Question

[sbomb]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

What does wanting to become a pharmacist, doctor, dentist, etc. have anything to do with wanting to help people? I don't really see the correlation.

 

[Gauden44]

What does wanting to become a pharmacist, doctor, dentist, etc. have anything to do with wanting to help people? I don't really see the correlation.

You're right--there is no correlation.

 

[sbomb]

so why do adcoms stress community service, evidence of willingness to help ppl, cheerful disposition, etc. of importance. Why not go 100% with the PCAT/MCAT/DAT and GPA and or whatever makes you competent skillwise (becoming a pharm/med tech and being good at it, starting your own business, etc.) instead of a determination of whether you're a "good" person? I guess I feel that adcoms themselves are a bit hypocritical when they judge based on the criteria they judge on because I feel most people who become doctors/pharmacists/dentists do not partake in community service and are more so business oriented. I mean if caring about people is the main issue, then most people on adcoms would be social workers with a significant pay cut.

 

[jaypea65]

It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$. We live in America. Choosing a profession because you "want to help people" is bunk.

 

[sdn1977]

so why do adcoms stress community service, evidence of willingness to help ppl, cheerful disposition, etc. of importance. Why not go 100% with the PCAT/MCAT/DAT and GPA and or whatever makes you competent skillwise (becoming a pharm/med tech and being good at it, starting your own business, etc.) instead of a determination of whether you're a "good" person? I guess I feel that adcoms themselves are a bit hypocritical when they judge based on the criteria they judge on because I feel most people who become doctors/pharmacists/dentists do not partake in community service and are more so business oriented. I mean if caring about people is the main issue, then most people on adcoms would be social workers with a significant pay cut.

sbomb - you're making the leap of thinking that the adcoms are linking "helping people" with being "good" & doing "community service".

There are a huge number of people who are tremendously smart as evidenced by their ability to obtain high grades &/or scores on test. But...some of these smart folks can't relate to people or communicate well with people. They can be creative, inventive, able to sort out all sorts of difficult problems & theorems....but they can't relate. Think of some of your nuttier professors or very smart computer engineers who know absolutely more than any of us ever will know in their fields...but you wonder how they can function because they have no social skills....

In pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc....most of the healthcare fields - you have to be smart enough to learn the material, but you also have to be able to communicate with people. If you can't relate what you know to a prescriber, patient, nurses, co-workers...you will have a hard time, unless you pursue an area which is independent of others - research or writing in pharmacy. Some people find these areas better fits for them because they do better with lab benches & lab techs than with the public.

Same with medicine - these kinds of people go into radiology, pathology or research....they just don't like the people aspect of the job.

But...its not all about grades & scores.

 

[gsinccom]

sbomb - you're making the leap of thinking that the adcoms are linking "helping people" with being "good" & doing "community service".

There are a huge number of people who are tremendously smart as evidenced by their ability to obtain high grades &/or scores on test. But...some of these smart folks can't relate to people or communicate well with people. They can be creative, inventive, able to sort out all sorts of difficult problems & theorems....but they can't relate. Think of some of your nuttier professors or very smart computer engineers who know absolutely more than any of us ever will know in their fields...but you wonder how they can function because they have no social skills....

In pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, etc....most of the healthcare fields - you have to be smart enough to learn the material, but you also have to be able to communicate with people. If you can't relate what you know to a prescriber, patient, nurses, co-workers...you will have a hard time, unless you pursue an area which is independent of others - research or writing in pharmacy. Some people find these areas better fits for them because they do better with lab benches & lab techs than with the public.

Same with medicine - these kinds of people go into radiology, pathology or research....they just don't like the people aspect of the job.

But...its not all about grades & scores.

and just as the md/do profession needs the non-people folks so does pharm need the more research oriented folks🙂 That being said I know radiologists, pathologists, and researchers that are good with people too🙂

 

[sbomb]

Well aside from the people skills part, it's still about the money and not obligatory I guess about caring about people then. Do adcom people look disfavorably on those who are honest with them about their aspirations for wanting money?

 

[ajh88]

I don't know how an adcom will evaluate an applicant who states the ONLY reason they want to become a pharmacist is because of the money. There are a lot of other careers you could pursue where you would make as much (or more) money as becoming a pharmacist, and probably with less education. So there HAS to be some other compelling reason for going into pharmacy over any other career (and I'm not just talking medically-slanted careers here - ANY other career). On the up side, I guess if you told them that, they would know you were being honest, which is a good thing.

 

[sbomb]

no i wouldn't do it just for the money, but I would probably be less critical if people who seem to do it because they claim to want to help people mentioned that money is a major part of their decision as well.

 

[sdn1977]

Honestly....I wouldn't mention money. That is not what they are looking for from you.

Remember - direct your answer to the audience who you are delivering it to.

For us - go ahead...tell us about the money ...for your application & interview....I'd find a diplomatic way to deflect the question - if it ever came up (which I'm certain it won't from their point of view) and don't bring it up from yours.

Thats just my opinion....I'm just a pharmacist.

 

[sbomb]

How would you deflect it without sounding ******ed?

 

[Fantasista]

It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$. We live in America. Choosing a profession because you "want to help people" is bunk.

WORD. THE MAN SPEAKS THE ULTIMATE TRUTH.