What do you hope to do with your pharmD?

[AsianGuy26]

What does everyone hope to do with their PharmD? Pursue Post-Graduate/Graduate education? PGY1-2 Residencies? Another degree?

This is a topic that I find very interesting. Just wanted to hear everyone's thoughts.

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[tootoo30]

I plan on going into Pharmacy Informatics unless I win the powerball lol in that case I probably will do NOTHING LOL

 

[cdhoward]

I plan on going into Pharmacy Informatics

Cool. I currently do this as a technician. Its an awesome field.

 

[FaBpHaRm2Be]

I would like to do a residency in Ambulatory care

 

[tootoo30]

Cool. I currently do this as a technician. Its an awesome field.

I currently work as the tech support at a university so doing it on the pharmacy side should be an easy transition.

 

[cdhoward]

I'm giving strong consideration to completing either a year or 2 of residencies. I see residencies being the difference in the future as the former BS vs Pharm.D. was in the recent past.

 

[inquirer89]

I want to work in clinical and thinking about going for an MBA and go into administration eventually. Also thinking about going into a side business, maybe independent retail.

 

[Ross434]

work as a staff pharmacist somewhere either small town retail or hospital.. or else possibly do nuclear

 

[alenadoma]

I'd love to do research, maybe in pharmacogenomics, but I want to interact with patients as well. Perhaps a combination of the two.

 

[HSenior]

Newb question, but uhh...what's the point of residencies? What are they exactly and how do they benefit you if you do it?

 

[RxWildcat]

here you go

http://www.ashp.org/Import/ACCREDITATION/ResidentInfo/WhydoResidency.aspx

 

[AsianGuy26]

Newb question, but uhh...what's the point of residencies? What are they exactly and how do they benefit you if you do it?

Residencies will allow you to become a specialist in a certain segment in pharmacy like nuclear... think why doctors do residencies. Also, doing a residency will make you more competitive especially when there is an excess of pharmacist, which there will be in a few years.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Newb question, but uhh...what's the point of residencies? What are they exactly and how do they benefit you if you do it?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=369287

 

[bacillus1]

Maybe go into linical research.

Or maybe do a residency in something, drug info and anticoagulation sound alright (though obviously 2 completely different things).

But I have a while to think about this.

 

[AsianGuy26]

Maybe go into linical research.

Or maybe do a residency in something, drug info and anticoagulation sound alright (though obviously 2 completely different things).

But I have a while to think about this.

I actually like clinical research even though it is boring at times. However, I actually feel like the work that I am doing with my mentor (he's a Infectious Disease Specialist-Pharmacist) is rewarding as oppose to doing laboratory work and trying to get NIH funding ~ currently in a BS. in pharmaceutical sciences... which I don't like at all.

 

[NebPharmer]

Both my parents have died within the last year, one with hospice, one without. Both of their deaths were terrible, but the one attended by the regular-floor health care team, without benefit of hospice advice, was about 10 times worse.

That got me thinking that hospice pharmacy, and balancing pain/anxiety/comfort issues versus being so fogged out you can't even recognize your family, might be just about the most important thing I could possibly do.

 

[ruth265]

i'm so so sorry to hear that. it's terrible. i wish you well. be strong.

Both my parents have died within the last year, one with hospice, one without. Both of their deaths were terrible, but the one attended by the regular-floor health care team, without benefit of hospice advice, was about 10 times worse.

That got me thinking that hospice pharmacy, and balancing pain/anxiety/comfort issues versus being so fogged out you can't even recognize your family, might be just about the most important thing I could possibly do.

 

[FresnoPharmD]

Residency...hopefully I can specialize in ER or ICU pharmacy. Maybe even something more specific like NICU or PICU. I want something where I'll be under pressure to know my stuff and be trusted, and be able to have a bigger, more direct impact on my patients' well-being.

 

[2012PharmDmiss]

I want to work in retail for a couple of years to pay off my student loans. After that I will work in a hospital or retail part time (hopefully) while doing my residencies specialized in oncology or diabetes. One day, I hope to own my own business and teach fresh young minds..lol A lot to do, but I have a whole lifetime to do it!

 

[Sparda29]

I think I will go for residencies in Nuclear and Clinical. To pay off the loans, I'm thinking about working the overnight shift at retail pharmacies for 2 years.

 

[bacillus1]

I actually like clinical research even though it is boring at times. However, I actually feel like the work that I am doing with my mentor (he's a Infectious Disease Specialist-Pharmacist) is rewarding as oppose to doing laboratory work and trying to get NIH funding ~ currently in a BS. in pharmaceutical sciences... which I don't like at all.

The problem is to find relatively high paying jobs in clinical research which actually want a PharmD as opposed to just a BS. I guess that PharmDs are needed, since the Rutgers fellowship exists.

I see that you're trying your hardest to get out of Albany.

 

[Chem Geek]

UMN has a dual PharmD/MBA. We have until our third year to apply for the MBA portion, so I have until then to decide if I really want to lengthen my academic career...again.

 

[pharmky]

I think I will go for residencies in Nuclear and Clinical. To pay off the loans, I'm thinking about working the overnight shift at retail pharmacies for 2 years.

I was a little disappointed to see that there was only 2 locations that had a nuclear pharmacy residency. One of which required you to join the military. Hopefully they will add more when it's time for me to apply to residency.

 

[janeno]

I was a little disappointed to see that there was only 2 locations that had a nuclear pharmacy residency. One of which required you to join the military. Hopefully they will add more when it's time for me to apply to residency.

There is no need to do a residency for nuclear pharmacy, most places will actually train you on the job. So you will not need to sacrifice 1 year's pharmacist salary.

 

[AsianGuy26]

The problem is to find relatively high paying jobs in clinical research which actually want a PharmD as opposed to just a BS. I guess that PharmDs are needed, since the Rutgers fellowship exists.

I see that you're trying your hardest to get out of Albany.

From the stand point of a BS degree, its only meant to be a footstop. To provide you with basic proficiency in a subject. BSPS, generally earn about 60k if less a year @ a pharmaceutical company. But one thing is clear, w/o BS's can't get any funding usually.

Lol, yea. If only life were simple and our first choice of college was the best. Unfortunately that isn't so. Not going to go into just how bad... Albany is because I'm tired of doing so. Suffice to say, even though my experience there was not great, I believe I have learned a great deal from my experiences.

 

[transzincIIB]

I wanna do hospital pharmacy. I actually wanna hangout in the ICU and be in "action".

 

[hsinkli2012]

I wanna do hospital pharmacy. I actually wanna hangout in the ICU and be in "action".

I volunteer at a hospital and all this hype about a pharmacist under pressure isn't really all that true. One thing about I've notice about hospitals, is that there is a certain air... calm while under fire. A pharmacist can not afford to be pressured especially when dispensing medications to patients.

The workstation for a pharmacist in the ED that I volunteer at (I know its not the ICU), is a computer station. What you mostly get throughout the day is doctors consulting you on the meds/dosage that they want to dispense to patients. The drugs aren't really dispensed per se by the pharmacist in an emergency situation, rather doctors or nurses with an verbal order from the doctors or in rare cases if the patient is in excruciating pain... a nurse can use their judgement go to a machine nowadays (pyxis) to get it filled (the dosing is in unit/dose). ***I think some hospitals may require a pharmacist to ok an order to prevent incorrect dosing.

If your on the floors w/o a pharmacist, you generally scan an order to the pharmacy, the pharmacist looks over the patient's stats and meds... from there may adjust the order. Then the techs do the intial counting... pharmacist double checks (usually done by machine), and from there it gets sent up to the floor. [staff pharmacist]

 

[cinnamoroll12]

Residency...hopefully I can specialize in ER or ICU pharmacy. Maybe even something more specific like NICU or PICU. I want something where I'll be under pressure to know my stuff and be trusted, and be able to have a bigger, more direct impact on my patients' well-being.

That is my career goal too, that is if I get accepted to a pharmacy school of course. I'm thinking of doing residency and hopefully specialize in the NICU. I've been volunteering in the NICU for some time and I like it there.

 

[Sparda29]

I feel that there is more pressure for pharmacists in the Retail setting. What I hate about retail is how they're just giving more and more work for the pharmacist to do.

PCI Calls, Calls to Convince the MD to Change to Generics, Automated Refills(Computer sends in refills for the patient around 3 days before they run out of pills. It is confusing for the patients because its doing it without asking the patient first. So the computer does it, then the patient calls in confused about why it's rejecting, then tell us they don't want automatic refills, etc.)

For the hospital, its usually an order sent over the computer to the pharmacy. Pharmacist fills it and places it in the pneumatic system, which sends it rocketing up to the floor where it is needed.

 

[hsinkli2012]

I feel that there is more pressure for pharmacists in the Retail setting. What I hate about retail is how they're just giving more and more work for the pharmacist to do.

PCI Calls, Calls to Convince the MD to Change to Generics, Automated Refills(Computer sends in refills for the patient around 3 days before they run out of pills. It is confusing for the patients because its doing it without asking the patient first. So the computer does it, then the patient calls in confused about why it's rejecting, then tell us they don't want automatic refills, etc.)

For the hospital, its usually an order sent over the computer to the pharmacy. Pharmacist fills it and places it in the pneumatic system, which sends it rocketing up to the floor where it is needed.

There's definitely less stress for a pharmacist in a hospital because your not getting screamed at all the time nor have to argue with someone over at insurance (who doesn't have a background-doctorate) about why this medication should be given to a patient. So many stories...

As for changing to generic... they are cheaper but they aren't neccessarily as good as the namebrand. Remember, while you may know the API (Active Pharmacological Ingredient) in a medication, the formulation of the generic maybe different from that of the name brand. Note* on medications, the exact ratio of components are not listed. Also there is the issue of quality control, in an ideal world... generic would be better based on the cost but in reality, generics are sometimes made by companies without the neccessary material/quality control to produce a superior/equilvalent product. ~ information from pharmaceutics lecture

 

[Sparda29]

I always here complaints from patients that the generic Synthroid is giving them issues compared to brand name.

Instead of the ridiculous DAW box, just let the patients make the choice on brand or generic.

 

[hsinkli2012]

I always here complaints from patients that the generic Synthroid is giving them issues compared to brand name.

Instead of the ridiculous DAW box, just let the patients make the choice on brand or generic.

I actually read a paper on synthroid abuse... but back to the main point, I agree with you that patients should be given the option to make the choice between the generic or brand.