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just keep in mind, 30 hours a week schedule does not always mean 8 + 8 + 8 + 6 hours a day; It can also mean 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 hours PM shift or any combo they want you to work.
Light at the end of the tunnel....Job Offers Thread
- Thread starter PharmaSex
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Bio: I insist you say one positive thing about Pharmacy
OK only because you insist.
I worked a lot of hours while I was in pharmacy school. I only borrowed what I needed and was able to pay back in my student loans just a few years after pharmacy school.
As an intern, I worked in retail and you don't truly understand how crappy retail is until you have worked many hours and I worked MANY hours. I refused to do retail after graduation and luckily, I landed a nice job without a residency. I don't have to work on the weekends and holidays.
In addition to paying back my student loans, I also purchased a nice car and was able to put down 20% for a nice house. I also maxed out my 401 k each year and with company matching and recent climb of stocks, it has turned into a nice amount.
I feel fortunate that I have received all of these opportunities because of pharmacy. I got lucky along the way. But unfortunately, those good days are all gone. I feel bad when I talk to current pharmacy students and new grads. In just 10 years, pharmacy has turned from hey, do you want to work OT to we are only giving you 30 hours a week with no benefit and nightmare shifts. If you don't want it, somebody else will attitude. These retails treat their new grads like some overpaid prostitutes and they don't have much of a choice. Many of them are doing residency and some are even doing 2 years of residency. Unfortunately, there are not enough clinical jobs for them so many of them will eventually end up in retail.
What I am saying is realistic and it's going to get worse. With record number of schools and low admission standards, many new grads will be unemployed or underemployed. They may even have to move to some rural part of the country just to find work. The scary part is that they will owe 250-300 k in student loans and some will have no way to pay it back.
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1. That was positive?
2. 250-300k? Good God, I hope not. That's 2-3 times more than I think could possibly be a reasonable amount of debt for a PharmD. 200k is possibly doable, but still too much; over that is incredibly unrealistic and will be very difficult to pay down.
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It is better to know the facts and act on them than to think everything is rosy.
owlegrad
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For him that was downright saccharine.
I agree wholeheartedly with this. I have personally stated to all of my pharmacy friends and even one of my preceptors that I will never recommend pharmacy to anyone. There just isn't the job space out there for everyone to fit. Prospective students need to realize this or the will **** themselves. 5 years ago everyone at my school got 3-4 job offers, many with signing bonuses. Today, no one gets these bonuses, graduates struggle to find jobs, and retail no longer pays overtime. What do you think it will be like 5 years FROM NOW, when all of the graduates of these new schools (a.k.a. diploma mills) enter the market?
Putting aside all of this negativity, does ANYONE have any offers to share? This forum has turned into a freaking debate about the number hours new grads are getting these days and how sh*tty the pharmacy environment has become...
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I agree wholeheartedly with this. I have personally stated to all of my pharmacy friends and even one of my preceptors that I will never recommend pharmacy to anyone. There just isn't the job space out there for everyone to fit. Prospective students need to realize this or the will **** themselves. 5 years ago everyone at my school got 3-4 job offers, many with signing bonuses. Today, no one gets these bonuses, graduates struggle to find jobs, and retail no longer pays overtime. What do you think it will be like 5 years FROM NOW, when all of the graduates of these new schools (a.k.a. diploma mills) enter the market?
Putting aside all of this negativity, does ANYONE have any offers to share? This forum has turned into a freaking debate about the number hours new grads are getting these days and how sh*tty the pharmacy environment has become...
For the most, retail offers have been pretty good here in Texas. The grocery stores of course are hard to get into (Randalls, Kroger, Target, Walmart), either only hiring their interns or only around 20 or less per metroplex. CVS and Walgreens are hiring and it seems good for students with work experience regardless of company. There are still plenty of positions around West and East Texas (sign on bonus for a few selected areas). Salary is stable, around 120 for the most part, 110 for Houston. FT hours for most company, but a major chain is only guaranteeing 32 hours in Dallas.
Overall its not all terrible but the economy in Texas has been better than most. I can maybe see retail surviving for perhaps another 20-25 years or so. Recent grads can till get in retail, be smart financially, max out 401k, and retire/move on. If I'm a P4/P3 it's okay but if I'm an incoming P1 or without any retail work experience, I would worry.
But hey, at least we're not in nursing
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You have got to be kidding me. Texas sucks just like any other place. The ONLY places hiring in Texas are in the border of Mexico and El Paso!
I got an offer in El Paso b/c Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are NOT hiring.
If the only jobs you can get are in the border of Mexico...the situation is NOT good. Sorry.
I got an offer in El Paso b/c Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are NOT hiring.
If the only jobs you can get are in the border of Mexico...the situation is NOT good. Sorry.
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You have got to be kidding me. Texas sucks just like any other place. The ONLY places hiring in Texas are in the border of Mexico and El Paso!
I got an offer in El Paso b/c Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are NOT hiring.
If the only jobs you can get are in the border of Mexico...the situation is NOT good. Sorry.
Dang it. So all these companies are just trolling my classmates and I with their offers??? I'm going to call up the recruiters and tell them I won't be a part of this and they can take their apparently fake offers elsewhere!!!
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Yes, the whole state of Texas is not hiring. Your offer is invalid. There are no jobs.
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Yes, the whole state of Texas is not hiring. Your offer is invalid. There are no jobs.
Except with the drug lords at the border
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Except with the drug lords at the border
Do you think "drug mule" pays as much as "Weather Girl" or "Victoria's Secret Model?"
You have got to be kidding me. Texas sucks just like any other place. The ONLY places hiring in Texas are in the border of Mexico and El Paso!
I got an offer in El Paso b/c Houston, Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are NOT hiring.
If the only jobs you can get are in the border of Mexico...the situation is NOT good. Sorry.
Houston is hiring, you just need to talk to the right people. I am specifically referring to Walgreens and CVS. As stated above, groceries chain is very hard to get into since they can not accommodate their own interns. Houston is a large market and there are multiple supervisors for Walgreens and CVS. Contact all of them. And I saw you mention your offer for El Paso, I wouldn't move out there for that low. Houston is much more diverse with good food and a lively night scene.
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Yes, the whole state of Texas is not hiring. Your offer is invalid. There are no jobs.
Costco told me the entire state of Texas isn't hiring.
I applied for Walgreens. They allow you to put in THREE location preferences. I put 1) Atlanta 2) Houston 3) San Antonio.
NO ONE contacted me at all except for the regional director in El Paso contacted me and offer me a position.
I ask him if Houston, San Antonio, Dallas or Austin is hiring and he told me no. He told me he can only offer me El Paso...so I took it. Why would I lie about this?
If Houston was hiring why didn't the regional director contact me?
Oh well....I don't want to live in Texas anymore....I am trying to get a job with Publix in South Florida. I have an interview on March 19th. Preferably Palm Beach. If I can't get anything in Florida I will just work for the Publix in GA.
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Gisele makes 20 million a year and Adriana Lima makes 6 million a year...so I am afriad they make much more and have more awesome jobs too.
Costco told me the entire state of Texas isn't hiring.
I applied for Walgreens. They allow you to put in THREE location preferences. I put 1) Atlanta 2) Houston 3) San Antonio.
NO ONE contacted me at all except for the regional director in El Paso contacted me and offer me a position.
I ask him if Houston, San Antonio, Dallas or Austin is hiring and he told me no. He told me he can only offer me El Paso...so I took it. Why would I lie about this?
If Houston was hiring why didn't the regional director contact me?
Oh well....I don't want to live in Texas anymore....I am trying to get a job with Publix in South Florida. I have an interview on March 19th. Preferably Palm Beach. If I can't get anything in Florida I will just for the Publix in GA.
My friend just received an interview with Walgreens in Dallas.
Costco told me the entire state of Texas isn't hiring.
I applied for Walgreens. They allow you to put in THREE location preferences. I put 1) Atlanta 2) Houston 3) San Antonio.
NO ONE contacted me at all except for the regional director in El Paso contacted me and offer me a position.
I ask him if Houston, San Antonio, Dallas or Austin is hiring and he told me no. He told me he can only offer me El Paso...so I took it. Why would I lie about this?
If Houston was hiring why didn't the regional director contact me?
Oh well....I don't want to live in Texas anymore....I am trying to get a job with Publix in South Florida. I have an interview on March 19th. Preferably Palm Beach. If I can't get anything in Florida I will just work for the Publix in GA.
That person got offers because he/she is instate... they take care of their own first, so of course there are no offers for you in Houston. For an out of state person to get a good location, you NEED to know people and know them well.
Have you been to FL? I went to Miami and Orlando last year for the first time and I was like there is no way I can live there, especially Miami. It literally felt like a different country to me... and to think I wanted to get a job there...
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I think you have to CONTACT the directors DIRECTLY and call them a million times before they will pay attention to you. LOL...I only applied I never contacted anyone in Texas.
I contacted the director for Walgreens in Palm Beach and he told me he will interview me BUT there are only PART TIME positions available right now.
So I will be interviewing him in March too.
I think in order to get their attention you have to call them and email them and contact them directly....just applying you will get ignore for sure.
Miami is kinda dirty to me and tons of hispanic people. I don't like it. I am looking to live in Palm Beach which is better than Miami.
I been to Orlando when I was 14yo...I can't remember it very well.
Walgreens only have part time positions available right now there....fingers crossed for Publix....
God getting a job is like winning the lottery now a days.
I never had to work this hard for anything in my life!
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Geez... Well then I hope I get a job in NYC...
I think you have to CONTACT the directors DIRECTLY and call them a million times before they will pay attention to you. LOL...I only applied I never contacted anyone in Texas.
I contacted the director for Walgreens in Palm Beach and he told me he will interview me BUT there are only PART TIME positions available right now.
so you like to play victim in one post yet you are fully aware. i hope u work in el paso
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so you like to play victim in one post yet you are fully aware. i hope u work in el paso
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Houston, Austin, and DFW are DEFINITELY hiring. Many classmates last year got offers in all three cities and two students on rotations, who I still keep in close contact with, just got FT offers in DFW and Houston.
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so you like to play victim in one post yet you are fully aware. i hope u work in el paso
Well I am contacting Publix in South Florida now hardcore....3 haven't responded and 3 are not hiring right now.
Is el paso a nice place? Do you like it? I guess if all else fails I can go there for 1 year and pay my loans off.
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Well I am contacting Publix in South Florida now hardcore....3 haven't responded and 3 are not hiring right now.
Is el paso a nice place? Do you like it? I guess if all else fails I can go there for 1 year and pay my loans off.
Quick facts from Wiki
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, the racial composition of El Paso was as follows:
Whites: 15.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 80.0% (Mexican: 75.0%)
Black or African American: 3.1%
Native American: 0.5%
Asian: 1.2%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
Two or more races: 2.2%
The median income for a household in the city was $32,124, and the median income for a family was $35,432. Males had a median income of $28,989 versus $21,540 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,388. About 19.0% of families and 22.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.8% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Paso,_Texas
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Thank you for that. 80% hispanic?
Well, I can't speak any Spanish period, so I hope that means I don't have to do any sort of patient services...I'll just verify scripts all day...good enough? It will be just as good as working at Walgreens power verfiying scripts ALL day.
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SHC there are quite a few independent pharmacies in the Chinatown area always trying to hire Chinese and Korean speaking pharmacists.
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. . . shocking
In NYC or in general? which ones?
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He is talking about flushing queens. Korean and Chinese pharmacies... In manhattan there are a lot as well...
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Yep.
shoot how do I get in touch with those pharmacies that are hiring, google search did not help me lol
Live in manhattan for a few years would be awesome ha (or LA)
Well we had a drug mule pass through our hospital a few months back. Guy got caught in the local airport with 90, yes 90, bags of heroine or cocaine in him. (The bags were apparently formed by filling the fingers of gloves and tying them off.)
So his life for a few days was something like:
Swallowing 90 bags of drugs, then flying to America. Only to be caught by the cops and taken to the hospital. Where he had to drink all the Golytely we had in stock. Of course I am sure, even with the Golytely, the passing of bags of drugs would not be pleasant. There were rumors floating around that the guy got 20k to be a mule. Then of course, deportation back to Mexico to probably be killed by whoever's drugs he lost.
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Happens all the time
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But there are TONS of Chinese and Korean speak pharmacists in NYC...so won't that be saturated as well?
Finding a job in Palm Beach is like looking for gold. Not fun.
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El Paso is overwhelmingly Mexican but they mostly speak English. If you get someone who doesn't, you will have interpreters in your store because there will be lots of bilingual people working with you. You will not be able to get out of dealing with customers as a retail pharmacist. There are lots of non-HIspanic, non-Spanish speaking pharmacists in El Paso.
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But there are TONS of Chinese and Korean speak pharmacists in NYC...so won't that be saturated as well?
Finding a job in Palm Beach is like looking for gold. Not fun.
Competition is very fierce in Chinatown.
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I figured. It's NYC the competition is fierce everywhere. It's okay though. I can't afford to pay 3K a month for a 1 bedroom apartment to live in manhattan anyways. Maybe later.
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Im not talking about jobs, Im talking about the store in general. I think you can find a job, but can the business thrive? there are so many pharmacies opening up... some with business plans... Others open and fail, right now independents arent doing so well in nyc, I work in the midtown area and I see a lot of them (independents) going out of business. Also there are so many pharmacies in Chinatown, what makes your pharmacy stand out from the other ones?
Some chinese pharmacies are turning into chains... I had a hard time finding a job as a intern... it's connections as well. Im abc... so maybe that's why didnt werent so excited about me lol.
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sorry to post late, but as a recent and former employee of RA. DO. NOT. JOIN. THEM!! you will find your soul slipping into the darkness and you compromise your standards to meet their unachievable goals. Like anywhere, well almost, once you sign the dotted line all the "we love you" gets forgotten.
PS. since I left, about 6 months ago, there have been 27 other pharmacists in the district that were let go. you could say they were bad.... but the chances that all 27 were, i dont think so
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So yeah, I interviewed for the position today, found out it is an overnight pharmacist position at the hospital and pays substantially more than what I get paid right now. Apparently this hospital does not hire people for daytime/afternoon-evening positions unless they have completed a residency because those positions have rounding, patient counseling/discharge responsibilities. Is that normal?
I thank you greatly for the heads up! Can I ask if this could be a situation more akin to your district than the company as a whole? And what types of standards did they hold you to that made it so horrible?
I was actually gunning for this 7 day on/ 7 day off, 84 hr/week overnight position with RA as I thought I could make better use of my time this way and also since it is overnite -- no doctor's or insurance (or patients) to call.... Would you say this type of setting could be tolerable? Can I ask what district (state) you belonged to where everyone got laid off?
It's just his district/store or it could just be him... I mean you hear horror stories about every retail chain, so don't rely on stories. Think about the vibe the DM gave you at your interview and talk to a couple of people currently working there if you can. For example, in my distract, one pharmacist loves his job and another hates it with a passion. I'm currently indifferent, but I do know I'd hate to work at certain stores tho lol
Personally, I'd love an overnight position because I'm a night owl... if you are like that then a night position would be perfect for you.
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It could have been just my district. but for some reason, my gut says that they are trying to find the right type of person that is content with jumping through hoops and do not question anything. For example, the stupied "15 min guarantee. or free gift card." what a crock of crap. if every RA pharmacy followed their procedure and handed them out, they would have stopped the practice 4 mins after starting it. at first they said it wouldnt count against our pharmacy for giving them out, then after 2 weeks, then.... well everything sucked. if you gave out more than X number, you were microscoped-- whats wrong, what the problem, whos the bad tech, whos the bad pharmacist, who/where is the problem? it was a huge witch hunt of pointing fingers. people were written up, customers complained, customers who "thought" they deserved one would call district/corp and complain/make up stuff to get freebies.
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It's normal in saturated portions of CA...exception if you were a top performer on rotations and are an in-house applicant (ie they know you).
But why not pick up a PGY1-trained pharmacist for the same price? Plus they'll have been licensed already and first year wrinkles hammered out. No waiting required.
I once saw an overnight posting with residency required at a major health system in San Diego. Don't know how well that recruiting is going, maybe they're testing the waters.
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Confetti's spot on.
No position "requires" a residency. The only "requirement" for any pharmacist posistion is that you are eligible/possess a license to practice pharmacy in that State.
But why wouldn't an employer try to hirer the best applicant available? Sometimes that may be a residency trained RPh, sometimes an in house transfer with years of experience, sometimes someone with a great reference from the Director, etc.
All I can say is once you get a job never stop getting those credentials. Last year I got my BLS, this year I'm getting ACLS, and will sit for the BCPS examination in October. I didn't do a residency. Didn't think they were "needed" when I graduated in 2010 and I still got a hospital job, but in 5 years or so, then yes, I do believe for new grads they won't get a spot without one. But I won't ever be competing with them, by then I will have 7 years experience and a BCPS. To compete against me you better damn well have a PGY-2; and that's just to get those staffing positions.
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in the end its up to WHO you are. Are you the person that will thrive in a certain field? then go for it, or make changes to get there. I am the perfect example. I still want to own my own pharmacy some day, but I now work for an organization (clinic format) that allows me to be a professional. Yes, we fill alot of Rx. and Yes, I still go crazy with some customers, however, I get to work with doctors and nurses. I get to have feed back into the health care system that improves most of the people under our care. Its too bad that chain retail has long since forgotten this. I still believe that some would flock to RA, or wags, or cvs or whom ever, IF they actually had the wellbeing of their customers on the foremost of everything that they did. treated their staff like humans- sort of like those tv ads of paying a good deed forward.
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That's gotta suck though for the resident. If I did a residency I would be pissed the **** off if I didn't start off as a clinical pharmacy manager/coordinator.
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