I have a question on Informatics. I am currently 6 years post my Pharm. D graduation and have been working for the pharmaceutical industry since then in Drug Safety. I recently was contacted by USF representative for their Informatics program (they got my number from the alumni association, they said).....I had a long chat with the lady on phone.
Its a completely online MS Informatics program and the cost is 29,900. It sounded tempting and they were positive about a job in Informatics post graduation from their program, and also a certification. I just wanted to know everyone's thoughts on this!
Is it worth it or waste of time and money to do this after PharmD.?
What are the chances of landing into an Informatics job with 6 years of Pharma Industry experience?
What are some other job titles that we can pursue in Informatics besides "Pharmaceutical Informatics Associate" which is known as PIA as some recruiters call it.
Any other feedback that ya'll would want to add? Your feedback is appreciated!
I'll tackle a few of these questions but it may be out of other.
1. Other job titles?
(Clinical) Informatics Pharmacist, Application Analyst, IT Pharmacist, Clinical Application Specialist, etc. Pharmacy automation is also a good search term, as are the specific EHR vendors. Meditech Pharmacy, Epic Willow, Cerner PharmNet etc.
2. Worth it or waste of time?
This is hard to say. It's been a few years since I was job hunting, but at the time there was a mix of job requirements. Some places wanted PGY2, some on the job experience, others a mixture. I saw more than one job posting that considered the masters to be a preferred requirement. However, I landed my job with nothing but a couple years of inpatient work, a few IT related projects, and a willingness to move across country.
The odds will be stacked against you due to your background. This type of position needs someone with a strong operation background, clinical experience, and technical aptitude. I would argue that someone with your background would struggle most with the operational experience. This is something that you can only get from actually working in a hospital. That being said, strong communication skills can overcome this limitation in my opinion. I would lean into that during any interview. Be willing to learn from and understand your end users. Perform job shadowing, whatever you need to bridge that gap.
3. Chances?
Hard to say. It depends a lot on you as an individual and those interviewing you. Helpful, I know.
The more specialized the job in pharmacy, the more likely you are to have to move. I'm sure you are aware of that given your background in one of the Unicorn (TM) fields. There are usually several informatics jobs open nationwide at any time, but the likelihood of them being in your current city is pretty low. It may be worth it to take a job in a less desirable area for a couple years to build your experience. Speaking from experience, that is difficult but worth it. This job can provide you with an amazing work-life balance not found anywhere else in pharmacy, plus it can be exhilarating if you are the type of person who loves to analyze problems and find solutions. I've had more than one occasion where my "code blue" instincts kicked in even though I was dealing with an IT problem rather than a code.
4. Other feedback?
Just go for it. If you want to do this, then start applying to every job you see. I give the same advice to new grads that didn't match and want to work hospital. Don't just wait to apply for residency next year, put yourself out there and see what happens. Tailor your resume to highlight your strengths that are useful in this field. The health IT degrees are for people without the proper background for this job IMO. A PharmD is a terminal degree and qualifies you for any position in pharmacy in my opinion.
However...I will admit that I'm tempted to complete a masters in health informatics even though I'm already employed in the field. It just seems like it would be fun.
