Military Pharmacy

[Reverent]

I've been a retail tech for tenish months now, certified since November, and have been giving some thought to military pharmacy. I have tried to get on with five different hospitals to get some more experience, and have been turned down by each. I'm in a situation where I have to work fulltime and attend my undergrad classes fulltime, so it's pretty rough on me.

I was wondering if anyone knew about being a Pharmacy Specialist in the Air Force? Would my wife and I be able to live on an Air Force base and I work in the hospital or the commecary pharmacy there? How does it work? What are the chances that I sign up, am promised a Pharmacy Specialist position, and then they say, "oh our bad, we need you in the middle east." I have no intentions of being shot at :[

Also, would I be able to complete my undergrad studies while enlisted, or would I have to wait out the four years before I can attend classes again?

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[imprecious]

I've been a retail tech for tenish months now, certified since November, and have been giving some thought to military pharmacy. I have tried to get on with five different hospitals to get some more experience, and have been turned down by each. I'm in a situation where I have to work fulltime and attend my undergrad classes fulltime, so it's pretty rough on me.

I was wondering if anyone knew about being a Pharmacy Specialist in the Air Force? Would my wife and I be able to live on an Air Force base and I work in the hospital or the commecary pharmacy there? How does it work? What are the chances that I sign up, am promised a Pharmacy Specialist position, and then they say, "oh our bad, we need you in the middle east." I have no intentions of being shot at :[

Also, would I be able to complete my undergrad studies while enlisted, or would I have to wait out the four years before I can attend classes again?

Hello, Reverent!

My boyfriend is in the process of becoming an officer for the US Air Force. I think I can answer a small portion of your question, because I am not sure about a lot of this myself. My boyfriend and I are planning to get married after I complete pharmacy school, so I have had a chance to talk to a few officials in the Air Force about my possible career opportunities as a spouse for a military person. From my talking to other Air Force officials, they said that when my boyfriend is deployed to different bases, I can go with him and work as a civilian at the hospitals and clinics either on base or nearby. So I do have opportunities to work as a pharmacist when we move to the different bases. The Air Force will take care of the spouses.

From your question, it looks like you are thinking about joining the Air Force yourself? Is that right? Or are you looking into working on an Air Force base as a civilian (non military worker). Let me know from what perspective you are looking into to work for the Air Force, and I will try to answer your question more completely.

 

[Reverent]

Hello, Reverent!

My boyfriend is in the process of becoming an officer for the US Air Force. I think I can answer a small portion of your question, because I am not sure about a lot of this myself. My boyfriend and I are planning to get married after I complete pharmacy school, so I have had a chance to talk to a few officials in the Air Force about my possible career opportunities as a spouse for a military person. From my talking to other Air Force officials, they said that when my boyfriend is deployed to different bases, I can go with him and work as a civilian at the hospitals and clinics either on base or nearby. So I do have opportunities to work as a pharmacist when we move to the different bases. The Air Force will take care of the spouses.

From your question, it looks like you are thinking about joining the Air Force yourself? Is that right? Or are you looking into working on an Air Force base as a civilian (non military worker). Let me know from what perspective you are looking into to work for the Air Force, and I will try to answer your question more completely.

Honestly I don't know that much about the military, despite the majority of my family being in one branch or another at some point in their lives. I was looking to join the AF myself for all the perks that go along with it, housing, food etc. I hadn't considered working for them as a civilian, but that is definately something I would give some thought.

The military has always just worried me, especially with the whole war on terorr thing, and even many reservists getting deployed. Fifteen years ago this would have been a great idea, but now I'm not so certain.

 

[imprecious]

If you are an undergraduate student right now, I believe this is the route that you would take if you were to join the Air Force: Right now, you could join an ROTC program either at the university you are currently attending or at a nearby university. You would be a cadet in the ROTC program. This would be the route to become an officer for the Air Force. As a cadet, you would be able to do continue with your undergraduate studies. In my boyfriend's case, he will be a cadet for four years before he becomes an officer. I am not sure if that is the case for all ROTC programs. A lot of people do their undergrad while they are cadets, and then they continue onto graduate school in their respective areas of interests.

Even if you join as a cadet, you are not guaranteed anything in the future. That is the number one rule that I have learned about the AF. For instance, in my boyfriend's case, he wants to be a pilot. But he is not guaranteed that. Before he becomes an officer, he will be able to choose up to three careers that he wants to have in the AF-- he will choose pilot, engineer, navigator. And the AF will pick one out of those three for him. Also, as a member of the USAF, especially when you continue to go up the ranks from offier and onward, you would be moved every three years to another destination. I do not know the details of how you would go about being a pharmacist for the AF. If you would like, I can have you talk to a few people in my boyfriend's detachment who have more useful information for you. There is a member in my boyfriend's detachment now who is a cadet and is planning to become a doctor.

Basically, to serve in the USAF, or any military branch for that matter, requires a lot of dedication and hard work on your part. Yes this is scarey times right now, what with the war in Iraq and everything. People who join the AF, or any military branch, do so to serve their country. Although there are lots of benefits to being in the military-- housing, food allowance, etc--- there are a lot of times when you have to deal with frustrating things and all you have left to keep you going is your commitment of serving our country.

This is just to give you an idea of what life would be like as an AF member. Like I said earlier, let me know if you want to talk to people who are also going into the health profession who are currently in the military now. The more you talk to people, the more you are able to make well informed decision. Good luck

 

[Pharmcdc]

I served just over 8 years in the Air Force and I just got out in May 05 to go to pharmacy school. If you join the AF to become a pharmacy tech, finishing your undergrad will be a slow process because most AF pharmacies are high volume(1500-2500 scripts a day). I was not a pharmacy tech however I did a lot of shadowing before I got out and the techs there were pressed for taking classes although most of them did not want to be pharmacists. I said that it would be slow becuase if you are limited to taking nite time classes, if you have a class with a lab, then there is not much time for other classes. Although it can be done. However, you must add into the equation things that you would not know unless you are in the AF. Once you go through basic training, and tech school, you are in what is called upgrade training. You must study a series of books( I dont know how many volumes pharmtechs have, I had 4 volumes in my job). You must study your volumes, each volume has questions and end in an exam. Once you finish all of your volumes you have to take a final called an "end of coarse exam". If you fail, you could be put out of the AF. While you are in upgrade training, which could take a year, you cannot take college classes. Although that is not an official AF policy, it is one that is an unwritten rule. While in upgrade training and after you finish, there are military courses that you must attend. So my point is that its not like you just get up every morning and go to work and do your job, there are other things you must do. Not to mention deployments. Deployments dont just include to Iraq, there are some deployments you go on that are purely for training.............................

The bottom line, if you want to become a pharmacist, pursue becoming a pharmacist. ROTC is not a bad option. However, HPSP is a good option as well. Health Proffessional Scholarship Program(HPSP) is a program designed to health heathcare proff. pay for school and gain a commision in the military. Each branch has this program. In the AF it only pays for your last two years of pharmacy school, and pays you a stipend of about $1500 a month(I believe tax free) upon completion you owe the AF three years of service. Choose an option like one of these, if you want to serve your country. If you want to be a pharmtech, join now, but realize you will give yourself even more obstacles than you have now, also realize when you enlist, you give them your life for 4 years, it is possible to get in some kind of commisioning program, or possible to get released early to attend pharmacy school, but its a gamble. You could potentially have to wait 4 years before you can even go to pharmacy school.

All that being said, I am not bashing the AF, I loved it. I loved the people I worked with, the assignments I had, the places I saw and things that I did. One day I decided I really wanted to become a pharmacists.... I had to leave the AF.

 

[Reverent]

I served just over 8 years in the Air Force and I just got out in May 05 to go to pharmacy school. If you join the AF to become a pharmacy tech, finishing your undergrad will be a slow process because most AF pharmacies are high volume(1500-2500 scripts a day). I was not a pharmacy tech however I did a lot of shadowing before I got out and the techs there were pressed for taking classes although most of them did not want to be pharmacists. I said that it would be slow becuase if you are limited to taking nite time classes, if you have a class with a lab, then there is not much time for other classes. Although it can be done. However, you must add into the equation things that you would not know unless you are in the AF. Once you go through basic training, and tech school, you are in what is called upgrade training. You must study a series of books( I dont know how many volumes pharmtechs have, I had 4 volumes in my job). You must study your volumes, each volume has questions and end in an exam. Once you finish all of your volumes you have to take a final called an "end of coarse exam". If you fail, you could be put out of the AF. While you are in upgrade training, which could take a year, you cannot take college classes. Although that is not an official AF policy, it is one that is an unwritten rule. While in upgrade training and after you finish, there are military courses that you must attend. So my point is that its not like you just get up every morning and go to work and do your job, there are other things you must do. Not to mention deployments. Deployments dont just include to Iraq, there are some deployments you go on that are purely for training.............................

The bottom line, if you want to become a pharmacist, pursue becoming a pharmacist. ROTC is not a bad option. However, HPSP is a good option as well. Health Proffessional Scholarship Program(HPSP) is a program designed to health heathcare proff. pay for school and gain a commision in the military. Each branch has this program. In the AF it only pays for your last two years of pharmacy school, and pays you a stipend of about $1500 a month(I believe tax free) upon completion you owe the AF three years of service. Choose an option like one of these, if you want to serve your country. If you want to be a pharmtech, join now, but realize you will give yourself even more obstacles than you have now, also realize when you enlist, you give them your life for 4 years, it is possible to get in some kind of commisioning program, or possible to get released early to attend pharmacy school, but its a gamble. You could potentially have to wait 4 years before you can even go to pharmacy school.

All that being said, I am not bashing the AF, I loved it. I loved the people I worked with, the assignments I had, the places I saw and things that I did. One day I decided I really wanted to become a pharmacists.... I had to leave the AF.

I'm already a certified technician, if I didn't have greater aspirations I would find a less demanding profession that paid more. My reasons for considering the AF had nothing to do with serving my country, not that I don't hold great respect for anybody that does, but for my own personal gain and to better me and my familie's situation. I've still got at least three years of undergraduate coursework to complete before I could be accepted into any pharmacy school, and my thinking was that I could complete that while being enlisted as a Pharmacy Specialist, and ultimately adding much more to my knowledge than I'm getting in a retail setting--and giving me a headstart in pharmacy school if you will, was a big plus for me.

As far as having to learn things, I have a great desire to do so. I'm constantly seeking out more information about certain topics from my pharmacists, or other sources, that techs don't really need to know anything about. Ultimately I want that doctor of pharmacy attached to my name, but the more I think about the AF the farther away the goal seems to be.

 

[Pharmcdc]

I'm already a certified technician, if I didn't have greater aspirations I would find a less demanding profession that paid more. My reasons for considering the AF had nothing to do with serving my country, not that I don't hold great respect for anybody that does, but for my own personal gain and to better me and my familie's situation. I've still got at least three years of undergraduate coursework to complete before I could be accepted into any pharmacy school, and my thinking was that I could complete that while being enlisted as a Pharmacy Specialist, and ultimately adding much more to my knowledge than I'm getting in a retail setting--and giving me a headstart in pharmacy school if you will, was a big plus for me.

As far as having to learn things, I have a great desire to do so. I'm constantly seeking out more information about certain topics from my pharmacists, or other sources, that techs don't really need to know anything about. Ultimately I want that doctor of pharmacy attached to my name, but the more I think about the AF the farther away the goal seems to be.[/QUO

Judging by the tone of your response, I am not so sure you uderstood what I was saying. I am not attacking you in any way, I was only explaining how things work in the AF. The overall point of my reply is that if you choose to join the AF, you most likely will not finish your undergrad requirements in 4 years working as a AF pharm tech and will make gaining a pharmd a much longer process. I am not trying to discourage you, just telling the facts. Maybe you didnt read all of my post. Sorry, I get carried away explaining things.

 

[that1guy]

I'm prior enlisted AF as well and I can tell you that pharmcdc is right. By joining the AF you would be essentially postponing your entry into pharm school by at least four years. While on active duty you might be able to squeeze in one--two at the max--classes per semester...after the first year, which is devoted to AF training. And that's only if you don't get stationed at a big medical center like lackland where shift work could prevent you from taking any classes at all.

yes, you will get plenty of experience. But you'll be doing so at the expense of your ultimate goal, which is to go to pharmacy school.

I can respect the fact that you want to join the service to give your family a better life. But by staying in school and moving towards your pharmd, i honestly think you'll be doing more for your family in the long run.

then again, i really don't know anything about you.

hope this helps.

 

[Reverent]

Sorry if I read you wrong Pharmcdc, and I do greatly appreciate your input. I thought that as an AF tech I could learn much more than where I'm working now, but I didn't know it would be at the expense of my ultimate goal. The fact that I wouldn't be able to finish my undergrad studies makes joining a moot point, as I'd like to be in pharmacy school shortly after I got out.

I know the military isn't for everybody, and I never thought it was for me, so after reading your replies that has reinforced my feelings. Thanks for the feedback everyone.