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

[musicplease]

do clinical pharmacists also have to deal with similar disrespect from patients? what about from physicians and nurses? are they treated well in the hospital setting?

I would imagine clinical pharmacists to face less disrespect than retail.
This short video demonstrates how much respect physicians and nurses give to hospital pharmacists.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[musicplease]

I'm so tired of posts like this and especially from people who don't want to be a pharmacist (like medical and dental students). The occupational outlook handbook says that pharmacist outlook is relative slow like 2% or 4% for people who like to throw that around. Who cares if pre-pharmacy students still want to pursue pharmacy and be $200k in debt that is there problem not yours for those who are pharmacists and pharmacy students and if pharmacy is so bad why don't you do something instead of pharmacist or going to pharmacy school and getting in all of that debt? It is our decision to deal with the consequences of being pharmacists. I know the statistics and I look at it all the time and I still want to be a pharmacist

while its true that pharmacy is made fun of even in the allopathic and dental forums, the majority of these warnings against pharmacy are from actual pharmacists.

 

[lavenderhearts]

while its true that pharmacy is made fun of even in the allopathic and dental forums, the majority of these warnings against pharmacy are from actual pharmacists.

Yeah, true they do and I wish they would let us pre-pharmers meet our doom according to them.

 

[bulldog1123]

Yeah, true they do and I wish they would let us pre-pharmers meet our doom according to them.

that is ignorant on so many levels. what you are stating is essentially if there is a fire in the building you are about to enter, you would not want anyone leaving to tell you the house is on fire simply because you want to enter the house.

btw this is coming from a P1.

 

[lavenderhearts]

that is ignorant on so many levels. what you are stating is essentially if there is a fire in the building you are about to enter, you would not want anyone leaving to tell you the house is on fire simply because you want to enter the house.

btw this is coming from a P1.

what I'm trying to say is its our choice everyone makes choices in life. Life happens by the choices you make. Yall are not saying says these things about pharmacy because you care and you just mad because you spending all this money to not get a job after you graduate. And no said anything about running into a building and I'm pretty sure if I did you wouldn't stop me, ignorants

 

[RalnaAp]

Not trying to be a troll...but I am very curious how people think about this. Please explain why you go to pharmacy school, pre-pharmers. Thank you.

- I like pharmacology (I'm a nurse) . I like science.
- I don't mind people.
- Pay is higher.
- It may be less stressful than my current career choice.
- I want an advanced degree, anyway.
- People say that no one wants to hire new nurses, too. (That's actually true). Unemployment would be a problem for new grads. New grads still get on. I've never had a problem finding a job. I have 3 now. You've gotta create opportunities for yourself. If you're waiting on the school to do the legwork, you're going about the process all wrong
- I'm 35, not 18. I'm not brand new to the workplace. I know how to network.

 

[bulldog1123]

what I'm trying to say is its our choice everyone makes choices in life. Life happens by the choices you make. Yall are not saying says these things about pharmacy because you care and you just mad because you spending all this money to not get a job after you graduate. And no said anything about running into a building and I'm pretty sure if I did you wouldn't stop me, ignorants

You do know what a P1 is right? I haven't spent a dime on pharm school yet and I still think you claiming "let us pre-pharmers meet our doom according to them" is ignorant. You'd be surprised at how many of "you pre-pharmers" walk into this field thinking its a cushy job that pays over 100k. if you would like to keep a blind eye to the state of the profession I really am sorry for you.

 

[PharmtoCS]

you just mad because you spending all this money to not get a job after you graduate.

And this is why you should listen to current pharmacists and students. Your response is similar to when a diabetic tells you that soda caused them to get diabetes and that you should stop drinking soda, you accuse dismiss them being "mad" that they got diabetes as you defend your decision to drink soda, saying that you don't care if you get diabetes. But as you said, it's your choice, no one is forcefully blocking your enrollment in pharmacy school.

Denial and anger are only the first two stages of grief. Next are bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Sent from my SM-N910V using SDN mobile

 

[Confused321]

Yeah, true they do and I wish they would let us pre-pharmers meet our doom according to them.

while I get your complaint, really there is nothing thats gonna stop all of the doom talk.
even regular medical/dental students make fun of pharmacy in their own forums:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/master-and-still-didnt-get-into-dental-school.1192564/page-2
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/dental-vs-optometry.1183835/

if even they do this, then what do you expect pharmacists to do? they'll only complain more.

 

[musicplease]

what I'm trying to say is its our choice everyone makes choices in life. Life happens by the choices you make. Yall are not saying says these things about pharmacy because you care and you just mad because you spending all this money to not get a job after you graduate. And no said anything about running into a building and I'm pretty sure if I did you wouldn't stop me, ignorants

so you're mad because pharmacists are telling you the truth and you don't want to accept it?

 

[Sugoi Travis]

what I'm trying to say is its our choice everyone makes choices in life. Life happens by the choices you make. Yall are not saying says these things about pharmacy because you care and you just mad because you spending all this money to not get a job after you graduate. And no said anything about running into a building and I'm pretty sure if I did you wouldn't stop me, ignorants

Frankly speaking, no one should tell you what to do or what not to do. It's your choice and you deal with the benefits or consequences of making that choice. However, the doom-and-gloom talk is a bit exaggerated here. It's not the end of times or the sky is falling but it definitely is not the rosy picture that pharmacy school paints for you. If you want a job offer by the end of graduation, you damn well better be ready to sacrifice a lot to get there.

 

[exiangwsu]

I know two students go to PHD program without funding this years. They have stellar GPA, excellent credential. It just happens their dream schools doesnt have enough funding this year. They too make decision to join the program. IMO they are taking on greater risks than the pre-pharmacy student. Getting a pharmD at least might *** open your door for six figure salary.
PHD doesnt increase your earning power significantly. You are potentially spending the next 4 to 10 years trying to graduate. Getting a job after PHD is tough. You will over-qualify for most industry positions. Company is more willing to hire an experienced master or bachelor due to the salary bracket. Salary is miserable for post Doc, only 30k per year. Does it hinder their love for research? I guess not. Do they whine about the joblessness, the competition. I guess not.

 

[exiangwsu]

so you're mad because pharmacists are telling you the truth and you don't want to accept it?

we get the truth....we appreciate your kind advice. However, The reality is not looking pretty for any career. If I am only interested in pharmaceutical science, and my two choices going into pharmacology phd without funding or PharmD, I will still choose PHARMD a thousand times.

 

[TheBlaah]

PHD doesnt increase your earning power significantly. You are potentially spending the next 4 to 10 years trying to graduate. Getting a job after PHD is tough. You will over-qualify for most industry positions. Company is more willing to hire an experienced master or bachelor due to the salary bracket. Salary is miserable for post Doc, only 30k per year. Does it hinder their love for research? I guess not. Do they whine about the joblessness, the competition. I guess not.

All the phd students I know sure whine about it alot. I know a few phd grads that quit research and work in retail now.

However, The reality is not looking pretty for any career.

I dunno about that. Quite a few careers are quite promising and has been for awhile.

 

[musicplease]

we get the truth....we appreciate your kind advice. However, The reality is not looking pretty for any career. If I am only interested in pharmaceutical science, and my two choices going into pharmacology phd without funding or PharmD, I will still choose PHARMD a thousand times.

I agree with you that basically all healthcare related fields have seen better days, but there is still a huge difference in the outlook between each field.
For example there are around 200 medical schools and 140 pharmacy schools, but the reason medicine is not facing the same issues as pharmacy
is because physicians all specialize into so many different fields, while all 140 pharmacy schools graduate only 1 type of doctor, pharmacists.
If you have over a 3.6 gpa then weight out all your options and realize that some fields in healthcare are in worse condition than others.

 

[musicplease]

.

 

[GypsyHummus]

- I like pharmacology (I'm a nurse) . I like science.
- I don't mind people.
- Pay is higher.
- It may be less stressful than my current career choice.
- I want an advanced degree, anyway.
- People say that no one wants to hire new nurses, too. (That's actually true). Unemployment would be a problem for new grads. New grads still get on. I've never had a problem finding a job. I have 3 now. You've gotta create opportunities for yourself. If you're waiting on the school to do the legwork, you're going about the process all wrong
- I'm 35, not 18. I'm not brand new to the workplace. I know how to network.

Love this list. Well thought out.

I'll add some more:
-I don't have to take a standardize test for most of the pharm schools, saving me time and money.
- I can get in with a 3.0. Mommy and Daddy didn't pay my way through school and I had to pick up the tab, so I don't have the 3.8 to get into med school and I don't have the cash or the time to fix my GPA with more classes.
- I can get into Pharmacy school now, rather than next year or in the next three (see above point).
- Even though the work may stink, be intensive, and the people may whine and complain, I will be making 110-130K right out of school/year with it capping out around the 150K/year figure 10 years down the line. My undergraduate friends might never make that. My master's friends might make that if they are lucky with connections. My Nursing major friends will never make that (most likely). My physical therapist friends might never make that. My Optometrist friend used to make that. My podiatrist friend makes that, and they had to do a 3 year residency working like a slave for 50K/year.
- I am a patient person, and can handle people being fussy with me. I work to serve others, and don't feel that anyone "owes" me anything.
- Unless you are going into medical school, all professions are starting to saturate. Talk to optometrists, lawyers, and the myriad of liberal arts majors out there. There are no high paying jobs outside of hard sciences, like engineering, computer science, etc.
- I am in my late 20s early 30s and I have been stuck in a dead end job making around 60K/year. I can double that in 4 years, even if the cost for school is astronomically high. Ill take my chances.
- Ladies love a white coat, no matter if it is a surgeon, optometrist, or pharmacist.
- I WILL RARELY IF EVER HAVE TO WORK WITH POOP OR PEE, OR BE POOPED, PEED, VOMITED OR BLED ON.
- I feel good at the end of the day that I helped people, I don't have to compromise my integrity to make good money (see lawyers and/or politicians).
- Ladies and gents, it really is good money.

 

[PianistLynn]

Whenever I read this thread, I always feel the intense in almost every message. I understand everyone has their own freaking opinion, but we dont need to keep fighting to prove who is right and who isnt. I meant we are all aldult and at least educated somehow. We are in charge of our own life and as much as I do appreciate advices, some of you guys don't need to talk down or making all negative things about a career that maybe means a lot to others or even their dream or goal.
I hate seeing people who are full of themselves and think one career is better than the other and then go around nag about it to let me feel bad about my choice. As much as I appreciate the info and be aware of the pros and cons of my future career choice, im not stupid to not doing any research or talk to other people who relate to the field. Everyone has different views and stories to tell you when you ask why they want to be who they want to be, and whether or not they are enjoy doing it. In the end, it is still up to us to decide who to listen and what to believe.
I dont feel upset about some of the negative sides or the info that some of you guys mentioned because it could be righ at certain point and people should be aware of when they consider to be a Pharmacist. But dont write such a sensitive question like what someone has written on the title, because it literally means that everyone who is going for Pharmacy field are idiot people.
Life is far too short to take anything for granted and no matter what, you always have to work hard for what you want. Give advices but dont discourage us and talk or act like we dont know anything.
One last thing i want to point out for God sake is that not everyone of us who want to be a Pharmacist because of the money.

 

[TheBlaah]

-I don't have to take a standardize test for most of the pharm schools, saving me time and money.
- Even though the work may stink, be intensive, and the people may whine and complain, I will be making 110-130K right out of school/year with it capping out around the 150K/year figure 10 years down the line. My undergraduate friends might never make that. My master's friends might make that if they are lucky with connections. My Nursing major friends will never make that (most likely). My physical therapist friends might never make that. My Optometrist friend used to make that. My podiatrist friend makes that, and they had to do a 3 year residency working like a slave for 50K/year.
- Unless you are going into medical school, all professions are starting to saturate. Talk to optometrists, lawyers, and the myriad of liberal arts majors out there. There are no high paying jobs outside of hard sciences, like engineering, computer science, etc..

While RalnaAp's list is fine, yours has some holes in it.I quoted the ones that aren't accurate. First off, the majority of schools require a standardized test: PCAT. Really, the only state that doesn't really require them is California, and if you're going there, all their schools are extremely expensive so you're putting down at least an additional 50k, sometimes an additional 100k, in loans compared to...maybe $500 for the PCAT?

I'm not sure where you heard about capping out at 150k. Most states don't offer that much to the vast majority of employees (except maybe California, but even for them that's high and their salary compensates for high housing and taxes). Generally in retail, you get a salary and it stays that way unless you decide to become a manager or obtain a different job. It really only goes up for inflation or bonuses. The majority of managers will cap out around 120-130k, unless their store is either a top performer.

While it's true many health professions are starting to saturate, pharmacy is starting to lead the pack in its saturation. Many other health professions are predicted to have good job growth in the near future.

 

[musicplease]

Love this list. Well thought out.

I'll add some more:
-I don't have to take a standardize test for most of the pharm schools, saving me time and money.
- I can get in with a 3.0. Mommy and Daddy didn't pay my way through school and I had to pick up the tab, so I don't have the 3.8 to get into med school and I don't have the cash or the time to fix my GPA with more classes.
- I can get into Pharmacy school now, rather than next year or in the next three (see above point).
- Even though the work may stink, be intensive, and the people may whine and complain, I will be making 110-130K right out of school/year with it capping out around the 150K/year figure 10 years down the line. My undergraduate friends might never make that. My master's friends might make that if they are lucky with connections. My Nursing major friends will never make that (most likely). My physical therapist friends might never make that. My Optometrist friend used to make that. My podiatrist friend makes that, and they had to do a 3 year residency working like a slave for 50K/year.
- I am a patient person, and can handle people being fussy with me. I work to serve others, and don't feel that anyone "owes" me anything.
- Unless you are going into medical school, all professions are starting to saturate. Talk to optometrists, lawyers, and the myriad of liberal arts majors out there. There are no high paying jobs outside of hard sciences, like engineering, computer science, etc.
- I am in my late 20s early 30s and I have been stuck in a dead end job making around 60K/year. I can double that in 4 years, even if the cost for school is astronomically high. Ill take my chances.
- Ladies love a white coat, no matter if it is a surgeon, optometrist, or pharmacist.
- I WILL RARELY IF EVER HAVE TO WORK WITH POOP OR PEE, OR BE POOPED, PEED, VOMITED OR BLED ON.
- I feel good at the end of the day that I helped people, I don't have to compromise my integrity to make good money (see lawyers and/or politicians).
- Ladies and gents, it really is good money.

all I got out of this was that you wanna be a pharmacist because you can't get into medical school, and all you care about is money and hot women.
even admitting that pharmacy is a boring job and that you don't want to directly help people because you are disgusted by their body fluids.

yup, sounds like every pharmacy school applicant ever.

 

[GypsyHummus]

While RalnaAp's list is fine, yours has some holes in it.I quoted the ones that aren't accurate. First off, the majority of schools require a standardized test: PCAT. Really, the only state that doesn't really require them is California, and if you're going there, all their schools are extremely expensive so you're putting down at least an additional 50k, sometimes an additional 100k, in loans compared to...maybe $500 for the PCAT?

I'm not sure where you heard about capping out at 150k. Most states don't offer that much to the vast majority of employees (except maybe California, but even for them that's high and their salary compensates for high housing and taxes). Generally in retail, you get a salary and it stays that way unless you decide to become a manager or obtain a different job. It really only goes up for inflation or bonuses. The majority of managers will cap out around 120-130k, unless their store is either a top performer.

While it's true many health professions are starting to saturate, pharmacy is starting to lead the pack in its saturation. Many other health professions are predicted to have good job growth in the near future.

There are like 27 schools that don't require the PCAT, some are top schools like Purdue and the previously mentioned California Schools.

I look at monster salary for my figures. Typed in pharmacist and it spit out 2 results: pharmacist and pharmacist-manager. Middle 50% made around 116K. Pharmacist manager middle made round 140K. 90% was 130K and 150K respectively.

As for the health profession saturation, take a look at Optometry. It is a train wreck there.

 

[GypsyHummus]

all I got out of this was that you wanna be a pharmacist because you can't get into medical school, and all you care about is money and hot women.
even admitting that pharmacy is a boring job and that you don't want to directly help people because you are disgusted by their body fluids.

yup, sounds like every pharmacy school applicant ever.

Yes.......and is there anything inherently wrong with thinking like this?

 

[GypsyHummus]

Whenever I read this thread, I always feel the intense in almost every message. I understand everyone has their own freaking opinion, but we dont need to keep fighting to prove who is right and who isnt. I meant we are all aldult and at least educated somehow. We are in charge of our own life and as much as I do appreciate advices, some of you guys don't need to talk down or making all negative things about a career that maybe means a lot to others or even their dream or goal.
I hate seeing people who are full of themselves and think one career is better than the other and then go around nag about it to let me feel bad about my choice. As much as I appreciate the info and be aware of the pros and cons of my future career choice, im not stupid to not doing any research or talk to other people who relate to the field. Everyone has different views and stories to tell you when you ask why they want to be who they want to be, and whether or not they are enjoy doing it. In the end, it is still up to us to decide who to listen and what to believe.
I dont feel upset about some of the negative sides or the info that some of you guys mentioned because it could be righ at certain point and people should be aware of when they consider to be a Pharmacist. But dont write such a sensitive question like what someone has written on the title, because it literally means that everyone who is going for Pharmacy field are idiot people.
Life is far too short to take anything for granted and no matter what, you always have to work hard for what you want. Give advices but dont discourage us and talk or act like we dont know anything.
One last thing i want to point out for God sake is that not everyone of us who want to be a Pharmacist because of the money.

Dude, ur like what, 20, 21? The real world has yet to smack you upside the head with high taxes, car insurance, mortgage payments, and everything else Bernie Sanders promised to pay for. Nobody is talking down to you, they are explaining to you the pros and cons of entering a specific career field. No job is without problems, and it is nice of the people on this forums to highlight those problems, so you don't end up 250K in debt with miserable prospects.

 

[PianistLynn]

Dude, ur like what, 20, 21? The real world has yet to smack you upside the head with high taxes, car insurance, mortgage payments, and everything else Bernie Sanders promised to pay for. Nobody is talking down to you, they are explaining to you the pros and cons of entering a specific career field. No job is without problems, and it is nice of the people on this forums to highlight those problems, so you don't end up 250K in debt with miserable prospects.

If they were just talking nicely and point out of the problems then i have nothing to say. Have you seen some of their comments when people just make fun of you being a pharmacist? They dont say it out loud but the way they talked and mentioned how people in other healthcare fields make fun and being disrepectful toward Pharmacists is annoying. I dont need them to make me feel bad or trying to show me how bad my career choice is in other people's eyes. It wasnt just about the debt or money thing. Anyway, I dont want to keep clarifying about how We people who want to be a Pharmacist make our choice regardless of the situation anymore. Because there will always be someone who keeps trying to tell me what I should do or how bad my decision is. I got enough of that.
Thanks for all the negative things that you or other people try to prove or point out.

 

[TheBlaah]

There are like 27 schools that don't require the PCAT, some are top schools like Purdue and the previously mentioned California Schools.

I look at monster salary for my figures. Typed in pharmacist and it spit out 2 results: pharmacist and pharmacist-manager. Middle 50% made around 116K. Pharmacist manager middle made round 140K. 90% was 130K and 150K respectively.

As for the health profession saturation, take a look at Optometry. It is a train wreck there.

Yeah, I'm aware ~20 schools don't require PCAT. That's still a small minority compared to the 120 pharmacy schools out there. Anyway, by not taking the PCAT, you're either limiting yourself to schools in California whose tuition is exceedingly high, or limiting yourself to an extremely small number of schools lowering your chance of getting in.

As for pharmacy managers, I can safely assure you that if the regular pharmacist is making ~116k, the manager almost definitely isn't making 140k in comparison unless the store's a top performer. Generally there's only a 10-15k difference (sometimes they're paid the same as well).

As for optometry, you're probably right about them. My point was that there's other healthcare careers with better job growth with equally high, or at nearly as high, pay.

 

[GypsyHummus]

If they were just talking nicely and point out of the problems then i have nothing to say. Have you seen some of their comments when people just make fun of you being a pharmacist? They dont say it out loud but the way they talked and mentioned how people in other healthcare fields make fun and being disrepectful toward Pharmacists is annoying. I dont need them to make me feel bad or trying to show me how bad my career choice is in other people's eyes. It wasnt just about the debt or money thing. Anyway, I dont want to keep clarifying about how We people who want to be a Pharmacist make our choice regardless of the situation anymore. Because there will always be someone who keeps trying to tell me what I should do or how bad my decision is. I got enough of that.
Thanks for all the negative things that you or other people try to prove or point out.

Well what did you want people to do, stand up and clap for you, shower you with praise, and sing songs about your bravery when you tell them you wanna go into pharmacy? This is an internet forum filled with people in the field who are living the day to day grind, people who have shadowed the profession, or people who have loved ones in the CVSs and Walgreens getting shouted at by mean patients. If you can't handle people on an anonymous forum telling you that the profession you are about to enter is heading face first into a spiral, how are you gonna handle patients screaming at you about their hemorrhoid cream not being covered by insurance?

 

[PianistLynn]

Well what did you want people to do, stand up and clap for you, shower you with praise, and sing songs about your bravery when you tell them you wanna go into pharmacy? This is an internet forum filled with people in the field who are living the day to day grind, people who have shadowed the profession, or people who have loved ones in the CVSs and Walgreens getting shouted at by mean patients. If you can't handle people on an anonymous forum telling you that the profession you are about to enter is heading face first into a spiral, how are you gonna handle patients screaming at you about their hemorrhoid cream not being covered by insurance?

You think i have no idea about the field? Im working as a pharm tech and more than you can ever imagine, we got yelled more than Pharmacists on the daily basic. I dont tell you to clap for me, its kinda childish and ridiculous of you to assume that I just want to tell you not all people here are idiots who dont know what they are stepping into. I do know the pros and cons of my choice. Also, you think all Pharmacists out there hate their jobs or suffering? The place i work now, they all enjoy their job and have good relationships with patients. Of course there will always some rude or mean patients, but that doesnt mean you should hate on your job or go around and tell other people to stop being a Pharmacist. You can give advices or share your own experiences whatever, but dont assume like that will be the case for everyone.
Maybe I should go ahead and assume that you are living in the state or areas that surround with mean and narrow minded people who always tell you negative things about their life ?

 

[GypsyHummus]

You think i have no idea about the field? Im working as a pharm tech and more than you can ever imagine, we got yelled more than Pharmacists on the daily basic. I dont tell you to clap for me, its kinda childish and ridiculous of you to assume that I just want to tell you not all people here are idiots who dont know what they are stepping into. I do know the pros and cons of my choice. Also, you think all Pharmacists out there hate their jobs or suffering? The place i work now, they all enjoy their job and have good relationships with patients. Of course there will always some rude or mean patients, but that doesnt mean you should hate on your job or go around and tell other people to stop being a Pharmacist. You can give advices or share your own experiences whatever, but dont assume like that will be the case for everyone.
Maybe I should go ahead and assume that you are living in the state or areas that surround with mean and narrow minded people who always tell you negative things about their life ?

No, there are some pharmacists out there that like their jobs, but the exception proves the rule.

No, you don't have to assume that. Ive worked in a pharmacy as well as a pharm tech, and like everything, there are good and bad people.

 

[PianistLynn]

Anyway, I dont want to make me sound like im arrogant or something. Just thats how I feel in general when people think all of us who going to be Pharmacists dont know what we are facing to. Sorry if I sounded mean. I will just stop here. Have a good day and good luck on whatever you choose to do for your life.

 

[jokersmiles]

all I got out of this was that you wanna be a pharmacist because you can't get into medical school, and all you care about is money and hot women.
even admitting that pharmacy is a boring job and that you don't want to directly help people because you are disgusted by their body fluids.

yup, sounds like every pharmacy school applicant ever.

thats just how it is, compassionate and determined individuals that have worked hard for their competitive stats go into medicine, dentistry, or become veterinarians.
the other biology majors that were subpar during their undergrad go into pharmacy, this is the real reason one becomes a pharmacist these days.

white coat? high salary? less blood? all of these qualities can be found in some medical specialties, which are all a lot more interesting than pharmacy.
yes, these are horrible reasons to go into a profession, but when you have horrible stats, well you don't really have much choice other than pharmacy anyway.

 

[GypsyHummus]

Exactly.

The Bio major who partied during undergrad wakes up one day as a 22 year old fall of senior year and says "shoot, I have a 3.1 GPA". The delusional ones try to go into medical school and fail. The more delusional ones go for a masters in biology.

The smart ones used to go for pharmacy, or optometry as a backup. Now they super saturated

thats just how it is, compassionate and determined individuals that have worked hard for their competitive stats go into medicine, dentistry, or become veterinarians.
the other biology majors that were subpar during their undergrad go into pharmacy, this is the real reason one becomes a pharmacist these days.

white coat? high salary? less blood? all of these qualities can be found in some medical specialties, which are all a lot more interesting than pharmacy.
yes, these are horrible reasons to go into a profession, but when you have horrible stats, well you don't really have much choice other than pharmacy anyway.

 

[RxRunner]

I'd listen to Kevin Yee on YouTube and ThePharmacistBlog.com there are two awesome YouTube videos from those guys and I put one up as kind of a self-reflection and concluded that I'd do it again, I wanted to be around people that liked what I did, chemistry and business.

 

[Judgment Dragon]

1) The denier: refuses to acknowledge the saturation of the job market even when presented with information
2) The hothead: gets angry when questioned about their decisions (i.e. for taking out too much loans, going into pharmacy for the wrong reasons, etc.), or hearing what they do not want to hear.
3) The rationalist/bargainer: acknowledges increased competition in the field but rationalizes decision to go to pharmacy school based on signs of hope (niche jobs, Obamacare, baby boomers retiring, etc.) that may be faulty
4) The attached: chooses pharmacy not because of genuine interest but out of refusal to consider other professions. Sticks to pharmacy due to fear of the unknown. May suffer from the sunk cost fallacy from completing prerequisites, taking the PCAT, obtaining letters of recommendation, etc. May be considered a form of Stockholm Syndrome.
5) The hotshot: recognizes the saturation but believes they are immune because they will beat out the competition by getting A’s, working 30+ hours a week, networking, etc.

^^^

Stoichiometrist said this in the "Sky is Falling Megathread."

 

[EyeTeeFarmer]

Easiest way to weed out the profession is to raise standards on everything.

There are still jobs in pharmacy. Just don't go in expecting a handout.

 

[UGAZ]

The job market has gotten a lot worse everyday with massive influx of new grads. I am looking for a job now with 9 yrs hospital experience and connections...yet, can't find one around my area in Orange County. Some place does offer me at a ridiculous rate at 45/hr nearly 30% less than what I am making and the location is almost 200 miles from my home.

 

[Humble Sloth]

The job market has gotten a lot worse everyday with massive influx of new grads. I am looking for a job now with 9 yrs hospital experience and connections...yet, can't find one around my area in Orange County. Some place does offer me at a ridiculous rate at 45/hr nearly 30% less than what I am making and the location is almost 200 miles from my home.

Umm 45 an hour is inflated compared to what you should be expecting. Did you think it was a joke when everyone here is telling you full saturation is coming in 2020. You need to be willing to work for 25/hour as that is where the profession is headed directly. More pharmDs = less hours = less money for everyone. Hurry up and get the job 200 miles away because there is a very real chance you will never work again as a pharmacist with all the new grads coming

 

[UGAZ]

Umm 45 an hour is inflated compared to what you should be expecting. Did you think it was a joke when everyone here is telling you full saturation is coming in 2020. You need to be willing to work for 25/hour as that is where the profession is headed directly. More pharmDs = less hours = less money for everyone. Hurry up and get the job 200 miles away because there is a very real chance you will never work again as a pharmacist with all the new grads coming

I hope you're joking right? Nobody will work for 45/ hr with all that schools and loan debt.

 

[Humble Sloth]

I hope you're joking right? Nobody will work for 45/ hr with all that schools and loan debt.

Nope no joke. I know pharmacsits working for 40 an hour in Chicago. It's becoming the new normal. You shouldn't have took out as many loans or actually had a few brain cells and gotten a free ride.

 

[Letrie]

Yeah the job not being stable sucks ass but aside from becoming a physician, dentist, or nurse no job is stable. Yes even being a computer programmer (I have family members that are one and discouraged me from going into the field) is not stable. If you love medicine but not the hands on patient care portion of it, or even if you love medicine but don't want to deal with 8 years of medical school, I can understand why someone would choose pharmacy.