Pharmacist / PA question.

[Tylerc]

I was wondering what profession is harder to become a Physician Assistant or a Pharmacist??? & Is it harder to get acepted into a pharm school or PA school??

And do you have to be SUPER smart at math for any of these occupationss?

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[RxWildcat]

Pharmacy Link

PA Link

Here are links discussing both topics. I see you posting the same topic in the PA forum, one post will be sufficient. PA school is 2ish years and pharmacy school is either 3 years year round or 4 years normally. Pharmacy involves a decent amount of algebra type math, even more with pharmacokinetics. I don't know about the PA amount of math.

 

[UNMorBUST]

The easier profession is the one you want to do. Being happy in your pursuit will make it much easier. If you are unsatisfied with your choice it will make even 2 years seem like a lifetime.

 

[Kirbypuff]

The easier profession is the one you want to do. Being happy in your pursuit will make it much easier. If you are unsatisfied with your choice it will make even 2 years seem like a lifetime.

Ooo~ perfect advice!

 

[thephoenician88]

I think there are a lot less PA schools, and the ones developing are relatively new and accepting small class sizes, so i think pharm. school would be somewhat easier...somewhat.

 

[Sparda29]

Really? The amount of drugs covered in pharmacy school is vastly beyond what's covered in medical school, so PA school is probably even less than that.

Hand's down, PA school is easier.

 

[PharMed2016]

Also, note that the requirements to get into a PA program are less than those of a PharmD.

PA along with NPs are considered midlevels.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

Also, note that the requirements to get into a PA program are less than those of a PharmD.

Really? Every PA school I looked at wanted a bachelors, the MCAT (some still accept the GRE), and 1000+ hours of patient contact.

I think UNMorBust said it best. Get some experience in both and find out what interests you more.

 

[fenixtnlfan]

PharMed2016, I'm laughing at your sig. That was me in Pharmaceutics too! I still don't get it.

 

[deleted6669]

Really? Every PA school I looked at wanted a bachelors, the MCAT (some still accept the GRE), and 1000+ hours of patient contact.

I think UNMorBust said it best. Get some experience in both and find out what interests you more.

agree-most pa programs nowadays want o-chem, biochem, > 3.5 gpa, strong gre scores, prior medical experience, etc
many programs have 1000 applicants for 30 seats.....I'm not knocking pharm school here either...both programs are tough to get into....

 

[HaleyRX]

I have a friend who tried for 2 application cycles to get into pharmacy school and didn't make it. She is now in PA school in Florida---BUT she worked her butt off to get there..she volunteered 40 hours a week at a clinic (yes! volunteered) and she took the GRE and applied to several PA schools, whereas she only applied to a few pharmacy schools.
She seems very happy but says it is very stressful.
Most of the PA schools I've looked at, around the Texas area, take about 1 in 15 or 1 in 18 students. Not good odds. Class sizes are 35 or so.

 

[YiYaoYue]

Is there a real reason for someone to choose PA over MD/DO? I chose pharmacy over MD/DO because I liked what pharmacists do much better, but I wonder if a PA student has to try and explain why they chose PA over MD/DO.

 

[deleted6669]

Is there a real reason for someone to choose PA over MD/DO? I chose pharmacy over MD/DO because I liked what pharmacists do much better, but I wonder if a PA student has to try and explain why they chose PA over MD/DO.

80%+ of the scope of practice, 2/3 of the pay, 1/2 the time in school( 6 yrs vs 11), 1/4 the debt....

 

[YiYaoYue]

80%+ of the scope of practice, 2/3 of the pay, 1/2 the time in school( 6 yrs vs 11), 1/4 the debt....

well i meant outside of doing less school... overall i would still say physicians make more money in the long run or at least catchup and the difference in salary I think is greater than 2/3 depending on specialty of course.

 

[deleted6669]

well i meant outside of doing less school... overall i would still say physicians make more money in the long run or at least catchup and the difference in salary I think is greater than 2/3 depending on specialty of course.

actually in the long run ups drivers make as much as er docs if they work the same hrs...don't believe me?
http://acutecareinc.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/the-game-of-life-ups-driver-or-em-physician/
many folks who become pa's have a prior bs degree, have worked for a # of yrs as a paramedic/rn/rt/etc then decide around age 40 that they would like to do something else so at that point 2 more yrs of school makes a lot more sense than 7...my undergrad gpa in a premed science major was 3.97 from the university of california. I think it's fair to say that I could have gotten into medschool somewhere if I had wanted to at that point...I didn't so I became a paramedic, did that for a while, then went back to grad school for pa and em postgrad training...

 

[YiYaoYue]

actually in the long run ups drivers make as much as er docs if they work the same hrs...don't believe me?
http://acutecareinc.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/the-game-of-life-ups-driver-or-em-physician/
many folks who become pa's have a prior bs degree, have worked for a # of yrs as a paramedic/rn/rt/etc then decide around age 40 that they would like to do something else so at that point 2 more yrs of school makes a lot more sense than 7...my undergrad gpa in a premed science major was 3.97 from the university of california. I think it's fair to say that I could have gotten into medschool somewhere if I had wanted to at that point...I didn't so I became a paramedic, did that for a while, then went back to grad school for pa and em postgrad training...

I think I would be bored out of my mind driving around places as UPS driver. It isn't an appealing job to me despite the pay (makes you wonder what all the fuss was about when they went on strike). Also job security is a big thing in terms of health professions. But I digress, I was trying to understand the difference not in terms of money, time, etc... but in terms of what they do. So it seems like time is a big reasons, not so much difference in the job themselves.

 

[Sparda29]

Is there a real reason for someone to choose PA over MD/DO? I chose pharmacy over MD/DO because I liked what pharmacists do much better, but I wonder if a PA student has to try and explain why they chose PA over MD/DO.

One of my friends in undergrad decided to go for PA after a few cycles not getting into pharmacy, basically he said that PA's don't get as much blame as an MD/DO when something goes wrong.

I don't know too much about that because if there is a mistake, I'd think the PA and the supervising physician would both get canned.

I think the real reason is that the amount of time that MDs/DOs spend away from their families is really long. A PA can work a normal 40 hour week and make decent money, while and MD/DO has to bust their ass off.

 

[Sparda29]

I think I would be bored out of my mind driving around places as UPS driver. It isn't an appealing job to me despite the pay (makes you wonder what all the fuss was about when they went on strike). Also job security is a big thing in terms of health professions. But I digress, I was trying to understand the difference not in terms of money, time, etc... but in terms of what they do. So it seems like time is a big reasons, not so much difference in the job themselves.

The car that they drive would bore the heck out of me, but if I were a UPS driver, I'd want to drive a Lamborghini Reventon or a Ferrari Enzo.

 

[RxWildcat]

The car that they drive would bore the heck out of me, but if I were a UPS driver, I'd want to drive a Lamborghini Reventon or a Ferrari Enzo.

And you could fit two small boxes in the passenger seat, that's about it. 😉

 

[ValeRx]

If you really want to deliver boxes in style, try the Bugatti Veyron. It'll just set you back 1.8 million dollars, but it is street legal.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

In my school, PharmD is the harder program to get into. In pharmacy, pharmacists can practice without anyone overlooking them.

However when you look at MEDICINE, I would consider pharmacists and PAs equivalent since they are both mid-level providers.

 

[deleted6669]

However when you look at MEDICINE, I would consider pharmacists and PAs equivalent since they are both mid-level providers.

can a pharmd get their own dea# like a pa?
can you get reimbursed for primary care services?
can you write a referal to physical therapy?

pharmd's are important and have a role but in only very limited setting do you do anything like a midlevel provider....running an anticoag clinic and adjusting coumadin dosing or running a shot clinic are about the only places I can think of off hand. no insult to pharmd's. your job is important but most folks don't consider you "providers". that is a term generally reserved for folks with a broader medical skills base; md/do/pa/np/dpm

 

[RxWildcat]

can a pharmd get their own dea# like a pa?

Yes, depending on the state they are practicing in.

 

[deleted6669]

Yes, depending on the state they are practicing in.

good to know...which states currently allow pharmd independent prescribing? and is it limited to certain categories of medication or is it an unlimited sch 2 like pa's and docs get in most states?

 

[RxWildcat]

Here's the chart from the DEA

Link

It's pretty limited as you can see, the schedules the can prescribe are vary from state to state but its all in that chart.

 

[deleted6669]

thanks!

 

[UNMorBUST]

I think I would be bored out of my mind driving around places as UPS driver.

Well i am a USPS carrier. I think it is boring but everyonce in a while it feels good to not stimulate your mind that much.😀

 

[UNMorBUST]

Double post....

 

[PharMed2016]

One of my friends in undergrad decided to go for PA after a few cycles not getting into pharmacy, basically he said that PA's don't get as much blame as an MD/DO when something goes wrong.

I don't know too much about that because if there is a mistake, I'd think the PA and the supervising physician would both get canned.

I think the real reason is that the amount of time that MDs/DOs spend away from their families is really long. A PA can work a normal 40 hour week and make decent money, while and MD/DO has to bust their ass off.

Rather be an MD/DO then a PA, but thats my own personal beliefs. If your going to choose one... I'd go for the top.

 

[Pharmpills]

First Pharmacist and PA's are not mid-level and do totally different things plus a pharmacist generally make 40,000 more. They do sort of have a limited setting but most doctors today usually specialize in a particular area instead of "knowing everything". A pharmacist can be a provider in a hospital and maybe retail in the future since they are planning clinics. I think Pharmacists are not considered as high level providers as most MD's but the fact is most doctors don't make 300k but generally 130-160k which isn't far from a pharmD.

A pharmacist can be re-imbursed for certain pharmaceutical care services such as diabetes, blood pressure monitoring, etc but such a thing is slow and relatively new. Pharmacists in some states can even write prescriptions as well.

can a pharmd get their own dea# like a pa?
can you get reimbursed for primary care services?
can you write a referal to physical therapy?

pharmd's are important and have a role but in only very limited setting do you do anything like a midlevel provider....running an anticoag clinic and adjusting coumadin dosing or running a shot clinic are about the only places I can think of off hand. no insult to pharmd's. your job is important but most folks don't consider you "providers". that is a term generally reserved for folks with a broader medical skills base; md/do/pa/np/dpm

 

[LunarFlower]

besides the level of challenge for both professions, what do you all think about the quality of life of pharmacist vs. the quality of life of a PA. Who would have an easier life? I would appreciate everyone's opinion.🙂

 

[SHC1984]

Is there a real reason for someone to choose PA over MD/DO? I chose pharmacy over MD/DO because I liked what pharmacists do much better, but I wonder if a PA student has to try and explain why they chose PA over MD/DO.

MD tons of schooling, tons of loans, high overhead, high mal practice insurance, a lot MORE work, tons of lawsuits, always on call (no life), deal with insurance screwing you over, and much more...

The real question is why is anyone choosing MD over PA? Is the presitage (aka ego stroke) really worth all the ^ headaches??

 

[PharMed2016]

MD tons of schooling, tons of loans, high overhead, high mal practice insurance, a lot MORE work, tons of lawsuits, always on call (no life), deal with insurance screwing you over, and much more...

The real question is why is anyone choosing MD over PA? Is the presitage (aka ego stroke) really worth all the ^ headaches??

Just from my own experiences involving other premeds/medical students, they honestly enjoy having the responsibility and the challenge. *Although I can say some are unadultured **** that shouldn't be doctors because they may kill someone with their carelessness and stupidity. While its true that some do have egos, but so does someone in every profession, granted some more than others..

---Just entertaining myself while I wait on drawing a blood sample @ 4:44...

 

[SHC1984]

Just from my own experiences involving other premeds/medical students, they honestly enjoy having the responsibility and the challenge. *Although I can say some are unadultured **** that shouldn't be doctors because they may kill someone with their carelessness and stupidity. While its true that some do have egos, but so does someone in every profession, granted some more than others..

---Just entertaining myself while I wait on drawing a blood sample @ 4:44...

Why are you drawing blood? Is this some pharm school requirement that I don't know about?

---I am just entertaining myself while I am locked in my room with nothing but a computer and my PCAT kaplan book....I hate studying...can't wait till this exam is over so I can go shopping. 🙂

 

[SHC1984]

Well i am a USPS carrier. I think it is boring but everyonce in a while it feels good to not stimulate your mind that much.😀

Does a USPS carrier really make 60K a year? I heard a truck driver can make 100K a year....not bad at all.🙂

 

[UNMorBUST]

Well i have beena carrier for 3 years now. I dont make sixty grand but im getting there (im still just a substitute carrier). The carriers who have been doing for 10+ are making about 60k a year. I really want to know how much the old farts who have been doing it for more than thirty years make. Anyways like i mentioned earlier do what you want to do. Otherwise you will regret it down the line.