To those who quit pre-pharmacy

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

What are you going for instead?

I've been absolutely devastated, and you can see from my post history that I've been snooping around the pre-medical and pre-dentistry forums hoping to find something that clicks. Pharmacy has been my goal since high school and I still can't find something that's a better fit. I'm not good with blood (although I have been trying to desensitize myself lately), don't want to dedicate a good chunk of my life to school, and want a job that pays well and rewards me for my hard work. Not to mention that drugs are fascinating....ugh too bad pharmacology doesn't pay well compared to time invested as well.

What turned me away was that 1) I don't want anything to do with retail, 2) job market oversaturation same old same old, and possibly most importantly 3) schools accepting students with 3.0s and lower I don't mean for that last part to sound condescending, but I love getting good grades and pharm schools used to respect that. If my classmate is coming in with a 3.0 I would feel like I wasted my time getting those grades...even though they gave me such immediate pleasure originally haha...then I'd come out and be jobless and feel like all my effort was wasted...

I've been looking into physical therapy because it seems like it pays well, doesn't deal with much blood, and has a very short program. Although maybe the average GPA of admitted students is comparable to pharmacy, at least there are still jobs out there!

Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive.

If it helps, my current GPA is 3.9...includes gen bio, gen chem, calculus. Working in a biological research lab this past quarter....
Currently have contacted an independent pharmacy and 5-6 dentists with varying specialties for summer shadowing. Have plans to volunteer at a hospice and a dental clinic...

Is there perhaps a profession I'm missing? Should I continue to pursue pharmacy just based off raw passion? Thank you if you can help...I want to find something now and just stick to it for the next few years.

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[Life Eternal]

I thought about doing pharmacy my first semester of college(back in 2009), around this time people were starting to talk about saturation. The talk about saturation and lack luster shadowing experiences led me to switch to pre-med. I am starting medical school this fall.

I also noticed the caliber of students getting into pharm school was getting progessively lower every year.
Before I started undergrad my university's pharm school had a 3.5 gpa and 80's pcat average
its now 3.1 gpa and 70's pcat.

 

[oldstock]

I thought about doing pharmacy my first semester of college(back in 2009), around this time people were starting to talk about saturation. The talk about saturation and lack luster shadowing experiences led me to switch to pre-med. I am starting medical school this fall.

I also noticed the caliber of students getting into pharm school was getting progessively lower every year.
Before I started undergrad my university's pharm school had a 3.5 gpa and 80's pcat average
its now 3.1 gpa and 70's pcat.

The way American higher education is going now, i.e. uncontrolled and irresponsible expansion in every imaginable direction to capitalize on the back of helpless students and I mean not only pharmacy, but we also see in law, dental and even medical, etc, it will cause an economic and social collapse / crisis the next time around.

 

[trailerpark]

What about a Med Tech? Run all the clinical lab tests at hospitals.

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

Salary sucks and from what i know, anyone with a pulse can walk in and do it.... I don't want to compete with those with many years of work experience under their belts.

 

[renee523]

Do you HAVE to go into retail with a pharmD? Aren't there other options?

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

No of course not but the majority of people do go into retail. And I've heard that hospital pharmacy is going to start to suck after obamacare.

 

[vasoolraja]

Also, I heard it is difficult for pharmacists to find parking lots!

What are you going for instead?

I've been absolutely devastated, and you can see from my post history that I've been snooping around the pre-medical and pre-dentistry forums hoping to find something that clicks. Pharmacy has been my goal since high school and I still can't find something that's a better fit. I'm not good with blood (although I have been trying to desensitize myself lately), don't want to dedicate a good chunk of my life to school, and want a job that pays well and rewards me for my hard work. Not to mention that drugs are fascinating....ugh too bad pharmacology doesn't pay well compared to time invested as well.

What turned me away was that 1) I don't want anything to do with retail, 2) job market oversaturation same old same old, and possibly most importantly 3) schools accepting students with 3.0s and lower I don't mean for that last part to sound condescending, but I love getting good grades and pharm schools used to respect that. If my classmate is coming in with a 3.0 I would feel like I wasted my time getting those grades...even though they gave me such immediate pleasure originally haha...then I'd come out and be jobless and feel like all my effort was wasted...

I've been looking into physical therapy because it seems like it pays well, doesn't deal with much blood, and has a very short program. Although maybe the average GPA of admitted students is comparable to pharmacy, at least there are still jobs out there!

Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive.

If it helps, my current GPA is 3.9...includes gen bio, gen chem, calculus. Working in a biological research lab this past quarter....
Currently have contacted an independent pharmacy and 5-6 dentists with varying specialties for summer shadowing. Have plans to volunteer at a hospice and a dental clinic...

Is there perhaps a profession I'm missing? Should I continue to pursue pharmacy just based off raw passion? Thank you if you can help...I want to find something now and just stick to it for the next few years.

GPA and PCAT do not necessarily predict how successful a student would be in Pharmacy school. These are only pre-pharmacy requirements. Once accepted, all students are equal. What matters more is how well an accepted student performs in the pharmacy school and whether the student can pass the final qualifying exams.
You mentioned that if your classmate got accepted with a very low GPA compared to you, you would feel that you wasted your time getting high grades. In my opinion, it is not a wastage. If you think with a clear mind you will understand that since you put more effort in your coursework, you would have more knowledge, which in turn may help you to learn the difficult courses in pharmacy school. On the other hand, a person who did not work as hard as you in the pre-pharmacy courses will have a hard time grasping the material in pharmacy school.
Regarding job saturation, instead of thinking what you can receive by pursuing pharmacy, think what you can contribute to the development of the field. For example, if you like research you can develop a drug to cure some disease. There are many diseases for which there is no cure yet and pharmacists have a great opportunity to discover drugs. You can help many patients in misery and the value of this help cannot be measured in terms of money!

 

[oldstock]

Also, I heard it is difficult for pharmacists to find parking lots!


GPA and PCAT do not necessarily predict how successful a student would be in Pharmacy school. These are only pre-pharmacy requirements. Once accepted, all students are equal. What matters more is how well an accepted student performs in the pharmacy school and whether the student can pass the final qualifying exams.
You mentioned that if your classmate got accepted with a very low GPA compared to you, you would feel that you wasted your time getting high grades. In my opinion, it is not a wastage. If you think with a clear mind you will understand that since you put more effort in your coursework, you would have more knowledge, which in turn may help you to learn the difficult courses in pharmacy school. On the other hand, a person who did not work as hard as you in the pre-pharmacy courses will have a hard time grasping the material in pharmacy school.
Regarding job saturation, instead of thinking what you can receive by pursuing pharmacy, think what you can contribute to the development of the field. For example, if you like research you can develop a drug to cure some disease. There are many diseases for which there is no cure yet and pharmacists have a great opportunity to discover drugs. You can help many patients in misery and the value of this help cannot be measured in terms of money!

with these kinds of encouragement, the next application cycle we will probably see accepted pharmacy applicants with 1's GPA and PCAT percentile in the single digit. And soon no-grade pharmacy schools... oh wait, they have already started that in California. We are now some trend setter !! Very excellent !! Cheers LOL

 

[DruggieDoRight]

with these kinds of encouragement, the next application cycle we will probably see accepted pharmacy applicants with 1's GPA and PCAT percentile in the single digit. And soon no-grade pharmacy schools... oh wait, they have already started that in California. We are now some trend setter !! Very excellent !! Cheers LOL

 

[oldstock]

I might have to agree with your crowd. What the heck are GPAs and PCATs anyway ?? Pharmacy schools are approaching the 200 mark soon. There are more than enough seats for everyone and their dogs in pharmacy schools. We might even have to go over the borders and recruit Mexicans or beyond to fill all those seats. Good for the business, y'know. PharmD's are made in the US and everything else China lol

 

[Life Eternal]

The way American higher education is going now, i.e. uncontrolled and irresponsible expansion in every imaginable direction to capitalize on the back of helpless students and I mean not only pharmacy, but we also see in law, dental and even medical, etc, it will cause an economic and social collapse / crisis the next time around.

I agree 100%.

 

[silentovation]

I might have to agree with your crowd. What the heck are GPAs and PCATs anyway ?? Pharmacy schools are approaching the 200 mark soon. There are more than enough seats for everyone and their dogs in pharmacy schools. We might even have to go over the borders and recruit Mexicans or beyond to fill all those seats. Good for the business, y'know. PharmD's are made in the US and everything else China lol

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

This makes me really sad...why did pharmacy have to turn out like this? I wouldn't mind even an $80k salary doing the job of my dreams.............but then loans and lack of job security....ugh

 

[oldstock]

This makes me really sad...why did pharmacy have to turn out like this? I wouldn't mind even an $80k salary doing the job of my dreams.............but then loans and lack of job security....ugh

why ?? American greed baby

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

why ?? American greed baby

Haha so melodramatic woes aside, what's keeping you (@oldstock, @silentovation) in pharmacy? I think as a person I tend to be very shortsighted so I would really appreciate some serious conversations with you guys I recognize that you guys have mostly been messing around in this thread, but I want to stick to this profession because everywhere else I've been looking just doesn't inspire passion and enthusiasm

 

[oldstock]

Haha so melodramatic woes aside, what's keeping you (@oldstock, @silentovation) in pharmacy? I think as a person I tend to be very shortsighted so I would really appreciate some serious conversations with you guys I recognize that you guys have mostly been messing around in this thread, but I want to stick to this profession because everywhere else I've been looking just doesn't inspire passion and enthusiasm

I can't speak for silentovation but who says I would be staying here for long ?? (wink wink)

but seriously I came from a family of healthcare workers. Growing up and being inspired by my own parents, it is natural for me to love medicine and pharmacy. If you love this profession, by all means you should stick to pharmacy. Just be well aware of the reality and have a plan ready in place.

 

[BMBiology]

Good for you. You are making an adult decision. Some people like to put their head in the sand and hope for the better. The world doesn't run on hope and soon these people will find that out.

 

[El Trombopag]

"Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive."

Just throwing this out there. . .I might consider that a major determinant in the field you choose. It's highly unlikely that your ability to cope with stress is going to change remarkably. For most people, it's almost an inherent personality trait. I genuinely encourage you to explore that more than anything else when considering pharmacy. Even low key hospital positions like mine have periods of stress EVERY day.

It's worth really thinking about. Assuming you are a young person, I know [and can relate] that often the idealized view of a good pharmacy job misses the true reality of day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year daily stress. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But you have to be able to handle stress, and handle it well, in the vast majority of all pharmacy jobs.

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

"Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive."

Just throwing this out there. . .I might consider that a major determinant in the field you choose. It's highly unlikely that your ability to cope with stress is going to change remarkably. For most people, it's almost an inherent personality trait. I genuinely encourage you to explore that more than anything else when considering pharmacy. Even low key hospital positions like mine have periods of stress EVERY day.

It's worth really thinking about. Assuming you are a young person, I know [and can relate] that often the idealized view of a good pharmacy job misses the true reality of day-to-day, week-to-week, year-to-year daily stress. Don't get me wrong, I love my job. But you have to be able to handle stress, and handle it well, in the vast majority of all pharmacy jobs.

Yeah I think the stress thing is the major reason why I'm reconsidering a health profession. I'm looking into computer science now...for someone like me, maybe it's better not to throw myself into a health career.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Yeah I think the stress thing is the major reason why I'm reconsidering a health profession. I'm looking into computer science now...for someone like me, maybe it's better not to throw myself into a health career.

Computer science will probably give you the best return on investment at this point compared to most professional degrees. It pays well (sometimes as much as a pharmacist) and does not require $150k+ in loans and 4 additional years of schooling. You don't even need a degree in some cases to be a programmer.

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

Computer science will probably give you the best return on investment at this point compared to most professional degrees. It pays well (sometimes as much as a pharmacist) and does not require $150k+ in loans and 4 additional years of schooling. You don't even need a degree in some cases to be a programmer.

If everyone and their mother is doing computer science (kind of like pharmacy these last few years), do you think the market will experience something similar to pharmacy? I've admittedly not done my research into when exactly the turning point was for pharmacy, but surely in 2006 people still thought pharmacy was a booming career?

Also this:

Interviewer: So, what got you into computer science?
Me: I originally wanted to be a pharmacist but decided it wasn't for me.
Interviewer: So you switched into computer science for the money?
Me: No. (somethingsomethingROI)
Interviewer: Do you have a portfolio of projects you've worked on?
Me: No.

I wish I joined SDN before I started freshman year

 

[oldstock]

If everyone and their mother is doing computer science (kind of like pharmacy these last few years), do you think the market will experience something similar to pharmacy? I've admittedly not done my research into when exactly the turning point was for pharmacy, but surely in 2006 people still thought pharmacy was a booming career?

Also this:

Interviewer: So, what got you into computer science?
Me: I originally wanted to be a pharmacist but decided it wasn't for me.
Interviewer: So you switched into computer science for the money?
Me: No. (somethingsomethingROI)
Interviewer: Do you have a portfolio of projects you've worked on?
Me: No.

I wish I joined SDN before I started freshman year

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Also this:

Interviewer: So, what got you into computer science?
Me: I originally wanted to be a pharmacist but decided it wasn't for me.
Interviewer: So you switched into computer science for the money?
Me: No. (somethingsomethingROI)
Interviewer: Do you have a portfolio of projects you've worked on?
Me: No.

I wish I joined SDN before I started freshman year

No interviewer is going to make that jump after you tell them that pharmacy wasn't for you. Don't worry so much.

 

[PharmtoCS]

If everyone and their mother is doing computer science (kind of like pharmacy these last few years), do you think the market will experience something similar to pharmacy? I've admittedly not done my research into when exactly the turning point was for pharmacy, but surely in 2006 people still thought pharmacy was a booming career?

Also this:

Interviewer: So, what got you into computer science?
Me: I originally wanted to be a pharmacist but decided it wasn't for me.
Interviewer: So you switched into computer science for the money?
Me: No. (somethingsomethingROI)
Interviewer: Do you have a portfolio of projects you've worked on?
Me: No.

I wish I joined SDN before I started freshman year

It's unlikely that you'll get asked "what got you into computer science" during a job interview or that it'll carry much weight. Most job interviews tend to focus more on your problem solving skills, previous experience, and in general what you can bring to the company. Everyone thought that the computer science field was done for in the early 2000s after the dot-com crash and concerns of outsourcing, but it has made a nice recovery since then.

 

[dosepak]

Have you considered PA-Physicican Assistant or Nursing?

 

[TaiwanesePharmGirl]

I have. I have no clue how I'm going to work in 3000 hours of clinical experience, especially since I'm not good with blood (EMT, scribing, etc. all out of the picture).

For nursing my current school doesn't have a program. I'm going to see if I can transfer but again, blood.

If it weren't for my issue with blood and death I'd just go for med school

 

[baconcures]

Hah, I, like you, was in a very similar situation. I was very passionate about Pharmacy for almost a year. Shadowed pharmacists and volunteered at a pharmacy. Ironically, at one of my shadowings, it was at a family medicine clinic for MD residents and I started talking to them. After that, I began hearing about the oversaturation business,, etc. Panicked and kept thinking about the MD route, which, I agree, a WAY more difficult route to actually get into med school.

Well, I did my UG at a school with a Top 5 PharmD program and my undergrad degree was even housed in the SOP. My GPA at the time was about a 3.65 (luckily it has increased significantly since then) and I thought no way could I get into med school, but could definitely get into my SOP. It also helped that I took classes with the PharmDs.. While I loved what i learned, I knew I wasn't as passionate about drugs as I had once believed lol. Luckily we are in a state with only 2 pharm schools but who knows, that could always change and along with it, the market.

Well, long story short, I listened to my gut instincts and shadowed some MDs. LOVEDDD it. I, like you, thought I'd be too afraid to see blood, deal with bodily fluids, etc. But when you get absorbed into the science, it's definitely fascinating and you do become desensitized. So my advice would be to DEFINITELY shadow shadow shadow, and talk to students (seems like you already planned the shadowing part). Don't rule out anything! I would never disregard the Pharmacy profession-pharmacists are incredibly important and the knowledge that they gain is something that will increase the quality of patient care, especially when I've heard of docs straight up prescribing 2+ drugs that I had JUST learned in pharmacology class that were contraindicated.

Also, with your stats, I am sure you can get into a top5 school if you add in clinical experience, decent PCAT (~85+) which MIGHT make the difference.

Anyway, if you do decide to pursue pharmacy, feel free to PM if you have any questions

 

[trailerpark]

A 3.65 GPA is sufficient for medical school and how can a 3.65 significantly improve? Lol wut?

 

[Amicable Angora]

What are you going for instead?

I've been absolutely devastated, and you can see from my post history that I've been snooping around the pre-medical and pre-dentistry forums hoping to find something that clicks. Pharmacy has been my goal since high school and I still can't find something that's a better fit. I'm not good with blood (although I have been trying to desensitize myself lately), don't want to dedicate a good chunk of my life to school, and want a job that pays well and rewards me for my hard work. Not to mention that drugs are fascinating....ugh too bad pharmacology doesn't pay well compared to time invested as well.

What turned me away was that 1) I don't want anything to do with retail, 2) job market oversaturation same old same old, and possibly most importantly 3) schools accepting students with 3.0s and lower I don't mean for that last part to sound condescending, but I love getting good grades and pharm schools used to respect that. If my classmate is coming in with a 3.0 I would feel like I wasted my time getting those grades...even though they gave me such immediate pleasure originally haha...then I'd come out and be jobless and feel like all my effort was wasted...

I've been looking into physical therapy because it seems like it pays well, doesn't deal with much blood, and has a very short program. Although maybe the average GPA of admitted students is comparable to pharmacy, at least there are still jobs out there!

Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive.

If it helps, my current GPA is 3.9...includes gen bio, gen chem, calculus. Working in a biological research lab this past quarter....
Currently have contacted an independent pharmacy and 5-6 dentists with varying specialties for summer shadowing. Have plans to volunteer at a hospice and a dental clinic...

Is there perhaps a profession I'm missing? Should I continue to pursue pharmacy just based off raw passion? Thank you if you can help...I want to find something now and just stick to it for the next few years.

Especially if pharmacy is something you really love, stick with it. The whole "don't wanna do retail," bit is shaky, but if you can maintain your grades as high as they are, you probably can get into a residency and hospital work then.

 

[GodIsGood1225]

Also, I heard it is difficult for pharmacists to find parking lots!


GPA and PCAT do not necessarily predict how successful a student would be in Pharmacy school. These are only pre-pharmacy requirements. Once accepted, all students are equal. What matters more is how well an accepted student performs in the pharmacy school and whether the student can pass the final qualifying exams.
You mentioned that if your classmate got accepted with a very low GPA compared to you, you would feel that you wasted your time getting high grades. In my opinion, it is not a wastage. If you think with a clear mind you will understand that since you put more effort in your coursework, you would have more knowledge, which in turn may help you to learn the difficult courses in pharmacy school. On the other hand, a person who did not work as hard as you in the pre-pharmacy courses will have a hard time grasping the material in pharmacy school.
Regarding job saturation, instead of thinking what you can receive by pursuing pharmacy, think what you can contribute to the development of the field. For example, if you like research you can develop a drug to cure some disease. There are many diseases for which there is no cure yet and pharmacists have a great opportunity to discover drugs. You can help many patients in misery and the value of this help cannot be measured in terms of money!

You seem like you know what you are talking about for the pharm field! Just out of curiosity what are some other pathways pharmacists can go instead of retail??

 

[iZodliquify]

You seem like you know what you are talking about for the pharm field! Just out of curiosity what are some other pathways pharmacists can go instead of retail??

There's a lot. Nuclear, Hospital, Academic etc. Just to name a few. Pharmacist even hold positions at the Food and Drug Administration,

 

[GodIsGood1225]

There's a lot. Nuclear, Hospital, Academic etc. Just to name a few. Pharmacist even hold positions at the Food and Drug Administration,

Cool! would you happen to know the difference between hospital and retail? I always thought hospital were considered as retail too...

 

[ajl87]

Just wondering, why do you believe pharmacy is a good fit for you?

 

[yenle1304]

What are you going for instead?

I have seen several students who are thinking about applying to both pharmacy and dental schools. I am in my last year of dental hygiene school and I am applying to pharmacy school right now. My brother is a dentist and to be honest, I don't think dentistry is a good long-term career (especially for women). The reason why I decided to study pharmacy (even though people keep talking about the oversaturation) because I know that I will enjoy it and i am flexible with the working location in the future.

Dentists work in extremely great environment and earn high salary; however, imagine sitting in one position for hours doing procedures and surgeries. You will get severe back pain, carpal tunnel, neck and other health problems. How will that affect your body when you get older? Some of my dental hygiene instructors had some sort of back surgeries before.

Since I started dental hygiene, my back hurt a lot sometimes, to the point that I almost fainted while providing prophylaxis to patients.

If you study dentistry, maybe you will be good at it, but remember that it is not for everybody. I shadowed the dental clinic and it still wasn't enough for me to know much about the profession. Keep shadowing and maybe get hands-on experience being a dental assistant and hopefully, you will know if you truly like the profession.

 

[Jibby321]

I have seen several students who are thinking about applying to both pharmacy and dental schools. I am in my last year of dental hygiene school and I am applying to pharmacy school right now. My brother is a dentist and to be honest, I don't think dentistry is a good long-term career (especially for women). The reason why I decided to study pharmacy (even though people keep talking about the oversaturation) because I know that I will enjoy it and i am flexible with the working location in the future.

Dentists work in extremely great environment and earn high salary; however, imagine sitting in one position for hours doing procedures and surgeries. You will get severe back pain, carpal tunnel, neck and other health problems. How will that affect your body when you get older? Some of my dental hygiene instructors had some sort of back surgeries before.

Since I started dental hygiene, my back hurt a lot sometimes, to the point that I almost fainted while providing prophylaxis to patients.

If you study dentistry, maybe you will be good at it, but remember that it is not for everybody. I shadowed the dental clinic and it still wasn't enough for me to know much about the profession. Keep shadowing and maybe get hands-on experience being a dental assistant and hopefully, you will know if you truly like the profession.

My grandpa is a dentist and has been since 1960. Although he owned two successful practices and is now very well off he first not recommend dentistry to anyone. Much like pharmacy there are too many schools, too many grads, and too much tuition.

 

[lavenderhearts]

What are you going for instead?

I've been absolutely devastated, and you can see from my post history that I've been snooping around the pre-medical and pre-dentistry forums hoping to find something that clicks. Pharmacy has been my goal since high school and I still can't find something that's a better fit. I'm not good with blood (although I have been trying to desensitize myself lately), don't want to dedicate a good chunk of my life to school, and want a job that pays well and rewards me for my hard work. Not to mention that drugs are fascinating....ugh too bad pharmacology doesn't pay well compared to time invested as well.

What turned me away was that 1) I don't want anything to do with retail, 2) job market oversaturation same old same old, and possibly most importantly 3) schools accepting students with 3.0s and lower I don't mean for that last part to sound condescending, but I love getting good grades and pharm schools used to respect that. If my classmate is coming in with a 3.0 I would feel like I wasted my time getting those grades...even though they gave me such immediate pleasure originally haha...then I'd come out and be jobless and feel like all my effort was wasted...

I've been looking into physical therapy because it seems like it pays well, doesn't deal with much blood, and has a very short program. Although maybe the average GPA of admitted students is comparable to pharmacy, at least there are still jobs out there!

Oh and let me emphasize this...I am HORRIBLE with stress. I am going to seek some counseling but my inability to deal with stress is deterring me from the super competitive fields. Even though I believe I have the work ethic and drive to be competitive.

If it helps, my current GPA is 3.9...includes gen bio, gen chem, calculus. Working in a biological research lab this past quarter....
Currently have contacted an independent pharmacy and 5-6 dentists with varying specialties for summer shadowing. Have plans to volunteer at a hospice and a dental clinic...

Is there perhaps a profession I'm missing? Should I continue to pursue pharmacy just based off raw passion? Thank you if you can help...I want to find something now and just stick to it for the next few years.

If doing pharmacy is your passion I think you should stick with it. You don't want to go into a profession that you have no drive for because you will hate your job and one of our main goals in life is to be happy and joyful. I also think that this saturation thing comes from narrow minded people who put pharmacy in two catagories which is retail and hospital but there are many other areas of pharmacy to go into such as research, the FDA, academia, and specialty practices. So don't give up on your passion.