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Is this a written guarantee depending on GPA?
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My Experience with Pharmacy (Must Read)
Started by VP_Pharm2004
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Is this a written guarantee depending on GPA?
Not exactly. I've just been working as a technician at my teaching hospital (associated with the same University I will hopefully be accepted to on Monday) for 8 years now. If I get into the university's CoP I'll be able to do my interning at the same job I've had for the past 8 years. I have it on good authority (basically from the entire managerial crew that decides on residents) that when I get out I won't have to worry about finding a spot. Occasionally they have even let long time employees skip residencies once they graduate.. but I'm not going to push my luck in that regard.
^
Good. Having connections that early is always a big plus. Continue working at that hospital and when you're a student, don't just tech there. Instead, go to the ops manager, clinical manager, director, etc., and ask if they need help with any projects. It could be as simple as crunching number/looking things up for data. That could actually be a big help to them and they will remember you for it.
Good. Having connections that early is always a big plus. Continue working at that hospital and when you're a student, don't just tech there. Instead, go to the ops manager, clinical manager, director, etc., and ask if they need help with any projects. It could be as simple as crunching number/looking things up for data. That could actually be a big help to them and they will remember you for it.
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Hmm, that's some good advice, especially since the first 1-2 years of interning here is pretty much the exact same stuff I've been doing now. I've never really been concerned with networking before but it sounds like it can be a pretty big boon. Maybe showing some more initiative, in terms of seeking out projects, will make me stand out even more. Thanks!
Pretty much sums up how I feel. I'm aware of the over-saturation and current market status and I'm still willing to take the plunge. I feel pretty good. I mean I already have my residency lined up and I'm not even in pharmacy school yet =).
You should consider changing your user name to Dummy.
You should consider changing your user name to Dummy.
The market is very tough for pharmacist I agree, I knew that going into pharmacy school and set a plan for what I wanted to do, I networked, pushed for key rotations, and recently accepted a position starting at 135,000/yr, upon graduation. Pharmacy has changed a great deal and we have to ensure that we adapt with that change. I just always try my best to execute the objective of the company. There were students in my class that did not do any interns and were not networking much either, they literally amazed me, you have to understand the environment of pharmacy and adjust accordingly.
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Congrats!! If you don't mind sharing--- what setting and what market?
Why are you listing yourself as a pharmacist then, if you aren't even in pharmacy school? That is misleading.
Hope1974 is responding to an earlier post by skrumpy. Hope1974 forgot to put the post that he/she is referring to in quotes.
To the op, and the many others who feel the same way. I believe a big part of the problem is school guidance/career counselors. Too many of them give out the misleading advice to "major in what you love." Few of them, give practical advice on actually picking a major to lead to a career that would meet each individual's needs. And money is important, and degree of debt is important....but there are more critical factors.
For example, many people who can't find a job as a pharmacist, can't find a job because they are not willing to relocate. If living in a certain city or area is of primary importance to a person, then the first thing they need to ask themselves when choosing a major/career is.....what industries are in this city, what jobs are in high demand in this city, what is the outlook for different careers in this area. It makes no difference what the national statistic for hiring for a career is.....it's the need in that area that person needs to look at.
Or, we read from pharmacists who can not stand working with the general public & can not stand working long shifts. They should have been educated before hand to realize that most pharmacists are in the retail setting, and if this is not a setting they would be comfortable, than pharmacy was probably not for them.
First & foremost in picking a career, is to look NOT at what you enjoy studying, its to look at your lifestyle and what you enjoy and dislike. Where do you want to live, what kind of people do you want to deal, is having 9 - 5 hrs all important to you, are you strongly against working holidays, do you want to work part-time, are you comfortable working 50+ hrs in order to get a job with greater responsibility? Unfortunately, many high schoolers have no idea what they want--it really behooves high schoolers to get as many different job and/or volunteer experiences they can, so they can get a better idea of what kind of lifestyle they want.
After that, then one can start looking at their interests & how various jobs may play into their interests. I do not believe there is 1 perfect career path for people, there are many acceptable career paths, people need to first decide what they want from their life, and then find a career that will work into those goals. Picking a career, without first deciding on lifestyle factors is a recipe for failure....which is why there are unhappy, jobless pharmacists (and unhappy, jobless people in every profession.)
If I picked a career based on that, I'd probably have become a pilot. But after 9/11, it kinda became hard for a muslim middle-eastern young male to go to flight school, especially if you have some political beliefs that are not popular in this country.
Agreed, couldn't of said it any better.
I am incredibly stressed out, jobless pharmacist here. If a job doesn't turn up soon, I don't know what I am going to do. I put my loans on forebearance/ unemployment. I don't have the money to even get out of my lease and move apartments.
Again where do you stay ? Target, CVS, Walgreens I know are hiring in the DC/MD/Eastern Shore MD etc and almost everyone I know who is going the retail route in my class has a job offer. Good luck with everything and let me know if you need contacts.
What pharmacy (and healthcare) needs now are student pharmacists and pharmacists who are innovators and see the big picture. There is opportunity out there for pharmacists but you need to be "hungry" and involved in the profession. Unfortunately those students who were under the assumption that PharmD = Job are realizing they "look" just like all their classmates (with good grades etc).
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Interesting thread with different points of view. I currently have a job so thankfully I am not in the unemployed position.
Views likes yours, do nothing to add to the real world discussion about jobs in our field. What does the "innovators and see the big picture" really even mean? When you are coming out of school and have a ton of loans, you try to find a job thats available. This isnt the time of "i can get a position getting 120k for overseing techs" anymore and most people are worried about being able to put bread on their table.
Unless you can get into some sort of a niche or figure out a way to bill for service, you are competing with the rest of us for work that is becoming less available.
I know that if you get too "innovative" in our company, you will be written up for not following procedure.
Just my 2c
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I think that was his point. Gone are the days of just going to school to get the degree so you can get out ASAP and enter the work-force and collect your paycheck. I think they are saying that what is needed now are the people who actually want to contribute to the betterment of the field of pharmacy, rather than those who simply want to better their financial portfolio. I see innovators as people that are active in the field outside of their jobs as well. At least that is what I got out of it.
I'm not sure the lifestyle part is relevant to any high school or freshman/sophomore college kids. 90% of them want a big fat pay check and a nice car. Don't get me wrong I still like those but I feel there is a higher calling, something you enjoy doing which is relevant to what you study in school.
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