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What is a direct pathway of becoming a phamacist?

Since I was young I have always wanted to become a pharmacist. My mother is a pharmacist and I might've asked her every question that I can think of but I really want to hear from other pharmacist to find way to get through college trying out pharmacy. I just wanted to know how many years should I aim for to be a pharmacist? What is the best way to get to this career?#pharmacy

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Saira’s Answer

you should aim for about 6 years of schooling including your rotations. After schooling, there are options of residencies which could be anywhere from 1-3 years depending on what speciality you are seeking etc. If you are not sure, you should seek out internships in the summer to figure out what pharmacy is actually about. you can volunteer at the hospital or get a summer job at retail pharmacy or even do an internship at a pharmaceutical company. These are a few options to see if this would be a field you wish to go into.
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Shawn’s Answer

The entire college experience is typically 6 to 8 years. Some schools require you to complete a 4 year BS prior to applying to pharmacy school for an additional 4 years while some schools have programs where you can complete in 6 total years, with two years of undergrad. Often times, the decision is based on if you know what you want to do coming out of high school and if you want to take a more aggressive path early. I went to a college that offered a 6 year degree because I knew at the time that I wanted to be a pharmacist. I very much enjoyed college and while I was in school, I became an intern in a pharmacy to gain more exposure. This along with different practice settings I worked in through rotations while in school greatly helped me to determine the career path I wanted within pharmacy. I love the profession and have enjoyed my career.

Shawn recommends the following next steps:

Consider working as a technician in a local pharmacy
Speak to other pharmacists about their career paths
Research colleges of interest to learn about their programs
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Anthony’s Answer

Hi Jarad,

To earn a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD), you need to spend at least four years in pharmacy school. This can be shortened to 3 years if you go to a school with classes throughout the summer.

Most pharmacy schools only require their students to have two years of prerequisites completed. They do not require a bachelor's degree. However, many students choose to finish undergrad and earn a bachelor's degree. Some pharmacy schools also merge their two years of prerequisites and PharmD program into a six-year program. Many of these schools start straight out of high school.

The most direct way to become a pharmacist is to enter one of these six-year programs. However, they do come with some downsides. For starters, they are more challenging straight out of high school. Additionally, they do not give you much room to change your mind about your profession. I was always believed that determining what you want to do for the rest of your life when you're in high school is a lot. Many of these schools also only take students directly out of high school, and you cannot transfer into them if you decide on pharmacy after your first semester of school.

Best of luck,
Anthony
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