residency then retail?

[dancingdoctor13]

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Hi

I was curious....if I decide that i want to do a residency in pharmacy (ie in pediatrics/neonat, etc) do it and then work in the field for a few years.....could I always come back and work retail? Or am I too specialized now to be proficient for retail work? Anyone here planning on going in a residency program like peds or neonat that can tell me a little more about the field and job nature as well?

Thanks!

 

[aboveliquidice]

Hi

I was curious....if I decide that i want to do a residency in pharmacy (ie in pediatrics/neonat, etc) do it and then work in the field for a few years.....could I always come back and work retail? Or am I too specialized now to be proficient for retail work? Anyone here planning on going in a residency program like peds or neonat that can tell me a little more about the field and job nature as well?

Thanks!

Generally speaking, yes, you would be qualified to come back to retail. I have heard of hospital pharmacists (on this board) moonlighting with wags or CVS to keep up their retail skills. Doing so in your case would avoid the issue entirely.

You would have to take the time to be proficient though. The drug knowledge is one thing, the knowledge of managing techs and insurance issues is another. Many downplay the many extra skills required to be a retail pharmacist, but they represent the greatest barrier to a pharmacist transitioning from one job focus to another.

I am curious as to why you would want to change fields this far in advance. Or are you just concerned with the prospect of being able to switch back?

As for neonate / peds pharmacy... Neonates are little bags of water; they required modifications in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Many doses must be adjusted / titrated appropriately. Typically, you work in a distributed (satellite) pharmacy servicing the peds / neonate section or floor. The job itself is very similar to other hospital staffing positions in other regards. The area of work can sometimes be difficult emotionally, losing a neonate can be very difficult to take.

Disclaimer - The above relates only to what I have observed. I have never transitioned from hospital / clinical to retail nor have I worked in a neonate satellite. The above musings are from observations working in a different department of pharmacy. I'm sure someone with direct experience can chime in.

 

[rxforlife2004]

Hi

I was curious....if I decide that i want to do a residency in pharmacy (ie in pediatrics/neonat, etc) do it and then work in the field for a few years.....could I always come back and work retail? Or am I too specialized now to be proficient for retail work? Anyone here planning on going in a residency program like peds or neonat that can tell me a little more about the field and job nature as well?

Thanks!

the phase "always come back and work for retail" was okay and appropriate before...however, with this economy and new grads pumping out like crazy, that phase is no longer the case.

 

[jinga]

rx4life, you bring me so much hope. Keep the positive comments coming 🙂

JK man...hate to say it but most of what you say is true 🙁 I've given you a bit of grief in the past but there is some truth in what you write. Time to adapt!!

 

[TemSirolimus]

the phase "always come back and work for retail" was okay and appropriate before...however, with this economy and new grads pumping out like crazy, that phase is no longer the case.

Doom and gloom. Truth is the job market sucks right now and all sectors are affected somewhat equally. Stay positive people. However, if you are 6 figures in the red, its OK to panic a little.

 

[Farmercyst]

Hi

I was curious....if I decide that i want to do a residency in pharmacy (ie in pediatrics/neonat, etc) do it and then work in the field for a few years.....could I always come back and work retail? Or am I too specialized now to be proficient for retail work? Anyone here planning on going in a residency program like peds or neonat that can tell me a little more about the field and job nature as well?

Thanks!

I know 3 pediatric pharmacists that have either done peds residency (2) or worked a long time as a pediatric pharmacist (1) that are all in community practice. One is on faculty at USC and runs the travel clinic, one is a district manager for CVS, and one was 20 years at a peds hospital in IN and moved to AZ, now working for WAGs. The one at wags just made the transition a couple years ago, the other two have been in community for some time now.
It can be done, and has been done, the feasibility may change a little bit, but the credentials should be fine enough should it come to that.

 

[J ROD]

It is easier to go from hospital to retail than vice versa...

With that said, the two are totally different jobs....I would recommend doing some retail to keep the skills up. That's what I plan to do. I hate retail but I also want to be able to do it some for the money.

Also, the retail game is getting more tight in terms of jobs out there. So, it may become alot harder to switch when the retail chains have the power to dictate more to what they want.