Pharmacy Vs. Dentistry

[Dr.BadVibes]

Hey Guys, Just wanted to shoot this out to see what people thought. I was talking to some pharmacy students today, and they were telling me a bit about the profession, and it seems too good to be true.

1. the acceptance is easier to get into.

2. Job Placement is easy as its in high high demand...and the entry level pay is pretty ****ing good

3. Job offers autonomy....Can be your own boss, because owning your own pharmacy is pretty easy to do, as Ive heard and when you own your own pharmacy, u can make a killing

So basically, as I can see, pharmacy is a lot like dentistry in job aspects, however, you dont get paid as much (however there is the possibility that you can if you own your own pharmacy), but your job is easier, cause as pharmacy students put it, you aint in someone's mouth all day. ANd ive heard that if your a really personable person like myself, than pharmacy is not boring....Just as Dentisty, its how you make it.

I dont know if there are bad things about pharmacy that obviously they wont tell me, cause they want to make themselves look good. However, I dont know much about it, and I was wondering if anyone out there can settle the truth! Cheers!

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[drPheta]

Hi there,

My gf is a pharmacy student (doing her rotations now as this is her final year), so I can relate to you some comparisons.

I personally feel dentistry is more rewarding as a health care profession. Maybe I'm biased, but as a dentist, you're more clinically oriented to diagnosing and caring for the patient. There are fields of pharmacy that also deal with patients this way, but these positions are neither plentiful or as financially rewarding as retail pharm.

Yes, pharmacy is definitely a great prof to get into. However, the demand for pharmacists is the retail industry. Those pharmacists doing research (though also needed greatly) do not enjoy many of the benefits that retail does. In fact, when people think of pharmacy, they practically only envision the retail aspect of it - the pharmacists at CVS or Rite Aid, etc. However, there's also industry (research, patent law, and the like), clinical (hospitals), and a bunch of others that I can't remember.

Long story short, retail is where the money is at with a Pharm D. degree. If you go into any other field of pharmacy, the money is ok/good, but it isn't anywhere near that of a retail pharmacist. If you get a law degree on top of the Pharm D. (add 3 years of school to that) and become a pharmaceutical lawyer, you'll make loads of money (but work the hours that make up for that difference).

Typical hours for a pharmacist would be 40-60 hrs a week spread over 3-5 days of the week.

It's a great field to go into. Just be aware that pharmacy has it's downs. In addition to all I just mentioned, the majority of the patients who come in to pharmacies with Rx's do not know how to take care of themselves w/ regard to getting the doctor's perscription in line with their insurance. My gf always complains about patients yelling at her because the patient's insurance didn't go through. Well, had the patient realized a new card was issued, or paid the insurance premium, there would be no problem.

My gf hates retail and hopes to get into regulatory affairs (which generally recommends a Pharm D, J.D. degree...but it can be done with just a Pharm D and the right connections).

Ask your pharmacy contacts what they like, what they hate, how are they going to practice, etc. etc.

In conclusion, you get the easy acceptance, high demand (in retail), the pay (potentially 100K+ in retail in the right areas), and the prestige.

Now for dentistry....

 

[mcataz]

I worked 4 summers in high school as a pharmacy tech. And it was a small independently owned pharmacy which basically meant I did everything in that pharmacy aside from actually filling the prescription. I entered prescriptions in the computer, stocked shelves, ordered supplies everything. After this experience, I would never be a pharmacist. It was the most boring job I could imagine. It's truly mindless work. 90% of the prescriptions were your standard antibiotics etc in which the pharmacist counted pills and filled the bottle. It's basically a fancy retail job. The other thing I hated about being a pharmacist was that you stand all day. You don't sit.

As far as money is concerned, you aren't going to make more than 100K. And those 100K jobs are in retail stores like Eckerds, Walgreens etc. And that usually translates to grunt work as you are mindlessly filling tons of prescriptions to meet the demand of all th customers who flock to those places. The quality pharmacy jobs in research and other areas pay less than retail position. The days of the independently owned pharmacies are long gone. There is a Walgreens, Eckerd, Rite Aid and Jewell-Osco on every corner. And if that's not bad enough, there are pharmacies in every Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Safeway and any other grocery store you can think of. Unless you are willing to live in a town of a population less than 10,000 people, you probably wouldn't be able to own your own pharmacy anyway.

And even if you are personable, customers don't want to talk to you. They don't care about chatting it up with the pharmacist. That's why they have drive-thru pharmacies now. The less interaction the better. Most of our customers wanted to get the heck out of the pharmacy. They saw us as being nothing more than clerks handing out medicine. The physicians were the experts while the pharmacists were just the middle men that dished out the drugs.

Okay now that I have blasted the career, I will list all the good things about the position.

1. Level of schooling is easier than dentistry
2. Lot more 3 year pharmacy schools than 3 year dental schools
3. Starting salary is fairly reliable. You are pretty much guaranteed 90K + if you are willing to work for a retail chain.
4. Great hours. Pharmacists work a standard 9-5 type shift. No weekends. No call!
5. Easier to get into pharmacy school than dental school
6. Less stressfull work. (although more boring too)
7. Easy to find work. You can pretty much work anywhere and expect the same level of salary. Want to work in So Cal? No problem, plenty of jobs. Want to work in downtown SF, no problem.

So it has got its upside. I just wouldn't do it. It wouldn't bring me satisfaction, but I can see how others would like it.

 

[Barry20]

Interesting thread. I have a few friends that are pharmacy students and from what I can tell they are pretty happy. It's much easier to get accepted and through my observations it seems that most pre-med/pre-dent students who - just can't get it - when taking the science courses opt for an easier ride, thus pharmacy. This is not always the case and is a pretty judgemental statement, but it makes a lot of sense for my friends who are currently in pharmacy school.

Also, if you want to sit behind a counter all day and pretty much do nothing while your tech's do all the work then go ahead and be a pharmicist. This is one of the aspects of dentistry that I love - being able to work with my hands and making a difference in someone's oral health and not just passing out pills and asking "do you have any questions about the medication?"

As for money, I took the liberty to do a search on www.salary.com and put in my area (Phoenix, AZ). It said the salary for a pharmicist was $65K-75K. Not bad for a laid back job that isn't too stressful. I did the same for a dentist in my area: $91K-$128K. I'm sure the results aren't completely accurate, but moreso for the dentist salary. I say this because most dentists are self employeed and don't report their total income, just what they pay themselves each month, atleast it was this way for the dentist I worked for. He made ~$225,000/year and only paid himself $120,000. The rest went into different investments that he had set up.

Anyway, those are my dos centavos. I think either occupation is great as long as you know what your in for.

Good luck!

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by avingupta
Hey Guys, Just wanted to shoot this out to see what people thought. I was talking to some pharmacy students today, and they were telling me a bit about the profession, and it seems too good to be true.

1. the acceptance is easier to get into.

No bones here. Dental school admission requirements are rapidly rising thanks to soaring interest in the profession; larger applicant pools mean schools can pick a better mix of matriculants.

2. Job Placement is easy as its in high high demand...and the entry level pay is pretty ****ing good

Dentist are currently retiring at the rate of ~7,000 a year, and dental schools are only turning out ~4,000 new dentists a year to replace them. You do the math Further, I'd venture to guess that even at entry level, associate dentists outearn pharmacists.

3. Job offers autonomy....Can be your own boss, because owning your own pharmacy is pretty easy to do, as Ive heard and when you own your own pharmacy, u can make a killing

Again, strengths that dentistry can match dollar for dollar.

You might want to check the pharm forum, though; my impression is that private pharmacies are rapidly being extinguished by retail chains, and that the trend isn't slowing down. Meanwhile, over 80% of dentists are in private practices

So basically, as I can see, pharmacy is a lot like dentistry in job aspects, however, you dont get paid as much (however there is the possibility that you can if you own your own pharmacy), but your job is easier, cause as pharmacy students put it, you aint in someone's mouth all day.

Easier? Possibly. From a purely personal perspective, I'd much rather spend my day diagnosing disease and performing oral procedures than counting pills; but that's a personal call. On top of that, we're not "in people's mouth all day." We treat the oral cavity yes, but you make it sound like we're standing between their molars breathing their halitosis. That's what hygienists are for

I dont know if there are bad things about pharmacy that obviously they wont tell me, cause they want to make themselves look good. However, I dont know much about it, and I was wondering if anyone out there can settle the truth! Cheers! [/B]

If you're looking for a discussion of pharmacy as a career, you're obviously in the wrong forum Having said that, I think the pharm forum is a good place to learn about it, good and bad. Most people here are pretty candid about their professions (see the opto and podiatry forums), and you can learn a lot by reading and asking. Good luck.

 

[drPheta]

I love dentistry...so far. I've shadowed my dentist for quite some time, and so far the things that we do and see in school are great.

The pros:

-Direct patient contact (clinically speaking).
-Dynamic day (general denstistry...have no exp with specialties, yet)
-Relaxing lifestyle (7am-7pm hours 4-5 days a week).
-High demand for dentists in all fields (current dents are retiring, and not enough grads to fill spots. Similar to pharm).
-Hands on work (some can consider their dental work art)
-Prestige


The cons:

-Many people hate going to the dentist (but the new clinical approach is trying to change that)
-Amount of school involve (8 total years incl undergrad for GP - Add 2-4 for specialty)
-The cost of dental school (Pharmacy school is peanuts comparatively)
-Insurance and their stipulations on what you can charge (many times ins will undercut the actual cost of the procedure)


My personal dentist tells me everyday I see him, "I'm so glad you're entering dentistry. I enjoy every bit of my 20 years in practice. I could never imagine myself doing anything else, and I hope that I'm allowed to do this for many years to come."

I have never heard anyone speak of their job so passionately. No one.

I'm enjoying every bit of my experience so far. Perhaps it's my initial gung-ho attitude, but I'm itching for the day that I get my DMD. Hell, clinic is even too far away...it's agonizing.

My gf wishes she has what I have. Perhaps she isn't as fond as she'd wish about pharm because of her class (very competitive and cut-throat). But the patients that she deals with (in two pharmacies and rotations!) don't make things any better. Pharmacists get blamed for everything...from doctor's mistakes to insurance mishaps on the patient's part. And it's very frustrating.

Research your options hard before you jump in. Once you're in a program, it's very hard to get out of it.

Oh yes...dentistry obviously isn't sweet for everyone. I know of people who went into dentistry and wish they were elsewhere (mainly those who didn't get into med). So, make sure whatever career you choose is the right one for you.

 

[markymark]

i had originally thought about pharmacy prior to going into dentistry. the male pharmacists that i spoke with told me to go into dentistry because although the pay is good initially, their salary remains pretty constant at that level throughout. despite what you said about opening up your own pharmacy, i've heard it's not so easy to do because of the competition with the rite-aids, walgreens, sav-ons, etc. also, i've volunteered at a pharmacy during undergrad and i can personally say that pharmacists get close to zero respect from the people who come in to get their prescriptions filled.

 

[ecdoesit]

i m not sure if owning your own pharmacy is that easy.
well, i live in California with a RiteAid or Sav-on every other block.
My guess is that it is really hard to compete with them.

I agree with all those people saying retail can earn tons of money. My uncle is a pharmacist and he works for retail part-time, but earn enough money already. However, he always say it is too much work cos high paid means more job volume.
From his stories, I learned not to be a phamacist.

 

[Supernumerary]

I don't think it's possible to say that one of these careers is better than the other. However, the professions are so unlike each other that is difficult to imagine the person that could be equally happy doing either one. I think in terms of compensation and lifestyle they are roughly equal; you just have to ignore all that and decide what you'd be happiest doing.

There is a pharmacist in my dental school class who decided to come back to dental school because pharmacy was boring her to tears. Now, for the right person, pharmacy could be a fantastic job. Just make sure you're that type of person before committing to it - or any profession for that matter. It's always easier to make the right choice the first time.

 

[blankguy]

Don't mean to steer the thread in the wrong direction, but having worked at retail computer chain(compUSA). I can relate to getting no respect. Most people don't cause any problem but it's really dull and the worst people are the ones you remember. It sounds like pharmacy is just like another retail job(a glorified one at that, a batted down healthcare practicioner type). I definitely covet the respect that healthcare practicers get, people a less apt to question you or second guess you, it's almost like your word is law unlike retail. On top of that you have *****s that I had to explain computer stuff and they won't listen. To me dentistry represents a breeze of fresh air.

 

[Mo007]

Its not easy to know the difference between the 2 profession until you actually get some shadowing.

I know most Pharmacy students are excited to finish school and land on $90K+ jobs, but in the long-run, it doesn't get more rewarding than that. Unlike Dentists, experience don't count in Pharmacy for the job market, whether you just finished your Pharmacy school or been around for the last 30 years, you pretty much get the same income.

Here is another interesting concept, Walgreens and CVS are expanding through out the nation rapidly, I don't think most people know this. Prescription drugs are making their way to the market at a good rate for the next 10-20 years. That's where the demand for Pharmacists comes in. Chain stores are fighting over pharmacy graduates with attracting salaries, that's why its easier to get into pharmacy schools than dental schools, other wise, it would shut down drug companies. So basically, all the Pharmaceutical companies (with the help of Pharmacy schools) designed pathways (PharmD) to get people (Pharmacists) to sell their drugs throught chain stores, that means the more Pharmacists out-there working in those chain stores, the more profit Pharmaceutical Companies and chain stores make (remember Pharmacists get a fixed salaries).

Whoever said having your own Pharmacy is easy was wrong, it requires a lot of investment, and that takes at least 5-10 years after graduation (there is hardly solo pharmacists out-there).

Meanwhile, Dentistry would allow you to be more flexible, more specialities, range of incomes, etcetera.

It all goes down to your personality, don't fool yourself being in a Dental School so easily, you might get accepted, but its very similar to Medical School at the stress level.

The choice is yours.

 

[groundhog]

It is true that the days of the small independent retail pharmacy are fast going by the way side. We may never get back to that era when the typical pharmacist was a well respected member of the local community who presided over a combination neighborhood general store/soda fountain/pharmacy.

On the other hand, the law will always require the presence of a pharmacist to oversee the retail sales of regulated drugs. Which, in my mind, makes pharmacy the most economically secure health care profession even though it might be envisioned as just a high paid grunt position for the likes of Walgreens etc.

 

[mcataz]

I think pharmacy is a good career if you don't like interacting with people. As a pharmacist, you will rarely interact with your customers. Your techs will do most of the interaction. At the most, you will give a patient specific directions on how to take medication. But most of your prescriptions will not require you to instruct the patient on how to take them.

I think it's a great career if you like to stand behind a wall and fill the prescriptions and be left to yourself. You can go home at 5 PM and not worry about dealing with catankerous patients the way physicians and dentists do.

 

[le fort guy]

I agree with mcataz regarding the pharmacy profession however, I know many pharmacy students who aren't going to practice pharmacy when they are done. A guy I know is in his last year of pharmacy school and has been accepted to med school which he will be attending next year. He wants to specialize. Although most Pharmacy students see themselves as working for that big retail chain, others find the degree in itself useful for getting into other programs.

 

[Balki]

Originally posted by mcataz
I think pharmacy is a good career if you don't like interacting with people. As a pharmacist, you will rarely interact with your customers. Your techs will do most of the interaction. At the most, you will give a patient specific directions on how to take medication. But most of your prescriptions will not require you to instruct the patient on how to take them.

I think it's a great career if you like to stand behind a wall and fill the prescriptions and be left to yourself. You can go home at 5 PM and not worry about dealing with catankerous patients the way physicians and dentists do.

Please tell me this is a joke regarding "interaction with people" Pharmacy has a very high interaction with people overall. Clinical and hospital pharmacy deals directly with patients, and often no techs. The Pharmacists work in congunction with Physicians. The retail pharmacy is as well filled with patient interaction, where patients come complaining about about their, medication, doctors, wifes, husbands, bad you name it!. Besides, I am not sure what type of practice you were discussing, but most of retails stores have pharmacists do much more than count pills / and prepare drugs. This is not interaction? This is more interaction that many of the physicians in one of those small private offices can ever have. My best friend is on her way to pharmacy and I witnessed most of the described above myself. This profession is full of complains and angry people, who even if evrything is fine rarely give credit to you. I don't think Pharmacist get as much patient interaction as dentist do but they are damn close. You might argue their interaction is different, well of course I will not go to school for 6+ years to count pills, dilute solutions, prepare drugs and deal with anger that was not your fault in the first place but that's just me.

-Balki-

 

[blankguy]

I know one thing I don't want to get into is retail

I talking to a classmate who wants to go to Pharmacy school and I relayed to her the notion that working at a Pharmacy could be dull just filling out subscription but she told me that was fine for her. Her previous job was in insurance which had worn her out with all the arguments and crap that she was getting from it. She got fed up with it and quit last summer so she decided to go to Pharmacy school.

Also dentists retiring at a faster rate than new dentist joining the field something is going to have to give. Not to mention that unlike other industrialized countries the population is increasing.