Pharmacists vs. Physician

[tllajd]

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

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[WatchingWaiting]

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

Medicine has greater prestige, greater pay, greater time committment, and considerably more stringent admissions standards than pharmacy. Pharmacy offers a more controlled lifestyle, less stress, and is easier to get into.

 

[tllajd]

Medicine has greater prestige, greater pay, greater time committment, and considerably more stringent admissions standards than pharmacy. Pharmacy offers a more controlled lifestyle, less stress, and is easier to get into.

I'm really not so sure that it is easier to get into Pharmacy school vs Medical school in my state. Last year the GPA for accepted phamacy students was 3.75 and for med school it was a 3.67. Also medical school has a 38% acceptance rate for residents and only 34% for pharmacy. I really don't think it is much easier.

 

[Graat]

Besides what has already been mentioned, pharmacy is awesome in the sense that you can quit at any point to do something else for a few months or a few decades and know that whenever you feel like it you can go back to it. I guess you can do that to some degree with some medical specialties, but with most you need to build up a patient base, your practice, etc. etc. which makes it virtually impossible to do that.

(I don't agree that its less stressful - lots of repitition and dealing with sick and grumpy people all day isn't less stressful than dealing with patients.)

 

[meister]

Well it's less stressful in the sense that there isn't that hanging "life or death" issue present at all times. But customers "treated" by a pharmacist are considerably less gracious than patients treated by a physician, generally speaking. I could go into considerable detail about the trials and tribulations of retail pharmacy, but I'll spare you all.

The plus side is that retail pharmacy is pretty easy and pays relatively well. There's also the plus that you have 4 years of schooling until you get your PharmD, but once you do you make $50/hour just like every other pharmacist.

If you don't want to go into retail then I'm not exactly sure what a PharmD does.

 

[derf]

I'm really not so sure that it is easier to get into Pharmacy school vs Medical school in my state. Last year the GPA for accepted phamacy students was 3.75 and for med school it was a 3.67. Also medical school has a 38% acceptance rate for residents and only 34% for pharmacy. I really don't think it is much easier.

yeah, but the applicant pool was a LOT less for pharmd applicants. for instance, UCSD had ~400 total apps for 50 spots, whereas their med school has ~5000 apps for ~100 spots. which process do you think is easier? 🙂

 

[tllajd]

yeah, but the applicant pool was a LOT less for pharmd applicants. for instance, UCSD had ~400 total apps for 50 spots, whereas their med school has ~5000 apps for ~100 spots. which process do you think is easier? 🙂

Let me rephrase that....

For MY state school the statistics are what I had said previously. It's a school in the midwest. I'm sure other places it probably is more difficult to get into med school than pharmacy.

 

[derf]

Let me rephrase that....

For MY state school the statistics are what I had said previously. It's a school in the midwest. I'm sure other places it probably is more difficult to get into med school than pharmacy.

got it! 😉

 

[45408]

Let me rephrase that....

For MY state school the statistics are what I had said previously. It's a school in the midwest. I'm sure other places it probably is more difficult to get into med school than pharmacy.

Almost all places are more difficult to get into med school than the pharm school, as a rule.

 

[coodoo]

Are pharmacists even doctors?

 

[DrMom]

Some are Pharm.D.s

 

[OSURxgirl]

According to PharmCAS data, only 30% of all applicants got a pharmacy acceptance this past year, while about 50% of all MD applicants got an acceptance.

While I know the MCAT is tougher than the PCAT, the average GPA of the accepted Pharm student is only slightly lower than that of the accepted med student. Letters of rec, personal statements, interviews, and ECs play an important role in PharmD admissions just as they do MD admissions.

Also, PharmD pre-reqs are essentially the same as MD pre-reqs. I sat through the same gen chem, bio, organic, physics and calculus classes that all the pre-meds did.

 

[musiq]

Are pharmacists even doctors?

Yes, they are doctors. They have to go to school just as long as any other doctor. That is the the same with Ph.D's.

 

[Sage880]

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

You can make a TONNE of money in pharm and you can start when you're like 23. A friend is going to be done before her 24th birthday.

I have 2 family friends who are both pharmacists and they both own a pharmacy now. They basically just have techs do all the work and they work like 15 hours a week. They're loaded too. Might not make as much as some docs but you'd be up there. Plus you have a much easier life.

Still, if I wanted to get rich I'd go to school to be a dentist.

Why don't you do whatever you're most interested in? From what I've seen, pharm is really a business/law degree. You're running a business and trying really hard not to kill anyone/get arrested. All my pharm friends know a really scary amount about small business and law. If you're into that kind of thing, you'll love it. If you really like medicine, then MD or DO is the way to go!

 

[skhichi]

I would say that pharmacists definitely occupy the last rung when it comes to medical professionals. Don't try to tell me that its that hard to get into pharm school. I know people that I wouldn't trust to drive me home get into pharmacy school easily (even "good" pharm schools). I mean honestly I've seen some of that PCAT stuff and when compared to passages from the MCAT or even sections of the DAT or OAT it's really simple stuff. I'm sure that working out of a neighborhood CVS or Walgreens may seen like a prestigious occupation for many but not for me. Also, I don't buy the stress of being a pharmacist. How can anyone compare dealing with real patients to dealing with customers just like in any service occupation. If you want to fill bottles for the rest of your life and believe that you are doing something good for society than go ahead, but if you're looking to become a real professional then become a doctor.

 

[skhichi]

oh by the way...Doctors are doctors. Pharmacists are NOT doctors

 

[zzz]

I'm a second year medical student and I am disturbed that there are stuck-up future doctors like you out there. I personally see every health care workers to be equal. NOBODY is at the bottom of the rung. With that kind of attitude, I wonder how you will treat your nurses when you are on your rotations. Guess what, they won't take your crap and will give you a hard time and could make that month miserable for you.

Don't go saying that pharmacists have it easy dealing with customers. I've worked part-time as a customer service rep and let me tell you, customers can be very difficult. Don't go assuming something is easy when you know NOTHING about it.

And for your information, there are more things that pharmacists do then "fill bottles". And you know what? Pharmacists ARE doctors. Pharm D, duh! If you are gonna say something, at least know what you are talking about. Talk about being an arrogant pre-med. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=1820457#
Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)

I would say that pharmacists definitely occupy the last rung when it comes to medical professionals. Don't try to tell me that its that hard to get into pharm school. I know people that I wouldn't trust to drive me home get into pharmacy school easily (even "good" pharm schools). I mean honestly I've seen some of that PCAT stuff and when compared to passages from the MCAT or even sections of the DAT or OAT it's really simple stuff. I'm sure that working out of a neighborhood CVS or Walgreens may seen like a prestigious occupation for many but not for me. Also, I don't buy the stress of being a pharmacist. How can anyone compare dealing with real patients to dealing with customers just like in any service occupation. If you want to fill bottles for the rest of your life and believe that you are doing something good for society than go ahead, but if you're looking to become a real professional then become a doctor.

🙄

 

[zzz]

If you want patient interaction, I suggest you go to medical school.

Salary wise, pharmacists make around $96,000 these days and that's the starting pay. Family practice physicians make around $110,000 I, think. So unless you are going to specialize you won't make that much money. I'm personally going into FP because I'm not in it for the money, but love interacting with patients and helping people.

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

 

[AsianDoc816]

If you want patient interaction, I suggest you go to medical school.

Salary wise, pharmacists make around $96,000 these days and that's the starting pay. Family practice physicians make around $110,000 I, think. So unless you are going to specialize you won't make that much money. I'm personally going into FP because I'm not in it for the money, but love interacting with patients and helping people.

I can offer a valid example of pharmacy vs. medicine as my father is an ER physician and my mother is a pharmacist. Both are currently working full time; my mom earns about 90K a year while my dad earns about 7 times that much. However, ER is a very tough lifestyle, and my dad, while he loves his occupation, can definitely attest to that. He used to work nights and sleep during the day when I was growing up....talk about no social life and no friends besides your co-workers. Though the income is definitely a plus, you gotta love what you're doing to be an ER physician...it's about 60 hours a week and it's extremely stressful. My mom, on the other hand, works about 40 hours a week, but is generally not as respected by the general public/patient population as my father. Both of my parents have to deal with difficult patients on a regular basis, but as far as *prestige* goes, I think physicians earn more, hands down.

Gaining acceptance to pharmacy school has definitely become more difficult in the last few years. However, I'd still say that the average GPA for acceptance into pharmacy school is still lower than that for medical school. The PCAT is DEFINITELY easier; however, it only takes 4 years after undergrad to begin working as a pharmacist (as compared to 8-12 to begin working as a physician).

Overall, there are pros and cons to both professions. I can't really say which is better. I have personally have chosen medicine for the patient interaction and intellectual challenge/continual learning experience. However, I don't think that you could go wrong with either one....

 

[derf]

thanks for the insight AsianDoc816

 

[dmoney41]

my mom earns about 90K a year while my dad earns about 7 times that much.

Your dad earns over 600k as an ED doc? 😕

I think 600k / 3 or / 2 might be more realistic.

 

[dutchmaster]

This poster is full of crap. If you want to be a true health care professional and a good physician, you are going to need to learn how to work with all the allied health care PROFESSIONALS...Pharmacists, nurses, EMTs, CRNAs, NPs, PTs and PAs alike. Quality health care involves teamwork coordinated to best help the paitent. It has no room for egos and consideration of who is the real professional.

Pharmacists always are available to help the physician with prescribing the best course of medication for a specific disease/illness. Furthermore, the pharmacist is always doublechecking the physician to be sure that there isn't a fatal error in the prescription that could kill the patients. When you think about it, the Pharmacists are the real experts in drug therapy (4 years of pharmacology) compared to the 1 year of medical school pharmacology. The training is different in both cases, both have specific expertise and need to work together as a team.

I hope you grow to realize this and use your medical training to serve the patient and not try to fufill an institution. As a future physician i look foward to working with all healthcare professionals to take care of and nuture my patients and help them live longer, healthier lives.

I would say that pharmacists definitely occupy the last rung when it comes to medical professionals. Don't try to tell me that its that hard to get into pharm school. I know people that I wouldn't trust to drive me home get into pharmacy school easily (even "good" pharm schools). I mean honestly I've seen some of that PCAT stuff and when compared to passages from the MCAT or even sections of the DAT or OAT it's really simple stuff. I'm sure that working out of a neighborhood CVS or Walgreens may seen like a prestigious occupation for many but not for me. Also, I don't buy the stress of being a pharmacist. How can anyone compare dealing with real patients to dealing with customers just like in any service occupation. If you want to fill bottles for the rest of your life and believe that you are doing something good for society than go ahead, but if you're looking to become a real professional then become a doctor.

 

[DrMom]

You guys are welcome to discuss the pros and cons of different professions, but you may not bash other professions.

 

[lattimer13]

Both are currently working full time; my mom earns about 90K a year while my dad earns about 7 times that much.

i'd like to see a copy of that tax return.

to the donkey that said pharmacists are not doctors...tell that to my girlfriend and her 74 classmates working towards their Pharm.D....doctor of pharmacy. she'll probably be supporting me during residency.
😀

 

[45408]

According to PharmCAS data, only 30% of all applicants got a pharmacy acceptance this past year, while about 50% of all MD applicants got an acceptance.

While I know the MCAT is tougher than the PCAT, the average GPA of the accepted Pharm student is only slightly lower than that of the accepted med student. Letters of rec, personal statements, interviews, and ECs play an important role in PharmD admissions just as they do MD admissions.

Also, PharmD pre-reqs are essentially the same as MD pre-reqs. I sat through the same gen chem, bio, organic, physics and calculus classes that all the pre-meds did.

The matriculation rate doesn't really help - if 60% of all applicants are idiots, then only 10% got truly rejected. 😉 As for the prereq's, yes, they are the same, but a friend of mine scored much lower than I did in a number of those classes and got in at Midwestern. I'm sure she'll be capable, but she wouldn't have gotten into med school.

 

[krelian]

Just to reiterate what some other people have noted, don't kid yourself into believing that getting into pharmacy school is easier than medical school. It may depend on the area, but coming from a big city with many pharmacy & med schools, i can tell you that it's a helluva different in terms of difficulty. The application pool is also different, so percentages mean nothing. If you're going to compare, you have to take the med school applicant population and have them apply to pharmacy school, or vice versa.

That said, pharmacists still deserve respect. Also, if you're looking for quick bank, pharmacy is probably the better choice. What people need to know is that you won't make millions doing only pharmacy work; you become a pharmacist to build the capital, and then use that to go into business. Pharmacists with drive and business savvy can definitely make more bling bling than comparable doctors.

 

[WhoooaaaBUNDY]

A little off topic, but ...

I had always considered pharmacy, until an optometrist told me that I had a red/green color deficiency. He chuckled as he told me it would have little to no effect on my life unless I intended to become a pharmacist. Any truth to the fact that I would somehow be screened out of pharm school, or be less effective on the job?

 

[meister]

Maybe because you couldn't differentiate between certain tablets of similar shape but different color? I can't really imagine it being that big of a deal...

 

[jetskigirl]

This thread amazes me for so many reasons. First, I am so many people are standing up for pharmacists, because I too believe they deserve a lot of respect. I am appalled that anyone would say something like skhichi, yet I know that many people share these arrogant opinions. Not one of us is any better than the others, no matter what your MCAT, GPA, etc. are.

Is pharm school easier to get into than med school? Possibly. They are getting harder to get into, though. A few years ago, most of the applicants were from junior colleges. Now, it is very hard to get in without a Bachelors. The pre-reqs also differ, requiring anatomy, com or public speaking, and econ to a lot of schools. As for what Prowler said, Midwestern doesn't consider grades all that highly. I had a friend who graduated summa cum laude, 99th percentile on the chemistry portion of the MCAT who didn't get in there, and another who graduated cum laude, not nearly as good on the MCAT, but got in. Moral of the story, like med school, pharmacy schools want well-rounded people and each put emphasis on different things.

Finally, like physicians, pharmacists can specialize. That's right, not all pharmacist work at Walgreens. When I was considering pharmacy or medicine, I was looking into nuclear pharmacy. My pharmacist had a friend who studies pharmakinetics and makes $300K a year. And most people will probably agree that the field of pharmacy is going to change as more states allow pharmacists to prescribe medicine.

 

[meister]

Which states are allowing pharmacists to prescribe medicine? Besides Plan B.

 

[MadameLULU]

I can offer a valid example of pharmacy vs. medicine as my father is an ER physician and my mother is a pharmacist. Both are currently working full time; my mom earns about 90K a year while my dad earns about 7 times that much. However, ER is a very tough lifestyle, and my dad, while he loves his occupation, can definitely attest to that. He used to work nights and sleep during the day when I was growing up....talk about no social life and no friends besides your co-workers. Though the income is definitely a plus, you gotta love what you're doing to be an ER physician...it's about 60 hours a week and it's extremely stressful. My mom, on the other hand, works about 40 hours a week, but is generally not as respected by the general public/patient population as my father. Both of my parents have to deal with difficult patients on a regular basis, but as far as *prestige* goes, I think physicians earn more, hands down.

Gaining acceptance to pharmacy school has definitely become more difficult in the last few years. However, I'd still say that the average GPA for acceptance into pharmacy school is still lower than that for medical school. The PCAT is DEFINITELY easier; however, it only takes 4 years after undergrad to begin working as a pharmacist (as compared to 8-12 to begin working as a physician).

Overall, there are pros and cons to both professions. I can't really say which is better. I have personally have chosen medicine for the patient interaction and intellectual challenge/continual learning experience. However, I don't think that you could go wrong with either one....

600K as an ER physician in TEXAS???? That's a little high. I know ER physicians in the HOUSTON med center that don't even make that much. e

 

[AsianDoc816]

600K as an ER physician in TEXAS???? That's a little high. I know ER physicians in the HOUSTON med center that don't even make that much. e

I forgot to mention that my dad works twice as much (more days a week, shifts are longer) as most ER physicians (most only work about 3-4 days a week) and that he's also involved in admisinistrative work as well (Chief Financial Advisor for his ER group). I guess that's a *minor* detail I left out. Most ERs do make about 200-300K a year, but keep in mind that these statistics are only AVERAGES, and that there are docs that make much less and much more than these figures. The point is not how much he makes specifically, but that he makes more than a pharmacist....which doesn't make the profession better by any means....it's just a statistic.

 

[45408]

I forgot to mention that my dad works twice as much (more days a week, shifts are longer) as most ER physicians (most only work about 3-4 days a week) and that he's also involved in admisinistrative work as well (Chief Financial Advisor for his ER group). I guess that's a *minor* detail I left out. Most ERs do make about 200-300K a year, but keep in mind that these statistics are only AVERAGES, and that there are docs that make much less and much more than these figures. The point is not how much he makes specifically, but that he makes more than a pharmacist....which doesn't make the profession better by any means....it's just a statistic.

Yeah, a lot of ER docs I've known don't work that many clinical hours (less than 40). Some of them have a lot of other things to do though (like teach and/or do research).

 

[IndyZX]

i'd like to see a copy of that tax return.

sheesh.

 

[sassafras75]

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

Just a comment....I am a pharmacist (graduated BS in 1998 and PharmD in 2003). I've worked as a retail pharmacist, consultant pharmacist answering drug info questions, and as a clinical pharmacist for a non-profit company to conduct med reviews in the elderly. I am currently applying to medical school not because I hate pharmacy, but because the patient interaction and focus in medicine is much more interesting. I guess I just don't appreciate all the minutiae regarding drug therapy. Just FYI, many clinical pharmacists are specializing in therapeutic areas just like physicians (ID, cardiovascular, critical care, etc) after several years of residency and fellowship. I considered this route myself. Additionally, I know of several ambulatory care clinics affiliated with large teaching hospitals who have clinical pharmacy practitioners on staff meeting with patients to conduct diabetes education, make drug interventions, etc. Also, many pharmacists who work in Coumadin clinics are able to assess appropriate labs and make therapy changes.

Hope this is a little helpful.

Good luck!

 

[cbc]

I find it funny that ppl with low experience in the medical profession make these comments.

Pharmacists don't sit in a classroom all 4 yrs and just learn pharm. Medical students do not learn drugs for one course and that's done deal. A medical student or resident is constantly learning drug, drug-drug interactions, drug dosage, contraindications, route of administration, etc etc etc on a daily basis throughout 3rd, 4th yr, and residency. There is no span of more than every 20 min that a med student don't see or have to look up the use of a medication.

Pharmacist generally do not give recommendations to physicians regarding drug use, because most patients have multiple problems and many drugs can treat a single problem, with various drug-drug and disease-disease interactions. In internal medicine, patients have 5-6 chronic diseases, allergies, specific family history, specific social history, etc etc. Pharmacist generally do not have the entire case history, and does not know the severity of the various illnesses (which also determines treatment choice) and social aspect of the case. Unless drug-drug interactions are fatal (most physicians will absolutely know this anyway), a Savon pharmacist will not attempt to contact the physician to change prescription. Whereas you rarely see a physician call a pharmacist for recommendations (it's not the job of a pharmacist to answer questions by doctors all day), if a pharmacist is ever confused about the use of a certain medication, he/she can call the physician office (it is the physician's job to clarify the use of a medication if needed). This occurs frequently, and thus the stress is generally on the physician rather than the pharmacist.

I agree, prestige should not matter, and I respect pharmacist and physicians alike. They both work to improve the health of all people. I also agree one should choose a profession based on personal interest, not on prestige or what others might think.

In response to whether a pharmacist is a doctor. This is like asking whether a lawyer is a doctor. A pharmacist has a doctorate, and should be called Dr. Smith in the academic setting. However, to avoid confusion, pharmacists, PhDs, lawyers are generally not called doctor in the health-care setting. For example, when pharmaceutical commercial state, "Ask your doctor about Zyrtec..." they do not mean to ask your pharmacist/lawyer/PhD, but your physician. All have doctorates and deserve the title Dr. Smith, but a pharmacist at Savon or a lawyer at the firm will not be referred to as a doctor. By tradition of public knowledge, a doctor is a physician.

This poster is full of crap. If you want to be a true health care professional and a good physician, you are going to need to learn how to work with all the allied health care PROFESSIONALS...Pharmacists, nurses, EMTs, CRNAs, NPs, PTs and PAs alike. Quality health care involves teamwork coordinated to best help the paitent. It has no room for egos and consideration of who is the real professional.

Pharmacists always are available to help the physician with prescribing the best course of medication for a specific disease/illness. Furthermore, the pharmacist is always doublechecking the physician to be sure that there isn't a fatal error in the prescription that could kill the patients. When you think about it, the Pharmacists are the real experts in drug therapy (4 years of pharmacology) compared to the 1 year of medical school pharmacology. The training is different in both cases, both have specific expertise and need to work together as a team.

I hope you grow to realize this and use your medical training to serve the patient and not try to fufill an institution. As a future physician i look foward to working with all healthcare professionals to take care of and nuture my patients and help them live longer, healthier lives.

 

[cbc]

Keep in mind, though, gpa alone does not provide the entire picture of an applicant. A 25 yr old student with 3.5 undergrad gpa but 4.0 masters/PhD with 39 MCAT on the third try, 15 publications, letters of recommendation from famous people, and outstanding life experiences/accomplishments will be a better candidate than a 21 yr old 3.75 applicant, 32 MCAT, no research experience, weak letters, and unsubstantial experiences.

I agree. In my state, the GPA for accepted med students was a 3.56 and the GPA for accepted pharmd students was a 3.85.

Also, for the local pharmd program you must take calculus and the required physics courses for pre-pharm are calculus based. For our med school, you don't need calculus and you do not need to take cal based physics.

 

[derf]

I agree. In my state, the GPA for accepted med students was a 3.56 and the GPA for accepted pharmd students was a 3.85.

Also, for the local pharmd program you must take calculus and the required physics courses for pre-pharm are calculus based. For our med school, you don't need calculus and you do not need to take cal based physics.

can you please tell me which state/pharm school this is? 😕

 

[TexPre-Med]

This thread seriously amazes me! There are too many differences between the two professions to compare. They have one thing in common --healthcare. The M.D./D.O. question is understandable and yes probably M.D./dentist. All have patient care, similar prestige, and similar financial stability. Pharmacists are in a WHOLE different league! I'm not saying one is better than the other, but they are just SO different. We might as well sit and decide between becoming an engineer and an attorney. You just know that one is right for you.

 

[tupac_don]

If you want patient interaction, I suggest you go to medical school.

Salary wise, pharmacists make around $96,000 these days and that's the starting pay. Family practice physicians make around $110,000 I, think. So unless you are going to specialize you won't make that much money. I'm personally going into FP because I'm not in it for the money, but love interacting with patients and helping people.

No they don't, obviously you are not a pharmacist. It really depends on the setting and on your expertise. Yea in the ghetto, in retail, working 7 on 7 off, you are making $100,000. But you are not making 90+ in a hospital, or in a safe neighbourhood, where you have a nine to five. Now before you blast me I am a pharmacist, and If you know of a place where they just give 96 thousand, for a nice 9-5 job, in a good neighbourhood, and not retail, please, please contact me. Yea pharmacy pays well no doubt, and you can find jobs that pay what you are talking about, but that's an urban legend. There is a reason they are giving you that much cash. There is some trick to it. Typical pharmacist salary is 70 low end to 80-85 high end. Although working 7 on 7 off, you can make ~150, but remember you are working 80 hours a week, in the ghetto.

 

[tupac_don]

I am really in a tough decision as to go the Pharmacy school route or the medical school route. I see the thread about dentists vs. physician but what about pharmacist vs physician? Can anyone give me some pros and cons about either besides the obvious medical school takes longer but pays more.

Honestly, it really depends on your personality. That is the best way to gauge which profession you will like better.

If you:

-like time off
-want to be involved in health care, but don't want it to be all consuming, how do you say it, yea you want a life
-you don't care being in charge, you are happy as support staff
-you are ok that you will never be a true expert in your field
-like to be financially secure
-don't like to be in charge
-like administrative duties

Then you will probably be a successful pharmacist.

Main thing is, your personality. What I notice is that pharmacist are knowledgable no doubt, but the physician is always the top dog and in charge. If you don't mind that, you will be an excellent pharmacist. If you do mind that, and don't like always being #2, you will hate it as a pharmacist. On the other hand, if you love your time off, you wanna do a good job, but you want time for your family, you are suited for the pharmacy profession. If on the other hand, you want to be a true expert. You want to be in charge of the situation. You want to be the main go-to guy. You have a thirst for knowledge, that is all consuming. You prefer interesting cases and perfecting your skills, over spending time with your family. You will be an excellent doctor.

Main thing, you gotta know what you can live with and how you think. Because remeber, making all that cash at 23 or 24 will be very nice, but you don't move up, you peaked. Plus ask yourself, do I want to do this job for 30-40 years.

In the end, it is you who lives with the decision, and nobody else. So know what feels right and go for it. Also know that med school is more demanding than pharmacy school in many respects, like physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

[tupac_don]

I can offer a valid example of pharmacy vs. medicine as my father is an ER physician and my mother is a pharmacist. Both are currently working full time; my mom earns about 90K a year while my dad earns about 7 times that much. However, ER is a very tough lifestyle, and my dad, while he loves his occupation, can definitely attest to that. He used to work nights and sleep during the day when I was growing up....talk about no social life and no friends besides your co-workers. Though the income is definitely a plus, you gotta love what you're doing to be an ER physician...it's about 60 hours a week and it's extremely stressful. My mom, on the other hand, works about 40 hours a week, but is generally not as respected by the general public/patient population as my father. Both of my parents have to deal with difficult patients on a regular basis, but as far as *prestige* goes, I think physicians earn more, hands down.

Gaining acceptance to pharmacy school has definitely become more difficult in the last few years. However, I'd still say that the average GPA for acceptance into pharmacy school is still lower than that for medical school. The PCAT is DEFINITELY easier; however, it only takes 4 years after undergrad to begin working as a pharmacist (as compared to 8-12 to begin working as a physician).

Overall, there are pros and cons to both professions. I can't really say which is better. I have personally have chosen medicine for the patient interaction and intellectual challenge/continual learning experience. However, I don't think that you could go wrong with either one....

Well worded and very true. You really can't go wrong with either profession, its really a personal preference.

 

[J Lucas]

Pharmacist are the DRUG experts and Physicians are the experts at diagnosing. All those other assumptions are totally wrong. I think alot of you have not had recent experience with Clinical Pharmacist or even PharmD's and are basing all of your opinions on outdated evidence. I think calling a Pharmacist a Dr in a hospital setting wont be that confusing to Patients and if so how much of a problem would that create? If the patient coded would he/she go running out the room and grab that guy the nurse called Dr?NO.
The nurse or unit clerk knows who is who and thats all that matters.

Pharmcist no longer have the option of going to school for only 4 years as some of the previous posters alluded to. The only option left for future Pharmacist are PharmD(Doctorate of Pharmacy) programs which is the MINIMUM standard of 6 years. 4 years professional with at least 2 years of pre-requisite requirements... If you want to specialize in a hospital setting then you MUST complete a residency which is an additional 1-2 years depending on the specialty. SO that brings the total schooling for all Pharamcist to 6-9 years which they spend a Majority of the time learning about Drugs and Drug interactions. The PharmD degreefor a retail job is overkill. Its way too much knowledge for what your doing but at least your equipped with a solid knowledge base that you could move on to other things if you wanted.


Physicians get a little up tight when they think someone is moving in on their territory so if you say a Pharmacist knows more about drugs than a Physician they start to go crazy but its true. One of the major responsibilities of a Pharmacist is to CHECK the Physician's work and make sure there are no errors that the Physician could have made. How could you have a Pharmacist who is supposed to check a Physicians work but doesnt know as much as the Physicians regarding drugs?Physicians do make mistakes you know... The other argument people say is that a cardioligist will know more about heart drugs than a Pharmacist, thats true if we are talking about a regular staff or retail Pharmacist but if we are talking about a Clinical Pharmacist Specializing in Cardiology..there is no way a Cardiologist knows more. The Pharmacist only needs to worry about the DRUGS, they are the DRUG MASTERS, it is their main priority. Physicians have to know alot about everything, Pharmacist have to know alot about Drugs and thats it.

In closing, there are some bad Pharmacist but im sure there are just as much if not more bad Physicians so there is no need to generalize statements about an entire profession. Just work together as a team to provide the best patient care.

 

[cbc]

I can't agree with this "top dog" argument either. Many doctors follow directions from other health-professionals. For diabetes mell 1, a pediatrician will always follow the recommnedations placed by nutritionists and endocrinologists. A cardiologist will follow the orders of a cardiothoracic surgeon, physical therapist, and vice versa. No one is ever in full charge of a patient..almost ever. In the cases where a simple case is in full charge by a doc, the patient can probably also be in full charge by a nurse practitioner or another "top dog" health professional.

Honestly, it really depends on your personality. That is the best way to gauge which profession you will like better.

If you:

-like time off
-want to be involved in health care, but don't want it to be all consuming, how do you say it, yea you want a life
-you don't care being in charge, you are happy as support staff
-you are ok that you will never be a true expert in your field
-like to be financially secure
-don't like to be in charge
-like administrative duties

Then you will probably be a successful pharmacist.

Main thing is, your personality. What I notice is that pharmacist are knowledgable no doubt, but the physician is always the top dog and in charge. If you don't mind that, you will be an excellent pharmacist. If you do mind that, and don't like always being #2, you will hate it as a pharmacist. On the other hand, if you love your time off, you wanna do a good job, but you want time for your family, you are suited for the pharmacy profession. If on the other hand, you want to be a true expert. You want to be in charge of the situation. You want to be the main go-to guy. You have a thirst for knowledge, that is all consuming. You prefer interesting cases and perfecting your skills, over spending time with your family. You will be an excellent doctor.

Main thing, you gotta know what you can live with and how you think. Because remeber, making all that cash at 23 or 24 will be very nice, but you don't move up, you peaked. Plus ask yourself, do I want to do this job for 30-40 years.

In the end, it is you who lives with the decision, and nobody else. So know what feels right and go for it. Also know that med school is more demanding than pharmacy school in many respects, like physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

[J Lucas]

I can't agree with this "top dog" argument either. Many doctors follow directions from other health-professionals. For diabetes mell 1, a pediatrician will always follow the recommnedations placed by nutritionists and endocrinologists. A cardiologist will follow the orders of a cardiothoracic surgeon, physical therapist, and vice versa. No one is ever in full charge of a patient..almost ever. In the cases where a simple case is in full charge by a doc, the patient can probably also be in full charge by a nurse practitioner or another "top dog" health professional.

In a hospital, Physicians have not been in charge for quite some time. Nurses and their support staff have their own heirarchy. Physicians do not do the hiring and they do not do the firing. Physicans have control when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients and thats pretty much it but you guys pay for it in your premiums so its still not that big of a deal...

 

[cbc]

You are delusional and confused. Please read my previous posts.

We were all talking about pharmacy school being 4 yrs AFTER undergraduate. Are you on the same page as everyone else?

A cardiology residency in pharmacy, like you said, is 1-2 yrs after 4 yrs of pharmacy school. A cardiology in medicine, however, requires 3 years of internal med residency after 4 yrs of medical school, followed by 3-4 yrs of cardiology fellowship. There is more time in training required in medicine than pharmacy on average. I do not know how much a cardiology pharmacist knows more than a cardiologist, but given the longer time in training for the cardiologist, it can't be as much as what you emphasized.

Language is defined by the community as a whole, not just by me, or you. Next time you get sued or arrested, you go ahead and say you want to see your doctor (attorney with JD). Let's see if everyone around you will be confused or not.

Pharmacist are the DRUG experts and Physicians are the experts at diagnosing. All those other assumptions are totally wrong. I think alot of you have not had recent experience with Clinical Pharmacist or even PharmD's and are basing all of your opinions on outdated evidence. I think calling a Pharmacist a Dr in a hospital setting wont be that confusing to Patients and if so how much of a problem would that create? If the patient coded would he/she go running out the room and grab that guy the nurse called Dr?NO.
The nurse or unit clerk knows who is who and thats all that matters.

Pharmcist no longer have the option of going to school for only 4 years as some of the previous posters alluded to. The only option left for future Pharmacist are PharmD(Doctorate of Pharmacy) programs which is the MINIMUM standard of 6 years. 4 years professional with at least 2 years of pre-requisite requirements... If you want to specialize in a hospital setting then you MUST complete a residency which is an additional 1-2 years depending on the specialty. SO that brings the total schooling for all Pharamcist to 6-9 years which they spend a Majority of the time learning about Drugs and Drug interactions. The PharmD degreefor a retail job is overkill. Its way too much knowledge for what your doing but at least your equipped with a solid knowledge base that you could move on to other things if you wanted.


Physicians get a little up tight when they think someone is moving in on their territory so if you say a Pharmacist knows more about drugs than a Physician they start to go crazy but its true. One of the major responsibilities of a Pharmacist is to CHECK the Physician's work and make sure there are no errors that the Physician could have made. How could you have a Pharmacist who is supposed to check a Physicians work but doesnt know as much as the Physicians regarding drugs?Physicians do make mistakes you know... The other argument people say is that a cardioligist will know more about heart drugs than a Pharmacist, thats true if we are talking about a regular staff or retail Pharmacist but if we are talking about a Clinical Pharmacist Specializing in Cardiology..there is no way a Cardiologist knows more. The Pharmacist only needs to worry about the DRUGS, they are the DRUG MASTERS, it is their main priority. Physicians have to know alot about everything, Pharmacist have to know alot about Drugs and thats it.

In closing, there are some bad Pharmacist but im sure there are just as much if not more bad Physicians so there is no need to generalize statements about an entire profession. Just work together as a team to provide the best patient care.

 

[J Lucas]

I was not referring to undegrad because there is no degree requirement to apply to Pharmacy school only pre-reqs...You can apply straight out of H.S. to a 6 year program...

I make a huge effort to call Medical Doctors, Physicians. If everyone did the same there wouldnt be any confusion at all. As far as everything else YOU are talking about, How much of that time does a cardiologist spend staying current on every heart drug that comes out? Or is more of that time spent learning procedures and diagnostic abilities? Let me page my father and ask him how much time he spent... 🙄

You are delusional and confused. Please read my previous posts.

We were all talking about pharmacy school being 4 yrs AFTER undergraduate. Are you on the same page as everyone else?

A cardiology residency in pharmacy, like you said, is 1-2 yrs after 4 yrs of pharmacy school. A cardiology in medicine, however, requires 3 years of internal med residency after 4 yrs of medical school, followed by 3-4 yrs of cardiology fellowship. There is more time in training required in medicine than pharmacy on average. I do not know how much a cardiology pharmacist knows more than a cardiologist, but given the longer time in training for the cardiologist, it can't be as much as what you emphasized.

Language is defined by the community as a whole, not just by me, or you. Next time you get sued or arrested, you go ahead and say you want to see your doctor (attorney with JD). Let's see if everyone around you will be confused or not.

 

[tupac_don]

[QUOTE=J



or retail Pharmacist but if we are talking about a Clinical Pharmacist Specializing in Cardiology..there is no way a Cardiologist knows more. The Pharmacist only needs to worry about the DRUGS, they are the DRUG MASTERS, it is their main priority. Physicians have to know alot about everything, Pharmacist have to know alot about Drugs and thats it.

True, what you said, but not completely. You have to understand in a specialized field, like cardiology, where there is only a handful of drugs doctors deal with, it's not that hard to become an expert. And that is the kicker. There is only so much a pharmacist can do, b/c the doctor, will learn all these drugs, main side effects and all that. Where a pharmacist does play a role is on the general floor, the medicine floor. You have residents who are wet behind the ears and don't know much about drugs, so pharmacists can really make a difference. But in specialized fields much less, b/c know that these doctors know as much about their 5-6 drugs that they deal on every day basis as does a pharmacist.

 

[EvoDevo]

Look. I think you guys are all missing the point. Pharmacists not only know the meds that a pt is taking for a specific complaint (i.e., cardio drugs) but they are also aware and manage (in well-run hospitals) the entire Rx status of that pt.

For example, Pt X has a spectrum of complaints: diabetes, CHF, and pneumonia and cardiomyopathy secondary to the the CHF. Likely as not, Pt X has an IM doc (for diabetes), a cardiologist (for CHF and the cardiomyopathy), and a Pulmonologist for the CHF and pneumonia. That is at a minimum three diff. physicians treating and prescribing for a single pt.

The PharmD's job is to make sure that the meds being prescribed don't have any inappropriate interactions, and also to educate them about which drugs may or may not be more efficacious based on the current literature. Believe me, folks, not every physician is always up on the latest findings...heck, it may have been published in an obscure journal. Just my experience.

Finally, if the hospital is being run by an HMO or other type group, there may be guidlines in place (set by PharmD's!)as to which meds may be prescribed for certain conditions. If a physician wants to prescribe something else, it's up to the PharmD and the physician to figure it out, and often the PharmD will make the argument to higher ups. Oh, and PharmD's also are the ones who produce those lovely Drug guides we all use.

Peace.

 

[tupac_don]

I can't agree with this "top dog" argument either. Many doctors follow directions from other health-professionals. For diabetes mell 1, a pediatrician will always follow the recommnedations placed by nutritionists and endocrinologists. A cardiologist will follow the orders of a cardiothoracic surgeon, physical therapist, and vice versa. No one is ever in full charge of a patient..almost ever. In the cases where a simple case is in full charge by a doc, the patient can probably also be in full charge by a nurse practitioner or another "top dog" health professional.

You missed my point. One they are not taking orders from these health-professionals. Actually these health professionals are making their life easier. You think a doctor wants to waste his time, doing nutrition consults, hell no. He wants to do more stuff he was trained for. When doctors take advice from nutritionists, pharmacists, PA's, NP's, it is not b/c they can't do that, it is because they make their job easier. What I meant by the "big dog", is that if it came down to who had the last word and who carried the ultimate responsibility, it is the doctor. Plus you are mixing things here, if a pediatrican follows the advice of an endocrinologist, he is following the advice of a doctor, not another (lower in the hospital hierarchy) health professional. Also not asking advice of another doctor, say pediatrician/endocrinologist example, would be professional suicide. Consults are very commonly done in a hospital. But you are still taking directions from a doctor. A doctor is still the top in the hospital hierarchy, if he takes directions from another doctor.

The key thing is that you have legal right for the final desicion, whereas other healthprofessionals don't. That is what I meant by being a "big dog".