Thoughts form a 2007 Graduate

[buff100782]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I read a lot of posts on here and it seems like most of them are from students or people just graduating. I just wanted to let you know my thoughts on the profession. Take it or leave it, rip me apart on here if need me. This is just how I read the profession and its future; my opinion. Also, I can't spell (fyi).

I graduated in 2007 from a school in Pittsburgh and now live in Ohio. I moved from Pittsburgh because the salary was about 22K more in Ohio and there were no jobs in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has been saturated for awhile. In 2009 Giant Eagle signed all their interns and about a month before graduation told all of them their jobs were no longer available. This was after all the job fairs and everything so these kids were really screwed.

I am not in hot persuit of owning my own pharmacy. For those of you who have some nuts and are personable and like retail, in my opinion, there is no other option. Chain stores rely on the fact that pharmacits are spineless and full of fear. A pharmacist who ownes 12 stores told me pharmacists are always under the impression that the sky is falling and by reading the posts on here, that is clearly true. I know every pharmacy owner in northern Ohio, all highly recommend owning your own store. The reason that there are no independents left is because when CVS offers you millions of dollars to sell to them when you're 45 years old, you sell! Independents are being bought out, not going out of business...there is a difference.

My thoughts:
1. If you are still in school, change your major. I don't care what year you are in. You will say, "But then I've wasted all this time and money." I say, what is 2-5 wasted years in the whole sceme of life? Go to medical school. If you are in pharmacy school, you are smart enough to be in medical school! If you disagree with me, you will be a bad pharmacist anyway. The APhA is weak and spineless lik pharmacists. The AMA is badass. There will always be high paying jobs for physicians and RESPECT. Example -- look at MTM. That is suppost to be our baby. The apha can't even get that right. Do you know that nurses can do MTM!? Do you know that I get punished for counseling (wait times going up, etc) but a nurse practioner can charge 15$ for showing a pt how to use an inhaler?

I highly believe in what we are capable of as pharmacists. I can slash healthcare costs and improve pt outcomes myself, but it is never going to happen and we will never get reimbursed for it. Even if we can get reimbursed, the chains will make you do it for free so they can sell bottles of coke and cupcakes.

Don't be stupid or say I didn't warn you -- change your major

2. If you don't change your major, work for the government! Get treated with respect and awesome benefits! If a governent job presents itself, take it.

3. The market will get highly saturated. That Apha president can suck it. Did you ever see a pharmacy today magazine from these people?! Everyone is sitting behind a desk with a stethiscope around their neck. Excuse me while I laugh!!!!!! Pharmacists are cashiers who get paid to sell stuff, that is not going to change. You don't have any respect from anyone else in the healthcare industry. I don't agree with this, but it is just the way it is. Saturation is fine, having to compete for a job is fine. The problem is that the chains will, and do, treat you like crap! You are their property and you are a dancing monkey!

4. Don't do a residency unless you are positive you get a job! I was going to be an infections disease pharmacist until I realized that I was going to work for cheap for 2 years, let my school loans go crazy and pray I didn't have to move to North Dakota for a job. There are 2 infectious disease pharmacists in Pittsburgh. If you want to drink your pharmacy school BS koolade, go right ahead. Clinical Pharmacist jobs are unicorns.

Do what you want, say what you want. Just some of my advice. I am not worried and neither should you. If I don't own a bunch of independents, I will go to law school or medical school or whatever. We are all too young to be this damn miserable.

Lastly, don't buy a BMW when you graduated. By a civic and pay off your loans so you can have freedom from the chains.

good luck

 

[PharMed2016]

I read a lot of posts on here and it seems like most of them are from students or people just graduating. I just wanted to let you know my thoughts on the profession. Take it or leave it, rip me apart on here if need me. This is just how I read the profession and its future; my opinion. Also, I can't spell (fyi).

I graduated in 2007 from a school in Pittsburgh and now live in Ohio. I moved from Pittsburgh because the salary was about 22K more in Ohio and there were no jobs in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has been saturated for awhile. In 2009 Giant Eagle signed all their interns and about a month before graduation told all of them their jobs were no longer available. This was after all the job fairs and everything so these kids were really screwed.

I am not in hot persuit of owning my own pharmacy. For those of you who have some nuts and are personable and like retail, in my opinion, there is no other option. Chain stores rely on the fact that pharmacits are spineless and full of fear. A pharmacist who ownes 12 stores told me pharmacists are always under the impression that the sky is falling and by reading the posts on here, that is clearly true. I know every pharmacy owner in northern Ohio, all highly recommend owning your own store. The reason that there are no independents left is because when CVS offers you millions of dollars to sell to them when you're 45 years old, you sell! Independents are being bought out, not going out of business...there is a difference.

My thoughts:
1. If you are still in school, change your major. I don't care what year you are in. You will say, "But then I've wasted all this time and money." I say, what is 2-5 wasted years in the whole sceme of life? Go to medical school. If you are in pharmacy school, you are smart enough to be in medical school! If you disagree with me, you will be a bad pharmacist anyway. The APhA is weak and spineless lik pharmacists. The AMA is badass. There will always be high paying jobs for physicians and RESPECT. Example -- look at MTM. That is suppost to be our baby. The apha can't even get that right. Do you know that nurses can do MTM!? Do you know that I get punished for counseling (wait times going up, etc) but a nurse practioner can charge 15$ for showing a pt how to use an inhaler?

I highly believe in what we are capable of as pharmacists. I can slash healthcare costs and improve pt outcomes myself, but it is never going to happen and we will never get reimbursed for it. Even if we can get reimbursed, the chains will make you do it for free so they can sell bottles of coke and cupcakes.

Don't be stupid or say I didn't warn you -- change your major

2. If you don't change your major, work for the government! Get treated with respect and awesome benefits! If a governent job presents itself, take it.

3. The market will get highly saturated. That Apha president can suck it. Did you ever see a pharmacy today magazine from these people?! Everyone is sitting behind a desk with a stethiscope around their neck. Excuse me while I laugh!!!!!! Pharmacists are cashiers who get paid to sell stuff, that is not going to change. You don't have any respect from anyone else in the healthcare industry. I don't agree with this, but it is just the way it is. Saturation is fine, having to compete for a job is fine. The problem is that the chains will, and do, treat you like crap! You are their property and you are a dancing monkey!

4. Don't do a residency unless you are positive you get a job! I was going to be an infections disease pharmacist until I realized that I was going to work for cheap for 2 years, let my school loans go crazy and pray I didn't have to move to North Dakota for a job. There are 2 infectious disease pharmacists in Pittsburgh. If you want to drink your pharmacy school BS koolade, go right ahead. Clinical Pharmacist jobs are unicorns.

Do what you want, say what you want. Just some of my advice. I am not worried and neither should you. If I don't own a bunch of independents, I will go to law school or medical school or whatever. We are all too young to be this damn miserable.

Lastly, don't buy a BMW when you graduated. By a civic and pay off your loans so you can have freedom from the chains.

good luck

Sounds a little jaded but kudos to you.

👍

Are you planning on going back to school?

 

[JackBeanstalk]

yep...said he's going to law school. Surely he'll be happen then. Maybe he'll go to medical school and be a real doctor. He can finally earn the respect to polish his glass ego, something lacking since childhood I assume. Someone probably should have pet him more often and say "good job squirt", then maybe he wouldn't be so miserable. BTW, I'm a happy RPh.

 

[GoTeamVenture]

Thanks for posting what many have been thinking for awhile. Your post will probably get criticized a lot on this board but I think the criticism will come from those with little/no real world pharmacy experience (those still under the influence of their professors) or those who are afraid to admit the truth. The future and the reality of the present of this profession is scary.

 

[BrightLight]

Your perspective is too narrow. Our profession is definitely not as cheap as how u depict it.

But i do agree that if i were to decide TODAY i would go to med schoool instead, not bc i hate being a pharmacist bt bc i cant afford living with 200k but no job.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Sounds good to me! Hopefully it wakes someone up.

 

[spacecowgirl]

I must be a unicorn.

 

[PharmaTope]

do you realize the debt burden of medical school coupled with the possible cuts to GME funding is about to be a major disaster

there are talks of residents PAYING TUITION. it will be an absolutely scary time period. i dont think running to medicine is the answer to be quite honest.

i would not tell anyone to do pharmacy though. the field is not sustainable with the massive corporation takeover and destruction of pharmacy.

FYI the AMA is not some amazing organization either. Never expect these organizations to do anything. they basically exist to make the starters money and those in different positions. they are paid positions. they just hook-line people into paying dues and make it look like work is getting done.

 

[KARM12]

I am also a unicorn. Neat.

There are 2-open ID pharmacist positions in a major metro area right now....and quite a few more across the country. All need a PGY2...totally worth it for the schedule, benefits, and salary.

It seems like you are driven by money. You moved to OH for more money, you did pharmacy for money, you can't fathom doing a residency because it isn't enough money. Money doesn't buy happiness. I would rather live somewhere I want, work a job I like for slightly less pay. People make it through residency with loans...I did it and so did most of my co-residents. It is worth it to get a job you like.

 

[gotdrugs]

I read a lot of posts on here and it seems like most of them are from students or people just graduating. I just wanted to let you know my thoughts on the profession. Take it or leave it, rip me apart on here if need me. This is just how I read the profession and its future; my opinion. Also, I can't spell (fyi).

I graduated in 2007 from a school in Pittsburgh and now live in Ohio. I moved from Pittsburgh because the salary was about 22K more in Ohio and there were no jobs in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has been saturated for awhile. In 2009 Giant Eagle signed all their interns and about a month before graduation told all of them their jobs were no longer available. This was after all the job fairs and everything so these kids were really screwed.

I am not in hot persuit of owning my own pharmacy. For those of you who have some nuts and are personable and like retail, in my opinion, there is no other option. Chain stores rely on the fact that pharmacits are spineless and full of fear. A pharmacist who ownes 12 stores told me pharmacists are always under the impression that the sky is falling and by reading the posts on here, that is clearly true. I know every pharmacy owner in northern Ohio, all highly recommend owning your own store. The reason that there are no independents left is because when CVS offers you millions of dollars to sell to them when you're 45 years old, you sell! Independents are being bought out, not going out of business...there is a difference.

My thoughts:
1. If you are still in school, change your major. I don't care what year you are in. You will say, "But then I've wasted all this time and money." I say, what is 2-5 wasted years in the whole sceme of life? Go to medical school. If you are in pharmacy school, you are smart enough to be in medical school! If you disagree with me, you will be a bad pharmacist anyway. The APhA is weak and spineless lik pharmacists. The AMA is badass. There will always be high paying jobs for physicians and RESPECT. Example -- look at MTM. That is suppost to be our baby. The apha can't even get that right. Do you know that nurses can do MTM!? Do you know that I get punished for counseling (wait times going up, etc) but a nurse practioner can charge 15$ for showing a pt how to use an inhaler?

I highly believe in what we are capable of as pharmacists. I can slash healthcare costs and improve pt outcomes myself, but it is never going to happen and we will never get reimbursed for it. Even if we can get reimbursed, the chains will make you do it for free so they can sell bottles of coke and cupcakes.

Don't be stupid or say I didn't warn you -- change your major

2. If you don't change your major, work for the government! Get treated with respect and awesome benefits! If a governent job presents itself, take it.

3. The market will get highly saturated. That Apha president can suck it. Did you ever see a pharmacy today magazine from these people?! Everyone is sitting behind a desk with a stethiscope around their neck. Excuse me while I laugh!!!!!! Pharmacists are cashiers who get paid to sell stuff, that is not going to change. You don't have any respect from anyone else in the healthcare industry. I don't agree with this, but it is just the way it is. Saturation is fine, having to compete for a job is fine. The problem is that the chains will, and do, treat you like crap! You are their property and you are a dancing monkey!

4. Don't do a residency unless you are positive you get a job! I was going to be an infections disease pharmacist until I realized that I was going to work for cheap for 2 years, let my school loans go crazy and pray I didn't have to move to North Dakota for a job. There are 2 infectious disease pharmacists in Pittsburgh. If you want to drink your pharmacy school BS koolade, go right ahead. Clinical Pharmacist jobs are unicorns.

Do what you want, say what you want. Just some of my advice. I am not worried and neither should you. If I don't own a bunch of independents, I will go to law school or medical school or whatever. We are all too young to be this damn miserable.

Lastly, don't buy a BMW when you graduated. By a civic and pay off your loans so you can have freedom from the chains.

good luck

At first I had high hopes for this post, but it quickly faded like job prospects in our profession. 🙄

I'm taking the time to bold 3 sentences and give a response

In order as they are in the Original post:

1) After reading this post, this sentence is very LOL

2) That's interesting because I don't live in Pittsburgh, or anywhere close, but personally know 3 ID pharmacists in that city

3) I must be a unicorn (and turns out I'm the third unicorn who has made an appearance in this thread)

 

[WVUPharm2007]

"I'm from Yinzertown..."

I'm not going to lie, I stopped reading there.

 

[rxlea]

I know quite a few unicorns as well. You are definitely jaded, though...

There is more to pharmacy than retail and hospital. Hell, just today I was chillin' at the WHO where there are plenty of PharmDs. Sure, government jobs sound fantastic (as do ID specialties) but in these times, I think students need to keep a more open mind about where they might end up. Maybe you do end up in a rural position...but what if it is some amazing ambulatory care setting and the cost of living is low? It is so easy to be pessimistic, especially on an anonymous internet forum. The truth is, you're not going to scare many people out of pharmacy; if that is what they want to do, then that is what they will pursue. You might have to be creative and network like hell but jobs still exist and crying/whining about not getting a job in your city is not going to change many people's minds about their chosen profession.

Nonetheless, good luck to you. I highly encourage you to weigh your options and consider opportunity cost. Perhaps medicine or nursing would have been a better fit for you. You are not the first person to switch from pharmacy to medicine and you certainly won't be the last.

Cheers.

 

[J ROD]

I agree with alot of the post when it comes to retail....but apparently you have no clue about the other aspects of pharmacy.....

I have retail, hospital, home infusion, and LTC experience.......

The profession itself is in trouble in terms of producing too many students at the moment. Even my area is getting saturated now......🙁

There are still jobs that are good just not in retail unless you get into one of the few decent chains, or independents.

And, there are clinical positions....I even got offered one without a residency.....😱

It is becoming a competitive job market and requires more than a pulse and license now.....

and yes, in retail, you do get treated like crap, it is retail....retail is like that everywhere....even for doc in the boxes.

Pharmacy is not the great option it used to be but it is still has options.....

but the number of new schools and students need to be limited like med school does or it will soon be as bad as law schools......

 

[MountainPharmD]

do you realize the debt burden of medical school coupled with the possible cuts to GME funding is about to be a major disaster

there are talks of residents PAYING TUITION. it will be an absolutely scary time period. i dont think running to medicine is the answer to be quite honest.

I agree. If I had any advice to give to anyone it would be to stay out of healthcare for a while. Nothing is looking really great right now. I have never been accused of being an optimist on here so this may come as no surprise. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell the future. Who knows maybe everything will work itself out and we will all be fine. Everyone who graduates med and pharm school gets a puppy and a job and we all hold hands and sing kumbayah.

Healthcare is a funny thing. Everyone wants and needs it. Everyone wants the best care possible with no limits or restrictions. Yet no one wants to pay for it or they want to pay as little as possible for it and still get the best of the best. Something has to give eventually. How much longer are med and pharm students going to rack up tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt? I say not much longer if they cannot get a job that pays them a salary consummate with the money it cost them to get the job.

 

[PharmaTope]

I agree. If I had any advice to give to anyone it would be to stay out of healthcare for a while. Nothing is looking really great right now. I have never been accused of being an optimist on here so this may come as no surprise. I wish I had a crystal ball and could tell the future. Who knows maybe everything will work itself out and we will all be fine. Everyone who graduates med and pharm school gets a puppy and a job and we all hold hands and sing kumbayah.

Healthcare is a funny thing. Everyone wants and needs it. Everyone wants the best care possible with no limits or restrictions. Yet no one wants to pay for it or they want to pay as little as possible for it and still get the best of the best. Something has to give eventually. How much longer are med and pharm students going to rack up tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt? I say not much longer if they cannot get a job that pays them a salary consummate with the money it cost them to get the job.

true, the only things americans are willing to pay for are:

lottery tickets
weed
alcohol
clubs/sporting events/clothing
other illegal drugs
cars

thats about it. figure out a way to get into any of those markets and you will be ok

 

[owlegrad]

Healthcare is a funny thing. Everyone wants and needs it. Everyone wants the best care possible with no limits or restrictions. Yet no one wants to pay for it or they want to pay as little as possible for it and still get the best of the best. Something has to give eventually. How much longer are med and pharm students going to rack up tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt? I say not much longer if they cannot get a job that pays them a salary consummate with the money it cost them to get the job.

This is insightful to the nth degree. Everyone wants the best (read: most expensive) medications and are shocked (SHOCKED!) when they have to pay more for it.

true, the only things americans are willing to pay for are:

lottery tickets
weed
alcohol
clubs/sporting events/clothing
other illegal drugs
cars

thats about it. figure out a way to get into any of those markets and you will be ok

You think the auto industry is doing better than the pharmacy industry?

 

[lorain]

the basic premise of the post is spot on, the delivery seems a bit crass

but i do agree, if you are in pre pharm school, you need to get out now and go something else...if you are in pharm and graduating soon, you should be ok to get some type of job

i think its ridicolous that one spends 6 yrs in school with 200k in loans and right off the bat so many cities to work are crossed off the list due to saturation

 

[lorain]

do you realize the debt burden of medical school coupled with the possible cuts to GME funding is about to be a major disaster

there are talks of residents PAYING TUITION. it will be an absolutely scary time period. i dont think running to medicine is the answer to be quite honest.

i would not tell anyone to do pharmacy though. the field is not sustainable with the massive corporation takeover and destruction of pharmacy.

FYI the AMA is not some amazing organization either. Never expect these organizations to do anything. they basically exist to make the starters money and those in different positions. they are paid positions. they just hook-line people into paying dues and make it look like work is getting done.

reimbursement cuts arrent nice, but the md can make up for it other ways (ordering more tests with some BS justification, seeing more patients, etc)....MD will always have more options than a rph

 

[lorain]

This is insightful to the nth degree. Everyone wants the best (read: most expensive) medications and are shocked (SHOCKED!) when they have to pay more for it.



You think the auto industry is doing better than the pharmacy industry?

the used car business can be very fruitful if done properly

you have low overhead, easy advertising via internet, and plenty of opportunity to make money (on the car, the paperwork, etc.)

 

[lorain]

I read a lot of posts on here and it seems like most of them are from students or people just graduating. I just wanted to let you know my thoughts on the profession. Take it or leave it, rip me apart on here if need me. This is just how I read the profession and its future; my opinion. Also, I can't spell (fyi).

I graduated in 2007 from a school in Pittsburgh and now live in Ohio. I moved from Pittsburgh because the salary was about 22K more in Ohio and there were no jobs in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has been saturated for awhile. In 2009 Giant Eagle signed all their interns and about a month before graduation told all of them their jobs were no longer available. This was after all the job fairs and everything so these kids were really screwed.

I am not in hot persuit of owning my own pharmacy. For those of you who have some nuts and are personable and like retail, in my opinion, there is no other option. Chain stores rely on the fact that pharmacits are spineless and full of fear. A pharmacist who ownes 12 stores told me pharmacists are always under the impression that the sky is falling and by reading the posts on here, that is clearly true. I know every pharmacy owner in northern Ohio, all highly recommend owning your own store. The reason that there are no independents left is because when CVS offers you millions of dollars to sell to them when you're 45 years old, you sell! Independents are being bought out, not going out of business...there is a difference.

My thoughts:
1. If you are still in school, change your major. I don't care what year you are in. You will say, "But then I've wasted all this time and money." I say, what is 2-5 wasted years in the whole sceme of life? Go to medical school. If you are in pharmacy school, you are smart enough to be in medical school! If you disagree with me, you will be a bad pharmacist anyway. The APhA is weak and spineless lik pharmacists. The AMA is badass. There will always be high paying jobs for physicians and RESPECT. Example -- look at MTM. That is suppost to be our baby. The apha can't even get that right. Do you know that nurses can do MTM!? Do you know that I get punished for counseling (wait times going up, etc) but a nurse practioner can charge 15$ for showing a pt how to use an inhaler?

I highly believe in what we are capable of as pharmacists. I can slash healthcare costs and improve pt outcomes myself, but it is never going to happen and we will never get reimbursed for it. Even if we can get reimbursed, the chains will make you do it for free so they can sell bottles of coke and cupcakes.

Don't be stupid or say I didn't warn you -- change your major

2. If you don't change your major, work for the government! Get treated with respect and awesome benefits! If a governent job presents itself, take it.

3. The market will get highly saturated. That Apha president can suck it. Did you ever see a pharmacy today magazine from these people?! Everyone is sitting behind a desk with a stethiscope around their neck. Excuse me while I laugh!!!!!! Pharmacists are cashiers who get paid to sell stuff, that is not going to change. You don't have any respect from anyone else in the healthcare industry. I don't agree with this, but it is just the way it is. Saturation is fine, having to compete for a job is fine. The problem is that the chains will, and do, treat you like crap! You are their property and you are a dancing monkey!

4. Don't do a residency unless you are positive you get a job! I was going to be an infections disease pharmacist until I realized that I was going to work for cheap for 2 years, let my school loans go crazy and pray I didn't have to move to North Dakota for a job. There are 2 infectious disease pharmacists in Pittsburgh. If you want to drink your pharmacy school BS koolade, go right ahead. Clinical Pharmacist jobs are unicorns.

Do what you want, say what you want. Just some of my advice. I am not worried and neither should you. If I don't own a bunch of independents, I will go to law school or medical school or whatever. We are all too young to be this damn miserable.

Lastly, don't buy a BMW when you graduated. By a civic and pay off your loans so you can have freedom from the chains.

good luck

if i recall, the GE thing was in the pittsburgh area and not all their districts

i agree about owning independent being a great option, but you need lots of cash for startup and must score on your location (which is easier said than done)

 

[owlegrad]

the used car business can be very fruitful if done properly

you have low overhead, easy advertising via internet, and plenty of opportunity to make money (on the car, the paperwork, etc.)

So can a pharmacy business. You would have a hard time convincing me that a used car salesman has brighter prospects than a pharmacist.

 

[lorain]

So can a pharmacy business. You would have a hard time convincing me that a used car salesman has brighter prospects than a pharmacist.

a new grad will have a very hard time finding jobs in a couple more years...and oh yea, owning your pharmacy can be $$$, but you have to do it right and imo new grads coming with 150K loans dont have the upfront capital to do it

obviously a well trained/expereinced rph will be fine

the money in used car is there to be made, and you dont need to waste 6 yrs and 150k of your life

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

Give the survey to this 2007 grad and you'll get a totally different response...

 

[DRxUGS]

I was going to be an infections disease pharmacist until I realized that I was going to work for cheap for 2 years, let my school loans go crazy and pray I didn't have to move to North Dakota for a job.

Hey now...
It's not so bad. 😉

 

[pharmschooler]

Hey now...
It's not so bad. 😉

North Dakota's one of the few states that really protects community pharmacy as businesses solely owned and run by pharmacists...so it does have that going for it! Which is nice. 😀

http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.co...-fire-f/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/678160

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011...us-pharmacy-measure-north-dakota_8553276.html

 

[Ackj]

Give the survey to this 2007 grad and you'll get a totally different response...

I had no idea you were a recent grad. Your posts make it seem like you've been in the field for quite a while. You can take that as a compliment, I guess.

 

[Doctor M]

a new grad will have a very hard time finding jobs in a couple more years...and oh yea, owning your pharmacy can be $$$, but you have to do it right and imo new grads coming with 150K loans dont have the upfront capital to do it

obviously a well trained/expereinced rph will be fine

the money in used car is there to be made, and you dont need to waste 6 yrs and 150k of your life

My financials in 2008 1 year before opening the pharmacy:

Student loans: $79,000 at 2.75%
1 car loans: one for $56,000 at 5.35% (yeah yeah, i bought a BMW, flame me please! ) LOL
1 Home loan: $332,000 (bought this before the market crashed,)

Loans up my rear end. Got hosed on my home. I worked for 5 years before leaving and having the doors open. Yeah, i had Debt, stupid debt. But didnt prevent me from opening a store. Its doable if you want to do it. Today, the car loans is almost gone, the store is doing well, and i work 30 hrs a week. If you find the location, do it.

 

[pfaction]

Just want to quickly say that this isn't an alt of mine.

I'm looking at you, owle.

But I agree with what he said. I'm not telling anyone to go into pharmacy. Medicine has a do-or-die so I wouldn't care if anyone went into it--unlike Pharmacy, the residency MANDATE can be capped and MD's can be controlled in that fashion--if there are 20,000 MS4 graduates and only 7500 caps, blammo.

 

[BMBiology]

Pharmacy is not as bad as some people say it is.

I graduated a few years ago. I have paid virtually all of my student loans. I am saving up every month. My only advise: do everything you can to avoid retails. I never liked it when I was in school and I couldn't imagine doing it for the next 35 years. I declined the sign on bonus and kept looking even after I got my pharmacist license. The best professional decision I ever made.

 

[pfaction]

You said a few years ago. In 2008 it was still OK, at least in NY: all my friends got jobs. 2009? Nope. 2010? LOL, 2011 = only one person got a residency...in Alaska.

Few years = 12,000 new graduates, apparently.

 

[owlegrad]

Just want to quickly say that this isn't an alt of mine.

I'm looking at you, owle.

But I agree with what he said. I'm not telling anyone to go into pharmacy. Medicine has a do-or-die so I wouldn't care if anyone went into it--unlike Pharmacy, the residency MANDATE can be capped and MD's can be controlled in that fashion--if there are 20,000 MS4 graduates and only 7500 caps, blammo.

I assume that means it is an alt of yours.

 

[BMBiology]

You said a few years ago. In 2008 it was still OK, at least in NY: all my friends got jobs. 2009? Nope. 2010? LOL, 2011 = only one person got a residency...in Alaska.

Few years = 12,000 new graduates, apparently.

I am sure it is more competitive today but it was pretty competitive when I was looking for a position especially since I did not do a residency. I did not accept any of the retail offers and virtually all of the positions were gone by then. It was a gamble. I may have gotten lucky but determination (some say stubborn) was the key.

 

[moissanite69]

The economy overall is horrible. If you have been following the news, you should have known the unemployment rate this month is 9.2% and it is uptrending now. Look at the chart below:

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS14000000

The economy has never been recovered!!!!!!!! We're still in a recession. As long as we are in a recession, would you expect jobs created???
Since 1990 to now, I have never seen unemployment rate at this high and it keeps climbing up. Our government really f* it up badly. I won't blame on Obama solely because he has no really power.

The bottom line: job market is bad now and it's gonna be like this for a while (at least 5 more years...if not 7 or 10). Pharmacy is not immuned either from this bad recession. I am sick of people telling others this phrase :" Look for other areas of pharmacy. Don't just look at retails or hospital only." Yes, we all know pharmacy has zillions of speciaties, such as nuclear pharmacy, amb care, infectious disease, industry, blah blah blah. But really? How many nuclear pharmacists are there in the US? How many nuclear pharmacist positions available right now? Or even before market was saturated? Do you think other pharmacists love to work in retail settings and choosing retail over nuclear or ID? They just have no choice because retail settings are where jobs are most abundant. The number of jobs in specities is really just a fraction of # pharmacy jobs. If everyone want to be a nuclear pharmacist or an amb care pharmacist, who will dispense meds at walgreens?????

To new graduates: Hang in there, market yourselves well. To pharmacy school students and pre-pharmacy students: Good luck! You need it, indeed.

 

[BMBiology]

^^ It is true that the majority of positions are in retails and when you have student loans to pay, you don't have many options especially in this economy. You may work hard and still end up in retails. Nothing is wrong with that. It is a job that pays well and some people enjoy it but I knew it was not for me. I took a gamble. I don't want to look back with regret and say I didn't put the effort into finding something I like to do.

 

[PharmaTope]

reimbursement cuts arrent nice, but the md can make up for it other ways (ordering more tests with some BS justification, seeing more patients, etc)....MD will always have more options than a rph

you realize that medicare does audits of charts. if they see **** like this, they will fine and request all their money back from teh physician. it dont work like that man

 

[PumpkinSmasher]

^^ It is true that the majority of positions are in retails and when you have student loans to pay, you don't have many options especially in this economy. You may work hard and still end up in retails. Nothing is wrong with that. It is a job that pays well and some people enjoy it but I knew it was not for me. I took a gamble. I don't want to look back with regret and say I didn't put the effort into finding something I like to do.

What practice setting did you end up accepting a position?

 

[rxlea]

I took this picture the other day a few minutes from the place I am staying in Geneva, Switzerland. Pretty sad, isn't it?

 

[Ackj]

I took this picture the other day a few minutes from the place I am staying in Geneva, Switzerland. Pretty sad, isn't it?

I didn't know Yen have increased in value so much. I thought they were much closer to a penny than a dollar.

Edit: 1 US dollar = 79.6200 Japanese yen
Seems like I was right, I must be reading this chart wrong...

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I didn't know Yen have increased in value so much. I thought they were much closer to a penny than a dollar.

Edit: 1 US dollar = 79.6200 Japanese yen
Seems like I was right, I must be reading this chart wrong...

Yen used to be 130s. Its actually causing trouble over there because they are finding it harder to export goods.

 

[PharmDstudent]

There's not much of a challenge left for me in pharmacy anymore... and I'm worried about that more than anything else.

 

[spacecowgirl]

there's not much of a challenge left for me in pharmacy anymore... And i'm worried about that more than anything else.

lol!

 

[rxlea]

🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

and spacecowgirl, I love your new avatar. I think all you unicorns should change your avatars to something like that.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Of course you have to wonder - how long until those jobs become saturated, too? New residencies open up every year. And there is only a finite amount of specialized jobs available. And mostly only in major hospitals. If you think specialization is your golden ticket, I'd wager that you'll think again in enough time.

 

[PharmaTope]

Of course you have to wonder - how long until those jobs become saturated, too? New residencies open up every year. And there is only a finite amount of specialized jobs available. And mostly only in major hospitals. If you think specialization is your golden ticket, I'd wager that you'll think again in enough time.

exactly

maybe we can push BCPS down everyone's throats so that way that organization can make more money... lulz

hold tight everyone we can survive this right?

 

[joetrisman]

Of course you have to wonder - how long until those jobs become saturated, too? New residencies open up every year. And there is only a finite amount of specialized jobs available. And mostly only in major hospitals. If you think specialization is your golden ticket, I'd wager that you'll think again in enough time.

Specialization👍👍👍

 

[spacecowgirl]

I'm not specialized at all. I have advanced training, but it's not specialized. I work hospital, ambulatory and occasionally retail. I have residency training in managed care (during which I learned a lot of principles that can be applied elsewhere). Most of what is interesting about my work is projects that I have created, not things that were in my job description. The other pharmacists here all can do as much beyond staffing as they have time and inclination to do.

If pharmacy is boring to you, you're doing it wrong.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Specialization👍👍👍

So you're saying 5 out of 6 times, you are likely going to be sucked into giant tube or shrunken into a TV or morphed into a blueberry and then hastily mocked by orange-faced midgets than actually gaining something?

 

[Tinkerbell22]

My financials in 2008 1 year before opening the pharmacy:

Student loans: $79,000 at 2.75%
1 car loans: one for $56,000 at 5.35% (yeah yeah, i bought a BMW, flame me please! ) LOL
1 Home loan: $332,000 (bought this before the market crashed,)

Loans up my rear end. Got hosed on my home. I worked for 5 years before leaving and having the doors open. Yeah, i had Debt, stupid debt. But didnt prevent me from opening a store. Its doable if you want to do it. Today, the car loans is almost gone, the store is doing well, and i work 30 hrs a week. If you find the location, do it.

did you go to school in Florida too? you're originally from up north right?

 

[lorain]

My financials in 2008 1 year before opening the pharmacy:

Student loans: $79,000 at 2.75%
1 car loans: one for $56,000 at 5.35% (yeah yeah, i bought a BMW, flame me please! ) LOL
1 Home loan: $332,000 (bought this before the market crashed,)

Loans up my rear end. Got hosed on my home. I worked for 5 years before leaving and having the doors open. Yeah, i had Debt, stupid debt. But didnt prevent me from opening a store. Its doable if you want to do it. Today, the car loans is almost gone, the store is doing well, and i work 30 hrs a week. If you find the location, do it.

how did you go about finding the location

were you familiar with the area?

i actually met a consultant(who has worked with retail chains) who was willing to help me find a location, but he was asking way to much for his services

 

[nafcillin]

I just don't WANT to be an MD. I realize they get more respect but they also put in a million more hours and the pressure sounds intense. Just because you *can* do something doesn't mean you should.