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Too many new pharmacy schools??
Started by ChainHeal
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Probably good for students who would not otherwise get into the more established pharmacy programs, but bad 4 years later for everyone.
I wonder how the field will change in 10 years, with regards to handing all the new graduates...
Will the mentality "a pharmacy degree is the same anywhere" continue to prevail, meaning that everyone (even those who went to reputable programs) will suffer from the over-saturation, since to most employers, everyone will be on the same footing? Will only the top students from each school find work, or will it be only the students from the top schools themselves, like how law schools operate now? So many directions it could go...
I wonder how the field will change in 10 years, with regards to handing all the new graduates...
Will the mentality "a pharmacy degree is the same anywhere" continue to prevail, meaning that everyone (even those who went to reputable programs) will suffer from the over-saturation, since to most employers, everyone will be on the same footing? Will only the top students from each school find work, or will it be only the students from the top schools themselves, like how law schools operate now? So many directions it could go...
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I'm guessing that as the job market for pharmacists gets over-saturated with graduates, it will start to matter which school you went to. If you employer has two similar very similar employees and one went to a top-rated school and one went to a mediocre school then that could be a deciding factor. Residencies are also becoming much more competitive than they used to be.
The good news is that big box pharmacies are starting to employ more pharmacists for MTM (not replacing or shifting the work of -- for lack of a better term -- pharmacists with a "dispensing" role). There should be some increase in demand for pharmacists as they implement that.
If health care reform stays on the track it is now, we will see an increase in coverage for MTM services which will hopefully also have a positive impact on the job market.
Unfortunately, these probably won't outweigh the inflation of new schools and graduates, but at least it should help.
The good news is that big box pharmacies are starting to employ more pharmacists for MTM (not replacing or shifting the work of -- for lack of a better term -- pharmacists with a "dispensing" role). There should be some increase in demand for pharmacists as they implement that.
If health care reform stays on the track it is now, we will see an increase in coverage for MTM services which will hopefully also have a positive impact on the job market.
Unfortunately, these probably won't outweigh the inflation of new schools and graduates, but at least it should help.
This was actually brought up in my interview on Friday & I was even told by the dean that a few graduates have had some difficulty finding jobs in the market right now because of all these new schools and over-saturation (and this is coming from a top ten school). It makes me a bit nervous about finding a job, but I've always wanted to enter pharmacy.
Especially in Illinois (I'm an Illinois resident and want to go OOS), UIC used to be the only pharmacy school for many years until Midwestern and SIUE opened. There's now 3 more schools that opened in Chicago; I think it's extremely unnecessary for there to be 4 pharmacy schools in Chicago. I don't understand why ACPE keeps allowing new schools to open. You don't see this many medical or dental schools opening. So I wonder if the pharmacy school you graduate from is going to start playing a factor in getting jobs or jobs will start branching off into new areas depending on how the healthcare matter is resolved. I'm driven to pursue a 1 or 2 year residency after graduating and I have carefully chosen which schools to apply to this year as a result (fingers crossed I get accepted this cycle!
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It's definitely something to think about. I completely agree with you that there are too many new schools.
Especially in Illinois (I'm an Illinois resident and want to go OOS), UIC used to be the only pharmacy school for many years until Midwestern and SIUE opened. There's now 3 more schools that opened in Chicago; I think it's extremely unnecessary for there to be 4 pharmacy schools in Chicago. I don't understand why ACPE keeps allowing new schools to open. You don't see this many medical or dental schools opening. So I wonder if the pharmacy school you graduate from is going to start playing a factor in getting jobs or jobs will start branching off into new areas depending on how the healthcare matter is resolved. I'm driven to pursue a 1 or 2 year residency after graduating and I have carefully chosen which schools to apply to this year as a result (fingers crossed I get accepted this cycle!
) It's definitely something to think about. I completely agree with you that there are too many new schools.
Oh, and automation/mail-order is gonna take all our jerbs anyway. 🙁
What is an ideal salary for a pharmacist to make sure you pay off your debts and live comfortably?
was brought up upon my interview too...This was actually brought up in my interview on Friday & I was even told by the dean that a few graduates have had some difficulty finding jobs in the market right now because of all these new schools and over-saturation (and this is coming from a top ten school). It makes me a bit nervous about finding a job, but I've always wanted to enter pharmacy.
Especially in Illinois (I'm an Illinois resident and want to go OOS), UIC used to be the only pharmacy school for many years until Midwestern and SIUE opened. There's now 3 more schools that opened in Chicago; I think it's extremely unnecessary for there to be 4 pharmacy schools in Chicago. I don't understand why ACPE keeps allowing new schools to open. You don't see this many medical or dental schools opening. So I wonder if the pharmacy school you graduate from is going to start playing a factor in getting jobs or jobs will start branching off into new areas depending on how the healthcare matter is resolved. I'm driven to pursue a 1 or 2 year residency after graduating and I have carefully chosen which schools to apply to this year as a result (fingers crossed I get accepted this cycle!
It's definitely something to think about. I completely agree with you that there are too many new schools.
the problem with so many new school opening is some of the less qualified people will end up getting accepted to a pharm. school... medical school were successful in limiting # of schools years back to make it more prestiges, why couldn't pharmacy schools do it?! and with that craiglist looking for dean, i have lost hope... o well, at least i'm in a top 20 pharm. school if it really starts to matter haha and our school job placement rate have been 100% so far...
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deleted390966
Wow! I appreciate this Dean's honesty.
I went to some interviews where all the Deans talked about how pharmacy was "in great demand" 🙄
With the mentality of most Californians, "I have to stay in California or else I'd die", this may provide a solution 🙄
The UIC dean is a straight shooter. The school recently opened up a satellite campus, and he said that if he knew that things would be the way they are now, he would have never opened it.
I think that's one thing people don't realize with all the new schools opening up. Many of them were planned back when there was a legitimate shortage (early-/mid-2000's), and they're not just going to scrap the idea 5 years later after they've put a ton of planning and money into it. That being said, there's plenty of new schools that appear to have opened strictly for profit.
This.
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