<p>I'm sorry for posting this here, but I couldn't find a pharmacy related forum. This is the closest to pharmacy as it gets. </p>
<p>Anyways, someone told me this:</p>
<p>"When you graduate from a 0-6 pharmacy program it will be viewed as a weak PharmD degree. To have a stronger degree. You should get a B.S. in microbiology or chemistry (with a strong emphasis on organic chemistry) then go to Pharm.D. school for another 4 years. That takes 8 years and is viewed better. If you do the 0-6 program, you will land a job at the local walgreens. If you do the 8 year thing, you can land a sweet job at a hospital and make twice the salary."</p>
<p>Is this true? Please answer only if you are sure.</p>
<p>As far as I know, these days most of the Pharmacy schools offer a direct PharmD.
If your plans are to work in a pharmacy or to pursue clinical research in a Pharmaceutical setting, it makes no difference whether you have a BS+PharmD vs PharmD alone since the required course work and hospital hours are included in a direct PharmD. There are no particular advantages other than the fact that doing a BS will give you a chance to change your mind if you are not entirely sure about a PharmD.</p>
<p>Along those lines, is it correct then to say that the BS/PharmD (8 year) method allows you to perhaps double major or minor in additional non-science interest areas as a more “traditional” undergrad experience, while the 0-6 PharmD leaves no room for this?</p>
<p>I graduated with a Pharm.D 23 years ago. Pharmacy school was (and most places still is) 4 years with a minimum of 2 to get in. 50% of my class had a bachelors degree. A lot of the others took 3 years to finish the requirements, rather than 2. It was my experience, that the students with bachelors had an advantage in Pharmacy School because they were better prepared. But I don’t think it had any bearing on weather they became a hospital or retail pharmacist. Most clinical, hospital pharmacy jobs require a “residency” which is an additional year past pharmacy school.</p>
<p>@ Pharmagal - not that many schools offer 0+6 programs. I think it’s along the line of a dozen in the country, but don’t quote me on that. Most schools require you to complete a series prerequisite courses and then you can apply to a four year pharmD program. There are several varieties of this, but I won’t get into that here :)</p>
<p>@ Silence -
I really don’t know if the 0+6 programs are frowned upon in general over ungrad+pharmD programs, but I would guess that they are not. One thing that I have heard is that the general maturity level and “well-roundedness” of students is higher at non-0+6 programs, but that’s a generalization and something I heard from only a handful of people. The pharmacists I have talked to that did 6 year programs are all happy that they did it, though. They spent less time (and money) in school that way.</p>
<p>In the end, everyone gets the same degree and everyone passes the same NAPLEX. What probably matters more is the local reputation of your school, networking, and what you do to make yourself stand out outside of academics. At least locally (for me) people tend to make more starting off in retail than they do in other areas of pharmacy, but there generally is more room for advancement in areas outside of retail.</p>