Whats it like being a pharmacist?

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extrawhitesauce

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WAAIIITT *waves arms pleadingly*

The reason I posted HERE rather than in a "pre" section is because I wanted to know about the field from the pros/students themselves. I figure that now that you guys are past that stage you guys wouldn't check those forums as much as this one. (And the Pharmacy FAQ hasn't been updated in 3 years apparently.)

I've been considering a lot of fields, and I have offers to go into both Medicine and Pharmacy with direct programs. So I can't turn back once I choose one.

So whats it like being a pharmacist? Whats so cool about the job? Why are you in it? Why this rather than Medicine? Is it really boring like they say -_- Is it an exciting job? One med school student on College Confidential stated that he took a pharmacy course in Med School and said it was intensly boring.

Pharmacy appeals to me because of the lifestyle. I would graduate at 24. The average starting salary is 120k. I most definitely won't go into retail (CVS) as industrial pharmacy and research seem much more interesting than helping baby boomers for the rest of my life.

Medicine (being a doctor) I would start at 30-35, making ALOT more money...but I would have no life...as they say, you're married to your job. Someone said your career is the same as a nagging old mistress that you falsely promise to marry someday. But it sure as hell is exciting.

I honestly don't know too much about Pharmacy, so I came to you guys. :love:
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extrawhitesauce said:
WAAIIITT *waves arms pleadingly*

The reason I posted HERE rather than in a "pre" section is because I wanted to know about the field from the pros/students themselves. I figure that now that you guys are past that stage you guys wouldn't check those forums as much as this one. (And the Pharmacy FAQ hasn't been updated in 3 years apparently.)

I've been considering a lot of fields, and I have offers to go into both Medicine and Pharmacy with direct programs. So I can't turn back once I choose one.

So whats it like being a pharmacist? Whats so cool about the job? Why are you in it? Why this rather than Medicine? Is it really boring like they say -_- Is it an exciting job? One med school student on College Confidential stated that he took a pharmacy course in Med School and said it was intensly boring.

Pharmacy appeals to me because of the lifestyle. I would graduate at 24. The average starting salary is 120k. I most definitely won't go into retail (CVS) as industrial pharmacy and research seem much more interesting than helping baby boomers for the rest of my life.

Medicine (being a doctor) I would start at 30-35, making ALOT more money...but I would have no life...as they say, you're married to your job. Someone said your career is the same as a nagging old mistress that you falsely promise to marry someday. But it sure as hell is exciting.

I honestly don't know too much about Pharmacy, so I came to you guys. :love:
Click to expand...

You probably won't graduate at 24. Those days are probably over, I think most pharmacy schools are going to favor applicants who have a bachelor's degree. Other than that, can't really describe it on here. Go to a pharmacy and ask the manager if you can either work as a pharmacy clerk or just volunteer.
 
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I'd highly suggest volunteering or working at a pharmacy. We can't really tell you what it's like until you've seen it yourself. I probably wouldn't go into pharmacy specifically for the lifestyle (starting 120k? not so sure about that...and its usually retail that pays the upper crust, which you said you didn't want to get into). If you plan to go into research, you may want to look into dual degrees or residencies/fellowships which will add time.
 
inquirer89 said:
(starting 120k? not so sure about that...and its usually retail that pays the upper crust, which you said you didn't want to get into). .
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$120k is not that far off average full-time salaries for pharmacist. According to this month's Drug Topics salary survey, the average salary is about $115k.
 
Like you, I also had direct programs to medicine (3+4) and pharmacy (2+4). In the end I chose pharmacy b/c I didn't want to be able to finish residency at the age of 30. At that time, I didn't know much about pharmacy. However, I believe that was a blessing in disguise because if I had shadowed a pharmacist in a retail or hospital setting, I would have decided that pharmacy was boring.

However, through school I have learned that pharmacy can be so much more. There are so many types of settings you can be in such as community retail, community independent, hospital dispensing, clinical specialist, long-term care, compounding, academia, military, public health, ambulatory care, and research.

Right now I am volunteering in a ambulatory clinic where the pharmacist has prescriptive authority. What's cool is that whatever therapy he decides is word. For now, an ambulatory care clinic is where I see myself in the future.

All I can say is shadow as many different types of pharmacist/physicians as you can, then choose what your gut tells you. Even if you choose one program, you should be able to apply to others during undergrad because they have similar pre-reqs.

PS: If you want a nice lifestyle, dentistry isn't a bad choice. If you can handle the oral cavity, you can make a good amount of dough for not so much stress.
 
extrawhitesauce said:
Medicine (being a doctor) I would start at 30-35, making ALOT more money...but I would have no life...as they say, you're married to your job.
Click to expand...

You make a number of generalizations in your post, this is one that caught my attention. I actually work with world renowned physicians who do not make "A LOT" more money than most pharmacists. They make a considerable amount less than most specialists in their field.

Everything has to be put in perspective, and quite frankly, the physicians who make the most money often turn out to be the least impressive on an intellectual level.

If you are in it for the money, go to medical school, start taking money from drug companies, and pretend that your mission is to take care of people and also to provide unbiased "education."
 
I registered in Uk as a pharmacist in 1957 at age 23 and retired just this last December.
Pharmacy has taken me all over the world, I have worked in community, hospital and industry and had a great time. I returned to community after my first retirement from industry and have had a great 10 years working where and where I liked. Meant I have really enjoyed first 10 years of my retirement. Now fully retired for 4 months, longest time not doing some paid work for over 60 years.
johnep
 
What are these direct programs you all are talking about?
 
extrawhitesauce said:
WAAIIITT *waves arms pleadingly*

The reason I posted HERE rather than in a "pre" section is because I wanted to know about the field from the pros/students themselves. I figure that now that you guys are past that stage you guys wouldn't check those forums as much as this one. (And the Pharmacy FAQ hasn't been updated in 3 years apparently.)

I've been considering a lot of fields, and I have offers to go into both Medicine and Pharmacy with direct programs. So I can't turn back once I choose one.

So whats it like being a pharmacist? Whats so cool about the job? Why are you in it? Why this rather than Medicine? Is it really boring like they say -_- Is it an exciting job? One med school student on College Confidential stated that he took a pharmacy course in Med School and said it was intensly boring.

Pharmacy appeals to me because of the lifestyle. I would graduate at 24. The average starting salary is 120k. I most definitely won't go into retail (CVS) as industrial pharmacy and research seem much more interesting than helping baby boomers for the rest of my life.

Medicine (being a doctor) I would start at 30-35, making ALOT more money...but I would have no life...as they say, you're married to your job. Someone said your career is the same as a nagging old mistress that you falsely promise to marry someday. But it sure as hell is exciting.

I honestly don't know too much about Pharmacy, so I came to you guys. :love:
Click to expand...
don't do it. The glorious days of pharmacy has gone. You have to fight for jobs and even when u have a job, u continue fighting to keep that job. No longer recessive proof career.

Yes, pharmacy jobs can be very boring....but it depends on indivituals. "boring" to someone can be okay for others, and very interesting to others...

Bottom line: Very keen competition for jobs in future.
 
mmss22 said:
What are these direct programs you all are talking about?
Click to expand...

There are different types but the one I went to (and I think the OP is talking about) is where you apply in your senior year of high school. You submit SAT's, transcript, and LOR's. If they like you, you get an interview. After the interview, if they still like you, you get admitted into the program and are guaranteed a spot in med/pharm school. You have to keep a 3.5 GPA in undergrad but you don't have to take PCAT/MCAT.
 
I am doing the 6 year program at Rutgers and I believe that is what you are referring to as a direct program. I applied from high school and got into the Rutgers College of Pharmacy. From the first year i was a registered pharmacy student, however I took undergraduate classes for two years and was required to maintain a 2.7 gpa. Now I am in my third year and we are now in the P1 year which would be the first year of pharmacy school in a traditional setting. We are not required to maintain a 2.5 gpa to remain within the Pharmacy school. There are some kids that transferred into the program the third year but from what I've heard unless you have a 4.0 its not even worth trying since so few people make it in.
 
rxforlife2004 said:
don't do it. The glorious days of pharmacy has gone. You have to fight for jobs and even when u have a job, u continue fighting to keep that job. No longer recessive proof career.

Yes, pharmacy jobs can be very boring....but it depends on indivituals. "boring" to someone can be okay for others, and very interesting to others...

Bottom line: Very keen competition for jobs in future.
Click to expand...

Just because a career is not "recession proof" does not mean it is a bad career
 
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willrocks said:
Go **** yourself RxForLife I am sick of your nonstop negative comments.
Click to expand...

Flame-Flame_on.jpg
 
Who the heck is rxforlife, anyway? He/she can't even type complete or technically correct sentences. I wouldn't take too much heart in their comments.
 
jinga said:
Who the heck is rxforlife, anyway? He/she can't even type complete or technically correct sentences. I wouldn't take too much heart in their comments.
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"their"? only one person here and u used "their"? wanna join my little nephew's spelling class?

Who am I? I'm your daddy...now go home and whipe ur ass first, son. u're having a bad diarrhea.
 
rxforlife2004 said:
"their"? only one person here and u used "their"? wanna join my little nephew's spelling class?

Who am I? I'm your daddy...now go home and whipe ur ass first, son. u're having a bad diarrhea.
Click to expand...

Hey *****, it's wipe not whipe. My 4 year old cousin wouldn't make that mistake.
 
Zera said:
Hey *****, it's wipe not whipe. My 4 year old cousin wouldn't make that mistake.
Click to expand...

lol...typing too fast...freaking "h" was in the way...homo!
 
jinga said:
Who the heck is rxforlife, anyway? He/she can't even type complete or technically correct sentences. I wouldn't take too much heart in their comments.
Click to expand...

Good idea! Bury your head in the sand and ignore anyone's opion that differs from your own narrow perspective...great plan.

If sentences that are not complete or technically correct bother you than 90% of the posts on SDN must drive you crazy. Half the people posting here write like a crackhead texting on a stolen iPhone.
 
Point taken. Correct grammar has no bearing on comments that, unfortunately, hold some truth. Sometimes rx just comes off a bit gruff.
 
...and actually pretty deranged, to be honest. I kind of picture rx as a guy who talks in a loud monotone and throws dishes at the wall :smuggrin:

Jk dude!
 
Richard Simmons style. Aww yeah. :cool:
 
If you have no experience in either, and have no real passion for either, this is a complicated decision. Usually, through experience, one can make this decision more easily.

I knew I wanted to be a pharmacist because I worked as a tech since I was 17 and saw the impact my pharmacist had on her patients.

I never considered med school, and I don't know much about being a physician. I did know, however, that 8 years of school plus residency was way too much time for me. Also, oodles of debt, then possibly being on call 24 hrs a day wasn't jiving with me...

There are so many things you can do with pharmacy. Don't think it's just CVS/Walgreens or research. If you are interested in something off the beaten path, there's probably a job for you as a pharmacist. There's nuclear pharmacist, clinical pharmacist, consultant pharmacist, specialties (with their respective residences:hungover:), academic (prof at a college), and a bunch more I can't even bring up...

Basically, it's not a limited field. So don't let the idea of 'JUST being a pharmacist' hold you back from choosing this profession.

PROS of Pharm School: shorter (if you want it to be, with your program, or you can finish pre-reqs in as short as 2 yrs), no residencies (for the most part), good salary (stability!), you can work 9-5 if you want..., get the title "Dr" and get a fancy lab coat in shorter time than an MD

What's AWESOME about being a pharmacist: patient interaction, insane amounts of knowledge on drugs, job stability, a very trusted profession, wide variety of positions (nuclear, consultant, etc...)

Why I Chose it: I liked pharmacy, the idea of knowing so much about this certain subject that most people knew very little about. Also, I wanted to title "Dr", and the ability to work part time if I wanted to have a family.

What's so cool about it: Basically, people trust you. A lot. Especially if you work retail, you are the most accessible medical professional.That's pretty cool.

Why this rather than medicine: less time commitment, never had a drive to me an MD

Is it boring: It can be, especially when studying drugs. But it gets exciting when you get to do cases. It's kind of like a puzzle with a hundred different options, and you have to choose the best one. It's aggravating, like all challenging things, but it really does make you feel accomplished in the end. I am just starting rotations, and haven't had much practice yet, but I can't wait to test out what I've learned so far... You really learn A LOT in pharmacy school...

About salary: I don't know what research pharmacists make, but I've hear retail makes the most... I just talked to a CVS district manager about a future job offer and they said average is around $112k. Prob will by 120k by the time you graduate, though...

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me!

[PS: I am graduating at 24. It is a big advantage because I get to make X years more of salary than I wouldn't have been able to otherwise :). Monies Monies Monies... lol]
 
extrawhitesauce said:
WAAIIITT *waves arms pleadingly*

The reason I posted HERE rather than in a "pre" section is because I wanted to know about the field from the pros/students themselves. I figure that now that you guys are past that stage you guys wouldn't check those forums as much as this one. (And the Pharmacy FAQ hasn't been updated in 3 years apparently.)

I've been considering a lot of fields, and I have offers to go into both Medicine and Pharmacy with direct programs. So I can't turn back once I choose one.

So whats it like being a pharmacist? Whats so cool about the job? Why are you in it? Why this rather than Medicine? Is it really boring like they say -_- Is it an exciting job? One med school student on College Confidential stated that he took a pharmacy course in Med School and said it was intensly boring.

Pharmacy appeals to me because of the lifestyle. I would graduate at 24. The average starting salary is 120k. I most definitely won't go into retail (CVS) as industrial pharmacy and research seem much more interesting than helping baby boomers for the rest of my life.

Medicine (being a doctor) I would start at 30-35, making ALOT more money...but I would have no life...as they say, you're married to your job. Someone said your career is the same as a nagging old mistress that you falsely promise to marry someday. But it sure as hell is exciting.

I honestly don't know too much about Pharmacy, so I came to you guys. :love:
Click to expand...

Don't focus on money. Also, don't think that you are going to do something just because it is easier. It is better to take more time if the career path is more satisfying. I, personally, would not look at the money at the top priority. If there is something I am passionate about, I would do many years of school even if the pay was going to be less or more.
 
Last edited:
Being a pharmacist is whatever you make it to be. ;)
 
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