Should I switch career?

[ramizlol]

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I am 16 years old and going to college to get my requirement to apply to a Wayne state pharmacy school when I am 19. I have taken two classes so far, I got an A in both of them. Looking around in this forum, all I see is people saying how bad the market is for pharmacists or pharmacy schools making too many pharmacists... I want to move to New York after I get my PharmD degree but I am worried that I will not find a job and just waste all my hard work for nothing or get a job but make only 80k for rest of my life cause the supply is so high. I LOVE any career in healthcare. I want to become a doctor really bad but the fact I will be in school for 8 years then 4 years doing residency just doesn't sound good. I don't know what to do anymore! My sister, me, two of her friends, and one of my friends are studying to become a pharmacists and I can see how the supply will be so high. I was thinking of becoming a dentist but I cannot stand looking at people's mouth, teeth or their bad breath. Any other health careers i should consider?

 

[Corpseman]

Become a CNA.

 

[CjOz]

Become a CNA.

This is a horrible idea. CNA's are on the bottom of the totem pole and barely make 15$/hr. I would say going to nursing school or PA school if you dont want to put in the years for medical school. Nurses will always be needed. But imo, shoot for med school....if you do good enough in your undergrad to at least warrant an interview then you will be able to use a solid GPA to pursue other health care routes like PA and optometry if med school isnt your calling. Good luck🙂

 

[Corpseman]

This is a horrible idea. CNA's are on the bottom of the totem pole and barely make 15$/hr. I would say going to nursing school or PA school if you dont want to put in the years for medical school. Nurses will always be needed. But imo, shoot for med school....if you do good enough in your undergrad to at least warrant an interview then you will be able to use a solid GPA to pursue other health care routes like PA and optometry if med school isnt your calling. Good luck🙂

But he is going to waste all of his hard work only making 60k as a nurse.


We cant have that happen.

 

[Stilltrying1288]

This is a horrible idea. CNA's are on the bottom of the totem pole and barely make 15$/hr. I would say going to nursing school or PA school if you dont want to put in the years for medical school. Nurses will always be needed. But imo, shoot for med school....if you do good enough in your undergrad to at least warrant an interview then you will be able to use a solid GPA to pursue other health care routes like PA and optometry if med school isnt your calling. Good luck🙂

Haha he's afraid of going into pharmacy because of saturation and yet you're telling him he can pursue optometry if med school isn't his calling.

 

[ramizlol]

But he is going to waste all of his hard work only making 60k as a nurse.


We cant have that happen.

Hahaha. 60k is nothing after taxes so that's a no no. I love the idea of being a pharmacist but it just won't workout. What other medical fields are there that make decent money and isn't over 8 years of college? I want security! I don't want to be one of those people who will have to go find another career because they can't find a job.

 

[714]

If the only reason you're looking into healthcare is to make a lot money then you should look elsewhere. There's already enough people like you trying to get into healthcare.

You're 16. You have no idea that you have no idea what you want yet, but that's alright because no 16 year old does.

 

[ramizlol]

If the only reason you're looking into healthcare is to make a lot money then you should look elsewhere. There's already enough people like you trying to get into healthcare.

You're 16. You have no idea that you have no idea what you want yet, but that's alright because no 16 year old does.

I don't want to do it for money but I would be crazy to go into a career where im barely making enough to make a living. I am not asking for a million dollars salary. I love having a career in healthcare I just don't know what to go after. I LOVE helping people!

 

[TheBlaah]

You can look into becoming a Physician Assistant or Physical Therapist. While I don't believe they make as much money as pharmacist, PA's only need 2 post-grad years of school and PT's need 3 years. From what I've seen, neither positions are in dire straits for jobs and have the possibility to be more clinical than pharmacists.

As a side note, being unable to tolerate either an unstable job market, a low salary, or an extended education really makes it seem you're in the market for the benefits and not the job itself. This is particularly evident since you don't seem to have any preference for what type of healthcare career you wish to enter. While you are still young with a lot of time to choose what you want to do with your life, I suggest reading up on what these professions actually do in an average day of their life and try to imagine yourself in their position. I can tell you right now that there are many retail pharmacists out there that would gladly take a paycut for a better quality of life/job.

And a headsup, simply saying you love healthcare and helping people is a go-to response for people who can't articulate why they want to do something. It's just not going to cut it, particularly in an interview. It's something they've heard over and over and over again.

Edit: Also, SDN offers a "personality quiz" to recommend a medical specialty.
http://www.studentdoctor.net/schools/selector

 

[CjOz]

Haha he's afraid of going into pharmacy because of saturation and yet you're telling him he can pursue optometry if med school isn't his calling.

Ah, I didn't realize optometry was in the same boat as pharm. That sucks.

 

[714]

PA School requires 1000 hours of direct hands on patient care so don't think you're going to find an easy way into healthcare and make good money.

You can help people through customer service, fixing their cars, or any number of other jobs that help others. You don't seem to have any reason to get into healthcare besides money. Some people are like that though, but they're also willing to put in hard work and bull**** their way through school and interviews.

 

[DrYoda]

So you want to make more than 80k, work in healthcare and not be a dentist, physician or pharmacist? Kind of running out of options... CRNA i guess is one that's left.

I don't want to do it for money but I would be crazy to go into a career where im barely making enough to make a living. I am not asking for a million dollars salary. I love having a career in healthcare I just don't know what to go after. I LOVE helping people!

Healthcare doesn't have a monopoly on helping people.

 

[ramizlol]

PA School requires 1000 hours of direct hands on patient care so don't think you're going to find an easy way into healthcare and make good money.

You can help people through customer service, fixing their cars, or any number of other jobs that help others. You don't seem to have any reason to get into healthcare besides money. Some people are like that though, but they're also willing to put in hard work and bull**** their way through school and interviews.

I am good at science in general. I was the smartest kid in chemistry in my school. Everyone studied their butts off and I study for 10 minutes and i get 96%. I just feel health care is right for me. I can go be and engineer, Investment Banker, lawyer.. They all make a lot of money but I don't have any interest in becoming any of them. I do like a big salary! I guess I'll either stick to pharmacy or just go become a dentist.

 

[alternity]

I am good at science in general. I was the smartest kid in chemistry in my school. Everyone studied their butts off and I study for 10 minutes and i get 96%. I just feel health care is right for me. I can go be and engineer, Investment Banker, lawyer.. They all make a lot of money but I don't have any interest in becoming any of them. I do like a big salary! I guess I'll either stick to pharmacy or just go become a dentist.

You probably don't realize how little that can mean in the long run.

It's good that you feel like you have the ability to become anything, because a couple of years down the line, you might have some doubts. Good luck, though.

 

[Corpseman]

I am good at science in general. I was the smartest kid in chemistry in my school. Everyone studied their butts off and I study for 10 minutes and i get 96%. I just feel health care is right for me. I can go be and engineer, Investment Banker, lawyer.. They all make a lot of money but I don't have any interest in becoming any of them. I do like a big salary! I guess I'll either stick to pharmacy or just go become a dentist.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

I am good at science in general. I was the smartest kid in chemistry in my school. Everyone studied their butts off and I study for 10 minutes and i get 96%. I just feel health care is right for me. I can go be and engineer, Investment Banker, lawyer.. They all make a lot of money but I don't have any interest in becoming any of them. I do like a big salary! I guess I'll either stick to pharmacy or just go become a dentist.

Have you ever considered veterinary medicine?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

i would say switch maybe to geology and study rocks

Looks like we have a new Troller in the house.

Agent B! Where is my SDNTPD squad?!

 

[714]

I am good at science in general. I was the smartest kid in chemistry in my school. Everyone studied their butts off and I study for 10 minutes and i get 96%. I just feel health care is right for me. I can go be and engineer, Investment Banker, lawyer.. They all make a lot of money but I don't have any interest in becoming any of them. I do like a big salary! I guess I'll either stick to pharmacy or just go become a dentist.

You haven't really made any clear indication of why you want to go into pharmacy besides money. You haven't even gone to university yet so give it some time before just choosing a career you have no idea about. Nobody said you had to figure out what you wanted to do for the rest of your life at 16.

 

[RN2RPh]

This type of thread is actually entertaining lol. 96% in 10 minutes is NOT good enough. You need to make 100% in 5 minutes ALL the times. If you can't do it then healthcare is not for you. Good luck !

 

[pharmd718]

If you have a strong affinity towards health care and easily do well in your studies, I would persue medicine.

If I was 20 again, I would persue ER medicine. That's where all the action is and its never ever boring. If you like the action and can think quickly on your feet then thats what I would aim for.

During my last year of pharmacy school I spent 3 months doing hospital rotations. The ER was my favorite place and I would hang out there even after my day was done.