San Francisco Retail Pharmacist! Need help/advice.

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axelz165

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So I live in Florida (P4 Student) and I did not receive a grad intern offer at my retail job in my home state.. Applied out of state to every major metro in the US and the only offer I received was in San Francisco at Walgreens (grad intern) @ $32h with 64-80 hour weeks at various pharmacies. I have the following questions:
  • how many hours are new floaters getting? I want to at least be able to pay rent+minimums on loans
  • what's the pay like for new pharmacists? is it at least a bit higher considering the stupid COL of this city?
  • CPJE! I hear this is a bitch compared to the MPJE... what do i need to do differently?
  • Do I need to live relatively close to the city? Parking seems to be a bitch and very expensive so I'm not sure how i'd be able to commute by car.. it seems public transport is the best option
  • Is the tenderloin as bad as people say it is? Are there any parts that are safe/safer?

Any any other advice you can throw my way. I wouldnt be doing this if i didnt have any other choice but considering i've applied throughout my entire state this is what I have to work with...
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axelz165 said:
So I live in Florida (P4 Student) and I did not receive a grad intern offer at my retail job in my home state.. Applied out of state to every major metro in the US and the only offer I received was in San Francisco at Walgreens (grad intern) @ $32h with 64-80 hour weeks at various pharmacies. I have the following questions:
  • how many hours are new floaters getting? I want to at least be able to pay rent+minimums on loans
  • what's the pay like for new pharmacists? is it at least a bit higher considering the stupid COL of this city?
  • CPJE! I hear this is a bitch compared to the MPJE... what do i need to do differently?
  • Do I need to live relatively close to the city? Parking seems to be a bitch and very expensive so I'm not sure how i'd be able to commute by car.. it seems public transport is the best option
  • Is the tenderloin as bad as people say it is? Are there any parts that are safe/safer?

Any any other advice you can throw my way. I wouldnt be doing this if i didnt have any other choice but considering i've applied throughout my entire state this is what I have to work with...
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How much is your pay once you pass your boards? how much loan do you have? do you plan to live with roommates? how nice are you expecting your apt to be? how big is your district?( where will you be floating to?) there are too many variables that needs to be answered first to answer your questions

I know people who lives in tenderloin but I would never do it lol parking in the city is a bitch and if you don't park in the garage, expect your car window to be smashed at least once a year

Not much law questions on CPJE, I would say if you passed Naplex you should be good for CPJE
 
Floating in SF sounds absolutely horrible. People from out of state dont realize how bad the traffic situation is here. Id recommend living walking distance to a bart station and getting acclimated with bart/muni.
 
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Deja said:
How much is your pay once you pass your boards? how much loan do you have? do you plan to live with roommates? how nice are you expecting your apt to be? how big is your district?( where will you be floating to?) there are too many variables that needs to be answered first to answer your questions

I know people who lives in tenderloin but I would never do it lol parking in the city is a bitch and if you don't park in the garage, expect your car window to be smashed at least once a year

Not much law questions on CPJE, I would say if you passed Naplex you should be good for CPJE
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He hasn't finalized pharmacist pay with me yet. He said it should be around double intern pay and would let me know ASAP. I have $150k in loans. Roomates/ rooms are fine; I just require a private room. Really just want the cheapest option possible w/o compromising safety and as far as size I don't need anything huge. I've seen rooms going for around $1500? Just enough for a queen bed and desk w/ closet space. He told me I wouldn't have to leave the city when I asked about the district.

I'm very much considering areas near sunset district as these seem cheaper, have off street parking included w/ rent, and my "home" store is located in this area.

What is "the garage"? From what I've seen all parking is at least $20 dollars... wihch I'd be unwilling to pay every day so it sounds like transit is the best bet?
 
axelz165 said:
He hasn't finalized pharmacist pay with me yet. He said it should be around double intern pay and would let me know ASAP. I have $150k in loans. Roomates/ rooms are fine; I just require a private room. Really just want the cheapest option possible w/o compromising safety and as far as size I don't need anything huge. I've seen rooms going for around $1500? Just enough for a queen bed and desk w/ closet space. He told me I wouldn't have to leave the city when I asked about the district.

I'm very much considering areas near sunset district as these seem cheaper, have off street parking included w/ rent, and my "home" store is located in this area.

What is "the garage"? From what I've seen all parking is at least $20 dollars... wihch I'd be unwilling to pay every day so it sounds like transit is the best bet?
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lol off street parking is public parking, has nothing to do with rent... if you want to go cheap, you can get a place in treasure island for $600ish... idk how old your are and if you want to be in the middle of the action, if you do, then the rent will range anywhere from $2500 to $3k for the prime SOMA/financial district locations

If you hourly pay is $64 to $65/hr and you work 80 hours per paycheck and you contribute 15% to 401k then your take home pay should be around 6k, you can workout your budget regarding loans from that... BUT if you only get 60 hours per paycheck then I would re-consider moving to the bay (unless you find a place to rent for $600 in sunset then i guess it's still possible... but you'd be living in someones garage)

as for driving to work, if you had a home store and wasn't a floater then you can rent a parking spot in the city for about $250 per month, but since you won't be staying in one spot, it's going to be hard to rent one specific spot. you just have to figure out the bus schedule and try to find an apt close to the bus stop... huge hassle... just thinking about it makes my head hurts lol but i do know ppl commute from sunset to downtown for work (not pharmacist tho)... maybe you can ask the dm how other floaters are doing it

basically bay area is expensive as hell and parking situation is crap... BUT it's still pretty fun for a single guy/girl
 
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axelz165 said:
What is "the garage"?
Click to expand...
th


this is the garage lol
 
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axelz165 said:
So I live in Florida (P4 Student) and I did not receive a grad intern offer at my retail job in my home state.. Applied out of state to every major metro in the US and the only offer I received was in San Francisco at Walgreens (grad intern) @ $32h with 64-80 hour weeks at various pharmacies. I have the following questions:
  • how many hours are new floaters getting? I want to at least be able to pay rent+minimums on loans
  • what's the pay like for new pharmacists? is it at least a bit higher considering the stupid COL of this city?
  • CPJE! I hear this is a bitch compared to the MPJE... what do i need to do differently?
  • Do I need to live relatively close to the city? Parking seems to be a bitch and very expensive so I'm not sure how i'd be able to commute by car.. it seems public transport is the best option
  • Is the tenderloin as bad as people say it is? Are there any parts that are safe/safer?

Any any other advice you can throw my way. I wouldnt be doing this if i didnt have any other choice but considering i've applied throughout my entire state this is what I have to work with...
Click to expand...

You really have to ask yourself why are they recruiting somebody clear across the country? Must be desperate. Maybe that story of people leaving California in droves isn't fake news.
 
CPJE had like a 30% fail rate for out-of-state students last year. It's more clinical, hardly any law (but you still need to know the law to pass). Parking in the city is a pain in the ass...you're either circling for a spot for about 45 minutes, or paying several hundred dollars a month for a reserved spot. However, having a car is great for the Bay Area as a whole to access hiking spots and good food outside the city.

$1500 for a room sounds about right. Sunset is cheaper; you could also try the areas around Balboa Park/Daly City Bart. I hear the border btwn Tenderloin and Nob Hill ("TenderNob") isn't so bad...but again, parking sucks. If you're going the Bart/MUNI route, have a pair of earphones in at all times, whether or not you're listening to anything. Helps block out the crazy ish going on around you.
 
Deja said:
lol off street parking is public parking, has nothing to do with rent... if you want to go cheap, you can get a place in treasure island for $600ish... idk how old your are and if you want to be in the middle of the action, if you do, then the rent will range anywhere from $2500 to $3k for the prime SOMA/financial district locations

If you hourly pay is $64 to $65/hr and you work 80 hours per paycheck and you contribute 15% to 401k then your take home pay should be around 6k, you can workout your budget regarding loans from that... BUT if you only get 60 hours per paycheck then I would re-consider moving to the bay (unless you find a place to rent for $600 in sunset then i guess it's still possible... but you'd be living in someones garage)

as for driving to work, if you had a home store and wasn't a floater then you can rent a parking spot in the city for about $250 per month, but since you won't be staying in one spot, it's going to be hard to rent one specific spot. you just have to figure out the bus schedule and try to find an apt close to the bus stop... huge hassle... just thinking about it makes my head hurts lol but i do know ppl commute from sunset to downtown for work (not pharmacist tho)... maybe you can ask the dm how other floaters are doing it

basically bay area is expensive as hell and parking situation is crap... BUT it's still pretty fun for a single guy/girl
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Well I was planning on living in the city/near it; but i looked at rent in the outer bay area and it seems to be MUCH cheaper. What do you think about using BART/MUNI w/ a bicycle?
 
axelz165 said:
Well I was planning on living in the city/near it; but i looked at rent in the outer bay area and it seems to be MUCH cheaper. What do you think about using BART/MUNI w/ a bicycle?
Click to expand...

That plan will last until you wake up the next day after your first back-breaking shift. Plan on being chronically exhausted.
 
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Dr. Galazkiewicz said:
That plan will last until you wake up the next day after your first back-breaking shift. Plan on being chronically exhausted.
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This. You're life is going to be a constant cycle of driving in traffic or waiting around for trains and busses, 8-12 hours of hard work, then driving home in traffic or waiting around for trains and busses, then try to squeeze in some sleep. Rinse and repeat for months on end. If you can actually live like this you're a much stronger person than I am.
 
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I would rather work anywhere in the Sacramento Valley than in actual SF

A long time ago I took the first AM 1 California from the Outer Richmond to the Ferry Building five times a week. That took about 50 minutes to travel six miles and that is a straight shot, no transfers but at least I had time to read and ponder my poor life decisions.

Hope they just let you float among a fixed set of stores rather than go all over the place
 
Get a place close to your home store since you will probably be working there the majority of time until you become licensed. Saves you a lot of time. CPJE is a bitch and clinically heavy, be prepared to wait 2-3 months for your result and another 2 weeks to be licensed. The City and Bay Area is really nice. Lots of things to do. There's plenty of street parking western and southeastern part of the city. Definitely stay away from Tenderloin. Outer Sunset is cheap, more residential it seems and tend to be lower rent compare to other places but it's always foggy. Bayview is probably the cheapest area and gets more sun than the rest of the City. Seems to be the poorer part of the city but not ghetto like Tenderloin. As far as pay rate, they should start you around $68-$73/hr depending on your experience. I wouldn't accept anything lower.
 
I've been in SF for a yr. I'll give you the tl;dr

- SF is OK at best, transportation is an issue. The whole BART vs drive argument is BS. BART is better. If you can find an apt within walking distance of BART/Muni you are golden not matter how far you are miles wise
- If you drive, goodluck fam.. 80/280/880/101 is a bitch
- Out of city is always best for relocating.. daly city, milbrae, burlingame, fremont, san leandro, sausalito and richmond are all affordable (~$2k/rent) City life is more expensive ($3-4k) Oakland is not a bad option ($2.5k but factor in distance)
- BART, Caltrain & Muni are separate charges EACH. Can add up
- Good luck fam lol
 
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Wait til FB goes to zero and drags the rest of the tech darlings with it.

 
Ra1nMak3r said:
Get a place close to your home store since you will probably be working there the majority of time until you become licensed. Saves you a lot of time. CPJE is a bitch and clinically heavy, be prepared to wait 2-3 months for your result and another 2 weeks to be licensed. The City and Bay Area is really nice. Lots of things to do. There's plenty of street parking western and southeastern part of the city. Definitely stay away from Tenderloin. Outer Sunset is cheap, more residential it seems and tend to be lower rent compare to other places but it's always foggy. Bayview is probably the cheapest area and gets more sun than the rest of the City. Seems to be the poorer part of the city but not ghetto like Tenderloin. As far as pay rate, they should start you around $68-$73/hr depending on your experience. I wouldn't accept anything lower.
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Haha walgreens will start him out at 64/hr and tell him not to expect any raises in the foreseeable future.
 
iggles said:
Haha walgreens will start him out at 64/hr and tell him not to expect any raises in the foreseeable future.
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64 sounds like a dream compared to zero. Apparently SF pharmacists have a union? I heard they get raises.
 
Dr. Galazkiewicz said:
You really have to ask yourself why are they recruiting somebody clear across the country? Must be desperate. Maybe that story of people leaving California in droves isn't fake news.
Click to expand...
Because it is for grad intern position which needs to be filled annually. Every store can get a grad intern, so there is always an opening available.
 
Twentytwelve2 said:
Because it is for grad intern position which needs to be filled annually. Every store can get a grad intern, so there is always an opening available.
Click to expand...

But they can't get some grad from what, the 187 pharmacy schools in California alone? Why are they fishing on the East Coast? The Florida candidate has to be asking himself what's not being disclosed? What will be the real cost of living out there? What's the situation on the ground in that particular district? Is it a Colonel Kurtz situation that has already burned thru the local pool of candidates?

apoco.jpg
 
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Dr. Galazkiewicz said:
But they can't get some grad from what, the 187 pharmacy schools in California alone? Why are they fishing on the East Coast? The Florida candidate has to be asking himself what's not being disclosed? What will be the real cost of living out there? What's the situation on the ground in that particular district? Is it a Colonel Kurtz situation that has already burned thru the local pool of candidates?

apoco.jpg
Click to expand...

Something is up here. Why would a major chain bring someone cross country to work in a major city? This bucks the trend of having to look for work in rural areas.
 
axelz165 said:
So I live in Florida (P4 Student) and I did not receive a grad intern offer at my retail job in my home state.. Applied out of state to every major metro in the US and the only offer I received was in San Francisco at Walgreens (grad intern) @ $32h with 64-80 hour weeks at various pharmacies. I have the following questions:
  • how many hours are new floaters getting? I want to at least be able to pay rent+minimums on loans
  • what's the pay like for new pharmacists? is it at least a bit higher considering the stupid COL of this city?
  • CPJE! I hear this is a bitch compared to the MPJE... what do i need to do differently?
  • Do I need to live relatively close to the city? Parking seems to be a bitch and very expensive so I'm not sure how i'd be able to commute by car.. it seems public transport is the best option
  • Is the tenderloin as bad as people say it is? Are there any parts that are safe/safer?

Any any other advice you can throw my way. I wouldnt be doing this if i didnt have any other choice but considering i've applied throughout my entire state this is what I have to work with...
Click to expand...

I think you're way better off finding a position in the Midwest where your rent for a 1 bedroom apartment can be often times be 1/2 of what you'll pay for that private room in San Francisco. You have to ask yourself -what happens if you lose your job, or if hours are reduced to the point that you can't even pay your rent?

If you haven't considered Walmart, I think you should. They love new graduates. I would go on the career website, search and sort by date. Then note what jobs have been listed for a while. Those will be the ones no one wants or in hard to staff areas. Then you want to figure out who the recruiter is for that area. You will do that on LinkedIn. Just search for Walmart recruiters. They all list on their profiles the states they cover. Apply to positions in their area. Your LinkedIn profile has to be perfect. Allow recruiters to see you visited their profile and even message them, letting them know you applied for x, y position. They will tell you whether that is still available and if it isn't they will pitch something else at you.

Other companies don't have the "sort by date posted" function on their career sites. Your dollar will go a longer way in the Midwest. If you end up in a hard to staff area, you will have job security. It may not be the most exciting place but you will get a handle on your finances and tackle your loans. Do it for a few years and then transfer elsewhere.

There is saturation in Midwestern major cities but outside of them, you can still find plenty to do if you are flexible. I just think that to hop on the San Francisco hamster wheel from the get go is not a good idea. I am not in California but I hear from those who are, that you do not get 80 hours per pay period.

All the best.
 
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yungnaira said:
- Out of city is always best for relocating.. daly city, milbrae, burlingame, fremont, san leandro, sausalito and richmond are all affordable (~$2k/rent) City life is more expensive ($3-4k) Oakland is not a bad option ($2.5k but factor in distance)
l
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Those are monthly rent rates? That is a HUGE hamster wheel to jump on; in addition to pharmacy school loans.
 
Apotheker2015 said:
There is absolutely no way I'd make meeting ends that much harder for myself. I am in a comfortable apartment that I can pay for - whether employed or not. Gotta love the Midwest.
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For all the taxes and higher living costs in California, do you really get the return? Traffic on I-5/405 etc no matter the time of day....
 
johnpharm01 said:
For all the taxes and higher living costs in California, do you really get the return? Traffic on I-5/405 etc no matter the time of day....
Click to expand...

Yup, pointless. I am even thinking of going rural here just to make sure I meet my early retirement goal.
 
Apotheker2015 said:
There is absolutely no way I'd make meeting ends that much harder for myself. I am in a comfortable apartment that I can pay for - whether employed or not. Gotta love the Midwest.
Click to expand...

Midwest life is definitely the greatest, I'll be retired while these Californians will still have 20 years left.
 
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Tenderloin is paradise compared to the bad neighborhoods of Philly and Baltimore.

Don't listen to the people saying don't take the job...it's better than being unemployed, and if you are OK with just a room you can likely reduce rent to $1500 a month or so depending on location. You won't be living in luxury, but enough to make ends meet and pay your loans...again, much better than unemployment.

As far as floating, ask how far the district stretches. If it's just SF, Sunset sounds reasonable. If there are stores outside of SF, Sunset might be too far for you to commute, so you might want to consider an outlying neighborhood like Portola, and hope that they won't float you out to East Bay.
 
Apotheker2015 said:
Those are monthly rent rates? That is a HUGE hamster wheel to jump on; in addition to pharmacy school loans.
Click to expand...
Yes, cash is king. It's quite ridiculous to think about how much rent is here. Fremont, CA for example average rent is $2000 50 mins away from SF.

bacillus1 said:
Tenderloin is paradise compared to the bad neighborhoods of Philly and Baltimore.

Don't listen to the people saying don't take the job...it's better than being unemployed, and if you are OK with just a room you can likely reduce rent to $1500 a month or so depending on location. You won't be living in luxury, but enough to make ends meet and pay your loans...again, much better than unemployment.

As far as floating, ask how far the district stretches. If it's just SF, Sunset sounds reasonable. If there are stores outside of SF, Sunset might be too far for you to commute, so you might want to consider an outlying neighborhood like Portola, and hope that they won't float you out to East Bay.
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This is a joke, I wouldn't recommend Baltimore or Tenderloin. Renting a room or sharing one, makes sense short term. Unless OP is deadset on killing those loans, theres not a very good way to save on rent. Uber Hotel maybe?
 
yungnaira said:
Yes, cash is king. It's quite ridiculous to think about how much rent is here. Fremont, CA for example average rent is $2000 50 mins away from SF.
Click to expand...

That's two months of rent + utilities (electric + gas) for me here. At $770/month x 3 months = $2,310.
One bedroom apartment. Washer/dryer in unit. Dishwasher. Hardwood floors. There is no luxury here but I keep it clean, cozy and clutter-free. Got into this unit in my second year of pharmacy school. In my 5 years here, rent was raised once from 740 to 770. That's it. It just sucks that the city's market is so saturated here. You have to get way out there to find steady full time gigs. This arrangement I have here, I can afford whether employed or not. That's what OP ought to consider.
 
Thanks for he info everyone. I’ve decided to continued with my move to SF. Managed to find a relatively affordable place within my budget. I’ll see how things work out in San Francisco. I’d the hours aren’t what I’m looking for I’ll attempt to transfer out to Sacramento, Bakersfield or another rural area. Thanks for the help :).
 
You know saturation is REAL when u graduate in FL and your job offer is on the other side of the country. I know that doesn’t help but dang it’s worth pointing out. Ive lived in California before...the high cost of living makes a 100k salary dismal. Make sure to save and save by living frugally...i assure you you will move out in the future, everyone who rents in California and cant afford a home eventually does, and when that time comes you want to move out with a decent savings account so you can plunk it down on a home elsewhere. Best of luck to you.
 
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jjkz said:
You know saturation is REAL when u graduate in FL and your job offer is on the other side of the country. I know that doesn’t help but dang it’s worth pointing out. Ive lived in California before...the high cost of living makes a 100k salary dismal. Make sure to save and save by living frugally...i assure you you will move out in the future, everyone who rents in California and cant afford a home eventually does, and when that time comes you want to move out with a decent savings account so you can plunk it down on a home elsewhere. Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...

Having come and gone from the Bay Area, the grass is always greener on the other side. Feel like there are positives and negatives to living anywhere, so just make the best out of whatever situation you find yourself in.
 
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jjkz said:
You know saturation is REAL when u graduate in FL and your job offer is on the other side of the country. I know that doesn’t help but dang it’s worth pointing out. Ive lived in California before...the high cost of living makes a 100k salary dismal. Make sure to save and save by living frugally...i assure you you will move out in the future, everyone who rents in California and cant afford a home eventually does, and when that time comes you want to move out with a decent savings account so you can plunk it down on a home elsewhere. Best of luck to you.
Click to expand...

bacillus1 said:
Having come and gone from the Bay Area, the grass is always greener on the other side. Feel like there are positives and negatives to living anywhere, so just make the best out of whatever situation you find yourself in.
Click to expand...

Yes I do not plan on staying there. I’ve alresdy secured some shared housing with students and plan to just live within my means and save/pay loans. I don’t want children or anything so I have no need for a house anytime soon.

Right now the grass is greener where the job is and right now that’s in San Francisco. Hopefully I’ll be able to either transfer back to Florida within Walgreens. If not, I’ll just have to look elsewhere :).
 
johnpharm01 said:
For all the taxes and higher living costs in California, do you really get the return? Traffic on I-5/405 etc no matter the time of day....
Click to expand...

Yeah living in San Francisco sucks especially having to deal with 405/5 traffic all the time



:whoa:
 
axelz165 said:
Thanks for he info everyone. I’ve decided to continued with my move to SF. Managed to find a relatively affordable place within my budget. I’ll see how things work out in San Francisco. I’d the hours aren’t what I’m looking for I’ll attempt to transfer out to Sacramento, Bakersfield or another rural area. Thanks for the help :).
Click to expand...

Sorry I missed the full discussion, but you'll have fun out here. Don't forget to explore the Medocino coast to the north and the central coast to the south, people focus on SF city proper and the cities and forget there are all these little hamlets throughout the state that make living here worth it.
 
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