So You Want To Be a Pharmacist

Listed in the top 34 jobs in America, by CNN.com, Pharmacists are one of the leaders in the scientific job market. How does an average starting salary of $90,000 a year sound to you?

Do you have what it takes to make this long scholastic journey? Here’s what you must know before choosing this career field:
1. Plan on six years of college, and on the job training.
2. You will also need an additional 30 units of continuing education classes before you have to renew your license every two years.
3. You must LOVE & be skilled in math and science.

The benefits of the job:
• Most states recognize your license from state to state. Therefore, if you get licensed in one state, you can pretty much live and work anywhere.
• The pay is good and the industry is stable and growing.
• You do not have to prescribe drugs for the patient, and the worry of malpractice that goes with it. Instead, you only need to dispense exactly what the medical practitioner has prescribed.

According to Internet Drug News, they recommend that prospective pharmacists take science every year in high school. Every year! Biology, earth science, chemistry, physics - take them all. And if you can handle AP science, so much the better. You’d better love chemistry because if you’re fortunate enough to be admitted to pharmacy school, you’ll be taking tons of chemistry and labs. They also recommend taking a foreign language as it gives prospective universities insight into your memorization and shows you to have well-rounded capabilities.

When considering a career in the pharmaceutical industry ask yourself whether you have a strong interest and understanding of anatomy, biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, statistics and especially pharmacology. Because you will also be a clinician, you will need strong people skills. If you decide to work in retail, you will be counseling patients and answering medical questions. Should you choose to work as a hospital pharmacist, you must be able to clearly explain the medication’s indications, side effect and contraindications to patients, doctors and nurses.

To be a fully licensed pharmacist in the United States, you need a doctor of pharmacy, or Pharm.D., degree. There are nearly 100 U.S. universities with the necessary programs to complete your course work. In the United Kingdom, your degree will consist of a 4-year undergraduate degree, with an additional one year on the job training before taking your licensing exam.

Upon graduation, about 60% of graduates will go straight into jobs at community pharmacies. Others will find work at hospitals, clinics, mail-order pharmacies and the federal government. Some specialize by discipline: such as cardiology, pediatrics, or oncology. Other niches, according to Science Careers, include academic pharmacy (teaching) pharmaceutical research, drug regulation and clinical research.

If you love science and math, want to make a good living in a stable industry, the pharmaceutical industry may well have the position you’re looking for. Here’s to the career of your dreams!