- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
Just curious. What specificly motivates you to pursue pharmacy? details... details? Thanks!! 😍
Why Pharmacy?
- Thread starter pomelolover
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
triangulation....
it seems like u are always giving reasonable explainations... can u please share the reasons why u choose pharmacy? i know y i chose it, but i wanted to see what motivates others... there are a lot of pluses and minuses in the field but how does it balance out for u? what part of pharmacy do u think ur headed towards? i work in a retail pharmacy and am starting to become turned off but it could just be the pharmacy im in... and so i'm leaning towards clinical. i love the ppl i work with but all the customers get so pushy esp with the 3rd party issues, there are so many times i feel so bad for the pharmacists there bc they have a gang load of ppl getting really impatient breathing down the pharmacists backs knocking on the plexi glass telling them to hurry up watiing in line for their scripts. we fill prob like 700 scripts a day so we are too busy and the pharmacists are pushed to their limits everyday. sure they get paid more than clinical pharmacists but are driven to extremes sometimes even past their limits every day. then u've got the d.m. telling u to fill more faster. its all about #'s in retail. ur d.m. just wants to see the high #'s doesn't care/alot for time spent helping customers and counseling them on their meds... or time in an emergency sitch... like one nite we had about 10 emerg calls from pts and didn't get a lot of scripts filled, the pharmacist in charge got a lecture on productivity the next morning and wasn't ever given the chance to explain... bc it didn't matter- what mattered were the #'s
it seems like u are always giving reasonable explainations... can u please share the reasons why u choose pharmacy? i know y i chose it, but i wanted to see what motivates others... there are a lot of pluses and minuses in the field but how does it balance out for u? what part of pharmacy do u think ur headed towards? i work in a retail pharmacy and am starting to become turned off but it could just be the pharmacy im in... and so i'm leaning towards clinical. i love the ppl i work with but all the customers get so pushy esp with the 3rd party issues, there are so many times i feel so bad for the pharmacists there bc they have a gang load of ppl getting really impatient breathing down the pharmacists backs knocking on the plexi glass telling them to hurry up watiing in line for their scripts. we fill prob like 700 scripts a day so we are too busy and the pharmacists are pushed to their limits everyday. sure they get paid more than clinical pharmacists but are driven to extremes sometimes even past their limits every day. then u've got the d.m. telling u to fill more faster. its all about #'s in retail. ur d.m. just wants to see the high #'s doesn't care/alot for time spent helping customers and counseling them on their meds... or time in an emergency sitch... like one nite we had about 10 emerg calls from pts and didn't get a lot of scripts filled, the pharmacist in charge got a lecture on productivity the next morning and wasn't ever given the chance to explain... bc it didn't matter- what mattered were the #'s
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2003
- Messages
- 2,642
- Reaction score
- 7
That's a big reason for me, too. Changing careers late in life is not always a smart thing to do. I've run my own computer software business since 1989. I could make ends meet, but there was nothing left to save towards retirement.
I had always loved the sciences in high school and decided to choose a field where I could use science. My requirements were a good salary, good health insurance and a 401K plan that preferrably had employer matching. I ruled out becoming a doctor because I didn't want the hours. I ruled out nursing because I don't want to clean up bodily fluids. That left me with allied health. If I ending up sucking in college, then I would become a med tech. If I did well, then I was going into pharmacy. So, here I am.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
pomelo,
Kinda like what others have said, I wanted the opportunity to use medical/science background in my career, but I have a passion for the humanities and public policy. The most expediitous way to get there in a reasonable time frame was pharmaceutical policy. I wasn't interested in PhD's. My dad was a prof in econ and it wasn't for him. I can't imagine doing a seven year PhD in policy or econ to get where I am going, and I'm a strong believer in learning from experience not just theorizing. I think that's why former secreatary of the treasury Robert Rubin was such bad ass, bc he knew wall street so well from running goldman-sachs. If I wanna make policy on pharmaceuticals, I've gotta know how it works at the ground level. What I've seen makes me really question the way we're going with it.
In a kinda insidious way, I'm partially a believer in social engineering. There's a lot of ways people have done this: through the tax codes, through urban planning, of course the media, but I think another way is through pharmaceutical policy: I want to make things better for working class poor and mentally ill, so they can contribute from society more and reap those benefits. That's my goal in pharm policy.I'm a huge believer in building people's confidence and letting them actualize from that. I want to take part in that effort.
At any rate, the field is so f%^kin' wide open. I'm sure if you want to make money and then pursue something more satisfying you can do that in pharm. I have friends in law school who eventually want to do civil rights law, but first they're gonna work at a firm and pay off their loans. the catch is you gotta have the cojones to leave the money behind when you start raking it in. I dunno if I'm that good, so I don't know if i'll ever work full-time in a high paying part of pharmacy.
It's a great racket though. My pharm manager in retail made great money right out of school, paid off his loans in two years, and that was before it got really competitive. Now he marvels at the signing bonuses and other bonuses they dangle in front of you. The good part is the money, the bad is that patient care is getting worse as it becomes more lucrative. Maybe that'll improve. I want it to. That's why all these people that are pissing and moaning about technology are way off track. We desperately need more technology in pharmacy. Pharmacists jobs should be to check the meds, and counsel the patient in an era of increasingly complex medications. Pharmacists rarely get to do that critical aspect because they have to manage the pharmacy operations: filing, third party. It's getting trickier to be a pharmacist, you've gotta be smarter than before. that;s why the pharmd is great you get those extra years to learn mechanisms of action.
This waaay more than what you were after, but what I'm saying you is it's a field with limitless options. You will always be fighting a protective MD establishment, so you just have to be willing to fight it. To me it's a part of the job.
Kinda like what others have said, I wanted the opportunity to use medical/science background in my career, but I have a passion for the humanities and public policy. The most expediitous way to get there in a reasonable time frame was pharmaceutical policy. I wasn't interested in PhD's. My dad was a prof in econ and it wasn't for him. I can't imagine doing a seven year PhD in policy or econ to get where I am going, and I'm a strong believer in learning from experience not just theorizing. I think that's why former secreatary of the treasury Robert Rubin was such bad ass, bc he knew wall street so well from running goldman-sachs. If I wanna make policy on pharmaceuticals, I've gotta know how it works at the ground level. What I've seen makes me really question the way we're going with it.
In a kinda insidious way, I'm partially a believer in social engineering. There's a lot of ways people have done this: through the tax codes, through urban planning, of course the media, but I think another way is through pharmaceutical policy: I want to make things better for working class poor and mentally ill, so they can contribute from society more and reap those benefits. That's my goal in pharm policy.I'm a huge believer in building people's confidence and letting them actualize from that. I want to take part in that effort.
At any rate, the field is so f%^kin' wide open. I'm sure if you want to make money and then pursue something more satisfying you can do that in pharm. I have friends in law school who eventually want to do civil rights law, but first they're gonna work at a firm and pay off their loans. the catch is you gotta have the cojones to leave the money behind when you start raking it in. I dunno if I'm that good, so I don't know if i'll ever work full-time in a high paying part of pharmacy.
It's a great racket though. My pharm manager in retail made great money right out of school, paid off his loans in two years, and that was before it got really competitive. Now he marvels at the signing bonuses and other bonuses they dangle in front of you. The good part is the money, the bad is that patient care is getting worse as it becomes more lucrative. Maybe that'll improve. I want it to. That's why all these people that are pissing and moaning about technology are way off track. We desperately need more technology in pharmacy. Pharmacists jobs should be to check the meds, and counsel the patient in an era of increasingly complex medications. Pharmacists rarely get to do that critical aspect because they have to manage the pharmacy operations: filing, third party. It's getting trickier to be a pharmacist, you've gotta be smarter than before. that;s why the pharmd is great you get those extra years to learn mechanisms of action.
This waaay more than what you were after, but what I'm saying you is it's a field with limitless options. You will always be fighting a protective MD establishment, so you just have to be willing to fight it. To me it's a part of the job.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
very interesting triangulation... so u'll be the one that us retail/clinical pharmacist can come complain to? 
i think that u'll do well in this area bc u are well spoken and articulate. pharmacy is def a burgeoning, changing field and there are almost a limitless number of places one may go with a pharm.d. which leads me to my next question? are you pursuing a m.ph. or j.d. as well? sociology is my background and it is my belief that pharmaceticals have a huge impact on society as well as on the individual. even when the war was going on we experienced many pts. coming in too early for their albuterol or ssri's. i realize this may not be the area that u are pursuing but i think there is def something to be said about the correlation bt current events and meds... impact of stress on health etc. well before i start rambling i'll end it here. and btw, is this part of ur pers stmt to ucsf? if not, can u please cut and paste it here? (thx BMBIology!) 
and also, dgroulx u seem like a true pharmacist- pragmatic and to the point! 😀
i think that u'll do well in this area bc u are well spoken and articulate. pharmacy is def a burgeoning, changing field and there are almost a limitless number of places one may go with a pharm.d. which leads me to my next question? are you pursuing a m.ph. or j.d. as well? sociology is my background and it is my belief that pharmaceticals have a huge impact on society as well as on the individual. even when the war was going on we experienced many pts. coming in too early for their albuterol or ssri's. i realize this may not be the area that u are pursuing but i think there is def something to be said about the correlation bt current events and meds... impact of stress on health etc. well before i start rambling i'll end it here. and btw, is this part of ur pers stmt to ucsf? if not, can u please cut and paste it here? (thx BMBIology!) and also, dgroulx u seem like a true pharmacist- pragmatic and to the point! 😀- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Hey Pomelo. Thanks. No JDs or MPHs for me. I've got little time to be playing around with. I just want to get my pharmd and hit the workforce.
No that's not my personal state. My essays are basically grant proposals in an infant form, so I'm kinda leary about draggin and droppin them onto this forum. But, like many of us have said, please send your own PS and I'll review it.
I can tell you've got the thoughtful persona that we need a lot more of in health care. I know how impatient patients 😉 can make you apathetic, but you have to fight that. I'm not naturally a customer service kinda guy, but i know that's gonna get me to my goal. It's funny bc that's probably what I'm best at, but I don't like it very much.
What part of the country are you in pomelolover?
No that's not my personal state. My essays are basically grant proposals in an infant form, so I'm kinda leary about draggin and droppin them onto this forum. But, like many of us have said, please send your own PS and I'll review it.
I can tell you've got the thoughtful persona that we need a lot more of in health care. I know how impatient patients 😉 can make you apathetic, but you have to fight that. I'm not naturally a customer service kinda guy, but i know that's gonna get me to my goal. It's funny bc that's probably what I'm best at, but I don't like it very much.
What part of the country are you in pomelolover?
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
thanks tri- 😍 im from los angeles. i live in a suburb 30 mins north of downtown called agoura hills. i went to UCI then transferred soph year to UCLA. I then worked in biz for a year (at DIRECTV doing acquistions marketing, making the pitches u see at best buy, goodguys, fry's, commercials on radio/tv) then i worked at UCLA med school doing clinical research on AIDS and Scleroderma with a Pub Health/med school prof. I liked the healthcare environ and had volunteered at UCLA while in school. I decided to go into pharmacy after taking about 6 mos off to decide which field in health. now im completing pre pharm classes at a comm college- which btw- i happen to LOVE- i get so much more attn at my community college compared to UCLA! tho i love my alma mater- i think imlearning more now- possibly bc im so motivated for pharm also.
p.s. a BIG congrats to everyone who got into Pharm school this year... i envy u intensly!!!!!
p.s. a BIG congrats to everyone who got into Pharm school this year... i envy u intensly!!!!!
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Pomelo,
that's nuts!! My gf graduated from UCI, and she just sent her intent letter to ucla for grad school for this fall. One of my best pals lives in culver city and works close to ucla med. She went to ucla for two years then transferred to u-dub (my alma mater) for nursing school. I'm supposed to go to her wedding in Newport next week, but I've got a court date (long, long painful, lame, crappy story) so i'm not sure if i'll make it. I'm trying to find a studio close to SC health sci campus. Any ideas?
that's nuts!! My gf graduated from UCI, and she just sent her intent letter to ucla for grad school for this fall. One of my best pals lives in culver city and works close to ucla med. She went to ucla for two years then transferred to u-dub (my alma mater) for nursing school. I'm supposed to go to her wedding in Newport next week, but I've got a court date (long, long painful, lame, crappy story) so i'm not sure if i'll make it. I'm trying to find a studio close to SC health sci campus. Any ideas?
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2003
- Messages
- 217
- Reaction score
- 0
Hey Tri,
I am definatly interested in the same path as you (public policy), my only concern is to enter it through pharmacy. I've talked to a law professor that I had and she told me going into public policy would require you to have a legal background.
She thought that if I wanted to go into public policy or work in a pharmaceutical law, attaining a JD/PharmD would be too much and a PharmD would not prepare you in the legal arena.
What's your thought in this?
Personally, I still can't decide. I'm still tempted to attain both degrees, but hoping that I won't be in debt too much. I expected to be in debt for 200K but assuming if I can gain Maryland residency after my second year it would be mid 100K. At this point, I can't consider USC since it is a private school with high tuition rates.
Kevin
I am definatly interested in the same path as you (public policy), my only concern is to enter it through pharmacy. I've talked to a law professor that I had and she told me going into public policy would require you to have a legal background.
She thought that if I wanted to go into public policy or work in a pharmaceutical law, attaining a JD/PharmD would be too much and a PharmD would not prepare you in the legal arena.
What's your thought in this?
Personally, I still can't decide. I'm still tempted to attain both degrees, but hoping that I won't be in debt too much. I expected to be in debt for 200K but assuming if I can gain Maryland residency after my second year it would be mid 100K. At this point, I can't consider USC since it is a private school with high tuition rates.
Kevin
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
What the $%@* else is a law professor gonna say to you?!?! Just playin' Risk. I don't know. Maybe it would be easier to attack as a JD. I can't afford (both literally and metaphorically) to do a JD, so I'm just gonna do it as pharmd and apply for a fellowship afterwards if i need it. Dunno. I think that's why UCSF's program was cool, bc you start in policy in year 2. I know that SC has an institute for pharm policy, so i just figured i'd try to hook up with them early on in school. It's pretty amorphous so you have to do a lot of it yourself i suspect.
Um...no matter what the reason is, I'm tired of hearing people say that all the students going for pharmacy are only for the money
. Honestly, if pharmacists make the same $$ like an office secretary, I would still want to be a pharmacist! 😎 👍
. Honestly, if pharmacists make the same $$ like an office secretary, I would still want to be a pharmacist! 😎 👍- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
I hear ya clachan!! It is nice that it's mutually satisfying and financially rewarding though, but yeah if you just wanted grips of dough there are easier ways of doing it that pharmacy. From my short stint in retail, I can tell ya, it's WORK
- Joined
- May 17, 2002
- Messages
- 339
- Reaction score
- 2
I chose pharmacy for several reasons. I originally started college as a computer science major, but in my sophomore year I got a job in a hospital which initially got me interested in healthcare. I've always loved science so it seemed like a career in healthcare would be a good fit for me. I've considered all of the different options -- medicine (I've learned that I don't particularly enjoy working in a hospital, the long hours are unappealing, and I don't really enjoy working with sick people), optometry (I have this terrible fear of touching someone's eye -- it's weird), dentistry (my manual dexterity isn't all that great and the sound of that drill scares me), and finally pharmacy. Pharmacology has always been very interesting to me so that is what initially attracted me to it. I've observed pharmacists working in several different settings and I know I'll be able to find something that I really enjoy. The potential career options are very enticing -- there are so many different ways you can utilize your education as a pharmacist. And of course, things like the increasing salaries and the job security/availability (you can get a job just about anywhere) are also very attractive.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
oh wow- the world is such a small place... its a small world after all, its a small world after all.... ok i'll stop before u think that im nuts also! 😀 hmm husky huh? ok i won't say anything... 😛 congrats to ur g.f. for ucla...its an absolutely stellar school! could this be another reason y u are turning the all-knowing ucsf down? im mean c'mon u can't be that worked up to be one of those--- whaddya call em again? eh, er....trojans??? 😉 husky and trojan- o my! what are we gonna do with u tri??
(f.y.i. u might wanna break out ur map of l.a. before reading this) i live and breath l.a. and i know the areas really well so here goes:
As for a studio near HSC... umm the area aroudn there is really scary- i honestly don't reccommend living there unless u are really used to living in the ghetto. albeit i am a bruin and all but still just bc i don't want u to be getting mugged or stuff, u know? theres a grip of crime there and county usc hospital is renown for having many victims of drive by's and gang shootings. im not totally paranoid about this kinda stuff but honestly its a very scary part of l.a. one of the worst. its cheaper bc of that too. if u really want to be close to hsc the best thing would be to live near the main USC campus. close to univeristy drive. its still not so safe there but at least there are a lot of students in the area. so if u don't mind i would suggest possibly living somewhere north of the 10 fwy and also the more west u go the safer it gets. koreatown (10 min drive tops) is a place where there are many cheaper apts... but also there is some crime there too. not as much as near HSC but still it exists... as a girl i would not live there. i would opt for something a little more west and northg like in midcity or la brea near miracle mile. (bout 20 min drive w moderate traffic) i've hear that the studios there are cheap. many feldgeling actors live in this area bc of the price and location. i've also hear that there are newer studio type loft apts in downtown, just north of HSC maybe 10 mins top drive, that are renovated old structures. pretty nice i hear. but im not sure about the price... u might wanna check latimes.com and i'll ask some friends about the digs and let u know. many ppl that go to 'sc live on the westside-( about a 30 min dirve with light traffic) west of the 405 fwy and north of the 10fwy- a hipper trendier place to live tha tisn't as scary and also not as expensive as downtown (the nicer safer places downtown). many young professionals live in this area. i had a friend that graduated 'sc pharm (ok ok its an excellent pharm school!!! i give in are u happy now!)in 2000 and she lived in the westside... (west l.a.) also some ppl live in westwood too but its pricier there bc of ucla. i'll keep u posted on more info! hope this helps!
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
hey brill,
sounds a little like my path... what part of pharma are u planning on pursuing? are u going to pharm school this year?
- Joined
- May 17, 2002
- Messages
- 339
- Reaction score
- 2
I'm not completely sure what area I want to go into yet. I know that I probably want to stay away from anything hospital-based, but other than that I'm not quite sure. I start pharmacy school in the fall.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Thanks a bunch pomelo!! You rock. I'll have to do some searches on those locations. I've been checking a couple different online services and nothing has been cheap at all. I'm looking to pay around 500-600 tops.
What's your top choice for schools? That'd be a bitter pill to have to attend SC after all your time at UCLA😛 UCSD, UCSF?
What's your top choice for schools? That'd be a bitter pill to have to attend SC after all your time at UCLA😛 UCSD, UCSF?
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Pomelo,
What do you think of the mid-wilshire area?
What do you think of the mid-wilshire area?
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
Pomelo,
I can absolutely empathize with you in regards to retail pharmacy. I'm finishing up my first year at NVCP, which means I'll be done with my first year clerkship at Rite-Aid. People ask me how can I stand pouring, counting, and sticking labels all day. My reply? If that was what retail pharmacy entails, I'd feel unfulfilled, but I wouldn't mind. Unfortunately, you quickly learn that retail practice often means dealing with 3rd party hassles, patients who can't comprehend the meaning of a copay, and working a drive thru window (the one, big, glaring sign that chain pharmacists have lost control of their profession). But, all that aside, I'm lucky to have a preceptor who takes the time to counsel all his patients with their meds, not because he's legally required to, but because he genuinely cares. People come up to him, and call him "doc". They seek his advice for just about anything and everything. I've realized that HE is the example of why I wanted to become a pharmacist. He loves his career, all thirty some-odd years since he graduated from UOP. And even though my career path may take me towards residency and clinical pharmacy, I would still want to do what my preceptor does so well: that is help people make the best use of their medication with great care and compassion.
I can absolutely empathize with you in regards to retail pharmacy. I'm finishing up my first year at NVCP, which means I'll be done with my first year clerkship at Rite-Aid. People ask me how can I stand pouring, counting, and sticking labels all day. My reply? If that was what retail pharmacy entails, I'd feel unfulfilled, but I wouldn't mind. Unfortunately, you quickly learn that retail practice often means dealing with 3rd party hassles, patients who can't comprehend the meaning of a copay, and working a drive thru window (the one, big, glaring sign that chain pharmacists have lost control of their profession). But, all that aside, I'm lucky to have a preceptor who takes the time to counsel all his patients with their meds, not because he's legally required to, but because he genuinely cares. People come up to him, and call him "doc". They seek his advice for just about anything and everything. I've realized that HE is the example of why I wanted to become a pharmacist. He loves his career, all thirty some-odd years since he graduated from UOP. And even though my career path may take me towards residency and clinical pharmacy, I would still want to do what my preceptor does so well: that is help people make the best use of their medication with great care and compassion.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
tri,
i was offline all nite bc im studying for my bio midterm- what a great way to spend a perfectly end of spring break week huh? well anyways, mid- wilshire is midcity- near miracle mile and restaurant row (on wilshire b/t la brea and la ceinega). to be quite honest, i would have to know the cross streets of the place u r thinking about bc mid-wilshire could be a lot of place along wilshire- generally in b/t koreatown and westwood. and the area there ranges quite a bit.... but in general i think its a cool place to be bc u are very close to all the action and fun. close to melrose, close to sunset (clubs and bars), and recently there has been quite a bit of development in the area including The Grove (a little entertainment plaza w/ nordstroms and shopping and cute restaurants) and Hollywood and Highland (Kodak Theather and shoppping- where they had the oscars this year) mind u- i refused to watch the oscars bc all the celebrities were protesting the war.. but i digress. lemme know where ur looking at and i'll tell u what its like. but having said that if i may also add, its hard to find a place without looking at it so possibly u can come down and see it for urself. but in general i think the area is nicer and safer (relatively speaking) compared to the area around HSC. hope this helps... ask more ?'s if u want. 😛
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
lvpharm,
thanks for the feedback- thats good to know that the feeling is mutual. i hope that things improve w/ in retail.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2003
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 0
500-600 tops... i think u'll have to look- i got really lucky in westwood bc i knew a family who had 4 children that all went to ucla for undergrad or med school. so they bought a 2 br 2 bath, furnished condo w/ valet service and concerige. my roomie and i paid 1100 a month which is unheard of in westwood. but i got it so its possible... just gotta look.
as for my top choice? i'm really not sure yet. i'm waitlisted at a couple schools (Creighton U and Long Island U) but i pretty much am thinking i'm not gonna get in... i only applied to certain schools that have minimal pre req's that i met so far. so i'm prepping for next year and gonna study for the pcat. it would be really nice to go to UCSF but its so dang hard to get in there... only super duper smart ppl like u get in... so i'm not really sure. i wanna go to a school that doesn't have a crazy 40% attrition rate and low board passage rate 60% ( im talking about western and some others). so i'll have to think about it. it would be real nice to stay in cali but its tough here so... my b.f. lives in goes to chicago med school and so i'm thinking midwestern u in chicago would be real nice. basically for now the ones i will def apply to are: all the schools in cali, creighton, midwestern, washington state u, purdue, temple, albany, long island (nyc baby!), uconn, u maryland, and quite possibly a few others.
'sc is a great pharm school. undergrad- diff story, but pharm... well pharm in general is an excellent field and ''sc pharm is a wonderful PHARM school. just remember- while ur at 'sc just keep rooting for those huskies and ur in safe territory....
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2003
- Messages
- 335
- Reaction score
- 0
I dont know if I could do Pharmacy. I mean, the $$ is great and everything, but I wouldn't want to go to work every day knowing that all I would be doing all my time there would be filling bottles with meds. It would seem too monotonous to me. I had an ex bf (I am Female, yes...) who is gonna do pharmacy, but me myself personally, I would rather go to work not knowing what I would face for the day...it leaves a kind of excitement for me...thats why I am choosing Radiologic Technology...I would come into work every day not knowing what organ I would film next...whether it be a kidney or a liver or a heart or lung....its just me...
hope y'all enjoy the profession of pharmacy!😎
hope y'all enjoy the profession of pharmacy!😎
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
OwlMyste:
I'm sure you would have a great career as a Rad Tech, it's one of the "hot" professions in health care, and could offer you the variety you seek.
But, I too don't like the repetition of retail pharmacy (although **** happens in a typical day at a pharmacy that are, by all means, not routine). Why am I pursuing a PharmD? Because there is much more to working pharmacy than pouring, counting, labelling Rx's. A "clinical pharmacist", for instance, may round with doctors, monitor patient drug therapy and adjusts dosages through pharmacokinetic calculations for maximum therapeutic effect, make medication recommendations to physicians, etc. That's by no means a totally repetitious job. A "consultant pharmacist" would travel between his/her group of nursing homes/long term health care facilities, and look at patients' charts and conduct drug utilization evaluations for the patients. They monitor the clinical outcomes/side effects of drug therapy in these patients, and provide this valuable info to their physicians.
I hope you enjoy your future career as a Rad Tech, but I thought maybe I could kinda change your mind, but if not, that's ok too! 😉
I'm sure you would have a great career as a Rad Tech, it's one of the "hot" professions in health care, and could offer you the variety you seek.
But, I too don't like the repetition of retail pharmacy (although **** happens in a typical day at a pharmacy that are, by all means, not routine). Why am I pursuing a PharmD? Because there is much more to working pharmacy than pouring, counting, labelling Rx's. A "clinical pharmacist", for instance, may round with doctors, monitor patient drug therapy and adjusts dosages through pharmacokinetic calculations for maximum therapeutic effect, make medication recommendations to physicians, etc. That's by no means a totally repetitious job. A "consultant pharmacist" would travel between his/her group of nursing homes/long term health care facilities, and look at patients' charts and conduct drug utilization evaluations for the patients. They monitor the clinical outcomes/side effects of drug therapy in these patients, and provide this valuable info to their physicians.
I hope you enjoy your future career as a Rad Tech, but I thought maybe I could kinda change your mind, but if not, that's ok too! 😉
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2002
- Messages
- 330
- Reaction score
- 0
My undergrad degree is in psychology, and as an undergrad, I developed a strong interest in neuroscience. I gave a lot of consideration to getting a Ph.D. in the subject. However, most neuroscience programs focus on behavioral neuroscience and I'm more interested in neuropathology and neuropharmacology. I've decided to get a PharmD because I want to do CNS drug discovery. Like OwlMyst, the idea of working at Walgreen's really turns me off, but at least I know that my degree could get me a job that pays well. I don't have that kind of assurance now, and it sucks.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
Hey Modnar! Are you going to be getting a graduate degree of some sort (Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Science, Medicinal Chem, etc.) with that PharmD? I was just wondering because I thought that one would need that kind of background to work in drug discovery at a scientist level in the pharmaceutical industry. One of my profs was involved in drug discovery for Wyeth, he's got a BSPharm, and a PhD in (I think) Pharmacology. There are opportunities available for PharmDs (without a PhD or Masters) in industry, such as drug information specialist, pharmacovigilance, clinical research, ....and sales representative 😡.
If you haven't applied yet, maybe you should look out for PharmD/PhD programs, they might suit your career aspirations. 🙂 On a big downside, I think some programs (UCSF?) will only let you start the PhD portion after your PharmD is done.....sounds like a hella long time. 😱
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2002
- Messages
- 330
- Reaction score
- 0
Unfortunately, the school I'm applying to doesn't offer a PharmD/PhD, or at least there's nothing about it on their website. Unless things change dramatically in the next two years, I'm only applying to one school, as there's only one pharm school in this area and my fiance needs to keep his job.
So, yeah, only a PharmD for me. I've heard that a PharmD is a good way to get your foot in the door, and if the company really wants you to get a Ph.D. too, they'll pay your tuition.
So, yeah, only a PharmD for me. I've heard that a PharmD is a good way to get your foot in the door, and if the company really wants you to get a Ph.D. too, they'll pay your tuition.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
Wow! I didn't think of that...corporate tuition reimbursement programs! That'd be awesome....and maybe you can make a little money on the side in retail since you'll have your PharmD 🙂
(Sorry I missed the previous thread discussing this!)
(Sorry I missed the previous thread discussing this!)
- Joined
- May 2, 2003
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 0
while Clinical Pharmacy seems like an attractive proposition initially, it's got a lot of minuses.
-you are usually expected to complete residency(more years of not getting some decent pay)
-there are NOT many positions available.
-you are expected to know A LOT! you will feel like you know more than doctors and you basically tell them what to do , and then they get all the rewards. you will have to constantly learn new therapies and all the new trends in drug therapy and medicince in general. you will have to do all this on your own time. your hours will probably be longer than your staff colleagues, you will have a lot more responsibilities such as training interns , conducting surveys, studies, staff education, participating in meetings, etc. for all your trouble you will probably get only a modest financial premium over what your intellectually lazy staff gets(although your hours will probably be normal day hours, which are not easy to find for a regular staff job). unless of course you become a star and get a lot of work on the side doing presentations for pharma companies(but very few reach that level).
-you are usually expected to complete residency(more years of not getting some decent pay)
-there are NOT many positions available.
-you are expected to know A LOT! you will feel like you know more than doctors and you basically tell them what to do , and then they get all the rewards. you will have to constantly learn new therapies and all the new trends in drug therapy and medicince in general. you will have to do all this on your own time. your hours will probably be longer than your staff colleagues, you will have a lot more responsibilities such as training interns , conducting surveys, studies, staff education, participating in meetings, etc. for all your trouble you will probably get only a modest financial premium over what your intellectually lazy staff gets(although your hours will probably be normal day hours, which are not easy to find for a regular staff job). unless of course you become a star and get a lot of work on the side doing presentations for pharma companies(but very few reach that level).
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
bump
- Joined
- May 18, 2003
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 0
Tri,
Many, many moons ago I had a friend whose girlfriend was going to Medical School at USC. He was a grad student at Cal Tech and they both lived in Pasadena. It seems it's not so far from Pasadena to USC--and Pasadena can be a nice place to live.
Many, many moons ago I had a friend whose girlfriend was going to Medical School at USC. He was a grad student at Cal Tech and they both lived in Pasadena. It seems it's not so far from Pasadena to USC--and Pasadena can be a nice place to live.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
I know. Everyone and their goldfish is telling me to live in Pasadena. In fact, my cousin goes to Scripps in Pomona, and I have family in Glendale, and my old boss is now at Cal Tech, so I'm not averse to pasadena, but (i'm trying to see how many conjunctions i can squeeze in here) I'M HELLA POOR i seriously walk around my neighborhood in sf and think these homeless guys are so much richer than me bc they don't have a$% loads of debt.
At any rate, I don't have to be at Walgreen's until 10 this morning, so I'll continue the search.
At any rate, I don't have to be at Walgreen's until 10 this morning, so I'll continue the search.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
bump for md2b
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
bump
took me a while to read everyones response. i loved them all cause it gave me even more motivation to be a pharmacist now.
but for me, i always had dreams of being in the medical field but like someone mentioned, i cant do teeth, cant cut people up, nor spend 80 hrs a week working. so then i wanted to own my own business, hence, my econ. major. But i realized it will take most people YEARS to be successful in this area since you have to work your way up the corporate latter and catch a big break. I wanted an MBA but even then you aren't guaranteed job security. I want to pay off my debts for school, retire my parents, and be set all before 30 yrs old.
so one day after my 2nd yr at UC Davis, I met a pharm tech in my spanish class. and it clicked. to own my own pharmacy. ideas started popping up in my head. PharmD. independent business. job security, great starting salary after school. respected profession. it just all added up. and finally, when i told my parents, they were so happy and proud and i knew then and there that i NEEDED to do this, if not for myself, for my parents.
but now being exposed firsthand to pharmacy and reading everyone's reasonings, I now have new reasons also. Helping out patients face to face, knowing the drugs I help them obtain will make them feel better (my mom was diagnosed with depression and she has been using drugs), community service in its purest form (I been doing comm service all my life and truly believe in it), and just developing relationships with people in the community (the regulars).
I'm sure I will find out more of the ups and downs here on SDN.
but for me, i always had dreams of being in the medical field but like someone mentioned, i cant do teeth, cant cut people up, nor spend 80 hrs a week working. so then i wanted to own my own business, hence, my econ. major. But i realized it will take most people YEARS to be successful in this area since you have to work your way up the corporate latter and catch a big break. I wanted an MBA but even then you aren't guaranteed job security. I want to pay off my debts for school, retire my parents, and be set all before 30 yrs old.
so one day after my 2nd yr at UC Davis, I met a pharm tech in my spanish class. and it clicked. to own my own pharmacy. ideas started popping up in my head. PharmD. independent business. job security, great starting salary after school. respected profession. it just all added up. and finally, when i told my parents, they were so happy and proud and i knew then and there that i NEEDED to do this, if not for myself, for my parents.
but now being exposed firsthand to pharmacy and reading everyone's reasonings, I now have new reasons also. Helping out patients face to face, knowing the drugs I help them obtain will make them feel better (my mom was diagnosed with depression and she has been using drugs), community service in its purest form (I been doing comm service all my life and truly believe in it), and just developing relationships with people in the community (the regulars).
I'm sure I will find out more of the ups and downs here on SDN.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Bump for simplyyanny
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2003
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 0
I personally love retail. It's the day to day problems and questions that make it interesting. Hell, even though our pharms check more than 400 scripts on a slow day, that still seems to be about only 30% of what they do throughout the day.
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2003
- Messages
- 563
- Reaction score
- 0
I know why I want to be a pharmacist, but I have not quite figured out how to put it in words yet. I guess I have a couple months to work on it.
I'm guessing that saying, "I wanted to be in medicine but didn't want to touch naked people." wouldn't get me any bonus points. 🙄
I'm guessing that saying, "I wanted to be in medicine but didn't want to touch naked people." wouldn't get me any bonus points. 🙄
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2002
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 0
When I was younger (in my 20s) I tried dentistry (1 semester), law (~1 semester) and medicine (~2 years). I ended up quitting law and dentistry because I found both fields pretty boring. Medicine was far more interesting but I found the clinical component of medicine too stressful. I felt uncomfortable dealing so closely with patients and ended up quitting. After a few years of working (carpentry), I returned to school and did 1 year of the radiation technology program. Overall, I enjoyed the program but I began to realize the pay was pretty crappy. I decided on pharmacy because I very much enjoy the the medical sciences(theory part), prefer not to deal/work so intimately with patients and the pay is good.
To be honest, I don't believe that the pharmacy schools are being completely honest with respect to describing the pharmacy profession. While a lot of time is spent promoting/teaching "pharmaceutical care" and "direct patient care" to students/applicants only a minority of pharmacists actually provide significant patient-focused services. This is definitely the direction they hope to push pharmacy into but it's still unclear whether this will occur. There are still many obstacles.
To be honest, I don't believe that the pharmacy schools are being completely honest with respect to describing the pharmacy profession. While a lot of time is spent promoting/teaching "pharmaceutical care" and "direct patient care" to students/applicants only a minority of pharmacists actually provide significant patient-focused services. This is definitely the direction they hope to push pharmacy into but it's still unclear whether this will occur. There are still many obstacles.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
I disagree. At SC, the problem is not enough students are pursuing clinical. They all jump for the simplicity and financial security of retail. It's a matter of too many ppl taking the path of least resistance. There are plenty of opporuntities and not just in clinical, but in industry, reg affairs, academia, consulting, but peeps aren't exploring these options, bc they entail more work. Plus, recruiters from those other facets of pharmacy aren't actively seeking students like the retail chains are. I think it's gonna take a real push from the medical industry to really start beefing up the number of pharmacy clinicians.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2004
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 0
I'd be surprised to see anyone that actually enjoys standing all day pushing pills, while guising under the excuse of "helping people". Face it, its all about the money. If pharmacists were paid no more than secretaries, than why on earth would anyone spend 6 years at school just to be able to do it? Clawing their ways to get into lucrative schools just so they can stand there filling bottles all day. And saying you want to get into healthcare but not touch people? thats pretty ridiculous. 🙄
That explains why there's so many Asians in the field (not being racist, I'm Asian myself)...because their parents push them so hard to get into a field, ANY field, as long as there is good money in it. Otherwise I find it hard to believe that the majority of minorities that are in the field are Asians, only because we are the most likely out of all other minorities to do this incredibly monotonous job?
Sure, the thought of doing this job is insanely boring to anyone in their right mind...but you can also force yourself to like it, being motivated by the money potential, only to justify it to yourself that you're doing it because you want to help people somehow.
That explains why there's so many Asians in the field (not being racist, I'm Asian myself)...because their parents push them so hard to get into a field, ANY field, as long as there is good money in it. Otherwise I find it hard to believe that the majority of minorities that are in the field are Asians, only because we are the most likely out of all other minorities to do this incredibly monotonous job?
Sure, the thought of doing this job is insanely boring to anyone in their right mind...but you can also force yourself to like it, being motivated by the money potential, only to justify it to yourself that you're doing it because you want to help people somehow.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2003
- Messages
- 31
- Reaction score
- 0
wow..I saw my name!
Thanks Triangulation..and how's school?
Today on NY Times I saw an ed about "increasing choices actually decreases people's satisfaction"...I wholly agree with it based on personal experiences. I've come a long way to explore and decide on pharmacy, but I am sure I will like it!
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
You don't know wtf you're talkin about dumb-ass!! I'm not in this to push pills and most ppl i've spent time with in pharmacy don't either. We've got stuff going on that you couldn't figure on your best day. Do you read this forum? Ppl are in this for pharmacogenomics, policy, industry, research, clinical. Read this before you start making an ass out of yourself although I have a strong feeling you've grown accustom to that.
The reason that funding was set aside in the medicare bill for pharmacists as designated care providers was bc pharmacists are seen as the most qualified to supervise pharmacotherapy. Even you could figure this one out. Don't tell me why I'm doing what I'm doing, and don't tell others when you don't have a clue.
From one asian to another: Find yourself a deep hole and crawl back in it. You're making the rest of us look bad
The reason that funding was set aside in the medicare bill for pharmacists as designated care providers was bc pharmacists are seen as the most qualified to supervise pharmacotherapy. Even you could figure this one out. Don't tell me why I'm doing what I'm doing, and don't tell others when you don't have a clue.
From one asian to another: Find yourself a deep hole and crawl back in it. You're making the rest of us look bad
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
Hi simplyanny! It's good that you're asking the right questions in exploring pharmacy as a career. Sometimes you'll see a lot of negativity in regards to the current state of pharmacy practice (retail in particular). If you haven't seen this before, you might want to check it out, to give you some perspective: http://www.pfizercareerguides.com/pharmacy.html
It'll give you an idea of thre breadth of opportunities available to a Pharm.D. beyond the neighborhood Walgreens 😉
Oh, you might want to check it out too, Tweaker....a great many of us aspire to do more than simply push pills (an over-generalization of what community practice entails, btw).
It'll give you an idea of thre breadth of opportunities available to a Pharm.D. beyond the neighborhood Walgreens 😉
Oh, you might want to check it out too, Tweaker....a great many of us aspire to do more than simply push pills (an over-generalization of what community practice entails, btw).
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2003
- Messages
- 1,093
- Reaction score
- 3
Pharmacists do what they do under a false belief that they actually help people? My preceptor would take you out back of his store and biatch slap you! 😉
He's semi-retired...not because he needs the extra money (he sold his small group of 3 independent stores for a few years back), but because he has a loyal base of patients whom he enjoys helping. He's their "doc", and he enjoys helping them.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2004
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 0
yea sure, chief. Is that why a good majority of newbie Pharmacists are dying to get into retail, even though there are seemingly a lot less people to help, but surprisingly enough the money potential is insanely better? Pharmacogenomics, policy, industry?? ha! I've yet to see anyone here that does any of that. And if they do, than I highly doubt they knew that they were gonna spend a decade of their lives getting multiple degrees just so they can make policies. How many pharmacogeneticists do you know?
Did mommy and daddy push you so hard in school all those years just so you can grow up and help people...or was it to make money? Don't kid yourself. You can sit there and spout off all day long arguing about how gratifying it is to be a pharmacist, but at the end of the day driving home in your bimmer will be much more gratifying than any script you fill.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2001
- Messages
- 1,227
- Reaction score
- 0
Yikes my friend. You're all messed up. You've got like asian parenting fixation issues. My dad was an economist. My mom's still a teacher. They never pushed me into pharmacy. They didn't even know about it. I think you may want to visit your closest pharmacist and consult w/them about some of your treatment options.
There's far easier ways to make dough than pharmacy. The schooling and effort would translate into a lot more dough if you went to business school i'd imagine.
I drive a nissan sentra now and probably will in ten years. I'm not in this for the dough, if i land up working in drug economic policy there isn't any.
There's far easier ways to make dough than pharmacy. The schooling and effort would translate into a lot more dough if you went to business school i'd imagine.
I drive a nissan sentra now and probably will in ten years. I'm not in this for the dough, if i land up working in drug economic policy there isn't any.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2004
- Messages
- 16
- Reaction score
- 0
what the....
since when did this have anything to do with my own personal issues? Actually, I wouldn't be so shocked, but you're not the only person that has made that assumption without knowing my parents.
I would have absolutely no interest in pharmacy if it weren't for the money, and I wouldn't have any interest in money if it weren't for my parents.
**** asians. thats why i'm never having kids
since when did this have anything to do with my own personal issues? Actually, I wouldn't be so shocked, but you're not the only person that has made that assumption without knowing my parents.
I would have absolutely no interest in pharmacy if it weren't for the money, and I wouldn't have any interest in money if it weren't for my parents.
**** asians. thats why i'm never having kids
