why not med school?

[sammy15]

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I have been an EMT for 10 years.. I have been stabbed with needles, thrown up on, bled on, spit on, stepped in what I dont want to mention, watched kids and adults die, suctioned green mucous, told a mother that her infant is not going to wake up, and smelled god awful odors that have taken days to wash away. There is so much more I could mention.. but these are some of the things that I could never attend graduate school knowing it would be to experience them for the rest of my life. I have also given patients advice to improve their health and used drugs and been amazed at how they save lives and improve health. This is the stuff that is really enjoyable to me. That is why medicine would never cut it for me. Pharmacy is the best of both worlds. You can stay in the health field, learn everything there is to know about the human body/disease, dispense advice, be an expert on medication, and still have many different options of practice without the constant dealing with death, body fluids, invasive techniques, and just in your face ick. It takes a special person to do both well, but like it has been said before, it is an individual choice.

 

[1bling2]

while there are quite a few examples of pharm students that have the qualifications to make it to med school (as many students have shown on this forum), a good majority of students chose pharmacy because they would not have had a chance into MD school or dental and never considered it. And there are quite a few that chose it because it is easier and make money faster. While this might sound somewhat mean, it is reality.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

I will play devil's advocate here and say that money is a big factor in many people's decisions to become pharmacists, even those who sound the most altruistic. I do not believe competition for pharmacy school, or even med school would be as intense if both professions began paying $30K a year.

In addition, if I were a patient, I would not care what made you become a pharmacist. Money, altruism, whatever. Just don't be incompetent.

Ohh, you are right on that one. Almost no one, myself included, would pursue pharmacy or medicine if both professions suddenly began paying $30,000 a year. Personally, as much interest I have in learning about the human body and its physiological responses to drugs and their effects, it wouldn't be worth it or common sense to pursue the profession for so many years without adequate compensation. $30k, if I'm not mistaken, is the average American citizen's salary. To go through 6-8 years of post-secondary education to make that and have educational debt of $150,000 or slightly more would not be a wise decision. Now, I bet someone on this thread is going to accuse me or anyone who thinks similarly to me that I am doing it for selfish reasons. But then again, as much interest as you have in a field, you must be compensated accordingly.

 

[gendr777]

I have a love affair with drugs!!!!

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

Plus, I've always wanted to be a "drug dealer", but I never liked jail very much.

 

[s1lver]

Because it seemed like a good idea at the time.

 

[AbsoluteEthanol]

the reason why i decided not to go to medical school is because to me becoming a physician means that one has to accept a series of tradeoffs or make a series compramises.

what i mean by that is, physicians must choose between a boring specialty with a nice lifestyle or a very interesting specialty with an intense lifestyle. For example, you can be a dermatologist, work the 8-5, but you're staring at pimples and rashes for the rest of your life.... or you can be a cardilogist, but stare death in the face every day, work intense shifts and live your life tethered to a pager.

to me being a pharmacist (with an MBA especially) will give me an opportunity to have a very interesting career that is rewarding financially, emotionally and spiritually.

 

[mrblah]

I wanted a career where I wouldn't stress out, and that would pay me enough to lead a comfortable lifestyle.

Also, I worked in pharmacy as an assistant and tech for the last 10 years, and I told myself "If I became a pharmacist, I wouldn't mind doing this for the rest of my life".

Many of my friends are now pharmacists and they enjoy themselves with the money they earn and the hours they work (no on-call, no mandatory graveyard rotations, availability of overtime, etc).

Some of my friends who are doctors, say while being a doctor is a great career, the time it takes to become a doctor and then to specialize in a specific area isn't worth it. You really have to be someone willing to live the " dedicated student lifestyle". For me, I'm too old for that, and really want to get on with my life.

I did consider dentistry though for a time being, but then I have "shaky hands" (i'm not kidding).

 

[cystapharm]

I once asked a pre-med the same question and his answer was because MDs make more. His sole motivation was more money. There's a doctor I wouldn't want. 👎

to some, more money = more power = more respect = more women = more sex. (in that order)

 

[Chem Geek]

I love counting by fives.

 

[UES Girl]

to some, more money = more power = more respect = more women = more sex. (in that order)

😱 😱 😱 Is that really a reason ? Isn't there an easier path to getting laid than going through 4 years of undergrad + 4 years med school + residency ?

 

[Twins fan]

I will play devil's advocate here and say that money is a big factor in many people's decisions to become pharmacists, even those who sound the most altruistic. I do not believe competition for pharmacy school, or even med school would be as intense if both professions began paying $30K a year.

In addition, if I were a patient, I would not care what made you become a pharmacist. Money, altruism, whatever. Just don't be incompetent.

Well said good sir.

As many others have said already, this is a strange question...it assumes that all people who are interested in pharmacy are also interested in practicing medicine and that they have to decide between the two. Simply not true.

I'm just flat out interested in pharmacy. I think the profession is awesome...clinical, retail, the whole she-bang. And the money part of it is ok too👍

 

[janeno]

while there are quite a few examples of pharm students that have the qualifications to make it to med school (as many students have shown on this forum), a good majority of students chose pharmacy because they would not have had a chance into MD school or dental and never considered it. And there are quite a few that chose it because it is easier and make money faster. While this might sound somewhat mean, it is reality.

I think you are a troll. I can guarantee you that most kids who are at my pharmacy school could have gotten into med school with no problems.

 

[cystapharm]

😱 😱 😱 Is that really a reason ? Isn't there an easier path to getting laid than going through 4 years of undergrad + 4 years med school + residency ?

no because there would be no dignity and once you're given the title MD you're set for life.

 

[nerv12345]

so you can only get laid with dignity if you're an MD? lol open your eyessss

 

[cystapharm]

not per se but there are some guys out there that hold off on having gfs because they think having 350K + paychecks will get them many girls later on.

 

[CrazyFox]

😱 😱 😱 Is that really a reason ? Isn't there an easier path to getting laid than going through 4 years of undergrad + 4 years med school + residency ?

Nevermind. Brainfrozen.

 

[31fan]

My mom's an MD and is miserable. Works awful hours and get this... makes very little money. She gets woken up almost every night from patients who complain about the stupidest things, things that are WAY out of her control. One needs a certain personality to be a doctor. She doesn't have it, I don't have it.

My reasons for choosing pharmacy:
- I'm very family oriented. I don't want to wait until I'm 30 to get married and start a family. I want good hours, good pay, a job that doesn't completely rule my life.
- Drugs fascinate me! 😀 I would love to share my knowledge of them with others and continue learning new things.
- Mom works with a lot of pharmacists and noticed that they are generally very nice, happy people who form a close-knit group. She sees the opposite in the doctors she works with!

Believe me, I am not dissing doctors, I just think I would be much happier as a pharmacist.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

not per se but there are some guys out there that hold off on having gfs because they think having 350K + paychecks will get them many girls later on.

Don't take it the wrong way, but here is a reality check: The majority of MD's make no where near $350,000 per year. "Average" salary for a physician is about $164,000 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As that $164k is just an average and does not take outliers into account, let's just say most doctors make about $200k per year. For the most part, only the surgeons and physicians who are subspecialists make such exorbitant salaries and even then, a lot of it will not end up in their pocket. It's funny how pre-meds and sometimes even med students really believe they're going to rake in so much money to attract girls. Please lol.

 

[UES Girl]

not per se but there are some guys out there that hold off on having gfs because they think having 350K + paychecks will get them many girls later on.

I think you watched too much Grey's Anatomy, my friend. All the med students I know, are horny as heck, and surely don't wait until they pass their boards to start picking up chicks. Plus once you get your MD, you are not set for life. No degree is going to make up for certain flaws. There are some of us descent women out there, that still have certain standards.

 

[lychee719]

There are many reasons why I would prefer a career in pharmacy over one in medicine.
First of all. One word. Vomit.

I mainly find more interest in learning the details of drug action on the body. I don't want to diagnose problems. I want to know the details of HOW medications work and use my knowledge to work as a clinical pharmacist researcher. I have a particular interest in psychiatric medications and rather than simply prescribe them, I want to learn more about how they work, systemically and at the molecular level. I just think its fascinating that we have discovered ways to engineer new compounds that work to manage and cure diseases. Nothing interests me more than medication. Therefore, I think I am meant to be a pharmacist.

 

[DoctorRx1986]

I think you watched too much Grey's Anatomy, my friend. All the med students I know, are horny as heck, and surely don't wait until they pass their boards to start picking up chicks. Plus once you get your MD, you are not set for life. No degree is going to make up for certain flaws. There are some of us descent women out there, that still have certain standards.

Hmmm, interesting...what do you consider a "decent" woman with certain standards? I'd love to meet such a woman one day. I never have until now...could that woman be you? 😉😍

 

[UES Girl]

Hmmm, interesting...what do you consider a "decent" woman with certain standards? I'd love to meet such a woman one day. I never have until now...could that woman be you? 😉😍

I meant to say that I think some guys put waaaay too much emphasis on the relationship between having an MD and being successful at dating lots of women. Some women are just not impressed by an MD degree, some of my friends for example will take a Ph. D (in science) any day over an MD because they believe it takes a lot more effort to pursue a career in science than in medicine.

 

[Sparda29]

😱 😱 😱 Is that really a reason ? Isn't there an easier path to getting laid than going through 4 years of undergrad + 4 years med school + residency ?

Yeah, if you're rich.

 

[Aznfarmerboi]

Thats another good point. One thing that Pharmacy has that other professions dont is that we are a tight knit group. Everyone knows each other. I can confidently say that in any area, every pharmacist knows each other through 5 level of contacts or less. If you dont know that person, a colleague of yours probably do.

It is for that reason, I keep my info off SDN as much as possible since I am really unprofessional here with most of my rants.

 

[cystapharm]

I think you watched too much Grey's Anatomy, my friend. All the med students I know, are horny as heck, and surely don't wait until they pass their boards to start picking up chicks. Plus once you get your MD, you are not set for life. No degree is going to make up for certain flaws. There are some of us descent women out there, that still have certain standards.

you mean I watch too much doogie howser MD type shows? cuz the guys I am talking about are no where near guys you find on Grey's Anatomy. And sure some guys get all the chicks just by saying "I am pre-med"

Unless the law takes away your license for whatever reason, your MD status/rank does set you for life and even if you don't have a lot of patients because you are not that popular of a doctor, you can still work for HMO.

I go for rich guys that are educated because there's one thing I won't have to screen out: ignorance. It's not neccessarily the money I am after because I know I am smart enough to make it on my own.