Would you still go to pharmacy school?

[Sparda29]

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[vasoolraja]

Think before posting such question. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

I know it is almost impossible. I am thinking of a hypothetical situation to see if salary is a motivating factor in choosing pharmacy. During an interview if you were asked "why pharmacy?" would you say salary is one of the reasons, in addition to helping patients, interest in chem, maths, etc?
My reasons are the following:
I like studying about drugs and medicines, I like to help people, I like the prestige associated with being a pharmacist and I like the salary!!!

 

[Trankuil]

So be honest in your interview. I would just mention thos other things before the money. You are garunteed to be asked that question in your interview.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

To be completely honest, I cringe every time I see a kid come in and interview for an intern position and the first thing out of their mouth is "I want to help people."

I fear they are complete bull****ters from day 1.

My opinion isn't shared by the majority of people.

 

[Trankuil]

To be completely honest, I cringe every time I see a kid come in and interview for an intern position and the first thing out of their mouth is "I want to help people."

I fear they are complete bull****ters from day 1.

My opinion isn't shared by the majority of people.

I think your position is completely validated, all pre-health students are fed that this should be their "main" reason for wanting in a health profession, so its just regurgitated. Thats why I said be honest in the interview. I think panels look more for yuor genuine character and want to see that, more than just regurgitated garbage that you think they want to here.

 

[byork]

I think panels look more for yuor genuine character and want to see that, more than just regurgitated garbage that you think they want to here.

Really?

"I'm in it for the prestige and money" will get you +1 points for honesty but -50 points for being a crappy candidate.

"I like to help people" won't get you full points. But its better than full and brutal honesty. You can be honest that you have a crappy character. It doesn't change your crappy character.

 

[Trankuil]

I didnt say to make your first words "im in it for the money" because you are right that that would not get you anywhere. Obviously you should be smart in your interview, and my comment was more towards the overall interview not just this question.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I split the difference, and go into how much I'm fascinated by the profession itself, how I am intrigued by MoA and pharmacokinetics, etc.

It performs better than "money" and "help people" every time.

 

[phathead]

I like seeing obese women who lift up their shirts to show me the rash under the massive sagging tits during the summer. That's why I'm in pharmacy.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I like seeing obese women who lift up their shirts to show me the rash under the massive sagging tits during the summer. That's why I'm in pharmacy.

You're looking at America right there, buddy.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Huh? Does this vary from place to place? No CC around here offers free classes in anything. In fact, I know quite a few RN's who will be pleased when I let them know that their degrees didn't cost them anything...

http://www.cnm.edu/shared/shared_registration/Tuition_Rates.pdf
It is essentially a fee of $5/credit hr for trade courses. However, you pay for general ed courses.

 

[sprinkle0420]

I like seeing obese women who lift up their shirts to show me the rash under the massive sagging tits during the summer. That's why I'm in pharmacy.

Bwahahaha! Now that's an honest answer I can appreciate.

 

[JBudege]

I heard that techs make $45/hour with a $10,000 signing bonus in Alaska.

I am calling B.S on this again. If you do the math it comes out to $93.6k a year. There's a need for tech's that earn almost 6 figures? If this is seriously true tell me where. **** pharmacy school, I am moving to Alaska.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I didnt say to make your first words "im in it for the money" because you are right that that would not get you anywhere. Obviously you should be smart in your interview, and my comment was more towards the overall interview not just this question.

You have to dress it up. On of the first things I said in my school interview was, "It is a career that offers both employment and financial security."

Well, at least it was in 2003.

 

[owlegrad]

To be completely honest, I cringe every time I see a kid come in and interview for an intern position and the first thing out of their mouth is "I want to help people."

I fear they are complete bull****ters from day 1.

My opinion isn't shared by the majority of people.

Agree 100%.

During one of my interview when asked that question I said it was because I wanted the respect that comes with being a health professional (among other things). I didn't want to bring up money in an interview. The interviewer responded, "Don't you know you are supposed to say to help people". I laughed out load. It never occurred to me to say that. I can think of hundreds of ways to help people that don't include being a pharmacist. What a load of bull.

I think if I am ever interviewing someone and they tell me that I will call them out on it. Really press them for how exactly they are gonna do that. Are they gonna volunteer for mission trips to foreign countries? Donate their time to charities? Will their paychecks go to Habitat for Humanity? Every interviewee who feeds me that line is gonna regret it.

 

[pinksparkly]

I am calling B.S on this again. If you do the math it comes out to $93.6k a year. There's a need for tech's that earn almost 6 figures? If this is seriously true tell me where. **** pharmacy school, I am moving to Alaska.

I was making a joke. In the Pharmacy forum, it seems to come up quite often that pharmacists in Alaska allegedly make a crapload of money and get huge signing bonuses.

 

[lauradiddle]

Laura, I'm guessing you're at the Med Center, right?

In Houston? No. I work at a pretty big hospital in DFW though.

I don't make $20 an hour... just under $16, but with shift differentials and overtime pay I'll gross at least $35K this year.

 

[Passion4Sci]

In Houston? No. I work at a pretty big hospital in DFW though.

I don't make $20 an hour... just under $16, but with shift differentials and overtime pay I'll gross at least $35K this year.

Ah, this changes things a lot.

 

[Tinkerbell22]

To be completely honest, I cringe every time I see a kid come in and interview for an intern position and the first thing out of their mouth is "I want to help people."

I fear they are complete bull****ters from day 1.

My opinion isn't shared by the majority of people.

I actually think quite a few people probably feel the same way you do... maybe not the majority, but a good amount. There are so many other ways to explain yourself, and sorry for those who can't think of them.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to help people in some way, but pharmacy is more specific than that, and there are much better answers for people who actually take the time to sit there and figure out exactly how they feel/what they want to say.

I like seeing obese women who lift up their shirts to show me the rash under the massive sagging tits during the summer. That's why I'm in pharmacy.

Oh you got one of those this week? Cuz I definitely did...

 

[ChemistWiz]

If pharmacy offered that little of pay I'd just become an anesthesiologist. That way I got good pay, got to work with chemistry still, and my 8 years of school wouldn't feel like a waste.

To add to the pay comment though, I currently work at my doctors office and get paid around 17 dollars an hour. Given I only work 3, 4-hour days a week but still.....

 

[Passion4Sci]

If pharmacy offered that little of pay I'd just become an anesthesiologist. That way I got good pay, got to work with chemistry still, and my 8 years of school wouldn't feel like a waste.

To add to the pay comment though, I currently work at my doctors office and get paid around 17 dollars an hour. Given I only work 3, 4-hour days a week but still.....

Med school eh?

 

[atticus27]

**** no.

 

[ChemistWiz]

Med school eh?

I've toyed with the idea,but the med students are extremest. I like pharmacy, it allows me to have a life, plus I could always go like WVU and work in a hospital, it would be like my own scrubs

 

[rxlea]

Yeah- I heard Santa's Little Workshop was offering 30K sign-on bonuses.

 

[ChemistWiz]

Yeah- I heard Santa's Little Workshop was offering 30K sign-on bonuses.

SCORE! I GET TO WORK WITH SANTA!

 

[Charlemagne]

I've toyed with the idea,but the med students are extremest. I like pharmacy, it allows me to have a life, plus I could always go like WVU and work in a hospital, it would be like my own scrubs

Have you contemplated dentistry? Ability to build your own practice or buy an existing one, more laid back except for some corporate dentistry jobs, no mandatory residency after dental school, higher average pay, etc.

Although a bit more competitive, I think it's a safe career choice.

 

[ChemistWiz]

Have you contemplated dentistry? Ability to build your own practice or buy an existing one, more laid back except for some corporate dentistry jobs, no mandatory residency after dental school, higher average pay, etc.

Although a bit more competitive, I think it's a safe career choice.

I have considered it, but I guess i just don't feel the thrill from it like i would like to have. Of course when I'm studying at 3 or 4 in the morning it'll be hard to find the thrill in anything.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

If pharmacy offered that little of pay I'd just become an anesthesiologist. That way I got good pay, got to work with chemistry still, and my 8 years of school wouldn't feel like a waste.

To add to the pay comment though, I currently work at my doctors office and get paid around 17 dollars an hour. Given I only work 3, 4-hour days a week but still.....

You forgot the 4 years of residency.....

 

[ChemistWiz]

You forgot the 4 years of residency.....

actually 6. But i look at that as grosssly underpaid schooling, where im getting paid to learn.

 

[UNMorBUST]

actually 6. But i look at that as grosssly underpaid schooling, where im getting paid to learn.

Actually four. That is unless you pursue a fellowship. However, there may six year residencies(You can provide me with examples). The majority I believe are four(perhaps all are).

 

[joetrisman]

Actually four. That is unless you pursue a fellowship. However, there may six year residencies(You can provide me with examples). The majority I believe are four(perhaps all are).

Endocrinologist. I really wanted to be one after I decided on healthcare, but the three years of fellowship after the four years of residency turned me off. 4 yrs undergrad + 4 yrs med school + 4 years residency + 3 yrs fellowship = 15 yrs....no thanks

 

[UNMorBUST]

Endocrinologist. I really wanted to be one after I decided on healthcare, but the three years of fellowship after the four years of residency turned me off. 4 yrs undergrad + 4 yrs med school + 4 years residency + 3 yrs fellowship = 15 yrs....no thanks

The worst are fellowships after completing surgical residencies. Those people have got to be sadistic.

Edit: To add what I would like to do; I would like to do Infectious diease fellowship after internal medicine. However, being a doctor is so much dang work.

 

[ChemistWiz]

Anesthesiologist require a surgeon residency of 4-6 years plus a fellowship. However, there are a few that are 3. A lot of Neurologists go onto fellowships adding another 2 or 3 years. All surgeons require long residencies 0f 5-6 years.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Anesthesiologist require a surgeon residency of 4-6 years plus a fellowship. However, there are a few that are 3. A lot of Neurologists go onto fellowships adding another 2 or 3 years. All surgeons require long residencies 0f 5-6 years.

No. They need a surgery intern YEAR.

 

[ChemistWiz]

don't all medical residencies require an intern year?

 

[UNMorBUST]

don't all medical residencies require an intern year?

Yes every medical residency requires an intern year. However, there are two types of internships: Surgical and Medical. Since many types of residencies don't fall into these two types (derm,optho,Anesthesiology,etc) residents of these programs must pursue an intern year in these two types of internships.
Example: Anesthesiolgy= 1 year internship in surgery+ 3 years of anesthesiolgy residency = a Anesthesiolgist.

There are always exceptions to this, but this is the typical path to become and Anesthesiologist.

 

[ChemistWiz]

Well I meant to imply that. But yes you are correct.

 

[UNMorBUST]

Well I meant to imply that. But yes you are correct.

Good, we rock.

 

[ChemistWiz]

agreed.

 

[SHC1984]

Have you contemplated dentistry? Ability to build your own practice or buy an existing one, more laid back except for some corporate dentistry jobs, no mandatory residency after dental school, higher average pay, etc.

Although a bit more competitive, I think it's a safe career choice.

Been there, done that. The idea of putting my hands on another human being, especially in the mouth is just no fun...no matter how high the pay is.

If I knew pharmacy was going to be like this (surplus, too many schools etc.) I would have gone into investment banking or something. I wish I can go back in time and went that route instead.

 

[joetrisman]

Been there, done that. The idea of putting my hands on another human being, especially in the mouth is just no fun...no matter how high the pay is.

If I knew pharmacy was going to be like this (surplus, too many schools etc.) I would have gone into investment banking or something. I wish I can go back in time and went that route instead.

My buddy in investment banking works 80+ hrs a week (basically lives in his office, often posting up on FB that he's leaving at 3am or whatever) and is banking in the low 200k. Says he knows he'll be burnt out in the next 5 years and will have to make a career change. Life like that makes CVS sound like a vacation resort.

 

[deleted329060]

nvm irrelevant

 

[SHC1984]

My buddy in investment banking works 80+ hrs a week (basically lives in his office, often posting up on FB that he's leaving at 3am or whatever) and is banking in the low 200k. Says he knows he'll be burnt out in the next 5 years and will have to make a career change. Life like that makes CVS sound like a vacation resort.

The salary sounds great but I don't know about the 80+ hrs per week. I worked over 80 hrs one week at a restaurant and it was very tiring. Anything more than 60 hours a week is too much! lol

 

[busyizzy]

The salary sounds great but I don't know about the 80+ hrs per week. I worked over 80 hrs one week at a restaurant and it was very tiring. Anything more than 60 hours a week is too much! lol

Well, if an average pharm salary is around 90-110k for 40 hours a week, if you pull in 80 hours a week, you'd probably make 200k+, especially with overtime. Whether you can FIND a job with 80 hours a week is the tricky thing though... specially with the economy the way it is....

And I would never EVER work 80 hours a week. Maybe the first year after graduating.... but man, I like being lazy too much to work THAT much.

 

[Charlemagne]

Been there, done that. The idea of putting my hands on another human being, especially in the mouth is just no fun...no matter how high the pay is.

If I knew pharmacy was going to be like this (surplus, too many schools etc.) I would have gone into investment banking or something. I wish I can go back in time and went that route instead.

Like some posters have said above, everything is relative. One person may absolutely detest human beings on a fundamental level and will not mind working in a office 80 hours a week while some people will love watching orthogonal surgery and extracting 3rd molars( weird, I know.)

 

[UNMorBUST]

Like some posters have said above, everything is relative. One person may absolutely detest human beings on a fundamental level and will not mind working in a office 80 hours a week while some people will love watching orthogonal surgery and extracting 3rd molars( weird, I know.)

I have started watching all kinds of surgeries on youtube. Am I weird???

 

[Sparda29]

Starting salary at Costco for pharmacists right now is around $62/hour. If you work 80 hours/week, you're getting OT pay for 40 hours. Comes out to $6300/week or $327600/year before Uncle Sam rapes your paycheck.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Yeah, taxes are like Money-B-Gon.

Although, if you're smart, you'd have ways around that. A good CPA can go a long, long way in protecting a lot of your money. The system is built for rich people by rich people.

 

[SHC1984]

Good point guys...but I don't know any pharmacies that would allow a pharmacist to work that much overtime. At Walgreens my pharmacy manager often work overtime and she doesn't even get paid for it. I hear a lot of pharmacies are cutting out OT for pharmacists.

However, I agree I would NEVER want to work 80+ hours a week. I think 60 hours a week is my MAX. LOL.... Ideally I would want to work about 30 hours a week though...if I can afford to.

 

[SHC1984]

Although, if you're smart, you'd have ways around that. A good CPA can go a long, long way in protecting a lot of your money. The system is built for rich people by rich people.

Or own your own business...that way you don't have to report everything...hehehe....