Is Pharmacy Right for Me?

[PA_dud3]

Hello everyone,

I know this kind of post probably comes up extremely often, so I apologize in advance for anything repetitive I write below.

Currently, I am a High School Senior planning to attend college this fall. Where at, I am not so sure. I am sure I want to go into the medical field, however, my plans have changed a fair bit from what I first anticipated. Originally, I wanted to go into Medicine and become a physician (specializing in Emergency Medicine or Nephrology), however, I have recently begun to consider Pharmacy as a future career path. Some background first, I am a Registered Pharmacy Technician at a local non-chain retail pharmacy. I have been working there since last August and I really, really enjoy what I do as a technician. I plan to take the PTCB this April, as I am not out of HS yet. My time spent in the pharmacy has made me think I should pursue it as a career field. I'm just not certain I would enjoy it as much as I enjoy what I am doing now. So, I guess what I am asking is, what makes you enjoy pharmacy? What is less desirable about it? Are there opportunities for "movement" out of retail? I.E. if someone in retail wanted to go into a hospital setting with some experience under their belt, would it be likely they could do so? Not saying I would want to leave retail, as I like the environment, even though I don't consider myself a huge people-person, it gives me an opportunity to sort of come out of my shell I guess.

Sorry for the rambly post, just trying to discern what is best for me.

Thanks so much for any help and advice you can provide!

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[Modest_anteater]

Hello everyone,

I know this kind of post probably comes up extremely often, so I apologize in advance for anything repetitive I write below.

Currently, I am a High School Senior planning to attend college this fall. Where at, I am not so sure. I am sure I want to go into the medical field, however, my plans have changed a fair bit from what I first anticipated. Originally, I wanted to go into Medicine and become a physician (specializing in Emergency Medicine or Nephrology), however, I have recently begun to consider Pharmacy as a future career path. Some background first, I am a Registered Pharmacy Technician at a local non-chain retail pharmacy. I have been working there since last August and I really, really enjoy what I do as a technician. I plan to take the PTCB this April, as I am not out of HS yet. My time spent in the pharmacy has made me think I should pursue it as a career field. I'm just not certain I would enjoy it as much as I enjoy what I am doing now. So, I guess what I am asking is, what makes you enjoy pharmacy? What is less desirable about it? Are there opportunities for "movement" out of retail? I.E. if someone in retail wanted to go into a hospital setting with some experience under their belt, would it be likely they could do so? Not saying I would want to leave retail, as I like the environment, even though I don't consider myself a huge people-person, it gives me an opportunity to sort of come out of my shell I guess.

Sorry for the rambly post, just trying to discern what is best for me.

Thanks so much for any help and advice you can provide!

There are ~900 new pharmacy jobs being created next year but 15,000 new pharmD grads. The job market is already tight in the cities and expect severe competition for jobs. I would go into medical school, PA school or optometrist school if you are smart enough to get in. Pharmacy school is the new law school (only desperate, debt burdened average IQ people going)

 

[PA_dud3]

I appreciate your response. Would the search for jobs be any better in smaller cities, townships, or villages/rural pharmacies? I currently work in a rural township setting, there are 3 pharmacies in town not counting WalMart and some others on the outer parts of the county. I would be fine working in a smaller retail setting, I suppose, as I think I would enjoy being a pharmacist. But, if the job search is really that bad, I will probably just do my best to get into Medical School.

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

Hey @Doktor_dud3 , it's definitely a good sign that you love what you do! What do you think you would miss about being a pharmacy tech by becoming a pharmacist? You've probably observed what a pharmacist's day-to-day responsibilities are, but have you thought about talking to your supervising pharmacist(s) about what their job is like, what they like and don't like about it?

If you get a chance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a lot of information about pharmacy as a career, job outlook, etc. For example, it shows that 43% of pharmacists work in pharmacies and drug stores, 25% in hospitals, 8% in general merchandise, and 7% in grocery stores. So there are definitely opportunities outside of retail for pharmacists, and in fact there are residency pathways dedicated to more specialized tracks.

You still have plenty of time to decide what path to take. If you like healthcare, a lot of the pre-requisite classes with be the same (general biology, general chemistry, etc.), so you can set yourself up for success in pharmacy or wherever you go! Good luck