Why do people still consider going to pharmacy schools when they already know there won't be a job?

[Dallice]

Ironic that I just saw this article today... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/college-grads-studied-one-subject-131500706.html

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[CMUchicka]

Ironic that I just saw this article today... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/college-grads-studied-one-subject-131500706.html

Buddy, you should read comments below this article. This article is so misleading..

 

[fewaopi]

Ironic that I just saw this article today... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/college-grads-studied-one-subject-131500706.html

Are you so ignorant to believe everything you are told?

Did you believe in Mohammed Islam?
Did you believe in Yahoo's coverage of a 26 year old who became a millionaire in which readers found was impossible and Yahoo later admitted poor reporting, retracted story after fabricating a lie just to get more clicks?
Did you believe in Treyvon Martin's case coverage was fair and balanced? (see wiki)
Did you believe in Rolling Stone's U Va rape article?
Do you believe in Fox's version of France after Charlie Hebdo?
Do you believe everything you read in the media? (here's a hint...you shouldn't)
Did you completely ignore the comments?

Btw I don't have a Yahoo account so it aint me posting those down there. You need to learn how to read. You do sound perfect for web journalism careers though.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I have noticed that Yahoo News has some of the most poorly written articles. You might well argue that gambling in Las Vegas is a good way to invest your money because one person won millions.

 

[CrCl]

The article was more like an assignment attempted by a pre-journalist student, which is yet to be graded an "F."

 

[Trishna28]

I read that yesterday and was shocked. In any case, I always read Yahoo articles with a pinch of salt. Yahoo is only good at reporting about the Kardashian sisters.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

Ironic that I just saw this article today... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/college-grads-studied-one-subject-131500706.html

 

[Dallice]

Buddy, you should read comments below this article. This article is so misleading..

I thought we were done talking to each other Chicka... I said it was ironic, not that it was scripture.

It baffles me that there are so many whiney people on this forum. Articles and statistics have been showing the over production of graduates for years so I don't understand where all the bitterness is coming from right now. Were you not smart enough back then to realize what you were getting into? Anyone doing any sort of research knows the risks going in.

 

[Dallice]

Are you so ignorant to believe everything you are told?

Did you believe in Mohammed Islam?
Did you believe in Yahoo's coverage of a 26 year old who became a millionaire in which readers found was impossible and Yahoo later admitted poor reporting, retracted story after fabricating a lie just to get more clicks?
Did you believe in Treyvon Martin's case coverage was fair and balanced? (see wiki)
Did you believe in Rolling Stone's U Va rape article?
Do you believe in Fox's version of France after Charlie Hebdo?
Do you believe everything you read in the media? (here's a hint...you shouldn't)
Did you completely ignore the comments?

Btw I don't have a Yahoo account so it aint me posting those down there. You need to learn how to read. You do sound perfect for web journalism careers though.

You sure do infer a lot from a simple comment about how it was ironic that I saw that article after reading this forum post. Name calling is the first sign of a weak mind.

 

[Jbrl]

I don't understand this thread at all. If someone has a passion for pharmacy and they want to do it, who are you to tell them not to? Maybe some of us aren't in it to get a fat paycheck or live a perfect life, some of us have a passion for the field and are rewarded by merely being able to do that job. To say there will be NO jobs is unrealistic. Yes there may be less jobs, but that doesn't mean there's none. Just like every other job out there, you have to be flexible and work hard to get a job. If you truly love pharmacy and you know it is something you want, having to relocate or taking a job in a branch of pharmacy that maybe isn't your number one perfect choice shouldn't matter that much, because in the end you're still getting to do something you love. Reading this post and seeing some of the prepharmers saying things like "I don't even want to do this anymore" and "I regret this choice" highly concerns me, because if that's how you feel you shouldn't be in the field to begin with. If a few statistics and concerns turn you away from the field completely, then I don't think you made the right choice to pursue this anyways.

Yes it may be hard to find a job, yes we may have some student loans, yes we may have to make sacrifices along the way, but that just means we need to work hard for the things we want, not turn away and give up because circumstances are less than ideal and we won't just be handed what we want on a silver platter.

Don't get me wrong, I am totally aware of the concerns and have put countless amounts of thought into them as well, but in my personal opinion it just fuels me to work harder, and the passion I've developed for this field will always be enough to overcome these concerns.

People tell pre-pharms not to get into the field because many don't "love" pharmacy, don't have a "passion" for retail, or are interested for reasons that don't [yet] exist for the majority of pharmacy and may not for the foreseeable future. For those people, it makes no sense to squander that time, effort and money. I've also met people who lose interest once they actually enter pharmacy school and see the realities, but if you've done your research, work in community pharmacy, and still want to become a pharmacist, more power to you.

I thought we were done talking to each other Chicka... I said it was ironic, not that it was scripture.

It baffles me that there are so many whiney people on this forum. Articles and statistics have been showing the over production of graduates for years so I don't understand where all the bitterness is coming from right now. Were you not smart enough back then to realize what you were getting into? Anyone doing any sort of research knows the risks going in.

The position you're taking now seems rather different from what you've previously shown. Why the change?

 

[Dallice]

People tell pre-pharms not to get into the field because many don't "love" pharmacy, don't have a "passion" for retail, or are interested for reasons that don't [yet] exist for the majority of pharmacy and may not for the foreseeable future. For those people, it makes no sense to squander that time, effort and money. I've also met people who lose interest once they actually enter pharmacy school and see the realities, but if you've done your research, work in community pharmacy, and still want to become a pharmacist, more power to you.
The position you're taking now seems rather different from what you've previously shown. Why the change?

In an online setting like this forum it is difficult to get a sense for someone in their entirety. I have tried to balance out the negativity with an article or a comment to show that it is not all bad. Is the market changing? Of course. Is the sky falling like some would like to portray? No. The truth is there are many in this industry that love what they do and have very nice set-ups, and there are those that hate it. I said in a previous comment that my situation is different than most so for me it is something that I love and have a strong passion for (personal reasons), and financially I will not have loans hanging over me. I still feel that if someone is interested in Pharmacy they can have a bright future in the field. I see some people crying about pay drops but to be honest 95k from 110k is not all that bad. You can still provide a great life for yourself and your family at 95k. And that is if you are in an area that has that kind of drop. I know a few pharmacists in South Dakota and their pay has not dropped at all, it has actually increased at a normal pace for a career. I just feel bad for those that feel it is their duty to be out actively bashing an entire field of study, especially those that are not even in it or going into it.

 

[pharmislyfe]

In an online setting like this forum it is difficult to get a sense for someone in their entirety. I have tried to balance out the negativity with an article or a comment to show that it is not all bad. Is the market changing? Of course. Is the sky falling like some would like to portray? No. The truth is there are many in this industry that love what they do and have very nice set-ups, and there are those that hate it. I said in a previous comment that my situation is different than most so for me it is something that I love and have a strong passion for (personal reasons), and financially I will not have loans hanging over me. I still feel that if someone is interested in Pharmacy they can have a bright future in the field. I see some people crying about pay drops but to be honest 95k from 110k is not all that bad. You can still provide a great life for yourself and your family at 95k. And that is if you are in an area that has that kind of drop. I know a few pharmacists in South Dakota and their pay has not dropped at all, it has actually increased at a normal pace for a career. I just feel bad for those that feel it is their duty to be out actively bashing an entire field of study, especially those that are not even in it or going into it.

I agree with the last statement so much! If this is not the field you are entering I don't understand why you feel the need to bash those that are. To try to warn or politely describe concerns is one thing, but to straight up bash someone for wanting to pursue something they enjoy is completely different. If you are not pre pharmacy I can't understand why you are even posting things in these threads, most of us are fully aware of The outlook and outcomes and still want to do pharmacy. Everything is not all about money people, and quite frankly if that's the only reason someone is in a field, they shouldn't Be in it anyways.

 

[Jbrl]

I agree with the last statement so much! If this is not the field you are entering I don't understand why you feel the need to bash those that are. To try to warn or politely describe concerns is one thing, but to straight up bash someone for wanting to pursue something they enjoy is completely different. If you are not pre pharmacy I can't understand why you are even posting things in these threads, most of us are fully aware of The outlook and outcomes and still want to do pharmacy. Everything is not all about money people, and quite frankly if that's the only reason someone is in a field, they shouldn't Be in it anyways.

Wait, what? Most people who post here about the pharmacy landscape are either pharmacy students or pharmacists. They express their perspective from the vantage point of experience.

 

[BF7]

Let me give everyone here some background from my personal experience. I've been a Pharmacist for 12 years. when I graduated you literally could have quit your job in the AM and had 2-3 offers for employment that evening. I have worked traditional community retail pharmacy, Mail order pharmacy, PBM clinical review and I owned my own pharmacy for the last 5 years before selling it so I could move to Florida while buying a couple vacation rentals to generate income as a means to diversify my family's income stream. So I've been browsing the available jobs for 6 months or so and I've applied top every single one and I've had 6 interviews. I have as of this date ONE job offer and it was from the LEAST appealing employer in my personal opinion. My experience is impeccable, my past performance as an employee and as an owner speaks for itself yet instead of having employers competing for someone as accomplished as me, I've gotten but a single job offer. I have 5 children and I cringe at the thought of any student entering Pharmacy school now; I certainly would not recommend it to my own children unless I wind up owning a store again (which is a very distinct possibility with my job prospects as they currently stand). I'm not some bloviating troll; I'm here dishing out first hand experience and knowledge. Are there jobs out there? Yes; and they generate many,many applicants per position. Will you likely get what you prefer without knowing someone at the company first? Highly unlikely. If you are going into debt $100K plus for a degree in Pharmacy, you very well may in fact be setting yourself back instead of taking the leap into the "upper middle class" as a recent article indicated a degree in Pharmacy would allow and individual to do.

If I were 20 years old today and didn't want to reach to Medical school; I'd shoot for becoming a PA.

 

[CrCl]

Will you likely get what you prefer without knowing someone at the company first? Highly unlikely. If you are going into debt $100K plus for a degree in Pharmacy, you very well may in fact be setting yourself back instead of taking the leap into the "upper middle class" as a recent article indicated a degree in Pharmacy would allow and individual to do.

If I were 20 years old today and didn't want to reach to Medical school; I'd shoot for becoming a PA.

I'm not aware of any profession, where you can easily get a "preferred position" without knowing someone first.

Besides, there are countless variables that may make an individual more qualified for a given position than another, even with past job experiences.

 

[BF7]

I'm not aware of any profession, where you can easily get a "preferred position" without knowing someone first.

Besides, there are countless variables that may make an individual more qualified for a given position than another, even with past job experiences.

Pharmacy WAS one of those professions.(especially for those with experience) You apparently are going to learn things the HARD way....

 

[rederza]

Because they didn't know.
Because they didn't do their research.
(I am the above)
Also maybe they fell into sunk cost fallacy.

 

[CrCl]

Pharmacy WAS one of those professions.(especially for those with experience) You apparently are going to learn things the HARD way....

Thanks a lot, Sherlock. I guess it's high time I fired my fortune teller; another unsung benefit of SDN!

 

[BF7]

Thanks a lot, Sherlock. I guess it's high time I fired my fortune teller; another unsung benefit of SDN!

Well, I tried.

 

[UGAZ]

I don't understand this thread at all. If someone has a passion for pharmacy and they want to do it, who are you to tell them not to? Maybe some of us aren't in it to get a fat paycheck or live a perfect life, some of us have a passion for the field and are rewarded by merely being able to do that job. To say there will be NO jobs is unrealistic. Yes there may be less jobs, but that doesn't mean there's none. Just like every other job out there, you have to be flexible and work hard to get a job. If you truly love pharmacy and you know it is something you want, having to relocate or taking a job in a branch of pharmacy that maybe isn't your number one perfect choice shouldn't matter that much, because in the end you're still getting to do something you love. Reading this post and seeing some of the prepharmers saying things like "I don't even want to do this anymore" and "I regret this choice" highly concerns me, because if that's how you feel you shouldn't be in the field to begin with. If a few statistics and concerns turn you away from the field completely, then I don't think you made the right choice to pursue this anyways.

Yes it may be hard to find a job, yes we may have some student loans, yes we may have to make sacrifices along the way, but that just means we need to work hard for the things we want, not turn away and give up because circumstances are less than ideal and we won't just be handed what we want on a silver platter.

Don't get me wrong, I am totally aware of the concerns and have put countless amounts of thought into them as well, but in my personal opinion it just fuels me to work harder, and the passion I've developed for this field will always be enough to overcome these concerns.

If you truly love pharmacy ,then I say go ahead and do it. However, the majority of 90% people don't even have a clue what a pharmacist really do , yet still applying to pharmacy schools and saturate this profession.

This thread should be sticky, btw.

 

[AstraZ]

I don't understand this thread at all. If someone has a passion for pharmacy and they want to do it, who are you to tell them not to? Maybe some of us aren't in it to get a fat paycheck or live a perfect life, some of us have a passion for the field and are rewarded by merely being able to do that job. To say there will be NO jobs is unrealistic. Yes there may be less jobs, but that doesn't mean there's none. Just like every other job out there, you have to be flexible and work hard to get a job. If you truly love pharmacy and you know it is something you want, having to relocate or taking a job in a branch of pharmacy that maybe isn't your number one perfect choice shouldn't matter that much, because in the end you're still getting to do something you love. Reading this post and seeing some of the prepharmers saying things like "I don't even want to do this anymore" and "I regret this choice" highly concerns me, because if that's how you feel you shouldn't be in the field to begin with. If a few statistics and concerns turn you away from the field completely, then I don't think you made the right choice to pursue this anyways.

Yes it may be hard to find a job, yes we may have some student loans, yes we may have to make sacrifices along the way, but that just means we need to work hard for the things we want, not turn away and give up because circumstances are less than ideal and we won't just be handed what we want on a silver platter.

Don't get me wrong, I am totally aware of the concerns and have put countless amounts of thought into them as well, but in my personal opinion it just fuels me to work harder, and the passion I've developed for this field will always be enough to overcome these concerns.

Couldn't have said it better myself! I am aware of the current and projected outlooks on job availability, but agree that it spurs me on to work even harder.

Some people (many?) think after they're accepted to pharmacy school, it's a cake walk through school and into a nice salary. If that's the approach you take, fine, but you're doing it wrong IMO. School is the time to learn as much as you can about, test out different possibilities, make contacts, etc. this is true with everything: you get out of it what you put into it.

As for no jobs.... That's funny because I've already received two offers if accepted to work as an intern. Plus, no one knows what's going to happen in the future for any jobs.

And for those that are applying and changed their mind or are in school and changed their mind: no one is making you stay. If you don't want to be there, leave. If you don't want to be a pharmacist, pull your applications. Let the people who honestly want to be there fight for the spots.

 

[SouthStudent31]

Couldn't have said it better myself! I am aware of the current and projected outlooks on job availability, but agree that it spurs me on to work even harder.

Some people (many?) think after they're accepted to pharmacy school, it's a cake walk through school and into a nice salary. If that's the approach you take, fine, but you're doing it wrong IMO. School is the time to learn as much as you can about, test out different possibilities, make contacts, etc. this is true with everything: you get out of it what you put into it.

As for no jobs.... That's funny because I've already received two offers if accepted to work as an intern. Plus, no one knows what's going to happen in the future for any jobs.

And for those that are applying and changed their mind or are in school and changed their mind: no one is making you stay. If you don't want to be there, leave. If you don't want to be a pharmacist, pull your applications. Let the people who honestly want to be there fight for the spots.

It doesn't matter what forum one enters, there are trolls pretty much everywhere on SDN. May I become a RN? "NO! TOO SATURATED"
May I become an Optometrist? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Well may I pursue Dentistry? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Can I just sit at home and do nothing with my life? "Perfect"

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/do-not-go-into-dentistry-trust-me-it-is-saturated.1170539/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...st-believe-me-i-wanted-to-be-one-too.1134550/

 

[PharmtoCS]

It doesn't matter what forum one enters, there are trolls pretty much everywhere on SDN. May I become a RN? "NO! TOO SATURATED"
May I become an Optometrist? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Well may I pursue Dentistry? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Can I just sit at home and do nothing with my life? "Perfect"

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/do-not-go-into-dentistry-trust-me-it-is-saturated.1170539/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...st-believe-me-i-wanted-to-be-one-too.1134550/

Software engineers and computer programmers are talking on Reddit how great their profession is doing. I would look in that direction.

 

[rederza]

Software engineers and computer programmers are talking on Reddit how great their profession is doing. I would look in that direction.

Be careful considering this though. It was very hard for me, I ended up dropping my programming class. FWIW, I got into medical school, thought pharmacy school was easy but oh god computer science was hard...............I'd be careful and try it out first, other wise youre going to find yourself with a D in programming and no where to go from there.

 

[steveysmith54]

It doesn't matter what forum one enters, there are trolls pretty much everywhere on SDN. May I become a RN? "NO! TOO SATURATED"
May I become an Optometrist? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Well may I pursue Dentistry? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Can I just sit at home and do nothing with my life? "Perfect"

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/do-not-go-into-dentistry-trust-me-it-is-saturated.1170539/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...st-believe-me-i-wanted-to-be-one-too.1134550/

I really don't like when people compare pharmacy to other professions and use this argument. It actually pisses me off. Unlike dentistry, the problem with pharmacy is the profession got messed up by pharmacists. Yes, pharmacists. The president of APhA opened a pharmacy school 2 years ago, called Chapman. The whole saturation happened bc the # of pharm schools doubled in the last decade. 4 new schools just opened in the state of CA in the last 2 years. The so called "leaders" of pharmacy are selling out. It's a joke. In my state, CA, we went from 4 schools to 12 in the last 10 years. Good luck to you. you'll need it when you compete with the new grads from these schools who will actually proly graduate before you do....

 

[Jbrl]

It doesn't matter what forum one enters, there are trolls pretty much everywhere on SDN. May I become a RN? "NO! TOO SATURATED"
May I become an Optometrist? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Well may I pursue Dentistry? "NO! TOO SATURATED".... Can I just sit at home and do nothing with my life? "Perfect"

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/do-not-go-into-dentistry-trust-me-it-is-saturated.1170539/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...st-believe-me-i-wanted-to-be-one-too.1134550/

The #1 gripe you will hear about pharmacy is that it is primarily transactional and the big chains will make you feel like a robot in dispensing and verifying with inadequate support. You may end up forgetting much of the clinical knowledge you've been given after a few years in retail. We're not yet at the point in which pharmacy has transitioned into a primary care-esque model as people would like, and it's not even certain if that will happen at all. If it does happen, it remains to be seen what that will translate to in terms of job availability and wage. This lack of skills-based work in comparison to the professions you've listed, along with the relative glut of pharmacy schools is the primary difference, though having a 1:3 income to debt ratio as an optometrist seems like a bad idea too.

Because the field is at the mercy of the top 3 (now 2), it brings an uncertain future. Target was bought out by CVS and exited the pharmacy space. A&P recently closed or sold all of its stores, and >200 pharmacists were laid off in the aftermath. CVS recently introduced cost-cutting measures by laying off night-shift pharmacists and changing the hours of most of their 24H stores - if you look in the pharmacy section some say >1000 pharmacists were laid off. Walgreens recently bought out Rite-Aid, pending FTC approval, and will need to divest 1,000 stores, by their estimates. WSJ estimates even more, 2000-3000 stores. You can bet more pharmacists will get laid off, and more contraction will occur to satisfy the desires of the shareholders.

If, after knowing and actually internalizing all of this, you still want to become a pharmacist, then, again, more power to you.

Couldn't have said it better myself! I am aware of the current and projected outlooks on job availability, but agree that it spurs me on to work even harder.

Some people (many?) think after they're accepted to pharmacy school, it's a cake walk through school and into a nice salary. If that's the approach you take, fine, but you're doing it wrong IMO. School is the time to learn as much as you can about, test out different possibilities, make contacts, etc. this is true with everything: you get out of it what you put into it.

As for no jobs.... That's funny because I've already received two offers if accepted to work as an intern. Plus, no one knows what's going to happen in the future for any jobs.

And for those that are applying and changed their mind or are in school and changed their mind: no one is making you stay. If you don't want to be there, leave. If you don't want to be a pharmacist, pull your applications. Let the people who honestly want to be there fight for the spots.

Intern ≠ pharmacist. You'll notice that almost all the people talking about how great pharmacy is are the pre-pharms. Take care to make sure your mentality doesn't change as you go through school. I caution people who are considering pharmacy, but I myself found my "place" in the profession so I can't complain.

 

[Singuy]

It's like telling your teenage daughter "hey that guy you are dating..yeah the pot smoker who goes in and out of juvie..that guy is a loser and you should stay away". "But DAaaaaaD, you don't know anything!!!!! I love him and not everyone needs to be successful to gain my love!"

I LoL at these pre-pharm students who are in it for the "passion". Passion for what? You have a passion for being a pill counter, a glorified cashier, or a nurse's little b@@#ch? I have worked at Target when it was "good", and 8 years at a 600 bed teaching hospital. I've worked as the ED, OR, IV room, rounding, checking, kinetics, and tpn pharmacist. Let me tell you pre-pharmies, this job is nothing but a fat paycheck. You want to save the world? Go become a MD (without borders) or even a PA. We have very little power (the fact that I have to get permission from a MD just to d/c Lovenox when the pt got started on Apixaban blows my mind) and I see most of what I do can be easily replaced by a very good software program.

I didn't pick pharmacy because I thought this profession is going to save lives. I picked it because it is easy(4 hour board exams..can it be any easier?) and it comes with a fat paycheck. I did it for the money and I make no apologies for it...because honestly why else would you want to be a healthcare professional that makes no difference?

MDs+Nurses+Pharm Techs+good computer software=runs the hospital

If you don't prescribe, don't diagnose, don't administer, and don't deliver..then wtf is your purpose?! This is why a lot of pharmacy positions in a hospital are made up.

For me, I had no student loans, paid off my house, and is prepared to for end times of this profession. We are way overpaid for what we do(other countries only require a highschool diploma).

 

[AstraZ]

Intern ≠ pharmacist.

I'm well aware that intern and pharmacist are not the same thing (my phone doesn't have the "does not equal" sign). But some have argued even interns can't get spots especially in AZ. I was pointing out that is in fact a fallacy.

 

[AstraZ]

I can't decide if that (the teenage daughter dating analogy) should be classified as a false analogy or a red herring, but I'm leaning towards false analogy. If nothing else, you've helped me reflect on the public speaking vocabulary my professor just assigned. Thank you.

If you personally are not passionate about something, you'll never understand why other people are. By your logic I could say that hair stylists only cut hair, are "glorified" garbage collectors, and cashiers. Or that computer programmers only sit in a chair banging on keyboards all day. The truth of the matter is if you're only doing something for a paycheck, even if it's a nice one, will lead people to be unhappy and oversimplify what their job entails.

As for pre-pharms who say they want to change the world... I've never heard that one but I am fairly new to the boards. I would also argue there's more ways to change the world than just helping discover or design a drug that can cure HIV (read: cure NOT drop viral load to undetectable levels with 100% compliance) or vaccinate against Ebola. You can change the personal world of one person by your actions which then has a ripple effect. Who knows what effect a retail pharmacist can have on a patient by catching a major drug drug interaction the doctor may have missed because the patient forgot to mention the medications her other doctors have her on? Or the effect a clinical pharmacist can have on the medical team when they point out a treatment plan that is better for the patient in terms of reduced cost, increased effectiveness, and fewer side effects? And let's not forget our research pharmacists who strive to find medicinal solutions to physiological problems.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions on what is and isn't a waste of time and/or money and I applaud those here and offline who try to educate those who are trying to enter or are entering the field with their eyes tightly shut to the current situation. But there are some of us who are not deaf, dumb, or blind and yet we still want to pursue this field for various reasons. There's nothing wrong with that. But if we do come back years from now moaning about not being able to find ANY jobs, being up to our ears in debt, and miserable because "no one told me what pharmacy is like", then please by all means a good "I told you so" is in order.

 

[Singuy]

Okay maybe you missed the point of my analogy. I don't see how you can have a passion for something you haven't experienced yet. I never called a RPH a glorified cashier, a Target pt did while I was scanning their baby powder and a box of condoms. You can put this profession on a pedestal all you want but that's just being naive just like the teenage daughter.

Before the profession was tolerable because there's an abundance of jobs with good pay and little to no student loans. Now I'm confused why so many people still wants this gig.

 

[dimeadozenn]

If your confused why people want a 120k plus job a year with 250000 positions in the usa and a 250k minimum independent practice....along with being able to work in a hospital setting and help save lives then your an idiot not worth a second more of anyones time here...nuff said, later.

 

[torontopharm]

.

 

[torontopharm]

Okay maybe you missed the point of my analogy. I don't see how you can have a passion for something you haven't experienced yet. I never called a RPH a glorified cashier, a Target pt did while I was scanning their baby powder and a box of condoms. You can put this profession on a pedestal all you want but that's just being naive just like the teenage daughter.

Before the profession was tolerable because there's an abundance of jobs with good pay and little to no student loans. Now I'm confused why so many people still wants this gig.

$$$.
Many other health professions are saturated and max out/start out on average at 70-80k. Pharmacists are still getting paid relatively better.
Most pre-healths have 0 interest in computer science, engineering etc. regardless of how great their job market/income is or how often it's mentioned on sdn.
Every time these threads come around, many pre-pharms are thinking "Worse comes to worst, if i don't match into a residency, i'll just work overnight at a retail chain in a rural area and make my 120k".
Unless pay drops to 70-80k, kids will still enroll.

 

[Singuy]

If your confused why people want a 120k plus job a year with 250000 positions in the usa and a 250k minimum independent practice....along with being able to work in a hospital setting and help save lives then your an idiot not worth a second more of anyones time here...nuff said, later.

Our wages are going down and student loans are going up. I was offered 108k when I graduated 9 years ago, now they are offering 110k. This doesn't even keep up with inflation. My tuition was 10k/year, now it's 28k/year. I used to get 3-4 offers with bonuses coming out of school..now I hear pharmacist applying for tech positions. So yeah..I still don't get it...you let me know what's so great about being a pharmacist today while Walgreens and CVS displaces your job with robots/central fill/dispensing cabinets.

From where I am standing, PA is a much better choice. Whatever, it's your money and your choice. I got the most benefit out of my pharmacy career already.

 

[dimeadozenn]

Not even one thing you said was accurate, first off states like Minnesota and many others are offering 80k a year bonus untaxed money, second when you make 10k a month you wont have any issue paying back a 1000 dollar a month loan. Third get your facts straight and quit blowing smoke out of your rear kid because there are more than enough jobs fact. Deuces, take care being a physicians slave.

 

[PharmtoCS]

Not even one thing you said was accurate, first off states like Minnesota and many others are offering 80k a year bonus untaxed money, second when you make 10k a month you wont have any issue paying back a 1000 dollar a month loan. Third get your facts straight and quit blowing smoke out of your rear kid because there are more than enough jobs fact. Deuces, take care being a physicians slave.

Denial and anger are the first two stages of grief.

Every time these threads come around, many pre-pharms are thinking "Worse comes to worst, if i don't match into a residency, i'll just work overnight at a retail chain in a rural area and make my 120k".

Bargaining is the third stage.

 

[dimeadozenn]

stoichiometrist you still holding a grudge about stuff you got schooled on a month ago haha lmao wow. nice try tho., but anyone here can search the facts i pointed out.

 

[PharmtoCS]

stoichiometrist you still holding a grudge about stuff you got schooled on a month ago haha lmao wow. nice try tho., but anyone here can search the facts i pointed out.

Schooled on what, exactly?

If you try to pass on your views of the pharmacist job market as fact, then you're in for a schooling that is much worse than what you'll receive from the SDN forums.

 

[dimeadozenn]

views or facts? hah plz. and yea guess your still mad.
lmao

 

[AstraZ]

Okay maybe you missed the point of my analogy. I don't see how you can have a passion for something you haven't experienced yet. I never called a RPH a glorified cashier, a Target pt did while I was scanning their baby powder and a box of condoms. You can put this profession on a pedestal all you want but that's just being naive just like the teenage daughter.

Before the profession was tolerable because there's an abundance of jobs with good pay and little to no student loans. Now I'm confused why so many people still wants this gig.

No, I understood the analogy, but I feel like there are critical differences between the two situations. The teenage daughter in your example is young and naive and won't listen to anything anyone else tells her. I am neither young nor naive and I hear the advise being given to me and am aware of the situation. Regardless of what the situation is and may be in the future, I know what's right for me and that's being a pharmacist.

As for something I haven't experienced yet: experienced being an RPh, no, not yet. I've been an intern and I've been a tech for 6 years in retail, insurance billing, mail order, compounding, and hospital. That whole time I've watched my pharmacists to observe what they do, not the same thing as actually doing it no, but I have some idea what I'm getting into. And honestly, I really enjoy being a tech. Always have. Is every aspect great? No, but if you love what you do and are passionate about it, you're in the right field for you.

Your previous post didn't say a customer called you a glorified cashier; you worded it as if it was your words.

How am I putting pharmacy on a pedestal? The examples I gave are based on fact. I'm not saying pharmacy is perfect either. I'm saying it's right for me and some other people. Period.

 

[Jbrl]

views or facts? hah plz. and yea guess your still mad.
lmao

Your immaturity is showing.

No, I understood the analogy, but I feel like there are critical differences between the two situations. The teenage daughter in your example is young and naive and won't listen to anything anyone else tells her. I am neither young nor naive and I hear the advise being given to me and am aware of the situation. Regardless of what the situation is and may be in the future, I know what's right for me and that's being a pharmacist.

As for something I haven't experienced yet: experienced being an RPh, no, not yet. I've been an intern and I've been a tech for 6 years in retail, insurance billing, mail order, compounding, and hospital. That whole time I've watched my pharmacists to observe what they do, not the same thing as actually doing it no, but I have some idea what I'm getting into. And honestly, I really enjoy being a tech. Always have. Is every aspect great? No, but if you love what you do and are passionate about it, you're in the right field for you.

Your previous post didn't say a customer called you a glorified cashier; you worded it as if it was your words.

How am I putting pharmacy on a pedestal? The examples I gave are based on fact. I'm not saying pharmacy is perfect either. I'm saying it's right for me and some other people. Period.

To be honest your experience, perspective and diligence are not the norm. The conviction is great, though.

 

[AstraZ]

Your immaturity is showing.

To be honest your experience, perspective and diligence are not the norm. The conviction is great, though.

Thank you.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

views or facts? hah plz. and yea guess your still mad.
lmao

Kid, if you want to be taken seriously here (and in life in general), cut that immature BS out.

 

[zhangys]

I have similar views as AstraZ. Been a clerk/tech for 5 years and have carefully thought over the pharmacy profession ever since I started looking into it. I find a lot of interest in working with the drugs, and don't think that those who are passionate should be discouraged into following this path. I have to say, though, that I am very concerned with the pre-pharmacy students who are blindly committing to the field without the work experience that would show them what they're signing up for and what costs come with it. I've had conversations with previous classmates about which schools they're applying to... only to realize that they didn't even know how much the tuition was! And we're talking schools like Western and USC in California that could cost them 300k debt upon graduating...

 

[rederza]

Kid, if you want to be taken seriously here (and in life in general), cut that immature BS out.

I don't see why people are so intent on trying to convince fanatics that they're wrong, much less someone who is PRE pharmacy. If you haven't actually experienced the profession itself AS A WORKING PHARMACIST, then the only way you are getting information is from other people. In this case, he/she is cherry picking facts and stats published by (most probably) biased sources such as APhA, or likely from the mouth of the beast pharmacy schools themselves.

Nonetheless, resorting to "neener neener idiot!!111!" tactics is any sane person's cue to leave the argument.

 

[Myohmy2010]

Good luck pursuing pharmacy. If the degree doesn't land you an income after graduation, try becoming an air conditioner mechanic:

https://www.reddit.com/r/pharmacy/comments/3f3mfe/using_my_pharmd_degree_to_become_an_air/

Are your classmates at UB still getting jobs upon graduating?

 

[bananaface]

When I graduated in 2011 there were lots of jobs in my home state. When I completed my community residency in 2012 there were not, at least not where I wanted to live. I took a job one state south and moved when I found a position in a city I wanted to live in for a company I wanted to work for. It turned out that the manager there was a difficult person to work for and with, and I was working fewer hours than promised. After 15 months, I gave notice and took a pharmacy manager job at another pharmacy, where I had also had prior experience as a tech and knew I would like. It has been a great place to work and I will probably leave only if my husband gets a promotion within his company that causes us to move.

I can see saturation being problematic in some markets. Since it is easiest to network for jobs where one goes to school, people may want to consider going to school where they would like to ultimately live and avoiding schools in zones of saturation.

If we start seeing over saturation on a national level, schools will start to close or reduce seats and shift to other professional programs.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Are your classmates at UB still getting jobs upon graduating?

A lot of my classmates from the University at Baltimore have received job offers as teachers, data analysts and police officers. Quite often, our UB at Baltimore undergraduate is mixed up with the UB at Buffalo, the pharmacy college. I am not too sure what the job market in Buffalo looks like in general, let alone pharmacy. I am much more familiar with my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, a city that's been my residence of 10+ years and counting.

 

[BC_89]

It's like telling your teenage daughter "hey that guy you are dating..yeah the pot smoker who goes in and out of juvie..that guy is a loser and you should stay away". "But DAaaaaaD, you don't know anything!!!!! I love him and not everyone needs to be successful to gain my love!"

I LoL at these pre-pharm students who are in it for the "passion". Passion for what? You have a passion for being a pill counter, a glorified cashier, or a nurse's little b@@#ch? I have worked at Target when it was "good", and 8 years at a 600 bed teaching hospital. I've worked as the ED, OR, IV room, rounding, checking, kinetics, and tpn pharmacist. Let me tell you pre-pharmies, this job is nothing but a fat paycheck. You want to save the world? Go become a MD (without borders) or even a PA. We have very little power (the fact that I have to get permission from a MD just to d/c Lovenox when the pt got started on Apixaban blows my mind) and I see most of what I do can be easily replaced by a very good software program.

I didn't pick pharmacy because I thought this profession is going to save lives. I picked it because it is easy(4 hour board exams..can it be any easier?) and it comes with a fat paycheck. I did it for the money and I make no apologies for it...because honestly why else would you want to be a healthcare professional that makes no difference?

MDs+Nurses+Pharm Techs+good computer software=runs the hospital

If you don't prescribe, don't diagnose, don't administer, and don't deliver..then wtf is your purpose?! This is why a lot of pharmacy positions in a hospital are made up.

For me, I had no student loans, paid off my house, and is prepared to for end times of this profession. We are way overpaid for what we do(other countries only require a highschool diploma).

you see, if more people would just come out and say why they did pharmacy like this, i wouldnt have a problem....but seriously, how many would join if salaries were around 55k? 65k?? shoot 70k??? to tell me its passion over compensation seems very....off for most people

 

[AstraZ]

you see, if more people would just come out and say why they did pharmacy like this, i wouldnt have a problem....but seriously, how many would join if salaries were around 55k? 65k?? shoot 70k??? to tell me its passion over compensation seems very....off for most people

I still would. It's not about money for me.