Sarah Said:

What would be a better career a pharmacist or Physician assistant if i want to have a low stress job?

We Answered:

I think personally you should do pharmacy. As a PA, you work "under" a Doctor. You would be your own man as a pharmacist. Also as a PA, you would still have to see some patients in bad condition and maybe even do minor "surgery". I have had a PA remove several ingrown toenails, which is technically a surgery. Or so I here. There many types of pharmacists you can be: the widest categories being retail or hospital. As a tech, I like retail because I like dealing with customers as opposed to just other medical workers. But if you don't wanna deal with the general public directly, hospital might be your thing. As far as stress goes, I'm a tech, but I can imagine that both types would have their fair share of it. I know that some of our pharmacist are immunizers(they can give shots), some are compounders(they can make lotions,etc.). That is ,of course ,in addition to doing their normal pharmacist duties.
I'm sorry I wasn't able to completely answer all your questions, but I hope what little knowledge I have helps some. Good luck, study hard,

Lloyd Said:

what path to go? career choice?

We Answered:

If you're a student your issues can be many and varied, from Deciding upon your career road to searching for a temporary job. The site in the box below has plenty of guidance for students, and they have info about job searching too.

Allen Said:

What does a Physician Assistant do?

We Answered:

PAs do not assist the doc as the others make it sound--we do not stand at the bedside with the doc helping (unless asked to do so). We see our own patients, order our own tests, interpret them, make a diagnosis, write a prescription & discharge the patient. If we are not sure what is going on we ask the doc for a consult (and the docs may ask us for an idea as well). Its more like a parallel job. WE can work just about everywhere (OR, ortho, ER, family practice, radiology...but not in the nurses station) as well as clinics, offices, hospitals, etc. ANd of course urgent care but so much more. A PA would only possible do a circumcision if they were in that field. However, in medicine you will need to learn to not let your own personal prejudges and preconceptions impact your practice. You need to be a neutral, compassionate care giver. There are not many PAs in psychiatry as I am not sure what they would do as psychiatry is pretty one on one.

You need to decide if you want to function like a doc & do procedures, make diagnosis, etc or dispense medications (pharmacy). You need to shadow a PA & interview a few. Look at aapa.org for the national web site.

Penny Said:

I want to become a pharmacist?

We Answered:

If you are in high school and are interested in pharmacy school, I recommend that you take a look at a few 0-6 years program schools. This program works this way. The high school student applies into this program. As long as the students get the minimum grade point average (GPA) and SAT scores they should be able to get into the program. An interview may be required at some schools, so please check with each individual school. After 2 years of pre-requisite coursework with high marks, the student then proceed into the pharmacy school, where they complete either 3 or 4 years of pharmacy school coursework. Once completed, the student can opt to a 1 year residency or could go out and practice pharmacy immediately.

The shortest 0-6 years program school is University of the Pacific's (UOP) School of Pharmacy located in Stockton, CA. They offer a program that is as short as 5 years.

Below are some schools that offer 0-6 year programs:

Albany College of Pharmacy, Duquesne University, Florida A & M University, Hampton University Massachusetts - Boston, Northeastern University, Ohio Northern University, Philadelphia, Rutgers University, St. John's University, St. Louis College of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, University of Findlay, University of Missouri at Kansas City, University of Rhode Island, University of Texas at Austin, University of the Pacific and University of Pittsburgh

Now if you are a college student or non-traditional student, the road to becoming a pharmacist is similar to a high school student. Basically, you'll need to complete the pharmacy school requirements, take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT - if appropriate) and apply to the pharmacy school of your choice. There are many roadblocks that a student who are applying to pharmacy school may face. These questions include: How do I prepare myself to apply to pharmacy school? What should I major in? What extracurricular activities should I be involved in? Do I need to graduate with a bachelor's degree? Etc.

How To Get Into Pharmacy School ebook will show you how one student got into the pharmacy school of his choice within 4 short months after applying.

After graduating from pharmacy school, the student is now a fully-fledged pharmacist and only after becoming licensed, by taking the required test for the state the student is interested in practicing in, then he or she can begin working as a pharmacist.

As a pharmacist, you must renew your licensure every 2 years. This licensure process requires the pharmacist to take 30 units of Continuing Education (CE) classes either online or by signing up for a class. Other than this, the pharmacist can enjoy his or her career in the field of pharmacy.


Starting Early

* High school is the best place to start if you want to become a pharmacist.

1. While still in high school, you should take all the steps necessary to get into college.
2. Take as many mathematics and science courses as possible, preferably advance placement classes such as AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry and AP Physics.
3. You will also need to strengthen your writing skills.
4. Learning a foreign language-- especially Latin-- can also be helpful.Pharmacy Information Web Portal: How To Become A Pharmacist1 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Pharmacy Admissions2
5. Obtaining experience working in a pharmacy, hospital, nursing home or similar setting is also beneficial.American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Pharmacy Admissions2
* -This can be either paid or volunteer work. Not only will you acquire skills that will help you later on, it will look good on your application to pharmacy schools.

* YouTube Video: A Career in Pharmacy: UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (Time: 5:38)





Many students these days are pursuing a career in pharmacy. And I can't blame them. Some advantages of becoming a pharmacist are:

1) Starting salary can be anywhere from $75,000 to $150,000 depending on location and need

2) A pharmacist's work schedules are flexible. You can work 7 on and 7 off, work during the evenings or work the usual 9-5 job

3) You will come out with less debt compared to other health professional schools.

4) You can become a fully-fledge licensed pharmacist in your early 20s and do not have to complete a residency

5) You won't have to deal with blood

There are many other advantages to becoming a pharmacist. Above are just a handful of them.

Randy Said:

Pharmacy. What you need to know about this job?

We Answered:

Pharmacists have doctoral degree in pharmacy (Pharm D.). I can't speak to pay, but the hours depend upon the pharmacy. I know many pharmacists who work for nation-wide chains who are overworked because there aren't enough pharmacists to meet the need.

Increasingly more and more responsibility is being given to certified pharmacy techs (CPhT), which is another career choice you might consider.

I recommend contacting a pharmacist at your neighborhood pharmacy and request the opportunitiy to talk about harmacy as a career choice.

Charles Said:

Do PA's have the potential to make $100,000+ per year?

We Answered:

Yes they do. I have heard some can pull way over $100Gs . I feel you should do it for the love of medicine/helping people NOT for money reasons OR you will hate your job.

As far as Pharmacists I wonder why they made so much myself. Could it be because of the difficulty of the degree? I have no idea....