Should I Go To Pharmacy School? Advice for Pre-Pharmacy Students | Pharmacist GRWM

Welcome back to another pharmacy Q&A session where I answer your questions about the pharmacy profession. A career as a pharmacist is a challenging one and with the changes in the job market you might be thinking: should I go to pharmacy school? The answer is kind of complicated but here are my feelings on the situation as a recently pharmacy school graduate, residency graduate and now clinical pharmacist. If you are a pre-pharmacy student or considering becoming a pharmacist at all, you need to watch this!
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[@michaelacreech2957]

Starting pharmacy school in the fall. I based my decision on what TRULY interests me. Thank you for the positive video! Also, I am seeing TONS of pharmacy jobs in central Texas. Not all are retail.

[@HappyPharmLife]

LOVE THIS! Best of luck in pharmacy school! 😊

[@1kDomo]

Did you do a pre pharm program? Prior to pharmacy school

[@HappyPharmLife]

I did 2 years of undergraduate studies as a biology/chemistry double major but was able to get in without completing a Bachelor's degree

[@fidelruiz]

@@HappyPharmLifedid you complete them at a community college?

[@HappyPharmLife]

No. I completed them at a university.

[@eventfulwithchran7760]

Thank you for this! I’m applying next year for pharmacy school

[@HappyPharmLife]

You're welcome! Good luck!

[@mollyo7923]

I’m a senior in high school as of right now. I found an interest in medical lab technology, but my first interest was pharmacy. I love studying how chemicals interact, what drugs can do, and many more! I’ve also seen many vids about “don’t do pharmacy!” And it discouraged me... to not do pharmacy. After watching your video, I feel more encouraged now bc I do love pharmacy and the scientific things behind it. I’d also like to work behind the scenes like in a lab, would that be a pharmaceutical scientist? If you know anything about that? I’m still unsure what I want to do, but I know I want to b in the pharmacy field.

[@HappyPharmLife]

That would likely be a PhD route vs. PharmD. There are several options such as pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, etc.

[@leawylie9427]

I’m an inpatient pharmacy technician and I love the work. I could not imagine working in ANY other profession. All the pharmacist I work with are extremely unhappy.

[@HappyPharmLife]

It really depends on the place. The pharmacists I worked with in both children's hospitals I've been at love their jobs. Sure, there are bad days but most of them, including myself, love their jobs. Then again, peds hospitals are happier work environments to begin with🤷🏼‍♀️

[@coffeepandacat]

Wow really? All of the pharmacists that I have come across seem pretty satisfied but I work in retail. I love retail I could see myself becoming one. My fear is finding a job if I were to embark on this path. All the pharmacists that I have come across told me if I want it, go for it

[@billjames3030]

​@@HappyPharmLife Pharmacists are NOT medical doctors (MD) and should not bill for their time. PHD not equal to an MD, they lack the pay, power, prestige and have no privileges. MDs bring in big $$$$ to any Healthcare organization due to their status and privileges. Why no TV drama shows about pharmacists ? Same goes for physical therapist with PHD....

[@tashiana9953]

Thanks for this information awesome video super excited about my career in pharmacy keep up the good work!

[@HappyPharmLife]

You're welcome! 😊

[@coffeepandacat]

One of those youtubers who posts how pharmacy is bad all the time said he was shocked to learn that the pharmacists don't just, "Sit there and chill," but they are super stressed out all the time. They also said that they got fired from their pharm manager job for posting all of those hate pharmacy videos..... So stuff like that makes it hard to trust people on the internet, yet it is discouraging to see all of the negativity. I am a pharmacy tech who fell into pharmacy out of nowhere last summer. I love the work 💘 it is the perfect place for me! I love the environment, the familiarity, the pace, what I am learning. I wish I tried being a pharmacy tech a long time ago. I admire the pharmacists so much and think it is WORTH IT if you can become one. I thought it was the perfect career until I saw so much negativity towards it. ): on the flip side, the pharmacists told me that I work with are very encouraging and said that I will find a place. They said if I want to become a pharmacist then I should go for it. I am very split.....

[@HappyPharmLife]

There is a lot to this comment so I will start by saying, I am overall a "glass half full" type of person. Are there difficult parts to my job? Yes. But I focus on the things I enjoy more than the things I don't. There are a lot pharmacists who don't like there jobs, I can admit that and they tend to make a lot more noise on social media than those, like myself, who enjoy their job. As far as the person who got fired, the negative attitude in their videos is likely the attitude they bring to work and I have learned over time that stories like these usually have more to them than what gets shared on the internet. As far as your career path, remember this: every job has pros and cons. If pharmacy is something you enioy and are truly passionate about, you will find the pros will outweigh the cons. I hope this helps!

[@annatar6453]

Hi I’m from Canada and I have a friend who just graduated from pharmacy school. She got a job in a small town as a community(retail) pharmacist. She gets $40 per hour but she says she’s really stressed about the job and the patients are really mean to her and are sexist sometimes.

[@HappyPharmLife]

In any job where you deal with the public, people can be mean and sexist. I personally do not have issues at my job since I am in a hospital setting, but my husband is a manager at Best Buy and the things people say to him and his team are AWFUL. The way people treat others is, unfortunately, not a pharmacy specific issue, it's a society issue.

[@kaylatroutman]

Can someone explain like the timeline of pharmacy school because i’m kind of confused. Some people go straight to the pharmD program but then some people go through pre-pharmacy (some don’t go all the four years). I’ve tried to read up on it but i’m still kind of confused

[@HappyPharmLife]

Great question! Everyone has to go through pre-pharmacy courses. Some programs have people do them within the pharmacy school with automatic acceptance into the pharmD program after the pass pre-requisites. For most schools, pre-requisites are very specific and can be completed in 2-3 years of undergraduate studies (I did mine in 2 years, but did take some summer courses) PharmD programs are typically 4 years long, with some accelarated programs being 3 years. Usually the last year of school is exclusively on clinical rotations. Hope this helps!

[@kaylatroutman]

Happy Pharm Life omg thank you so much!!! You explained the best way possible to me.

[@HappyPharmLife]

Great! Glad that helped! 😊

[@jenwhite8637]

Hi! I’ve watched your videos on KZbin all day and I am so inspired to become a pharmacist! That being said, I’m kind of conflicted between being either a medical lab technologist or a pharmacist. I figured doing some shadowing would be a great way to get some insight of the reality of being a pharmacist, and it would hopefully give me some clarity (I’m only in high school by the way). Due to the pandemic though, do you think that any pharmacies would be willing to let a student shadow them?

[@HappyPharmLife]

Shadowing is a great way to figure this out! I recommend asking around. Most chain and hospital pharmacies (Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, etc) aren't taking shadowers right now but you might have some luck at an independently owned pharmacy!

[@psybin_]

Hey Jen, I am also a pharmacist and echo what Sierra said! You likely will get better opportunities if you approach an independent pharmacy because they tend to have less red tape. If you are genuinely interested and communicate that to the pharmacist, hopefully they help ya out! :)

[@jenwhite8637]

@@psybin_ thanks! I appreciate your reply

[@evelynmajerczyk7809]

Thank you for your input Dr. Sierra! I’m in my third year of high school and I’ve been thinking about pursuing pharmacy as a career, but I’m worried I won’t get into pharmacy school/ i won’t do good because of how I did in my chemistry class last year. Do you have any advice on how to start mentally and physically preparing?

[@HappyPharmLife]

If you can get experience in a pharmacy, do it! It helps a lot. Also comparing chemistry in high school vs. College is like apples and oranges. The professors typically work with you if you struggle in college and most colleges have great tutoring services!

[@siavoshzamani2345]

Thanks for the information I wanted to know about the opportunitys in pharmacy for example building a pharmacy or ... What are the chances of this kind of things in pharmacy ?

[@HappyPharmLife]

Owning your own pharmacy is definitely possible. NCPA is the best organization to go to for that information. I will say is is harder to open a pharmacy now than it was previously but still totally possible!

[@siavoshzamani2345]

@@HappyPharmLife thanks 🌺 😍

[@graceb4693]

Loved this video! What kind of things did you do while you were in school to land your job once you finished?

[@HappyPharmLife]

This video reviews some of it but I plan on doing a more in depth video soon kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIiWi2tnadiCgac

[@graceb4693]

@@HappyPharmLife Awesome, thank you!

[@poopalot7684]

what should you major in if you want to become a pharmacist?

[@HappyPharmLife]

You can do any major! I had classmates who did music, english, etc, but most do a science-based majors such as biology or chemistry.

[@bishop1283]

you should revisit this video and see if your opinion has changed

[@armanmancini1712]

Forget projections, job growth numbers, future developments etc. Financially pharmacy is not worth it because of the cost of education period end of story. The overall cost of education increase vs the stagnant at BEST wages (realistically wages are going down) is a joke. Unless you wanna move hundreds of miles away from family for what will likely be years, be prepared to make essentially what pharmacist were making in the mid-late 90s back when education was a fraction of the cost and it was a masters degree. If you are paying for it yourself and you are not super duper passionate then steer very clear. -PharmD RpH BCGP

[@HappyPharmLife]

Every market is different. I did move away for my residency but now I am back home with family making over 6 figures with a 8% retirement match and excellent benefits and projected to pay off my loans withing 5 years of graduating. College is expensive, no matter the profession, and at least with pharmacy you still make a salary that you can pay off your loans with smart financial planning. It is a turbulent field (but nearly everything is right now), but pharmacist jobs have actually grown during the pandemic and there aren't many professions that can say the same. I agree if you aren't passionate about it you should move along, but if you are, there are still plenty of opportunities available for a good career it just requires a bit more work/training then it used to.

[@armanmancini1712]

@@HappyPharmLife grown as in more 3-6 month contract positions if you maintained your license to immunize lol. You can say whatever you want about this or that to rationalize your stance but these are the facts about the profession as of this moment in time: ballooning cost of education, decreasing wages, mostly saturated markets, little to no job growth (possibly even red margin) projected in the immediate future. Most people can't swing paying off ~175,000 at 7.25% in 10 years let alone any sooner and if you do it you can basically forget about homeowner ship until your mid-late thirties. Hardly the path to thriving financially as it was for our predecessors.

[@HappyPharmLife]

This video was me sharing my personal story with pharmacy and what it has gotten me: a 6 figure job that I love. A lot of the things you are mentioning were also discussed in this video. The whole point of the video was this: if you go into pharmacy for the money, you aren't doing it for the right reasons. I went into pharmacy because it was something I loved and I am currently happy with that decision.

[@psybin_]

Such a helpful video!

[@HappyPharmLife]

Thank you!!

[@faisalrazzaq6002]

Hello, Dr. Sierra your video is very interesting , and you are a passionate pharmacist . I want to know how many pharmacists are being produced each year in USA and what is the percentage of licensed pharmacists annually ?

[@HappyPharmLife]

Hello! I don't like the answer, but you may be able to find it at nabp.pharmacy

[@kevinanhtran5907]

Hello! I am currently a 3rd year Pharm major and was wondering if the saturation mentioned in your video is highly present in areas such as California? I am willing to work to my fullest to become a hospital pharmacist, but was just wondering if it’s still practical given how saturated the job market is.

[@HappyPharmLife]

I'm from Missouri and did residency in Texas so I can't exactly speak to the market in California since I don't live there. I do know the markets within big cities, especially those with a school of pharmacy seem to be the most saturated across the country.

[@hslowmarch514]

Hi Dr.Serria, I am now in community college and I want to apply Washington State University in next year and my science prerequisite course gpa now is 3.1+ (not that good). This admission has already clarified that the PCAT will not be considered. Do you think I still need to take it to compensate the empty of my volunteer work (because of the pandemic)

[@HappyPharmLife]

If the PCAT won't be considered and you aren't applying elsewhere, then No. Taking the PCAT won't help you as they likely won't even see the score on your application (they usually do rubrics to score candidates for interviews). Everyone is facing the difficulties of the pandemic and schools are going to take that into consideration during the application process

[@hslowmarch514]

@@HappyPharmLife Thanks for your quick reply :) It really helps me with my goal in the following year!

[@Mariah.Elizabeth]

Thank you for the information! Very informative.

[@HappyPharmLife]

You're welcome!

[@dhinalthakker6932]

Pharm D track or masters in a subject and then Phd which is better? Could you please male a video on that?

[@HappyPharmLife]

I won't making a video on the topic because I don't know much about the PhD route. If you want to work with patients, get a PharmD. If you want to make new medications, PhD.

[@casey1281]

Do I need a bachelor degree to enter PharmD? Would you recommend 2 years of pre-pharmacy + 4 years PharmD or 4 years Bachelor Degree with Pre-Pharmacy option + 4 years PharmD? I see that you finished your prerequisite courses in 2 years, may I know how did you do that?

[@HappyPharmLife]

You do not need a bachelor's degree to get a PharmD. If you are certain you want to be a pharmacist, I recommend the 2 year track prior to Pharmacy School for financial reasons. All you need to do is tell your academic advisor the schools you are interested in for pharmacy school and focus on getting those prerequisites. I did have to take a couple summer classes though

[@subhashreesridharan2189]

To become a pharmacist, do you just need to get Mpharm or Dpharm is necessary/recommended? And will you have a higher pay if you completed Dpharm and work your way through being a pharmacist?

[@HappyPharmLife]

PharmD is required if you get your degree in the United States, if you get your degree in another country the requirements may be different. If you want to work in the US please visit nabp.pharmacy

[@Strawberry-bd8bv]

Hi I'm from Brazil. I'm just finishing the pharmacy's college here and I'm looking for internships in the pharmaceutical industry. Here we need to be a registered pharmacist, chemist or other related fields to work in areas such as QC or QA. My question is: is it the same thing in the US? Thanks

[@HappyPharmLife]

I'm not sure what QC or QA. In the United States you need to have a doctorate of pharmacy degree, complete a certain number of intern hours, and pass 2 board exams. To work in industry, a fellowship is strongly encouraged but not required.

[@oceanedjokpe3422]

Hi i've been thinking about getting into pharmacy school. Im very hardworking and outgoing but im scared because everyone is saying that it is saturated and that it is dying. Should i risk it?

[@HappyPharmLife]

I think that's really a personal decision and requires some research on the area you are in/want to work in. Some areas still have a big need for pharmacists but this is mostly in rural areas. It also depends on if you want to work in a retail pharmacy or in a hospital pharmacy!

[@dstar4755]

Dont do pharmacy

[@HappyPharmLife]

I disagree. Going to pharmacy school was extremely beneficial for me. I'm 25, I have a job I love where I can make a huge difference in people's lives and make 6 figures. Is it hard work? Yes. Is it more difficult now for people who do the bare minimum in pharmacy school to get a job? Also, yes. But if you are willing to go the extra mile and work hard, a pharmacy career can be rewarding and worth it.

[@dstar4755]

@@HappyPharmLife i can only comment on pharmacy in the uk

[@HappyPharmLife]

@@dstar4755 this video was referring to pharmacy in the United States

[@HappyPharmLife]

Again, UK may be totally different which is fine My video was for the United States, where I practice

[@coffeepandacat]

@duckyzzz what does that matter if she is talking about the US?? obviously she is american and this video is great for fellow americans

[@aa7352]

What happens if a pre pharm student doesn't get into pharmacy?

[@HappyPharmLife]

They can either wait another year and apply again after improving their resume (getting a job in pharmacy or related fiels, expand their education, do research, etc) or they choose a different career path.

[@user-lu6yg3vk9z]

Don’t go to Pharmacy School. Saturation in the job markets. Hospitals and Retail stores closing. Soon A.I. will eliminate more jobs. Pay and hours are getting cut. B.L.S. Predicts in the next 10 years job growth -3%.

[@HappyPharmLife]

Did you watch the whole video? I talk about the job saturation. Hospitals aren't closing in most of the country, they are full of patients, at the moment. Several hospitals in my area are actually hiring more pharmacists now and expanding clinical services. Retail is a different story, independents are closing this is true. AI won't be taking pharmacists jobs anytime soon for a couple for reasons: 1. It's illegal so each individual state would have to change their laws to allow it. Considering how long it took for vaccines to be allowed nationwide proves that it will be awhile. 2. Making patient specific clinical decisions is not something AI is currently capable of. Pay cuts happen with market saturation but in most of the country you can still make 6 figures right out of school, not many degrees can do that. Those 10 year predictions change all the time. Legislation changes, including the supreme court decision on Arkansas vs. PCMA, can drastically shift that at any point. Bottom line: students who are passionate about pharmacy and are willing to do more than the minimum of getting a pharmd can still have very successful careers. If students are wanting to just walk out of pharmacy school and get a job without difficulty, this isn't the profession for them.

[@lexismith8206]

@@HappyPharmLife Don't listen to him, he didn't watch the video at all. I think being a pharmacist is a wonderful job. It's not just pharmacy, many fields are saturated right now.

[@HappyPharmLife]

@@lexismith8206 thank you! The job market is bad for everyone thanks to this pandemic. All those predictions can't take into accout what all the changes that are likely coming to the medical profession!

[@insanityeric7099]

I want to be a pharmacist but during my first 3 years of highschool my gpa was set at 3.0 Does it matter what college I go to for pre pharmacy?

[@HappyPharmLife]

I don't think that matters too much. I had classmates who went to community college only and some who did a full 4 years at great universities. Your grades in College, your experiences in college (volunteering, shadowing, work, etc), and PCAT scores matter more.

[@music528]

How hard is it to get into residency?

[@HappyPharmLife]

Residency is competitive. The acceptance rate varies between program types. Visit the ASHP website for the latest match statistics

[@music528]

@@HappyPharmLife thanks for the quick response and also for being positive. I'm thinking about doing a career change and am hesitant based on all the recent negative feedback from current pharmacists

[@AA.99.]

Where did you get ur degree from?

[@HappyPharmLife]

University of Missouri Kansas City School of Pharmacy

[@lesamartino7498]

Bad idea.

[@gabrielbou251]

you're gorgeous Dr. 🙊

[@arabicwhen4286]

Do pharmacist really earn 100k + per year? That s the main question

[@HappyPharmLife]

Yes, I can confirm they do. But if you are going into it for the money, you will likely be greatly disappointed. We are often salaried work long/odd hours and frequently work weekends. I think it is worth it but there are plenty of jobs that require less school, make more/same money, and don't have such a difficult work-life balance.

[@HappyPharmLife]

Pretty much all full time pharmacist jobs, except maybe academia, will pay over 100K.