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Thinking of becoming a pharmacist.

post #1 of 29
8/9/09 at 7:02pm
Thread Starter 
Anyone here have any experience? Would you say it's a good profession?
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post #2 of 29
8/9/09 at 7:26pm
IMO, good profession, good ROI on the tuition dollar, and good bullshit/pay ratio. Specialize in gero-pharmacology. Just trust me on this. You will become a highly paid consultant, making far more than working pharms, in about 10 years.
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post #3 of 29
8/9/09 at 8:05pm
My sister-in-law is a pharmacist. She seems to enjoy the work, but says it gets pretty repetitive and dull sometimes. The pay is good, but you have to work odd/weekend hours. While I wouldn't do it, it will be a pretty stable job for the foreseeable future.
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post #4 of 29
8/9/09 at 8:07pm
I know a couple, they enjoy it but it's boring. If I didn't hate Chem with a passion, I'd give it a shot.
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post #5 of 29
8/9/09 at 8:19pm
Have a friend who's a pharmacist working for CVS. She works nights one week on and one week off. Not sure how much she makes but she likes it and says it's easy work. Pretty stable profession as well. When I was a med student, one of the residents used to be a pharmacist. Said he was making good money and wasn't really sure why he gave it up for the hell of going to medical school except that he'd always wanted to be a doctor. Didn't go into the details but he mentioned that his classmates were all making good money and that companies tend to recruit you 1+ years before you even graduate.
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post #6 of 29
8/9/09 at 8:36pm
The pharmacist in your average pharmacy always seems really bored.
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post #7 of 29
8/9/09 at 8:46pm
I was talking with an old friend who's a pharmacist in Canada. He owns two independent stores and has done quite well. A large chain has just offered to buy him out lock, stock and barrel or in this case, his location, inventory and client lists. When all is said and done the deal is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 5 million.

Nice neighbourhood.

lefty
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post #8 of 29
8/9/09 at 10:06pm
I'm starting pharmacy school this week. Great career, and work your 40 hours and get paid well. Can be stressful but that's like any career. Lots of room to specialize or go into administration, law, or own your own independent. Many go retail (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) but you can also go into the clinical side with a residency. If you're coming right out of high school, you can get your PharmD is potentially 5-6 years. Work or volunteer in a pharmacy as a technician to get the experience and see if it's for you. Highly suggest you go here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=54
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post #9 of 29
8/9/09 at 10:46pm
I originally was headed in that direction for a career. I decided that I was chasing the money and had no real interest in doing it for a living.

So if you don't really like it/want to do it, I'd recommend you don't. I volunteered/interned in a hospital pharmacy it was cool and fun. Most of my experience saw the pharmacist sitting and checking prescriptions and not doing much else. Techs do most of the works.

My aunt is one, she told me its easy to get burnt out and stress does exist. One of the downsides is working random days/hours and occasionally holidays.
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post #10 of 29
8/10/09 at 3:56am
I believe that pharmacy is a good career. There are stresses to the job and working in a retail atmosphere can be boring to some but it is a career that pays well and has many benefits.
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post #11 of 29
8/10/09 at 12:46pm
My law school buddy worked as a pharmacist before and all throughout law school, at CVS. He made $100k a year before law school. On weekends during law school, he'd put in ~20 hrs at around $56/hr. He's a great bullshitter, so he enjoys interacting with people. I think he even got to tackle a shoplifter once after the shoplifter ran from the cops. He really likes it and is using it as a springboard to get into IP law.
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post #12 of 29
8/10/09 at 3:16pm
Hey,

You could also go into the PharmD programs which allows you to become a clinical pharmacist, which is somewhat of a hybrid between being a pharmacist and being a physician. You deal more closely with patients and monitor their health while on various drugs and you interact a lot with people (patients/physicians). I believe there is a lot of work in hospitals for this career choice. Just a thought.
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post #13 of 29
8/10/09 at 3:23pm
My wife is a pharmacist. The pay is good and the job is steady. There are high points (such as patients showing their appreciation when she gives them good counsel) and low points (standing on your feet for a 12 hour shift filling 400 scripts). Sometimes it can be monotonous and sometimes it's rewarding.
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post #14 of 29
8/10/09 at 4:06pm
I know two twins who just entered the trade. They seem happy.
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post #15 of 29
8/10/09 at 4:09pm
Well paid job. From what I heard, not hard to find work at a high salary. That beats a lot of other professions.
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