6 answers
Michaela
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
3
Questions
Asked
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What made you choose to become a pharmacist?
I want to know the different kinds of ways people got into being a pharmacist.
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6 answers
Daniella Abi Kheir
Pharmacist
2
Answers
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Updated
Daniella’s Answer
Totally agree with Dr. Anna, the great thing about being a pharmacist is the diversity of options!
If you enjoy caring for people more directly you could focus on more direct patient care in hospitals/ retail/ clinics. If you’re interested in the marketing/ sales you could go into pharmaceutical companies. Regulatory pharmacist with the ministries of health, academician or teaching with pharmacy schools and so much more.
I know I love helping people by being a part of choosing the best therapies for them with the medical team (doctors and nurses) and also educating the patients on their medications and their health in general. You become a knowledgeable person that helps people become their healthier better selves!
My mother was a pharmacist, and I was interested in science. I went into it not knowing much about it, but learned a lot along the way, and truly love this job! Pharmacists are definitely underrated.
If you enjoy caring for people more directly you could focus on more direct patient care in hospitals/ retail/ clinics. If you’re interested in the marketing/ sales you could go into pharmaceutical companies. Regulatory pharmacist with the ministries of health, academician or teaching with pharmacy schools and so much more.
I know I love helping people by being a part of choosing the best therapies for them with the medical team (doctors and nurses) and also educating the patients on their medications and their health in general. You become a knowledgeable person that helps people become their healthier better selves!
My mother was a pharmacist, and I was interested in science. I went into it not knowing much about it, but learned a lot along the way, and truly love this job! Pharmacists are definitely underrated.
Christina Honeycutt
Certified Pharmacy Tech III, Billing Manager
3
Answers
Salisbury, North Carolina
Updated
Christina’s Answer
I ended up becoming a certified tech. Then I got my associate degree in it, then the ADV-CPhT. I also have my bachelors in business so that helps. Now I am the #2 in our pharmacy and make as much as a pharmacist. At the time I wasn’t in a place to go to school for 6 years but got multiple degrees over the years. I love it now because I have so many options and I’m highly sought after where as a pharmacist has limits and so much more stress for what they are paid.
Getting into pharmacy, I was hired as a cashier at 18 in a retail pharmacy and worked my way up then I was stolen from there to a LTC pharmacy.
Getting into pharmacy, I was hired as a cashier at 18 in a retail pharmacy and worked my way up then I was stolen from there to a LTC pharmacy.
abbas Ismael
Pharmaceutical formula
10
Answers
Khartoum, Sudan
Updated
abbas’s Answer
Hi firstly choosing pharmacy study is good idea and the way of it opening by study on university not other.
Anna Lundberg, PharmD
Pharmacist
4
Answers
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Updated
Anna’s Answer
Hi Michaela, great question!
For me, I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare because I enjoy helping people and I’m strong in biology and chemistry. All my life I had been leaning towards becoming a medical doctor but in high school I completed a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program (to get patient contact hours, important for applying to many health programs but not required for pharmacy) and I realized how many things grossed me out that I had never thought about before this course. I ended up never getting a job as a CNA because of this but it was still a good experience and I learned more about myself and what I wanted or didn’t want in a career.
Once I got to college I looked at other healthcare related jobs that would match my skills and interests and looked into pharmacy more. I got a job as a pharmacy inpatient tech (in the hospital) as a way to stay in healthcare and get exposure to a side of pharmacy I knew nothing about.
I loved the people I worked with and loved that job and at that point I knew pharmacy was the path for me. I knew there were many other options I could pursue afterwards that weren’t just retail or hospital pharmacy but didn’t fully know what those were until I was in pharmacy school (and honestly I’m still learning afterwards!).
I wish I had known more career options before going to pharmacy school because I could have focused more on what I was most interested in to set myself up to get into immediately after graduating. Here’s a link for a page that might be helpful to look at some other options to have a starting off point for what may be a good fit for you!
This link is more general but gives more information about each category they’ve listed:
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/diversity-in-pharmacy-atypical-jobs-for-pharmacists
This is a huge list with 100 job titles that may be helpful to search more on your own:
https://pharmacy.uconn.edu/100-careers-in-pharmacy/
These are not extensive lists by any means. You can also do roles you wouldn’t necessarily think of for a pharmacist. I know of medical directors (who lead medical doctors) who are pharmacists, pharmacists working in venture capital, pharmacists working in law, programmer pharmacists, pharmacists running clinical trials and more. Of course there are more roles available in certain fields compared to others but if you can leverage your skill set you can go anywhere!
I’ll also note that this is my experience with the profession of pharmacy, you probably also have lots of other options in other fields as well but that’s not my area of expertise so I can’t speak to it.
I know that was a ton of information, I wanted to give more insight to areas I wish I had more info on when I asked the same question as you. Take what is helpful to you and leave what isn’t! Good luck on your journey!
For me, I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare because I enjoy helping people and I’m strong in biology and chemistry. All my life I had been leaning towards becoming a medical doctor but in high school I completed a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program (to get patient contact hours, important for applying to many health programs but not required for pharmacy) and I realized how many things grossed me out that I had never thought about before this course. I ended up never getting a job as a CNA because of this but it was still a good experience and I learned more about myself and what I wanted or didn’t want in a career.
Once I got to college I looked at other healthcare related jobs that would match my skills and interests and looked into pharmacy more. I got a job as a pharmacy inpatient tech (in the hospital) as a way to stay in healthcare and get exposure to a side of pharmacy I knew nothing about.
I loved the people I worked with and loved that job and at that point I knew pharmacy was the path for me. I knew there were many other options I could pursue afterwards that weren’t just retail or hospital pharmacy but didn’t fully know what those were until I was in pharmacy school (and honestly I’m still learning afterwards!).
I wish I had known more career options before going to pharmacy school because I could have focused more on what I was most interested in to set myself up to get into immediately after graduating. Here’s a link for a page that might be helpful to look at some other options to have a starting off point for what may be a good fit for you!
This link is more general but gives more information about each category they’ve listed:
https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/diversity-in-pharmacy-atypical-jobs-for-pharmacists
This is a huge list with 100 job titles that may be helpful to search more on your own:
https://pharmacy.uconn.edu/100-careers-in-pharmacy/
These are not extensive lists by any means. You can also do roles you wouldn’t necessarily think of for a pharmacist. I know of medical directors (who lead medical doctors) who are pharmacists, pharmacists working in venture capital, pharmacists working in law, programmer pharmacists, pharmacists running clinical trials and more. Of course there are more roles available in certain fields compared to others but if you can leverage your skill set you can go anywhere!
I’ll also note that this is my experience with the profession of pharmacy, you probably also have lots of other options in other fields as well but that’s not my area of expertise so I can’t speak to it.
I know that was a ton of information, I wanted to give more insight to areas I wish I had more info on when I asked the same question as you. Take what is helpful to you and leave what isn’t! Good luck on your journey!
Chelsey Hunter Tate, PharmD, CPHQ, CPRS
Pharmacist
2
Answers
Mesa, Arizona
Updated
Chelsey’s Answer
I am fortunate that I had alot of healthcare professionals within my family (nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician) and within my community network. I had easy access to people who could tell and show me what their work-life looked like. I knew I wanted to work in healthcare, but I didn't settle on pharmacy until college. I had been torn between MD vs PharmD. Given the specialty I wanted to pursue as an MD and the crazy work schedules of residents, I felt pharmacy would get me where I wanted to be in terms of patient care sooner AND I would have better work-life balance as a pharmacist.
I echo the sentiments of other responses about the variety of avenues within pharmacy. I have held roles in different areas throughout my career (retail, hospital, infusion, specialty mail order, cancer center, and managed care/PBM). I also took the opportunity to work as a certified pharmacy tech in hospital first to increase my drug knowledge and ensure that I would be happy working in pharmacy. Again, there were people along the way who gave me advice, mentorship, and encouragement as I pursued a pharmacy career. These folks also make great resources for recommendation letters when you apply to pharmacy school.
Keep your eyes and options open. Read and research pharmacy schools and career paths. The number of pharmacy schools has exploded along with available roles in the real world. Pharmacy is now far more than your corner store community pharmacists. There are numerous pharmacy entrepreneurs starting their own medication therapy management (MTM) or pharmacogenetics businesses. You can always get a certification for any specialties that interests you once you have that pharmacy degree. Be a lifelong learner because there's always new drugs and new career options.
Best of luck on your journey!!
I echo the sentiments of other responses about the variety of avenues within pharmacy. I have held roles in different areas throughout my career (retail, hospital, infusion, specialty mail order, cancer center, and managed care/PBM). I also took the opportunity to work as a certified pharmacy tech in hospital first to increase my drug knowledge and ensure that I would be happy working in pharmacy. Again, there were people along the way who gave me advice, mentorship, and encouragement as I pursued a pharmacy career. These folks also make great resources for recommendation letters when you apply to pharmacy school.
Keep your eyes and options open. Read and research pharmacy schools and career paths. The number of pharmacy schools has exploded along with available roles in the real world. Pharmacy is now far more than your corner store community pharmacists. There are numerous pharmacy entrepreneurs starting their own medication therapy management (MTM) or pharmacogenetics businesses. You can always get a certification for any specialties that interests you once you have that pharmacy degree. Be a lifelong learner because there's always new drugs and new career options.
Best of luck on your journey!!
Corey Conduff, Licensed Pharmacist, MBA
Licensed Pharmacist, MBA
4
Answers
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Updated
Corey’s Answer
I originally pursued a degree in Chemistry and decided to roll it into Pharmacy because I’ve always had an interest in the industry in the back of my mind so I decided to pursue it. Originally I wanted to pursue a clinical position in a hospital, but after I was not picked for a Residency that didn’t work out, I chose to pursue a position in Retail Pharmacy.
I will tell you that I was not properly prepared for the entire Residency process, so if that’s something you’re interested in, I highly recommend making sure once you start Pharmacy school that you know what it takes to get picked, and do everything in your power to make sure that your CV will be attractive during that process. I definitely didn’t.
The retail life has been different than what I originally imagined, but I will say that I have learned SO much, and realize now how hard this job really is. Everyday it’s dealing with so many variables which makes it challenging but also sometimes makes you feel burnt out I guess as any job can do. It’s mentally tough, dealing with insurance, doctors, angry patients, and things beyond your control (corporate pressures). I would also highly recommend working some time in a retail pharmacy prior to deciding that’s the route you want to go because it’s important to know what you’re getting into.
Just now am i finally starting to find balance between working tons, and having time to enjoy life. The Pharmacy life is ROUGH in retail, and can be really grueling and I wanted to join this platform to make that really clear to people because everyone talks about the good stuff but I never knew about the more challenging shall we call it.
This is not to be negative but to paint a fair picture of what you’re getting yourself into. Remember as frustrating as it can be, it can also be just as rewarding to help people and make a difference in their day. Some days are amazing that way and some are not.
I hope this helps you to have a clear realistic picture of what being a working pharmacist can entail. You’ll make the right choice for you.
I will tell you that I was not properly prepared for the entire Residency process, so if that’s something you’re interested in, I highly recommend making sure once you start Pharmacy school that you know what it takes to get picked, and do everything in your power to make sure that your CV will be attractive during that process. I definitely didn’t.
The retail life has been different than what I originally imagined, but I will say that I have learned SO much, and realize now how hard this job really is. Everyday it’s dealing with so many variables which makes it challenging but also sometimes makes you feel burnt out I guess as any job can do. It’s mentally tough, dealing with insurance, doctors, angry patients, and things beyond your control (corporate pressures). I would also highly recommend working some time in a retail pharmacy prior to deciding that’s the route you want to go because it’s important to know what you’re getting into.
Just now am i finally starting to find balance between working tons, and having time to enjoy life. The Pharmacy life is ROUGH in retail, and can be really grueling and I wanted to join this platform to make that really clear to people because everyone talks about the good stuff but I never knew about the more challenging shall we call it.
This is not to be negative but to paint a fair picture of what you’re getting yourself into. Remember as frustrating as it can be, it can also be just as rewarding to help people and make a difference in their day. Some days are amazing that way and some are not.
I hope this helps you to have a clear realistic picture of what being a working pharmacist can entail. You’ll make the right choice for you.