Nursing vs Pharmacy school

[tsal714]

Hi guys,

 

I'm a 4th year Canadian university student graduating this year. I will have a Chemistry degree. I chose Chemistry based on interest but I know that the job prospects in this field is not great (Nursing and Pharmacy are better) and there aren't a lot of demand for chemists. I've also always wanted to work in health care so I kind of regret taking Chemistry in the first place. I've decided to go into either a Pharmacy or Nursing school but I'm having a difficult time choosing between the two. I know I'll have to make the decision but I would love to hear other people's input (I think it would be best to hear from those who were in the same position before or those who have been in Nursing and/or Pharmacy school although anyone may feel free to respond). I would really like a good, stable, and in demand job.

 

Why I'm thinking of choosing pharmacy:

1) If I were to choose between the two based on interest I would pick pharmacy. I've worked at a  pharmacy as a pharmacy assistant and I think it's a job that I would enjoy. I am also more interested in Chemistry though I didn't do well in Organic Chemistry. I enjoyed pretty much all Chemistry lectures I had - I liked learning the material and I usually don't find it difficult to pay attention in lecture unlike most of my Biology/ Biochemistry courses. That being said, I think I would also like Nursing but I'd probably like Pharmacy a bit more due to Pharmacy having more Chemistry involved. 

2) I've been told pharmacy is better since the work schedules for nurses are all over the place and nurses are often required to work graveyard shifts. A nurse's job is also usually much more physically demanding than a pharmacist's.

 

Why I'm thinking of choosing nursing instead:

1) Pharmacy requires more time and money- it is much more expensive (more than twice the accelerated nursing program) and it would be another 4 years. If I took accelerated nursing instead it would only be 2 years.

2) I was told that pharmacists have more difficulty finding jobs than nurses since there's bigger demand for nurses just about anywhere.

3) Pharmacists don't really advance in their careers unlike nurses who can advance as a nurse practitioner. 

 

I think the most practical choice would be accelerated nursing because of the reasons I mentioned above, but I'm worried that I won't like it or I may not be able to keep up with the physical demands of the job. However, I also don't want to go in pharmacy if pharmacists have worse/less job prospects than a nurse.

 

Thanks for your input.

[phuturefarmacist]

You have great points for both job prospects. You have a clear picture of the reality of both professions, and I feel you just have to ultimately decide which would best suit you. As a volunteer in a hospital and pharmacy, I have a pretty good idea what each profession entails. Personally, I don't see myself doing nursing even though its more practical, just because I don't think I will have an enjoyable life doing that. It really comes down to which profession would make you wake up each morning, motivated to work. Keep in mind this is the pharmacy forum, so you  will get biased answers .