Medical School Afterwards?

[Anubis84]

You know...there are 78 other different things you could have done with your pharmacy degree. You didn't even give it a chance....how sad

Exactly! It's a slap in the face to the pharmacy profession. Pharmer took a spot from someone who really wanted to be a pharmacist. If you do a Google search for "PharmD, MD" or "OD, MD" or "DC, MD", you'll find a ton of physicians who started off as something else and used that degree as a stepping stone in order to become a physician. If you want to be a physician, then do whatever it takes to get into and MD or DO program, but if you want to be a pharmacist, then be one and be happy. If you want to enhance your clinical skills, get a PA-C, which is cheaper and easier. If you want additional training, get an MPH or MBA or MS in something clincial.

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[Anubis84]

Well I have successfully applied to both Pharmacy and Medical School. Not to sound arrogant or anything- Having done both, I have found that Pharmacy school was much easier to get into than medical school. I think it is a well accepted fact that medical school is in fact much harder to get into. Medical school requires extremly high grades, high test scores, research experice (for the top programs), community service, volunteer, shadowing, and an applicant to medical school is competing with a lot more people for a lot fewer spots. I took the PCAT cold and scored in the 99th percentile. I studied for months for the MCAT and scored in the 92 percentile.

However, not that this isin anyway relevant to the point of this thread. People should do what makes them most happy. I have several friends in pharmacy school that could have easily gotten into medical school, but decided against it. Just because I am saying medical school is much more competitive does not mean I am putting pharmacy down in any way. Please don't flame me for this. But, what was said was inaccurate.

"The competitiveness of applying to pharmacy school and medical school are totally different. It is like comparing the Smokey Mountains and to the Rocky Mountains. Sure, they are both mountains, but once you have seen the Rockies... the Smokies look like small hills."
-A friend who did both

Hey, my cat got into optometry school, and my pet Amoeba got into chriopractic school!

 

[pharmer]

Exactly! It's a slap in the face to the pharmacy profession. Pharmer took a spot from someone who really wanted to be a pharmacist. If you do a Google search for "PharmD, MD" or "OD, MD" or "DC, MD", you'll find a ton of physicians who started off as something else and used that degree as a stepping stone in order to become a physician. If you want to be a physician, then do whatever it takes to get into and MD or DO program, but if you want to be a pharmacist, then be one and be happy. If you want to enhance your clinical skills, get a PA-C, which is cheaper and easier. If you want additional training, get an MPH or MBA or MS in something clincial.

I've been holed up studying for finals or I would have seen this earlier and I just couldn't let it go (hence the reason for digging up an old post). Why is it ok to get another degree like a PA-C, JD, MBA, but not an MD? One can try and make the argument that with an MBA one will still be practicing pharmacy, which I will partially accept. A person w/ a JD is very doubltfully practicing pharmcy in the traditional sense. Now comes the real question...why is it ok in this poster mind to get a PA-C but not an MD? To me this would negate the whole reasoning and logic as to being against one pursing an MD. Finally this poster had to bring up the "you took a spot from someone who wanted to be a pharmacist" I think Anubis said it best "If you want to be a physician do what ever it takes to be a physician" well the same applies for that quote unqoute person's spot I took in pharmacy school. Come on, no one took anything away from another person!

 

[ultracet]

I've been holed up studying for finals or I would have seen this earlier and I just couldn't let it go (hence the reason for digging up an old post). Why is it ok to get another degree like a PA-C, JD, MBA, but not an MD? One can try and make the argument that with an MBA one will still be practicing pharmacy, which I will partially accept. A person w/ a JD is very doubltfully practicing pharmcy in the traditional sense. Now comes the real question...why is it ok in this poster mind to get a PA-C but not an MD? To me this would negate the whole reasoning and logic as to being against one pursing an MD. Finally this poster had to bring up the "you took a spot from someone who wanted to be a pharmacist" I think Anubis said it best "If you want to be a physician do what ever it takes to be a physician" well the same applies for that quote unqoute person's spot I took in pharmacy school. Come on, no one took anything away from another person!

I personally will have more respect for you if you are a pharmd/md rather than a pharmd/PA or NP...
i mean i guess i am an elitest (ok so i am) and i honestly feel that my pharmD means more than a PA who, while an invaluable resource for MDs, cannot do ANYTHING with out them or a nurse (again invaluable resource in healthcare).
I like my independence.
i would have a ton of respect for a md with a pharmd (hopefully a little work expierince) just because they know the level of education a pharmacist has and might be sympathetic to all of our problems.

i'm all about pharmacists in administration as well as throughout healthcare.

 

[caribbeanjp17]

Im a medical student from the caribbean, im off the island now but there were quite a few pharmacists in my class, one is actually still a friend of mine that i keep in contact with. The caribbean schools are always an option, for me it was my only option.

 

[Hello2011]

Im a medical student from the caribbean, im off the island now but there were quite a few pharmacists in my class, one is actually still a friend of mine that i keep in contact with. The caribbean schools are always an option, for me it was my only option.

Why was it your only option?

 

[xtsukiyox]

Hello, 2004.

 

[sA x sKy]

Hello, 2004.

lol I was 10!

 

[fun8stuff]

lol I was 10!

lol, just went back reading my old posts. funny how i mentioned radiology... that's where i ended up. still in residency. turns out- i don't want to have as much direct patient contact- they're so dirty! looking back, pharmacy is a great career that i did seriously consider.... glad i didn't do both! glad i ended up where i am at though, as i didn't enjoy working in a pharmacy, although i wouldn't have minded clinical or research work as much. but it's a career that i tell my wife she should have done, as the amount you are paid compared to the years of tuition you pay and how many hours/week you work is good.

you were 10? for real? i feel old now.