Med School

[PharmMnM]

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Is it true that most people who resort to pharmacy are actually med school dropouts or don't have what it takes for med school? I don't know of many people who grew up wanting to go into pharmacy..they all say they want to "be a doctor" and now a large number of people are going into pharmacy

 

[Gauden44]

Is it true that most people who resort to pharmacy are actually med school dropouts or don't have what it takes for med school? I don't know of many people who grew up wanting to go into pharmacy..they all say they want to "be a doctor" and now a large number of people are going into pharmacy

Hmmm... I'd have to say no. Don't quote me on that though.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Yes, my original plan was to waste my entire 20s in school.

Hahahaha, who wants to be a physician? I personally think you have to be nuts to want to be one. Thankfully American culture has tricked people into doing it by giving them this bizarre facade of prestige associated with the job.

To each his own. My plans involve getting seed money young and starting some businesses. Hopefully retire well before I am 50.

 

[sdn1977]

How many pharmacists do you actually know?

I've known a lot...and only a handful wanted to be something besides a pharmacist & usually it was after finishing pharmacy school.

Out of the 6 I can think of offhand (over 30 years of knowing pharmacists)...one was denied med school admission 3 times (but..became a dean of a school of pharmacy), 4 became dentists & 1 an MD.

Not everyone of those pharmacists divulged their deepest unfulfilled dreams, but if they had them they weren't verbal about it......just my own experience.

 

[oakland_raiders]

I have to confess that I am hoping to become a pharmacist because I can not fullfill my deepest dream. Apparently I am not cut out to be on the PGA tour making millions...darn, I guess I'll just be a pharmacist.

Seriously though, I have zero desire to be an MD. I don't to like to be around sick people all the time. I want to treat them, I just don't want to be around them like a doctor is. Plus, they have the WORST schedules. Not for me.

 

[ForcedEntry]

I will be the first astronaut pharmacist

 

[ZpackSux]

I have to confess that I am hoping to become a pharmacist because I can not fullfill my deepest dream. Apparently I am not cut out to be on the PGA tour making millions...darn, I guess I'll just be a pharmacist.

Seriously though, I have zero desire to be an MD. I don't to like to be around sick people all the time. I want to treat them, I just don't want to be around them like a doctor is. Plus, they have the WORST schedules. Not for me.

You work for J&J? I've had a friends who work for Ortho Mcneil.

You're right. Making it on the tour is really for few gifted golfers. No matter how hard I try, I don't think I can get any better than scratch. What's Tiger's index.. like +9..to 12?? That's insane.

 

[ZpackSux]

I will be the first astronaut pharmacist

Why...so you can experiment swallowing pills in space?

 

[Londidondi]

So what are some of the reasons for not going in to med school? I personally have never even thought of it. Not a field I am interested in.

 

[SobeGekko]

The perception that many growing up want to be doctors is probably because is it a very recognizable profession like teachers, police officers, athletes, firefighters, nurses, lawyers, etc. How many do you know that grew up wanting to be a physician assistant, nurse anesthatist (spelling?), social worker, occupational therapist, physical therapist, optomotrist, psychologist, speech pathologist, podiatrist, etc? These are all less publicized health care fields much like pharmacy. People choose careers for all types of different reasons and I would argure that most pharmacists pursued that field because it fit them the best rather than because they couldn't cut it in medicine.

 

[Pharm47]

Personally, as I entered college, I knew my strongest interest was in the sciences. However, every time I went to a "premed" meeting, I left feeling so unmotivated. The idea of pursuing an MD did not excite me...I can't explain why. Instead, I decided to become an enologist. After writing my thesis on wine-related bacteria and a year of picking grapes and dealing with snotty Napa-type people, I was unsatisfied. So I guess you could call pharmacy my "back-up," but really its the first profession I've ever been truly excited about. (Turns out being a winemaker is a lot less about how cool the science is...and a lot more about who you know - boo).

 

[PharmMnM]

The only reason I brought this up is because I sometimes thought about pursuing physicians assistant because GPA-wise, I don't think I'm capable of the pharmacy route. So I am forced to check out all these health related careers that require the same pre-reqs but not so much a high GPA. This got me thinking that maybe some pre-med people feel the same way, thus their next stepping down route is pharmacy. Some people go into a profession, not because they love it, but because they can't cut the next higher profession.
I mean, imagine going through school for years wanting to be a doctor but was denied.......do you think that person would waste all their prereqs and go into something else? they too will have to choose another profession and they next one seems likely to be pharmacy.

 

[gsinccom]

The only reason I brought this up is because I sometimes thought about pursuing physicians assistant because GPA-wise, I don't think I'm capable of the pharmacy route. So I am forced to check out all these health related careers that require the same pre-reqs but not so much a high GPA. This got me thinking that maybe some pre-med people feel the same way, thus their next stepping down route is pharmacy. Some people go into a profession, not because they love it, but because they can't cut the next higher profession.
I mean, imagine going through school for years wanting to be a doctor but was denied.......do you think that person would waste all their prereqs and go into something else? they too will have to choose another profession and they next one seems likely to be pharmacy.

you might have a better chance getting into a DO program than a PA program. Best wishes to you.

 

[ForcedEntry]

Why...so you can experiment swallowing pills in space?

I want to work in a vacuum

 

[dgroulx]

The only reason I brought this up is because I sometimes thought about pursuing physicians assistant because GPA-wise, I don't think I'm capable of the pharmacy route. So I am forced to check out all these health related careers that require the same pre-reqs but not so much a high GPA. This got me thinking that maybe some pre-med people feel the same way, thus their next stepping down route is pharmacy. Some people go into a profession, not because they love it, but because they can't cut the next higher profession.
I mean, imagine going through school for years wanting to be a doctor but was denied.......do you think that person would waste all their prereqs and go into something else? they too will have to choose another profession and they next one seems likely to be pharmacy.

Most pharmacy school admission GPA averages are just as high as med school. So, if you got denied med school there is no guarantee that you'd get accepted into pharmacy school. I don't think it is a back-up plan for most people.

I think that many people are pre-med, myself included. Once you get close to graduating you start to look into career paths a little more closely. Pharmacy was a better fit for me in hours worked and lifestyle. I want to leave my work behind me when I go home at the end of my shift, work 40 hours a week, and get paid decent money.

 

[Moxxie]

I want to work in a vacuum

I totally just got a mental image of someone working inside a giant Dyson. Those things are awesome.

 

[twester]

The only reason I brought this up is because I sometimes thought about pursuing physicians assistant because GPA-wise, I don't think I'm capable of the pharmacy route. So I am forced to check out all these health related careers that require the same pre-reqs but not so much a high GPA. This got me thinking that maybe some pre-med people feel the same way, thus their next stepping down route is pharmacy. Some people go into a profession, not because they love it, but because they can't cut the next higher profession.
I mean, imagine going through school for years wanting to be a doctor but was denied.......do you think that person would waste all their prereqs and go into something else? they too will have to choose another profession and they next one seems likely to be pharmacy.

Isn't this a rehash of your "Why not med?" thread from September 3rd?

I'll say it again, I don't want an MD. You seem to see PharmD as a step down from MD. It's not, it's a totally different degree program. Chances are that if someone isn't a competitive applicant for medical school, they're also not competitive for pharmacy school. I don't know about PA programs, but I hear they're getting quite competitive as well.

If you've got your heart set on medical school, then raise your profile. Bring your GPA up. Get some kick-ass extracurricular experience. Do a post-bacc and get a 4.0. Wipe up with the MCAT. In short, prove to yourself how badly you want it.

 

[gsinccom]

Isn't this a rehash of your "Why not med?" thread from September 3rd?

I'll say it again, I don't want an MD. You seem to see PharmD as a step down from MD. It's not, it's a totally different degree program. Chances are that if someone isn't a competitive applicant for medical school, they're also not competitive for pharmacy school. I don't know about PA programs, but I hear they're getting quite competitive as well.

If you've got your heart set on medical school, then raise your profile. Bring your GPA up. Get some kick-ass extracurricular experience. Do a post-bacc and get a 4.0. Wipe up with the MCAT. In short, prove to yourself how badly you want it.

or apply to DO school😉

 

[ForcedEntry]

I totally just got a mental image of someone working inside a giant Dyson. Those things are awesome.

I thought they sucked.

 

[janeno]

I have never considered med school. My original plan was actually going into quantitative business; for example, being an actuary or quantitative finance person. However, after looking into my expectations form the job, I realized that those jobs would not satisfy me personally. I can't even imagine myself being put into cut throat business environment. When I started exploring other fields, pharmacy just seemed to fit my personality and my professional goals so much better ( I never even looked into med school: I don't want to be cutting up people or diagnosing them all the time).

 

[Inkabellous]

I think that it is wise to consider all available options before making a life-time commitment. Each profession has its own selling points in my opinion. At the end though, you just have to be honest with yourself and select the path that is most suitable for you. Back to the topic, I have met only one pharmacist who regretted attending pharmacy school. Well, it wasn't that he disliked pharmacy per se but he just wasn't happy working as a pharmacist. He attended the University of New Mexico for pharmacy school, then he worked for only about a year, I believe. Then, he decided to pursue medicine and eventually got accepted to USC school of medicine. His main reason for leaving pharmacy was that he felt "trapped" and wanted more involvement with patient care. Nevertheless, other pharmacists that I know are pretty content with their job that most of them have never considered medical school at all.

 

[fsupharmguy]

I considered medicine for a long while. Even out of high school, I said to myself that I was going to become a doctor. I had no idea what that entailed. Then I volunteered in the field. I was excited for about 2 days, then I realized I hated it and it wasn't for me. But I volunteered in an ER for two summers just to make sure that I wasn't prematurely disregarding the field. I also shadowed my family physician, but I wasn't enthused about that either. Then by a stroke of luck, I met a pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. He allowed me to shadow him and also introduced me to the other aspects of pharmacy that many everyday people don't know. I originally shunned the profession because I thought it was simply counting pills behind a counter. Because of that experience at the clinic and others beyond, I realized that pharmacy was a better fit for what I wanted to do with my life. So that's why I chose to pursue pharmacy over med school.

 

[Gauden44]

I considered medicine for a long while. Even out of high school, I said to myself that I was going to become a doctor. I had no idea what that entailed. Then I volunteered in the field. I was excited for about 2 days, then I realized I hated it and it wasn't for me. But I volunteered in an ER for two summers just to make sure that I wasn't prematurely disregarding the field. I also shadowed my family physician, but I wasn't enthused about that either. Then by a stroke of luck, I met a pharmacist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. He allowed me to shadow him and also introduced me to the other aspects of pharmacy that many everyday people don't know. I originally shunned the profession because I thought it was simply counting pills behind a counter. Because of that experience at the clinic and others beyond, I realized that pharmacy was a better fit for what I wanted to do with my life. So that's why I chose to pursue pharmacy over med school.

What is it that he showed you about pharmacy that changed your mind?

 

[fsupharmguy]

The main thing was that even though he was a pharmacist, he still had patient interaction. He specialized in nutritional pharmacy--which I think I would like to do too--and was able to have regular patients that he counseled. I liked that he was able to improve someone's life beyond having to give them an anesthetic and stitch the patient up. Don't read into that statement too much. I know doctors do a lot more than that.

I thrive on human interaction. I used to envision pharmacists as the trolls behind the Walgreens counter who only came out when you needed your medication. I could not survive that way. In terms of the chemical aspect. I have a passion for chemistry. I like being able to break down drug interactions to a molecular basis. I think part of why I was choosing medicine originally was because that is what almost everyone who graduates in the top of their class says that they're going to do: medicine or law.

Upon researching more into the field and discussing the options for my future, I cannot count how many physicians told me that they wished they had attended pharmacy school. It was mainly the enormity of malpractice issues and their unreasonable hours. Sometimes you have to follow by feeling. When I volunteered, I imagined myself 20, 30, 40 years down the road asking myself, "Would I still enjoy this?" In medicine, I could easily answer no. Do I want to be a nutritional pharmacist the rest of my life? Probably not, but there is a variety of opportunities in this field that I know I could easily keep myself interested.