What would you do?

[2013ismyyear]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Option A (Retail):
-Floater for a grocery store chain, guaranteed 40 hours/week
-125k/yr with overtime at normal pay occasionally available
-no PTO for 1 year (3 weeks PTO can be used after that); PTO not used at end of the year is cashed out
-decent benefits, no 401k match but company paid pension that starts after year 1 and vests after year 3

Option B (Hospital):
-Staff at a big hospital
-Evening shift (2pm-10pm or 3pm-11pm)
-80-90k/yr with no overtime available
-PTO starts accruing right away and can be used after 90 days (4 weeks PTO by the end of year 1); unlimited accrual
-good benefits; decent 401k match


Which would you take and why?

 

[wucool33]

This is not about money and benefits since you won't starve either way, it's more about which setting you enjoy more... And no one can answer that for you.

 

[rxlea]

Hospital

 

[gtpederson]

If I had a lot of student loans, and the hospital was non-profit, I'd go for that.

If I had minimal student loans, and maybe young kids or something, I'd do grocery store.


Personally, I'd rather do evening shift, but I don't like hospital, so that cancels each other out.

Grocery store is basically a different world than chain, but I hate floating.

Tough choice.

 

[BMBiology]

Option B. You will regret A

Damn, hospitals pay that low? Still, option A is better.

 

[nomad339]

If I had a lot of student loans, and the hospital was non-profit, I'd go for that.

If I had minimal student loans, and maybe young kids or something, I'd do grocery store.


Personally, I'd rather do evening shift, but I don't like hospital, so that cancels each other out.

Grocery store is basically a different world than chain, but I hate floating.

Tough choice.

Hi,
Can you (or anyone else) please tell me what the difference is between grocery and Target/WAGS pharmacy? What makes one better?
Thanks!

 

[owlegrad]

Hi,
Can you (or anyone else) please tell me what the difference is between grocery and Target/WAGS pharmacy? What makes one better?
Thanks!

The idea is that grocery story pharmacies are not as terrible as CVS/WAGS because they are not as busy, pharmacy is not the focus, etc. Plus usually no drive thrus!

I am pretty skeptical though. Retail is retail so you are always gonna get some aholes, always gonna have clueless managers (moreso in a grocery store I bet), always gonna have to deal insurance, etc. If anything you probably get less help and worse computer systems where pharmacy is not the focus.

 

[Angela1234]

I'd take the hospital in a heartbeat. It would be so nice only having to drive to one place plus you'll meet doctors, nurses, etc.

 

[crazybob]

I'd go for the position in retail and see if there is opportunity to move into management. The difference with the hospital pay is too large.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I think it really depends on your lifestyle & desires. Do you have a personal life that would be harmed by the extra time spent floating? Do you have huge debts that would be more easily paid off by the bigger salary? Do you put a premium on your free time or would you feel your personal life is cramped if you had to work 1 year without any vacation? Do you have personal obligations that would be more easily handled by a regular schedule, rather than a constantly changing schedule? Do you have a preference for working hospital or retail--there are good points & bad points to both jobs.....but how someone weights those points is individual.

 

[confettiflyer]

Hospital...and once you get experience go find a hospital that comes closer to retail pay.

Once you go option A you're stuck there for life.

 

[BelowTheMean]

Hospital...and once you get experience go find a hospital that comes closer to retail pay.

Once you go option A you're stuck there for life.

Dont be stupid. That grocery store pharmacy could close or cut hrs, etc at anytime, then you're out of options. Hospital experience can open new opportunities.

 

[Unchained]

Grocery easily. You will be a dispensing pharmacist in the hospital without a residency. You can do the same thing for 35k more per year plus opportunity to work overtime. You can gain respect from your patients and managers by how you handle yourself. Most new grads don't think or aren't taught how to do this. Contrary to what is said here grocery stores aren't going anywhere. The weakest ones have already been sorted out during this recession.

 

[Sparda29]

Hospital...and once you get experience go find a hospital that comes closer to retail pay.

Once you go option A you're stuck there for life.

Yup, I just took a perdiem gig at a hospital that pays $60/hour base pay, 10% differential evening shift and 25% differential for overnight.

Grocery easily. You will be a dispensing pharmacist in the hospital without a residency. You can do the same thing for 35k more per year plus opportunity to work overtime. You can gain respect from your patients and managers by how you handle yourself. Most new grads don't think or aren't taught how to do this. Contrary to what is said here grocery stores aren't going anywhere. The weakest ones have already been sorted out during this recession.

Wrong. I didn't do a residency and I'm involved in plenty of clinical projects at my full-time gig hospital.

 

[Transformer]

Hospital...and once you get experience go find a hospital that comes closer to retail pay.

Once you go option A you're stuck there for life.

I was lucky enough to have these two options:

I took a 20k or more pay cut and choose option B, because I know I will feel miserable with option A.

Confetti, I just noticed you had SHC 1984 <3 by your name. good times. LOL I don't always agree with how she said certain thing. Even so, she always kept it real. All the best to SHC! 🙂

 

[crazybob]

Hospital...and once you get experience go find a hospital that comes closer to retail pay.

Once you go option A you're stuck there for life.

Doesn't that give some people job security? They do want that these days.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Go with the supermarket. It's going to be more laid back than a typical CVS/Wags situation, the pay is good, and, what is this...a PENSION?!?!?! Good gawd. I'd be all over that right quick. Sounds wonderful.

Working in a hospital isn't that great. And unlike 99.9% of the dorks on here, I have professional experience as a pharmacist working in both settings within the last 5 years. I'm so happy right now, I don't ever really complain about anything anymore on here. That was me in a nutshell from 2003-2010 on this forum. Anger, sarcasm, and general pissivity. Now I just enjoy my low stress job with tons of time off and bags of money being thrown at me. And supermarket jobs are like that. Only thing better is night shift like me or Costco/Sam's/BJs type of situation.

Also, if you go into hospital, you're "stuck there for life", too. Who's going to hire someone with no retail experience when there are interns with recent experience with the company who they can't hire? Zero experience dealing with the public and no idea how to practice n that area? Good luck with that. That old adage is beyond busted. Until he next shortage in 20 years or so, you lock in to whatever it is you decide to do after 5 years or so either way.

 

[JamesL1585]

Go with the supermarket. It's going to be more laid back than a typical CVS/Wags situation, the pay is good, and, what is this...a PENSION?!?!?! Good gawd. I'd be all over that right quick. Sounds wonderful.

Working in a hospital isn't that great. And unlike 99.9% of the dorks on here, I have professional experience as a pharmacist working in both settings within the last 5 years. I'm so happy right now, I don't ever really complain about anything anymore on here. That was me in a nutshell from 2003-2010 on this forum. Anger, sarcasm, and general pissivity. Now I just enjoy my low stress job with tons of time off and bags of money being thrown at me. And supermarket jobs are like that. Only thing better is night shift like me or Costco/Sam's/BJs type of situation.

Also, if you go into hospital, you're "stuck there for life", too. Who's going to hire someone with no retail experience when there are interns with recent experience with the company who they can't hire? Zero experience dealing with the public and no idea how to practice n that area? Good luck with that. That old adage is beyond busted. Until he next shortage in 20 years or so, you lock in to whatever it is you decide to do after 5 years or so either way.

Preach it brotha!!!! The wisest man on SDN. No brown nosing either. Just truth.

 

[mustang sally]

Go with the supermarket. It's going to be more laid back than a typical CVS/Wags situation, the pay is good, and, what is this...a PENSION?!?!?! Good gawd. I'd be all over that right quick. Sounds wonderful.

Working in a hospital isn't that great. And unlike 99.9% of the dorks on here, I have professional experience as a pharmacist working in both settings within the last 5 years. I'm so happy right now, I don't ever really complain about anything anymore on here. That was me in a nutshell from 2003-2010 on this forum. Anger, sarcasm, and general pissivity. Now I just enjoy my low stress job with tons of time off and bags of money being thrown at me. And supermarket jobs are like that. Only thing better is night shift like me or Costco/Sam's/BJs type of situation.

Also, if you go into hospital, you're "stuck there for life", too. Who's going to hire someone with no retail experience when there are interns with recent experience with the company who they can't hire? Zero experience dealing with the public and no idea how to practice n that area? Good luck with that. That old adage is beyond busted. Until he next shortage in 20 years or so, you lock in to whatever it is you decide to do after 5 years or so either way.

Well, that settles it then. You're going to be stuck for life either way, better pick the one that you think you will like the best.

 

[BMBiology]

Keep in mind that the pension starts a year after and requires 3 years before it is vested so nothing if you leave within 4 years

 

[confettiflyer]

You can always work at Disneyland:

http://jobs.walgreens.com/us/los-an...ger-on-site-pharmacy-at-disneyland-anaheim-ca

 

[crazybob]

You can always work at Disneyland:

http://jobs.walgreens.com/us/los-an...ger-on-site-pharmacy-at-disneyland-anaheim-ca

• At least 1 year of experience working as a Pharmacist.
• At least 1 year experience using inventory management systems including ordering, receiving, and pharmacy inventory.
• Experience mentoring students in experiential education by being a preceptor or willingness to commit to becoming a preceptor.

Deal with the craziness of Disneyland on top of taking a pharmacy student?

 

[Stilltrying1288]

• At least 1 year of experience working as a Pharmacist.
• At least 1 year experience using inventory management systems including ordering, receiving, and pharmacy inventory.
• Experience mentoring students in experiential education by being a preceptor or willingness to commit to becoming a preceptor.

Deal with the craziness of Disneyland on top of taking a pharmacy student?

That's like people thinking being a pharmacist on the Strip in Vegas is hard, my preceptor loves the tourist site Walgreens.

 

[BenJammin]

Deal with the craziness of Disneyland

Craziness? Huh? I don't know of anyone that goes to a theme park to get their scripts filled. It's probably an employee/park emergency kind of thing.