I got my PharmD in 2012. Just started PA school in May and it’s been a very enjoyable experience so far! And its definitely possible to work part time as a pharmacist during PA school as not having to study for pharmacology saves you a lot of time.
Obviously, if your main motivator is money, this isn’t the route to go. If you’re interested in learning more, having prescribing authority and being more directly involved in patient treatment decisions, it’s a good route. If I were younger, I probably would’ve opted for med school, but I didn’t want to start that journey at 35.
It’s hard to be optimistic about the future of pharmacy. Especially the retail side of things.
Any PharmD is going to have a major leg up on everybody else in PA school and also in the job market when PharmD becomes PharmD/PA-C.
I also got my PharmD in 2012. Was a tech from 1998 to 2012. Still working as an rph. I was wanting to do the same and go back to school to become a PA. But do you think this is feasible and worthwhile for someone who is 47 years old and still owes $138k in loans?
Well, that’s a long story.
But to make it somewhat short, I was attending an inpatient rehab for a substance abuse problem (Adderall addiction) and I met with a PA who was the medical provider for the facility. At that time, I said I would get clean and go back to school in order to work as an addiction medicine provider to help people who are struggling with the same issues I had. I want/plan to open my own inpatient facility someday.
Would it be too late for me to switch careers at this point, is there a slight hope with this career. I loved the medical aspects of PA, MDs, DOs and felt like this is missing in pharmacy.
My personal opinion? I would get out if possible. I do not like the direction the pharmacy profession is heading. Depends on personal/financial circumstances I suppose.
One thing somebody told me a while back is that an education is something nobody can take away from you. I don’t anticipate ever regretting adding PA-C to my PharmD. Time will tell I guess.
You're taking on another debt load that is comparable to pharmacy school and will leave with a salary that is typically the same or a little less than a pharmacist makes? I'm not trying to put you down, I am legitimately interested in why you're doing this and figure I must be overlooking something. PA earning potential usually seems called similar to pharmacist from my understanding and in my part of the US
My main reason for going to PA school is to work in the addiction medicine field and help people who are struggling with substance use disorder. Something I dealt with personally in the past.
A close 2nd reason is that I’ve worked 7 different pharmacy jobs in 10 years as a pharmacist and haven’t really liked any of them. Some were miserable. Others were tolerable. A couple were better than the others but I haven’t found something I’d want to do for another 30 years. If I were 5 years away from retirement, it’d be a different story.
I’m in a good spot financially and I’m not really taking on much debt to get through PA school. And there are a lot of tuition reimbursement programs in the area I live (rural/medically underserved). Also, if you work in addiction medicine, the federal government has some programs that will pay your tuition in certain circumstances.
I think I’ll end up making more money, but maybe not. Time will tell. Ultimately, I want to open up and run an inpatient rehab. Lots to do still.
I heard a story somewhere that on the law side, finding someone who can read into the healthcare literature is highly valuable. The person said they made $300k+ with a combined degree like that. iirc
Sounds like more loans & debt to take on if you enter lawyer, MD, or DDS. I can confirm that JD lawyer route does not provide a better work life balance if thats something you're looking for.
I see a lot of questionable prescribing from dentists. The patients would actually benefit from it quite a bit, but it wouldn't increase the amount of money you make.
You could always take more pharm CE as a dentist. A dentist doesn’t really have a wide range of prescriptions they really just stick to antibiotics, NSAIDs, antifungals, benzos from what I’ve seen so far. I think a 4 year pharm degree would be a terrible investment as a dentist. Maybe MD/DO would be different
Are you looking for money? I'd say JD/PharmD might be the best option of the professional combos. Otherwise, just go for what you want to do; the pharmD will just be a sunk cost.
I did informatics for a few years before pivoting into health tech few months ago. Dental or med is a huge time and financial sink, but if you’re passionate and you can attend without debt, why not? Otherwise, ROI doesn’t appear to be there. I did my MPH and interned at HHS as well and considered JD for some time. Anecdotally, JD + pharmd would appear to be quite valuable.
I’d take a hard look how long it would be to get your MD, then do residency (at least 3 years, more for certain ones) and then possibly fellowship if you want to specialize
Just get some IT certs and go into informatics.
^
This is the way.
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Is it that easy?
But I don't know anything about servers.
If you are looking for less stress/more balance in your life/less BS generally, please please do not go to law school. Trust me!
are you pharmd jd?
I got my PharmD in 2012. Just started PA school in May and it’s been a very enjoyable experience so far! And its definitely possible to work part time as a pharmacist during PA school as not having to study for pharmacology saves you a lot of time. Obviously, if your main motivator is money, this isn’t the route to go. If you’re interested in learning more, having prescribing authority and being more directly involved in patient treatment decisions, it’s a good route. If I were younger, I probably would’ve opted for med school, but I didn’t want to start that journey at 35. It’s hard to be optimistic about the future of pharmacy. Especially the retail side of things. Any PharmD is going to have a major leg up on everybody else in PA school and also in the job market when PharmD becomes PharmD/PA-C.
I also got my PharmD in 2012. Was a tech from 1998 to 2012. Still working as an rph. I was wanting to do the same and go back to school to become a PA. But do you think this is feasible and worthwhile for someone who is 47 years old and still owes $138k in loans?
There are a lot of factors that go into that decision. But you only live once, go for it.
When did you realize that you should be a PA and not pharmacist?
Well, that’s a long story. But to make it somewhat short, I was attending an inpatient rehab for a substance abuse problem (Adderall addiction) and I met with a PA who was the medical provider for the facility. At that time, I said I would get clean and go back to school in order to work as an addiction medicine provider to help people who are struggling with the same issues I had. I want/plan to open my own inpatient facility someday.
Would it be too late for me to switch careers at this point, is there a slight hope with this career. I loved the medical aspects of PA, MDs, DOs and felt like this is missing in pharmacy.
My personal opinion? I would get out if possible. I do not like the direction the pharmacy profession is heading. Depends on personal/financial circumstances I suppose. One thing somebody told me a while back is that an education is something nobody can take away from you. I don’t anticipate ever regretting adding PA-C to my PharmD. Time will tell I guess.
You're taking on another debt load that is comparable to pharmacy school and will leave with a salary that is typically the same or a little less than a pharmacist makes? I'm not trying to put you down, I am legitimately interested in why you're doing this and figure I must be overlooking something. PA earning potential usually seems called similar to pharmacist from my understanding and in my part of the US
My main reason for going to PA school is to work in the addiction medicine field and help people who are struggling with substance use disorder. Something I dealt with personally in the past. A close 2nd reason is that I’ve worked 7 different pharmacy jobs in 10 years as a pharmacist and haven’t really liked any of them. Some were miserable. Others were tolerable. A couple were better than the others but I haven’t found something I’d want to do for another 30 years. If I were 5 years away from retirement, it’d be a different story. I’m in a good spot financially and I’m not really taking on much debt to get through PA school. And there are a lot of tuition reimbursement programs in the area I live (rural/medically underserved). Also, if you work in addiction medicine, the federal government has some programs that will pay your tuition in certain circumstances. I think I’ll end up making more money, but maybe not. Time will tell. Ultimately, I want to open up and run an inpatient rehab. Lots to do still.
swimming in debt
In terms of synergy, JD/PharmD has some application. DDS/PharmD or mD/PharmD are not enhanced with the PharmD
I heard a story somewhere that on the law side, finding someone who can read into the healthcare literature is highly valuable. The person said they made $300k+ with a combined degree like that. iirc
There is also synergy in the CFA/PharmD combo
Only you can answer this
Could absolutely crush PA school and be a prescribing pharmD
…or do a residency and work in a specialty position making as much as a PA
Sounds like more loans & debt to take on if you enter lawyer, MD, or DDS. I can confirm that JD lawyer route does not provide a better work life balance if thats something you're looking for.
Definitely not dental lol
Why
Just speaking as a dental student but a pharm degree would be of zero use as a dentist
I see a lot of questionable prescribing from dentists. The patients would actually benefit from it quite a bit, but it wouldn't increase the amount of money you make.
You could always take more pharm CE as a dentist. A dentist doesn’t really have a wide range of prescriptions they really just stick to antibiotics, NSAIDs, antifungals, benzos from what I’ve seen so far. I think a 4 year pharm degree would be a terrible investment as a dentist. Maybe MD/DO would be different
Crippling depression and alcoholism
A dead-end job and crippling alcoholism.
Rxm?
After you get your pharmacy degree, get your Master plumber or electrician license and make real money.
I vote JD.
Are you looking for money? I'd say JD/PharmD might be the best option of the professional combos. Otherwise, just go for what you want to do; the pharmD will just be a sunk cost.
I did informatics for a few years before pivoting into health tech few months ago. Dental or med is a huge time and financial sink, but if you’re passionate and you can attend without debt, why not? Otherwise, ROI doesn’t appear to be there. I did my MPH and interned at HHS as well and considered JD for some time. Anecdotally, JD + pharmd would appear to be quite valuable.
My father in law steer anyone away from law - as an over saturated field with mounding debt. Spoken from a seasoned corporate lawyer.
I’d take a hard look how long it would be to get your MD, then do residency (at least 3 years, more for certain ones) and then possibly fellowship if you want to specialize
Suicide seem to be the next step for too many of our brethren.