Pharmacy vs. Medicine

[samisab786]

I think there are topics about this already, but I wanted to discuss my options according to my POV.

For a very long time in high school, I was flip flopping between medicine and pharmacy. Now I'm a recent high school graduate and the school I'm going to now I chose because I'm staying at home for a year or two to get used to taking care of my diabetes before I decide to dorm. Therefore, I'm also contemplating on the option of transferring (but that decision will obviously wait till I actually attend school). When I came to the school on orientation day, I was told I got into the pharmacy program.

The reason I thought about pharmacy for a while was because I enjoyed chemistry in high school and thought pharmacy demands less time than medicine. My mom also really loved it when I put pharmacy as my list of choices because she said that it's a more relaxing job, it demands less of you unlike medicine while requiring some of the same pathways as medicine but in a different manner. And people also seem to be dropping out of medicine. I've been hearing how demanding the career is and how even intelligent students find it very difficult. For me, my best work does not come from me being super intelligent, I work REALLY hard. I've worked the hardest I possibly could in high school. So medical school seemed like a whole something else.

Then, another thought came about me. Ever since I was young, medicine has been on my mind. The thought of being a doctor has always fascinated me. No, it's not the pay, surprisingly. I am that kind of person that loves to help people through my personal experiences and mistakes and that's why I thought I should be an endocrinologist (because I'm a diabetic). I am a mix of people...a sort of comedian, a hard-worker, a struggler and a succeeder (as said by my mentor), and an inspirer (like I said, I help people from the mistakes I learn). And I thought all those can come together and get me going with a career in medicine. Even my doctor (pediatrician) said her diabetes inspired her to get a career in medicine.

After going to aspiringdocs.org and reading their inspirational stories, I thought I could do it. But then there are experiences of those around me--my cousin and other people who have been gifted straight A high school kids basically suffering in medical school. I was not a straight A student and had to basically sleep 3 hours each night to guarantee that highest honors sticker on my diploma.

That's why I need some help from people like you who could probably give me better insight. I really, really need help and would truly appreciate a serious, thoughtful answer with insight.

Thanks so much.
-Bagel

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[Terpskins99]

Sure, the money and the recognition of medicine is attractive. But what I really like about medicine is how cerebral it is (heheh, ever since I decided to pursue neurology thats become my new favorite adjective). I love being able to answer questions about how the body works, how it is affected by disease and what ways we can fix it.

While this sounds cliché, I really do take gratification out of helping people. People that come to the hospital are confused, scared or straight up frustrated. Often they have chronic issues that can't be fixed overnight. But almost all of them respond very well simply to someone taking the time to listen to them (an underappreciated skill that all doctors are emphasized to develop very early in their training). You see how simple things like that can really make a difference to another person on a daily basis.

 

[samisab786]

Sure, the money and the recognition of medicine is attractive. But what I really like about medicine is how cerebral it is (heheh, ever since I decided to pursue neurology thats become my new favorite adjective). I love being able to answer questions about how the body works, how it is affected by disease and what ways we can fix it.

While this sounds cliché, I really do take gratification out of helping people. People that come to the hospital are confused, scared or straight up frustrated. Often they have chronic issues that can't be fixed overnight. But almost all of them respond very well simply to someone taking the time to listen to them (an underappreciated skill that all doctors are emphasized to develop very early in their training). You see how simple things like that can really make a difference to another person on a daily basis.

Thanks for the response. I'm just wondering, how difficult do you think medicine is to pursue?

 

[Terpskins99]

Thanks for the response. I'm just wondering, how difficult do you think medicine is to pursue?

It takes a huge commitment to go into medicine. No question about it. Nothing in this line of work comes easy. It is hard to get into medical school. It is hard to get THROUGH medical school. It is hard to get into a residency (though this varies a lot depending on the specialty). And it is tremendously difficult to get through residency.

Every step along the way brings new challenges that seem to pile onto one another. Your training as a physician will likely be the most stressful period you will ever go through for the rest of your life. It took me a couple of years after college before I eventually got accepted to medical school and I used to think that once I got there everything would be fine. But by the end of my first week of med school classes, I was blown away at the amount of information they expected us to absorb. When I was in college, someone relayed this popular expression, "medical school is like trying to drink water from a fire hydrant". Seriously, there's no way to appreciate how true that statement is until you're actually there.

That said, you'll also surprise yourself with how resilient you are and how you're able to adapt to the situation. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be able to handle this kind of workload. But I did. Even though it feels as if every year someone is trying to push you a little bit more and try to get you over the edge, you find that you're able to stay afloat and eventually you expect to handle it.

 

[omnione]

I was a pre-med turned pre-med/pre-pharm turned pre-pharm during my college years.

Really, those two professions are really different aside from the time constraints involved in both. Hospital pharmacy can be demanding like the life of a MD or you could just have a simple 8-10 hour shift for a few days a week and be done with it. Pharmacy residencies also exist now too but its recent introduction has made competition fierce and the supply low. My switch was on these grounds as I wanted less drama and more flexibility in my life. However, both professions are very different though connected. You choose the one with the life and content that fits you the most. If medicine is the one that sparks your interest the most, then go for it until you've learned to love it or hate it.