- Joined
- Jul 8, 2006
- Messages
- 27
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I have to start this post by saying to the moderators of student doctor network, please do not move this thread to the "job outlook" mega thread. The reasons I say this is when I searched unemployed pharmacist studentdoctor does not get great hits for this bc Google indexes a lot based upon title of the actual Thread. I am hoping my story can give some good insight into some things the profession is facing and the struggle I am facing.
This is a serious post so please keep responses serious. I am also reaching out for any advice any member on these forums can offer.
To start, I am a licensed pharmacist in 2 and soon to be other states. I have a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree, completed an ASHP accredited residency and was later certified in Geriatrics with fellowship. I worked as a hospital staff pharmacist, a clinical pharmacy specialist, a clinical pharmacy manager, and brief stint in consulting pharmacy. I do have retail pharmacy experience as well.
My references are top notch from both physicians and pharmacists.
I left a job I had to relocate for a new job; however, due to the economy the company lost the contract and went under. Due to laws regarding length of employment necessary to qualify for unemployment, I did not qualify.
I have landed Per Diem work but hours are few and far between. Hours are given based on seniority. I am willing to work any shift in any pharmacy setting and willing to do it for less than other pharmacists are paid (rate here is 48-51). We all say it is about networking but the problem is there aren't jobs to network into especially with 60+ pharmacists applying for one job. I have a strong network from pharmacists I worked with, residency people, others I knew from school, and those I met at national pharmacy meetings.
To give more light on the pharmacy situation in my area, a local Director of Pharmacy left his position in a hospital on good terms. This director has PharmD, MBA, around twenty years of experience. He could only find a per diem position and eventually an overnight 7on 7 off job as a hospital staff pharmacist when the previous pharmacist was terminated for reasons beyond my knowledge. I know this former director.
You might ask why don't you go back to where you used to work? Well after I left that position and relocated, the hospital was not doing well financially because it was mostly Medicaid type payments. The hospital consolidated the clinical manager position I had with the pharmacy manager position into one to reduce a pharmacist position for budget reasons.
Here I am today, I spend majority of my days reaching out to contacts, cold calling, stopping by every pharmacy in a 100 mile radius, handing out copies of my CV, and looking for other ways to get additional training.
I do not wish this situation on anyone. I do have large loans from pharmacy school still and a family. We are barely getting by. I spoke to a few Professor friends of mine at pharmacy colleges in the Midwest that said their graduating classes are having an incredibly hard time finding anything.
I spoke to the retail chain pharmacies about working but they want those with very high volume experience and I was told that with my hospital background I would leave the position if a hospital job opened.
I see so many people post on these forums that are directors and pharmacists elsewhere. Is there any sound advice anyone can offer? I am willing to sleep in a motel and work in a far away location if need be.
Am I able to work as a pharmacy technician? I feel liked training and work experience is going to waste. The doctors I worked with can't believe how pharmacy world is different but the pharmacists I worked with all know and some pharmacists and technicians were recently laid off.
Its Z, PHarmercyst and everyone else, if you have any sort of good advice, please advice. I can exchange telephone numbers if you private message me on here. I haven't posted in a long time but I am desperate. Please understand this is very difficult for me to share this information on such a public forum.
I look forward to any positive information anyone can share.
This is a serious post so please keep responses serious. I am also reaching out for any advice any member on these forums can offer.
To start, I am a licensed pharmacist in 2 and soon to be other states. I have a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree, completed an ASHP accredited residency and was later certified in Geriatrics with fellowship. I worked as a hospital staff pharmacist, a clinical pharmacy specialist, a clinical pharmacy manager, and brief stint in consulting pharmacy. I do have retail pharmacy experience as well.
My references are top notch from both physicians and pharmacists.
I left a job I had to relocate for a new job; however, due to the economy the company lost the contract and went under. Due to laws regarding length of employment necessary to qualify for unemployment, I did not qualify.
I have landed Per Diem work but hours are few and far between. Hours are given based on seniority. I am willing to work any shift in any pharmacy setting and willing to do it for less than other pharmacists are paid (rate here is 48-51). We all say it is about networking but the problem is there aren't jobs to network into especially with 60+ pharmacists applying for one job. I have a strong network from pharmacists I worked with, residency people, others I knew from school, and those I met at national pharmacy meetings.
To give more light on the pharmacy situation in my area, a local Director of Pharmacy left his position in a hospital on good terms. This director has PharmD, MBA, around twenty years of experience. He could only find a per diem position and eventually an overnight 7on 7 off job as a hospital staff pharmacist when the previous pharmacist was terminated for reasons beyond my knowledge. I know this former director.
You might ask why don't you go back to where you used to work? Well after I left that position and relocated, the hospital was not doing well financially because it was mostly Medicaid type payments. The hospital consolidated the clinical manager position I had with the pharmacy manager position into one to reduce a pharmacist position for budget reasons.
Here I am today, I spend majority of my days reaching out to contacts, cold calling, stopping by every pharmacy in a 100 mile radius, handing out copies of my CV, and looking for other ways to get additional training.
I do not wish this situation on anyone. I do have large loans from pharmacy school still and a family. We are barely getting by. I spoke to a few Professor friends of mine at pharmacy colleges in the Midwest that said their graduating classes are having an incredibly hard time finding anything.
I spoke to the retail chain pharmacies about working but they want those with very high volume experience and I was told that with my hospital background I would leave the position if a hospital job opened.
I see so many people post on these forums that are directors and pharmacists elsewhere. Is there any sound advice anyone can offer? I am willing to sleep in a motel and work in a far away location if need be.
Am I able to work as a pharmacy technician? I feel liked training and work experience is going to waste. The doctors I worked with can't believe how pharmacy world is different but the pharmacists I worked with all know and some pharmacists and technicians were recently laid off.
Its Z, PHarmercyst and everyone else, if you have any sort of good advice, please advice. I can exchange telephone numbers if you private message me on here. I haven't posted in a long time but I am desperate. Please understand this is very difficult for me to share this information on such a public forum.
I look forward to any positive information anyone can share.
. Finding a job now is about patience and willing to relocate. I think the class of 2013 will fill up the remaining jobs and the class of 2014 onwards will have an enormously hard time finding jobs but thats just me.
