phgaudet Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hello everyone, I am considering a degree in pharmacy. I am currently volunteering at a local community pharmacy to 1)get an indication if it is something that I think is worth pursuing and 2) if it is, then I would gain valuable volunteer time towards my application. I am currently finishing an MSc in Microbiology and Pathology (defending next week) and have a degree in Biochemistry (~3.8gpa). I am currently working full time at a pharmaceutical company within their manufacturing department, but am unhappy with the shift work (12hr shifts working both nights and weekends). I feel I would enjoy pharm as I enjoy problem solving and interacting with people. The biggest thing I suppose that I am nervous about is whether or not I should pursue 4-5yrs of MORE education. Furthermore, I've been married a year and half and am considering having children, but not sure if we do that, if I could realistically pursue a pharm degree. Would my family suffer? Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated as I contemplate pursuing a career in the health field. Thank you, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keinjuan Posted January 25, 2014 Report Share Posted January 25, 2014 Hi, Have you considered dentistry? Reason why I am asking is, 1. Shift work is unavoidable in pharmacy unless you work in a hospital setting. Then again, in hospital, you don't interact with patients all that often. 2. Both pharm and dent are 4 year program, but dent has higher income potential. 3. I personally think dentists have a tedious job, but pharmacy can also be tedious at times (I've been a pharmacist for over a year now) 4. Dentistry is likely a bit harder than pharmacy, but both wouldn't have a negative impact on your family life (def less so than your current work, I think). 5. You sound like a smart guy and your grade is competitive enough for dentistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phgaudet Posted January 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2014 Thanks keinjuan, To be honest, I haven't thought of dentistry as an option. I think partly it's because I hate dealing with teeth, and two, I always feel guilty at the dentist and therefore do not associate any positive feeling towards dentists and dentistry in general. I understand dents prob have more income potential, but for me it isn't all about the money, I want to do something I think I would enjoy, and I do not feel I would enjoy probing around people's mouths. (no offence to dentists on here) In regards to negative impact on fam life, I was asking more so about negative impacts during pharmacy school rather than the career in general, although that is important too, especially since there is shift work there too. That being said is there often many overnight shifts working in pharmacy or is that largely determined by the location and/or pharmacy one is employed with? Thanks keinjuan for the encouraging words. I feels good to know that I have a shot at whatever I choose. Kindest regards, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keinjuan Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I feel the same way about dentistry. That's why I never considered it as an option, either - but I found a lot of family-oriented people seemed to go into that profession and like it, so I figured it's worth putting it out there. Pharmacy school wouldn't put a lot of stress or time burden on you. I have done a bit of research during summers, finished pharmacy school, worked for a year, and now I am in medical school - Among them, I found pharmacy school consumed the least amount of my time. I don't think it is something you'd need to worry about it too much, especially given your strong academic background. There aren't any overnight shifts. In fact, in Edmonton, there are only 4 24-hour pharmacies. It's the weekend shifts and 1-9 or 2-10 shifts that people would consider to be "bad shifts." It is mostly determined by where and who you work for. Usually, we rotate the bad shifts - so you get your even share. If it is a smaller pharmacy (eg 2 pharmacists) - you'd be working every other weekends. p.s. I really enjoy working in a community pharmacy. Like you said, problem solving and interacting with people - fun! (most of the time, at least) I switched to Medicine because I actually liked the whole aspect and figured Medicine would offer more in that regard. Of course, this comes at the expense of your personal/family life... so it probably isn't a good option for you. But then, we do have many married people in our class, two with kids... it might be a good idea to talk to them about their experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phgaudet Posted February 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Thank you keinjuan for that reply. I appreciate the feedback, especially in regards to the time requirements. Also thank you for the encouraging words regarding my background, it gives me confidence. Those shifts don't seem that bad to me actually...yeah I miss the evening, but there are worse shifts in life than that. I'm going to keep volunteering this year, and see if it is truly something that I desire. All the best in Med school! Kindest regards, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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