Does it matter what Pharm school you go to or your grades (as long as you pass)?

[StudentDoctora]

I mean, as long as you know that material, you can pass the NAPLEX, and you don't plan on doing a residency, does it really matter to Walgreens or CVS if you are a C+ or a B- student instead of an A+ valedictorian?? I've always been one to shoot for the stars, but I'm starting to think that it might be worth it to actually relax a little, have a life, and not drive myself insane trying for a 4.0 GPA. What do ya'll think? Thanks!

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[WVUPharm2007]

They do not care at all.

 

[inquirer89]

Someone told me that right out of college, an employer looks at grades. Anything after that and they look at job experience.

But for pharmacists, this could be different, especially since there is a shortage right now.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Someone told me that right out of college, an employer looks at grades. Anything after that and they look at job experience.

But for pharmacists, this could be different, especially since there is a shortage right now.

Don't be naive.

They look at how well you fit into their business model. This is RETAIL pharmacy. These are corporations. They don't care about anything but the bottom line. Are you willing to take **** from patients, work very fast to maximize profits, and take marching orders from the DM with a smile on your face? A kid that failed pharmacology twice and graduated with a 2.5 GPA who fits those characteristics gets the hire over a kid with a 4.0 that doesn't buy into the bull**** every time.

Now if we are talking residencies, a 4.0 might help you. Even then, an A+ interview will equalize any number or letter grade on a CV.

Take my advice. Don't do retail. The job quality is guaranteed to be crap, the hours are guaranteed to be crap, and the respect you are given by your employer is guaranteed to be crap. There are so many better jobs out there. Let the shortsighted deal with retail.

But, hey, you might make $10k more a year.

 

[acetyl]

Don't be naive.

They look at how well you fit into their business model. This is RETAIL pharmacy. These are corporations. They don't care about anything but the bottom line. Are you willing to take **** from patients, work very fast to maximize profits, and take marching orders from the DM with a smile on your face? A kid that failed pharmacology twice and graduated with a 2.5 GPA who fits those characteristics gets the hire over a kid with a 4.0 that doesn't buy into the bull**** every time.

Now if we are talking residencies, a 4.0 might help you. Even then, an A+ interview will equalize any number or letter grade on a CV.

Take my advice. Don't do retail. The job quality is guaranteed to be crap, the hours are guaranteed to be crap, and the respect you are given by your employer is guaranteed to be crap. There are so many better jobs out there. Let the shortsighted deal with retail.

But, hey, you might make $10k more a year.

So where are you working now that you are finished with school?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

So where are you working now that you are finished with school?

I'm moving "somewhere" within a year, possibly as soon as September, as late as next May. Depends on some **** that is yet to be determined. There is no point in starting a career at this point in time. As soon as I get trained sufficiently, I'd have to leave. What am I doing now? I'm a street philosopher. Catching up with life. I'm not bummin' though. I'm working. Hard. I just ain't getting paid for it.

Ask me what I'm doing next year. I'll be in a new place trying to start a career. I don't know what, I don't know where. What's available this year might not be available next year....what's not available now might become available.

Though if it turns out that I'm not leaving until 5/09, I'll probably go ahead and be a mercenary for whoever will hire me. Stay tuned, I guess....

 

[AggiePharmer]

Take my advice. Don't do retail. The job quality is guaranteed to be crap, the hours are guaranteed to be crap, and the respect you are given by your employer is guaranteed to be crap. There are so many better jobs out there. Let the shortsighted deal with retail.

Y'know despite coming off a little cynical... I think that's awesome an awesome quote.

 

[SCCpharm]

Right now, grades doesn't matter in retail. But you never know what the future holds (yes, pharmacy is a good bet though), so I would still strive to get good grades. I don't want to end up regretting not getting good grades.

Also, if you plan on doing a residency, your grades will matter.

 

[BADD281]

I'm going to laugh if you end up in retail...

 

[tharper14]

I thought the first year out of pharm school retail pharmacies pay you according to your gpa, that is, the better your gpa, the better your pay.

 

[PharmDstudent]

I thought the first year out of pharm school retail pharmacies pay you according to your gpa, that is, the better your gpa, the better your pay.

No. Who said that?

 

[Hels2007]

Depends on what you want to be when you grow up. If you just want to do retail - then no. If you want something more interesting and competitive - then yes, both the gpa and the school matter. The school - because different schools offer different opportunities while you are there, just by virtue of location/focus/alumni network.

 

[Pianopooh]

I used to bust my brain cells to get straight A's. But now I'm more relaxed about it because I would only stress out! Sure, getting A's are great but maintaining my sanity and health is better.

 

[SCCpharm]

I'm going to laugh if you end up in retail...

I'll laugh if, say, the US economy experiences a really bad recession and then all of a sudden employers become picky and start looking at GPAs.


I'm probably just paranoid. I graduated with a computer science degree in the early 2000s. During school (late 1990's), I asked the exact same question to everyone I knew and was told basically "Heck, this is IT. It is going strong. You just need a degree and here is your $50k/year job. No problem".

So I did just that and graduated with a 2.7 GPA. Then the tech bubble burst. Basically, the big companies like intel, honeywell, general dynamics, etc wouldn't look at a new graduate below a 3.0GPA. It was stated in every damn application I looked at. So I was screwed big time. Don't get me started on the small companies...(I was offered $8/hr to start at one of them with "room to grow")...

I'm not saying pharmacy is even close to the IT field, just I'm not letting what happened to me before happen to me again.

 

[soyroger]

I don't think the IT situation is even possible with pharmacy. The supply/demand for ppl needing drugs isn't like that for IT services. Even if the shortage of pharmacists isn't going to last as long as predicted I still recall SDN 1977 (RIP) saying she had years with little to nothing in raises, but the salary never went down. From where we're starting in the 6 figs I'll still be able to take care of my family and plan for retirement even when the huge bonuses and raises level out.

 

[Priapism321]

I used to bust my brain cells to get straight A's. But now I'm more relaxed about it because I would only stress out! Sure, getting A's are great but maintaining my sanity and health is better.

Some of us get straight A's and remain both sane and relaxed....just sayin.

 

[tharper14]

No. Who said that?

I was looking up jobs for pharmacists a while back and one of the major retail pharmacies (can't remember which one) actually had a pay scale for hiring pharmacists right out of pharm school according to your gpa... I could try looking it up again.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I'll laugh if, say, the US economy experiences a really bad recession and then all of a sudden employers become picky and start looking at GPAs.

The economy is about to fail miserably, but retail pharmacies don't care about grades to begin with, so why would it matter? People who are terrible at customer service and kissing *** should be the ones that are afraid.

It's retail. The antithesis of anything academic. In IT, I could see where you'd want to hire grades. In retail, clinical knowledge means jack. A good retail pharmacist who knows a ton of great, pertinent info is a great thing. A valuable resource to the community. Unfortunately any idiot can get by knowing the bare minimum. It gives retail pharmacy a bad name because there is a ton of potential in the field with MTM coming on strong nowadays. Due to state and national boards acting as a way to test minimum knowledge, the corporations can hire anyone and know they will be able to get the job done. They don't care about quality of clinical services, they care about money. Period.

If it ever did come down to knowledge out of school being a relevant hiring variable, I'd take Naplex scores into much higher regard than GPA, anyway.

 

[tharper14]

Hmmm, I swear I'm not crazy. I saw it somewhere, but now I can't find it. I guess if everyone's saying it doesn't matter, then it doesn't matter.

 

[NormalSaline]

I thought the first year out of pharm school retail pharmacies pay you according to your gpa, that is, the better your gpa, the better your pay.

I remember this too. One of the other regular posters(cant remember his name) mentioned this in a thread. Think it might have been the "who is the highest paid pharmacist" thread

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

I remember this too. One of the other regular posters(cant remember his name) mentioned this in a thread. Think it might have been the "who is the highest paid pharmacist" thread

May be the same guy who never cracks jokes

 

[jasmine0211]

I was looking up jobs for pharmacists a while back and one of the major retail pharmacies (can't remember which one) actually had a pay scale for hiring pharmacists right out of pharm school according to your gpa... I could try looking it up again.

I heard it was CVS

 

[RxWildcat]

You guys are paranoid if you think you can't get a job with competitive pay if you don't have an all-star GPA.