Pharmacy Job Competition for Pharmacist Willing to go Rural

[mercerpharmacist]

Hello All,

So we all know that becoming the old classic and romanticized Pharmacist that works at the chain, makes a 100K+ salary, works the 9-5, is respected by his patients and managers, etc., is not really a possibility for a new-grad in a big city that is desirable to live in. The job market is in a low right now, and that is beyond doubt.

Personally, the idea of myself becoming a Pharmacist, is that I always wanted to be the store pharmacist with the white coat and living and working in a nice community with great patients. I currently live in a big city, but I know that as a Pharmacist, working here in a respectable chain may not be the easiest thing. Thus, as I think more, I am wondering about the prospects in rural areas.

I am seeing some places that seem to be actively hiring on job search website, in rural areas in places like Wyoming. With the assumption that I'm willing to move to one of these areas, is the job market just as competitive, and is the way pharmacists are treated much better? Is a glimpse of "classical" pharmacy available in these areas where there really isn't much saturation?

Any input would be appreciated.

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[Calid90]

Hello!

I live in Maine, which is pretty much as rural as you can get. I am still in the process of applying to Pharmacy schools, but what I do know is that in my small town community, the old school Pharmacist image you have in your head seems to still be possible. Plus, the pay here is 3rd highest in the country. I know a Pharmacist with 5 years experience making $140K a year and average price for housing near me is $120k for a nice 3 bedroom. I live in Hallowell, a small city right outside of Augusta, the state capital. It's central to everything (1 hour to the coast, 1 hour to Portland, the biggest city in Maine). There are always job listings on Indeed and whatnot. From what I understand, if you're a Pharmacist in Maine, you have a very well paying job. Period. There are not unemployed Pharmacists here. Or at least, I haven't heard of one.

However, if you're more a big city type of person, prepare to have your whole world rocked. I moved to Maine 6 years ago from Michigan, and it was a tough transition. I am from Detroit and I did undergrad work at the Univ. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Maine was a big culture shock (majority of people are white). Luckily, it's fairly liberal in my community. No one cares if you're gay here. But, there's not a whole lot to do if you aren't an outdoorsy person. But if you like hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, hunting, etc., Maine is the place for you.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!
-Cali

 

[MountainPharmD]

Hello All,

So we all know that becoming the old classic and romanticized Pharmacist that works at the chain, makes a 100K+ salary, works the 9-5, is respected by his patients and managers, etc., is not really a possibility for a new-grad in a big city that is desirable to live in. The job market is in a low right now, and that is beyond doubt.

Personally, the idea of myself becoming a Pharmacist, is that I always wanted to be the store pharmacist with the white coat and living and working in a nice community with great patients. I currently live in a big city, but I know that as a Pharmacist, working here in a respectable chain may not be the easiest thing. Thus, as I think more, I am wondering about the prospects in rural areas.

I am seeing some places that seem to be actively hiring on job search website, in rural areas in places like Wyoming. With the assumption that I'm willing to move to one of these areas, is the job market just as competitive, and is the way pharmacists are treated much better? Is a glimpse of "classical" pharmacy available in these areas where there really isn't much saturation?

Any input would be appreciated.

I have a solution if you want to practice "classical" pharmacy and actually enjoy your job. How about going to a rural community and either opening an independent or find one for sale and buy it. Why move to a rural area and work for someone else?

 

[mercerpharmacist]

I have a solution if you want to practice "classical" pharmacy and actually enjoy your job. How about going to a rural community and either opening an independent or find one for sale and buy it. Why move to a rural area and work for someone else?

Wow! I never really thought about that. I really like that idea. Thanks for the input! I'd definitely consider this in the future if I end up going down this path.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Hello!

I live in Maine, which is pretty much as rural as you can get. I am still in the process of applying to Pharmacy schools, but what I do know is that in my small town community, the old school Pharmacist image you have in your head seems to still be possible. Plus, the pay here is 3rd highest in the country. I know a Pharmacist with 5 years experience making $140K a year and average price for housing near me is $120k for a nice 3 bedroom. I live in Hallowell, a small city right outside of Augusta, the state capital. It's central to everything (1 hour to the coast, 1 hour to Portland, the biggest city in Maine). There are always job listings on Indeed and whatnot. From what I understand, if you're a Pharmacist in Maine, you have a very well paying job. Period. There are not unemployed Pharmacists here. Or at least, I haven't heard of one.

However, if you're more a big city type of person, prepare to have your whole world rocked. I moved to Maine 6 years ago from Michigan, and it was a tough transition. I am from Detroit and I did undergrad work at the Univ. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Maine was a big culture shock (majority of people are white). Luckily, it's fairly liberal in my community. No one cares if you're gay here. But, there's not a whole lot to do if you aren't an outdoorsy person. But if you like hiking, camping, skiing, fishing, hunting, etc., Maine is the place for you.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!
-Cali

Thanks Cali! I really appreciate you sharing this information with me! Maine seems like an amazing place for me personally based on what you described (and my own personal knowledge about it). I'm not so much a big city person. I live in the suburbs, and I hate going to the main city just because there's too much going on. I think a nice rural place in Maine with a nice cost of living and a lot of fun outdoors stuff to do is a dream. I really appreciate you sharing this with me!

 

[Calid90]

Thanks Cali! I really appreciate you sharing this information with me! Maine seems like an amazing place for me personally based on what you described (and my own personal knowledge about it). I'm not so much a big city person. I live in the suburbs, and I hate going to the main city just because there's too much going on. I think a nice rural place in Maine with a nice cost of living and a lot of fun outdoors stuff to do is a dream. I really appreciate you sharing this with me!

No problem! Feel free to get in touch with me if you do wanna come explore the area. I would be happy to show you around so you could get a feel for what it is like from a local perspective.

 

[gwarm01]

Did you know just anyone can buy a white coat?

 

[mercerpharmacist]

No problem! Feel free to get in touch with me if you do wanna come explore the area. I would be happy to show you around so you could get a feel for what it is like from a local perspective.

Oh man! Thank you so much for the offer! I'll def. PM you if I get the opportunity to come up to the North! Best wishes to you as well!

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Did you know just anyone can buy a white coat?

Yah I know but if you know you worked for it and deserve it you feel better. Wearing the white coat, in my opinion, has both a physical as well as intrinsic and deep (for the lack of a better word), value to it.

If I just wear the white-coat without the PharmD or whatever it just doesn’t feel the same.

 

[stark3]

Eh white coats are overrated and dirty. Everyone in the hospital wears em. I think I've seen the cosmetic people wear em at CVS.

Let me wear scrubs to work and I'll be happy.

 

[mercerpharmacist]

Eh white coats are overrated and dirty. Everyone in the hospital wears em. I think I've seen the cosmetic people wear em at CVS.

Let me wear scrubs to work and I'll be happy.

Haha I like it.

 

[CMUchicka]

Haha I like it.

It's true. Almost all program in my school even masters have white coat ceremony. I used to think only med , dental and pharm school people had this ceremony but no. If everyone is going to wear white coat ,how you going to differentiate people. It's stupid!

 

[mercerpharmacist]

It's true. Almost all program in my school even masters have white coat ceremony. I used to think only med , dental and pharm school people had this ceremony but no. If everyone is going to wear white coat ,how you going to differentiate people. It's stupid!

Wow! Makes sense. Thanks for sharing.

 

[big-sur]

I've lived in big cities, but I was raised in and lived mostly in small, rural towns. Currently, I live in a mid-sized city in California for college but plan to move to a small town on the far northern coast of California, Oregon, or Washington once I'm ready to begin a new career. I've also thought about places like Wyoming. Small, rural towns are always going to have demand for highly educated professionals of all kinds, especially in medicine. My dream, if I decide to become a pharmacist, would be to open up a small, independent pharmacy in one of these close-knit communities. Many small towns suffer from the "pharmacy desert" phenomenon where they have to travel a long way to get to the nearest pharmacy and their towns are too small and remote for the large chains to feel it necessary to serve them. So as many jobs as you see available in places like Wyoming, there are actually way more than that in demand, but you'd have to build (or re-open becuase in many of these places, there was a pharmacy but the owner retired or died and it closed).

Go to the National Community Pharmacist's Association (NCPA) website, and under "About NCPA" click "Independent Pharmacy Today" and there are two videos about just the kind of pharmacists you're talking about-they're highly respected pillars of their communities.

 

[johnpharm01]

Job market is saturated, beyond competitive this includes rural independents. I live in a rural area, applied to an independent in a small town, owner was flooded with applications including applicants from hours away to relocate. Competition is from out of work and working that don't like their jobs. So one independent pharmacy may get 100 applicants for one position.

Independents can be much better to work in although each one is different. If you wanted to go this route I would find an area you would like to live in and move there. Apply for tech positions at the independent. If they like you after you finish school they may have a job for you. This is the best method.

 

[SoylentGreen]

I live in a district with a lot of rural, undesirable locations, in a place that is in many ways like Wyoming, and my dm says we are flooded with applications. People from out of state who are desperate for a job will probably not be preferred, because they will obviously try to transfer out at the first opportunity. There are a lot of grad interns from the region who would be preferred over some guy from Chicago or something like that.

As an exercise, go ahead and look at the job postings for the major chains for Wyoming, to get an idea of what the job market is like. I doubt that you will find more than a handful of positions. You would have to pass the MPJE for Wyoming to even be seriously considered for the position. Repeat for every state you are thinking of applying in.

My DM told me that there are not a lot of applications for manager positions in undesirable locations, so if you are willing to be the manager in a pharmacy in BFE that may still work. Not a lot of positions available, but as of now apparently people are not desperate enough to eat that s*** sandwich yet.

Why you would want to knowingly go to school for four years to get scraps like that, I can't imagine.

 

[Lnsean]

The whole moving to rural areas to find jobs is so 2010.

 

[JST416]

I graduated with a class of close to 100 students in a somewhat large city with two other pharmacy schools within an hour drive. I dont know of anyone that really had a problem finding a job. I work as a hospital pharmacist in the same city where I went to school. No one I know had to go live out in BFE unless they were from a small town and wanted to move home. Work as an intern and be dependable, its not that hard.

 

[Modest_anteater]

Eh white coats are overrated and dirty. Everyone in the hospital wears em. I think I've seen the cosmetic people wear em at CVS.

Let me wear scrubs to work and I'll be happy.

The only time I would actually like to wear my white coat is for

Spoiler

rolepay as a doctor with a woman in bed.