Any Pharmacists in the house?

Six years of college/pharmacy school now... You will be a Pharm D (Doctor of Pharmacy) upon graduation just like all the rest of the new pharmacists. RPh (registered pharmacist) will certainly result in ease of getting a job. I don't see a time in the near future where you would EVER have a problem finding a job. The problem today is that in retail pharmacy you have to do about 200 Rxes a day to make any money to keep the doors open and all you end up doing is the 5 and slide.

Like most of the doctors I call on (I am a pharmaceutical rep) they are not nearly as happy about their careers as they were 10 to 15+ years ago... As with most things as insurance and government increase regulation it takes all the fun and most of the money right out of the equation...

Solid career choice for sure... If you are that good at science though you might think about dentistry. Dentists as a whole have rejected managed care and seem MUCH, MUCH happier than the average primary care physician or pharmacist that I call on... Not sure the overall school requirements to become a dentist, but I bet it is barely anymore than to become a pharmacist and you will still be well compensated for your time and talent.

Maybe some RPh's and DDS's will chime in here...

Good luck...I miss my college days, I had a GREAT TIME in school! Studied hard, made pretty good grades, went on to grad school (worked on a PhD in genetics briefly before getting out for Big Pharma)...

Good times... Enjoy and cherish them! Make the best of them, but try not to do stupid things (I had some fraternity brothers that did make poor decisions...to bad for them)...

James

 

I have a PharmD.

I think James made some great points and summed things up pretty well.

One thing that is great about that degree is that it can take you many places. I have friends that work for big pharm, legal, hospital, clinical work, retail settings, and the list goes on. You really have a vast array of opportunies to choose from in whatever interests you.

Schooling is generally not partically easy. It has become very competitive and I know the GPA requirements are going up all the time. I think one local state school is a 3.5 for guarenteed admission in the PharmD program. You will have to study or you will find yourself out the door very quickly. I saw MANY fail. I remember my first chem class the professor said, "Look to your left and look to your right, that person probabley wont be there when you graduate" Considering how many kids we lost over the 6 years I can honestly tell you it was pretty accurate. This doesnt mean its impossible or only for the ultra elite; you just need to stay on top of things.

Compensation is very good. Youll have six figure offers with sign on bonuses (depending on location) and stock options before you have your degree in hand from several employers.

Of course its not all peaches and cream, but in general its a pretty good field that I am very happy with.

Medicine has many avenues you can pursue and I think if your truly interested in it you should take a look at all of them; i.e Dentistry, MD, PharmD, etc.

Good luck.

 

Wax is a street pharmacist.

 

I work for the largest employer of pharmacists in the country, we hire something like 1 in 4 or 1 in 6 of all new grads. There's PLENTY of opportunity available, and you won't be limited to a retail setting. There are plenty of clinical positions available in other areas of the industry, where you can work '9-5', Mon-Fri. The pay is good, and demand is very high.

 

Answers many things.Therein lies the tales...can't wait. Let the fun commence.
Anticipatory cheers,
RE

 

Are you talking about a residency?

 

Oh I see...

It is encouraged that you work in a pharmacy setting whether it be hospital or retail while you are going to school. Many states require that you work a minimum of XXXX amount of hours to be considered eligable for boards, so thus it is required. Almost all employers like CVS and Walgreens have programs like you mentioned before that will pay you as an intern.

A formal residency (after you graduate), as I was referring to earlier, is another route some pharmacists take in further developing their clinical skills where they will be better prepared to function in a hospital i.e ICU pharmacist, or academic setting.

 

StallionRx,

Thanks... Glad I put it out there pretty well...I only view it from the outside, but always try to be empathic and understanding of my business contacts. Have many friends who are RPh's!

One other direction I failed to mention was Vet school...here in Texas (and I think across the country) it is VERY HARD to get in Vet school! Good money to be made there. People don't want to pay for their own medicine or healthcare but they are ready and willing to spend money on the pets they love! Heaven forbid a child gets sick...they don't want to pay for that care. The entitlement mentality in this country gets worse every year! Drives me crazy.

Good luck with your decision, there are SO many great avenues for you if you get a Pharm degree it is an excellent choice IF you are good at science and are willing to study hard.

Best,
James

 

I know this off topic but I'll say 2 things.

1. A good hospital pharmacist is worth his (her) weight in gold. Make that platinum.

2. If any of my kids wanted to go to pharm school I'd be tickled pink.

 

To set the record straight...

Whatever your choice, good thread and good luck doing what you want to do, Boris.