<p>Hello,
I'd like to apologize if this isn't the right place to post this, but it seemed to fit.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about the possibility of a career in hospital pharmacy, in part because I don't know if I could handle the physical demands of med school. Specifically, I'd like to work in a hospital setting. How much interact to pharmacists (Pharm.D.) get with doctors and patients?</p>
<p>Thank you for your time.</p>
<p>I volunteered in a hospital pharmacy, and at least there, there was absolutely no patient contact and doctor contact was severely limited. The only contact with the rest of the hospital was when a pharmacist had a question about an order, and had to call (usually) the patient's nurse or (less often) the doctor.</p>
<p>If you are interested in having lots of patient/doctor contact, maybe nursing is more your thing?</p>
<p>Agreed, there is zero contact. In 14 years of practice I have never (knowingly) met a hospital pharmacist.
What exactly makes you think you couldn't withstand the rigors of med school?
Jenskate's suggestion about nursing is a good one, though I would point out that it's easier to escape physical labor as a doc than as a nurse.</p>
<p>I guess I have been in the minority all my life, I interact with physicians in a positive way daily. It's certainly not like school where pharmacy students went on rounds with physicians and nurses. But--- if you want to be a physician, you should be a physician or you won't be happy. You will have lots of stress and paper work as a nurse that mayl keep you from quality patient contact. Investigate everything. Someone might suggest PA's or Nurse practitioners-ck the job market carefully, demand may be low in your area.</p>
<p>Re: rigors of med school
I have a physical disability (cerebral palsy) that affects balance, fine motor skills, and spatial thinking. I'm worried that I won't be able to handle things like quickly going to see patients in an emergency, etc. Basically, I won't be able to do much that's requires physical speed/dexerity.</p>
<p>Academically, I'm a decent student (a junoir in HS):
Straight A's (so far...knock on wood)
203 PSAT (sophmore)
5 APs by end of junoir year (5 on World History exam) and many other honors/preAP classes
Leadership, etc.</p>
<p>It would/will be a challenge, but it can be done. Most med schools will go out of their way to accommodate you. What you may give up in mobility, you'll make up in compassion/empathy.</p>
<p>What exactly do pharmacists do anyway? My current perception is that they just get pills for problems. </p>
<p>Why do they get paid a lot? Is it something that requires skill? Is it interesting? </p>
<p>Not pharmacologists, but pharmacists.</p>
<p>Pharmacists help dose the patients on certain medication, but more or less it is just order entry. They do ocassionaly have to write their own orders but everything has become simplified today. I work in a Pharmacy right now, and its just for helping me get into med-school. So if you want to become a physican go for it, instead of being a pharmacist.</p>