To be a pharmacist or a doctor

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>I am going to start this thread off with complete honesty. I'm a senior in high school, and I am torn between choosing two professions. The first choice is a pharmacist, and the second choice is a doctor(specialty undecided). I am currently leaning towards choosing the doctor route. However, my parents are concerned that if I am unable to get into medical school then I will be trapped with a career in microbiology or chemistry. In addition, my parents are trying to persuade me to choose a career in pharmacy due to the steady pay and success rate. </p>

<p>(Original poster's note) I have considered using pharmacy as a pre-med degree. (Due to con-current enrollment and AP courses I will essentially start college as a sophomore.) However, in most cases I have read that using pharmacy as a pre-med degree is a bad idea. If this option is not a bad idea then please by all means elaborate on the subject.</p>

<p>I want to choose the doctor path, but the constant reminder of failure, student loan debt, and the debt that comes with starting a practice haunts my mind.</p>

<p>(Original poster question) Can doctors find employment without putting money up front for office space,employees, and such? Is using opportunities to pay for medical school via the military a viable option for a male without physical disabilities. </p>

<p>When it comes to pharmacy, I do not hate that opinion. I only prefer being a doctor over being a pharmacist.</p>

<p>I also have another question. Do you know what percent of doctors actually pay off their student debt or at least reach some form of financial security. </p>

<p>(Original poster's note) My parents fear of my failure is very surprising to me. I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.563 weighted GPA. ACT scores are in the 97th percentile of the nation.</p>

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<p><a href=“Original%20poster’s%20note”>quote</a> I have considered using pharmacy as a pre-med degree. (Due to con-current enrollment and AP courses I will essentially start college as a sophomore.) However, in most cases I have read that using pharmacy as a pre-med degree is a bad idea. If this option is not a bad idea then please by all means elaborate on the subject.

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<p>Let’s see if I can answer some of the questions to the best of my recollection.</p>

<p>1) I’m not sure why Pre-Pharm and Pre-Med should be an issue as long as you are taking the same prereq classes and not some sort of less comprehensive courses like some other Pre-Health Professsions allow. As you have or will read the pre-reqs are pretty basic and last time I looked were pretty similar between programs.</p>

<p>Getting into Med School with only 3 yrs of actual University is far less likely than getting into a Pharm program which have 6/7/8 yr paths. It can be done for Med School, but most programs I’ve been around discourage the attempt.</p>

<p><a href=“Original%20poster%20question”>quote</a> Can doctors find employment without putting money up front for office space,employees, and such? Is using opportunities to pay for medical school via the military a viable option for a male without physical disabilities.

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<p>Easily and increasingly common actually though you will give up a bit of freedom. Joining established multi MD groups and those that are owned loosely/directly by Hospitals or Large Healthcare organizations is increasingly common. Many doctors got tired of fighting with the Administrative/insurance/Business stuff and found joining some organization that takes care of those factors and let you go back to Medicine. You are technically now an employee instead of owner, but there are distinct advantages (and disadvantages) of this job. Many other groups will hire a New MD and will essentially let you work/buy your way into the group by taking less direct salary for a certain number of years until you are considered a full partner. If you join a group that is ‘looking hard’ for a new partner many of these places will give recruitment bonuses directly of even pay off some/all of your Education Loans (with strings of course).</p>

<p>Military service can get all your education paid for for a required service commitment as long as you meet all the other requirements of military service. </p>

<p>There are several other Public Service opportunities than can pay or partially pay for your education in exchange for a certain Service Commitment – I think there used to be more, but “Underserved Area” designations still are offered-- Native American, Rural or Inner city practices, as well as Peace Corps/Doctors Without Borders type organizations.</p>

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<p>Without having any hard numbers in front of me I’d say 95-99+% of those who successfully complete Med School and residency pay off any debt they accumulate though if you accumulate 200-400K debt to get there and decide to go into Primary Care, it’s going to take a long time to do so. This of course can be largely avoided up front by choosing your UG and Graduate programs to be in line with your resources. Pharmacy School isn’t much cheaper upfront though might be completed earlier and the Income is likely lower on the back side (long term prospects may also be a bit tricky if the supposed Oversupply of Pharmacists materializes).</p>

<p><a href=“Original%20poster’s%20note”>quote</a> My parents fear of my failure is very surprising to me. I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA and a 4.563 weighted GPA. ACT scores are in the 97th percentile of the nation.

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<p>Sounds like you have a good start at either Pre-Med or Pre-Pharm if you wish to go that direction. Are you National Merit? I know several good Public State schools have excellent Scholarship packages (full tuition or even full ride) for those who look for it. Oklahoma and Alabama (among others though those 2 seem to always come up) have both poured money into aggressively recruiting the High End students.</p>

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<p>I am not a national merit. I missed it by one to two questions. It haunts my mind every day with the pure factor of the “second place is the first to lose” mentality. The University of Oklahoma really only gives full rides to National Merit Scholars and anyone with a 33 on the ACT(99th percentile in the nation). Southwestern Oklahoma State University offers full rides for four years worth of schooling for a 30 on the ACT which is where I stand.(Southwester Oklahoma State University has an extremely top notch pharmacy program…I think 99.5 percent of their students pass the “big pharmacy test that grants you certification” on their first try. So if the pharmacy degree can serve as a viable pre-med degree then I may be in good shape. </p>

<p>I have also considered Oklahoma State University which gives a full ride for four years of education for a 32(98 percentile in the nation).</p>

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<p>Why can’t you major in Chemistry and complete the pre-reqs for both pre-med and pre-pharm…then apply to med school…if it doesn’t work out, then apply to pharm school.</p>

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<p>Pharmacy is usually a 6 year program, 2 of which includes being a regular college student. The last four being in pharmacy school. My first post already specified the problem with a chemistry major. In the end, if I want to have both doctor and pharmacist options open I will need to use pharmacy as a pre req.</p>

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<p>Yes…some pre-pharm is 2 years, but I thought pre-pharm is usually a 3 year undergrad program…but students certainly can apply to pharm school after completing all 4 years.</p>

<p>You say that your parents don’t want you to be pre-med because if you don’t get into med school, then your career choices will be limited. </p>

<p>I’m saying that if you do pre-med (and include pre-pharm req’ts), then how come you can’t apply to pharm school IF med school doesn’t pan out?</p>

<p>*, in most cases I have read that using pharmacy as a pre-med degree is a bad idea. If this option is not a bad idea then please by all means elaborate on the subject.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>??? This makes no sense. If you do pre-pharm and get a degree in something that also includes the pre-med course, then why would med schools give a rats patootie? </p>

<p>And…I don’t see why majoring in Chem and doing the pre-med and pre-pharm curriculum is a problem that you addressed anywhere.</p>

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<p>If the full ride to Oklahoma is guaranteed with a 33, see if you can take the test in January & apply then. It will be extremely worth your while to prepare & test if it means no debt from UG.</p>

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<p>", in most cases I have read that using pharmacy as a pre-med degree is a bad idea. If this option is not a bad idea then please by all means elaborate on the subject.</p>

<p>??? This makes no sense. If you do pre-pharm and get a degree in something that also includes the pre-med course, then why would med schools give a rats patootie?"</p>

<p>Well the pre-med advisor at the University of Oklahoma told me that if I apply for med-school with a pharmacy degree then they will be confused on whether I want be a pharmacist or a doctor. However, I have researched alot of what that pre-med advisor said and it has turned out to be wrong…not slightly wrong…completely wrong(she will also extremly snotty…assuming I would drink and not study dispite my grades).</p>

<p>For instance, if someone took the pre-med reqs and obtained a history major. What is stopping the pre-med selection committee from being confused about whether the applicant wants to be a historian or a doctor.</p>

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<p>*Well the pre-med advisor at the University of Oklahoma told me that if I apply for med-school with a pharmacy degree then they will be confused on whether I want be a pharmacist or a doctor. *</p>

<p>I guess this is where I’m confused. At my kids’ school there is no undergrad “pharm degree.” You major in something like Chemistry and also take all the pre-pharm req’ts (and I’m suggesting that you could also include the pre-med req’ts.). So, at the end of the day, you have a chem degree and the req’ts to apply to med school, and if that doesn’t work out, you can apply to pharm school. </p>

<p>Since no where on the transcript does it say “pre pharm degree,” how/why would a med school care? Or does OU put “pre pharm degree” on one’s transcript…if so, why? And if so, why then couldn’t you major in Chem and just take the pre-pharm req’ts?</p>

<p>Again, no one has to apply to pharm school after 2 or 3 years of undergrad. A person can have a 4 year degree (with req’ts) and apply to pharm school and/or med school.</p>

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<p>BTW…you’re still a high school student, right. Are you for sure going to OU? Where else have you applied?</p>

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<p>Applying to OU, OSU, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Besides Tulsa University, the other schools in Oklahoma are not even on my radar.</p>

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<p>*The University of Oklahoma really only gives full rides to National Merit Scholars and anyone with a 33 on the ACT(99th percentile in the nation). Southwestern Oklahoma State University offers full rides for four years worth of schooling for a 30 on the ACT which is where I stand.(Southwester Oklahoma State University has an extremely top notch pharmacy program…I think 99.5 percent of their students pass the “big pharmacy test that grants you certification” on their first try. So if the pharmacy degree can serve as a viable pre-med degree then I may be in good shape. </p>

<p>I have also considered Oklahoma State University which gives a full ride for four years of education for a 32(98 percentile in the nation). *</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>So what is your ACT score? </p>

<p>Are you only looking at OK schools because of merit?</p>