Is Air Force Pharmacy Worth It? (US Air Force Pharmacist Interview)

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Who else do you want me to interview? Drop a comment below. And smash the subscribe + bell to stay updated with the content 🔔 Here are the time stamps below ⏰ 2:08 ➜ What is your current role as an Air Force Pharmacist? 4:19 ➜ How did you first get into pharmacy in general? 7:11 ➜ Why did you decide to go to pharmacy school over medical school 9:42 ➜ How did you find out about the opportunities in the US Air Force? 11:45 ➜ Were you considering any other careers in addition to the US Air Force? 13:24 ➜ What were the ultimate deciding factors that helped you commit to the US Air Force? 17:38 ➜ What roles are there for pharmacists in the US Air Force? 20:16 ➜ What is the application like for Air Force Pharmacists? 24:02 ➜ How soon can you start the application process? 25:14 ➜ How do the roles differ compared to the other branches? 33:15 ➜ What is career growth like for pharmacists in the US Air Force? 35:39 ➜ What are factors to consider for pharmacists before committing to the US Air Force? 39:22 ➜ How can a community pharmacist transition into the US Air Force? 40:44 ➜ What resources are available for people who are interested in the US Air Force? 41:46 ➜ What are some things you would do differently if you were to reapply again? 43:09 ➜ How much do Air Force Pharmacists get paid? 46:52 ➜ How competitive and what is the demand of pharmacists in the Air Force? 49:21 ➜ What makes a great candidate for an Air Force pharmacist? 51:57 ➜ What are the physical demands of an Air Force pharmacist? 55:18 ➜ Are there any clinical roles for Air Force pharmacists? 57:03 ➜ What are the leadership skills required to get promoted in the Air Force? 59:37 ➜ Final comments of thoughts for anyone thinking about joining the Air Force

[@jutt.l.4323]

Thank you Kevin! It is a great interview. Would you do Navy pharmacist as well please?

[@viridianamoreno6195]

Can you please do a video of aircraft armament systems

[@risa-ru]

Thanks for doing this video! There's no content online like this besides Reddit

[@KevinYeePharmD]

@@risa-ru Appreciate you!

[@TheCudals]

Do you have an interview with a nurse practitioner?

[@sherlockholmes6956]

In 20 years your rank will be high enough that you get $100k/year and then you retire and get 50% of that pay for the rest of your life. If you get in the airforce at age 25 then you can retire at age 45 and then sit home and get payed $50k/year for life. You can even work at a cvs part time afterwards and bring another 50k and live happily ever after. 😇

[@MalissaWedekind]

USA vs Universe vs bad Innocents!😊😅😮😢❤😂

[@edwardjobst1]

Love to see the other branches too, since retail is going in a not so optimal direction.

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Working on PHS and some other uniformed services

[@YoshiFluff]

Great interview! Thank you for providing insight on what it's like to be a pharmacist in the USAF. I'm in HSCP for Navy pharmacy, and considering residency but it's really nice to hear there's the command route (more admin than clinical) for promotion as well

[@DarrellRJr]

honestly the work your doing is special

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Thanks Darrell. Really appreciate the kind words. What stood out to you?

[@DarrellRJr]

@@KevinYeePharmD I like how you're bringing in pharmacist of different backgrounds. I'm a third year student and I sometimes find it difficult to find real life practical info on how life is as "real" pharmacist.

[@christinefoto9678]

Great interview! Thanks for sharing the information.

[@danielmaldonado1609]

Excellent interview! Thank you for this.

[@KevinYeePharmD]

My pleasure! What videos do you want to see next?

[@stephano.vargas]

Thanks for making this video. It was very informative 👍

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Glad it help you Stephano. Are you planning you planning to join the Air Force?

[@stephano.vargas]

@@KevinYeePharmD Yea I applied but I was too overweight. I think the peace of mind, finances, and serving our country wanted me to do it. There's an air force base close to home in Tampa and I would love to work there one day. I just got accepted to pharmacy school so I have workout and re apply next semester/year. I applied yesterday and your video was recommended. This video helped me a lot because there is not a lot of information out there discussing this topic. You asked some great questions. Thanks again bud. Keep the videos coming.

[@mrcharlesjohnson]

Love the video, thnx a billion

[@KevinYeePharmD]

My pleasure - glad it helped!

[@MicroValley]

I’m an Air Force pharmacist too! Currently stationed in Los Angeles. I wanted to ask, what year did Capt Moran go through the application process? I applied in the 2016 cycle as an HPSP student, and I was told that there were 10 spots nationwide as well, so I’m curious as to whether we applied in the same year and we were both among the 10 selected that year. Great video, by the way! It’s interesting that he answered most of the questions the same way I would have.

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Thanks miles! Let me shoot a message to him and have him reply

[@dr.jeffreymoranministerpha4154]

I applied in the 2017 cycle. Thank you for the input. Wishing the best for you.

[@gerardomanso2113]

Hey random question. I was in the Army then became a pharmacist. Thinking about becoming an AF pharmacist. What has your deployment cycle been like?

[@thebeautiful5033]

Hi please. I’d love to know if you could work as a civilian pharmacist maybe in a community pharmacy while serving as an Air Force military? Lastly can you also travel to see your family outside the country? How long? Also are you allowed to use phones while serving?

[@MicroValley]

@@gerardomanso2113 sorry for the late reply, but we rarely get deployed. They mainly deploy pharmacists from the larger bases. I’ve been in for almost 5 yard now and I’ve never deployed

[@zaneity8672]

Family Life & Relationship Life. Outside Life.

[@dae-woohan6223]

Slot takes forever to open for a licensed pharmacist?, Does he live alone in the house or is it shared?

[@dgoins0114]

Hi Kevin this video was very informative. Thanks for posting. Is there any way to find out from Dr. Moran how much say so he had in choosing his job location. He stated he was in SD but I wanted to know if he was given multiple options and if he was given any say so? TIA

[@KevinYeePharmD]

I'll message him to see if he can respond directly to this!

[@dr.jeffreymoranministerpha4154]

For my first assignment I was not really given any options. I was allowed to fill out a preference sheet but I did not get any of the places I listed. Since I made this video with Kevin I been assigned to another base. This is now my second assignment and I had a lot more say this time around. I was allowed to list my preferences beginning with my number one choice. I did not get my first choice but I did get one of the bases I listed so I am pretty happy.

[@thebeautiful5033]

Hi please. I’d love to know if you could work as a civilian pharmacist maybe in a community pharmacy while serving as an Air Force military? Lastly can you also travel to see your family outside the country? How long? Also are you allowed to use phones while serving?

[@thebeautiful5033]

Please can you go on vacations with loved ones while serving as a pharmacist in the Air Force?

[@shalabypharmd4137]

How did you become one? Any heads up on the job interview please 🙏

[@igol7_26]

This guy is a good example of a successful person who settled for a back up career plan. He didn’t want to straight up answer why pharm school over med school, instead he beat around the bush until you kept asking then he brought up not doing well on the mcat lololol

[@igol7_26]

And I felt like you caught onto that Kevin, i noticed some of your smirks when asking those why “pharm instead of med school questions”

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Haha wasnt trying to force an answer out. I was genuinely curious about his decision. Gotta give props to him though. Kept it real

[@KillerAJ]

If I am a pharmacist and I join the air force, can I join for a combat oriented role or as a pilot? Would I still be eligible to be O-3 if I don’t want to be a pharmacist in the military? Say I want to do Combat Controller or Pararescue?

[@KevinYeePharmD]

Hey Ali - it's best to speak to a recruiter for this. They would be able to help you. By the way, what videos would you want to see next?

[@seanshong2048]

Kevin, I'm a former marine corps officer finishing pharm school and I can answer this. Now Ali, If you're going into USAF to be a pharmacist stay in your MOS. It is an easy life style where your direct commission in 2 weeks and receive cushy officer treatment out of the gate and make use of the degree you spent thousands of dollars and years of your time investing. I dont know you on a personal level but I am going to pour cold water on what you said about switching MOS especially to a more visceral role. You will have to apply to flight school and assuming you dont exceed the age limit, you will have to sign a 10 year contract. (The training you receive as pilot is long and expensive). You will not be able to go to sleep when you want, you will not be able to live where you want. The life of pilot isn't all what video games make it out to be. I suppose you could go into being a health care admin or logistics from a pharmacist role but you MOS you go into must have transferrable skills. I suppose you could go into Pararescue or Combat control if were initially a Infantry officer. Now as for switching into combat and keeping O3 from Pharmacy (I'm hoping you are saying this out of naivete and not arrogance) YOU ARE ASKING THE EQUIVALENT OF A CHIROPRACTOR AT A PRIVATE PRACTICE ASKING TO BE PHARMACIST AT AN INPATIENT HOSPITAL . Do you really think your non commissioned officer support staff and your junior enlisted men, whom you are supposed to coach and mentor will take anything you say (with no combat experience and only knowledgeable about drug interactions) with any seriousness? A Marine Captain O3 has at least 6 years of hands on experience within his/her specialty. If they made you keep your O3 paygrade from a pharmacist to infantry or special forces you would not know anything. (Do you know, what a 9-line is? Have you rucked 19 miles while carrying 80lbs of equipment and a rifle? What is the difference between an direct vs indirect fire? Are you familiar with land navigation or apprehending an enemy prisoner of war?) I know peers who have run over IEDs in their HMMVs lost sensation in their legs or been exposed to radiation and have been deemed infertile. If you want this lifestyle of sacrifice and service, fantastic! Let me save you the agony of more pharm school and ENLIST NOW!! Heck better yet, if you have your bachelors, you might even be selected for OCS. I got my DD214 and was honorably discharged in 2016, I made Captain at 29. Do you want to try again and ask if you think you can be my boss to my 28 year old self as an O-3 (Company Commander)? How would you lead me when our envoy is ambushed and expect me to follow your orders and ensure my life is secure under your judgment? Again I don't know you on a personal level or how badly you want to serve our great country, but what you said is frankly insulting and even asinine. Sometimes Call of Duty is best enjoyed from an XBox in the comfort of your home den.

[@KillerAJ]

@@seanshong2048 I graduated in 2012, 33 years old. I've been a pharmacist for almost 9 years and I'm a bit bored. I'm that bored that even when I'm told to avoid leaving the pharmacy since I'm the only pharmacist on duty, I will run to every rapid response/code blue even though there is no other pharmacist there to verify new orders, check, etc. My question was more about joining the reserves as a pilot or combat MOS so I can do something new on those weekend drills or for the rare event I get deployed. On the flip side, if I go on with the pharmacist MOS, can I elect to take additional markmanship courses, jump school, EOD school, etc?

[@seanshong2048]

@@KillerAJ Yes you can join the reserves up until 42. But a lot of those "exciting" MOS you mentioned the window of opportunity is closing fast, if you're 33 I don't think they would take you in as a active... Basic training is hard on your body and officer candidate school will require a lot of mental commitment. I suggest talking to a recruiter and enlisting (commissioned officers are mostly coaching and mentoring along with a lot of paperwork, Enlisted men do all the hands on work.) Unfortunately I was a comptroller and I was a bean counter for the marine corps. I know I couldn't approve to pay a pharmacist like you for jump school or use you as a pilot when I need you out there to monitor vancomycin levels or make sure a wounded airman doesn't go into shock in the trauma ward. It personally sounds like youre hitting a career slump and that's what I felt in the Corps. You already have the 6 figure job, I suggest you find a hobby and find a community around said hobby. The military might sound fun on paper but if you make this a lifestyle your opinion may change.

[@KillerAJ]

@@seanshong2048 I actually found a hobby that I really liked after taking a discovery flight. Then I found out that the pilot training itself is expensive and I figured, why not join the military and get them to pay me to learn how to fly? Same for skydiving, expensive as FK. Only thing is on the civilian side, if you die skydiving, your life insurance won't pay out your wife and kids, however the military would take care of your family. And for shooting, ammo is expensive, guns are expensive, and New York is a state with a lot of restrictions, figured the military would be a good place to get to do a lot of shooting for free.

[@gjkfffzxvj9637]

مصر العظمي _ الوطن العربي _ الوطن الإسلامي .. ##

[@dzikijohnny]

WTF?

[@pbstevo1619]

Do you remember what you scored on your general on the ASVAB test ?

[@tyyhghjmbbghjgchjffnjh565]

96

[@saraha2648]

Just to let you know I scored 36 and got pharmacist!

[@pbstevo1619]

@@saraha2648 how long were you in the DEP program ?

[@saraha2648]

@@pbstevo1619 for me 2-3 months shipping out august 10th next month!!

[@pbstevo1619]

@@saraha2648 congrats 👏🏾🍾

[@MalissaWedekind]

NATO