Stuck at a crossroads...

[Aaronmhahs]

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Hello everyone,

I have been browsing these forums consistently to absorb as much insight as possible to try to get a sense of where my future goals lie. I'll confess that at this point, i am trying to decide where to take my next steps.

What i can tell you is what my intentions are, and hopefully somone can relate to me and provide me with some insight and inspirational advice.

My reasons for interest in healthcare:

• I KNOW that i want to be a healthcare professional based solely on a passion to help people.
• I love math and science. I have always looked forward to attending my courses in the past and present in calculus, calculus-based physics, and O-chem. (i have not taken Biology yet).
• I have a large interest in chemistry, and will be attending UCLA to research and attain my B.S. in chem as well.
• I will admit, that i am also attracted to the salary. Growing up, my family didnt have much, thus i have a heavy desire to give my future family a comfortable life.
• Lastly, the prestige. I am very competitive in nature, and strive to do the best i can. Therefore i feel that a healthcare professional route is the best way to feel accomplished in a high regards.

All of those reasons are coming truthfully from the heart. Hopefully, some of you can relate or even give me your reasons.

Also, i have made plans for pharmacy school for a while now, however there has always been an itching for me to go to medical school. I have always told myself that due to my past (1 year at a cal state getting academically disqualified due to horrendous grades - because my mother passed away) i would never be able to get into medical school, and i also do not like gore.

The main reason i would have an interest in medical school over pharmacy is because i would prefer the patient interaction as well as the autonomy of being a physician.

I apologize for such a long post, i just needed to get this out for people to see and potentially help me with.

-Thank you everyone

 

[R2pharmD2]

At this point, you really don't have to make any kind of firm commitment to pharmacy. There is quite a bit of overlap between med school and pharmacy school pre-reqs. I originally started college with the idea that I'd try for med school, but changed my mind after I started working as a tech.

If I was going to give you one piece of advice, it would be to get a tech job if you can. You're in California, so that's probably going to be tough from what I've heard, but if you can pull it off, do it. Getting your tech certification might help here. That should either solidify your interest in pharmacy or help you realize it isn't for you. Shadowing a physician, if you haven't already, would be a good idea too.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Like R2 said, you're really early in this process. Considering you're going to get your B.S. in Chem, you have between 2 and 4 years (depending on if you did any transferable credits @ a cc or something) to gather information (or longer really). Point is, no need to rush. You need to do recon here. You need to talk to people, a lot of people, not just pharmacists but also other possible career paths, like DPTs, dentists, etc to see what fits your personality the best.

The thing that made pharmacy the clinch for me was how we are the most readily available health care provider. You don't need an appointment to speak to a retail RPh, ideally, you can simply ask to speak to one. And yeah, I know, we're all super busy and it's extremely hard to do that pt contact "stuff" but I go out of my way to make sure I do.

I love chemistry and pharmacology but the pt contact was totally "it" for me. I'm an extrovert (big shocker!) and enjoy interacting with people on a personal basis.

You need to find the field that fits your personality, regardless of extrinsic stimuli, like cash money. Yeah, money is awesome, but the old adage that money cannot buy happiness is accurate. If you make 6 figures but hate going to work every day , what's the point? I know too many people locked into high-paying, but crappy careers they hate, and they're always whining about it.

Anyway that's my 3 euros worth.

 

[RockHardIce]

Are you deciding on pharmacy solely based on the points you mentioned or have you tried working in a pharmacy environment?

Pharmacy education today = large amount of debt
Pharmacy job market = very selective


Good luck!

 

[Passion4Sci]

Pharmacy education today = large amount of debt

Totally depends on where you go.

Pharmacy job market = very selective

Totally depends where you want to/where you work.

 

[RockHardIce]

Corrected:

Pharmacy education today = large amount of debt x f(where you go)
pharmacy job market = very selective x f(where you work)


😀

 

[owlegrad]

Corrected:

Pharmacy education today = large amount of debt x f(where you go)
pharmacy job market = very selective x f(where you work)


😀

Rearrange in terms of f:

f = pharmacy job market/very selective
and
f = pharmacy education today/large amout of debt

therefore

pharmacy education today = large amount of debt x (pharmacy job market/very selective)

and

pharmacy job market = very selective x (pharmacy education/large amount of debt)


Doesn't really work out does it?

 

[owlegrad]

Pharmacy job market = very selective

Compared to what, I wonder?

 

[Passion4Sci]

Rearrange in terms of f:

f = pharmacy job market/very selective
and
f = pharmacy education today/large amout of debt

therefore

pharmacy education today = large amount of debt x (pharmacy job market/very selective)

and

pharmacy job market = very selective x (pharmacy education/large amount of debt)


Doesn't really work out does it?

Dude, if there was a way I could nominate you for a title "The Algebra-nator" I so would. That was world class.

 

[veyep]

Compared to what, I wonder?

I believe we are talking about Pharmacists vs Physicians... so compared to physicians.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I believe we are talking about Pharmacists vs Physicians... so compared to physicians.

Speaking of physicians, how's your MCAT prep going bro?

 

[veyep]

Concentrating in graduating in 2 months and passing the Naplex and law exam then we'll go from there!

 

[delano2000]

Rearrange in terms of f:

f = pharmacy job market/very selective
and
f = pharmacy education today/large amout of debt

therefore

pharmacy education today = large amount of debt x (pharmacy job market/very selective)

and

pharmacy job market = very selective x (pharmacy education/large amount of debt)


Doesn't really work out does it?

Y'all are nerds.😛