<p>Hey everyone. I was hoping I could get a parent's perspective on my problem. I was accepted to Northeastern's 6 year pharmacy program as well as Ohio State's 4 year undergrad program. If I go to Ohio State, I would need to apply to the PharmD program after I finish undergrad. I don't know which to do!</p>
<p>My parents think I will be unemployable with a degree from an relatively unknown school such as NEU. Online I see alot of people claim that in the field of pharmacy, it doesn't matter where you get the degree from. I have yet to find any actual evidence from it though besides random people saying this without data to back it up. My parents think the big name recognition of a big 10 school will help me get employed. My dad said he would rather hire someone with a big 10 degree than a NEU degree (he is an employer in his field). </p>
<p>Do the benefits of the 6 year program and automatic admittance to the doctorate program really outweigh the benefits of a degree from a recognizable school? </p>
<p>Keep in mind I am 100% committed to pharmacy. The costs of each school are negligible as the finances are covered and my parents said the cost would not be a factor in the decision at all. The costs are about the same anyway.</p>
<p>So should I do 6 years at a lesser known school or 4+4 at OSU?</p>
<p>I do not have any advice for you except, in New England NEU is not unknown and its status has risen sharply in the last few years. It has a lot of clout in this area. My daughter is a nursing major there, and itis highly regarded in getting jobs in Boston. have you visited? Perhaps that would help you. BTW she was acceted to all schools she applied including UVAm abd UNC Chapel Hill OOS, BC and she chose NEU</p>
<p>Other than the fact that you might be unemployable in pharmacy because of the huge oversupply of pharmacists right now, it really should make no difference where you went once you pass your boards. That being said, there might be some regional bias to one school or another when you look for a job, but I wouldn’t let it dictate what school I chose. I always encourage students to go to a six year school if they can get into one. First, you’re guaranteed a spot against a lot of competition. (although as pharmacy becomes less desirable competition may go down) . You might be competing against 1000 applicants for less than 200 spots. Not good odds,even if you have great LORs, grades, etc. Next, think about 2 more years of income and 2 years less of tuition. That’s a huge advantage. I’ve been in the field for nearly 30 years, and have never given any thought to where my co-workers went to school. We all have the same license; we all took the same national boards.
And congratulations on getting direct entry!</p>
<p>No, it shouldn’t matter which degree you have. And Northeastern is predictably well-known in the Northeast. </p>
<p>However, illinoismom is right to caution you that there is an oversupply of pharmacists. Job availability, salary, and benefits are not likely to be what they are now in the future.</p>
<p>So what you’re telling me is this: to go for the 6-year program, to be locked into a career that will leave me unemployable, instead of having the flexibility of the B.S. ? Your post is kind of contradictory. </p>
<p>I did a quick job search and there were plenty full time positions listed, both in my area and in Boston. Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that job outlook for pharmacists is going to increase by 25% within the next 7 years. (Am I interpreting that incorrectly? Please correct me if I am wrong…)</p>
<p>Illinoismom, are there alot of applicants for one spot where you work? Is there alot of competition for jobs?</p>
<p>I think your father is underestimating Northeastern’s rep and overestimating OSU’s, unless you definitely want to live in certain areas of the midwest.</p>
<p>The idea that you would be “unemployable” with a degree from NU is actually laughable. Many people go there precisely because their grads are VERY employable due to the coop programs.</p>
<p>From what those who really know the field say above, there would be a major advantage in direct admit and a 6-yr program. </p>
<p>And you would get to live in Boston, which is a city with lots of cultural advantages, lots of history, and a great college town.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if you change your mind and decide against pharmacy, I don’t know how difficult it would be to change horses in midstream. You might want to look into that before you commit yourself.</p>
<p>I do agree that if I were to change my mind, I would prefer to have a degree in some other field from OSU than from NEU. But I am 100% committed to pharmacy.</p>
<p>^Yeah I told my parents that. Their response: “Smart, successful students go to big 10 schools, not unknown small schools”</p>
<p>They are extrememly bias because we live in Illinois, my parents graduated from big 10s, and whenever we told family I was considering NEU, they responded with blank stares. And even though I keep telling them that NEU is a well-respected school in its area, they don’t care. When I show them these posts of people backing up what I’m saying, they say they don’t trust “random people from the internet”. So I don’t know what to do anymore.</p>
<p>I think the competition illinoismom was talking about was to get into a Pharm grad program after you would finish undergrad at OSU. Have you looked into the acceptance rate? Do they give any preference to their undergrads? Having a guaranteed entry through the 6 year program is a big advantage.</p>
<p>NEU is not just known and respected in the region , but nationally as well as internationally. And yes , the co op program does gives students an edge . It is not " a small relatively unknown school " by any stretch of the imagination .Maybe your parents don’t want you to live so far away ?</p>
<p>Yes I looked. It is very competitive which is why I don’t want to go the 4+4 route. Most schools have about 800 applicants for about 100 spots. Acceptances rates for OSU and Purdue were around 10% in the PharmD programs</p>
<p>I am kinda concerned though that they’re saying the job market is bad for pharmacy, so that’s why I brought that up</p>
<p>Your family has a very provincial view. It’s not uncommon: people in all regions suffer from it.</p>
<p>I, for example, can reel off the names of the schools in the Ivy League and the Seven Sisters, but I would be guessing at about half of the Big 10. I don’t like football and it just doesn’t mean anything to me. :)</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to be contradictory. I just was pointing out the new realities in pharmacy employment. The US statistics didn’t take into account all the new pharmacy schools opening that are producing more grads than the market can use. I have a friend who got unemployment last year-something unheard of even 4 years ago. You obviously looked at the statistics of getting in-you know the odds. Go for the direct entry. I’ve talked to parents of kids with stellar stats who are shocked that their kids didn’t get into pharmacy at their universities. Did you apply to any other direct entry schools that are closer?</p>
<p>I was accepted to Butler but I don’t really want to go there. Plus if my parents are so hung up on the name recognition thing then Butler would be worse haha.</p>
<p>Tell your parents that Butler is very well regarded here in the Midwest for pharmacy. And are you sure you don’t want to go there? D1 is there and absolutely loves it. And if you want to stay in the midwest after graduation, I know that the big chains most assuredly know about Butler and recruit there as well as the hospitals where you would do your rotations in Indy. Please tell your parents that with the two schools you can choose from for direct entry, name recognition will not be a problem . And congratulations again for your accomplishments- Butler usually has quite the top candidates when it comes to the Pharmacy school.</p>
<p>Maybe you can take a trip to Boston with your parents to see what the school and city has to offer. For what it is worth , NEU is really rising fast in rankings and many of their grads get job offers from their co ops. Best of luck to you !</p>
<p>illinoismom is correct on the the job market these days. LOTS of new pharmacy schools, new grads not finding the jobs that were out there just a few years ago. I would go with an established school and try to avoid debt.</p>
<p>My brother is a pharmacist…5 year undergard at Rutgers, 2 year Pharm D @ Cincinnatti. He passed is NJ Board exam prior to heading off to grad school. Back in the day, there were few/no 6 year Pharm.D programs.</p>
<p>He currently works in the Pharma industry, not dispensing 'scripts. If his job even was down-sized, as he says “I can always go count to 50 at “Happy Harry’s” 30 hours a week to pay the bills.”</p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>PS: He looked at NE-did not like the campus, but that was ages ago.</p>