Would you do it over again?

[UnicornDemon]

Knowing what you know now, if given the option to go back all the way to undergrad, would you chose again to attend pharmacy school and become a pharmacist?

If not, what would you have done instead?

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[Angela1234]

No I would not become a pharmacist. It was heartbreaking to have to live 2 years thousands of miles away from my friends and family just to find any job at all. Now I can't even get a job. I would have gone to medical school and become a radiologist or just gone to community college.

 

[owlegrad]

Yes, definitely would do it again.

 

[rph3664]

For 18 years, I loved being a pharmacist, and I was one of those people who became a pharmacist because I WANTED to be one, not a nurse or a doctor who didn't like the idea of getting puked on or giving shots (so much for THAT nowadays), but last year, I realized that it isn't the profession I trained for and that I just don't want to do it any more, and abruptly retired 2 weeks before my 48th birthday. In the meantime, I have a home-based hobby business that's only marginally profitable, and did renew all 3 state licenses and plan to do so in the indefinite future.

Earlier today, I reviewed my investment portfolio, and the weirdest thing about it is that despite the current anemic interest rates and that I'm LIVING on it, albeit at a rate about 1/4 that of a pharmacist's salary (yes, I do keep a budget), it isn't shrinking.

Because I never had kids and didn't live beyond my means, lots of people wondered, whether to my face or not, what I did with all my money, and this is what.

The support I've had for my decision from colleagues, both IRL and online, has been 100%. It wouldn't have been that way a few years ago.

I'm glad I have that money too, because a pharmacy degree is a great way to get your resumes tossed into File 13 if you try to get a job doing anything else and aren't covered with tattoos.

 

[owlegrad]

I'm glad I have that money too, because a pharmacy degree is a great way to get your resumes tossed into File 13 if you try to get a job doing anything else and aren't covered with tattoos.

Please put on a temporary tattoo and apply for a job. See how that goes for you. If it really helps and is not just hyperbole, go for it. Otherwise I sort of which you would shut up about it.

 

[kvl1027]

If I could go way back, I would probably do something different. I didn't decide I was going to pharmacy school until I was 24. I would probably go back to when I was in high school and then focus on becoming a physician and get into school right away instead of dicking around for 5 years.

 

[Corpseman]

No I would not become a pharmacist. It was heartbreaking to have to live 2 years thousands of miles away from my friends and family just to find any job at all. Now I can't even get a job. I would have gone to medical school and become a radiologist or just gone to community college.

 

[rph3664]

Please put on a temporary tattoo and apply for a job. See how that goes for you. If it really helps and is not just hyperbole, go for it. Otherwise I sort of which you would shut up about it.

Are you the person who won't hire anyone with visible tattoos, or the one whose best tech has at least one that's visible? I don't care if people have them; I'm not the only person who feels the way I do about them seemingly being required to get a job.

When I worked in retail, our best tech went to a tattoo parlor with her dad on her 21st birthday and they both got armbands. At the time, she was intending to go to pharmacy school, but she's an RN now, and I strongly suspect that she either has to wear body makeup or elbow-length sleeves at all times when she's at work. The grocery store didn't make a fuss about it, and shouldn't have because one of the managers was retired military and had a large eagle peeking out from below his sleeve when he wore short sleeves.

Some of my old hospital co-workers, who like me seem to be getting blackballed, have themselves proposed doing what you suggested.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I have no regrets about going into pharmacy. Pharmacy school was a wonderful time of life--in spite of the constant studying, I had a lot of fun. I have enjoyed my jobs--both retail & hospital & clinical. Plus, pharmacy is a well-paying job and that money has certainly given me more options in my life. But I graduated before the college tuition bubble, I had minimal loans and had them paid off 3 - 4 years after graduating.

 

[owlegrad]

Some of my old hospital co-workers, who like me seem to be getting blackballed, have themselves proposed doing what you suggested.

Great minds think alike!

Personally I am not a fan of tattoos. Seems low-class to me (with apologies to anyone here that has tattoos). Having said that, it doesn't bother me to interact with people that have them. I think it is a stretch to claim they help you get a job. If there are jobs it helps you get (for example, working in a tattoo parlor) you probably don't want them anyway.

 

[BidingMyTime]

One thing I might have done differently, when I graduated both the Pharm D & BS were available....if I did anything differently, I would have given much more serious thought to getting the Pharm D over the BS. Not having a Pharm D hasn't really hurt me any (who knows if it will in the future), but given the low-cost tuition for the Pharm D (compared to today's tuition if I ever go back to get it), it would have been nice to get the Pharm D.

 

[R xxx]

I think I need to work another 10 years to be able to answer this question. Pharmacy was a great profession when I was in college, and it wasn't too bad when I graduated and now it's getting worse and worse. If I can squeeze another 15-20 years out of this profession, I'd be happy and just retire early.

 

[rph3664]

Great minds think alike!

Personally I am not a fan of tattoos. Seems low-class to me (with apologies to anyone here that has tattoos). Having said that, it doesn't bother me to interact with people that have them. I think it is a stretch to claim they help you get a job. If there are jobs it helps you get (for example, working in a tattoo parlor) you probably don't want them anyway.

Truthfully, at one point I not-seriously considered getting a mortar and pestle on my shoulder, but I'd probably chicken out from the pain. I don't even have pierced ears, which is unusual for a woman.

My uncle has a large scar on his forearm, and when I was a youngster, asked him what had happened to him, as children will do. He replied, "I had a tattoo removed!" and his whole demeanor said, "Never, ever get one." Back then, he had to have the full thickness of skin surgically removed and replaced with a skin graft. I have never found out what it was.

 

[Ackj]

Truthfully, at one point I not-seriously considered getting a mortar and pestle on my shoulder, but I'd probably chicken out from the pain. I don't even have pierced ears, which is unusual for a woman.

My uncle has a large scar on his forearm, and when I was a youngster, asked him what had happened to him, as children will do. He replied, "I had a tattoo removed!" and his whole demeanor said, "Never, ever get one." Back then, he had to have the full thickness of skin surgically removed and replaced with a skin graft. I have never found out what it was.

As much as this argument goes on about unprofessional/ necessary for a non-professional job, sooo many people have them. My girlfriend and I are 2 of maybe 5 people in our social circle who don't have them. Seems almost everyone in their 20s has at least one, both male and female.

But funny that you mention it, because I was also not-so-seriously thinking about getting an RX or mortal/pestle. Would that be as nerdy as my friend with a benzene ring tattoo?

 

[rph3664]

I will say that a few days ago, I saw a 40-ish woman wearing a halter top, and she had the most impressive B&W mural on her back. It had a picture of a soldier and a flag, and some other patriotic designs. She clearly wanted people to see it, or she wouldn't have been dressed the way she was. And she had no other visible body art.

 

[knight on horse]

Knowing what you know now, if given the option to go back all the way to undergrad, would you chose again to attend pharmacy school and become a pharmacist?

If not, what would you have done instead?

Finance.

I grew up in the countryside, and my parents are in tech. The interior of the country is not as obsessed with banking as a certain city; had I known better, I'd be in finance.

To take money from those charlatans. And also to be in a somewhat more masculine field. Only somewhat, as they seem to be perverse and nerdy to me.

Besides finance, probably military, though not going to injure myself in these dubious wars. Then, probably engineering, civil, electric, or biomedical

Would be sweet to be a successful writer, farmer, or rodeo rider

 

[boriqua]

Let's be real here. nobody as a kid grew up saying "I wanna be a pharmacist when I grow up!" the reason most, if not all, people decided to do this was because of the salary and job opportunities. Now that those 2 have vanished, this question seems quite silly doesn't it?

 

[rph3664]

Let's be real here. nobody as a kid grew up saying "I wanna be a pharmacist when I grow up!" the reason most, if not all, people decided to do this was because of the salary and job opportunities. Now that those 2 have vanished, this question seems quite silly doesn't it?

Maybe not when I was growing up, but at age 19, having stricken all other health care jobs off the list, I decided on this, and as I got through school realized that it wasn't a default career - that I really did want to be a pharmacist.

 

[boriqua]

Maybe not when I was growing up, but at age 19, having stricken all other health care jobs off the list, I decided on this, and as I got through school realized that it wasn't a default career - that I really did want to be a pharmacist.

hmm really? not that I doubt you but a lot of people I know who are now working are like "wow, this is what i'm gonna do for the rest of my life? f***!"
me personally, I don't hate it. it's a job. as long as I get paid, i'm cool. but I wouldn't say I love the job

 

[Bubblewrap]

Maybe not when I was growing up, but at age 19, having stricken all other health care jobs off the list, I decided on this, and as I got through school realized that it wasn't a default career - that I really did want to be a pharmacist.

Same here, but I would say that I may have done something different because going through pharmacy school allowed me to see my potential.

If I was given the opportunity to go back to undergrad, I would have changed who I was then and that probably might lead me to another career.