Pharmacy or Medical?

[tittat]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello, I am currently doing my applications for pharmacy and I can’t help but doubt whether this is the career I want. I am contemplating medical school but don’t even know if I meet the basic requirements or if it is right for me. Can anyone share with me their reasons for being pre-med and some resources to do some more research on the subject?

 

[SpartanDOnoharm]

You need to take a look at yourself and figure out what you want to do. Both fields can be somewhat similar, but also very different. I was a pharmacist, and decided that going back to medical school was the right decision for me. I learned this after 8 years of practicing. Do some shadowing, start looking into the requirements, and figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life.

 

[AllBleedingStops]

Wow well I wouldn't apply to either if you are unsure. You need to shadow both and do a lot of investigation as to education, salary, opportunities, responsibilities, etc. Check out professional association websites to start with. Then school websites.

 

[Catalystik]

I am contemplating medical school but don’t even know if I meet the basic requirements or if it is right for me.

Academic coursework requirements are similar, though you also need some Behavioral Science, a year of English-including a writing-intensive class, and Biochem, and ought to have Stats and a few other upper-level Bio classes like Physiology, Genetics, & Cell Bio.

For ECs, you must have active clinical experience through work or volunteering (1.5 years is average), physician shadowing (50 hours is average), & non-medical community service, should have hypothesis-based research (any discipline), and ideally would have leadership and/or teaching experiences.

 

[y123]

These 2 are really different careers. Do you want to be a pharmacist or a physician? Most med students I know never considered pharmacy and cannot see themselves being pharmacists.

 

[IMGASMD]

They are both “medical” fields and similarity sort of ends there.

People choose to be physicians for various reasons.
Some reasons are: intellectual stimulating, helping people, financial security, job security, prestige, family expectation, life experience, people told them they’re smart.... etc etc. For me? probably combination of all these. It’s very hard for some people to find the “right” reasons, for some they may not know the right reasons until much later in life or even well into medical training. You’ll need to find the right answers yourself.

Why do you want to be a pharmacist? Do you know what they do? Do you enjoy certain parts of their job? Do you dislike some parts of their job? You should go through that with any fields that you consider. It’s not always easy and clear, especially when you’re 18.

I will tell you what I tell anyone who’s considering to become a doctor, if there is something that you want to do, try that first. Medicine is a rewarding, challenging and for most people a long unyielding journey.

Good luck.

 

[Goro]

Hello, I am currently doing my applications for pharmacy and I can’t help but doubt whether this is the career I want. I am contemplating medical school but don’t even know if I meet the basic requirements or if it is right for me. Can anyone share with me their reasons for being pre-med and some resources to do some more research on the subject?

What does your heart tell you?