Pharmacist vs. Doctor (Choice)

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Bear with me, I may sound extremely delusional and stupid.
I have to pick between going to a 6yr PharmD program at a nearby college and going to Johns Hopkins University. If I go to Hopkins, I'll be premed (bio) I'm not obsessed with prestige.</p>

<p>My choice is basically between becoming a doctor and becoming a Pharmacist. Unless there are other secure, well-paying jobs you know of. I really had to search deeply to answer this question for myself.</p>

<p>My material & personal goals in life are as follows:
(1) a small decent house in a nice neighborhood.
(2) a car; I don't care about getting a BMW or Mercedes, I'd rather get a Toyota considering the fact that after 20 days owning either a Toyota or BMW, I'd feel the same.
(3) financial security: money-in-the bank, well-paying secure job, being able to retire safely, etc.
(4) satisfying personal life with family and friends
(5) decent job that does not interfere with your personal life
(6) I'm really not that materialistic, I don't want mansions, jewels, $1000 clothes, etc. I'm not a big spender, but I like investing money (stocks) and knowing that I have money when the need arises</p>

<p>If I go to the 6yr PharmD Program:
- I'll graduate by the time I'm 24
- I'll have a life and I won't be dead on the inside
- the PharmD program will be difficult, but I'll make it through
- I'll be interning in a pharmacy while in pharmacy school, making $14/hr, etc.
- I'll most probably have achieved the aforementioned goals by the time I'm 28
(correct me if I'm wrong) considering I'd be getting paid about 100k/yr, I ran<br>
the calculations ;)
- life shouldn't be too difficult and I think I can count on not losing my job</p>

<p>If I go to Hopkins and attempt to become a doctor:
- will become a doctor when I'm 30-34 (depending on specialty)
- **** loads of debt
- dead on the inside
- EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to get into medschool, painful residency, don't know
If I can make it through
- If I'm lucky, I'll make $350k+ and be able to pay of my debt and achieve the
aforementioned goals
- work/personal life balance will be horrible; won't be able to pay attention to<br>
kids/wife/etc.
- will have to put my personal life behind and probably won't have kids until
my late 30s</p>

<p>I know what you're thinking, doesn't he care about helping people as a doctor or pharmacist?
They're noble professions that include mutual benefit of the highest order. What I mean is: the patient and doctor/pharmacist both benefit from the exchange of medicine for money.
I don't think most premeds/meds/residents who go to sleep at 2AM after studying tell themselves that they are doing this ONLY to help others. Determination, prestige, self-worth, and money together play bigger roles than simply helping others. There's a huge difference between saying you care about people and actually caring about people. Bottom-line: even if I became a doctor, I would do my job honestly and help my patients.
Helping others is a factor but not the main factor. I see it as a byproduct of a profession, not the chief intent of the majority entering the field.
Doctors are also not getting compensated as well as they used to and that is, statistically, their biggest complaint about the profession (HMOs and malpractice). I could argue about this forever but I'm open minded enough to consider all sides and understand others.
If helping other people as a doctor means sacrificing my personal life, 20s, bad hours, and not getting compensated properly after that, then I'm not interested. Also, doctors report 32% job satisfaction and about 75% say they would not encourage their children to become doctors.</p>

<p>I'm also worried about the future of these professions:
- will doctors begin to have better lives and compensation in the future due to some much-need national health care reform?
- will the pharmacy job market fall out of favor?</p>

<p>As for my own dimensions:
My personal interests: they fluctuate among many things every year, like finance, politics, history, research, etc.
However, I do lean towards the sciences.
My academics:
2010 SAT (700M, 660CR, 650W)
800s and 5s in Chem/Bio/PhysicsB
Moderate ranking and GPA.
I can be hardworking when needed and I don't really NEED to party/have fun.
However, I am susceptible to burnout and laziness; my GPA and SATs, which I did not study at all for, show this fact.</p>

<p>I understand that my science scores (800s and 5s in Chem/Bio/PhysicsB) are probably the norm for med school acceptances? (Yes, I know you take the MCATs)</p>

<p>I'm basically looking for a secure, well-paying job that does not entail sacrificing entire parts of your life and that is why I will probably pick the 6 year Pharmacy Program over Hopkins unless you guys know of any other job market with the same potential that I could enter?</p>

<p>Again, bear with me. An year ago, I did not anticipate this choice to be the problem it is.</p>

2

<p>Sounds to me like you've already made your decision. All your pharm items are generally positive, all your medicine items generally very negative.</p>

3

<p>I know that things like Radiology, Opthalmology, Anesthesiology, and Dermatology (ROAD to success) pay a lot and give you flexible hours but do they not have the most grueling competition?
Also, I'm trying to gauge myself among med school applicants and I understand that my science scores (800s and 5s in Chem/Bio/PhysicsB) are probably the norm for med school acceptances? (Yes, I know you take the MCATs)</p>

4

<p>There's not necessarily a correlation between SAT's/AP's in high school and what people finish up with for college GPA/ MCAT scores. You may do better, or backslide. Nothing's guaranteed at this point. Also,350+K a year is possible for only a few specialties, most of which are fairly cut-throat as far as competition to get into those residencies.</p>

<p>I decided when I got into med school that I wasn't going to deal with the ******** that you have to do to get into certain, specific specialties. I play rugby with the undergrad team here in my free time, I pass (but don't honor) my classes, and while it may bite me in a few years if I suddenly decide I want to be a cardiologist or something like that, I'm happy that I'm mostly living life on my terms right now. As I hopefully can continue to do.</p>

5

<p>You could just enroll in pre-med at JHU.</p>

<p>You can still apply to a pre-health program other than med, should you decide not to pursue it (Pharm, Dent, Opt, etc.). As long as your marks are reasonable, you should be able to come up with a reasonable back-up plan that would give you the life you want.</p>

6

<p>Point #2 is on the money. ROAD specialties are indeed the most competitive. Science scores are not useful -- it's like assessing TD passes in college QB's.</p>

7

<p>This post was.... different. Please don't become a doctor. That might sounds harsh, but you've clearly already made your decision. I definitely don't believe you have the right mentality for it. I feel like if you went to Hopkins and got into medical school then you just wouldn't be happy doing your career. I just feel like you're already biased toward the negative side of becoming a doctor and it just takes too much dedication and passion to just do it because. If you're looking for security and a family life while not having to put in as many years, I feel like pharmacy would be better for you. Best of luck.</p>

8

<p>I've read all of your replies but due to constraints, I couldn't login and reply.
I've shadowed few doctors and a pharmacist.
Here's my analysis:</p>

<p>Most of the high schoolers, premeds, and even med school students (I've been to two of the top-5) I know have this screwed up and romanticized view of being a doctor where after they finish all of their grueling training, they will have a 9 to 5 job, make $500k, live in condos, and face patients grateful for solving their problems (they expect no complications). These are genuinely intelligent people who very well have the capacity to make it to and through medical school. High schoolers and premeds make nothing of the average $150k of med school loans. They know nothing of and even belittle the taxes, the malpractice, the bureaucratic nonsense, the stress, the toll on your personal life, and the fact that they have to delay their personal life. They believe that they will take home $40k paychecks a month and never be sued. While this may be true for a few doctors, a good lot of them are not happy. This is funny because every single person I know of in the medical field or in the process of entering the medical field does nothing but complain. Forget what salary.com says, you won't be taking home $350k as a first-year specialist. The taxes, malpractice, student loans, training, stress, and payoff are not worth it. A career in medicine is not worth it unless you know exactly what you are getting yourself into and understand the risks and rewards. It doesn't matter if you love medicine, if you don't love the lifestyle, then you are in for one hell of a disappointment. You cannot go into medicine saying "after premed, I'll be fine, after med school, I'll be fine, after residency, I'll be fine", you must even enjoy the journey. The entire thing is a journey and not a destination at all. In real life, all I see from preMDs and MDs is constant complaining and bitterness even from the well-paid.</p>

<p>The reason I think this happens is because kids grow up in a safety-bubble created by their parents and schools where they expect to excel in the real world since they worked hard and virtuously in their bubbles. I took the time to research and look outside my bubble and saw that the outside world is quite different. In fact, it doesn't even reward virtue, but that's another matter.</p>

<p>If you have the academic skill and desire a good lifestyle with low stress and are not obsessed with being a doctor, then becoming a pharmacist is much better. On the other hand, if you are obsessed with being a doctor and know exactly what you are getting yourself into, then be my guest.</p>

<p>What do I like being, a doctor or a pharmacist?
I (selfish, I know) like the lifestyle of a pharmacist much more.
What excites me more?
They both excite me and the ups and downs balance each other out.
I see both careers as being a combination of practicality, professionalism, education, technology, bureaucracy, and public interaction. I like the balance much more in Pharmacy.</p>

<p>And whether or not I will be satisfied with my job? Every single person around the age of 40 that I known of from a doctor, to teacher, to accountant, says that their job is "okay." And that is all I expect to say when I'm 40. I don't expect to be thrilled to go to work every single day at that age. Also, in being a Pharmacist, unlike in being a doctor, I am not immersed in a single purpose. I have the ability to pursue side interests like educating myself about world affairs, politics, philosophy, psychology, financial investment, reading, etc. (they change every 6 months).</p>

<p>My best case scenario:
(1) I become a pharmacist in 5 to 6 years.
(2) In my 20s I plan to work a lot and settle down with a house, car, etc. on Long Island.
(3) Max out my 401k, IRA, have a 529 plan, a cash safety net, etc.
(4) See if I can move up the ladder in my job.
(5) Ease my hours in my 30s and onwards.
(6) Meanwhile, I continue with my personal life and pursue any side interests.
(7) Retire.
(8) DIE</p>

<p>I know I can achieve this. Like I said, I'm not aiming to be a millionaire (although my retirement funds should probably be worth quite a lot by then). These predictions are obviously made with the hope that nothing bad happens with my personal life and that the American Empire doesn't screw itself over.</p>

<p>P.S.: You know exactly what I mean when I say 'dead on the inside'. We've all felt that way at some point in our lives.</p>

9

<p>So...you're upset that other people don't have an accurate view of reality? How odd.</p>

10

<p>Looking forward to number 8 eh?</p>

11

<p>I just find it interesting that you even bothered to make this post at all. Your mind is clearly made up. Besides, to be honest - you definitely don't have what it takes to make it through to become a doctor. The last thing the world needs is someone in that position who is miserable because they did it for all the wrong reasons. </p>

<p>I also find it a little insulting that you assume that people who are on their way to becoming doctors have some fantasy that they'll be rich and successful and have a "normal life" with normal hours. Maybe you should consider that some people have a calling towards it. Some people realize that they'll be giving up their 20's and part of their 30's to be swamped in debt and work ridiculous hours for most of their life for pay that, in the end, isn't all that spectacular. Some people... oh, I dunno... wanna help people. Some people work better with stress and pressure and long hours and are fascinated with the world of medicine. </p>

<p>Since you don't seem to fit that description (while your 100% right about the life of a doctor and the path towards it) then simply don't do it. I'm just confused at your questioning which to become -- obviously a pharmacist is the right choice for you. Enjoy the maxed out 401K, IRA, and 9-5 job.</p>

12

<p>This seems less about you wanting opinions, and more about you wanting to show off your incredible intelligence and ability to see all these truths that none of us could possibly fathom.</p>

<p>Do whatever you think is best for yourself, it is quite obvious that you do not need our lowly thoughts on your choices.</p>

13

<p>I was thinking the same thing! WOW!!!! What you said really made sense; my parents want me to become a pharmacist, and I've been debating with myself on whether or not I really want to become one, because my classmates all make fun of pharmacists and mockingly tell me that they'll look forward to "seeing me at CVS Pharmacy" in several 7 or 8 years! I think you brought up some very great points, and those were exactly what I was thinking of and being told of by my family members and friends. I'm still not sure if I should try to get an M.B.A. later on as well to improve my chances of climbing the executive ladder or perhaps someday forming my own pharmaceutical company (if I succeed.) STRANGE! I can't believe we were thinking of the exact same thing! Pharmacists have a safe salary, but I always get this nagging feeling that perhaps I could do something "more," like becoming a doctor or a successful businessman, or creating the next "Ipod." But this thread has really shifted my aspects toward the pharmaceutical field. Thank you for your insights, and good luck on your journey toward becoming a pharmacist!</p>

14

<p>^^ Since you'll take basically the same courses for both Pharm or Med, I think you should wait till after you completed the first year or two in college before you decide which one you want to pursue. I was pretty set on being a pharmacist when I started college in 2007. Now I decided I want to pursue med school instead. There's nothing to be ashamed of working for CVS Pharmacy. You'll make more money than those who major in engineers, accounting, finance, business. And they will have to wait for you to fill their prescription!</p>

15

<p>haha confident~</p>

<p>it shouldn't matter what you do, as long as you are happy with yourself =) you're the one who needs to live your life, and based on your post worriedperiod, it seems like you have made up your mind. </p>

<p>Good luck with everything! Definitely take the pharm.D. though- I have a few friends who are in a 6 year Pharm.D. program, and it sure beats going through the regular process. One of them just signed a job for about $95,000 and she's only 23 :)</p>

16

<p>always account for variable change.....</p>

17

<p>First, I would like to begin by thanking you for making this post. Just recently I have been debating on if I want to go the med school path or the pharmacy path. I'm a sophmore at fsu and time is winding down and I need to hurry and make a decision. And it seems to me that going to pharmacy school would be my best option because I will have time later on in life to venture out into other businesses. Sometimes I think that people who have to debate between the two fields only want to become a doctor because of the title. They don't look at all the factors in being a doctor.</p>

18

<p>Go to Pharm. Less competition for me :)</p>

<p>I've never considered being a Pharmacist. I don't find anything appealing about it other than the good pay working conditions, etc. I mean, you stare at pills all day. I've even talked to a pharmacist who said that he's "nothing more than a glorified tech."</p>

<p>I'm just curious, what're ya'lls motivations for being a pharmacist? I'm premed but I'm just curious.</p>

19

<p>PLEASE DO become a pharmacist or whatever. I would not want you as my doctor.</p>

20

<p>haha oreo... do u know for sure that ur current doctor thinks that he is getting back the actual worth he has put into the profession?.... probably u dont knwo for sure...
and probably, ur doc does think that he isnt getting the equal worth back, but that doesnt mean he is a bad doc..</p>

<p>well, i was gonna ask the same question today, my cuz just got accepted to USC pharmacy school.... instate, and I know pharmacists dont do much..lol... the cousin's dad's a pharmacist too...</p>

<p>They were trying to convince me to become a pharmacist, saying its shorter and cleaner...
I agree, but I think being a doctor is more respectful- I can proudly say that im doing this for the title...llol... besides, i think we need more doc's opposing stem cell research- and that is what im planning to do .. oppose stem cell research...</p>

<p>lol.. for so long I was a pro- stem cells person... i even did my SEP on the topic...
and now I think people shouldnt live above 75 or so as the earth is just too ovepopulated... beside we should let natural selection occur againt people prone to cancer and alzheimers and stuff... thats the only way to get rid of such genes from the pool...(i know i sound like a total jerk, but this is what I reall think...)</p>