A lot of high school students and undergraduate college students really have no clue what they want to do with their life. I had this problem when transitioning from high school to college. This can be both positive and negative. With college tuition rates increasing, it is better to know exactly what you want to pursue early on. You are worse off accruing student loan debt by trying to figure out what you want to do in college. The most pragmatic approach financially, is to have a goal and plan in mind.
People are lead to the healthcare field in many different ways. It could be from a long time dream as a child, someone they looked up to, a TV show, through volunteer work, or recommendation by friends and family. In this specific case you were lead to the field of pharmacy and may be wondering if being a Pharmacist is what you want to do with your life.
Getting Pharmacy Experience
It is highly recommended that you get pharmacy experience. You need to get exposed in this area to truly understand if this is something you want to spend 5-10+ years of your life specializing in pharmacy. Furthermore, there are many different areas a pharmacist can practice. This can include retail (community), hospital, long term care, consulting, research, insurance companies, drug companies, oncology, critical care, pediatrics, psychiatric, geriatrics, nutrition, nuclear, informatics, and general practice. There are many more areas that a pharmacist can specialize but the ones listed are the most popular.
Pharmacist Job Market
Pharmacy has evolved and changed rapidly in the past 2 decades. It has cycled through tough times of employment to the golden age of pharmacy employment. As it currently stands today February of 2014 the market is starting to meet equilibrium for pharmacists. Anecdotal evidence and research, suggests that we are moving into an age of having a surplus of pharmacists. The current demand equals supply for the majority of the United States. There are still rural areas that have a higher demand for pharmacists, however most metropolitan areas are fairly saturated and meet market demands.
Pharmacist Compensation
Pharmacist are well compensated for their expertise. A recent graduate without much experience can still land a six-figure salary. Most pharmacist are paid a six-figure salary and benefits vary significantly depending on area of practice and company they work for. The actual salary will be dependent on years of experience, area of practice, and geographic location. The pharmacist salary has been stagnant over the past 4 years due to changes to healthcare reform, the 2009 stock market crash, and supply and demand equilibrium.
Should I become a Pharmacist?
This leads us to the ultimate question. Should I become a Pharmacist? The future of pharmacy is unknown at this point and one should research and understand the market fully before investing the time and money to become a pharmacist. Get pharmacy experience by volunteering to see if this is something you want to do for the rest of your life.
I hope the recommendations above will help guide, motivate, and inspire you to achieve your goals. Follow my blog for more tips and advice on how to become a pharmacist. What are your experiences? Please comment below and share your thoughts.