Help! Pharmacist vs. Doctor?!?!

[rutgershopeful]

<p>So for the past few years I've been saying I wanted to be a pharmacist. My aunt is a pharmacist, and she hates her job...
She's been telling me to become a doctor - which is only an extra 2 years. Her biggest regret was not listening to the doctor she used to intern for, and going straight to pharmacy school.</p>

<p>Part of me wants to take the easy way out and go to a 6 year pharmacy school, graduate, and find a job working retail at like CVS...</p>

<p>But another part of me doesn't want to take that easy way out and work in a boring drug store all day. Med school isn't easy to get into, and it isn't easy to complete. Also, I don't want to regret my decision like my aunt did. She keeps telling me to go to college for 4 years and get a bachelor's degree in a science, like biology, and then choose my path from there. At least that way my options are more flexible, and I won't be stuck in a 6-year program where I'll also be spending my summers taking classes.</p>

<p>However, there are also some cons to med school...
- I'm kind of a coward, and I'm scared I'm not smart enough to become a doctor.
- I'm a female, and Asian - which explains why a majority of my family wants me to become a doctor. But since I'm a female, I want to live a relatively normal life. I want to marry in my 20's and have a family before I'm 30. However, if I go to med school, the chances of me having a "normal" life will be nearly impossible.
- The debt-8 years of school is a lot... plus 3-5 years of residency, which doesn't make much. They say doctors come out with an average of 200k in debt!!! If I go the pharm path I might only come out with 30k in debt.
- The stress. Many pre-meds spend their time studying for MCATS and finding internships, researching, or finding new ways to make their apps stand out. Many med students are studying their butts off so that they can pass their classes. Many students in residency training complain of the 80-100 hour work weeks...</p>

<p>However, looking at job security and pay, doctors definitely top pharmacists on this part.</p>

<p>My aunt also hates how she is looked down on by many people. Working retail is difficult, because their are sometimes difficult customers. The job is boring, and many people mention how pharmacists never look happy. Also, they aren't as respected as doctors. Becoming a doctor allows me to open my own clinic and be my own boss, but a pharmacist will have a boss that he/she works under, unless he/she decides to open his/her own pharmacy.</p>

<p>I'm just stressing so much because I'm going to be a senior and I'm trying to decide whether to go on the 6-year pharmacy program path or on the 8+ years path as a doctor.</p>

<p>My aunt is right in many aspects, but I don't know what the right path for me is..</p>

[Greenroses]

<p>Hey, I’m in the same position as you. I’m an incoming senior Asian female, and I’m worried about the stresses of med school, too. I think getting into med school won’t really be a problem for you, because if it comes down to it, you could always go to med school in Arkansas (I had a family friend who did that after she didn’t make it to any med schools on the East Coast). I agree with you… if you’re planning a pre-med track during your undergraduate years, that’s four years of really working your butt off, volunteering, trying to get good leadership, blahblahblah when it’s supposed to be “the best four years of your life.” I’m worried most about stress, that I won’t be able to make it through the 2am study nights and 3 hours of sleep for residency…
I guess that could be solved by applying to 7 year med programs, if you’re into that kind of thing, though I’m too scared to commit just yet. You’re right about the 100 hour residency work weeks. Yikes. Try not to let your aunt influence your decision too much. You know what’s best for you. </p>

<p>Being a pharmacist doesn’t mean you have to work retail, which is most profitable, but also most stressful. You could do clinical pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, nuclear pharmacist, etc. Job security should be about the same for doctors and pharmacists, since you know with the whole boomers getting older, needing more medical services, they need more medicines, too, so pharmacists will be well off. As a pharmacist, you’ll have time for family, pursuing other enjoyments; there’s an interview with a pharmacist somewhere online. The pharmacist works in a hospital, 9-3 job, 100k a year, really happy with it. </p>

<p>I don’t think you should worry about the 200k debt. I mean worse comes to worse you’ll pay it off within a few years, right?</p>

<p>My parents actually would rather me become a pharmacist than a doctor, since being a doctor is a lot more stressful. I honestly would be fine with a pharmacist’s salary, it’s a lot more than my family makes right now, anyway. But they do say don’t become a doctor for the salary. If you’re going to be a doctor, then definitely have a passion for it. My grandma was a doctor; they originally assigned her as a professor of med school in China, (higher pay at first, high position within a few years, respect etc), and she turned it down and pursued working as a doctor because she really liked it. Now, she’s eighty and still works three days a week. That’s how much she’s into it, and I guess that’s how much you should be into it if you really want to be a doctor. My eye doctor is also nuts; she loves working. Her office is open 7 days a week, and she works until nine somedays when she feels like it. If you really like it, then it’s worth the four years of undergraduate stress, the 2 am nights at med school, the horrible work weeks of residency.
The thing that decides for me now is which schools I get into. If I have to choose between an Ivy and Rutgers pharm, I’d still probably pick the Ivy, just because my parents would be thrilled that I went there, though I’d put in a lot of thought before submitting the deposit.
Don’t stress too much, just for the sake of having the Doctor title and prestige and whatever. Pick whichever you like, whichever lifestyle you’d prefer.
Oh, and since we’re both girls, we don’t have to stress that much about making lots of money. You could easily marry a doctor or something haha. </p>

<p>Try interning as a pharmacy technician to see if you like it, and shadow a few doctors senior year. </p>

<p>Oh btw, I looked at the Rutgers pharm courses, and your first two pre-professional years summers are free ;)</p>

[i_wanna_be_Brown]

<p>“I don’t think you should worry about the 200k debt. I mean worse comes to worse you’ll pay it off within a few years, right?”</p>

<p>you may be paying it off over the course of decades…</p>

[Siriuss]

<p>Err Im probably not qualified to say this but
Becoming a doctor isn’t really just 2 years more you have several years of residencies. So do keep that in mind.
My sister is a pharmacist and loves it. She loves retail and adores talking to people.
But if you personally feel like retail is boring then there is always the research side of pharmacy as well.
That said if you don’t want to be a pharmacist then for Merlin’s sake dont! You haven’t said one positive thing about it so why is it something you’re considering?
It’s not Doctor or Pharmacist if you don’t want to be a pharmacist!
That said you have other options to me it seems you want to be a doctor because it’s prestigious and that’s not the way to pick a career!
What do you enjoy? If its truly medicine then look into being a doctor. If its not then don’t. Simple.
Don’t base your life decisions off of what your family thinks-- you are the one whose about to be living the rest of your life depending on the choices you make</p>