You want to be a Pharmacist?

To this day one of the most read posts is "10 Tips of making it through your first year of pharmacy school" Long title I know and not that creative might I add. I always feel so scattered. Every other day I try to talk myself into deleting this blog. I just can't seem to bring my self to do it.

At first I wasn't a mom, who was blogging about getting ready to be a mom.
Then I was a mom blogging about mommy stuff.
( I mean I am still a mom, just a less figured out one)
Next a pharmacy student writing about student stuff.
Now I'm a pharmacist, and well I'm not all that sure what I write about at this point.

So, this morning when I logged to see how the blog was doing. Who's reading, if anyone is reading, and what exactly they're reading. I decided, "Hey why not put a new spin on an old topic" What do I have to lose, right?

Ok, can I first say I am pro-pharmacist because I think from this moment forward it may not exactly sound that way.

1. If you are thinking about pharmacy school...Don't do it, turn around and go the other way. Now why would I say that about a career I love so dearly?

Supply and demand.

I recently had a lot of interviews, and I mean a lot. The market is not looking all that great. I've had many interviewers tell me, "the market is so saturated, I really have the ability to hire who I want and pay what I want. Because students need jobs."

Whoa! At present I am compensenated really well. Just to put you in a range I make upwards mid-sixty/hourly. Now I can tell you out of the 8 interviews I had NO ONE willing to A. match my pay and B. Come within $8 of it. I think the lowest I've been offered is $40/hourly by a company who claimed I was highly recommended to them. They were really interested and even offered to give me $5 more hourly than the initial offer. Financially, I just couldn't do it. I am over $200,000.00 in debt. I do have a 4 year old. And most certainly I must live.

This whole situation has been frustrating and frightening. I love my job. I love being a pharmacist. I volunteer my time as a pharmacist to my community because I enjoy. While, I realize money isn't EVERYTHING. It does take money to do most things.

I want students who are interested in being pharmacists to really understand what that means, to understand the commitment.Financially. Years ago people would say "don't become a pharmacist just for the money" Well now the money isn't there like it was.

So, You want to be a Pharmacist?

Ask your self what's the plan if I graduate and I don't receive a full-time job offer?

Or

What if I have to move away from my family or thousands of miles from where I thought I was going to live?

What is my game plan if it takes a year or 2 for me to find employment? What will I do if I can only find part time employment?

What will I do if I get in $120,000.00 of debt from student loans and I thought I would be making $100,000-$150,000/yearly but I find myself making $55,000-$90,000.00?

If you still want to be a pharmacist, if you still have the passion and you feel like a pharmacist is who you were created to be. Go for it, and be the very best pharmacist you possibly can. Change lives, hell change the profession. Be eager and enthusiatic to make the world a better place. Just know the flavor of the tea, before you sip it.