Pharmacy?

[Green22]

Hi, I am a pre med student. However, I have recently been looking into going into pharmacy. I was wondering what the pros and cons are for being a pharmacist. Also, what is the work like day to day? Salary? Bonuses? Paying off debt? Etc


Thanks.

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[Melazine]

I can't tell you much about retail. I enjoy working in a hospital to some degree, although the pay isn't as good as retail, it's far less stressful. The downside is workplace drama, which is constant in hospital pharmacies. It's also been very hard to find jobs in this field. I have been trying to relocate for the past year, sending countless resumes but no luck. I would have gone to computer programming if I knew pharmacy was this saturated.

 

[LoveWillSaveTheDay]

Hi, I am a pre med student. However, I have recently been looking into going into pharmacy. I was wondering what the pros and cons are for being a pharmacist. Also, what is the work like day to day? Salary? Bonuses? Paying off debt? Etc


Thanks.

Dont take anyone's word on here. What you should do is WORK as a tech first. Spend your winter break in a pharmacy. Everyone store needs help since that's our busiest time of year. That's the only way you'll get real answers.

If you don't have time for that, stick to premed. Pharmacy is bound by many rules and regulations and very little patient interaction. Medicine is almost limitless...

 

[Peterpiper1]

Definitely stick to medicine.

Pharmacy is in a real rut right now. No jobs and too many graduates. No leadership also means pharmacy has no idea what it wants to be at this point.
Our responsibilities are getting bigger, but our pay checks are smaller or the same and with so many graduates the stores have all the leverage.

You'll have a lot more opportunities as a doctor. If you've ever worked a retail pharmacy you'll soon realize it's not something you want to do for a lifetime. Do MD, DO, PA, DMD, PT or even a masters program. Pharmacy is not something I would recommend to anyone right now.

 

[statepharmagent]

Definitely stick to medicine.

Pharmacy is in a real rut right now. No jobs and too many graduates. No leadership also means pharmacy has no idea what it wants to be at this point.
Our responsibilities are getting bigger, but our pay checks are smaller or the same and with so many graduates the stores have all the leverage.

You'll have a lot more opportunities as a doctor. If you've ever worked a retail pharmacy you'll soon realize it's not something you want to do for a lifetime. Do MD, DO, PA, DMD, PT or even a masters program. Pharmacy is not something I would recommend to anyone right now.

I prevented my younger relatives from pursuing pharmacy and felt like I have done a good deed.

 

[PharmtoCS]

For the highest and quickest return on investment I would pick computer science. You get to enjoy one of the best job markets there are out there, and you can easily earn six figures with a few years of experience if not straight out of undergrad without having to take out $200k+ in loans and spend another 4-8 years in school and/or residency.

 

[GrapePropel]

Definitely stick to medicine.

Pharmacy is in a real rut right now. No jobs and too many graduates. No leadership also means pharmacy has no idea what it wants to be at this point.
Our responsibilities are getting bigger, but our pay checks are smaller or the same and with so many graduates the stores have all the leverage.

You'll have a lot more opportunities as a doctor. If you've ever worked a retail pharmacy you'll soon realize it's not something you want to do for a lifetime. Do MD, DO, PA, DMD, PT or even a masters program. Pharmacy is not something I would recommend to anyone right now.

this guy gets it

 

[superjock]

Hi, I am a pre med student. However, I have recently been looking into going into pharmacy. I was wondering what the pros and cons are for being a pharmacist. Also, what is the work like day to day? Salary? Bonuses? Paying off debt? Etc


Thanks.

When I graduated pharmacy there were sign on bonuses and you were treated well. Since that time in 2006, the number of graduates has more then doubled/year. So I went to medical school in 2014 and will be graduating this June with a DO degree. Unless things changed from when I started medical school, a pharmacist seems to concentrate on one area and doing it well. To me this made any job become boring after a few months because I could master being the retail, mail order, hospital pharmacist within a few months. Out of all these the hospital pharmacy manager was the best. But I believe the market is becoming saturated with pharmacists as I have seen the sign on bonuses disappear within a year or two of my graduation. Depending on what you want to do, and how much schooling you are wanting to do, would shape your options. IE MD, DO, NP, PA, cRNA. Currently I would not recommend pharmacist.