Pharmacy or Podiatry

[stargyalny]

I got into podiatry school as well as pharmacy school. I am very interested in both professions but I'm also considering job opportunities. Anyone care to share their thought about which one they would chose and why?

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[rxlynn]

I got into podiatry school as well as pharmacy school. I am very interested in both professions but I'm also considering job opportunities. Anyone care to share their thought about which one they would chose and why?

Hi, I'm a pharmacy technician currently at CVS, so I can at least comment on that part of it. In some respects, retail pharmacy will not be nearly as hands-on as podiatry. (i.e. we rarely look at feet or other body parts, at least not on purpose) To me, it seems like the path to get a job once you get out of school might be a bit easier with pharmacy, especially if you wanted to do retail. Most of the podiatry practices in our area are not very large, so you might have to be involved in setting up your own practice and more of the business end of things if you were in podiatry. That might be good or not, depending on how you feel about it. I can't really comment on average salaries, but I'm sure you could get information about that pretty easily.

Good luck deciding!

 

[gsinccom]

Hi, I'm a pharmacy technician currently at CVS, so I can at least comment on that part of it. In some respects, retail pharmacy will not be nearly as hands-on as podiatry. (i.e. we rarely look at feet or other body parts, at least not on purpose) To me, it seems like the path to get a job once you get out of school might be a bit easier with pharmacy, especially if you wanted to do retail. Most of the podiatry practices in our area are not very large, so you might have to be involved in setting up your own practice and more of the business end of things if you were in podiatry. That might be good or not, depending on how you feel about it. I can't really comment on average salaries, but I'm sure you could get information about that pretty easily.

Good luck deciding!

in retail pharmacy. how many nights and weekends(sa/su) shifts do you have to work? can you eliminate this as you get more time at a store and move up in the ranks? how many hows do they expect you to work as a new pharmacist? do retail joints provide health insurance and/or other benefits? - I agree pharmacy provides more security on the get/go than podiatry, optometry or dentistry but in the long run I wonder? do pharmacists salaries increase with time or is a pharmacist 20 years in making the same as one that is just starting? thanks--i.e. it would be great to own your own pharmacy/practice but that doesn't really seem as likely as it is in other medical professions....hmmm

 

[FunnyPHARM]

Hi, I'm a pharmacy technician currently at CVS, so I can at least comment on that part of it. In some respects, retail pharmacy will not be nearly as hands-on as podiatry. (i.e. we rarely look at feet or other body parts, at least not on purpose) To me, it seems like the path to get a job once you get out of school might be a bit easier with pharmacy, especially if you wanted to do retail. Most of the podiatry practices in our area are not very large, so you might have to be involved in setting up your own practice and more of the business end of things if you were in podiatry. That might be good or not, depending on how you feel about it. I can't really comment on average salaries, but I'm sure you could get information about that pretty easily.

Good luck deciding!

Yes Podiatry will definitly require someone who has a business mindset.
However, podiatry has a much higher capacity to make money
(i.e. 150k / year)

I was also thinking about podiatry for a little while, but I was turned off because you have to deal with blood and some minor surgery.

 

[dgroulx]

I saw a podiatry recruiter in undergrad. He said that you needed a degree and a 2.0 GPA to get in. I've also read the podiatry forum on SDN and those people aren't happy campers.

Most people who go to podiatrists are elderly people with icky feet. It isn't really my cup of tea. But, if that doesn't bother you, feel free to pursue it further.

 

[IlizaRob]

I saw a podiatry recruiter in undergrad. He said that you needed a degree and a 2.0 GPA to get in. I've also read the podiatry forum on SDN and those people aren't happy campers.

Most people who go to podiatrists are elderly people with icky feet. It isn't really my cup of tea. But, if that doesn't bother you, feel free to pursue it further.

I frequent the podiatry forum and I havent met anyone, (that is pursuing podiatry) who doesnt like it. Otherwise they shouldnt pursue it. Anyway, I also find it strange that a recruiter told you all you need is a 2.0 gpa to get in. He must not have been representing a very good school.

 

[ultracet]

I'm just so confused as to why anyone would be looking at these two fields at the same time....
I mean the only similarity is that they both start with a "P"

I mean... most of the time I get the MD or PharmD people... or Internal Med or PharmD...

But podiatry?!?

 

[rxlynn]

in retail pharmacy. how many nights and weekends(sa/su) shifts do you have to work? can you eliminate this as you get more time at a store and move up in the ranks? how many hows do they expect you to work as a new pharmacist? do retail joints provide health insurance and/or other benefits? - I agree pharmacy provides more security on the get/go than podiatry, optometry or dentistry but in the long run I wonder? do pharmacists salaries increase with time or is a pharmacist 20 years in making the same as one that is just starting? thanks--i.e. it would be great to own your own pharmacy/practice but that doesn't really seem as likely as it is in other medical professions....hmmm

Well, I can tell you what the pharmacists do at my store. I am at a 24 hour store - we have two night pharmacists who work 7 pm - 7 am for 7 days, then they are off 7 days, so a base of 42 hours per week. Then we have two day pharmacists, who sort of work out their own schedules to cover the 7 am - 7 pm. They also alternate weekends. I would think it would be pretty hard to work retail and not work any weekends, no matter how much experience you have. It might be dependent on what your partner wants to do, though. Yes, retail does generally have very good benefits - CVS has health, dental, vision, disability, life, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan options, and they also have the potential for a yearly bonus.

 

[dgroulx]

I frequent the podiatry forum and I havent met anyone, (that is pursuing podiatry) who doesnt like it. Otherwise they shouldnt pursue it. Anyway, I also find it strange that a recruiter told you all you need is a 2.0 gpa to get in. He must not have been representing a very good school.

It was some school in Ohio, near Cleveland I think. I haven't been to the podiatry forum for a couple of years now. Back then it was full of people who only went into podiatry to have a "doctor" before their names.

 

[IlizaRob]

It was some school in Ohio, near Cleveland I think. I haven't been to the podiatry forum for a couple of years now. Back then it was full of people who only went into podiatry to have a "doctor" before their names.

Unfortunately there will always be people like that. Its definitely easier to get into podiatry school than an allopathic school. But then again, its easy to get into DO school too. So why dont they just do that instead? With my entering class in podiatry school, our stats (GPA, MCAT scores) were the same as the DO students there. We take the same classes and tests the first year and some of the second. Personally, I think the whole "Doctor" title is over-rated. Anyone who insists on being addressed as "Dr. so-and-so" in a social setting clearly has inferiority issues. I have a friend whose mother became very upset when they recieved a wedding invitation addressing them as Mr. and Mrs instead of Dr. (He is a dentist). Anyway, Im sure you all are going to into Pharm because you enjoy it, just as I am doing podiatry because I enjoy it. If I were in it for the money and prestige, I would probably go into business.