Why did you get into Pharmacy?

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ga1000

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Hey everyone,
I've been thinking about a lot of career options lately. I've gone back and forth between a few options.

I'm curious as to what drives people to be pharmacists? The schooling is the same as med but there is no residency. So why did you pick pharmacy over med? What background did you come from that made you want to do pharmacy? What was your college major?

Any good insight on what drives you to be a pharmacist would be appreciated.

Thanks
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I made a very snarky reply. However, I decided to be a little nicer.

1st. Pharmacy school and med school are nothing alike. NOTHING!! alike.
2nd. Pharmacist can pursue residencies as well.
3rd. College major does not matter. Just do something you enjoy while also covering the pre-reqs. Also alot of schools only ask for you to complete 60-90 credits. So no major is required for those schools.
4th. Every one goes into pharmacy for different reasons. The most important question is why YOU want to go into pharmacy. If you do.
 
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I came from an engineering background. I'd had enough of the George Jetson existence of pushing buttons all day (nuclear power) and wanted to get into a field that allowed me to actually help people on a regular basis. I was initially pre-med, but I switched to pre-pharm after working in a retail pharmacy.

For better or for worse. :smuggrin:
 
UNMorBUST said:
I made a very snarky reply. However, I decided to be a little nicer.

1st. Pharmacy school and med school are nothing alike. NOTHING!! alike.
2nd. Pharmacist can pursue residencies as well.
3rd. College major does not matter. Just do something you enjoy while also covering the pre-reqs. Also alot of schools only ask for you to complete 60-90 credits. So no major is required for those schools.
4th. Every one goes into pharmacy for different reasons. The most important question is why YOU want to go into pharmacy. If you do.
Click to expand...

Your post still seems snarky to me. The posters question is certainly a reasonable topic for this forum. Many people are interested in more than one field and like to hear what others have taken into consideration when narrowing down their choice. For some, it can be really hard to decide absolutely what they want to do for the rest of their life.

Pharmacy school and medical school may be nothing alike, but it is reasonable that many may consider both fields. Also, it is fairly common to be asked in pharmacy school interviews why you selected pharmacy over other health care careers like MD and nursing.
 
I believe this topic has been discussed before. OP, if you are considering pharmacy as a career, I suggest you read through the FAQ and use the search function to find relevant, existing threads.

Med school and pharmacy school are alike in some ways and very different in other ways. Personally, I prefer the role of the pharmacist over that of the doctor. I also like the lifestyle and shorter path. Additionally, a PharmD is a very versatile degree and there are many opportunities in very different sectors.
 
ga1000 said:
Hey everyone,
I've been thinking about a lot of career options lately. I've gone back and forth between a few options.

I'm curious as to what drives people to be pharmacists? The schooling is the same as med but there is no residency. So why did you pick pharmacy over med? What background did you come from that made you want to do pharmacy? What was your college major?

Any good insight on what drives you to be a pharmacist would be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

OK so this is not relevant to anything, but the question "Why did you get into pharmacy" is not the same as "Why did you go into pharmacy". I would say the reason I got in was hard work and determination. The reason I went into pharmacy has to do with job satisfaction, money, yada yada yada... Small but important difference.
 
hillwilliam said:
Your post still seems snarky to me. The posters question is certainly a reasonable topic for this forum. Many people are interested in more than one field and like to hear what others have taken into consideration when narrowing down their choice. For some, it can be really hard to decide absolutely what they want to do for the rest of their life.

Pharmacy school and medical school may be nothing alike, but it is reasonable that many may consider both fields. Also, it is fairly common to be asked in pharmacy school interviews why you selected pharmacy over other health care careers like MD and nursing.
Click to expand...
Well sorrrrryyyy.:rolleyes:
 
I kinda "fell into" a job as a pharmacy tech because I was friends with the Rph's wife. But once I got there, I loved working with patients (the social aspect); but it is not the physical contact you have as a physician. Many retail pharmacists are having to give flu shots now; but the person is not sick. The short interactions with sick people I have had over the last two years as a tech have built my immunities up to the point that I rarely get sick anymore. But the "100,000 reasons" (LOL) plus the non-contact part is why I like pharmacy. As a pharmacist, you are still helping patients improve/maintain their health.
 
Parents want me to be in the healthcare profession and pharmacy is the only tolerable one. Dental, Med, Nursing, whatever are all too nasty for me to do.
 
hillwilliam said:
Your post still seems snarky to me.

Pharmacy school and medical school may be nothing alike, but it is reasonable that many may consider both fields. Also, it is fairly common to be asked in pharmacy school interviews why you selected pharmacy over other health care careers like MD and nursing.
Click to expand...

He could be a lot worse;)

rxlea said:
I believe this topic has been discussed before. OP, if you are considering pharmacy as a career, I suggest you read through the FAQ and use the search function to find relevant, existing threads.

Med school and pharmacy school are alike in some ways and very different in other ways. Personally, I prefer the role of the pharmacist over that of the doctor. I also like the lifestyle and shorter path. Additionally, a PharmD is a very versatile degree and there are many opportunities in very different sectors.
Click to expand...

This one has been beaten to death actually.

I also agree with your points.:thumbup:

SHC1984 said:
Parents want me to be in the healthcare profession and pharmacy is the only tolerable one. Dental, Med, Nursing, whatever are all too nasty for me to do.
Click to expand...

:laugh:
 
This is what pharmacy schools are looking for in an applicant. For anybody interested in pharmacy make sure you can demonstrate this.

SHC1984 said:
Parents want me to be in the healthcare profession and pharmacy is the only tolerable one. Dental, Med, Nursing, whatever are all too nasty for me to do.
Click to expand...
 
Project2015 said:
Yeah! Why ruin those bebe, Prada, LV, and such?! And scrubs aren't hotttt at all. :smuggrin:
Click to expand...

Scrubs are super hot, especially those teal ones they provide for you. Not a day goes by at the hospital that I don't think about how all the health care professionals look like "the beautiful people". Now if we can only get health care professionals to breed more.
 
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