Switching in the middle of program?

[mushtale]

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Hello everyone! I'm a long-time lurker on this forum, and I wanted to ask for some advice 🙂

I just finished my first year of a 0-6 pharmacy program, and absolutely LOVED it. I'm also working as an intern at a community pharmacy - I'm learning so much and having a great time. But with 5 more years to go and the job market the way it is, I'm worried that by 2016 there won't be any jobs for new grads. I'm willing to relocate or do a couple years of residency, but will that be enough by then?

Right now, I'm seriously considering switching to a physical therapy program offered at my university (if they allow me). Or possibly Chemical Engineering.

I guess my question would be: given that I'm only one year into the program & have the opportunity to switch majors, should I do it??

Thank you SO MUCH in advance!! This forum has always been a great resource 😀

 

[pfaction]

1. Which 0-6 school, just curious...don't have to say if you don't want to, but at least state!
2. Even though I strongly dislike pharmacy, I wouldn't switch to either of those fields. I'm not well versed in PT but Chem-E is as difficult and I think the market from that, at least what my dad says, is brutal as well. He rejected what I thought were very good candidates.

 

[mushtale]

1. Which 0-6 school, just curious...don't have to say if you don't want to, but at least state!

Northeastern Univ! Honestly, it's a great program.. I just wish everyone was more realistic about job prospects. The first time I heard of the end of the pharmacist shortage was through SDN :/

 

[owlegrad]

I guess my question would be: given that I'm only one year into the program & have the opportunity to switch majors, should I do it??

Thank you SO MUCH in advance!! This forum has always been a great resource 😀

Only you can answer that. PT seems like a good field, but I wouldn't know.

 

[PegIntron]

if you like pharmacy and you are good at it, then there is no reason to switch. Keep on doing what you are doing and I am sure you will be successful. There will be jobs, just more competitive.

 

[PharmDoc1]

If you have a passion and you are good at a pharmacy, you will have a job. If you are not, making a career change is a wise choice. If you are interested in the chemical engineering, consider the petroleum engineering. With only BS in the petroleum engineering, you can make an initial salary of $70k to 80k initially. The medial salary of the petroleum engineer is over $100k.

 

[Zoupa]

If you have a passion and you are good at a pharmacy, you will have a job. If you are not, making a career change is a wise choice. If you are interested in the chemical engineering, consider the petroleum engineering. With only BS in the petroleum engineering, you can make an initial salary of $70k to 80k initially. The medial salary of the petroleum engineer is over $100k.

You can make that much from chemical as well. Exxon, Shell, etc. hire fresh Chem E grads at 85-90k. You need very high marks to get hired on with those companies straight out of school though. I started at 75k with a Mec E degree.

Average for a mid career engineer is probably around 120k. The salary surveys are skewed down since they don't include managers or anyone who no longer has 'engineer' in their job title.

With that said, engineering is a more stressful job than pharmacy (it comes with the corporate shill thing). Working conditions can be better, but are generally probably worse.

 

[megandupe]

Dont do PT, its saturated. If you like engineering, petroleum and Chem E are good fields right now, I work at one of the top engineering schools in the country and while the male:female ratio is terrible, those guys start with pretty fantastic salaries. If you're willing to travel too, that's where the money is!

I wish i went into p-engineering, my family is saturated with them, but it looks so boring and difficult! My dad is burnt out from it and he's not even over the hill yet.