Pharmacy School or Dental Hygiene.

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fcam98

fcam98

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I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
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In terms of money and job security, do dental hygeine. Dental hygeinists get paid very well for how little education that job requires. Of course, the problem with this job is looking at teeth all day...but if you can handle it, go for it.
 
fcam98 said:
I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
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Currently in an accelerated program myself. I don't care what others say, its a lot to take on with the constant exams and constant requirements to make a 90% or higher on all tests or you fail (I actually now use this site as my stress reliever even if its just 4 minutes on and off a day). My point is, that is a lot of stress and debt to get into a field when you seem to be looking at the short-term of $$$ when what you need to look at is the take home pay after student debt and opportunity costs of going to school.

If you're looking at the financial side of things, dental hygiene 100%. For the amount of schooling plus salary you will see a pay off much more sooner than that of pharmacy.
 
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fcam98 said:
I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
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What was your GPA and PCAT?
 
Go to PA or NP program. Unless you are accepted into a cheap state PHARMd program, it’s not justifiable going to pharmacy today. Even a cheap state program would be a questionable decision right now. Just look at BLS stat for profession growth, they are saying that our profession is garbage
 
Which school has 2 years 10 months program?
I will follow you about your final decision
 
fcam98 said:
I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
Click to expand...

Dental hygiene is a great career right now. It's in demand, pays well and you can get your degree with relatively little debt. You don't have to move to BFE to find a job. I highly recommend it over pharmacy.

If you do pharmacy, you will probably still be unemployed with 200k in loans. But at least you can call yourself doctor!
 
You can ask all the SDNers here what you should do, but the only answer is to do what you are passionate about. In the event that they are equal, do what you're best at... which may be neither option. An individual who truly believes in their own talents need not worry about where money and success will come from.
 
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MilknCheerios said:
You can ask all the SDNers here what you should do, but the only answer is to do what you are passionate about. In the event that they are equal, do what you're best at... which may be neither option. An individual who truly believes in their own talents need not worry about where money and success will come from.
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If you have 200k in loans and there are 15k new pharmDs per year with 0% job growth for the next 10 years, then you need to worry about where money will come from.
 
Unlike pharmacy schools that literally accept everybody, dental hygienist schools have limited enrollment and are FAR harder to get accepted into than pharmacy school. In other words, if you can't get accepted into dental hygienist school (and having the bare requirements will NOT get you accepted), then you really don't have a choice between pharmacist or dental hygienist. The catch is, while pharmacy school accepts literally everyone who applies, it is far harder to actually graduate from it, and get licensed, then it is to graduate from and get licensed as a dental hygienist.

Without knowing your overall GPA and science GPA, I can't begin to give you advice. Have you done any patient care volunteering which is defacto mandatory for getting accepted into a dental hygienist program? What was your ACT/SAT score (dental hygienist programs often care about that.) Do you actually have any interest in either pharmacy or dental hygienist, or are you just looking at them because you think they will make you money? I suspect that your ideal career is probably not either. But only you can really know that. What you need to be looking at, at this point is 1) do you actually have a chance of getting into dental hygienist school and 2) do you actually have a chance at graduating from pharmacy school? If yes to both, then you need to shadow people in both jobs to see what the jobs really entail, and go from there.
 
AlwaysContrary said:
I have a suspicion this is not a real post lol. Oh SDN, you rascal
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Possible, but it does sound like it's written by a sincere but confused, 21 year old. Knowing that pharmacy schools are taking anyone and everyone, I don't doubt they sweet talk people into applying who really have little idea what being a pharmacist entails, much less what they want to do with the rest of their lives.
 
Study some more and go to dental or medical school. Only professions that your money will be worth. Go to pharmacy school if you won't owe any money when you graduate or if you're excited about job saturation and corporate take over which will eventually bring the profession to its knees to perform spectacular bjs. Unless you're one of those that likes to do that then... well this may just be the job for you!
 
Go to medical school...

IM PGY3 in my program are already getting 290-310k/year hospitalist/nocturnist contracts 7 days on and 7 days off.
 
" I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future "
That can be quite wrong. So I think your pharmacy option can be scratched.
 
I was in similar shoes as you. I had my mind made up on pharmacy since high school. Two years into my Bachelor's degree, I got a job as a pharmacy tech. I worked as a pharmacy tech for a year and a half until I gave up on pharmacy. Experience is important... try to get a job as a tech to see what its really like for yourself.
 
Friend’s wife is a hygienist. They have decent pay (mid 30s an hour) and good job security.

Downside is doing teeth whole day and also their work takes a lot of toll on the back. She is in 30s and already complains of back pain. And from I have read, it’s not uncommon in their field.
 
Chrish said:
Friend’s wife is a hygienist. They have decent pay (mid 30s an hour) and good job security.

Downside is doing teeth whole day and also their work takes a lot of toll on the back. She is in 30s and already complains of back pain. And from I have read, it’s not uncommon in their field.
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I've heard of that back pain issue.
I'm surprised there's no osha requirements
 
fcam98 said:
I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
Click to expand...

Do what you like... Are you doing it for money??? There are other things you can do for money and job security.. Like Plumbing/ Electricians make 90$ an hour and never shortage of any work. Try calling a plumber or handyman, you will understand what I am talking about.
 
Wasnt dentist suicide rate the highest in health profession? Im sure at this point i wouldnt be surprised if pharmacist surpassed them.
 
Chrish said:
Friend’s wife is a hygienist. They have decent pay (mid 30s an hour) and good job security.

Downside is doing teeth whole day and also their work takes a lot of toll on the back. She is in 30s and already complains of back pain. And from I have read, it’s not uncommon in their field.
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(We're in our mid-50s)

One of my HS classmates/Facebook friends had a fusion of two vertebrae in her neck a couple years ago, and was under doctor's orders not to go back to a job she had loved for more than 30 years. She now teaches at a dental hygiene program at a local university.

(She had wanted to BE a dentist, and realized after failing O-chem for the 3rd time that that wasn't gonna happen. We were still in HS when she told me that, and I replied, "Really? I thought you were normal.")
 
it's not easy to get into hygiene school because there are far fewer seats than candidates.
 
fcam98 said:
I recently got accepted into Pharmacy school last month. I’m unsure of which route to take. I have realized that I only lack two classes from being able to apply to a local dental hygiene program. As of now, I’m 21, unemployed and totally dependent upon my parents. Life for me right now is hard because I don’t have much money and I’m not really able to do things I enjoy. Not to mention the program that I was accepted into is an accelerated 2 year 10 month program that is year round which means I won’t be able to work during the summer months because I will be in school. I know that a career in pharmacy will be rewarding in the future but I feel as though dental hygiene will give me the independence that I want and I will make decent money. Any advice would be appreciated greatly!
Click to expand...
Want to be 27 and still unemployed and get job offers that have nothing to do with pharmacy-do pharmacy. Dental Hygiene is better than pharmacy, but I think you should raise your standards to become a specialist in dental medicine( orthodontist, cosmetic dentist, or oral surgeon) in my opinion.

Shadow a pharmacist, dental hygienist and a dentist would be my recommendation.
 
bacillus1 said:
In terms of money and job security, do dental hygeine. Dental hygeinists get paid very well for how little education that job requires. Of course, the problem with this job is looking at teeth all day...but if you can handle it, go for it.
Click to expand...

Except, the education for hygeine is not little (not as long as pharmacy but it is much more technically serious), and the work is hard. Still, it's a dirty job, but it's rarely a hostile one. I'd do the shadowing but the skillsets of the two are fairly different.
 
Reflect on this- do you LIKE having no $$$ and being financially dependent on your parents? If the answer is YES definitely do pharmacy- you will be penniless and dependent upon your parents for MANY years to come!
 
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