PharmD and MD simultaneously?

[sethlives1]

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Hi, I've seen various threads where people have asked about the utility of a PharmD/MD combination.

I will have a PharmD shortly, though I am going to pursue an MD. Not because I want to open up some parallel universe that only a PharmD/MD can do, but because pharmacists in New England can't do anything.

So my question is this; can you have an active PharmD, and an active MD license? I have heard that legally you cannot. It is a conflict of interest, and the department of consumer protection (at least in Connecticut) does not allow this. Though I was told you can put one of the licenses into some sort of hold, where you only pay a small fee every year to keep it current. But you cannot practice with the license when it is in hold.

Does anyone know if this is true? I have not personally read any laws that specifically state this. If it is true, at what point in time would I have to surrender my PharmD? At the end of the second year of med school, or when I graduate from med school?

I thank you for your help.

 

[lilnoelle]

Hi, I've seen various threads where people have asked about the utility of a PharmD/MD combination.

I will have a PharmD shortly, though I am going to pursue an MD. Not because I want to open up some parallel universe that only a PharmD/MD can do, but because pharmacists in New England can't do anything.

So my question is this; can you have an active PharmD, and an active MD license? I have heard that legally you cannot. It is a conflict of interest, and the department of consumer protection (at least in Connecticut) does not allow this. Though I was told you can put one of the licenses into some sort of hold, where you only pay a small fee every year to keep it current. But you cannot practice with the license when it is in hold.

Does anyone know if this is true? I have not personally read any laws that specifically state this. If it is true, at what point in time would I have to surrender my PharmD? At the end of the second year of med school, or when I graduate from med school?

I thank you for your help.

I have no idea as far as whether you can hold both licenses at the same time. I'm guessing if that is the only issue (holding two licenses) you would have to surrender the PharmD one after your intern year. (Thats when doctors can be licensed, right?)

 

[sethlives1]

I have no idea as far as whether you can hold both licenses at the same time. I'm guessing if that is the only issue (holding two licenses) you would have to surrender the PharmD one after your intern year. (Thats when doctors can be licensed, right?)

I believe they get licensed after their 3rd year of residency, the intern year being their first year of residency. The problem is that they can practice medicine just the same, only not on their own.

My biggest concern is that I won't be able to make money in med school if I have to surrender my pharmacist license. You can technically practice basic medicine after the second year of med school.

One law that I know exists, states that someone who was licensed as a pharmacist at one time, cannot ever be licensed as a pharmacy technician. So that type of job would not be possible at all (not that I would want to work as a technician).

 

[soonereng]

You can technically practice basic medicine after the second year of med school.

Not sure where you got this from, but I have never heard of it. I think you would be pretty much setting yourself up for a lawsuit if you did.

Lawyer: "Mr. Lives1, have you been practicing medicine without a license?"
SethLives1: "Why yes, I have opened my own clinic with its own pharmacy, and been writing and filling my own prescriptions for my patients."
Judge: "Bailiff, please take Mr. Lives1 away to a cold dark place to join his new spouse Bubba."

On a more serious note, I know of a DO who also got a pharmacy degree before med school (back before it was PharmD), but he doesn't use it as far as I know (other than using the knowledge of course).

Look around at the various threads on working in med school both in this forum and the allo forum as well. There are many opinions on the ability to work and go to med school successfully at the same time.

I'm pretty sure that you are licensed as an MD/DO after PGY1 (1st year of residency) although you are not board certified until completion of the residency. So you shouldn't have to worry about conflicting licenses until PGY2, but by then you are being paid a salary (albeit a mere pittance compared to what you could make as a pharmacist).

I would just check with whatever pharmacy licensing authorities there are in the state(s) that you think you might go to med school in, and ask them directly rather than listening to the opinions of the patrons of a med school forum.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

My biggest concern is that I won't be able to make money in med school if I have to surrender my pharmacist license. You can technically practice basic medicine after the second year of med school.

If making money during medical school is your primary concern, it's gonna be a rough four years. Practice medicine in the United States after M2? Not possible. Working significant hours as a pharmacist during the clinical years? No time for 😴.

Ditto on what soonereng said. 👍

My feeling from your post is that you're not ready for medical school yet. Work as a pharm to save up enough money to please you, then worry about med school.

 

[sethlives1]

If making money during medical school is your primary concern, it's gonna be a rough four years. Practice medicine in the United States after M2? Not possible. Working significant hours as a pharmacist during the clinical years? No time for 😴.

Ditto on what soonereng said. 👍

My feeling from your post is that you're not ready for medical school yet. Work as a pharm to save up enough money to please you, then worry about med school.

By practice medicine after M2, I mean they work in some means as a physician. I have worked plenty with med students. They see patients, write orders (which have to be cosigned), ect. So they aren't "practicing", but they are performing some duties that could potentially conflict with the role of a pharmacist.

As far as not being ready for med school, there is no better time than now. If I don't go to med school now, I will start work as a pharmacist and make roughly $100k-120k per year. After that I will never want to go back to school. At this point I have no mortgage, only a small car payment, and my basic living expenses.

My concern for making money during med school is this; if my pharmacist license is taken away, I cannot work at all. Unless it is some low paying job somewhere, which would make things a lot harder than they need to be.

But to share with you some of the research I have been able to do; I've spoke with the attorney who represents the pharmacy commission. He said he was unaware of any such law, but referred me to the department of health. I sent an email to the licensing division and they sent an email back simply referring me to the drug control division. There was no "yes or no" about a law existing in their email.

So it looks like no law exists. And even if one did, I don't feel it is likely that it would take effect while I was a student. I was just hoping there was someone else who had already experienced this dilema, but perhaps there is no dilema at all.

 

[Mikey421]

well i just graduated with my pharm d, im entering med school in august, and i plan on working like 2 saturdays a month while in school for extra money, hope that helps

 

[phospho]

By practice medicine after M2, I mean they work in some means as a physician. I have worked plenty with med students. They see patients, write orders (which have to be cosigned), ect. So they aren't "practicing", but they are performing some duties that could potentially conflict with the role of a pharmacist.

As far as not being ready for med school, there is no better time than now. If I don't go to med school now, I will start work as a pharmacist and make roughly $100k-120k per year. After that I will never want to go back to school. At this point I have no mortgage, only a small car payment, and my basic living expenses.

My concern for making money during med school is this; if my pharmacist license is taken away, I cannot work at all. Unless it is some low paying job somewhere, which would make things a lot harder than they need to be.

But to share with you some of the research I have been able to do; I've spoke with the attorney who represents the pharmacy commission. He said he was unaware of any such law, but referred me to the department of health. I sent an email to the licensing division and they sent an email back simply referring me to the drug control division. There was no "yes or no" about a law existing in their email.

So it looks like no law exists. And even if one did, I don't feel it is likely that it would take effect while I was a student. I was just hoping there was someone else who had already experienced this dilema, but perhaps there is no dilema at all.

hi there...interesting you bring this up... a very close friend of mine is graduating from medical school in june... he finished his pharm D and realized he was in the same boat as you... for the last four years he's been in medical school, he has been working at least 20-25 hours a week as a pharmacist making very good money at Kroger and Walgreens, while studying for med school. He's not a genius or anything like that, but he did start med school the year after he finished pharmacy school, so the info was still fresh in his head, and according to him, he didn't have to study as much as everyone else, which enabled him to work.

We're from ohio here, so I don't know about possible laws that could be in other states; however, i do know for a fact that you can have both licenses here in ohio at least. PM me if you need any other info, and i'll be glad to call and ask him...

EDIT:

BTW, you'd be surprised by how many people are actually doing this, I've met a few over the last year or so. You guys are nuts, but were definitely born fighters... best of luck!🙂