Night.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

So fragile you people.

Time for bed. Night.

Haha, I win. You can't out clever me...nice cop out.


I didn't even have to bring out the diagrams.

 

[sdn1977]

Wow sdn1977, just when I start gaining some respect for what you have to say, you screw it up with your condescending comments. Hope your future-physician daughter has a better role model than you in life.

'cmon - you've never had any respect for me. No problem!

But really - don't you think this horse is dead - I mean....even pharmacists can see a dead horse when they come across one. It was sarcasm (did you see the ). I guess you didn't get that as well as the self-deprecating humor earlier - I'll let the internet be to blame.

Now.....are you truly meaning to insult me as a role model for my child??? I find that not just insulting, but as a parent of someone who is as old as you, perhaps - you have absolutely NO D*MN ABILITY TO EVALUATE ME AS A ROLE MODEL FOR MY CHILD & NO ABILITY TO TRANSLATE MY PUBLIC POSTS AS AN INDICATION OF HOW I PARENT.

As a role model for pharmacists - I'm a very, very good one. As a parent - I'm a very, very good one.

In fact - I'm just sipping on champagne since I just received a well-earned & well-deserved promotion. I'm also within a week of celebrating the birthday of my younger child & have been blessed with having raised two wonderful, productive, caring & loving adults of whom I'm very, very proud.

Your judgemental attitude about my abilities as a parent does you a disservice. Think about this after you've spent a few decades raising a child......

 

[max831]

You didn't, but neither did the OP. So...whatever you learned in med school (hmmmm - still learning from your other posts) - you didn't answer the OP's question which was about difficulty - not salary. I think the first thing to do when presented with a question is - read the question.

Now - you'll make more money, your course of study is very hard, you'll have lots of respect (sometimes - if your not a jerk when you finally finish) & you'll complain about poor reimbursement. Good - all done!

Now - go back & study. I don't think you've taken your Step I or Complex I & your wife needs some attention. After all - she's not going to be making as much as you, so her self esteem is already in the dumper.

Let this DIE.....please!

Wow. I've never seen a post go off topic before. 1977, it must have been hard enough for you to learn to use a computer so I certainly do not need to pester you with reason.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Wow. I've never seen a post go off topic before. 1977, it must have been hard enough for you to learn to use a computer so I certainly do not need to pester you with reason.

Sweet, more irony. This is classic.

 

[All4MyDaughter]

Well this thread has degenerated. Time for it to go to bed.