So many jobs out there that pay 6 figures without taking a fraction of the loans…
Why does anyone go to pharm school nowdays?
- Thread starter dxb8307
- Start date
- Joined
- May 28, 2018
- Messages
- 1,512
- Reaction score
- 1,476
Because my friends dads moms uncles sisters third cousin says everybody calls them doctor! Plus it’s my passion bro! I’m a super special awesome clinical snowflake who will do all the interventions and make 150k!
Something something opportunities be doubling.
- Joined
- Nov 23, 2021
- Messages
- 348
- Reaction score
- 338
I don't know why anyone else goes, but my class was 80% female...
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 132
- Reaction score
- 141
Ignorance, laziness to do research on the profession, etc.
Many 2 year degrees start at 80k+, tons of 4 year degrees at 100k+, with little/no debt since it’s undergrad and can get financial aid. It’s not even just the money, the additional 6-8 years of the opportunity cost taken by going to pharmacy school today is mind blowing to justify, and can only be justified by these 20 year olds with no real world experience (even then it’s not justifiable). There is no reason whatsoever to pursue pharmacy school in the past 6+ years, not even this “passion” they try to claim (that they realize is not passion for the profession but a passion for the false salary figure they did a quick google search for).
Many 2 year degrees start at 80k+, tons of 4 year degrees at 100k+, with little/no debt since it’s undergrad and can get financial aid. It’s not even just the money, the additional 6-8 years of the opportunity cost taken by going to pharmacy school today is mind blowing to justify, and can only be justified by these 20 year olds with no real world experience (even then it’s not justifiable). There is no reason whatsoever to pursue pharmacy school in the past 6+ years, not even this “passion” they try to claim (that they realize is not passion for the profession but a passion for the false salary figure they did a quick google search for).
- Joined
- May 28, 2018
- Messages
- 1,512
- Reaction score
- 1,476
*shrieks in prepharm* But I’m passionate bro! I’ll do all the interventions and be super clinical bro! I’m a special snowflake!!
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2013
- Messages
- 827
- Reaction score
- 1,158
Adjusted for time/money spent and future opportunities I think it's one of the worst degrees. It's on the level of a sociology or psychology degree in my opinion. It blows my mind that someone would spend 4 years in undergrad, 4 years in pharmacy school, and 2 years in residency for the opportunities available to clinical pharmacists. Then you look at retail pharmacy which is the worst work environment for a while collar worker out there besides bedside nursing.
I'm glad we've convinced many people over the years on SDN to not pursue pharmacy. Lives have literally been saved by posters here.
I'm glad we've convinced many people over the years on SDN to not pursue pharmacy. Lives have literally been saved by posters here.
I am 8 years in…working retail. Constantly thinking how much longer I can sustain this pace. Luckily, will be making my last student loan at the end of this month. Thinking about going part time and finding something non retail PRN elsewhere.
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2014
- Messages
- 114
- Reaction score
- 75
"because I like helping people"....anybody remember that from our pharm school interviews? 
owlegrad
Uncontrollable Sarcasm Machine
Staff member
Administrator
Volunteer Staff
Lifetime Donor
15+ Year Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2009
- Messages
- 25,314
- Reaction score
- 11,929
I remember I had a job interview for an intern position once where they asked why pharmacy and I told them I thought pharmacists were better paid and better respected than other retail workers. Later the interviewer told me a story about how everyone always says they went into pharmacy to help people and all I could think was “did you even listen to my answer?” 😆"because I like helping people"....anybody remember that from our pharm school interviews?
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2017
- Messages
- 126
- Reaction score
- 144
Just plain stupid. Talked to a grad they other day.... $200k in debt. May start out at 50 or 55. Unless they plan to stay at home with their parents for a few years, live poor, and work extra shifts....debt for life baby!
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2012
- Messages
- 530
- Reaction score
- 657
Why does anyone go to pharm school nowdays?
The key word here is "nowdays" I can only answer for way back when (80's, 90's):Big time Money, great "street cred" with your homies, prestige with shiny new Pharm.D. degree. This, along with a variety of work options.
I can only speak for my area, southeastern US, when I graduated with a rare, much coveted Pharm.D. degree, in 1986, there was maybe 75-80% white guys, 10-15% women and a small number of minorities, and immigrants. Now days, you have 70% women, and a huge number of immigrants choosing Pharmacy. Yes, immigrants willing and able to put in the time, money and effort and work hard for less money. They are taking our jobs!!!
(Joke
I can say that, I am one of them. In most other cultures, education and healthcare degree is much emphasized, at any cost. In my family, this was the absolute least I could do (my sister is an M.D.) I didn't want this for any of my kids, discouraged them from pursuing HealthCare. And you are correct about the ROI for Pharmacists. My oldest son (now 31), got a BA in History (paid for by dad) out with no loans, somehow made his way into IT, got a bunch of certifications, now with IBM as WORKForce Administrator/programmer. He already makes more than me, after 38 years of Pharmacy practice. My younger son works for e-trade (now Morgan Stanley) took his series 7 and now series 6 securities trading exams. He is on pace to make more than me.
Other than the above, I couldn't tell you why anyone would go to pharmacy school now days. I try my best to give good advice to college kids that I come across. It gets a little tricky when they see my home and how we live. My standard answer is, marry someone who is rich, do you really think I can afford this house on a Pharmacist salary? Works every time. I used to brag about my paycheck, not anymore.
- Joined
- May 28, 2018
- Messages
- 1,512
- Reaction score
- 1,476
Why does anyone go to pharm school nowdays?
The key word here is "nowdays" I can only answer for way back when (80's, 90's):
Big time Money, great "street cred" with your homies, prestige with shiny new Pharm.D. degree. This, along with a variety of work options.
I can only speak for my area, southeastern US, when I graduated with a rare, much coveted Pharm.D. degree, in 1986, there was maybe 75-80% white guys, 10-15% women and a small number of minorities, and immigrants. Now days, you have 70% women, and a huge number of immigrants choosing Pharmacy. Yes, immigrants willing and able to put in the time, money and effort and work hard for less money. They are taking our jobs!!!
(Joke
My oldest son (now 31), got a BA in History (paid for by dad) out with no loans, somehow made his way into IT, got a bunch of certifications, now with IBM as WORKForce Administrator/programmer. He already makes more than me, after 38 years of Pharmacy practice. My younger son works for e-trade (now Morgan Stanley) took his series 7 and now series 6 securities trading exams. He is on pace to make more than me.
Other than the above, I couldn't tell you why anyone would go to pharmacy school now days. I try my best to give good advice to college kids that I come across. It gets a little tricky when they see my home and how we live. My standard answer is, marry someone who is rich, do you really think I can afford this house on a Pharmacist salary? Works every time. I used to brag about my paycheck, not anymore.
Nailed it. Asking for a friend (read: me LOL): if one were to get IT certs with an unrelated degree, where would you/your son recommend starting?
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2012
- Messages
- 530
- Reaction score
- 657
Seems like these days, most companies, large corporations, are looking for "unrelated degree", young applicants, they can train and mold into what they need. As far as certifications, there are many paths you can take. The popular ones include: project management certs, every large corporation needs this. It would qualify you to coordinate and manage the large ongoing projects. Then, you have actual IT certificates, for popular software applications that are used by many companies. For example WorkForce is a software used by thousand of companies. Then you have IBM that hires and trains people (with totally unrelated degrees, ie History), to get the certifications, and contracts them out to set up these companies. My son's job with IBM, he is contracted out businesses, he bills $400/hr (some others, with more experience, bill $600 to $1000 per Hr).
These IT certifications are many, and expensive to get, but require nothing from you (education wise) other than time, smarts and money to go through with it. Then you have the financial path. My son was hired by etrade, with zero related experience. They hire hundreds of people, stick them in "customer service" , expect more than 75% to wash out. The good ones, they start paying for expensive finance certifications. Series 7, series 6, CFP, and many more. You are now a stock broker, or Financial planner. The key difference is that with "finance" certifications, you have to be sponsored by a financial institution .
Unfortunately, where you start, is controlled by being hired by the big corporations, as far as I know.
On a related note, I find our Pharm.D., R.Ph. degree to be one of the most myopic degrees out there, with very limited scope and range outside staffing a retail/clinic/hospital setting. You better like what you do, and be able to continue to maintain your employment within the field. There isn't too many outside applications to what we do.
