What will you do with your pharmd?

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AbsoluteEthanol

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Not particularly sure if this questions has been addressed before, so I'll go ahead with it. What are you guys planning on doing once you obtain your PharmD?
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As of now I'm thinking I want to go into more clinical work. I feel retail is a waste of a doctorate in drug therapy. I like the patient interaction (when they aren't in a rush to get a prescription in 5 minutes) but i can't stand working with insurance stuff. So maybe clinical work in a hospital or a doctors office with a pharmacy, something where I can get interactions along side of drug therapy work. I only finished my first year so who knows what I'll end up doing in the end but thats what want so far.
 
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AbsoluteEthanol said:
Not particularly sure if this questions has been addressed before, so I'll go ahead with it. What are you guys planning on doing once you obtain your PharmD?
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I don't know yet, I guess for now I am really concerned with getting into pharmacy school. I would have to say I look much more favorably on doing research or working in the hospital, I worked a customer service job for years now and although I can pretty much tolerate anything I would much rather not.
 
Thinking abobut clinical research (hopefully to be involved in the design/analysis of the trials, since I am also pursuing a stat minor).

If not, regulatory affairs, or maybe pediatrics or an MSL.
 
everyone is gonna think i'm crazy but i'm gonna go into retail...I actually like it! haha I already work in retail so I know how it is. also because I already work for CVS, I will have a job as soon as I pass my boards without bothering to look for one
 
MissCPharmD said:
everyone is gonna think i'm crazy but i'm gonna go into retail...I actually like it! haha I already work in retail so I know how it is. also because I already work for CVS, I will have a job as soon as I pass my boards without bothering to look for one
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It really all depends on where you work. If you like retail and you like where you are then go for it! It's certainly not for everyone, personally I think I'd burn out doing retail after a while but thats just me. Thats the beauty of a pharmD though, you can do whatever you want and find that perfect fit.
 
Yep, retail or hospital for me. Either works for me.
 
AbsoluteEthanol said:
Not particularly sure if this questions has been addressed before, so I'll go ahead with it. What are you guys planning on doing once you obtain your PharmD?
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I'm going to Disney World!!

Actually, I'm looking into either working for the VA if they pay for the last two years of my school or going into retail and starting out in Alaska. The pay is just too tempting up there right now. $100K sign on bonus on top of $200K to $250K a year salary. It won't matter how much in loans I have out if I go there. After a few years I'll have all of them paid off and a nice start to a healthy retirement! Yee-haw! :D
 
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) fascinates me. I read in depth about it and shadowed a pharmacist who does only MTM out of an international clinic, in preparation for my own application, only to discover how much my personality is geared toward this area of pharmacy.
 
Chem Geek said:
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) fascinates me. I read in depth about it and shadowed a pharmacist who does only MTM out of an international clinic, in preparation for my own application, only to discover how much my personality is geared toward this area of pharmacy.
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MTM is a very hot topic right now and it's where the field is ultimately heading from what our profs are telling us. It's getting back to patient centered care, which is just plain cool.
 
Oh, I can't believe I forgot, but whatever field I end up going in, I will be joining the Air Force after I graduate.

I kind of stole this from the Air Force Healthcare Recruitment Site, but yeah, in the Air Force, you are actually able to do what you were trained to do, as opposed to retail where you don't get that chance.

The two things I hate doing in retail are all the insurance issues, and explaining the law to the patients. Seriously, it took 10 minutes, 2 technicians, 2 pharmacists(we called another store), to explain to a guy why we can't give him his medication.

This was the situation. He walks in with a prescription bottle from a CVS in Florida. No problem, I attempt to do the chain transfer, it turns out the script expired. So yeah, it took us 10 minutes to explain to the guy that he can't get his medication because his script was expired.

Normally, if he was a regular customer of the store, then we'd submit a refill request to the doctor and then give him 3-4 days worth of medication.

But this guy was from Florida, who knows if he is going to come back. So yeah, after that he asks for the corporate number and gives them my name, the other tech's name, the NY Pharmacist name, and the FL Pharmacist name.
 
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I dunno what I am going to do. Let's just get into the pharm school.
 
Chem Geek said:
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) fascinates me. I read in depth about it and shadowed a pharmacist who does only MTM out of an international clinic, in preparation for my own application, only to discover how much my personality is geared toward this area of pharmacy.
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What exactly is MTM? Is that basically the same as being a pharmacotherapy specialist?
 
bacillus1 said:
What exactly is MTM? Is that basically the same as being a pharmacotherapy specialist?
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MTM has a number of different names, but yes, a pharmacotherapy specialist does the same work. In the international clinic where I work, our MTM pharmacist sees patients in her office, separate from the pharmacy, in conjuction with the primary MD. Ultimately, that is where I want to be!
 
bacillus1 said:
What exactly is MTM? Is that basically the same as being a pharmacotherapy specialist?
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MTM stands for Medication Therapy Management. It is used to lower overall healthcare expenditures by optimizing therapeutic outcomes. It's centered on the patient and their needs and is more interactive with the patient.
 
To be honest, I haven't quite decided yet. I was thinking hospital after switching from pre-med, but I like the idea of patient-centered services in retail while being around patients. Yet, I like rounds too to make rounds too.

I'm about to start my retail intern position. I'll do that for 6-12 mos and then go for a pharmacy intern position in a hospital.
 
Though I've been working in a retail pharmacy for four months as a clerk/tech, I can't say for sure what I'm going to do with my Pharm.D. after I earn it four years from now. I'll be an incoming P1 this year, so I have those four years to decide. Retail can be stressful, but at the same time, I also find it leaves with me a sense of satisfaction and makes me feel productive at the end of the work day. However, I haven't had an opportunity to explore other branches, such as hospital. So, rather than deciding hastily, I'd rather keep my options open for new experiences or opportunities in the future. We'll see.
 
seems like everyone has very pejorative regards about retail, has anyone considered the difference in income that retail provides you versus clinical practice?
 
AbsoluteEthanol said:
seems like everyone has very pejorative regards about retail, has anyone considered the difference in income that retail provides you versus clinical practice?
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I definitely have, my Russian relatives keep reminding me of that every time whenever they bring up that I should plan supporting them in a future. :laugh:
 
To be completely honest, I have many prospects but no set decision. I've never worked in the hospital setting so I can't knock that one til I try it. As of right now though, I am definitely favoring the research route, and also pondering the private retail setting (I hate the chain stores, f'n busy as hell). Aside from this stuff though, something else I hope to do at some point in my life is take my expertise over seas, whether that be to work in a country I simply like or to work in an under served area. I guess I'll just have to see how the cookie crumbles though.
 
Even though I'm supposed to know what becomes of the best laid plans...

Right now, I'm planning to do two years of residency to become either an infectious disease pharmacist or an oncology pharmacist (at one point I was thinking nuclear, but decided against it). AIDS and/or cancer were two diseases I wanted to study if I had gone to graduate school. After residency, I plan to work in a hospital and do retail on the side. If it's possible, I will jointly own several independents. In the future, I may get an MPH, work in an underserved area or a developing country, or both.

I also have still not ruled out the (slimming) possibility of going to medical school.
 
AbsoluteEthanol said:
seems like everyone has very pejorative regards about retail, has anyone considered the difference in income that retail provides you versus clinical practice?
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Hospital/clinical pharmacy is starting to match the salary one would get in a retail setting. It's becoming more competitive as the job of the pharmacist in the hospital expands, necessitating the hiring of more pharmacists. Gotta love that job security! :)
 
probably hospital setting. I would enjoy collaborating with other healthcare workers in the hospital rather than interacting with patients. In retail setting, according to my observations, we are kind of separated from other healthcare workers.
 
I would like to try a little of everything.
 
IrishRxMan said:
I'm going to Disney World!!

Actually, I'm looking into either working for the VA if they pay for the last two years of my school or going into retail and starting out in Alaska. The pay is just too tempting up there right now. $100K sign on bonus on top of $200K to $250K a year salary. It won't matter how much in loans I have out if I go there. After a few years I'll have all of them paid off and a nice start to a healthy retirement! Yee-haw! :D
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how long is the contract?
 
sammy15 said:
how long is the contract?
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Which contract? Actually, I didn't ask the guy from Dakota Med Temps that gave me the info for Alaska about any contract terms because I was only 3/4 of the way through my first year. I have a while before I really have to worry about it. Plus, APhA is in my home town next year and I'll probably run into him again and ask some more questions. As for the VA, I'm going to go by their HR department next week and get as much info on it as possible. I do know you can't start their contract until you are already through your first two years. I have heard some other things about the program, but I want to confirm them before I set my heart on anything.
 
AbsoluteEthanol said:
seems like everyone has very pejorative regards about retail, has anyone considered the difference in income that retail provides you versus clinical practice?
Click to expand...

Yes, I have and my family keeps throwing that in my face. But is the extra $20,000 worth the stress? Not to mention, hours are much longer in retail. You get barely any vacation in retail.

Okay, for the military, the salary is quite low, but the benefits make up for it. First off, there is no malpractice insurance needed. Second, you get 30 days of vacation, and you can hitch a ride with any military aircraft that is heading that way for free. Great health insurance plans, and the cost of living at the base is pretty damn cheap.

I went in for a tour one day. As part of the tour, we had a huge lunch. The food was great, and the kicker, it only cost me 50 cents.

Oh yeah, you probably actually get to fly those F-22 Raptors if you are trained for them.

F-22_Raptor.jpg
 
I'm thinking about going into the air force (hopefully with a HPSP) after school. It'll help out with loans, but I have a genuine interest to serve too. As for clinical vs. retail....I'm perfectly with how much clinical makes since its still big $$. I don't think I can handle the work and stress that comes with retail. My ultimate goal is to work up into hospital administration.
 
Haha... I worked as a server for many years before going back to school. If I can handle the bs from customers as a server, I'm sure I can handle the bs from customers in retail! Plus, you can't beat the money starting out $$$! As for military... word of warning... military life sucks balls and military towns suck even worse. As far as I'm concerned, they couldn't give enough perks to get me to join. I am counting down the days until my husband retires. It has it's moments but they don't pay enough for the crap you have to do... who wants to be stuck in Iraq surrounded by people whose mission in life is to kill you... no thanks. And don't think that you won't have to go because you're just a pharmacist... soldier first, military job second. It really does suck.
 
Yeah, I guess I should add that I'm talking about the army, not the air force. No matter what field you're in, being an army officer sucks. I've heard that life in the air force is somewhat sweeter -- nicer housing, better food in the chow halls, newer facilities -- but come on, this is the military, how much sweeter can it be? I don't know what their deployments are like or how often they deploy, but the pay is atrocious first few years in... you go in as an O3 I think, which is still pretty low pay, even considering the free health care, paying for school, and pay for housing. Personally, I don't think it's worth it, but I'm sure a lot of people think differently. Hey, you might end up loving it and doing the full 20 yrs! You either love it or you hate it.
 
Its worth it to get paid less and have a better, less stress job, so I will def be working in a hospital.

but i probably will work ~3 years at walgreens just to get the nice sign on bonus, pay off my loans and buy a car.


AbsoluteEthanol said:
seems like everyone has very pejorative regards about retail, has anyone considered the difference in income that retail provides you versus clinical practice?
Click to expand...
 
Sparda29 said:
Yes, I have and my family keeps throwing that in my face. But is the extra $20,000 worth the stress? Not to mention, hours are much longer in retail. You get barely any vacation in retail.

Okay, for the military, the salary is quite low, but the benefits make up for it. First off, there is no malpractice insurance needed. Second, you get 30 days of vacation, and you can hitch a ride with any military aircraft that is heading that way for free. Great health insurance plans, and the cost of living at the base is pretty damn cheap.

I went in for a tour one day. As part of the tour, we had a huge lunch. The food was great, and the kicker, it only cost me 50 cents.

Oh yeah, you probably actually get to fly those F-22 Raptors if you are trained for them.

F-22_Raptor.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, in the armed services you can fly for free where ever they are going if they have space, but the flight attendants suck at their job. :laugh:

As for the pay, healthcare professionals get big bonuses on top of base pay to make it a little more attractive than just what an O3 gets paid.
 
tharper14 said:
Yeah, I guess I should add that I'm talking about the army, not the air force. No matter what field you're in, being an army officer sucks. I've heard that life in the air force is somewhat sweeter -- nicer housing, better food in the chow halls, newer facilities -- but come on, this is the military, how much sweeter can it be? I don't know what their deployments are like or how often they deploy, but the pay is atrocious first few years in... you go in as an O3 I think, which is still pretty low pay, even considering the free health care, paying for school, and pay for housing. Personally, I don't think it's worth it, but I'm sure a lot of people think differently. Hey, you might end up loving it and doing the full 20 yrs! You either love it or you hate it.
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Oh yeah definitely. I went to the Air Force Base in New Jersey, which had an Army Fort right next door. Took a tour of a Air Force base first, almost joined right there if not for my parents intervention. But the Army Fort area looked like a piece of ****.

One of my major goals is to travel all over, the military can make that cheaper for me.
 
Im thinking of doing night shift at retail for 7 days on and 7 days off :D. Also, im thinking of doing another 7 days off and on or part time during that week i have off for a year though.
 
Is it really necessary to complete a residency if you plan on working at a hospital? I'm currently working as a clerk at a retail store and though I've learned plenty and enjoy my job, I've observed the pharmacists have to do plenty all at once. With so much multitasking, I don't think I'd be able to keep up without stressing myself and making a mistake. Therefore, I am considering hospital for the future because of lower stress levels. I don't rule out retail because I am keeping my options open, but I'd like to know about hospital.

Quite frankly, I find it hard to believe retail pharmacists can be processing a prescription through insurance, answering the phone, putting it down, then answering a patient's question, and finally getting a quick price quote for another person's medication all at the same time. How do you not make a serious error in such situations?
 
DoctorRx1986 said:
Is it really necessary to complete a residency if you plan on working at a hospital? I'm currently working as a clerk at a retail store and though I've learned plenty and enjoy my job, I've observed the pharmacists have to do plenty all at once. With so much multitasking, I don't think I'd be able to keep up without stressing myself and making a mistake. Therefore, I am considering hospital for the future because of lower stress levels. I don't rule out retail because I am keeping my options open, but I'd like to know about hospital.

Quite frankly, I find it hard to believe retail pharmacists can be processing a prescription through insurance, answering the phone, putting it down, then answering a patient's question, and finally getting a quick price quote for another person's medication all at the same time. How do you not make a serious error in such situations?
Click to expand...

At the moment, residency depends on how specialized the field you plan on going into (ambulatory care, geriatric medicine, coumadin clinic, etc). Other than that, if you just want to work in-patient pharmacy (mixing IV's) or out-patient pharmacy (similar to retail but without the insurance crap), it really comes down to who you know, who is doing the hiring, and the availability of the position you want. Hospitals will hire you and train you if they can't find a suitable candidate. I've known alot of retail pharmacists who've transitioned into in-patient pharmacy, mail-order, and big pharma just because of who they know or good timing.

Btw, the pay for inpatient/outpatient pharmacy in a hospital setting is approaching retail pharmacy wages. Currently in california, the difference is very small between hospital pharmacists (i.e. Kaiser Permanente) and retail pharmacist (CVS/Walgreens).
 
Im not really sure what I plan on doing with my PharmD yet. At first i thought i was just going to go into retail. After intern for 6 months I realised that I could never do retail. Its way to stressful and I feel the very fast pace leaves alot of room for error. I don't really know much about other areas. I have always been told that after pharmacy school there are many possibilities, so for right now Ill just focus on getting through pharmacy school.

However, joining an army branch does interest me for the benefits, but I don't know enough about it yet.
 
The most important thing is, don't marry yourself to anything until you have a better idea on where you want to go. It may seem attractive to sign a contract for someplace like CVS because they are going to pay you $16K for school, but you may find out you can't stand working for them and wish you had waited. The three or four years you have to work with them will turn out to be some of the most miserable years of your adult life.
 
IrishRxMan said:
I'm going to Disney World!!

Actually, I'm looking into either working for the VA if they pay for the last two years of my school or going into retail and starting out in Alaska. The pay is just too tempting up there right now. $100K sign on bonus on top of $200K to $250K a year salary. It won't matter how much in loans I have out if I go there. After a few years I'll have all of them paid off and a nice start to a healthy retirement! Yee-haw! :D
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I don't know where you are hearing that retail pharmacists in Alaska make that much. Try 100-105k, with maybe a 10k sign on bonus if you're lucky. If you go work out in the bush the pay might jump to 120k.
 
I may be mistaken but being an O3-Captain in Army/Airforce or O-3 Lieutenant in the Navy you get the basic monthly pay plus the additional annual specialty pay of 30k. Additionally you get housing pay which is tax free and a whole bunch of other pay depending on your circumstance. The only thing is you have to relocate and work at base or on maybe a ship. Remember that you are not necessarily providing medications to the men/women fighting but to their families at base as well. For example Army units that are in Iraq usually have families living on base in Germany or Hawaii, for the 7th Army and 25th Infantry Division respectively. This is what I am guessing. My cousin is a Second Lieutenant in the Army so I know quite a few of information about the military pay.
 
sanfranalaska said:
I don't know where you are hearing that retail pharmacists in Alaska make that much. Try 100-105k, with maybe a 10k sign on bonus if you're lucky. If you go work out in the bush the pay might jump to 120k.
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At the APhA conference this year I spoke with the owner of a temp/long term staffing company that sends people up to Alaska. He is who told me about the $100K bonus and $200K per year salary. I think to get the higher salary you would have to go to some remote areas. I plan on seeking him out again at next year's APhA conference here in San Antonio and asking him more questions. Like anywhere else, it makes a big difference on bonus and pay if they have to import you or if you are local. They have to import lots of pharmacists here in Texas until all the new pharmacy schools start graduating. All of the imports are getting huge bonuses and higher pay than their local counterparts. 
 
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