Pharmacy vs Pharmaceutical Engineering

[nutripharma]

I've been trying to find a thread about this but they're pretty outdated. I hope this is the right section to post in.

I have recently been formulating my back up plan for if I don't get into pharmacy school on the 1st or 2nd try. I found an awesome program in which I would receive a Masters in Engineering with a concentration in Pharmaceutical Engineering. From what I've read, pharmaceutical engineers make around the same as a pharmacist. They only require you to take the GREs and submit an application, rolling admissions style.

Is this too good to be true?

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[PharmtoCS]

It is not too good to be true. There are too many pharmacy school pumping out students who are eager to pay $200k+ to enter pharmacy practice, a field that is already saturated and getting more so each year. There are indeed fields outside of pharmacy practice with less schooling and better job prospects.

 

[MyRealNameIs]

Nope. I personally didn't like working in lab all day which is why I chose not to be a scientist or an engineer. But pharmaceutical engineering is a better job if you don't like dealing with other people. Their starting salary is lower usually tho but eventually catch up with experience. With the money you save from school, you will probably make more money in the end. You probably also have to relocate for your job but that could be true for pharmacy anyway.

Again, you seem unsure about wanting to be a pharmacist. Honestly this seems like a lot better opportunity for you unless you really want to be a pharmacist.

 

[nutripharma]

It is not too good to be true. There are too many pharmacy school pumping out students who are eager to pay $200k+ to enter pharmacy practice, a field that is already saturated and getting more so each year. There are indeed fields outside of pharmacy practice with less schooling and better job prospects.

I wouldn't mind moving to a lower saturated area (I live in the tri-state area). I just don't have a good understanding of what pharmaceutical engineers do.

 

[Ms Student Pharmacist]

I think students graduating with pharmacy degrees mean that they mainly focusing on patient interaction, while pharmaceutical engineers most likely go into drug development. In a nutshell, engineers help develop the recipe for a drug and pharmacists educate patients and dispense it.