Pre-pharm to Engineering

[sincerelyyme]

So I'm a pre-pharmacy student at a state university and am deciding if pharmacy is right for me. If I find that it's not, I might switch out and go engineering. However, I will need some deciding factors about pharmacy and its aspects when compared to that of engineering. So my questions are:
-What subjects are associated with pharmacy/pharmacy school that one must like to be able to enjoy pharmacy? (i.e. chemistry, biology(?)) I am a freshmen taking an intro biology class, and honestly, this class is very frustrating and discouraging. What about engineering?
-How much memorization is involved in pharmacy, compared to that of engineering?
That's all I could think of right now, but also note the fact that I am in a state university, so tuition for pharmacy school is most likely going to be debt-free upon graduation. Also, it is a 6 year program, so this itself, sounds very appealing to me, which is one of the reasons why I am sticking to it as of now.
Sorry for the disorganized post, but any advice is appreciated.

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[owlegrad]

So I'm a pre-pharmacy student at a state university and am deciding if pharmacy is right for me. If I find that it's not, I might switch out and go engineering. However, I will need some deciding factors about pharmacy and its aspects when compared to that of engineering. So my questions are:
-What subjects are associated with pharmacy/pharmacy school that one must like to be able to enjoy pharmacy? (i.e. chemistry, biology(?)) I am a freshmen taking an intro biology class, and honestly, this class is very frustrating and discouraging. What about engineering?
-How much memorization is involved in pharmacy, compared to that of engineering?
That's all I could think of right now, but also note the fact that I am in a state university, so tuition for pharmacy school is most likely going to be debt-free upon graduation. Also, it is a 6 year program, so this itself, sounds very appealing to me, which is one of the reasons why I am sticking to it as of now.
Sorry for the disorganized post, but any advice is appreciated.

Isn't engineering 4 years? So I don't see why a six year pharmacy program is attractive to you compared to a 4 year program. Also your pharmacy education will not be debt free, unless you plan on paying for it out of pocket.

Probably more memorization in pharmacy school.

There is no class that will predict how much you will enjoy pharmacy school. I hated my biology classes in undergrad. It is not a predictor of success I assure you.

 

[GwenFuu]

So you're questioning your path towards pharmacy because you're not loving Biology? That is quite an excuse to quit.

The thing you need to know is that no one will ever magically obtain "passion" in their study of choice immediately. It is when you learn to master the skills of the craft where true passion comes into full bloom.

In regards to memorization, pharmacy may have more memorization, but engineering requires the advanced skills of coming up with new and innovative solutions, depending the type of field you're going into. Therefore, if you can't see yourself coming up with creative ideas/plans of your own, then engineering might not be for you.

 

[erin0522]

So I'm a pre-pharmacy student at a state university and am deciding if pharmacy is right for me. If I find that it's not, I might switch out and go engineering. However, I will need some deciding factors about pharmacy and its aspects when compared to that of engineering. So my questions are:
-What subjects are associated with pharmacy/pharmacy school that one must like to be able to enjoy pharmacy? (i.e. chemistry, biology(?)) I am a freshmen taking an intro biology class, and honestly, this class is very frustrating and discouraging. What about engineering?
-How much memorization is involved in pharmacy, compared to that of engineering?
That's all I could think of right now, but also note the fact that I am in a state university, so tuition for pharmacy school is most likely going to be debt-free upon graduation. Also, it is a 6 year program, so this itself, sounds very appealing to me, which is one of the reasons why I am sticking to it as of now.
Sorry for the disorganized post, but any advice is appreciated.

You're a freshman so you still have a lot of time to grow and things to experience. One class shouldn't deter you from a path that you want. You're going to go through ****ty classes no matter what.

As for debt free? Not sure about that one. Even at UF which is dirt cheap, it's still in the teens (thousands). I don't know where you go, but you shouldn't stick with a path if that's your reasoning.

There is a TON of memorization in any aspect of the health field, especially pharmacy. You will basically need to know EVERY medication on the shelf, plus a multitude of other things. Engineering is much more application, math-based. If you're good at math and are creative, go for engineering.

Engineering will be a complete change from pharmacy, so if you decide to change you should be prepared to start all over in your coursework. I know that here at UF it's a 5 year program unless you do summers. But you can get a job right after you get your Bachelor's, which can be appealing.

Good luck with your decision =]

 

[sincerelyyme]

So I don't see why a six year pharmacy program is attractive to you compared to a 4 year program. Also your pharmacy education will not be debt free, unless you plan on paying for it out of pocket.

I meant, the 6 year pharmacy program sounds appealing to me, when compared to the regular route of a bachelor's degree first, and then 4 years of pharmacy school, or 8 years in total. And what I also meant was, I'm guessing it would be relatively cheaper because I'm getting in-state tuition. Sorry for the confusion.

Engineering will be a complete change from pharmacy, so if you decide to change you should be prepared to start all over in your coursework. I know that here at UF it's a 5 year program unless you do summers. But you can get a job right after you get your Bachelor's, which can be appealing.

I'm a freshmen starting off with the gen eds at my university, so I don't think I would have to start all over. I also registered for some more gen ed classes, and classes that pharmacy and engineer overlap, so that if I decide to go one route, I wouldn't have to "start" over.
I'm right in between both of these fields as of now, but I think I have time to decide. Honestly, I think the problem is that I'm a bit clueless about the work each field consists of. So perhaps I'll spy on some pharmacists at Walgreens some time later this week?

 

[meimei29]

I'm right in between both of these fields as of now, but I think I have time to decide. Honestly, I think the problem is that I'm a bit clueless about the work each field consists of. So perhaps I'll spy on some pharmacists at Walgreens some time later this week?

Yes, I would try that :] .. Pharmacy has a ton of fields available, too. Even though you may visit or shadow a community pharmacist, don't forget that there are a ton of other options out there, too. You're still young; there's still a lot of time to look into both careers. Ultimately, some important things to think about are what you find most interesting and fulfilling.

I'd look into the Pre-Pharm FAQ for starters :]

 

[pharm B]

Honestly, your best bet is to spend some time shadowing people in each profession. Most of us never made the most of that opportunity in high school, etc, but you're an adult now, so the burden is on you to find avenues that will let you see how people really work in pharmacy and engineering. No one here can tell you which of these two wildly different fields is the better fit.

Don't let bio get you down. Sometimes it's the prof, sometimes it's the material. "Do I really need to know what the breathing hole things on a cricket are called?"

As advised above, the pre-pharm FAQ is a great place to start.

You're so early in the process, you can still choose to go anywhere. The question is: where do you know you have a solid interest?

 

[nrsair]

Get a 4 year degree in ChemE.

Get a PharmD.

Make bankkkkk in the industry.

If I could go back in time to high school this is what I would do.

 

[nkmho1]

Get a 4 year degree in ChemE.

Get a PharmD.

Make bankkkkk in the industry.

If I could go back in time to high school this is what I would do.

Ugh, ChemE, don't even get me started on how painful that was.