Retail after graduation... salaries

[starsweet]

So when I went to my Mercer interview most of the current students said that they would probably go into retail after graduating to pay back loans, and then do whatever they REALLY wanted to do after their loans were paid off. Is this thought pattern common among those of you in pharmacy school? (Hmm, maybe I should post this in the Pharmacy thread.)

Is there really that big of a gap between retail salaries and hospital or independent pharmacy salaries?

I'm really curious...

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[rxforlife2004]

This is a very common trend. I, in fact, have the same thought too and most likely won't do residency after graduating. But, another reason along is that I personally like to work in retail setting.

 

[starsweet]

I guess I am interested (at this point) more in hospital pharmacy or independent community pharmacies. Are the salaries really that different?

 

[n0estoy]

I dont think the gap between clinical and retail is that big. i saw some figures that put the gap at 10k at most. But between 80k and 90k...i guess when u have loans hanging over your head it makes a difference...

 

[ultracet]

I guess I am interested (at this point) more in hospital pharmacy or independent community pharmacies. Are the salaries really that different?

yeah they're that different...
most people that i know (seeing as how we're now getting job offers) are looking at about a $30K difference.... between starting out in hospital or starting out in retail...

if you talk clinical.. you're talking residency and then trying to find an actual clinical job... (here's a hint... everyone wants clinical and there just aren't that many positions... unless you work at a hospital where you rotate and do like 1 clinical day for 5-6 dispensing days).

Residency salaries are between $30-40K for the year.

 

[Shovingit]

Starsweet, how was your interview at Mercer?

 

[starsweet]

Starsweet, how was your interview at Mercer?

It was really relaxed and laid-back, more than I thought it would be. In the beginning when we first met in that conference room no one was really talking to each other so I felt a bit nervous. It was better later on though. They seem like they really care about their students and they kept hinting that was the big difference between paying 20 grand/year to go to Mercer versus that other big school in Georgia. Your advice was really helpful by the way. I do think they care more about your communication skills than whether you give them the "right" or "wrong" answer. At least, I hope so! Atlanta traffic is a bitch though. I've been spoiled being away from it for 3 years.

I was kinda surprised though that the "tricky" questions were asked by the student interviewer, not the faculty. I think overall I did pretty well.

 

[starsweet]

yeah they're that different...
most people that i know (seeing as how we're now getting job offers) are looking at about a $30K difference.... between starting out in hospital or starting out in retail...

if you talk clinical.. you're talking residency and then trying to find an actual clinical job... (here's a hint... everyone wants clinical and there just aren't that many positions... unless you work at a hospital where you rotate and do like 1 clinical day for 5-6 dispensing days).

Residency salaries are between $30-40K for the year.

Can you get into a clinical position without doing a residency? The pharmacist I shadowed was able to after working at her hospital for a few years.

Also, how do independent community pharmacies pay? I'm sure they vary, but is there a range?

 

[ultracet]

Can you get into a clinical position without doing a residency? The pharmacist I shadowed was able to after working at her hospital for a few years.

Also, how do independent community pharmacies pay? I'm sure they vary, but is there a range?

by now...
if you want to be a clinical pharmacist you have to do a residency....
like i stated... several hospitals are calling all of their positions "clinical" but they are not.
What we have been told multiple times is that 1 year of residency = 5 years of experience in a hosptial.

independents depend on the store... i honestly don't know the answer to this... it will depend on the type of independent and the success of the store.

 

[letjin]

Do you guys think those people who are doing retail to pay off loans will actually switch to other field, such as clinical pharmacy, once they achieve their purpose?

If they want to work at a hospital as dispensing pharmacist, it seems like there will be no issue. But let's say they want to become clinical pharmacists, then they would have to do a residency. Then they would have to take a pay cut from 90K+ to 30-40K... and they may have a harder time at ASHP midyear (maybe) because they started off retail?

It just seems like if you want to become a clinical pharmacist, you would just start off doing residency.

 

[Requiem]

Do you guys think those people who are doing retail to pay off loans will actually switch to other field, such as clinical pharmacy, once they achieve their purpose?

If they want to work at a hospital as dispensing pharmacist, it seems like there will be no issue. But let's say they want to become clinical pharmacists, then they would have to do a residency. Then they would have to take a pay cut from 90K+ to 30-40K... and they may have a harder time at ASHP midyear (maybe) because they started off retail?

It just seems like if you want to become a clinical pharmacist, you would just start off doing residency.

Well I mean how can you really answer this? This is completely dependent upon the individual himself, and so many other factors.

However, the fact is a huge majority of pharmacists become retail pharmacists, and pay is a big reason for that. So if the person gets used to the bigger salary, or discovers s/he enjoys the retail position, why would they switch?

Either way, you can make a comfortable living and finances won't ever really be a concern - it's just what you enjoy.

 

[imperial frog]

However, the fact is a huge majority of pharmacists become retail pharmacists, and pay is a big reason for that.

Pay is a much smaller reason than the undeniable fact that the majority of jobs available are in retail. It doesn't matter how much of a pay cut you are willing to take if there isn't a position open for you.

 

[Requiem]

Pay is a much smaller reason than the undeniable fact that the majority of jobs available are in retail. It doesn't matter how much of a pay cut you are willing to take if there isn't a position open for you.

There are jobs available in whichever field of pharmacy you prefer, whether it be relief,retail,clinical or academia - that's a moot point? If you truly want to be a clinical pharmacist, then you'd be willing to move if you had to - which may not even happen.

Money is a huge reason, much bigger than 'job availability', seeing as how job availability doesn't really have a huge impact - you can find the job you seek.

If clinical pharmacists were paid $100K + a year and retail paid like $70K, people would say why tolerate the general public for 70k, I'd rather practice the theory, etc and a lot more would go into it.

 

[calrx]

It was really relaxed and laid-back, more than I thought it would be. In the beginning when we first met in that conference room no one was really talking to each other so I felt a bit nervous. It was better later on though. They seem like they really care about their students and they kept hinting that was the big difference between paying 20 grand/year to go to Mercer versus that other big school in Georgia. Your advice was really helpful by the way. I do think they care more about your communication skills than whether you give them the "right" or "wrong" answer. At least, I hope so! Atlanta traffic is a bitch though. I've been spoiled being away from it for 3 years.

I was kinda surprised though that the "tricky" questions were asked by the student interviewer, not the faculty. I think overall I did pretty well.

Congrats... I'm glad it went well! When will you find out if you're accepted or not?

 

[starsweet]

Congrats... I'm glad it went well! When will you find out if you're accepted or not?

Thanks! They said we would find out in the middle of February.

Anyone on SDN at the interview Friday??

 

[calrx]

Thanks! They said we would find out in the middle of February.

Anyone on SDN at the interview Friday??

Oooo, good luck! I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya.

 

[highlyfavored]

Is it hard to make the switch from retail to hospital? I have seen some hospital job posts that say " Retail pharmacists need not apply".

 

[imperial frog]

There are jobs available in whichever field of pharmacy you prefer, whether it be relief,retail,clinical or academia - that's a moot point? If you truly want to be a clinical pharmacist, then you'd be willing to move if you had to - which may not even happen.

Money is a huge reason, much bigger than 'job availability', seeing as how job availability doesn't really have a huge impact - you can find the job you seek.

So what you are saying is that if everyone decided to go into clinical and looked hard enough then a job would be there for them? That's dreaming. Yes there are jobs available in every field. No one is denying that. However the number of jobs in retail far outweigh the number in other fields and the bottom line is that there is not a position for everyone, not even close to everyone, who wants to go into something other than retail.

In my class, aside from maybe 2 or 3 people, everyone wants to go into clinical, research, whatever. Applying the reasononing that if they want it they will get a job in these fields, and then multiply that by every school in the country just isn't rational.

In the end, the majority of pharmacists are going to have to settle for jobs in retail because that's where the greatest availability and growth is. In the case of job supply versus pharmacist wants...job supply wins.

 

[Requiem]

So what you are saying is that if everyone decided to go into clinical and looked hard enough then a job would be there for them? That's dreaming. Yes there are jobs available in every field. No one is denying that. However the number of jobs in retail far outweigh the number in other fields and the bottom line is that there is not a position for everyone, not even close to everyone, who wants to go into something other than retail.

In my class, aside from maybe 2 or 3 people, everyone wants to go into clinical, research, whatever. Applying the reasononing that if they want it they will get a job in these fields, and then multiply that by every school in the country just isn't rational.

In the end, the majority of pharmacists are going to have to settle for jobs in retail because that's where the greatest availability and growth is. In the case of job supply versus pharmacist wants...job supply wins.

Dude - the majority of graduating students do not want to go into clinical or research. You should never "settle" for anything with a pharmacy degree, as I've stated before - options are open.

 

[rxprincess]

Thanks! They said we would find out in the middle of February.

Anyone on SDN at the interview Friday??

yeah, I was at the Friday interview. It was pretty relaxed like everyone said it would. In the beginning since no one was talking to each other, it seemed tense, but as the morning progressed it got much better. Did you also think some of the applicants there were pretty intense? Especially when we went around the table and introduced ourselves, some people were so serious! I almost wanted to laugh at some of the people, but I guess you have to do what it takes to stand out and get into these competitive programs!

 

[starsweet]

yeah, I was at the Friday interview. It was pretty relaxed like everyone said it would. In the beginning since no one was talking to each other, it seemed tense, but as the morning progressed it got much better. Did you also think some of the applicants there were pretty intense? Especially when we went around the table and introduced ourselves, some people were so serious! I almost wanted to laugh at some of the people, but I guess you have to do what it takes to stand out and get into these competitive programs!

Yeah, everyone was really serious! It made me nervous in the beginning but later it was fine. I felt like some people were trying to use big words to impress everyone. So what did you think of the school? We're supposed to hear from them in February right?

 

[rxprincess]

Yeah, everyone was really serious! It made me nervous in the beginning but later it was fine. I felt like some people were trying to use big words to impress everyone. So what did you think of the school? We're supposed to hear from them in February right?

I actually ended up liking the school even more after the interview. The school campus is pretty small, but everyone there- students and faculty seem really friendly and nice. The students all seem enjoy being there. It is one of my top choices! If I do get an acceptance letter, I'll most likely go there. They said the Admissions Committee was going to meet Jan 31 and we should be hearing from them early to mid February. What did you think of the school?

 

[starsweet]

I actually ended up liking the school even more after the interview. The school campus is pretty small, but everyone there- students and faculty seem really friendly and nice. The students all seem enjoy being there. It is one of my top choices! If I do get an acceptance letter, I'll most likely go there. They said the Admissions Committee was going to meet Jan 31 and we should be hearing from them early to mid February. What did you think of the school?

I agree, the students do seem happy there. I would love to get in of course, but I kinda want to go out of state since I've been in Georgia for a while. So we'll see what happens.

 

[imperial frog]

Dude - the majority of graduating students do not want to go into clinical or research.

I don't know where you get your information on this. Seems like just about every poll I see or when I talk to students, retail is always at the bottom of the list of where they want to go.

 

[meg]

If retail pharmacies saw this post they would be jumping for joy. Students are their #1 recruitment target, because they know once they have you... they'll never let you go! *evil laugh*

 

[imperial frog]

They already know.

 

[Rx_of_Music]

Thanks! They said we would find out in the middle of February.

Anyone on SDN at the interview Friday??

I was the goofy Marine Corps Veteran that stood up like an idiot during the introductions. I saw that you have an interview at UGA. Is your on the 31st at 1:00 ? If so that is when mine is. Hope to call you a classmate in the Fall.
Good Luck!