P1 in need of advice

[WooWooWoo]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Over the last year or so during my pre-pharmacy courses, I've looked at these forums quite a bit. Even though I didn't post, they still helped me a lot. Now I'm a P1 and feel like I need some direct advice.

A little about me: I live in the Midwest, went to my state school for 2 years, and then went into their pharmacy program. I don't have a lot of work experience, just working as a tech for a retail chain.

I guess it is natural to worry about your career choice some, but over the last few months thoughts about pharmacy have constantly been on my mind. I've had a couple of friends say that I look stressed out about it. It seems like everything is bothering me, from the debt to future job outlook.

Overall, the debt hasn't worried me too much. The high cost really made me rethink everything at first, knowing that I could go into a different career and graduate with hardly any loans. But now I feel better about it. I have enough money to pay for my first year of pharmacy without any loans, and plan on borrowing around 50-60k for the entire program.

My main concern is with future job prospects. As of right now, I would really like to go into retail pharmacy. I know I don't have years of bad experiences to discourage me, but enjoy it quite a bit. I have seen some people get angry and curse, but I have also seen one old lady bake cookies and bring them in for the whole pharmacy staff. Around my hometown, there are still several independent pharmacies or small chains, and ideally I would want to work in that type of setting. Most have one or two pharmacists on staff and are closed on the weekends except for a few hours on Saturday.

So are my career goals unrealistic? I'd say I'm very flexible about moving in the future. I know I read a thread several weeks ago about someone complaining about only finding a job in a town of 7,000. I really enjoy living in a rural area though, and it would my first choice to live in a town of around 2,000-5000 people that wasn't close to any metro area.

School started this week and the professors really talk a lot about specializing in a clinical type of job, like it should be my main focus. They seem to put down retail/community settings a lot. I think pharmacists are highly trained and capable of these positions, I just don't know if they would be a good match for me. One thing I really like about pharmacy is that you don't need an appointment to see a health professional. People can come and ask advice about their children's sore throat without worrying about paying money to talk to the pharmacist for a few minutes. I sort of feel like if I wanted to do more hands on with diagnosing and such I would have went into a different field like NP or something. So do you think I'm focusing on the wrong type of pharmacy?


Sorry for the long post, I know there weren't even that many questions in there either 🙂 But I would really appreciate any advice from anyone.

 

[xiphoid2010]

Over the last year or so during my pre-pharmacy courses, I've looked at these forums quite a bit. Even though I didn't post, they still helped me a lot. Now I'm a P1 and feel like I need some direct advice.

A little about me: I live in the Midwest, went to my state school for 2 years, and then went into their pharmacy program. I don't have a lot of work experience, just working as a tech for a retail chain.

I guess it is natural to worry about your career choice some, but over the last few months thoughts about pharmacy have constantly been on my mind. I've had a couple of friends say that I look stressed out about it. It seems like everything is bothering me, from the debt to future job outlook.

Overall, the debt hasn't worried me too much. The high cost really made me rethink everything at first, knowing that I could go into a different career and graduate with hardly any loans. But now I feel better about it. I have enough money to pay for my first year of pharmacy without any loans, and plan on borrowing around 50-60k for the entire program.

My main concern is with future job prospects. As of right now, I would really like to go into retail pharmacy. I know I don't have years of bad experiences to discourage me, but enjoy it quite a bit. I have seen some people get angry and curse, but I have also seen one old lady bake cookies and bring them in for the whole pharmacy staff. Around my hometown, there are still several independent pharmacies or small chains, and ideally I would want to work in that type of setting. Most have one or two pharmacists on staff and are closed on the weekends except for a few hours on Saturday.

So are my career goals unrealistic? I'd say I'm very flexible about moving in the future. I know I read a thread several weeks ago about someone complaining about only finding a job in a town of 7,000. I really enjoy living in a rural area though, and it would my first choice to live in a town of around 2,000-5000 people that wasn't close to any metro area.

School started this week and the professors really talk a lot about specializing in a clinical type of job, like it should be my main focus. They seem to put down retail/community settings a lot. I think pharmacists are highly trained and capable of these positions, I just don't know if they would be a good match for me. One thing I really like about pharmacy is that you don't need an appointment to see a health professional. People can come and ask advice about their children's sore throat without worrying about paying money to talk to the pharmacist for a few minutes. I sort of feel like if I wanted to do more hands on with diagnosing and such I would have went into a different field like NP or something. So do you think I'm focusing on the wrong type of pharmacy?


Sorry for the long post, I know there weren't even that many questions in there either 🙂 But I would really appreciate any advice from anyone.

consider ambulatory care if you like patient interaction but not the acute setting of a hospital. Government jobs, like the VA and IHS are big on that right now.

In my opinion, a Pharm.D is overkill for community pharmacy (the old BS is more than good enough) but comes up short for a hospital job even if staffing.

So stay competitive, study hard, work hard, get both hospital and retail internship if you can. Things will become clear what you'll prefer. You'll need a superb CV if you want to go residency or acute care jobs, and it can only help if you still want to do retail.

 

[owlegrad]

Hmm. First of all, great use of a lot. Impressive.

Now for the actual advice:

You said it yourself, being nervous about your choice is natural. You have worked hard to get where you are and now that you are getting closer and closer to your goal, you are getting more and more nervous. Perfectly natural.

To me it sounds like you have a sound goal in mind. What's wrong with wanting to go into retail? Sounds to me like you will be a great pharmacist. Don't let anyone tell you wanting to be a retail pharmacist is bad or that you are wasting your potential. Retail is the backbone of pharmacy and IMO we need more pharmacist who want to work with the public.

I am a total SDN nut, but allow me to be frank. You need to take the nagitivity around here with a grain of salt. Talk to the pharmacists at work. See what they think of pharmacy. Nothing is as bad IRL as it seems here. And your professors are giving your class good advice, but if you want to work retail, work retail. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[LazyMooch]

50k debt? Trust me, you should be ecstatic about that. That is easily paid off in a year if you go retail. Try 170k before you worry hahahahaha.

Seriously though, graduating with that little debt puts you on in a great position as a pharmacist. You could have a house paid off by 30 and enough saved up to retire by 45. Don't get discouraged.

 

[Tired farmer]

I get why your nervous, I am too, I am wary of the direction pharmacy seems to be headed, especially in the retail setting. Don't listen to all the schools or other people on here who bash retail pharmacists. I somewhat agree that a PharmD is almost overkill in that currently they are not allowed to use all their knowledge to their full potential. Contrast retail with an ID pharmacist at a hospital and you see a huge difference in the scope of what they are doing.

That all being sad, change is coming in pharmacy for better or for worse, and retail is going to be front and center. When people think pharmacy they think going to their neighborhood pharmacy to get their prescription filled, not some pharmacist in a hospital dosing aminoglycosides. The profession needs good, proactive pharmacists in retail to move the profession along and don't let anyone try and put down community pharmacists do... they are the most accessible healthcare providers around and provide a great service

 

[farmadiazepine]

Your post is so genuine. You got a good heart. I work for retail and been working for my chain since my "P1" year, and I love it. If it's what you want to do, stay in retail because its an easier way to get a job as a pharmacist after you graduate because you already are part of the company.

In school, all the professors were 100% clinical oriented and kept saying how we should be doing residencies, etc.. I listened to them, tried it out for rotations, and hated it, and thats when I realized retail life was what made me happy.

If you don't mind dealing with the public, do it. It's honestly a skill to deal with the public.. because you see the biggest variety in terms of people..

And I love it when someone comes to me in the pharmacy to ask me questions like what can they give their little kid who has diarrhea or what can they use for bug bites or what should I do because I don't have health insurance.

It's awesome.

Here's advice: Make sure you finish school. The goal is to get the PharmD and be licensed and have that paper in your hand. That's the most important thing because without the paper that says you have a PharmD, you can be a tech for all your life.

Also, continue to work while you are in school. I'm not saying do 40 hours a week for the chain while you balance out going to classes, taking notes, studying, etc. I'm saying work once every 2 weeks on a Saturday, or work every weekend, or work something that you are comfortable doing. The experience helps not only with school, but it keeps you in good terms with whatever company you work for, and the employer sees that you are dedicated and WANT to stay with them. When they see that, they are investing in you as well and want you on board.

I know you may read a lot of negative things on this board, but honestly, most people have nothing to do but complain, complain, complain. In reality, it isn't all that bad. And about all the people saying our profession is doomed in the future..it can be applied to any job out there, so don't fret.

Good luck!

 

[Albo]

This was a very inspiring thread...thank you everyone for your honest opinion and i am surprised no one has said anything bad so far about retail. (looks around for mountainpharmd)

 

[LazyMooch]

theres a good post by WVU somewhere about hospital and retail comparison...

 

[taken2]

Your post is so genuine. You got a good heart. I work for retail and been working for my chain since my "P1" year, and I love it. If it's what you want to do, stay in retail because its an easier way to get a job as a pharmacist after you graduate because you already are part of the company.

In school, all the professors were 100% clinical oriented and kept saying how we should be doing residencies, etc.. I listened to them, tried it out for rotations, and hated it, and thats when I realized retail life was what made me happy.

If you don't mind dealing with the public, do it. It's honestly a skill to deal with the public.. because you see the biggest variety in terms of people..

And I love it when someone comes to me in the pharmacy to ask me questions like what can they give their little kid who has diarrhea or what can they use for bug bites or what should I do because I don't have health insurance.

It's awesome.

Here's advice: Make sure you finish school. The goal is to get the PharmD and be licensed and have that paper in your hand. That's the most important thing because without the paper that says you have a PharmD, you can be a tech for all your life.

Also, continue to work while you are in school. I'm not saying do 40 hours a week for the chain while you balance out going to classes, taking notes, studying, etc. I'm saying work once every 2 weeks on a Saturday, or work every weekend, or work something that you are comfortable doing. The experience helps not only with school, but it keeps you in good terms with whatever company you work for, and the employer sees that you are dedicated and WANT to stay with them. When they see that, they are investing in you as well and want you on board.

I know you may read a lot of negative things on this board, but honestly, most people have nothing to do but complain, complain, complain. In reality, it isn't all that bad. And about all the people saying our profession is doomed in the future..it can be applied to any job out there, so don't fret.

Good luck!

Most honest post I've seen on this board in a long time. 👍👍

 

[JonPrePharmD]

And about all the people saying our profession is doomed in the future..it can be applied to any job out there, so don't fret.

So true. I'd like to see what posters are saying in the sub forum of "Communications" in a Business Degree forum or maybe the "Sales" section in the Building Supply forum.

 

[bananaface]

Not being in a shortage doesn't mean that you can't find a job. It just means you won't have them thrown at you en masse. Now we are just like everyone else who has to look around when they graduate. You may have to relocate. But, if you are willing to do that, you will be fine.

60K is not bad. Less than a year's salary.