Road to Pharmacist

[allyisamazinq]

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I am a high schooler, and I graduate in the year of 2017 in May. Going into pharmacy was my first thought in middle school, and I will indeed strive for that goal to become a pharmacist.
My GPA is a 4.0 currently, weighted. (3.8 nonweighted)
By the end of my high school year, I will have completed 5 years of language, 4 years of english, and 5 years of math. (I believe those are the main requirements for most colleges.)
Language - Spanish; Math - Algebra D, Geometry D, Advanced Algebra D, Precal D, AP Stats.
*I am a minority as well as first generation, and I live in a very small state.*
Any advice for pharmacy schools or colleges that I should attend or keep in mind? (I want good reviews from past students.)

 

[Amicable Angora]

I am a high schooler, and I graduate in the year of 2017 in May. Going into pharmacy was my first thought in middle school, and I will indeed strive for that goal to become a pharmacist.
My GPA is a 4.0 currently, weighted. (3.8 nonweighted)
By the end of my high school year, I will have completed 5 years of language, 4 years of english, and 5 years of math. (I believe those are the main requirements for most colleges.)
Language - Spanish; Math - Algebra D, Geometry D, Advanced Algebra D, Precal D, AP Stats.
*I am a minority as well as first generation, and I live in a very small state.*
Any advice for pharmacy schools or colleges that I should attend or keep in mind? (I want good reviews from past students.)

Why pharmacy?

 

[allyisamazinq]

Why pharmacy?

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

 

[Corpseman]

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

That's not pharmacy

 

[Amicable Angora]

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

As Corpseman said, that's not pharmacy.

 

[VeeSee]

become a doctor

 

[pharmchick21]

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

Why not work hard and apply to PA school?? As others have said above pharmacist cant prescribe...

 

[BAILEY007]

I would work in a pharmacy before you make the commitment. What you described is not a pharmacist's job so I would do some more research before you make a decision.

 

[darknightzzz]

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

you are a bit misinformed here. you will learn about drugs and effects but in retail pharmacy, you will never use it and just receive the prescription (prescribed by MD, DO, DNP, DPT) and fill the drugs for the patients and hand them to the patients and tell them to eat b4 take the med or dont need to eat.

LOL I will die on the day pharmacist, with their education, can prescribe medication. that's just wrong.

 

[LatePrePharm]

It's quite simple. I've always enjoyed science and math and I realized I was good at it. Pharmacy seems interesting to me because I'd like to learn about all the drugs and effects it has on people. I want to be able to prescribe the correct medication to others and helping them. There is no other career that interests me.

Pharmacists cannot prescribe medications, at all. If you work in a hospital as a pharmacist, you might help specific patients face to face, but it will be really brief and only a very small part of your job. Most pharmacists work retail. They deal with customers in a store, and not patients in a hospital.

You might want to look into becoming a physician assistant (PA). PAs work under doctors and share some of the same responsibility as doctors such a doing exams, diagnosing illness, prescribing medicines, etc. From what I heard PAs either love it or hate it. For most PA schools you need a 4 year college degree, and many require at least 2 years of patient centered-health experience (like being a nursing assistant, EMT, medical assistant). PA school is an additional 2 years after you finish undergrad***.

You also will want to look into MD/DO programs. MD and DO doctors go through almost the same type of schooling. Many MD and DO physicians have the same day-to-day job duties. DOs tend to be family or general doctors, whereas some MDs become specialized physicians (like cardiologist, oncologist, etc). But some DOs specialize too. Of course you need a 4 years bachelors to apply for medical school. Med school lasts 4 years then you do a residency for an additional 3 or more years.

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You are still in high school so you have some time to decide. My advice to you is to go to college. Do basic math and science courses your freshman year and shadow as many dentists, MD physicians, DO physicians, and PAs as you can. Then by your sophomore year you should have a general idea of what career you want to go into. At that time you can talk with your college advisor to make sure you take all of the prerequisite courses need to get into that program.

 

[darknightzzz]

Pharmacists cannot prescribe medications, at all. If you work in a hospital as a pharmacist, you might help specific patients face to face, but it will be really brief and only a very small part of your job. Most pharmacists work retail. They deal with customers in a store, and not patients in a hospital.

You might want to look into becoming a physician assistant (PA). PAs work under doctors and share some of the same responsibility as doctors such a doing exams, diagnosing illness, prescribing medicines, etc. From what I heard PAs either love it or hate it. For most PA schools you need a 4 year college degree, and many require at least 2 years of patient centered-health experience (like being a nursing assistant, EMT, medical assistant). PA school is an additional 3-4 years after you finish undergrad.

You also will want to look into MD/DO programs. MD and DO doctors go through almost the same type of schooling. Many MD and DO physicians have the same day-to-day job duties. DOs tend to be family or general doctors, whereas some MDs become specialized physicians (like cardiologist, oncologist, etc). But some DOs specialize too. Of course you need a 4 years bachelors to apply for medical school. Med school lasts 4 years then you do a residency for an additional 3 or more years.

------------------------

You are still in high school so you have some time to decide. My advice to you is to go to college. Do basic math and science courses your freshman year and shadow as many dentists, MD physicians, DO physicians, and PAs as you can. Then by your sophomore year you should have a general idea of what career you want to go into. At that time you can talk with your college advisor to make sure you take all of the prerequisite courses need to get into that program.

*** PA is just 2 full year plus 3 months. very very few PA programs last 3 years (more expensive, less favored) and no PA schools, to my knowledge, lasts 4 years.

 

[lavenderhearts]

Clinical pharmacists can prescribe drugs to patients in NC if they are licensed to. The thread creator said they were interested in pharmacy why are you all telling him/her to go to PA school and Med school. That is not what they asked. PA programs are hard to get into just like medical school. Most PA schools I have looked at want you to have many hours of volunteering and shadowing which may be hard to get

 

[TheBlaah]

Clinical pharmacists can prescribe drugs to patients in NC if they are licensed to. The thread creator said they were interested in pharmacy why are you all telling him/her to go to PA school and Med school. That is not what they asked. PA programs are hard to get into just like medical school. Most PA schools I have looked at want you to have many hours of volunteering and shadowing which may be hard to get

I think it's because it seems like the OP doesn't have a complete grasp if what it means to be a pharmacist. Their reasons for pharmacy are somewhat vague and it doesn't seem as though he/she has had experience in a pharmacy.

Many of these posters are correct in that prescribing rights is not inherent in a pharmacy career. What you say about NC prescribing rights is a half-truth: pharmacists may prescribe under a collaboration agreement with a physician. This generally only applies to maintenance medications. If she truly wishes to prescribe, she shouldn't enter pharmacy. Even if she does end up practicing in a state that has such an agreement, she would then have to find a job that would allow her to do so. This feat alone would be statistically impractical especially for the incoming job market/outlook (much more so than attempting PA or MD school).

Besides, the OP's stats look decent. No reason to doubt that he/she would not be able to matriculate into a PA or MD school at this point.

 

[darknightzzz]

Clinical pharmacists can prescribe drugs to patients in NC if they are licensed to. The thread creator said they were interested in pharmacy why are you all telling him/her to go to PA school and Med school. That is not what they asked. PA programs are hard to get into just like medical school. Most PA schools I have looked at want you to have many hours of volunteering and shadowing which may be hard to get

PA programs are not even hard to get into, much less competitive than medical schools. All you need is the 3.5 GPA 3.4sGPA and the amount of hours they ask. that's it. GRE is not even needed at some schools.

the reason PA seems just as hard to get into as medical schools is because a flood of people who dont have the requirement above apply and hope for the salary with only 2 extra year of education.

 

[pharm B]

LOL I will die on the day pharmacist, with their education, can prescribe medication. that's just wrong.

Why are you here again? Are you a pharmacist, or just someone who thinks they know what PharmD training entails? Give a pharmacist a little more diagnostic training, and I would trust them to diagnose and treat equivalent to a PA. AmCare pharmacists manage (including prescribing) patients in any number of disease states.

 

[pharm B]

Why pharmacy?

This is possibly the most important question for anyone reading this thread now or in the future. Find a solid reason, otherwise you might lock yourself into a years-long commitment, only to come out the other side unhappy with your choice.

I would work in a pharmacy before you make the commitment.

Agree 100%. I had a few classmates in pharmacy school who had never set foot in a pharmacy except to pick up a random antibiotic. They just seemed to be along for the ride. Those first internships were real eye openers for them.

 

[darknightzzz]

Why are you here again? Are you a pharmacist, or just someone who thinks they know what PharmD training entails? Give a pharmacist a little more diagnostic training, and I would trust them to diagnose and treat equivalent to a PA. AmCare pharmacists manage (including prescribing) patients in any number of disease states.

there is so much grey area to how much and to what extent PA/DNP can diagnose and treat (which is highly scrutinized by the MD/DOs).
I know exactly what PharmD training entails.

human lives are more precious and have long-lasting consequence for every mistake made by healthcare provider. Thus, a "little more diagnostic training" does not and will not cut it. What I mean when I talk about precribing privilege is independent prescribing power, not prescribe but also have to wait approval from MD/DOs.

 

[Corpseman]

there is so much grey area to how much and to what extent PA/DNP can diagnose and treat (which is highly scrutinized by the MD/DOs).
I know exactly what PharmD training entails.

human lives are more precious and have long-lasting consequence for every mistake made by healthcare provider. Thus, a "little more diagnostic training" does not and will not cut it. What I mean when I talk about precribing privilege is independent prescribing power, not prescribe but also have to wait approval from MD/DOs.

Hey troll-y, this already exists.

 

[darknightzzz]

Hey troll-y, this already exists.

I think you don't fully comprehend what my comment says. I know some states allow very limited prescribing privilege to pharmacists.

btw i am not a troll. being a PS, dont go around calling people names. it is just rude.

 

[pharm B]

there is so much grey area to how much and to what extent PA/DNP can diagnose and treat (which is highly scrutinized by the MD/DOs).

Really?

Have you ever worked in a primary care clinic? I don't see the PA/NP providers being "highly scrutinized" at all. But you know, I'm not a dental student.

 

[darknightzzz]

Really?

Have you ever worked in a primary care clinic? I don't see the PA/NP providers being "highly scrutinized" at all. But you know, I'm not a dental student.

when I say highly scrutinized, I mean by the MD/DO populations. The reason they work in primary care clinic is because there are lot of paperwork needed to be done in primary care, especially with Obamacare (authorization, referral approval, etc). Thus PA/NP sometimes just do the high end clinical paperwork for the MD/DO to work more smoothly and effectively. I will say again, they can't practice independently because their skill of diagnosis is shoddy at best, given the amount of education these two groups receive (2-3years for PA and 3? years for DNP after RN). Mind you, family practice physician alone takes 7 years after undergrad to complete to just do simple diagnosis and have to refer most of everything out.

Yes, I have worked in primary care clinic.

I still stick with my own previous statement that I will die when pharmacist have independent prescribing power. Nowadays, retail pharmacists just fill the scripts and take minimal roles to patient care. With the education pharmacy schools provide, there is no facility for clinical practice of medicine/drug to be effectively used by pharmacist to diagnose. If pharmacy schools have to fulfill this role (aka more capital invested in opening a school), I don't think pharmacy schools will open like sugar candy now. The manifestation of illnesses and the detailed study of human body are just not taught enough in pharmacy school combined with the fact that they have no facility to practice this with (even if they are taught to). Thus, you can't do clinical diagnosis on human beings like guinea pigs without practice (in a form of internships and residence)

 

[Corpseman]

I think you don't fully comprehend what my comment says. I know some states allow very limited prescribing privilege to pharmacists.

btw i am not a troll. being a PS, dont go around calling people names. it is just rude.

Be happy I edited my original post to you.


Keep on trolling, we will just keep filling scripts and laughing at your mistakes when you start writing them.

 

[darknightzzz]

Be happy I edited my original post to you.


Keep on trolling, we will just keep filling scripts and laughing at your mistakes when you start writing them.

well, at least the mistakes of those professionals cause you headache and big time wasting, but not the other way around. so honestly, laughing is all and only thing you can do.

remind me again, do pharmacists carry malpractice insurance? no right. I can see why not. because you spend 4 years of schooling to learn specifically to fill scripts, it's hard to get that wrong vs other more highly skill based healthcare careers.

 

[pharm B]

well, at least the mistakes of those professionals cause you headache and big time wasting, but not the other way around. so honestly, laughing is all and only thing you can do.

Patient safety is hilarious, isn't it?

remind me again, do pharmacists carry malpractice insurance?

Actually, we do.

It's probably best we end the discussion here, as we obviously disagree on the roles and responsibilities of the pharmacist.

 

[ldiot]

Should have learned better english before taking spanish classes

 

[oogens]

when I say highly scrutinized, I mean by the MD/DO populations. The reason they work in primary care clinic is because there are lot of paperwork needed to be done in primary care, especially with Obamacare (authorization, referral approval, etc). Thus PA/NP sometimes just do the high end clinical paperwork for the MD/DO to work more smoothly and effectively. I will say again, they can't practice independently because their skill of diagnosis is shoddy at best, given the amount of education these two groups receive (2-3years for PA and 3? years for DNP after RN). Mind you, family practice physician alone takes 7 years after undergrad to complete to just do simple diagnosis and have to refer most of everything out.

Yes, I have worked in primary care clinic.

I still stick with my own previous statement that I will die when pharmacist have independent prescribing power. Nowadays, retail pharmacists just fill the scripts and take minimal roles to patient care. With the education pharmacy schools provide, there is no facility for clinical practice of medicine/drug to be effectively used by pharmacist to diagnose. If pharmacy schools have to fulfill this role (aka more capital invested in opening a school), I don't think pharmacy schools will open like sugar candy now. The manifestation of illnesses and the detailed study of human body are just not taught enough in pharmacy school combined with the fact that they have no facility to practice this with (even if they are taught to). Thus, you can't do clinical diagnosis on human beings like guinea pigs without practice (in a form of internships and residence)

I'd be interested to see how prescribing changes over time. Of course pharmacists will never be responsible for diagnosis, the training for doing such is pretty minimal. One school I interviewed at mentioned that they have started using pharmacists for selecting drugs given the disease state, and they have had greater success compared to many of the MDs in the hospital system. It's possible the difference was due to a stellar pharmacist or luck, but they're expanding the study to see how it affects patient success and hospital readmission rates. I think it would make sense to have the MD/DO do the diagnosis work, and leave the prescribing given the disease state, but I think there's a huge block in the fact that there is a conflict of interest in having the same person doing the prescribing and dispensing (and making their profit based on which drug is dispensed). This is all an argument for if/when that provider status ever happens.

But getting back to the OP, get a summer job in a pharmacy if possible, or do something to see what it's like. I'm working at an independent pharmacy, and it's a hell of a lot better than what I hear about many chain stores, but I think getting some time in at any community pharmacy will be worthwhile.

 

[GoSpursGo]

This is a friendly reminder to please remember that mocking posts are not helpful to anyone and foster a negative forum environment, and that is a violation of our terms of service. If you are not addressing the OP's questions, please refrain from posting.