Pharmacy Job Outlook in Illinois/Chicago Area

[LongStoryShort]

Hello all,

Curious if anyone knows what the job outlook is like in Illinois/Chicago area. How competitive is it to obtain residency or a retail position after graduation?

Also, is it more difficult to get a position if you are coming from out of state?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[zelman]

Hello all,

Curious if anyone knows what the job outlook is like in Illinois/Chicago area. How competitive is it to obtain residency or a retail position after graduation?

Also, is it more difficult to get a position if you are coming from out of state?

Bad.

Very.

Yes.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Chicago is completely saturated. Bear in mind, there are now SIX, yes SIX college of pharmacies in Chicago. There are no open pharmacist jobs in Chicago. And if there were any, they would be for very part-time or PRN work. (Nobody is going to risk hiring someone full-time, when they can hire the person part-time/PRN, and evaluate their work/working personality first.) (Edited to add....and at least 95% of the graduates of those SIX colleges of pharmacy intend to practice in Chicago.)

The further downstate you go, the better your job prospects. Unless you start getting close to the Kentucky border, competition will be more intense there (due to all the college of pharmacies in Kentucky), but nowhere near as bad as Chicago. There are pharmacist jobs in Illinois, just not in Chicago (or its suburbs.)

 

[Pharmacy Kid]

Holy crap, six? Some cities don't even that that many starbucks.

 

[projektreverb]

Coming from someone who is looking at that market: VERY shi**y market.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Chicago is completely saturated. Bear in mind, there are now SIX, yes SIX college of pharmacies in Chicago. There are no open pharmacist jobs in Chicago. And if there were any, they would be for very part-time or PRN work. (Nobody is going to risk hiring someone full-time, when they can hire the person part-time/PRN, and evaluate their work/working personality first.) (Edited to add....and at least 95% of the graduates of those SIX colleges of pharmacy intend to practice in Chicago.)

The further downstate you go, the better your job prospects. Unless you start getting close to the Kentucky border, competition will be more intense there (due to all the college of pharmacies in Kentucky), but nowhere near as bad as Chicago. There are pharmacist jobs in Illinois, just not in Chicago (or its suburbs.)

Had no idea there were 6 COPs there... wow. Whoever thought that was a good idea, should be fired.

 

[projektreverb]

Had no idea there were 6 COPs there... wow. Whoever thought that was a good idea, should be fired.

Yup:

-Midwestern: incoming class size of ~150 (?)
-UIC: ~150 grads (?)
-Chicago State: not sure of class size
-Roosevelt: ~70-80 grads
-Rosalind Franklin ~80 grads per class
-UIC-Rockford: not sure of class size

So 450+ grads every year at least. And I didn't include the Rockford campus or CSU. So it's probably closer to 600. Even if half of them want to stay in Chicago, no way ~300 positions are opening up in the metro area.

And then right across state lines in Wisconsin, I think there are two school, UW Madison and Concordia. How many of those people are competing for Chicago jobs?

 

[Apotheker2015]

Hello all,

Curious if anyone knows what the job outlook is like in Illinois/Chicago area. How competitive is it to obtain residency or a retail position after graduation?

Also, is it more difficult to get a position if you are coming from out of state?

It might be wise to look at jobs in Wisconsin. Cost of living is very affordable. You should be able to make a good living if you do not mind living there.

 

[projektreverb]

It might be wise to look at jobs in Wisconsin. Cost of living is very affordable. You should be able to make a good living if you do not mind living there.

I know Walgreens and CVS are offering a lot of positions in Milwaukee.

 

[ornithoptor]

Chicago/Cook County market for clinical positions was saturated even ten years ago, unless you graduate from UIC and with residency. (UIC has a huge residency program even back then. They could creat resident positions for unmatched 4th year student easily)

As for retail, things were not much better either, 7 years ago, CVS laid off bunch people. And my classmate had to move from Skokie to to Peoria, Illinois.

You may find spots here and there in mid or southern Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Decatur.

However, I believe South Illinois University Edwardsville graduates will provide the needs for that market.

One advantage to practice in Illinois is how cheap the license renewal is



Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[alpha12]

Chicago/Cook County market for clinical positions was saturated even ten years ago, unless you graduate from UIC and with residency. (UIC has a huge residency program even back then. They could creat resident positions for unmatched 4th year student easily)

As for retail, things were not much better either, 7 years ago, CVS laid off bunch people. And my classmate had to move from Skokie to to Peoria, Illinois.

You may find spots here and there in mid or southern Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Danville, Decatur.

However, I believe South Illinois University Edwardsville graduates will provide the needs for that market.

One advantage to practice in Illinois is how cheap the license renewal is



Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

But the state itself isn't a desirable place to leave. It is run by the democratic machine which even I dislike despite being a liberal. The new governor JB has promised to raise taxes. The Illinois constitution only allows a flat tax, so all Illinoisans will get higher tax bill. Property taxes are also very high. Second highest after NJ. The winters are very cold because of the lake. You can't do business with the state because they can't pay you. I remember reading a story about a pharmacist that was owed like 200k by the state in medicaid payments. I tried to get a prepaid tuition plan for my daughther and they stopped doing it. Honestly it's better to pay the higher renewal and practices elsewhere. I was going to buy a house but stopped my search because of the taxes, and also I think it might be better to rent so you have your freedom to move anywhere in case it goes to ****.

 

[ornithoptor]

But the state itself isn't a desirable place to leave. It is run by the democratic machine which even I dislike despite being a liberal. The new governor JB has promised to raise taxes. The Illinois constitution only allows a flat tax, so all Illinoisans will get higher tax bill. Property taxes are also very high. Second highest after NJ. The winters are very cold because of the lake. You can't do business with the state because they can't pay you. I remember reading a story about a pharmacist that was owed like 200k by the state in medicaid payments. I tried to get a prepaid tuition plan for my daughther and they stopped doing it. Honestly it's better to pay the higher renewal and practices elsewhere. I was going to buy a house but stopped my search because of the taxes, and also I think it might be better to rent so you have your freedom to move anywhere in case it goes to ****.

You are absolutely right, that is why I am not in Illinois anymore but only a few visits a year. Property tax is a killer, unfunded pension and endless strikes will ruin state’s finance leaving taxpayer holding the bag.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[PieRoller]

Same all over.

I hope to see pharmacists unite (yeah, a fantasy) and cut out the middleman (chains).
Make me proud, guys!

 

[Mambo#5]

Same all over.

I hope to see pharmacists unite (yeah, a fantasy) and cut out the middleman (chains).
Make me proud, guys!

Might happen when Phoenix freezes over

 

[daehanminguk]

Yup:

-Midwestern: incoming class size of ~150 (?)
-UIC: ~150 grads (?)
-Chicago State: not sure of class size
-Roosevelt: ~70-80 grads
-Rosalind Franklin ~80 grads per class
-UIC-Rockford: not sure of class size

So 450+ grads every year at least. And I didn't include the Rockford campus or CSU. So it's probably closer to 600. Even if half of them want to stay in Chicago, no way ~300 positions are opening up in the metro area.

And then right across state lines in Wisconsin, I think there are two school, UW Madison and Concordia. How many of those people are competing for Chicago jobs?

UIC Rockford has about 60 grads. According to the UIC webpage, UIC has a combined total of 210 grads

 

[lord999]

Same all over.

I hope to see pharmacists unite (yeah, a fantasy) and cut out the middleman (chains).
Make me proud, guys!

I take it that you've never heard of the Mafia pharmacy union in IL before...pity how that story is forgotten in terms of how wages increased in the 90s.

 

[Stella14]

They are closing another hospital in June- Westlake in Melrose Park. Pipeline bought Weiss ,Westlake, and West Suburban Hospitals.
They told everyone their jobs were safe, then turned around and decided to close one of them. I guess bc they are mostly Medicaid population???
Supposedly 650 out of jobs.
All/Most of their pharmacists are interviewing for 1 PM position at my PRN gig and they received 200 applicants.

 

[mentos]

They are closing another hospital in June- Westlake in Melrose Park. Pipeline bought Weiss ,Westlake, and West Suburban Hospitals.
They told everyone their jobs were safe, then turned around and decided to close one of them. I guess bc they are mostly Medicaid population???
Supposedly 650 out of jobs.
All/Most of their pharmacists are interviewing for 1 PM position at my PRN gig and they received 200 applicants.

That's exactly what happens when retail chains buy out smaller companies. Pharmacists think their job is secure but they are not. Anytime a merger happens, there are layoffs to follow.