What should confettiflyer do for summer vacation?

[confettiflyer]

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Alright, this is a serious question. I'll be wrapping up useless P-1 in a few months and am trying to figure out what I should do for the period of May-August. Here are my options:

1) Try really really really hard to get an industry internship (looking at J&J, GSK, Astra-Zeneca, and Wyeth).
--> PRO: looks interesting
--> CON: Not guaranteed, might be tough to find, guy at AZ who did the internship prog. last year left (anyone know who the new director is?). Might not take fresh P-1's, might have to wait until next summer.

2) Retail pharm work and make some $$ (actually, more like one $)
--> PRO: I could always use some cash, 10% chance Old Timer could be my preceptor (muahhahaa).
--> CON: $#&! me, it's retail, if I hear "one pharmacy call" on the phone system again, walls may be punched.

3) Work someplace completely unrelated to pharm (ie lifeguard, tour guide, or ***** my nascent photography skills out).

4) Road trip from Philadelphia to Southern California via FL & TX.
--> PRO: Road trip!
--> CON: Man, that's a long drive. No progress in $$ or pharm experience.

I know I should be doing 1 or 2, but how important would doing something this summer be in terms of my competitiveness in residency and/or employment after graduation? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated. 👍

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Depends. How are you doing on intern hours? If you are going to be fine, then 'f it. Definitely apply for the industry job. If you don't get it, then do the road trip thing. Don't forget one thing though...you only have a few more summer vacations left. After you enter the real world, there is no such thing as 3 months off...and boy do I miss it...

 

[Knipps]

Depends. How are you doing on intern hours? If you are going to be fine, then 'f it. Definitely apply for the industry job. If you don't get it, then do the road trip thing. Don't forget one thing though...you only have a few more summer vacations left. After you enter the real world, there is no such thing as 3 months off...and boy do I miss it...

definitely sounds like the best course of action.

NY/NJ don't require intern hours so I'm not all too concerned with them (I want them for the experience, just not concerned with a number)
WVU, how many are required for PA?

My plan is to try and get a job within 10-15 mins of my house related to pharmacy and if that comes back blank I'll end up where I was last summer shipping metal around the country/world for $10/h.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

WVU, how many are required for PA?

Hell if I know. I reciprocated. Yeah, yeah, I know, I had to pass the law exam...but I've since flushed all of that useless crap from the brain.

I think it's like 1500 or 1650 or something like that...you can look it up on the board website.

 

[confettiflyer]

Yeah I'm okay with intern hours...it's not going to be an issue. I can basically just work 8 hours a week throughout P-2 and P-3 and I'll more than hit the # of required hours. That's not including possible summers, semester breaks, and grad interning after rotations are done.

PA requires 1500, 750 can be pulled from APPE's, so another 750 will be required (I think the requirement states community pharmacy, but I'm not 100% sure if that's the case).

CA requires 1500 also, but 900 have to be "in a pharmacy" while 600 can be awarded from APPE's (from my reading of the material).

But yeah I'm leaning toward just applying for industry internships or bust, then go wander around if that falls through. Just want to see if there's another idea/perspective I'm missing.

LOL, who put "jail" as an option? hahahaha

 

[deleted205891]

Never seen an industry internship that accepts fresh P1s, at least not in the Philly area.

But you know there are other cool intern options besides industry (and I would hate sitting in a retail chain all summer). For example I applied for the Mayo Clinic internship and another one which I won't name since the deadline for it hasn't passed yet.

Yeah for me it's either a cool non-industry internship or a non-pharmacy job (CTY!) for 3 or 6 weeks and retail 3-4 days a week for the rest of the summer, or maybe I'll permanently switch to hosp. from retail.

 

[confettiflyer]

Never seen an industry internship that accepts fresh P1s, at least not in the Philly area.

But you know there are other cool intern options besides industry (and I would hate sitting in a retail chain all summer). For example I applied for the Mayo Clinic internship and another one which I won't name since the deadline for it hasn't passed yet.

Yeah for me it's either a cool non-industry internship or a non-pharmacy job (CTY!) for 3 or 6 weeks and retail 3-4 days a week for the rest of the summer, or maybe I'll permanently switch to hosp. from retail.

Yeah I'm iffy on GSK but i know as of last year AZ down in Wilmington took fresh P-1's (source: person who was an intern there over the summer). I think Wyeth also takes fresh P-1's (source: my pharm residents), but that's wayy out in collegeville and that'll be a drive in the morning.

Reason why I emphasize industry is because it looks appealing to me later as a career, I just want to see what it's all about first hand vs. talking to my in-laws about what they do (a few work as pharmd's as "liaisons" which is the best word I could choose right about now). I was thinking about a few managed care ones down in DC but...hmm, maybe later...i don't know.

 

[meister]

Taking a ****ing cruise and chill. They're like half price right now.

What do you want to do as an RPh anyway? It all depends on that.

 

[confettiflyer]

Taking a ****ing cruise and chill. They're like half price right now.

What do you want to do as an RPh anyway? It all depends on that.

I hate cruises. Grats eat you alive. Sure, you pay $300 for a 3-day cruise, but goddamn you pay $$ to have someone fold towels into monkeys. wtf is that. i'd rather get a six pack at the grocery store and watch discovery channel.

But I don't know what I want to do...industry, hospital (staff or clinical, i don't know), VA, USN active duty...it's all kind of on the table, except retail. I've essentially relegated that to "let me be on the 'open shift' email list and dive in if I need some extra play money" status.

 

[Hels2007]

Most industry internships require that P2 year be completed prior to the start of the internship. It doesn't hurt to try, though.

Failing #1, I would blend #2 and #4. Summer vacations are awfully long (believe me, you don't start really appreciating them until you get out in real world and all you have is two weeks), and a trip certainly won't take all of it.

 

[deleted205891]

Yeah I'm iffy on GSK but i know as of last year AZ down in Wilmington took fresh P-1's (source: person who was an intern there over the summer). I think Wyeth also takes fresh P-1's (source: my pharm residents), but that's wayy out in collegeville and that'll be a drive in the morning.

Reason why I emphasize industry is because it looks appealing to me later as a career, I just want to see what it's all about first hand vs. talking to my in-laws about what they do (a few work as pharmd's as "liaisons" which is the best word I could choose right about now). I was thinking about a few managed care ones down in DC but...hmm, maybe later...i don't know.

Whoa! I live in Wilmington (at least when I'm not in school) and I don't know about this? Their site officially said P2s, and recently I heard that they cut their pharm. internship altogether. But I think I'll try industry later, since I think I'll be more competitive then. Plus, I don't feel like putting in more work for more apps (I already did 2 + one to work in Madrid for a nonpharmacy thing).

 

[confettiflyer]

Whoa! I live in Wilmington (at least when I'm not in school) and I don't know about this? Their site officially said P2s, and recently I heard that they cut their pharm. internship altogether.

I think they did that too...I think the guy's name was Robert Madlow (?), apparently he left for another company or is in another position, I think the program ended when he left. I'm totally in the dark about AZ in terms of current program details.

 

[Storm90]

How many times will you be able to go on a road trip in your life? Do something you dream about before you hit the real world. If that's a six-pack and the Discovery channel, rock out. You can always work for a few bucks, either pharmacy-related or not, but you won't always have the ability to road trip from one coast to the other. And gas is only going to get more expensive, so do it while it's still (kinda) cheap.

 

[bluesickle]

Go backpacking for 3 months in "affordable" countries. Assuming you can get a decent deal on airfare, it should be a cheaper option than a 3-month roadtrip.

 

[pharmdinfl]

The option that I would choose is not available. If I were you, I would work somewhere for a good portion of the summer to gain experience and save money ....and then for the remainder of the summer I would take the road trip! This way, while you are working, you have something cool to look forward to AND you have gained valuable experience!