Lost Pharmacy Student/ pharmacy informatics

[h123]

Hi everyone I was hoping to write on here and get some much needed advice since I feel like I don't really have anyone to turn to (this might be a bit long but I'm just so lost).

I'm currently a P3 student and I'm really interested in Pharmacy Informatics but I'm not sure what I can do to start getting experience in this area. For the first time in pharmacy school I feel like I found something that I'm really passionate to learn about. But unfortunatly, I don't know how I can get experience in this field and make my CV stand out. When looking at my CV, I'm not sure how original it is...I mean I have plenty of work experience, research, have held leadership positions, and I'm part of rho chi (but I don't really feel like employers look at rho chi too much). I've also tried looking for internships intensely but everything is in retail, I have signed up for every career board and if anything remotely comes up that may help me, I apply but I never hear back.

I really want to do informatics...but I don't know how to get started. There are so many residency programs out there and I don't know which ones to choose from. Is it usually a 1 year residency for informatics or do you have to do a second year specialized in that field. I would really appreciate if anyone in this field could reach out to me and hopefully provide guidance/be someone I can ask for for advice. I'm attending pharmacy school in the Virginia area currently.

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[Greatpharma]

Informatics is a specialization and therefore, you will need to do a PGY2 to work in that field. With that said, you can apply for a PGY1 program that also offers informatics residency. That may put you at a slight advantage for an informatics PGY2 spot later at the same institution assuming you will stay there. It is not guaranteed though. Another way is to choose your APPE with a focus in informatics and hopefully they will hire you as a prn right after school then work your way up to full-time position.

 

[PharmtoCS]

If informatics is your end goal then I would just drop out of pharmacy school and get a degree in informatics. The vast majority of opportunities available to pharmacists are still in retail.

 

[spacecowgirl]

2019 Pharmacy Clinical Informatics Summer Internship

APPLY FOR THE 2019 PHARMACY CLINICAL INFORMATICS SUMMER INTERNSHIP 2019 Internship Overview

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[PharmDBro2017]

There are a few Omnicell fellowships available, if you like informatics you should go for that.


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[njac]

You should work as a pharmacist before setting your heart on informatics - a PGY1 is a good place to start, if you can get a PGY2 in informatics - great! I don’t know how smooth the career path is without the residency. From what I’ve seen it’s a lot of being in the right place at the right time.

As a clinical pharmacist specialist (I recently was chided for just using specialist...) I can definitely see a difference when I’m working with An IT pharmacist who has clinical experience.

I love my IT pharmacists!


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[deleted264072]

If informatics is your end goal then I would just drop out of pharmacy school and get a degree in informatics. The vast majority of opportunities available to pharmacists are still

Hi everyone I was hoping to write on here and get some much needed advice since I feel like I don't really have anyone to turn to (this might be a bit long but I'm just so lost).

I'm currently a P3 student and I'm really interested in Pharmacy Informatics but I'm not sure what I can do to start getting experience in this area. For the first time in pharmacy school I feel like I found something that I'm really passionate to learn about. But unfortunatly, I don't know how I can get experience in this field and make my CV stand out. When looking at my CV, I'm not sure how original it is...I mean I have plenty of work experience, research, have held leadership positions, and I'm part of rho chi (but I don't really feel like employers look at rho chi too much). I've also tried looking for internships intensely but everything is in retail, I have signed up for every career board and if anything remotely comes up that may help me, I apply but I never hear back.

I really want to do informatics...but I don't know how to get started. There are so many residency programs out there and I don't know which ones to choose from. Is it usually a 1 year residency for informatics or do you have to do a second year specialized in that field. I would really appreciate if anyone in this field could reach out to me and hopefully provide guidance/be someone I can ask for for advice. I'm attending pharmacy school in the Virginia area currently.
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If you like to code, pls jump into this field: Data Science. Do not waste your time in Pharmacy School. Currently, I’ve seen many family friends who had little or no background in computer science making 100000k to 120000. They trained for weeks and got employed thereafter.
Look up for courses in

1. ETL Informatica
2. SQL
3. Tableau
4. Python

these are just a few.

Honestly, I’m going to also going to inform you about the struggles you will encounter.

The IT field is predominantly controlled by these groups of foreigners. They like to hire only their countrymen. 99% of the hiring process and employment is determined by them. So be prepared to deal with the Trauma


://www.indeed.com/forum/gen/Job-Interviews/Experience-Suspicious-Recruiters/t534774d this:



Watch this video and ask yourselves why do we have to go through this:




Again, there is money in this profession

 

[jecpharm89]

I would not waste your time with a PGY-1. Get APPE experience or an unpaid internship with an informatics preceptor. Network like crazy even as a student and you can do it. I had a friend who right after school got a job in informatics. She didn’t even work as a student. It’s possible with networking/connections. A residency will be an absolute waste of your time.

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

Hi everyone I was hoping to write on here and get some much needed advice since I feel like I don't really have anyone to turn to (this might be a bit long but I'm just so lost).

I'm currently a P3 student and I'm really interested in Pharmacy Informatics but I'm not sure what I can do to start getting experience in this area. For the first time in pharmacy school I feel like I found something that I'm really passionate to learn about. But unfortunatly, I don't know how I can get experience in this field and make my CV stand out. When looking at my CV, I'm not sure how original it is...I mean I have plenty of work experience, research, have held leadership positions, and I'm part of rho chi (but I don't really feel like employers look at rho chi too much). I've also tried looking for internships intensely but everything is in retail, I have signed up for every career board and if anything remotely comes up that may help me, I apply but I never hear back.

I really want to do informatics...but I don't know how to get started. There are so many residency programs out there and I don't know which ones to choose from. Is it usually a 1 year residency for informatics or do you have to do a second year specialized in that field. I would really appreciate if anyone in this field could reach out to me and hopefully provide guidance/be someone I can ask for for advice. I'm attending pharmacy school in the Virginia area currently.

I’m always curious how students with no experience always are always so “interested” and “passionate” about things like informatics. Why are you interested in informatics? How did this come to be? How do you even know you will enjoy it?

 

[abrahamdrinkin]

I’m always curious how students with no experience always are always so “interested” and “passionate” about things like informatics. Why are you interested in informatics? How did this come to be? How do you even know you will enjoy it?

I too am realllllly interested in having a nice schedule and more work flexibility. It’s something I’m very passionate about.

 

[flip33]

I worked with a pharmacist who got a year of hospital pharmacy experience, and then did an online MPH informatics degree. They got a job immediately.

 

[rxkrafted]

Why don't you just pick an informatics rotation site for next year and ask your preceptor? You might get a more detailed answer

 

[gwarm01]

I too am realllllly interested in having a nice schedule and more work flexibility. It’s something I’m very passionate about.

It's funny how many of us have a passion for clinical work until we have to constantly work nights, evenings, weekends, holidays, with no set schedule. It can be very damaging to your personal life. Three years of that was all I could take.

It's also funny how many pharmacy students want to jump right into informatics without at least a little bit of pharmacy practice under your belt. Why would anyone hire you at a pharmacist's salary when you don't have any sort of practical experience? At that point you're no different than any other non-clinical analyst.

 

[rxkrafted]

It's funny how many of us have a passion for clinical work until we have to constantly work nights, evenings, weekends, holidays, with no set schedule. It can be very damaging to your personal life. Three years of that was all I could take.

It's also funny how many pharmacy students want to jump right into informatics without at least a little bit of pharmacy practice under your belt. Why would anyone hire you at a pharmacist's salary when you don't have any sort of practical experience? At that point you're no different than any other non-clinical analyst.

They don't realize that they have to actually apply clinical knowledge and familiarity of hospital workflow before they can start reflexing orders and creating order sets. You can't and should not jump into informatics straight out of school which is a reason why they require you to finish at least a PGY1 or 3 years practice experience before you can even be eligible for PGY2 informatics (if that's the route OP wants to go).

 

[gwarm01]

They don't realize that they have to actually apply clinical knowledge and familiarity of hospital workflow before they can start reflexing orders and creating order sets. You can't and should not jump into informatics straight out of school which is a reason why they require you to finish at least a PGY1 or 3 years practice experience before you can even be eligible for PGY2 informatics (if that's the route OP wants to go).

This ignorance is often expressed through questions like "what sort of programming language do I need to know for informatics?"

I know a few people who have SQL skills and use them to write queries, but it just isn't something that comes up for the majority of what I do.

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

This ignorance is often expressed through questions like "what sort of programming language do I need to know for informatics?"

I know a few people who have SQL skills and use them to write queries, but it just isn't something that comes up for the majority of what I do.

This can be applied to any pharmacy student who wants to do something “non-traditional” immediately post-graduation. As a new grad, you have zero experience as an actual pharmacist so there is literally nothing you can offer an employer; yet I see mounds and mounds of students trying to looking for specialized jobs during their P4 year because “residency/fellowship is cheap labor and is a scam.”

Anyone can learn how to code or pick up some basic knowledge in a clinical domain because there are tons of free resources out there that anyone can take advantage of, but there is one thing that is irreplaceable and that is the perspective gained from real work experience.

 

[PharmtoCS]

“How can I land a gig that offers the prestige and pay of a PharmD and offers the flexible hours and lower stress lifestyle of an informaticist”

 

[spacecowgirl]

This can be applied to any pharmacy student who wants to do something “non-traditional” immediately post-graduation. As a new grad, you have zero experience as an actual pharmacist so there is literally nothing you can offer an employer; yet I see mounds and mounds of students trying to looking for specialized jobs during their P4 year because “residency/fellowship is cheap labor and is a scam.”

Anyone can learn how to code or pick up some basic knowledge in a clinical domain because there are tons of free resources out there that anyone can take advantage of, but there is one thing that is irreplaceable and that is the perspective gained from real work experience.

This. I was talking to a P4 about industry and they weren't planning to do a fellowship or residency and try to apply right after graduation because they had "unique skills" (research, etc) I get these questions often because I have one of those non-traditional jobs, but this is what I will tell the next P4. You can have unique skills but if someone is hiring a pharmacist, they are looking for pharmacist skills and regardless of how long you've interned at CVS, it's not pharmacisting.

 

[GradVantageRx]

There isn't a good substitute for r*postgraduate* training in terms of getting your foot in the door to an infomratics job, but there are also TONS of great resources online to learn the basics.

Edited for clarity

 

[lord999]

There isn't a good substitute for residency training in terms of getting your foot in the door to an infomratics job, but there are also TONS of great resources online to learn the basics.

BS, in fact residents are still considered to be inferior to NLM fellows even today. Not that you could explain to anyone then or now due to the insularity of pharmacy.

 

[GradVantageRx]

You're absolutely right, I thought "postgraduate training" and typed "residency training"

I've edited my post for clarity.