Career Exploration

Colleges and Universities A-Z Purdue University
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Good morning everyone,

I need some guidance here. I am in exploratory studies at Purdue and I am in a situation where I have to CODO into a major that I would like. I have thought about a few majors/pre-professional tracks I had in mind but I’m still doing some heavy research. I am no longer interested in engineering, but I still desire a respectable degree/profession that’s STEM or medical-related. I’ve talked to my academic advisor about this and she’s very helpful and we’re building a stronger connection every day.

  • I have been thinking about the 2 year bachelor/4 year doctorate pre-pharmacy program at Purdue, I talked to an advisor and we had a lovely conversation. I am impressed by the plan of study requirements and the somewhat smooth process of becoming a pharmacist. It is still a respectable profession that I am interested in. My only problem is that I did some research on the process of becoming a pharmacist and there are a lot of rumors saying that the field is highly saturated and saw a lot of negative comments on Youtube, Reddit, and Quora. So that is raising concern for me.

  • In my opinion, the better option would be the pre-med track. I like the fact that the demand for physicians and surgeons is increasing and this career option provides heavy job security and it is a more science-focused field than engineering. I am aware of the odds of attempting this career goal, but it sounds good to me. And there are a variety of medical schools you can apply to.

  • Every other major at Purdue is somewhat attractive to me but I basically want a STEM or medical-related career field that is competitive and that suits my interests. I am also strict about the job demand when choosing a major.

Thank you for reading my thread. Can you help me decide on the options I’ve listed above and offer more guidance? Have a good day.

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I can’t speak to pharmacy vs pre-med but I would encourage you to go talk to someone at the career center about first destination outcomes for pharmacy students. I would not go to social media sites for any kind of accurate information. You can also make an appointment to talk to someone in pre-professional advising about premed.

Be aware that the competition to get into medical school is fierce and many students are not accepted. I’ve heard many say that you need a plan B if med school doesn’t work out.

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Great to see that you are very open minded! Keep in mind that medicine is a very long road, with a lot of sacrifice along the way. (E.g. while most 25 year-olds are out having fun, med students and residents are pulling 80+ hour weeks.). Very rewarding, but go into it eyes wide open.

There are other related areas such as medical lab techs (science heavy, lots of available jobs) as well as pharmacy as you mentioned.

Good luck!!!

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Perhaps consider another medical-related profession such as PT, OT, nursing, physician assistant? There are lots of options in the healthcare field.

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