Why Pharmacy?

[percyeye]

This is not a troll thread. I'm genuinely curious. I've asked this before and have never gotten a response.
Every year thousands upon thousands of students apply for Pharmacy school.

What about Pharmacy is it that interests you? I'm in a different profession but even though I have no interest in cardiac surgery I can understand why that would be interesting. I have no interest in Dental school but the appeal of a procedure heavy specialty and the option to be your own boss would be appealing on top of potential earnings.

So why pharmacy? The science? "Helping people"? Most will work in corporate chains their entire career never being your own boss. Salaries are declining. This forum board here is always on meltdown mode. Is it the $80-100K salary? I used to think $80K was a lot of money. I've found after student loans and taxes it is not the case.

So out of all you thousands of applicants out there what are you writing in your letters to these schools on why you want to be a Pharmacist?

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[mentos]

A lot of prepharms think average salary is still 120k+ and the job market does not apply to them cause they will fight tooth and nail. Plus the barrier to entry is so low. What else is someone with a bio degree with average GPA gonna do, work in a lab for 30-40k?

 

[AM77]

Pharmacy schools are willing to milk new students because they see them as cash cows. I would blame the college recruiters for lying to pre-pharm students. These prospective students deceiving themselves by believing that they can help people in society with a healthcare degree and make six figure incomes. Retail chain pharmacy is all about metrics. There is no time for patient care. The schools coax them into applying for residency. Residency doesn’t guarantee you a job. There are far fewer hospitals than there are jobs. I think main reason why pre-pharms still apply is the prestige of earning a doctorate degree and the lure of making six figures.

 

[BC_89]

This is not a troll thread. I'm genuinely curious. I've asked this before and have never gotten a response.
Every year thousands upon thousands of students apply for Pharmacy school.

What about Pharmacy is it that interests you? I'm in a different profession but even though I have no interest in cardiac surgery I can understand why that would be interesting. I have no interest in Dental school but the appeal of a procedure heavy specialty and the option to be your own boss would be appealing on top of potential earnings.

So why pharmacy? The science? "Helping people"? Most will work in corporate chains their entire career never being your own boss. Salaries are declining. This forum board here is always on meltdown mode. Is it the $80-100K salary? I used to think $80K was a lot of money. I've found after student loans and taxes it is not the case.

So out of all you thousands of applicants out there what are you writing in your letters to these schools on why you want to be a Pharmacist?

In every profession exists outliers. As you read keep in mind that I am one of them. (TLDR at the end of this)

I've worked in pharmacy a little over a decade with a portion of it being in the military. Initially, it was a paycheck and a health insurance package for my wife and kiddos later in life (#Army Strong). While working outpatient and inpatient, I got the neat opportunity to also train and work with air assault units and jump out of Blackhawks when the training opportunity arose. Long story short, a crisis happened while apart from my family that led me to fall disabled for the past year and eventually medically retiring from the military.

While now collecting a pension and insurance package from the VA (and able to exercise again!) I knocked out enough courses on top of a Biochem degree I had earned and found myself with a few options: Go to an expedited 3 year pharmacy program 100% covered by the GI Bill and start working again in 36 months or change my career completely focusing on other healthcare professions or.....any profession. MD/DO route is intriguing, but family obligations and personal hobbies were on top of my list and didn't find this route to easily satisfy my other hobbies. Being a PA never really crossed my mind due to the notion of a ceiling cap when it comes to diagnosing. I already have hunting land I'm working on and a wife who's a social worker so being a pharmacist was the smoothest transition with no debt to weigh me down.

Pharmacy allows me to use what network I have to take me into specific rural settings that co-exist with my hobbies (fishing and hunting) while still capitalizing on the skills I currently have in the outpatient - inpatient settings. While school starts next month for me, I'll be making $70K tax exempt plus what my wife will bring in as a social worker (45k pre-taxed). This 3 year gap will allow me to invest in my portfolios, savings, and a few specific locations to get my hobbies up and rolling (think rural areas located in Alaska and the Midwest). Pharmacy brings me closer to my retirement plans within the next 5-10 years depending if I decide to go part-time or not (money isn't the issue in living, its just a numbers game for us in retiring much earlier than others).

So if you had a choice to work debt free in an occupation you seem to enjoy (plus I have a stubborn side I enjoy using on stubborn patients) that can take you to financial freedom at part time rate within the next 5-10 years, would you not do it? I enjoy thus far what I've done. Why go lose more years of studying something else when really all I need is this next 36 months to at least get me at a part time rate to financial a bliss? Even at the part time rate a six figure salary is already in our grasps, its just a matter of investing and deciding how much time I want with kids and my hobbies over the next time frame.

TLDR; Receiving pension from military service plus free schooling in a 3 year pharmacy program. Pharmacy lets me capitalize on what I already know with past decade in a pharmacy plus closer to financial freedom with family. Pharmacy at part time work gives me a financial out within 5-10 years. I enjoy it thus far so why change career scope when base salary with wife is already at six figures? Work for your hobbies, not for your job.

For those who truly classify work as your hobby, you have my respect (especially those other health fields that specialize and sacrifice to get what they want).

 

[mentos]

Pharmacy schools are willing to milk new students because they see them as cash cows. I would blame the college recruiters for lying to pre-pharm students. These prospective students deceiving themselves by believing that they can help people in society with a healthcare degree and make six figure incomes. Retail chain pharmacy is all about metrics. There is no time for patient care. The schools coax them into applying for residency. Residency doesn’t guarantee you a job. There are far fewer hospitals than there are jobs. I think main reason why pre-pharms still apply is the prestige of earning a doctorate degree and the lure of making six figures.

What prestige is this? Do you think customers, nurses, or doctors respect pharmacists more cause we have doctorates?

 

[percyeye]

In every profession exists outliers. As you read keep in mind that I am one of them. (TLDR at the end of this)

I've worked in pharmacy a little over a decade with a portion of it being in the military. Initially, it was a paycheck and a health insurance package for my wife and kiddos later in life (#Army Strong). While working outpatient and inpatient, I got the neat opportunity to also train and work with air assault units and jump out of Blackhawks when the training opportunity arose. Long story short, a crisis happened while apart from my family that led me to fall disabled for the past year and eventually medically retiring from the military.

While now collecting a pension and insurance package from the VA (and able to exercise again!) I knocked out enough courses on top of a Biochem degree I had earned and found myself with a few options: Go to an expedited 3 year pharmacy program 100% covered by the GI Bill and start working again in 36 months or change my career completely focusing on other healthcare professions or.....any profession. MD/DO route is intriguing, but family obligations and personal hobbies were on top of my list and didn't find this route to easily satisfy my other hobbies. Being a PA never really crossed my mind due to the notion of a ceiling cap when it comes to diagnosing. I already have hunting land I'm working on and a wife who's a social worker so being a pharmacist was the smoothest transition with no debt to weigh me down.

Pharmacy allows me to use what network I have to take me into specific rural settings that co-exist with my hobbies (fishing and hunting) while still capitalizing on the skills I currently have in the outpatient - inpatient settings. While school starts next month for me, I'll be making $70K tax exempt plus what my wife will bring in as a social worker (45k pre-taxed). This 3 year gap will allow me to invest in my portfolios, savings, and a few specific locations to get my hobbies up and rolling (think rural areas located in Alaska and the Midwest). Pharmacy brings me closer to my retirement plans within the next 5-10 years depending if I decide to go part-time or not (money isn't the issue in living, its just a numbers game for us in retiring much earlier than others).

So if you had a choice to work debt free in an occupation you seem to enjoy (plus I have a stubborn side I enjoy using on stubborn patients) that can take you to financial freedom at part time rate within the next 5-10 years, would you not do it? I enjoy thus far what I've done. Why go lose more years of studying something else when really all I need is this next 36 months to at least get me at a part time rate to financial a bliss? Even at the part time rate a six figure salary is already in our grasps, its just a matter of investing and deciding how much time I want with kids and my hobbies over the next time frame.

TLDR; Receiving pension from military service plus free schooling in a 3 year pharmacy program. Pharmacy lets me capitalize on what I already know with past decade in a pharmacy plus closer to financial freedom with family. Pharmacy at part time work gives me a financial out within 5-10 years. I enjoy it thus far so why change career scope when base salary with wife is already at six figures? Work for your hobbies, not for your job.

For those who truly classify work as your hobby, you have my respect (especially those other health fields that specialize and sacrifice to get what they want).

Okay but what about the actual job of Pharmacy that interests other than the money and (maybe) lifestyle? So far all I've seen here is the money. You know you will be working this job more than you'll be spending time with your own family most likely. If this just was cut down 30% pay would you still do it? There are a ton of jobs out there with good hours, and making the $80-100K range.

 

[BC_89]

Okay but what about the actual job of Pharmacy that interests other than the money and (maybe) lifestyle? So far all I've seen here is the money. You know you will be working this job more than you'll be spending time with your own family most likely. If this just was cut down 30% pay would you still do it? There are a ton of jobs out there with good hours, and making the $80-100K range.

I answered the pay cut question by stating I’d do it at a 50% cut (ie part time rate) of the current rate due to my outside pensions and steady cash income.

I have rare experiences that put me where I’m at. For example, during the 08-09 crisis of jobs, I was over seas on a series of islands for 2 years learning a language and assisting families with specific needs. One of which was an opportunity to translate for specific healthcare agencies about medication uses to islanders after a tsunami crisis.

Since then, I’ve been intrigued with others knowing the basis of medication therapeutics and contraindications without having to actually physically touch or try to diagnose conditions. Helping the older generations and our combat vets with stories like mine in understanding the do’s and dont’s of drugs is something over the past (and currently) years I’ve enjoyed doing.

I want to apply the basic understanding of medication to my own family and kiddos. I don’t have to work hard for the cash to do so. I’ll be given a baseline knowledge of drugs that I want to keep for my own family and friends.

If I wanted the high dollar, I’d go back to welding. At least this way, I get a little bit of both (financial peace and drug knowledge).

 

[PharmtoCS]

Not a single response from a pre-pharm.

Anyone...?

 

[Lubeckd]

Not a single response from a pre-pharm.

Anyone...?

I dont think you really know if you wanna do pharmacy until p4 lol

 

[olabrador23]

I answered the pay cut question by stating I’d do it at a 50% cut (ie part time rate) of the current rate due to my outside pensions and steady cash income.

I have rare experiences that put me where I’m at. For example, during the 08-09 crisis of jobs, I was over seas on a series of islands for 2 years learning a language and assisting families with specific needs. One of which was an opportunity to translate for specific healthcare agencies about medication uses to islanders after a tsunami crisis.

Since then, I’ve been intrigued with others knowing the basis of medication therapeutics and contraindications without having to actually physically touch or try to diagnose conditions. Helping the older generations and our combat vets with stories like mine in understanding the do’s and dont’s of drugs is something over the past (and currently) years I’ve enjoyed doing.

I want to apply the basic understanding of medication to my own family and kiddos. I don’t have to work hard for the cash to do so. I’ll be given a baseline knowledge of drugs that I want to keep for my own family and friends.

If I wanted the high dollar, I’d go back to welding. At least this way, I get a little bit of both (financial peace and drug knowledge).

Google ???

 

[olabrador23]

This is not a troll thread. I'm genuinely curious. I've asked this before and have never gotten a response.
Every year thousands upon thousands of students apply for Pharmacy school.

What about Pharmacy is it that interests you? I'm in a different profession but even though I have no interest in cardiac surgery I can understand why that would be interesting. I have no interest in Dental school but the appeal of a procedure heavy specialty and the option to be your own boss would be appealing on top of potential earnings.

So why pharmacy? The science? "Helping people"? Most will work in corporate chains their entire career never being your own boss. Salaries are declining. This forum board here is always on meltdown mode. Is it the $80-100K salary? I used to think $80K was a lot of money. I've found after student loans and taxes it is not the case.

So out of all you thousands of applicants out there what are you writing in your letters to these schools on why you want to be a Pharmacist?

Like some pointed out above, the same (real) reasons you and other health professionals want to go to their fields, i.e., mostly money, prestige, lifestyle, etc.

 

[BC_89]

Google ???

I’ll remind myself that when I can look online and diagnose myself

Beats paying a doctor to tell me the same thing

 

[percyeye]

Like some pointed out above, the same (real) reasons you and other health professionals want to go to their fields, i.e., mostly money, prestige, lifestyle, etc.

Yes other health professionals enjoy those things but they also picked their specialty because there was something specific that interested them. If you plan on working in a health care field now just banking on you'll be happy off the money and "prestige" no wonder so many are miserable.

 

[Saiyo]

Like some pointed out above, the same (real) reasons you and other health professionals want to go to their fields, i.e., mostly money, prestige, lifestyle, etc.

These were my reasons, but at the time the profession wasn't collapsing like it is now.

Not a single response from a pre-pharm.

Anyone...?

They are all hiding in the school specific threads wondering their chances of getting in and looking for interview tips.

 

[Hels2007]

A pharmacy degree can open many doors , and it is not limited to standing in the pharmacy answering endless "Can I drink with that?", "what's this rash?" and "can I give my 8 month old baby this cough syrup?" (though these questions and conversations can be interesting too, I used to enjoy working in retail back in the days when we had enough tech hours to let me actually get to know people instead of just furiously trying to keep up with the bare minimum). I find drugs and how they work interesting on their own, too. My own job has little to do with the actual practice of pharmacy, but my pharmacy knowledge is very helpful, and I would not have gotten this position if I did not have it, or it would have taken me much longer to get to this level.

 

[SCJC22]

Well I believe many people ask this question when they don’t know everything pharmacist can do. Most pharmacy students today will face a career climax if they complete their doctorate degree and stop there.


The fulfillment, in my opinion, results from choosing to peruse a residency (we have thousands in our country now - 1 and 2 years) or post-doctoral training. If a PharmD does a residency they can become specialized in oncology, pediatrics, cardiology, infectious disease, geriatrics, emergence medicine, critical care (ICU/CCU/NICU) just to name a few.

I originally switched from an MD program to a PharmD program due to a life experience: my mother was at her first day of chemo therapy (she had just found out about the breast cancer 3 weeks prior) and my moms’ pharmacist was the second person to speak to her after we got there. She told my mom everything to expect, examined her, mixed up her medications using the regimen she and the team had decided on, and most importantly she joked with her and made her laugh that morning (which my mom had not done since she was diagnosed). So my mother and I are sitting in the infusion room, the chemo is started, and 4 hours later she starts complaining of shortness of breath. . by 8pm that night my mother was intubated in the ICU, and she stayed there intubated fight for life for 6 days until she passed away. Chemotoxicity was her cause of death (No one could have known this would happen- it is a rare response). Now I live with two images of mom I’ll never be able to forget- 1. The image of her lying in that ICU bed, 2. The image of her laughing hours before that ICU bed.


So I chose pharmacy because the oncology pharmacist gave me that good image of my mom, gave my mom enjoyment during her last enjoyable hours of her life, and gave me peace during my grief. I decided if I can do what that pharmacist did, for one family during the duration of my life then I’ve done something good!

This isn’t the only experience I have had with pharmacy. On my second rotation, with an emergency medicine pharmacist, I got to follow her every time a patient coded and I witnessed her lead a room full of responders, pull out a crash cart, push drugs, and start a heart back.

On other rotations, I have went on inpatient morning rounds every day. The MD-DO/PAs/nurses/OTs/RTs ... they are all there too. Pharmacist say which drugs should be started-stopped-changed-dose adjusted or whatever during this time as the care plan is discussed.


The field has a lot of fulfilling paths and ways to make a contribution to our publics health, and these are a few examples. So I think it will make me feel fulfilled in life to be involved with the medical team in these type of ways. Hope that contributes a little insight.

 

[zona2016]

Working in clinical trials and seeing how important a pharmacist is in the process since nobody knows what side effects the medication is going to happen. I have seen a lot of pharmacist working in this area and they all have been very competitive when presenting and handling issues of toxicity in the trials.

 

[Old]

Working in clinical trials and seeing how important a pharmacist is in the process since nobody knows what side effects the medication is going to happen. I have seen a lot of pharmacist working in this area and they all have been very competitive when presenting and handling issues of toxicity in the trials.

Interesting. You are pre-pharmacy and have worked in clinical trials. Where were you able to work and experience this. I assume you have a bachelors or masters in some other science or med related field. I also wasn't aware that alot of pharmacist were employed for clinical trials. Please tell us more

 

[zona2016]

Interesting. You are pre-pharmacy and have worked in clinical trials. Where were you able to work and experience this. I assume you have a bachelors or masters in some other science or med related field. I also wasn't aware that alot of pharmacist were employed for clinical trials. Please tell us more

My background is weird but for this thread ill just say I had some pharmacy tech experience, a biology degree and some advanced coursework in medical sciences. I started as a research assistant for an academic clinical research program and after a year and a half moved onto working in clinical trials. The good thing for clinical research is there is no fixed background to start working in it, but there is no specific reason why just being a pharmacist makes you a good candidate. Also pharma companies have their weird hiring cycles and getting the initial experience can be tricky. But once you're in you are set.

The areas vary and non-exhaustive list:
-MSL
-pharmacovigilance
-clinical operations which can include project management, monitoring and study management.
-Regulatory Affairs
-Medical Monitors (not sure but i have seen a couple of PharmD with that title)
-Investigational Pharmacists

There might be more but that's what I have seen so far.

 

[BookDragon]

 

[DagS132]

Im not pre pharm anymore but when I was, it was because of the money. I was just thinking how sweet it was going to be to have a 6 figure income and also have a doctorate title. And im pretty sure the money is the main factor in most if not all pre pharm students.
If they talk about how they enjoy helping people, just ask them how many days out of the week they volunteer at their local homeless shelter or a question similar to that.

 

[mentos]

View attachment 278609

80k tuition is on the low side. I'd say the median tuition is closer to 200k after 4 years.

Im not pre pharm anymore but when I was, it was because of the money. I was just thinking how sweet it was going to be to have a 6 figure income and also have a doctorate title. And im pretty sure the money is the main factor in most if not all pre pharm students.
If they talk about how they enjoy helping people, just ask them how many days out of the week they volunteer at their local homeless shelter or a question similar to that.

Well the 6 figures isn't there anymore and it's dropping fast, so what reason do they have now?

 

[TerryTerry]

Im not pre pharm anymore but when I was, it was because of the money. I was just thinking how sweet it was going to be to have a 6 figure income and also have a doctorate title. And im pretty sure the money is the main factor in most if not all pre pharm students.
If they talk about how they enjoy helping people, just ask them how many days out of the week they volunteer at their local homeless shelter or a question similar to that.

Many naive pre-pharms are still in the same boat.
They are committing financial suicide for 4 years of fake purpose and independence.

 

[zona2016]

What if pharmacy school was cheaper?

 

[TerryTerry]

What if pharmacy school was cheaper?

If it becomes something truly reasonable, schools will close before students stop applying

 

[mentos]

I ask this all the time too. I'm in pharmacy school and I always wonder why people are here besides the money and doctorate. A lot of my friends say that they like that they are in medicine but don't have to be in school for that long, like being knowledgeable about medications, can't stand the sight of blood so no go on MD or nurse, they genuinely don't mind retail work as they like that it goes "super fast", want a "quick in and out" job where they don't have to stress at home and can drop everything, they like being the "boss" right away, they like working alone.

So yeah basically sums up bunch of rich chemistry kids who don't want to work in labs.

You don't take work home, I'll give them that. But everything else that you mentioned does not apply. It's not a quick in and out at all. Retail does not go super fast (especially during the evening rush). You are the boss of nothing, in fact the front store manager with a high school diploma will be your boss. If they like working alone then they're in luck cause by the time they graduate there will be no more tech hours!

 

[JustFillIt]

I just wanted to make as much money as possible for as little effort as possible when I went to pharmacy school.

It turns out that I did misjudge the amount of effort it takes in retail. Retail is a dreadful nightmare if you don’t have it dialed in just right..

Fortunately for me - if pharmacy was a rave.... I am the DJ doing the fist pump thing in the middle of the techno peak and the entire crowd is going crazy at my command.. yea I’m that good...

And as you can see from my stated delusion - retail pharmacy also comes with some residual mental illness..

Enjoy!

 

[Mcpickle]

I just wanted to make as much money as possible for as little effort as possible when I went to pharmacy school.

It turns out that I did misjudge the amount of effort it takes in retail. Retail is a dreadful nightmare if you don’t have it dialed in just right..

Fortunately for me - if pharmacy was a rave.... I am the DJ doing the fist pump thing in the middle of the techno peak and the entire crowd is going crazy at my command.. yea I’m that good...

And as you can see from my stated delusion - retail pharmacy also comes with some residual mental illness..

Enjoy!

Woah There coolio

 

[Lubeckd]

Dj is fine though.