jobs before pharm school

[candle786]

Is it preferred that I have a science related job before I apply for pharm school?I'm a recent graduate and my dilemma right now is that I am having a hard time finding a decent paying science related job. If my goal is to attend pharm school in a year and a half, would it be best for me to find a good job that is not science related, but will pay well, so I can save up or is it better for me to make a sacrifice in pay for a job that doesn't pay well but is science related. Both options are not directly pharm related ( I will work or volunteer at a pharmacy on the weekends). I have a good opportunity to work for a decent paying company but I feel as though I should be doing something related to science (lab work, healthcare, etc.), especially since i just graduated with a bachelors in bio. If i don't take that job, then I will most likely work as a temp somewhere until a job comes through (I will have to leave my currect job at the end of this Any advice is helpful.

Thank you.

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[candle786]

The end of the previous message should read, "I will have to leave my current job at the end of this month." Basically I just want to make sure that having a job not related to the medical field is ok as long as I have some pharm related experience.

 

[MALA]

If you're already a BIO major you should work doing what you just spend 4 years studying...what's the non-science job-accounting? I don't know what state you live, but you can try going to a personnel service that specializes in science or check with any personnel company that has an area for your specialty.

 

[candle786]

There are a lot of jobs in the science field here (Wash DC area) but they don't pay well for entry level (mostly lab jobs). At first I didn't care because atleast I would have a job and I was willing to make a sacrifice in order to get experience, which i have none of. But if I'm just going to end up in pharm school soon (hopefully) and there is a good opportunity to just work and save up money, i figure i should take it now and just put the job search process on hold (or slow it down) so I can focus my attention to pharm schools. I wouldn't mind not working in the science field right now.

 

[Trancelucent1]

I worked for three years as a server for a restaurant and I was accepted no problem. I also graduated in December and put on my application that I planned to work my current job until pharmacy school started. I did however, spend about a month and a half shadowing at a walgreens (I came in one day a week for a few hours). I was also able to shadow for one week in a local hospital. But I have a few friends that got accepted with no experience. I would think that you would rather get a job where you will be using your degree, but I couldn't afford the pay cut, I just make too much as a server. You would be surprised how many people I work with that have degrees but just don't want to walk away from the money. If it were me, I would work for the job with the money and volunteer on the weekends at a pharmacy. That way you can save up money. From my experience, there aren't that many entry-level jobs where you can use a science degree and make a lot of money. Good luck!

~Pam

 

[badxmojo]

i'd get a pham tech job.. hospitals pay pretty decent

 

[candle786]

Thank you Trancelucent1. I just wanted to make sure that it would be ok that I was not doing something science related. I really don't care either. A part of me just felt like I "should" be doing it, for whatever reasons. Getting a well paying job and saving up sounds exactly like what I want and need to do. I also plan on working on the weekends as a pharm tech so I'm sure that will help tremendously. Thanks everyone.

 

[jemc2000]

I know that is such a tricky decision between "in the field" and money. That is where I am at now. I am closing my daycare. Going to work part-time for the next 18 months. But I can't decide if the $6 a retail pharmacy would pay me as a clerk is worth it for the experience or if I should just find an office job making twice that so I can work half as much. I guess I will decide next week when I start hitting all the pharmacies in town.

 

[candle786]

Michele,

You must do very well with your daycare. Are you closing it so you can get more experience in the pharmacy field? Why not start out working at a pharmacy only on the weekends (atleast one day a week) and see if you like it.

 

[jemc2000]

It is a home daycare. So it does ok, but that is it. I am closing because I can no longer work 65 hours a week (first child arrives at 6:00 am, last child leaves at 6:00 pm) and still have time to do housework, homework, take classes and spend time with my husband and 4 children. Plus, I need pharmacy experience. I just hope I can find something that pays more than minimum wage. I have applied at a couple places via the internet, but I probably just confuse the HR people. I have 20 years experience as an office manager/store manager and now I want to clerk. So I need to get out and talk to people and see what I can find.