Pharmacy vs Medicine?

[Aviator97]

Hello. So I'm a sophomore in high school and really like biology and chemistry. I'm considering either become a pharmacist or getting into the medical field as a doctor and maybe specialize someday. So I have a couple of questions:

1.) Which of the two, pharmacy or medicine, uses more biology? Biology seems to be my strongest subject, and I think I would have more success in a career that involves more biology than chemistry.

2.) What are the pros and cons of pharmacy and what are the pros and cons of medicine?

3.) Is it true that medical students never get time to themselves and never get time to go out and do what they like to do because of the course load?

4.) is it also true that doctors never get a break from work and are working almost 24/7?

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[Seahawk]

Hello. So I'm a sophomore in high school and really like biology and chemistry. I'm considering either become a pharmacist or getting into the medical field as a doctor and maybe specialize someday. So I have a couple of questions:

1.) Which of the two, pharmacy or medicine, uses more biology? Biology seems to be my strongest subject, and I think I would have more success in a career that involves more biology than chemistry.

2.) What are the pros and cons of pharmacy and what are the pros and cons of medicine?

3.) Is it true that medical students never get time to themselves and never get time to go out and do what they like to do because of the course load?

4.) is it also true that doctors never get a break from work and are working almost 24/7?

1) I would say medicine. Pharm is definitely chem heavy.

2) Shadow both and see which one you like...Might not be either...Don't make the choice of who makes more money or works less hours. Not what you wanted I know.

3) Depends on what kind of student you are.

4) Depends on what kind of doctor you are.

 

[sjlamb77]

Hello. So I'm a sophomore in high school and really like biology and chemistry. I'm considering either become a pharmacist or getting into the medical field as a doctor and maybe specialize someday. So I have a couple of questions:

1.) Which of the two, pharmacy or medicine, uses more biology? Biology seems to be my strongest subject, and I think I would have more success in a career that involves more biology than chemistry.

2.) What are the pros and cons of pharmacy and what are the pros and cons of medicine?

3.) Is it true that medical students never get time to themselves and never get time to go out and do what they like to do because of the course load?

4.) is it also true that doctors never get a break from work and are working almost 24/7?

1)I would think medicine, but I'm not too familiar with pharm. Unless you're a researcher, I don't see much biology being used.

2) Medicine is much more diverse, whereas pharm is pharm. I've heard the job market isn't good for pharm right now, but please don't decide off my advice. Go shadow a pharmacist and talk to him about it.

3) Not at all. I know lots of medical students that have a great life outside of school. But they are very disciplined students. Study time is sacred, and they study a lot. Most of the day/weekend is studying, but you can still make plenty of time for friends or family if they are understanding of your schedule.

4) It always depends on specialty and where you work. In almost any field in medicine, once you are out of residency, you can mostly choose your hours. Some fields are easier to have better hours than others. Fields with typically good hours are PM&R, Psych, Family Med, Hospital Medicine (often 7 days on, 7 off), Pathology, Radiology, to name a few. Things like cardiology or neurosurgery are notoriously life-consuming, but these are always generalizations. The point is that lots of doctors can choose to have a good lifestyle of 40-50 hour work weeks, and some hospitalists and EM docs (and probably some others) I've heard of having 30 hour work weeks.

I know it's hard to shadow, but private family physicians are usually easy to shadow, as well as EM docs. Call the hospital human resources and ask about shadowing opportunities. Usually after a stack of paperwork, you can get scheduled to shadow. If not, volunteer at the local hospital and you'll be sure to get some kind of interaction going.

 

[mcworbust]

Hello. So I'm a sophomore in high school and really like biology and chemistry. I'm considering either become a pharmacist or getting into the medical field as a doctor and maybe specialize someday. So I have a couple of questions:

1.) Which of the two, pharmacy or medicine, uses more biology? Biology seems to be my strongest subject, and I think I would have more success in a career that involves more biology than chemistry.

2.) What are the pros and cons of pharmacy and what are the pros and cons of medicine?

3.) Is it true that medical students never get time to themselves and never get time to go out and do what they like to do because of the course load?

4.) is it also true that doctors never get a break from work and are working almost 24/7?

1. I'd say medicine uses more biology, but would assume its important in both.
2. Pharmacy - can't comment cuz im not in the field...
Medicine (wow I could make a huge list of pros/cons but for time's sake will be brief):
Pros - get to lead a healthcare team, responsibility for pt and outcome, diverse opportunities for patient care, scope of practice, type of practice (ie jack of all trades emergency med or specialist like ophthalmology or ENT, etc..), medicine is just amazing in general IMHO
Cons - DEBT! Lawsuits/need to cover one's a**, patients resistant to change, potentially harmful new healthcare legislation (PPACA - right idea to have universal healthcare, but in my humble opinion I dont think we have the infrastructure for it yet and I dont want government telling me I cant treat a patient when they need my help - I DONT wanna make this into a political debate but just want to note this legislation should be considered when considering medicine, for better or worse).
3. I go out very infrequently, and it is always scheduled and planned in advance. In general you can still have a life, but the days of spontaneously going bar hopping on tuesday nights are over
4. Residents for the most part yes, they're worked really really hard. Work hours decrease as an attending but lots of other things potentially pull on your time and you are now solely responsible for the patient, could be a bit more stressful...Attendings have a life, some more than others (Psych, FM more of a life than an Academic Neurosurgeon for example).

 

[Aviator97]

Cool thanks for your replies. im going to need to think this through some more...


EDIT: I don't want anything political to start here, but I hear that Obamacare is supposed to cut doctor salaries and may even get rid of some doctors? Anyone here anything about this? Again, not trying to start something political, just curious. And yes I know many people believe in not choosing a career based on money, but to me, after a year or so, its just going to be a job, and a job means its just going to be my work place, so the more money the better.

 

[septoplasty]

Cool thanks for your replies. im going to need to think this through some more...


EDIT: I don't want anything political to start here, but I hear that Obamacare is supposed to cut doctor salaries and may even get rid of some doctors? Anyone here anything about this? Again, not trying to start something political, just curious. And yes I know many people believe in not choosing a career based on money, but to me, after a year or so, its just going to be a job, and a job means its just going to be my work place, so the more money the better.

Anecdotal evidence wont get you far in life.

Obamacare will actually increase funding for primary care, and thus be a lot better. Also the fact that more people have insurance = more patients = more money. People who don't have insurance don't go to the PCP unless they're super sick, which wont be the case.