My Dilemma

[Korben]

Ok! So I have graduated with my BS in chemistry (3.98 GPA) took my PCAT (96%) and was accepted to my first choice pharmacy school the day of my interview…… I feel I should be at least proud of this and I am but there is something missing. I turn to you for help. Here is my dilemma (please feel free to call me ridiculous, ego maniac, pathetic, etc. I have heard it already) I do not know if I selected the right profession. Most pharmacists I work with (long term care pharmacists) don’t like their jobs. I wouldn’t like their job either, set at a computer all day. I hear that you are treated somewhat inferior to physicians in hospitals, which would extremely enrage me. I have heard a pharmacist introduce himself to a person as Dr. Smith and the person respond, “you are not a real doctor.” While not that bad, it would probably hit a nerve on a bad day. And I hear this all the time….random person “So what are you doing Korben?” “Well, I go to pharmacy school in the fall.” Random guy, “As smart as you are you should go to med school…” Me… “Ha ha…. Yeah I have been told that.” Having said all this I love pharmacy: the drugs, how they work, how they are made, pharmacy law etc. Plus, the hematology and oncology residents in pharmacy seem extremely interesting. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… (while my MD say’s be a pharmacist I wish I was). It is to late for me to change this year so I will be entering in the pharmacy school in the fall, at least for a year

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…

Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can’t take it)

May snap in a weak moment when someone does not call me doctor (that’s what my degree would say, I feel all Pham. D’s have earned it)

These problems may seem ridiculous but they are my concerns. Wish I didn’t have them.
My ideas to resolve my concerns:

Pharm D. PhD (med chem.) – research / teach. I have done research for 2 years in undergrad and its ok.

Drop Pharm D. after a year (have to go this year) and go to MD – Then I could be a “real doctor” not a great selling point, but I would be the one in control in a hospital setting.

Pharm D. MD – Wow that would take a long time.

Pharm D. JD – be a malpractice lawyer (let the death threats begin)

Professor in pharmacy school – My state is getting 3 schools in the next 2 years will have plenty of jobs available.

Please feel free to tell me how ridiculous and petty I sound. I have tried to talk to everyone about my feelings and no one seems to want to hear my thoughts so I turn to you all for some guidance or a swift kick in the A$$... whatever you deem I need

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[imount]

That is a hard decision to make. Maybe you should try to shadow each profession more. About being called a doctor, I don't think it is something that you should be aiming for as a career. Do what you enjoy, in any profession there is someone who will be looking down on you. I do think that though pharmacists tend to be called by first name basis, in retail I think that being called doctor would be a good thing. Optometrists, dentists, doctors, etc are called doctors in their work setting so why shouldn't pharmacists. Being called doctor in retail may result in more respect from customers and my reduce the often crazy days endured in retail.

 

[Jeddevil]

Please feel free to tell me how ridiculous and petty I sound. I have tried to talk to everyone about my feelings and no one seems to want to hear my thoughts so I turn to you all for some guidance or a swift kick in the A$$... whatever you deem I need

OK, you asked for it. You are a ridiculous, petty, ego maniac that is going to b@tch and whine about little things no matter what profession you enter. Who gives a crap what other people call you? If you like the profession of pharmacy, enter it. If you don't, go do something else. Your concerns are pathetic and show that you care more about what others think of your 'brilliant' self than doing what you really want to pursue.

REALITY CHECK AHEAD:::

Doctors are not any smarter than pharmacists. Plenty of people in pharmacy school have the same, if not better undergrad stats as medical students, and could get in med school if they wish. Pharmacists choose to do so because they like what the profession offers them (high demand employment, most accessable healthcare professional, more pt. contact per day than anywhere, chance to help people live healthier lives, good wages, good benefits, good lifestyle without giving up 10 years of your life and $200,000 to do it). Pharmacists don't care that people don't call them doctor. Hell, calling anyone doctor outside of MD's and DO's is a joke to me. Dentists, PhD's, podiatrists: all good professions and hard work, but a doctor to the lay public is the guy they go see when they have a bad cough and can't breath, not their dentist, pharmacist or some professor that took 200 history classes and now likes to be called doc because of a PhD. I am OK with that. If you can't be, pharmacy is not the profession for you.

 

[DrWhoFan85]

I really think you should talk to more pharmacists, esp those in a clinical setting if thats what you think your interested in. Most of the pharmacists I know are happy with their choice to be a pharmacist... though one did suggest getting an MPH and possibly going to law school after obtaining a pharm. d. This was made as an observation as to how much the kids that do that make. As for being called doctor, most pharmacists I know are on a first name basis with the patients and typically introduce themselves in that manner. For me, its not a sign of disrespect to the degrees they've earned but a way of making the patients comfortable.

The possibility of doing a Pharm. D./MD is possible though a big commitment. There are several doctors in my area that have Pharm. D.'s. As some have put it: at least if they change their mind about being a medical doctor, they have a good career to fall back on.

 

[Farmercyst]

I don't have much to contribute, but I would suggest looking at the other second thoughts type threads that dot the thread history in both Pharm and Pre-Pharm forum.

There are some points of the OP's post that while concerning to the OP may not appeal to those who aren't having second thoughts. I would discourage discussion by users on those points. There have been several threads comparing different professions that in the end result in the closure of the thread in order to maintain some semblance of professionalism on these boards. Please refrain from any desire to post something that would be rude, offensive, or otherwise unprofessional while addressing the OP's question.

 

[G0T2PS]

I have to agree with Korben. Pharmacy is viewed as inferior. When I mentioned pharmacy residency to physicians.. they were very perplexed.. and they showed irritation. To them, pharmacy is about retail and counting pills. And in no way will they consider pharmacists as equals. Even if they say it.. deep down medical students believe they are the best.. the superior beings on earth. They are not without justifications.

As with all generalizations this isn't always true but that is my experience with doctors I personally know. MD have their own issues.. and I think prestige is what justifies their years of hard study & work. When a pharmacist comes in and introduces themselves as "doctor" it takes away from them.. and so pharmacists shouldn't be surprised to introduce themselves as doctor without meeting resistence.

Well.. I chose pharmacy because for me it's a healthier lifestyle. I would never want to work 80+ hours. I'm not hurt by the viewpoints of others should it happen to be that they see pharmacist as those who couldn't make it to medical school. I'm secure with myself and would probably laugh it off. Personally, I would never have people call me by doctor anyways even if that is my title because that sets a line between you and others.. unless they were also doctors.

But if you are affected.. or someone catches you on one of those bad days... let me say that the best approach is not to fight it. Let it slide. People do eventually assess one's intelligence accurately.. when they get to know you. Those that don't you won't have to deal with. We all know degree only means you're knowledgeable & educated but not necessarily smart.

 

[J ROD]

Ok! So I have graduated with my BS in chemistry (3.98 GPA) took my PCAT (96%) and was accepted to my first choice pharmacy school the day of my interview…… I feel I should be at least proud of this and I am but there is something missing. I turn to you for help. Here is my dilemma (please feel free to call me ridiculous, ego maniac, pathetic, etc. I have heard it already) I do not know if I selected the right profession. Most pharmacists I work with (long term care pharmacists) don’t like their jobs. I wouldn’t like their job either, set at a computer all day. I hear that you are treated somewhat inferior to physicians in hospitals, which would extremely enrage me. I have heard a pharmacist introduce himself to a person as Dr. Smith and the person respond, “you are not a real doctor.” While not that bad, it would probably hit a nerve on a bad day. And I hear this all the time….random person “So what are you doing Korben?” “Well, I go to pharmacy school in the fall.” Random guy, “As smart as you are you should go to med school…” Me… “Ha ha…. Yeah I have been told that.” Having said all this I love pharmacy: the drugs, how they work, how they are made, pharmacy law etc. Plus, the hematology and oncology residents in pharmacy seem extremely interesting. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… (while my MD say’s be a pharmacist I wish I was). It is to late for me to change this year so I will be entering in the pharmacy school in the fall, at least for a year

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…

Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can’t take it)

May snap in a weak moment when someone does not call me doctor (that’s what my degree would say, I feel all Pham. D’s have earned it)

These problems may seem ridiculous but they are my concerns. Wish I didn’t have them.
My ideas to resolve my concerns:

Pharm D. PhD (med chem.) – research / teach. I have done research for 2 years in undergrad and its ok.

Drop Pharm D. after a year (have to go this year) and go to MD – Then I could be a “real doctor” not a great selling point, but I would be the one in control in a hospital setting.

Pharm D. MD – Wow that would take a long time.

Pharm D. JD – be a malpractice lawyer (let the death threats begin)

Professor in pharmacy school – My state is getting 3 schools in the next 2 years will have plenty of jobs available.

Please feel free to tell me how ridiculous and petty I sound. I have tried to talk to everyone about my feelings and no one seems to want to hear my thoughts so I turn to you all for some guidance or a swift kick in the A$$... whatever you deem I need

I was in your shoes last spring when I got accepted to pharmacy school. I have always wanted to be a physician and was working my way back through school to be one. However, I am not a great standardized testtaker so I applied to pharmacy as a backup. So, there I was last spring about to prepare for the MCAT with the pharm acceptance in my back pocket.

For me, I really want to do both. I like school and want to have both knowledge sets. So, I decided to go ahead and attend pharm school and wait to take the CBT version of the MCAT this summer. I figured it would be two years before I got accepted into med school anyway so I might as well get something while I wait. I think my chances on med school are 60/40 the bad way so I took the safe route and went to pharm school.

I think if you go to pharm you should finish so that it will look better on your application to med school and it is a very nice, six figure backup.

You sound smarter than I so you probably can have either one.

Just pick the one that you are proud to say. I am a _____!!

Pharmacist or Physician? or Both?

By the way, I got accepted to law school before I got my MBA and did not go. Enough said. Unless you really like that stuff. If so, then dumb sciences and go there.

 

[omnione]

It's obvious that your second thoughts all revolve around the concept of prestige, and it's corollary, respect. You fear being dissatisfied about being a pharmacist because your peers and physicians who are in contact with you may not give you the respect you want because you feel like the general public + MD population do not rate the prestige of pharmacy to be as high as medicine.

You really have to ask yourself why prestige matters to you:

1. Is it because you want to be "the man" (or woman, so don't flame me females.) when it comes to the patients' health care providers?

2. Is it because you'll only feel worthy if you belong to the profession that is the highest prestige people classify?

3. Is it because you fear that the disrespect will be too high in your daily life, making your self-esteem lower given that you don't get the credit you deserve?

4. Is it because you fear that people will treat you like a McDonald's worker every day who dishes out drugs instead of hamburgers?

5. Is it because you just want the respect you deserve in general to allay the fears presented in questions 1-4?

Let's face it, until the education system differentiates the various types of doctors out there and doesn't generalize a doctor as solely an M.D., every kid growing up will think that M.D.s only count as doctors. Not enough people in the world say "I'm sick, so I'm going to see my physician tomorrow" over "I'm sick, so I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow". Given the general public's belief that the entire health care system revolves around what the "doctor" does, that prestige issue isn't going away.

So, it's all about respecting yourself as a person. You may not get the credit you deserve, but you shouldn't run your life around how people perceive you. Deep down, the reason why I started out as a pre-med that didn't fully go away until my senior year in college was this urge to fulfill everyone's expectation that I should be the best as defined by society, not myself. I understand your respect concerns as I feel that people haven't given me the credit I deserve. However, I shifted my paradigm on life during the last year by beginning to understand that a lack of self-respect will result in worse consequences than the neglect that comes from my peers and colleagues. Frankly, I decided that I didn't need to be in the so-called "most respected health care profession" in order to respect myself as an individual playing a proactive role in improving the lives of those around me.

So if you are afraid that you'll get into conflicts about the prestige of pharmacy, just remind yourself that its pointless to argue with idiots. If too many ignorant citizens walk up to you in a retail pharmacy and disrespects you, then post up a copy of your income tax statement on the pharmacy window and highlight the section that lists your gross income. If too many physicians with god complexes piss you off, then bring up the number of malpractice suits they have gotten. That'll shut both groups up....

 

[rxlynn]

Ok! So I have graduated with my BS in chemistry (3.98 GPA) took my PCAT (96%) and was accepted to my first choice pharmacy school the day of my interview…… I feel I should be at least proud of this and I am but there is something missing. I turn to you for help. Here is my dilemma (please feel free to call me ridiculous, ego maniac, pathetic, etc. I have heard it already) I do not know if I selected the right profession. Most pharmacists I work with (long term care pharmacists) don’t like their jobs. I wouldn’t like their job either, set at a computer all day. I hear that you are treated somewhat inferior to physicians in hospitals, which would extremely enrage me. I have heard a pharmacist introduce himself to a person as Dr. Smith and the person respond, “you are not a real doctor.” While not that bad, it would probably hit a nerve on a bad day. And I hear this all the time….random person “So what are you doing Korben?” “Well, I go to pharmacy school in the fall.” Random guy, “As smart as you are you should go to med school…” Me… “Ha ha…. Yeah I have been told that.” Having said all this I love pharmacy: the drugs, how they work, how they are made, pharmacy law etc. Plus, the hematology and oncology residents in pharmacy seem extremely interesting. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… (while my MD say’s be a pharmacist I wish I was). It is to late for me to change this year so I will be entering in the pharmacy school in the fall, at least for a year

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…

Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can’t take it)

This last quote is the thing that really stood out to me in your post. Even if you chose to become an MD, it's not like you'll be in a setting for MANY years where you are the one in control and giving the orders - you'll be a student, then an intern, then a resident, etc. Even after you get through all that, there will still be administrators, etc. Have you ever considered owning your own business or maybe owning an independent pharmacy?? Then, you would be much more likely to be the one giving the orders.

 

[pharmboy30]

Well.. I chose pharmacy because for me it's a healthier lifestyle. I would never want to work 80+ hours. I'm not hurt by the viewpoints of others should it happen to be that they see pharmacist as those who couldn't make it to medical school. I'm secure with myself and would probably laugh it off. Personally, I would never have people call me by doctor anyways even if that is my title because that sets a line between you and others.. unless they were also doctors.

what he/she said.
i never want to be on call....

 

[tussionex]

what he/she said.
i never want to be on call....

pharmacists take call too....lots of them....

 

[elwademd]

It's obvious that your second thoughts all revolve around the concept of prestige, and it's corollary, respect. You fear being dissatisfied about being a pharmacist because your peers and physicians who are in contact with you may not give you the respect you want because you feel like the general public + MD population do not rate the prestige of pharmacy to be as high as medicine.

You really have to ask yourself why prestige matters to you:

1. Is it because you want to be "the man" (or woman, so don't flame me females.) when it comes to the patients' health care providers?

2. Is it because you'll only feel worthy if you belong to the profession that is the highest prestige people classify?

3. Is it because you fear that the disrespect will be too high in your daily life, making your self-esteem lower given that you don't get the credit you deserve?

4. Is it because you fear that people will treat you like a McDonald's worker every day who dishes out drugs instead of hamburgers?

5. Is it because you just want the respect you deserve in general to allay the fears presented in questions 1-4?

Let's face it, until the education system differentiates the various types of doctors out there and doesn't generalize a doctor as solely an M.D., every kid growing up will think that M.D.s only count as doctors. Not enough people in the world say "I'm sick, so I'm going to see my physician tomorrow" over "I'm sick, so I'm going to see my doctor tomorrow". Given the general public's belief that the entire health care system revolves around what the "doctor" does, that prestige issue isn't going away.

So, it's all about respecting yourself as a person. You may not get the credit you deserve, but you shouldn't run your life around how people perceive you. Deep down, the reason why I started out as a pre-med that didn't fully go away until my senior year in college was this urge to fulfill everyone's expectation that I should be the best as defined by society, not myself. I understand your respect concerns as I feel that people haven't given me the credit I deserve. However, I shifted my paradigm on life during the last year by beginning to understand that a lack of self-respect will result in worse consequences than the neglect that comes from my peers and colleagues. Frankly, I decided that I didn't need to be in the so-called "most respected health care profession" in order to respect myself as an individual playing a proactive role in improving the lives of those around me.

So if you are afraid that you'll get into conflicts about the prestige of pharmacy, just remind yourself that its pointless to argue with idiots. If too many ignorant citizens walk up to you in a retail pharmacy and disrespects you, then post up a copy of your income tax statement on the pharmacy window and highlight the section that lists your gross income. If too many physicians with god complexes piss you off, then bring up the number of malpractice suits they have gotten. That'll shut both groups up....

well said.

in the end, the pharmacist-physician relationship can be a very good one, as long as there's mutual respect. but that would really go for any relationship. as a physician, i have a lot of respect for pharmacists. in fact, there's a pharmacist that i will call personally in my hospital because she and i have similar thinking, and she generally knows how to answer my questions, no matter how trivial. at the same time, i'm able to answer her questions as well.

no one is subservient to anyone else in a hospital. as much as we md's like to think that's the way it is, we need to have respect for one another. the pharmacist isn't there to serve at the pleasure of the physician!

as pointed out by another poster, being an md doesn't make you in control. in a sense, the buck starts and ends with you, but in another sense, many things are out of your control.

and being an md won't make people call you doctor... i went to do laundry in my scrubs, and a guy asked if i was an lvn! lol.

 

[pharmboy30]

what he/she said.
i never want to be on call....

I realize that. As a pharmacist, I can choose a job and never have to be on call. I realize there are certain specialties that don't require call, typically doctors work alot more than 40 hours a week and take call several days out of the week.
I'd rather

The ICU clinical pharmacist I had for rotation helped make my decision to choose pharmacy a little easier. He particpated in rounds, was asked for suggestions daily, directly involved in patient care and resident teaching, etc, etc, but he only had to work 40 hours a week (more if he wanted), was never on call, respected by all the physicians and nurses, could go home at night and relax and spend time with his family uniterrupted, watch his kids soccer/baseball games on weekends, and had Hawkeye football season tickets.

after I thought about it, I would rather have a chance to have a life and a family in the near future than spend 100+ hours a week as a resident for a couple years, etc. not worth it to me.

(I wanted to be a radiologist or pathologist.)

 

[Korben]

Well, I just would like to thank everyone for responding and only one person for giving me that tongue lashing. So, here is what I decided. I am taking the MCAT at the end of the summer or early fall and applying to med school. I really need to see if i can get into med school before i decide to switch. Another, thing i have noticed is the sometimes extreme pay difference pharmacist 100k - 175k (max)....radiologist 200k - 600k. That be a big difference... I wish I knew what I wanted to do.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Ok! So I have graduated with my BS in chemistry (3.98 GPA) took my PCAT (96%) and was accepted to my first choice pharmacy school the day of my interview…… I feel I should be at least proud of this and I am but there is something missing. I turn to you for help. Here is my dilemma (please feel free to call me ridiculous, ego maniac, pathetic, etc. I have heard it already) I do not know if I selected the right profession. Most pharmacists I work with (long term care pharmacists) don’t like their jobs. I wouldn’t like their job either, set at a computer all day. I hear that you are treated somewhat inferior to physicians in hospitals, which would extremely enrage me. I have heard a pharmacist introduce himself to a person as Dr. Smith and the person respond, “you are not a real doctor.” While not that bad, it would probably hit a nerve on a bad day. And I hear this all the time….random person “So what are you doing Korben?” “Well, I go to pharmacy school in the fall.” Random guy, “As smart as you are you should go to med school…” Me… “Ha ha…. Yeah I have been told that.” Having said all this I love pharmacy: the drugs, how they work, how they are made, pharmacy law etc. Plus, the hematology and oncology residents in pharmacy seem extremely interesting. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… (while my MD say’s be a pharmacist I wish I was). It is to late for me to change this year so I will be entering in the pharmacy school in the fall, at least for a year

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…

Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can’t take it)

May snap in a weak moment when someone does not call me doctor (that’s what my degree would say, I feel all Pham. D’s have earned it)

These problems may seem ridiculous but they are my concerns. Wish I didn’t have them.
My ideas to resolve my concerns:

Pharm D. PhD (med chem.) – research / teach. I have done research for 2 years in undergrad and its ok.

Drop Pharm D. after a year (have to go this year) and go to MD – Then I could be a “real doctor” not a great selling point, but I would be the one in control in a hospital setting.

Pharm D. MD – Wow that would take a long time.

Pharm D. JD – be a malpractice lawyer (let the death threats begin)

Professor in pharmacy school – My state is getting 3 schools in the next 2 years will have plenty of jobs available.

Please feel free to tell me how ridiculous and petty I sound. I have tried to talk to everyone about my feelings and no one seems to want to hear my thoughts so I turn to you all for some guidance or a swift kick in the A$$... whatever you deem I need

Seems to me those would have been good questions to ask BEFORE you applied to Pharmacy school. Why did you apply anyway? Slow day?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Well, I just would like to thank everyone for responding and only one person for giving me that tongue lashing. So, here is what I decided. I am taking the MCAT at the end of the summer or early fall and applying to med school. I really need to see if i can get into med school before i decide to switch. Another, thing i have noticed is the sometimes extreme pay difference pharmacist 100k - 175k (max)....radiologist 200k - 600k. That be a big difference... I wish I knew what I wanted to do.

Are you just guessing what you want to do? You should pick a profession based on what you know about it. It always helps if you actually understand what is required and really want to do it. Your just guessing right now using salary as a guide. From what I can tell you spent four years getting a chemisrty degree and can't do anything with it. Medicine is not a field to get into because you don't know what else to do.

 

[PHARMDhope2b]

Are you just guessing what you want to do? You should pick a profession based on what you know about it. It always helps if you actually understand what is required and really want to do it. Your just guessing right now using salary as a guide. From what I can tell you spent four years getting a chemisrty degree and can't do anything with it. Medicine is not a field to get into because you don't know what else to do.

ditto

 

[Knickerbocker]

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…

Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can’t take it)

May snap in a weak moment when someone does not call me doctor (that’s what my degree would say, I feel all Pham. D’s have earned it)

The MDs are always the stars of the hospital, no matter how despicable many of them are. One MD at a hospital at which I volunteered (said stupid hospital won't let me do pharmacy, grrr) is a total creep... Parks illegally in the handicapped spot... Is busy on the phone, trying to maximize his business, when people in surgery bust into the room saying they were ready for him ten minutes ago.

But guess what? All the nurses treat him like he's a demigod.

As for the "doctor" title, PhDs have this problem as well. Many of them are certainly smarter and more intensely trained than medical doctors, yet many people will say that they aren't real doctors and don't deserve the title.

You don't want to be an MD. From what I've seen, few of them have much of a soul left in them.

Oh yeah, money... Being a radiologist would be great in terms of money and hours worked. Unfortunately, everyone wants to do it. From what I gather, you may not wind up in the final specialty you want, there is some kind of selection process. Also, don't forget about their malpractice insurance.

Compare, say, $200,000/year doing 80 hours a week as a doctor to $100,000/year doing 40 hours a week as a pharmacy. I'd much rather have the time...

 

[Korben]

I did ask these questions before I applied to pharmacy school.... I also do know about both careers. I have worked in several pharmacy settings.. Long term care mostly, retail (Walgreen's), and hospital (very little). I have job shadowed a family physician (like seeing people and variety of cases). I don't know what I will do.. as of now i will be taking the MCAT CBT on August 9. I still have no idea what will happen in a year. I will let all of you know.... thanks for all the comments.

Mark Twain:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

 

[binghamkid]

Well, I just would like to thank everyone for responding and only one person for giving me that tongue lashing. So, here is what I decided. I am taking the MCAT at the end of the summer or early fall and applying to med school. I really need to see if i can get into med school before i decide to switch. Another, thing i have noticed is the sometimes extreme pay difference pharmacist 100k - 175k (max)....radiologist 200k - 600k. That be a big difference... I wish I knew what I wanted to do.

While the pay may differ and doctors may make a fair bit more, you have to also consider that they also have higher insurance premiums to pay. After taking that into account as well as increased work hours...it evens out. I've never heard of a radiologist making 600k either (at least in an HMO or hospital setting). The chief radiologist at UCLA Med who retired about a year ago made roughly 350k a year...and that's after decades of service. (Granted, now that he's retired, per diem he makes a ridiculous amount of money) No doubt about it that he's well off, but there's always a price you pay. Nothing ever comes free. If you want to make lots of money, become the Dean of a university. Or Chancellor. They make boatloads.

 

[lord999]

"Being subservient to MD in hospital settings ( I hate not being in control or having orders barked at me, just can't take it)"

Trust me, it doesn't get any better being an MD, actually it gets worse since the accountants yell at MDs rather than other medical professionals, and the hell ANYONE barks an order at me. I've seen gunner surgeons try that for a couple of times, before MedExec takes a piece out of them.

"I do not know if I selected the right profession. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… "

Economists believe in what people do, not what they say. Taking your quote verbatim, I don't think the rest of your dithering is relevant. If you want to be an MD, then be one, and don't have regrets. We all chose things for different reasons, if you have such deep misgavings about pharmacy fundamentally, no specialization will save you from misery. Do something that makes you happy.

Ok! So I have graduated with my BS in chemistry (3.98 GPA) took my PCAT (96%) and was accepted to my first choice pharmacy school the day of my interview…… I feel I should be at least proud of this and I am but there is something missing. I turn to you for help. Here is my dilemma (please feel free to call me ridiculous, ego maniac, pathetic, etc. I have heard it already) I do not know if I selected the right profession. Most pharmacists I work with (long term care pharmacists) don't like their jobs. I wouldn't like their job either, set at a computer all day. I hear that you are treated somewhat inferior to physicians in hospitals, which would extremely enrage me. I have heard a pharmacist introduce himself to a person as Dr. Smith and the person respond, "you are not a real doctor." While not that bad, it would probably hit a nerve on a bad day. And I hear this all the time….random person "So what are you doing Korben?" "Well, I go to pharmacy school in the fall." Random guy, "As smart as you are you should go to med school…" Me… "Ha ha…. Yeah I have been told that." Having said all this I love pharmacy: the drugs, how they work, how they are made, pharmacy law etc. Plus, the hematology and oncology residents in pharmacy seem extremely interesting. However, I think I would like being an MD seeing patients, helping people, all that… (while my MD say's be a pharmacist I wish I was). It is to late for me to change this year so I will be entering in the pharmacy school in the fall, at least for a year

Problems I am afraid I would face as a standard Pharm D…


May snap in a weak moment when someone does not call me doctor (that's what my degree would say, I feel all Pham. D's have earned it)

These problems may seem ridiculous but they are my concerns. Wish I didn't have them.
My ideas to resolve my concerns:

Pharm D. PhD (med chem.) – research / teach. I have done research for 2 years in undergrad and its ok.

Drop Pharm D. after a year (have to go this year) and go to MD – Then I could be a "real doctor" not a great selling point, but I would be the one in control in a hospital setting.

Pharm D. MD – Wow that would take a long time.

Pharm D. JD – be a malpractice lawyer (let the death threats begin)

Professor in pharmacy school – My state is getting 3 schools in the next 2 years will have plenty of jobs available.

Please feel free to tell me how ridiculous and petty I sound. I have tried to talk to everyone about my feelings and no one seems to want to hear my thoughts so I turn to you all for some guidance or a swift kick in the A$$... whatever you deem I need