Pharmacy Oversaturation

[Retail rph 1997]

The quality of students from the new pharmacy schools.

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[UGAZ]

Hi! I recently graduated from a for-profit pharmacy school in California last week. I was just browsing around seeing what pre-pharmacy students are like these days and wanted to offer my advice from personal experience. If you have any questions about pharmacy school, rotations, internships during school, or my plans after graduation, feel free to PM me.

-Before you decide to go to pharmacy school, make sure you are going into it for the right reasons and that you really love pharmacy. It is a huge investment of your time and money. I went straight after undergrad and didn't really think about the future when I applied. This was a huge mistake on my part, and I don't want any of you do make the same mistake. I got very lucky and stumbled upon a pharmacy internship my first year of pharmacy school and got to work with a new pharmacist/manager who was not tainted with cynicism yet. He spent so much time mentoring me, and that's how I ended up liking pharmacy. However, I feel very sad towards my classmates who went into school thinking it will be an easy 6 figure salary and just went through the 4 years with no passion towards their career.

-If you actually end up in pharmacy school, it is more important to work than focus solely on school. People will tell you to just study hard, but once your last year of school comes, and you don't have any solid plans after graduation, it will be very scary. You actually get so much more from work than sitting through classes because it will be your time to network, get references, and apply your knowledge. It is very doable too. I'm not a genius, but I worked on average 24 hours a week during school/rotations, and graduated with honors. Sadly, it is hard to find pharmacy internships these days, so also plan to spend a lot of time looking for internships during pharmacy school.

-Be prepared to be flexible and move around for a job after pharmacy school. I would say the majority of my classmates who got jobs are the ones who were willing to move, didn't have obligations, or went to another state. My classmates who were restricted to certain areas because of family or other reasons are still unemployed and looking for jobs. If you want to go into retail pharmacy (which most people will end up doing), be prepared to float and know you won't be guaranteed full time hours, especially if you work in a saturated area. A few years from now, I think most pharmacist will have to settle with part time jobs. These threads you read on SDN about pharmacy saturation are NOT lies. I was offered a full time pharmacy job in California, but not at my preferred location. I now have to be in a long distance relationship until I find another job or the boyfriend decides to move to where I am.

I think pharmacy is still a good profession, but the future of pharmacy will be tough with all these new grads like me coming out. Tuition goes up each year and jobs are hard to come across. You might think you'll be okay because you're a hard worker, but most of your classmates are the same way. You'll have to find ways to make yourself stand out, network like crazy, and work a ton of hours after school/on weekends to get your foot into a company.

Very good reply....this should be sticky

 

[jokersmiles]

My cousin graduated from Stanford, Summa Cum Laude and entered UNC Pharm.D and finished 2nd in her class.

She had one job for 7 months, and now she has been looking for a pharmacy that will hire her for around 8 months. She now lives with her parents and all that debt is piling on.

I don't know how one can say "compete". You get a doctorate and you can't even find a job?

Sounds pretty bad to me. Sounds almost like what is happening to law.

She was way overqualified for pharm school, should have pursued a more lucrative option.

 

[steveysmith54]

Hi! I recently graduated from a for-profit pharmacy school in California last week. I was just browsing around seeing what pre-pharmacy students are like these days and wanted to offer my advice from personal experience. If you have any questions about pharmacy school, rotations, internships during school, or my plans after graduation, feel free to PM me.

-Before you decide to go to pharmacy school, make sure you are going into it for the right reasons and that you really love pharmacy. It is a huge investment of your time and money. I went straight after undergrad and didn't really think about the future when I applied. This was a huge mistake on my part, and I don't want any of you do make the same mistake. I got very lucky and stumbled upon a pharmacy internship my first year of pharmacy school and got to work with a new pharmacist/manager who was not tainted with cynicism yet. He spent so much time mentoring me, and that's how I ended up liking pharmacy. However, I feel very sad towards my classmates who went into school thinking it will be an easy 6 figure salary and just went through the 4 years with no passion towards their career.

-If you actually end up in pharmacy school, it is more important to work than focus solely on school. People will tell you to just study hard, but once your last year of school comes, and you don't have any solid plans after graduation, it will be very scary. You actually get so much more from work than sitting through classes because it will be your time to network, get references, and apply your knowledge. It is very doable too. I'm not a genius, but I worked on average 24 hours a week during school/rotations, and graduated with honors. Sadly, it is hard to find pharmacy internships these days, so also plan to spend a lot of time looking for internships during pharmacy school.

-Be prepared to be flexible and move around for a job after pharmacy school. I would say the majority of my classmates who got jobs are the ones who were willing to move, didn't have obligations, or went to another state. My classmates who were restricted to certain areas because of family or other reasons are still unemployed and looking for jobs. If you want to go into retail pharmacy (which most people will end up doing), be prepared to float and know you won't be guaranteed full time hours, especially if you work in a saturated area. A few years from now, I think most pharmacist will have to settle with part time jobs. These threads you read on SDN about pharmacy saturation are NOT lies. I was offered a full time pharmacy job in California, but not at my preferred location. I now have to be in a long distance relationship until I find another job or the boyfriend decides to move to where I am.

I think pharmacy is still a good profession, but the future of pharmacy will be tough with all these new grads like me coming out. Tuition goes up each year and jobs are hard to come across. You might think you'll be okay because you're a hard worker, but most of your classmates are the same way. You'll have to find ways to make yourself stand out, network like crazy, and work a ton of hours after school/on weekends to get your foot into a company.

You start to wonder what will happen when jobs in these "not so desirable" areas to live dry up. Like when the three new pharm schools in CA that opened in the last 2 years graduate their first class.
excellent point about a lot of new grads being hired part time, or perdiem. The chains hire many pharmacists now a day without any guaranteed hours and keep them in reserve.

 

[I_am_sleep_deprived]

If oversaturation was the reason that knocked you off the pharmacy path, then the reason(s) that put you on the path probably weren't strong enough.

I'm jumping into the meat-grinder just like everyone else is but at the end of the day, we're doing something that we are passionate about. It doesn't matter where we get our job, whether its in the city or in a place where only a thousand people live in, we still will find a job somewhere. Having a job is astronomically better than having no job.

You just contradicted yourself with that last sentence.

 

[I_am_sleep_deprived]

Sometimes I REALLY wish I was a girl so I could become a nurse and it would be ok...

I don't understand how it is not okay. How is it not?

 

[BC_89]

Is Pharmacy over saturated the way everyone says it is? I had wanted to become a pharmacist because it sounded really good for me but I am not sure that I want to commit 6 years to a career that won't give anything back to me.

If i left sophomore year of college to do pharmacy, and I got out, how hard would it be to find a job in NJ? NC? GA?

This is scary stuff, enough to keep you from going into the field.

Simply put: yes...saturation is real...You must compete, move, sacrifice, and be patient on that desired location you may not get for a long while. Not trying to discern anyone but facts don't care about feelings. You need to come up with a plan or invest in another healthcare field. Get a contingency plan then make your move. Glad your thinking about it rather than diving with no research