FOR PHARMACISTS/ Related Fields!!?

Question

How did you decide to become a pharmacist? What made you come to this conclusion? Was it an event or a teacher or something? Also, are there other jobs for pharmacists besides working in retail? I'm interested.. but I dont want to just dispense the medicine. I want to be more active and feel like I REALLY made a difference! Please help! I'm a senior going to college next year, and I really want to make sure that pharmacy is something I really want to do before I make the committment to go to a school with a pharmacy program! THANKS!!!

Answer 1

To be honest, my wife did it because she wanted to spend the minimum amount of time in school yet be guaranteed a pretty high salary. She liked helping people in the medical field, so she chose pharmacy b/c it was shorter than being a doctor and she wasn't a fan of dentistry for some reason.

She's not in retail. She hates retail. Finds it pretty boring. However, even in retail, you do more than just dispense (you have the techs to do the really boring work hehehe). You may want to look into clinical pharmacy, but even in retail, you check with your patients and make sure the doctor isn't going to kill the patient with what they prescribed.

When you get into the medical field (particularly hospitals, where lots of different medical types interact), you'll find out what the groups really think of one another.

Nurses feel overworked and think they do most of the "real" work.

Doctors have a god complex and think everyone is just screwing things up or are useless beings in their way (my plastic surgeon buddy has some hilariously conceited comments, but I love the guy so I let him rant about the peons he's gotta work with).

Pharmacists wonder why doctors are so stupid and never look up a patient's chart when prescribing drugs.

As an outsider, I find it all pretty hilarious. Even in high school, I had some sports injuries and that's when I discovered doctors are now morons for the most part, but won't admit it (too much to know, so only the attitude is their fault). However, when all my friends went off into various medical fields, I got a lot of different perspectives.

I'd actually suggest talking to pharmacists in hospitals. Hospitals have all kinds of pharmacists, so you'll be able to hear the different points of views. They have outpatient (similar to retail), inpatient, etc.

Answer 2

You are a Senior in college. Well, that sounds promising....

It is promising for medical related fields IF your completed courses include some chemistry, biology, math and physics, the more, the better.

I am also going to tell you that you DO NOT need LOTS of the foregoing courses to become a NURSE or MEDICAL TECH of some type. You MUST be able to think scientifically. One or two courses in each area is adequate for that,

You can always take more RELEVANT courses when you decide exactly what you want to do.

IF you are really brilliant, nursing school will probably be a disappointment, although there are SOME brilliant nurses. If you go that route, try to choose a school that gives AMPLE credit for the work you have already done. After that, you sound like a potential nursing instructor, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist or something equally challenging you will pick when you are rotating through various hospital departments during your training.

If you are somewhat less people oriented and more scientific, consider MRI Tech, a very good school in Bemidji, MN I think, much better than MT(ASCP) from my point of view; if you have business courses you might consider Hospital Administration. Google various things that might do and look them over.

If you are very emotionally stable, thinking and scientific PLUS relate to people AND do CAREFUL work, think about Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, maybe even Medical School.

I am just guessing, because I really don't know you, the info is sparse, but I really think Pharmacist would be a boring job to you, although it pays well. The work demands great honesty, but it is repetitious and boring (no mistakes allowed though) and does not really have the challenges and satisfactions a thinking person, especially anyone very smart or scientific would like.

I hope this helps along with whatever other answers come up.

I am not a pharmacist, but I did work in MANY medical areas including that -- one of the MOST boring to me. IF you do ANY medical work, you will probably have to learn some pharmacology, maybe even a lot (PA, NP, even many Nurse posts).

I have done lots of other scientific work, medical lab, and actually a little or more in ALL areas mentioned, so my answer is based on experience.

Microbiology is another specialty that opens into many and varied employments in agriculture, food industry, hospitals, public health, CDC &c.

I hope I have not discouraged you if you REALLY want to be a pharmacist. I just think it's a waste for a SMART person, more so if you are REALLY SMART (don't tell a pharmacist that).

There are LOTS of medical/allied medical specialties and certificate or degree programs nowadays. Aerospace medicine and Diving or operating hyperbaric chamber (often a medical lifesaver) or something similarly technical separates you from the crowd and gives you the opportunity to write as well as job security and probably really good pay.

The really good things in life come to those who seek them.

Paywise though, I would be an MRI tech if I had my life to do over again and could not be a college professor. Just remember, NO SCISSORS or other metal objects allowed. You must stop and think that each and every time you pass the door, EVEN when you have become an EXPERT.

Answer 3

Pharmacists can go into many other fields besides retail. The second biggest category is hospital. You will also find pharmacists working for the government, managed care, industry, retail management ( the CEO of Walgreens started as a regular pharmacist), Long Term Care, Home infusion, and others. Pharmacy is going under great change. With the current de-emphasizing of doctors, professions like pharmacy will benefit.
Those hospital tech jobs don't pay much.

Answer 4

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