are you ok with making 83k a year?

[MatCauthon]

major pharmacy chain giving offers for $50 per hour at 32 hours per week (83k per year). this job is still in high demand, even at these rates and many pharmacists were laid off. this is what we know for true.

rumor has it that they want to reduce theirs offers further into 45 range, or 75k per year.

how many of you are ok with this pay? how low are willing to go? would you be willing to work for $40 per hour which is what many independents are paying? have you considered the loan burden you are taking out versus your potential pay?

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[allantois]

Well let me ask this, what other job pays 80k for 30h of work?

 

[BC_89]

Are you ok with making 83k a year...

Yes

 

[PharmtoCS]

Well let me ask this, what other job pays 80k for 30h of work?

Software engineering.

Keep in mind that out of that $80k, about $15-25k will go to taxes and $25k or so will go toward your student loan bill.

 

[allantois]

Software engineering.

Keep in mind that out of that $80k, about $15-25k will go to taxes and $25k or so will go toward your student loan bill.

Yea it's a good deal if one has low/no debt

 

[MatCauthon]

some of you guys are ok with this. given current trends, pay may yrend down to $40 per hour or 66k annually. are you ok making 66 to 83k per year given that loan burden could be from 150 to 400k?

 

[BC_89]

Low/no debt over here....66k - 83k for less than 40 hours sounds like a dream...

 

[Timbo]

$83k after finishing a 3-4 yr program and putting myself $200k in debt? Hell no. The average salary of someone with a master's degree is like $70k, takes half the time to get, and not even half the about of debt. Thankfully I'm still over six figs unlike a lot of the unfortunate new grads.

Good thing for these prepharms this isn't happening everywhere and as long as you are willing to move you will get a job and that their one friend who graduated last year got a staff position at $120k and they are really passionate about pharmacy.

 

[alpha12]

Software engineering.

Keep in mind that out of that $80k, about $15-25k will go to taxes and $25k or so will go toward your student loan bill.

There is usually never part time work in software engineering. I am one so I know. But I don't think I would want to work a french work week. 80k for 30 hrs is great for someone with no debt who would rather spend more time at home than at work. Maybe a woman with kids? But for most of the general population that won't cut it.

 

[PharmtoCS]

There is usually never part time work in software engineering. I am one so I know. But I don't think I would want to work a french work week. 80k for 30 hrs is great for someone with no debt who would rather spend more time at home than at work. Maybe a woman with kids? But for most of the general population that won't cut it.

A lot of software engineers can seemingly get away with <40 hours each week. Of course, that depends on the company.

 

[alpha12]

A lot of software engineers can seemingly get away with <40 hours each week. Of course, that depends on the company.

That is true for the most part. I remember a job where I played ping pong and xbox two hours every day and took one hour lunches. Still that isn't common.

 

[Modest_anteater]

major pharmacy chain giving offers for $50 per hour at 32 hours per week (83k per year). this job is still in high demand, even at these rates and many pharmacists were laid off. this is what we know for true.

rumor has it that they want to reduce theirs offers further into 45 range, or 75k per year.

how many of you are ok with this pay? how low are willing to go? would you be willing to work for $40 per hour which is what many independents are paying? have you considered the loan burden you are taking out versus your potential pay?

Are you okay with making 43,000 a year as a pharmacist?

Yes.

 

[PharmtoCS]

That is true for the most part. I remember a job where I played ping pong and xbox two hours every day and took one hour lunches. Still that isn't common.

Compare that to the AVERAGE pharmacist who spends 12-14 hours on their feet with no breaks and dealing with angry customers all day.

 

[MatCauthon]

Low/no debt over here....66k - 83k for less than 40 hours sounds like a dream...

i have techs making more than 43k. some techs are making 25 per hour, plus getting ot. if you want to make less than a tech be my guest.

i wanted to propose that some of these pre pharms would be better off as techs than becoming rph with 200k of debt and limited job prospects, rph oversupply, required residencies, declining pay, etc.

 

[BC_89]

i have techs making more than 43k. some techs are making 25 per hour, plus getting ot. if you want to make less than a tech be my guest.

i wanted to propose that some of these pre pharms would be better off as techs than becoming rph with 200k of debt and limited job prospects, rph oversupply, required residencies, declining pay, etc.

Your proposal is correct, but making 43k with some techs at 25/hr (plus OT) is a lot different than making 66k - 83k at 32 hr weeks as an rph. Also, my statement is based on low/no student debt (my case none) coupled with less than 40 hour weeks. That’s the dream.

The proposal of the average pre-pharm becoming pharmacists with over 200k in debt with declining salaries is found on every other thread in both forums and yes I agree with your comparison of tech to rph wages in your example. I’d even venture to say that welders can make six figure salaries with enough OT.

Yes pre-pharms...it’s a raw deal but some of us (as myself) can come out ahead if your willing to grind and think financially ahead of how to gain ground and have outside income working for you outside of the job (my case, 24k a year on top of my career choice plus veteran entitlements).

 

[quickpic007]

Your proposal is correct, but making 43k with some techs at 25/hr (plus OT) is a lot different than making 66k - 83k at 32 hr weeks as an rph. Also, my statement is based on low/no student debt (my case none) coupled with less than 40 hour weeks. That’s the dream.

The proposal of the average pre-pharm becoming pharmacists with over 200k in debt with declining salaries is found on every other thread in both forums and yes I agree with your comparison of tech to rph wages in your example. I’d even venture to say that welders can make six figure salaries with enough OT.

Yes pre-pharms...it’s a raw deal but some of us (as myself) can come out ahead if your willing to grind and think financially ahead of how to gain ground and have outside income working for you outside of the job (my case, 24k a year on top of my career choice plus veteran entitlements).

Your case sounds quite interesting but I can't help to think there is a better use of GI bill than 32hr/week RPH at 70k.
RN, software, accounting/finance, CA public servant comes to mind...

In my case (debt free grad) the only big plus of RX was to make large salary/OT out the gate (160+) to hit relative financial freedom in my low thirties. I laugh when some old as dirt MD calls to complain on prior auths...

On the other hand I may be jaded as admission to RX school has become very easy. (see NDSU...~102 applicants for 85 seats...Wyoming..120 for 60...)

 

[BC_89]

Your case sounds quite interesting but I can't help to think there is a better use of GI bill than 32hr/week RPH at 70k.
RN, software, accounting/finance, CA public servant comes to mind...

In my case (debt free grad) the only big plus of RX was to make large salary/OT out the gate (160+) to hit relative financial freedom in my low thirties. I laugh when some old as dirt MD calls to complain on prior auths...

On the other hand I may be jaded as admission to RX school has become very easy. (see NDSU...~102 applicants for 85 seats...Wyoming..120 for 60...)

Valid points:

I do have a service connected disability rating to the tune of 2k a month tax free. The idea of less than 40 hours making 70k coupled with 24k is my way of being that much closer to financial freedom and no longer having to grind in 80-90 hours a week anymore (current job that is).

Of course, initially I’d want the 40+ hours merely to develop that bigger nest egg, but compared to many others that’s not a huge factor for myself. Since I’m already familiar with specific software systems in pharmacy, might as well continue toward the role of an rph with 3 years in my way (still making 50k+ salary as a fulltime student).

I do know though, I’m the outlier / exception and not the normal pre-pharm Matcauthon is proposing towards. If my mental disability wasn’t a factor I’d be an underwater welder! Then again, I’m also jaded and have culture work bias when it comes to hours of weekly work (and the idea of working and going home every night).

 

[rxkrafted]

I don't see a problem with making under 100k as a pharmacist. The problem is with student loans right now... It just doesn't make sense to pay on average 200K for the degree when you will be making half that amount... It'll take yearssss to pay them off.

 

[puahate]

Are you okay with making 43,000 a year as a pharmacist?

Yes.

 

[King2440]

Your proposal is correct, but making 43k with some techs at 25/hr (plus OT) is a lot different than making 66k - 83k at 32 hr weeks as an rph. Also, my statement is based on low/no student debt (my case none) coupled with less than 40 hour weeks. That’s the dream.

The proposal of the average pre-pharm becoming pharmacists with over 200k in debt with declining salaries is found on every other thread in both forums and yes I agree with your comparison of tech to rph wages in your example. I’d even venture to say that welders can make six figure salaries with enough OT.

Yes pre-pharms...it’s a raw deal but some of us (as myself) can come out ahead if your willing to grind and think financially ahead of how to gain ground and have outside income working for you outside of the job (my case, 24k a year on top of my career choice plus veteran entitlements).

To clarify it is 32 hours a week SALARIED. So what companies will want you to do is to stay an hour later and come an hour earlier.

You think you will not do that but you want to make a good impression on the store so they can let your DM know. As a result you will hope to get more hours someday.

So again, if you are okay with 43-60k a year, you may have not done enough research.

 

[BC_89]

To clarify it is 32 hours a week SALARIED. So what companies will want you to do is to stay an hour later and come an hour earlier.

You think you will not do that but you want to make a good impression on the store so they can let your DM know. As a result you will hope to get more hours someday.

So again, if you are okay with 43-60k a year, you may have not done enough research.

I’ll clarify yet again:

Yes I’d be fine. Due to my steady flow of outside income I’ve already mentioned, I indeed can afford the risk of lower wages / salaries. Tax free compensation of 2k a month hitting my account with very low rates of health insurance (~$46 a month plus low family deductible and copays) and no student debt affords me to utilize pharmacy as my gateway to faster financial freedom toward my hobbies.

Keep in mind, I have been jaded with cultural work bias of coming in to work earlier and staying later with a flat low enlisted salary in the military (even including the incentives). The idea of “only” working 50 hours a week but getting salaried for 32 hours (although never ideal for any person) is something I’ve already been adapted to (not to mention kids in school and a working spouse that I didn’t factor to my income).

We all want to be compensated fairly with fulltime hours and the best salaries offered. Yet this whole assumption across the board that every pharmacist from 2022 onward will be paid as that of a tech (let’s say it’s true) would not hurt me like many others on here. If that happened, I’d be financially ready and focus my talents on my hobbies still utilizing my pharmD for my own investments in a rural setting.

 

[alpha12]

I’ll clarify yet again:

Yes I’d be fine. Due to my steady flow of outside income I’ve already mentioned, I indeed can afford the risk of lower wages / salaries. Tax free compensation of 2k a month hitting my account with very low rates of health insurance (~$46 a month plus low family deductible and copays) and no student debt affords me to utilize pharmacy as my gateway to faster financial freedom toward my hobbies.

Keep in mind, I have been jaded with cultural work bias of coming in to work earlier and staying later with a flat low enlisted salary in the military (even including the insentives). The idea of “only” working 50 hours a week but getting salaried for 32 hours (although never ideal for any person) is something I’ve already been adapted to (not to mention kids in school and a working spouse that I didn’t factor to my income).

We all want to be compensated fairly with fulltime hours and the best salaries offered. Yet this whole assumption across the board that every pharmacist from 2022 onward will be paid as that of a tech (let’s say it’s true) would not hurt me like many others on here. If that happened, I’d be financially ready and focus my talents on my hobbies still utilizing my pharmD for my own investments in a rural setting.

If you have no loans maybe you can survive what's going on. That's more of an exception to the rule than the rule.

 

[BC_89]

If you have no loans maybe you can survive what's going on. That's more of an exception to the rule than the rule.

Absolutely. I did not mean to take away the reasoning of this thread by Matc, and I'll also emphasize that if I was part of the normal pre-pharm group with the debt to income outlined, I simply would not choose this profession given the risk vs reward. Im just hoping to echo to a few that with proper planning (in any field) the risk can be shrunk with patience and financial "savy-ness."

 

[Modest_anteater]

If you have no loans maybe you can survive what's going on. That's more of an exception to the rule than the rule.

anyone can do PAYE or IBR

 

[alpha12]

anyone can do PAYE or IBR

I am not sure what this program is? Educate me. How much would a person with 200k loans and 80k salary end up paying? Also remember that if the gop gets their way they want to garnish wages for students with loans.

Prominent Republican wants to take student-loan payments out of your paycheck

 

[Modest_anteater]

I am not sure what this program is? Educate me. How much would a person with 200k loans and 80k salary end up paying? Also remember that if the gop gets their way they want to garnish wages for students with loans.

Prominent Republican wants to take student-loan payments out of your paycheck

Basically they are federal government programs that say if you work at a specific place such as a non-profit company for X years that all your loans will be discharged regardless of magnitude of them. I'm no expert on these programs though. I suggest contacting your financial aid at your pharmacy school for more info

 

[BC_89]

I am not sure what this program is? Educate me. How much would a person with 200k loans and 80k salary end up paying? Also remember that if the gop gets their way they want to garnish wages for students with loans.

Prominent Republican wants to take student-loan payments out of your paycheck

He’s referring to a Pay-As-You-Earn concept or the Revised-Pay-As-You-Earn concept. (PAYE vs REPAYE). Basically it’s a federal loan payment plan that implicates the student to pay 10% of their income at a fixed lower payment plan (adjusted annually) and forgive what’s left over (interest and all) after a set repayment period.

PAYE vs. REPAYE for Student Loans: How to Choose — NerdWallet

(I don’t usually cite “Nerd Wallet” but I like the elementary breakdown they sometimes use).

It does come with a tax bomb at the end and personally, I’m just not a fan of any program that comes with caveats. (Others use PSLF over a span of 120 month qualifying payments).

Hence, I’m glad I won’t be dealing with any of this.

 

[321931]

My wife with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering makes about 85k a year for a fortune 500 company. Has full benefits, and can buy into company stock that has appreciated about 10-20% a year with dividends.

She works about 40 hours a week, but during those 40 hours, she has time to go to the company pool, on campus rec room where she can play ping pong foosball, and all those techy fun stuff. She's always posting on instagram online about the new hip lunch area where she and the other tech nerds go out to eat.

She graduated with 40k of debt at 22.

Apples to orange, but I do think for the amount of schooling you guys go through you should make more.

 

[PharmtoCS]

My wife with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering makes about 85k a year for a fortune 500 company. Has full benefits, and can buy into company stock that has appreciated about 10-20% a year with dividends.

She works about 40 hours a week, but during those 40 hours, she has time to go to the company pool, on campus rec room where she can play ping pong foosball, and all those techy fun stuff. She's always posting on instagram online about the new hip lunch area where she and the other tech nerds go out to eat.

She graduated with 40k of debt at 22.

Apples to orange, but I do think for the amount of schooling you guys go through you should make more.

Compare that with pharmacy where you do not earn more than the engineer but graduate with $200k+ in loans and spend an additional 4 years of your life in school only to be faced with worse job prospects and far greater liability.

The average pharmacists is on their feet all day moving non-stop. Even bathroom breaks are a luxury, let alone a lunch break where you can leave the pharmacy. You have to deal with very rude, nasty customers who threaten you for not filling their controlled substances early.

Many pharmacists cannot find jobs at all in their city and have to move hundreds or even thousands of miles away from family and friends to the middle of nowhere just to have a job to pay off their loans. They are stuck there indefinitely because there are far too many people trying to transfer back to their saturated cities.

The comparison is more like fresh apples to rotten apples.

 

[mentos]

There is usually never part time work in software engineering. I am one so I know. But I don't think I would want to work a french work week. 80k for 30 hrs is great for someone with no debt who would rather spend more time at home than at work. Maybe a woman with kids? But for most of the general population that won't cut it.

Who wouldn't want to spend more time at home than at work? I average 35 hrs a week and would love to work 30 if I could. I have a kid but if I didn't, I would take full advantage of the long weekends with road trips to go ski, go to Vegas, go to the beach, whatever.

My wife with a bachelors degree in electrical engineering makes about 85k a year for a fortune 500 company. Has full benefits, and can buy into company stock that has appreciated about 10-20% a year with dividends.

She works about 40 hours a week, but during those 40 hours, she has time to go to the company pool, on campus rec room where she can play ping pong foosball, and all those techy fun stuff. She's always posting on instagram online about the new hip lunch area where she and the other tech nerds go out to eat.

She graduated with 40k of debt at 22.

Apples to orange, but I do think for the amount of schooling you guys go through you should make more.

Just cause pharmacists go to school longer doesn't mean they deserve more pay. Should MS in art history be paid more than EE? Anybody can become a PharmD but few people have the skills to be EE hence their quality of life is vastly superior. EE also get annual raises/bonuses like clockwork whereas Rph salary is on a downward trend.

 

[alpha12]

Who wouldn't want to spend more time at home than at work? I average 35 hrs a week and would love to work 30 if I could. I have a kid but if I didn't, I would take full advantage of the long weekends with road trips to go ski, go to Vegas, go to the beach, whatever.



Just cause pharmacists go to school longer doesn't mean they deserve more pay. Should MS in art history be paid more than EE? Anybody can become a PharmD but few people have the skills to be EE hence their quality of life is vastly superior. EE also get annual raises/bonuses like clockwork whereas Rph salary is on a downward trend.

A lot of software companies are like frat houses. Dominated by millennial. They have ping pong tables, xbox, beer. The only thing that is missing is the hookers but who knows. They might even get that in the future. I can see how young men might want to be there than at home.

 

[Sugoi Travis]

If I didn't have student loans, I would totally jump on the chance to do 30hr/week and make 83k a year.

 

[Havequestion]

If I didn't have student loans, I would totally jump on the chance to do 30hr/week and make 83k a year.

It’s great for those who have been practicing for years and got the best out of the golden time. For new students, there are opportunity costs to be considered.

 

[PieRoller]

Hell no.

Consider the responsibility and liability, not to mention working conditions. I’ve always thought we barely received adequate pay for working twelve-hour shifts on our feet without so much as a 5 minute break. Don’t underestimate the cognitive and physical workload. You are the last stop between patient and medication.

Then there’s the erratic and last-minute scheduling. Is that how professionals should be treated?

Does reduced pay mean lower prescription prices for patients? Of course not.

The chains finally have the upper hand. They worked hard on it. Rule changes from your state board of pharmacy are just one example of where they’ve exerted influence.

It’s tragic to see this happening to pharmacists.

 

[BC_89]

If I didn't have student loans, I would totally jump on the chance to do 30hr/week and make 83k a year.

Imagine how much fishing I could do.

 

[El Trombopag]

I love my 32 hours per week, would drop to 24 or even 16 if it were available. This is one advantage of cracking hard on the loans early — increased opportunity for sanity in your 40’s and beyond. I’m at just over 90% completion on Red Dead Redemption 2.
Don’t have kids, marry well

 

[APN-59 rph]

I love my 32 hours per week, would drop to 24 or even 16 if it were available. This is one advantage of cracking hard on the loans early — increased opportunity for sanity in your 40’s and beyond. I’m at just over 90% completion on Red Dead Redemption 2.
Don’t have kids, marry well

Any interest in adopting myself and my friendly hound dog?

 

[Old]

$83k after finishing a 3-4 yr program and putting myself $200k in debt? Hell no. The average salary of someone with a master's degree is like $70k, takes half the time to get, and not even half the about of debt. Thankfully I'm still over six figs unlike a lot of the unfortunate new grads.

Good thing for these prepharms this isn't happening everywhere and as long as you are willing to move you will get a job and that their one friend who graduated last year got a staff position at $120k and they are really passionate about pharmacy.

In my area a hospital owned by UPMC offered a new pharmacist between $45.00 to low 40's per hour for a full time position. No this person wasn't a pgy but obviously if they can fill jobs at that rate do they care about the extra years of learning for a pgy? This was 2 or 3 years ago.
Walmart in my area is not hiring for 40 hours. All new hires are floaters. You are considered full time with Walmart if you work 48 hours over a 2 week pay cycle you are eligible for benefits. Can you live on 24 hours per week? Keep in mind the benefits aren't free and you have to pay your share. No permanent store- you float between stores. Only the pharmacy managers get 40 hours per week.. The over supply is here and getting worse. all those " doom and gloom" stories are true.

 

[nafcillin]

Don’t do it. Don’t. The job market is crap. Go on indeed and look for pharmacy jobs in your area. Spoiler alert: there aren’t very many

 

[DagS132]

...Go on indeed and look for pharmacy jobs in your area. Spoiler alert: there aren’t very many

lol, this is not true actually. Lots of offers are put up online.
But what is actually true is that most if not all of these offers are lies.

 

[right500]

I interviewed for a staff pharmacist job (in the expensive Northeast) with a starting pay of $26.66/hr with 32 of 40 hours per week paid (pay 4, work 5). That is a little over 40k per year! A position paying 83k per year would have people mobbing the place.

 

[BC_89]

I interviewed for a staff pharmacist job (in the expensive Northeast) with a starting pay of $26.66/hr with 32 of 40 hours per week paid (pay 4, work 5). That is a little over 40k per year! A position paying 83k per year would have people mobbing the place.

Intrigued: Sounds a lot like what new O3 Captains in the military say excluding tax exempt housing and food stipends along with loan forgiveness and health coverage costs...

I suppose there is no reference of hard facts that you have rather than anecdotal evidence? This would officially be the lowest Ive heard in the private sector for '19.

 

[MatCauthon]

I interviewed for a staff pharmacist job (in the expensive Northeast) with a starting pay of $26.66/hr with 32 of 40 hours per week paid (pay 4, work 5). That is a little over 40k per year! A position paying 83k per year would have people mobbing the place.

this is your 1st post? sounds like a joke, that is basically what a tech that makes $21/hour would make. no point working as an rph for that wage.

 

[rxkrafted]

I interviewed for a staff pharmacist job (in the expensive Northeast) with a starting pay of $26.66/hr with 32 of 40 hours per week paid (pay 4, work 5). That is a little over 40k per year! A position paying 83k per year would have people mobbing the place.

That is very hard to believe... Unless they said it just for ****s and giggles so that you could walk away since they already found someone for that job.

 

[Jacquejam1234]

major pharmacy chain giving offers for $50 per hour at 32 hours per week (83k per year). this job is still in high demand, even at these rates and many pharmacists were laid off. this is what we know for true.

rumor has it that they want to reduce theirs offers further into 45 range, or 75k per year.

how many of you are ok with this pay? how low are willing to go? would you be willing to work for $40 per hour which is what many independents are paying? have you considered the loan burden you are taking out versus your potential pay?

Lmao pharmacy is such a joke. It’s only going to get worse as well. Most of the people on this thread have a high rate of cognitive dissonance. You know deep down pharmacy is a crap profession get out while you can. Anybody thinking about going to pharm school these days is insane.

 

[right500]

Sorry for the late reply. Funny you say O3...I am an officer now! The Army is much, much better than that job. As BC_89 was referring to: same base pay but add 20k BAH (a rough average), 3k BAS, thousands in special pay, and TSP match. I would have thought they were low-balling, or just messing with me (the old "we need to interview and reject 4 other people"), but the pay scale form started at $26.66/hr for pharmacists. Officially the pay was exempt salary based on $800/30hr week. FYI, this was public sector (State government) which partially explains the lower pay. Maybe the private sector equivalent would be $35-$40 (still pretty bad). The job posting, from Summer 2018, is long-expired that stated the work 5/pay 4 rule. I should have screenshot it for this purpose but why would I think to do that? I don't know whether they found someone or created a new posting. Let's hope they were just messing with me and already had someone in mine but people are desperate. I figure this has to be the low water mark regardless.

 

[APN-59 rph]

Sorry for the late reply. Funny you say O3...I am an officer now! The Army is much, much better than that job. As BC_89 was referring to: same base pay but add 20k BAH (a rough average), 3k BAS, thousands in special pay, and TSP match. I would have thought they were low-balling, or just messing with me (the old "we need to interview and reject 4 other people"), but the pay scale form started at $26.66/hr for pharmacists. Officially the pay was exempt salary based on $800/30hr week. FYI, this was public sector (State government) which partially explains the lower pay. Maybe the private sector equivalent would be $35-$40 (still pretty bad). The job posting, from Summer 2018, is long-expired that stated the work 5/pay 4 rule. I should have screenshot it for this purpose but why would I think to do that? I don't know whether they found someone or created a new posting. Let's hope they were just messing with me and already had someone in mine but people are desperate. I figure this has to be the low water mark regardless.

I might have missed it..but what is your specialty in the USA?

 

[right500]

67E Pharmacist (I didn't say that before)

They don't separate us out into specialties (as in AOCs) like the nurses and MDs. Full disclosure: I am commissioned but not active duty yet (this summer) so I am not the go-to source for everything Army.

 

[BC_89]

67E Pharmacist (I didn't say that before)

They don't separate us out into specialties (as in AOCs) like the nurses and MDs. Full disclosure: I am commissioned but not active duty yet (this summer) so I am not the go-to source for everything Army.

Sounds like you still need to go through your version of OCS with the other healthcare officers at Ft Sam Houston. If you passed on the 30k lump sum for the student loan forgiveness (~90k after taxes) then live beneath your BAH and pocket the difference when your 3 yr obligation is up. APFT changes this October so prep’ for it because a lot of healthcare officers are getting cut and out.

(That said, if you flip the coin that you get stationed at Ft Sam once your “army-branded”, learn how camp bullis clinic is operated...I broke in many a new O3 minted pharmacists when changing the metrics out there).

 

[right500]

Sounds like you still need to go through your version of OCS with the other healthcare officers at Ft Sam Houston. If you passed on the 30k lump sum for the student loan forgiveness (~90k after taxes) then live beneath your BAH and pocket the difference when your 3 yr obligation is up. APFT changes this October so prep’ for it because a lot of healthcare officers are getting cut and out.

(That said, if you flip the coin that you get stationed at Ft Sam once your “army-branded”, learn how camp bullis clinic is operated...I broke in many a new O3 minted pharmacists when changing the metrics out there).

I accepted the 40k/yr ($28,800 after taxes) over the 30k one-time lump sum and plan to live well below my BAH. I figure the BAH difference is a good way to build a down payment eventually. I already know my follow-on assignment (not Ft Sam) and feel confident I won't have any problems with living frugally. It sounds like the APFT to ACFT changes benefit young AMEDD officers because we will have a lower age- and gender-neutral standard but will become tougher for the older officers. The new test is definitely different but BOLC (AMEDD's OCS near-equivalent) should be a good place to learn the ins and outs anyway. The leg tuck is the hardest part (the sprint-drag-carry possibly beats it) but the passing standard for "moderate physical demand" pharmacists is just one! I ran through a mock ACFT and passed months ago. By the time I take it for real, I will have been training for over a year (October 2020 is when the APFT is phased out).