Pharmacy Job Market/Outlook

[Kevin.Mero]

before it was bad in some areas, now it is almost bad EVERYWHERE PDI

The current quarter PDI numbers are down partly due to some shuffling of the responding panelists. But, it probably also reflects reality, the growth in production of pharmacist graduates is re-adjusting the supply/demand balance and the former shortages are evaporating (especially in more urban areas)

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Kevin.Mero]

No, the thread is not "doomed." I simply remarked on how surprised even I am that the job market is getting so saturated. What do you think about the fact that the oft-referenced "fallback" states (as in, you can still get a job there because those states are considered to be so undesirable) are now becoming saturated themselves?

There is no point in posting in the pre-pharm forums because I'll just get the same responses real pharmacists get when they make the same kinds of posts ("you didn't go into it for the right reasons," "you just suck anyways," "I'm truly passionate about the field and am willing to do what it takes to find a job," etc.). I would rather hear what pharmacists who have invested time/money/effort into pursuing the career have to say.

Graduate, complete your PGY1, PGY2 Oncology, get a job with a health-system (ideally in the West), then you'll never have any income interruption.

 

[Kevin.Mero]

Why do you care?????? This isn't your profession. Hmm let's see, say it happens in ten years, that's another 1 million plus in salary

To answer though I'll be retired long before anything happens.

How much did you make today, $0?

I am curious though, how exactly do you think I'll be let go? I lead my district in every possible metric. What are they going to say to fire me? (This should be good) Most importantly, why not do it right now? Why are they waiting?

Here's my prediction, twenty years or less pharmacists will have full prescribing rights. Demand will soar. People realizing pharmacists are the best to decide what people should be prescribed will hire them over PAs. Telemedicine becomes huge and pharmacists make three times their salary now on their own. PAs salaries will plummet. You somehow make it through PA school only to realize you made the biggest mistake in your life and now only make $50k.

Will I be right? Who knows but it's just as likely to happen as anything else

I sure hope everything you are predicting comes to fruition! Pharmacy needs to get and stay at the table so they are off the menu!!

 

[8turkeys]

Graduate, complete your PGY1, PGY2 Oncology, get a job with a health-system (ideally in the West), then you'll never have any income interruption.

I want to work in a rural pharmacy when I graduate. From speaking with employers at my school's job fair a couple weeks back, they said that there is still a shortage in rural areas and that the pay is higher, you don't think that rural areas will ever saturate do you?

 

[Old]

Why do you care?????? This isn't your profession. Hmm let's see, say it happens in ten years, that's another 1 million plus in salary

To answer though I'll be retired long before anything happens.

How much did you make today, $0?

I am curious though, how exactly do you think I'll be let go? I lead my district in every possible metric. What are they going to say to fire me? (This should be good) Most importantly, why not do it right now? Why are they waiting?

Here's my prediction, twenty years or less pharmacists will have full prescribing rights. Demand will soar. People realizing pharmacists are the best to decide what people should be prescribed will hire them over PAs. Telemedicine becomes huge and pharmacists make three times their salary now on their own. PAs salaries will plummet. You somehow make it through PA school only to realize you made the biggest mistake in your life and now only make $50k.

Will I be right? Who knows but it's just as likely to happen as anything else

First as someone who has worked a few years you are no where near as important and vital to your company as you think. Let some air out and come down to earth. There are people just as good waiting for your job and will do it for less money. some chains call it asset management. They get rid of employees that have been there awhile, get someone new for less money and kick you to the curb. You'll see. You heard it here first.

your prediction , yeah not going to happen. Great story though.

 

[wagrxm2000]

First as someone who has worked a few years you are no where near as important and vital to your company as you think. Let some air out and come down to earth. There are people just as good waiting for your job and will do it for less money. some chains call it asset management. They get rid of employees that have been there awhile, get someone new for less money and kick you to the curb. You'll see. You heard it here first.

your prediction , yeah not going to happen. Great story though.

Someone didn't get my sarcasm but thanks for your opinion????

 

[gwarm01]

I want to work in a rural pharmacy when I graduate. From speaking with employers at my school's job fair a couple weeks back, they said that there is still a shortage in rural areas and that the pay is higher, you don't think that rural areas will ever saturate do you?

Every area will eventually be saturated unless something changes. Rural areas may have jobs now, but it only takes one or two pharmacists to fill that need for any given community.

 

[Kevin.Mero]

I want to work in a rural pharmacy when I graduate. From speaking with employers at my school's job fair a couple weeks back, they said that there is still a shortage in rural areas and that the pay is higher, you don't think that rural areas will ever saturate do you?

It's very difficult to predict the future of course but what setting are you looking at? Keep in mind that it's most likely the small, rural Critical Access hospital that may be on the chopping block. It's been predicted that 1,000 mostly rural hospitals are going to close in the next 3-5 years.

 

[Dalteparin]

There is no point in posting in the pre-pharm forums because I'll just get the same responses real pharmacists get when they make the same kinds of posts ("you didn't go into it for the right reasons," "you just suck anyways," "I'm truly passionate about the field and am willing to do what it takes to find a job," etc.). I would rather hear what pharmacists who have invested time/money/effort into pursuing the career have to say.

But why? Your decision to leave pharmacy does not affect us in any way. Our decision to stay in pharmacy (or not) does not affect you in any way. You haven't told us anything that we don't already know; we've all had to look for jobs or know somebody who has and we know how much the market sucks and that it will likely continue sucking for the forseeable future. Are you trying to convince us all to become PAs and saturate the field you're going into?

 

[Digsbe]

Pharmacists will have more burdensome workloads, 0 respect, and beg for 40 hours a week. The sticks will still be fine though and I don't think pay will go down (it will stagnate).

 

[PAtoPharm]

But why? Your decision to leave pharmacy does not affect us in any way. Our decision to stay in pharmacy (or not) does not affect you in any way. You haven't told us anything that we don't already know; we've all had to look for jobs or know somebody who has and we know how much the market sucks and that it will likely continue sucking for the forseeable future. Are you trying to convince us all to become PAs and saturate the field you're going into?

At this point, it's just an irresistible conversation topic for me (as described more thoroughly in one of my recent posts). The worse things get, the more shocked I am at the responses of pharmacy's "leaders," such as the APhA and AACP, who all seem to respond with an excuse of why they think future (I.e., "just around the corner") pharmacist demand will make the excessive graduation numbers justified and necessary, rather than making any overtures that might suggest that they agree with their constituency that fewer pharmacists should be graduated into the job market.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything; if everyone here wants to attend PA school, go for it. And who says I'm going to PA school? I might be interviewing at both PA and AA schools...

 

[Dalteparin]

At this point, it's just an irresistible conversation topic for me (as described more thoroughly in one of my recent posts). The worse things get, the more shocked I am at the responses of pharmacy's "leaders," such as the APhA and AACP, who all seem to respond with an excuse of why they think future (I.e., "just around the corner") pharmacist demand will make the excessive graduation numbers justified and necessary, rather than making any overtures that might suggest that they agree with their constituency that fewer pharmacists should be graduated into the job market.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to do anything; if everyone here wants to attend PA school, go for it. And who says I'm going to PA school? I might be interviewing at both PA and AA schools...

Pharmacy leadership sucks, I agree... again, not news to anyone here. If these discussions amuse you, then yay for you, I guess? I think it’d probably be a better use of your time to hang out in forums dedicated to a field you’re actually interested in, but I’m just a pharmacist so clearly I don’t know anything.

Also, IDGAF what type of school you’re applying to. Don’t know you, don’t care to, none of my business.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Kevin.Mero]

But why? Your decision to leave pharmacy does not affect us in any way. Our decision to stay in pharmacy (or not) does not affect you in any way. You haven't told us anything that we don't already know; we've all had to look for jobs or know somebody who has and we know how much the market sucks and that it will likely continue sucking for the forseeable future. Are you trying to convince us all to become PAs and saturate the field you're going into?

I feel the Pharmacist employment side of the market (vs the Pharm Tech side) is going to go sideways to trending down for the next 2-4 years. After that all bets are off as any perceived or actual shortage will have been reached by 2020. If the 3rd party #'s are correct, and I do believe they are, then 50% to 70% of new grad PharmD's graduating after 2020 won't have any jobs to pick from anyway, regardless of the setting. The only counter to this is if the new grad #'s plummet, and they may!!

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

the job market really sucks for pharmacy. anyone interested in the profession now i wish i could dissuade every one of them with a detailed speech on how for the most part this **** ain't worth it anymore unless you love pharmacy. just the truth

 

[PAtoPharm]

I feel the Pharmacist employment side of the market (vs the Pharm Tech side) is going to go sideways to trending down for the next 2-4 years. After that all bets are off as any perceived or actual shortage will have been reached by 2020. If the 3rd party #'s are correct, and I do believe they are, then 50% to 70% of new grad PharmD's graduating after 2020 won't have any jobs to pick from anyway, regardless of the setting. The only counter to this is if the new grad #'s plummet, and they may!!

It's interesting to see input from someone with a background like yours who works in pharmacy recruitment. I know the job market is bad (and is likely to get worse), but I was honestly shocked to see the 50%-70% unemployment estimate you posted. I understand you made that estimate based on third party numbers you've seen. Just out of curiosity, can I ask who the third parties are? Just wondering if you're referring to the same PDI, BLS, and HRSA stats that have been discussed on here in the past, or if you're referring to some other studies that have been completed.

 

[gwarm01]

BLS shows 6% growth over 10 years, baby-boomers still aren't retiring, and we are graduating a record number of pharmacists. If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention (shout outs my man).

If you are a pharmacist now, find a job and hold on to it. Find a job you want to hold for a decade or more. Find a job that can't be replaced by a new grad if that's possible. It's bad out there and will only get worse.

 

[mr.applesauce]

BLS shows 6% growth over 10 years, baby-boomers still aren't retiring, and we are graduating a record number of pharmacists. If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention (shout outs my man).

If you are a pharmacist now, find a job and hold on to it. Find a job you want to hold for a decade or more. Find a job that can't be replaced by a new grad if that's possible. It's bad out there and will only get worse.

That's really unfortunate because I used to be prepharmacy but not anymore because of the job market. Just too risky. Really sad because pharmacy doesn't have to be saturated, but the medical field allowed it to for profits from school tuitions.

 

[PAtoPharm]

BLS shows 6% growth over 10 years, baby-boomers still aren't retiring, and we are graduating a record number of pharmacists. If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention (shout outs my man).

If you are a pharmacist now, find a job and hold on to it. Find a job you want to hold for a decade or more. Find a job that can't be replaced by a new grad if that's possible. It's bad out there and will only get worse.

Ok, but what advice would you have for current pharmacy students who won't be graduating until 2020 - 2021?

(note: I think gwarm01 has me on ignore, so if someone doesn't mind, please quote this post so he'll see it. Just curious to hear what everyone has to say about these issues as the job market continues to get worse and worse)

 

[grizzlesgrizzlies]

Ok, but what advice would you have for current pharmacy students who won't be graduating until 2020 - 2021?

(note: I think gwarm01 has me on ignore, so if someone doesn't mind, please quote this post so he'll see it. Just curious to hear what everyone has to say about these issues as the job market continues to get worse and worse)

Depending on the debt load, it may be wise to cut one's losses and try to switch into PA/NP, or better yet avoid healthcare altogether. Let's face it: an education in any healthcare profession is pretty much a white collar version of trade school. A general business degree has much more career flexibility and versatility.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

Depending on the debt load, it may be wise to cut one's losses and try to switch into PA/NP, or better yet avoid healthcare altogether. Let's face it: an education in any healthcare profession is pretty much a white collar version of trade school. A general business degree has much more career flexibility and versatility.

this, forget about healthcare. it's much smarter to go to a state college for 4 years, come out with a bachelors and major in a career that has an noncompetitive job market and decent pay. the goal is to find work that pays decent and graduate with as low debt as possible. then start living your life early and spending your time doing stuff you actually enjoy or starting a business

unfortunately i went to pharmacy school like an idiot and now i'm a few hundred thousand in debt. i'll still be able to live comfortably after graduation but i will likely pay off my loans in 25 years unless i hustle hard to create a side income. there's also the issue of finding a job and the past 5.5 years of pharm school weren't all too enjoyable to be honest, just a bunch of hard work and stress

 

[mr.applesauce]

this, forget about healthcare. it's much smarter to go to a state college for 4 years, come out with a bachelors and major in a career that has an noncompetitive job market and decent pay. the goal is to find work that pays decent and graduate with as low debt as possible. then start living your life early and spending your time doing stuff you actually enjoy or starting a business

unfortunately i went to pharmacy school like an idiot and now i'm a few hundred thousand in debt. i'll still be able to live comfortably after graduation but i will likely pay off my loans in 25 years unless i hustle hard to create a side income. there's also the issue of finding a job and the past 5.5 years of pharm school weren't all too enjoyable to be honest, just a bunch of hard work and stress

Why are there so few jobs that pay $75k ish a year? There seems to be mostly jobs that pay $50k a year with a college degree, or having to go to much more schooling to pull in a $100k salary... but rarely are there jobs in between those salaries. That's why people go to healthcare because they don't want to barely scrape by paycheck to paycheck.

 

[AlwaysContrary]

Why are there so few jobs that pay $75k ish a year? There seems to be mostly jobs that pay $50k a year with a college degree, or having to go to much more schooling to pull in a $100k salary... but rarely are there jobs in between those salaries. That's why people go to healthcare because they don't want to barely scrape by paycheck to paycheck.

this.

All my friends who were supposedly "smart" by going to a state school for 4 years to major in something noncompetitive either can't find a job, finding only seasonal work, haven't held a job for more than a year, and are raking in 30-40 K a year.

It's tough everywhere.

 

[mr.applesauce]

this.

All my friends who were supposedly "smart" by going to a state school for 4 years to major in something noncompetitive either can't find a job, finding only seasonal work, haven't held a job for more than a year, and are raking in 30-40 K a year.

It's tough everywhere.

Exacly. If there were more jobs that paid in the $70k's, more people would go into healthcare for genuine reasons, rather than just for the money. Most people don't want to live in an apartment and drive a 90's Toyota Camry their whole life. Medical school wouldn't be as competitive.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

this.

All my friends who were supposedly "smart" by going to a state school for 4 years to major in something noncompetitive either can't find a job, finding only seasonal work, haven't held a job for more than a year, and are raking in 30-40 K a year.

It's tough everywhere.

seems kind of strange. how can the job market be tough everywhere? in any market there is always an opportunity to flourish by taking advantage of a lack of competition, the job market is no different.

with that being said, the concept is simple: find an uncompetitive job market, go to school for 4 years, get a degree and make 30-40k a year. you can live comfortably off 30k a year you know. maybe not new york city or san francisco. also, it's possible to make as much money as you want in this world without having to go to school at all, i'm sure you're aware of this correct. see where i'm going with this? find a job to sustain your basic needs, use your remaining free time and lack of debt/youth(because you only did 4 years) to start up a business or focus on what you really enjoy doing in life and monetizing your ideas

 

[AlwaysContrary]

seems kind of strange. how can the job market be tough everywhere? in any market there is always an opportunity to flourish by taking advantage of a lack of competition, the job market is no different.

with that being said, the concept is simple: find an uncompetitive job market, go to school for 4 years, get a degree and make 30-40k a year. you can live comfortably off 30k a year you know. maybe not new york city or san francisco. also, it's possible to make as much money as you want in this world without having to go to school at all, i'm sure you're aware of this correct. see where i'm going with this? find a job to sustain your basic needs, use your remaining free time and lack of debt/youth(because you only did 4 years) to start up a business or focus on what you really enjoy doing in life and monetizing your ideas

seems like a far fetched idea with sweeping generalizations but I suppose it's possible that only a few will ever experience.

 

[owlegrad]

It's possible to make as much money as you want is perhaps the most incorrect statement I have read today. The basis of Economics is finite resources and infinite desires.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using SDN mobile

 

[mr.applesauce]

seems kind of strange. how can the job market be tough everywhere? in any market there is always an opportunity to flourish by taking advantage of a lack of competition, the job market is no different.

with that being said, the concept is simple: find an uncompetitive job market, go to school for 4 years, get a degree and make 30-40k a year. you can live comfortably off 30k a year you know. maybe not new york city or san francisco. also, it's possible to make as much money as you want in this world without having to go to school at all, i'm sure you're aware of this correct. see where i'm going with this? find a job to sustain your basic needs, use your remaining free time and lack of debt/youth(because you only did 4 years) to start up a business or focus on what you really enjoy doing in life and monetizing your ideas

You sound like my dad who grew up during a time where employment was very different.

 

[ranger99rx]

What do you think will happen next? More schools will try to do the accelerate program (3 years). Still charge the same amount of money as 4 years since now they just move tuition of the 4th year to the summers. Let hurry push these kids out and get the next group applications in before they change their mind and switch major.

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

What do you think will happen next? More schools will try to do the accelerate program (3 years). Still charge the same amount of money as 4 years since now they just move tuition of the 4th year to the summers. Let hurry push these kids out and get the next group applications in before they change their mind and switch major.

lol, there needs to be some sort of public service announcement everyday for highschool seniors across the nation: do not do pharmacy, it's going to ****

otherwise i don't know if there's a way to stop the maddness

 

[beautifulrobot]

lol, there needs to be some sort of public service announcement everyday for highschool seniors across the nation: do not do pharmacy, it's going to ****

otherwise i don't know if there's a way to stop the maddness

Require schools to inform all applicants of the % of graduates who default on their student loans, how long it takes them to pay back their loans, etc. Also, make it more difficult to get federal loans for programs/degrees that have poor job prospects.

 

[Gombrich12]

What do you think will happen next? More schools will try to do the accelerate program (3 years). Still charge the same amount of money as 4 years since now they just move tuition of the 4th year to the summers. Let hurry push these kids out and get the next group applications in before they change their mind and switch major.

I think pharmacy schools (not satellite campuses) will start closing in about 7 years, possibly sooner depending on federal student loan policy. That's based on about how long it took for law schools to start closing once the general public figured out that law is a poor career choice. The general public isn't aware of the poor outlook for our field but I think it will be widely known in about 2 years. From there it will take another 5 years of school boards trimming staff and hoping that enrollment will increase again until some schools start throwing in the towel.

 

[PAtoPharm]

Require schools to inform all applicants of the % of graduates who default on their student loans, how long it takes them to pay back their loans, etc. Also, make it more difficult to get federal loans for programs/degrees that have poor job prospects.

Is this info available for different health professions programs? Just curious

 

[beautifulrobot]

Is this info available for different health professions programs? Just curious

Not that I am aware of.

 

[BidingMyTime]

How did this thread get unsticked? Now how will anyone find it?

 

[Amphetamine Salts]

are 2018 grads screwed or is there still hope? as long as i can find one job to hold on to for the remainder of my working years i don't give 2 damns about what happens to the future of this profession

 

[lord999]

It's possible to make as much money as you want is perhaps the most incorrect statement I have read today. The basis of Economics is finite resources and infinite desires.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using SDN mobile

But do you want infinite Big Macs ? You're not wrong on the basis, but it is possible to make as much money as you want if you are willing to manage your wants. You'd be surprised at how many people still work at being pharmacists even though they are way, way past any financial need to (as in have personal wealth and assets of 8 digits and generate 6 digits passively from T-bond). You'll get there yourself eventually, unless you're into hookers or cocaine (or their spiritual equivalents) which are infinite sinks for resources.

I think everyone is being shortsighted if NP/PA is the pathway to go. They are looking forward to a labor overage as well, there are just earlier in the cycle than we are. IT is also having some issues with getting high end labor, but average labor is already feeling the pinch.

If you're going to be an outperformer or you're notably handsome/pretty, it doesn't really matter what job you're going to hold in the educated class, you'll make it work. But for the average worker, it's just not gong to be stable irrespective of the choices.

 

[BidingMyTime]

are 2018 grads screwed or is there still hope? as long as i can find one job to hold on to for the remainder of my working years i don't give 2 damns about what happens to the future of this profession

Nobody holds on to one job for the duration of the working years. Seriously. Too much instability--pharmacies close, merge, change. If you get a job, you could still lose it or have your hours cut. So even if you are completely selfish, you should still care deeply about the future of pharmacy, because its future is also your future.

 

[wagrxm2000]

Nobody holds on to one job for the duration of the working years. Seriously. Too much instability--pharmacies close, merge, change. If you get a job, you could still lose it or have your hours cut. So even if you are completely selfish, you should still care deeply about the future of pharmacy, because its future is also your future.

While I moved around a lot early in my career, I wont be moving until I get a stay at home job with Amazon.

Also rxm doesn't change much, we've had the same people in most stores.

 

[gwarm01]

Board of Pharmacy Specialties Receives Petition to Recognize Compounded Sterile Preparations as a Pharmacy Specialty | Board of Pharmacy Specialties

Sterile compounding to be the next board certification?

I guess PGY2 and/or board certification will now be a requirement to work the IV room.

 

[Seriously Serious]

Board of Pharmacy Specialties Receives Petition to Recognize Compounded Sterile Preparations as a Pharmacy Specialty | Board of Pharmacy Specialties

Sterile compounding to be the next board certification?

I guess PGY2 and/or board certification will now be a requirement to work the IV room.

So unnecessary.................

 

[gwarm01]

So unnecessary.................

One step closer to PGY3 in advanced antibiotic reconstitution.

 

[Lnsean]

Board of Pharmacy Specialties Receives Petition to Recognize Compounded Sterile Preparations as a Pharmacy Specialty | Board of Pharmacy Specialties

Sterile compounding to be the next board certification?

I guess PGY2 and/or board certification will now be a requirement to work the IV room.

wtf is this bullsht

 

[farm4real]

One step closer to PGY3 in advanced antibiotic reconstitution.

Very necessary...takes at least a year to understand the subtleties of Click-its!

 

[PharmD.girl]

I am reading this thread for the first time and I feel for you. I have 12 years of experience in retail and managed care and it still took me 9 months to find a job (though I do have a disability now that keeps me from working in retail or anywhere else that requires a lot of standing). This year I am finally understanding what has happened to the job market. I am extremely blessed to have recently started a good paying 100% work at home position. I pray that I never lose a job again without having another lined up (my last position was contract and I was let go due to a decrease in our department workload).
I can't tell you how much I miss the time when I graduated with 7 offers (and that was just from interviewing on career day). I was able to nab my first choice and get a 20k sign on bonus to boot.
I can't imagine how difficult it is for new grads, especially given how hard it was for me with over a decade of experience.
I was born and raised in the Phoenix valley and even went to school here. I don't know what I would do if I was forced to have to move to another state.
I wish you all the best new grads! Maybe think of moving to Phoenix. It is a great place to live. There seems to be quite a few jobs available now, especially this time of year.

 

[GypsyHummus]

A General Business degree is literally worthless.

I have come to the conclusion, after graduating college and finally seeing where all my peers settled, that college for 80% of the population, is no longer worth it. There are around 5 majors total that actually yield job prospects.

Speaking just on the undergraduate level, you should only go to college for the following majors: Engineering (Real engineering, like mechanical or chemical), Accounting (Get the CPA), Nursing, Computer Science (that gives you real skills), Dietetics (as a registered Dietician) and maybe one or two other niche areas like astrophysics or nuclear something. Of course, if you want to go to medical school, that is also ok, but be aware that your biology degree is literally worthless if you dont get in.

Even masters degrees are becoming worthless. The most in demand would prolly be PA or NP, though they are turning out new grads like crazy, one wonders when they will reach saturation levels.

Doctoral Degrees are tricky too. Obviously the top profession for job security and pay is becoming an MD/DO. I have met very few unemployed doctors. Next would be Dentistry and Podiatry, as they are relatively in high demand, and they offer a skill/service that only they (and possibly other MD/DO) professionals can provide. Dents and Pods have kept their numbers relativity low and the market seems to be absorbing it at a fine (note, not good or excellent) rate. Podiatry is still a really good "hidden" field of medicine, and people go "Ew feet" so much that they people who go "Yay feet" will make money. They have problems right now with elective surgery, but people will still go get foot care if it means their life depends on it (gas gangrene, foot amputations) so pods fill that void (but so do general surgeons).

Physical therapy is interesting as well. While there is a demand, they really dont make alot of money, and many schools are too expensive to justify the cost.

I would not touch Pharmacy or Optometry with a ten foot pole.

A general business degree has much more career flexibility and versatility.

 

[rxdawg21]

A General Business degree is literally worthless.

I have come to the conclusion, after graduating college and finally seeing where all my peers settled, that college for 80% of the population, is no longer worth it. There are around 5 majors total that actually yield job prospects.

Speaking just on the undergraduate level, you should only go to college for the following majors: Engineering (Real engineering, like mechanical or chemical), Accounting (Get the CPA), Nursing, Computer Science (that gives you real skills), Dietetics (as a registered Dietician) and maybe one or two other niche areas like astrophysics or nuclear something. Of course, if you want to go to medical school, that is also ok, but be aware that your biology degree is literally worthless if you dont get in.

Even masters degrees are becoming worthless. The most in demand would prolly be PA or NP, though they are turning out new grads like crazy, one wonders when they will reach saturation levels.

Doctoral Degrees are tricky too. Obviously the top profession for job security and pay is becoming an MD/DO. I have met very few unemployed doctors. Next would be Dentistry and Podiatry, as they are relatively in high demand, and they offer a skill/service that only they (and possibly other MD/DO) professionals can provide. Dents and Pods have kept their numbers relativity low and the market seems to be absorbing it at a fine (note, not good or excellent) rate. Podiatry is still a really good "hidden" field of medicine, and people go "Ew feet" so much that they people who go "Yay feet" will make money. They have problems right now with elective surgery, but people will still go get foot care if it means their life depends on it (gas gangrene, foot amputations) so pods fill that void (but so do general surgeons).

Physical therapy is interesting as well. While there is a demand, they really dont make alot of money, and many schools are too expensive to justify the cost.

I would not touch Pharmacy or Optometry with a ten foot pole.

Physical therapy all depends on your job and market. I know several and most are making around 80k, but then it is very easy to pick up a side gig. I also know someone that left the traditional job for in home visits and is making significantly more per hour then a pharmacist and pretty much works 4-5 hours daily. He then has his own job on the side. That sounds like a pretty sweet set-up.

 

[AlwaysContrary]

A General Business degree is literally worthless.

I have come to the conclusion, after graduating college and finally seeing where all my peers settled, that college for 80% of the population, is no longer worth it. There are around 5 majors total that actually yield job prospects.

Speaking just on the undergraduate level, you should only go to college for the following majors: Engineering (Real engineering, like mechanical or chemical), Accounting (Get the CPA), Nursing, Computer Science (that gives you real skills), Dietetics (as a registered Dietician) and maybe one or two other niche areas like astrophysics or nuclear something. Of course, if you want to go to medical school, that is also ok, but be aware that your biology degree is literally worthless if you dont get in.

Even masters degrees are becoming worthless. The most in demand would prolly be PA or NP, though they are turning out new grads like crazy, one wonders when they will reach saturation levels.

Doctoral Degrees are tricky too. Obviously the top profession for job security and pay is becoming an MD/DO. I have met very few unemployed doctors. Next would be Dentistry and Podiatry, as they are relatively in high demand, and they offer a skill/service that only they (and possibly other MD/DO) professionals can provide. Dents and Pods have kept their numbers relativity low and the market seems to be absorbing it at a fine (note, not good or excellent) rate. Podiatry is still a really good "hidden" field of medicine, and people go "Ew feet" so much that they people who go "Yay feet" will make money. They have problems right now with elective surgery, but people will still go get foot care if it means their life depends on it (gas gangrene, foot amputations) so pods fill that void (but so do general surgeons).

Physical therapy is interesting as well. While there is a demand, they really dont make alot of money, and many schools are too expensive to justify the cost.

I would not touch Pharmacy or Optometry with a ten foot pole.

I think you have a real bad case of the grass is always greener.

Engineering - know multiple people who went into engineering. Required to move to rural places that they don't like. One girl in my class was an oil rig engineer before pharm school. She hated it so much that she left to become a pharmacist. My GF dad is an engineer and absolutely hates his job. Told her not to become an engineer as well. Granted there are jobs so that's a plus.

Accounting - Don't know much about this one but I've heard that you work long hours and don't really get paid well until you start getting clients which can take a long time.

Nursing - going to be more saturated than pharmacy/optometry. Every girl and their mother are becoming a nurse and it will not last. I don't have the link on me but within the next 5-10 years they will have a saturation of like 40%. Way worse than pharmacy/optometry.

Comp Sci - this one is probably true lol. Lot of growth in this field.

Dietetics - know a guy who got a degree in this and now works at amazon warehouse doing work high school drop outs are doing. Kind of off the wall you brought this one up.

MD/DO - once you do get a residency you are guaranteed a job. However, no student is guaranteed a residency. They bottle neck it on purpose to keep the demand for the profession up.

Honestly, the way I see it with pharmacy is that its just starting become like every other profession out there. Maybe I'm just a dumb student who doesn't know anything, but I really do feel a lot of the practicing pharmacists on this site are really disillusioned about the job market.

Dentists - go to the dental forum. Theres saturation too just like pharmacy.

 

[PAtoPharm]

Physical therapy all depends on your job and market. I know several and most are making around 80k, but then it is very easy to pick up a side gig. I also know someone that left the traditional job for in home visits and is making significantly more per hour then a pharmacist and pretty much works 4-5 hours daily. He then has his own job on the side. That sounds like a pretty sweet set-up.

I think another good healthcare-related career suggestion is radiation therapist (I think you were the one that actually suggested it to me on here). When I was shadowing PAs at one of the local hospitals a few weeks, I actually shadowed during a case that involved a radiation therapist. I got to talk to him for a few minutes after the procedure, and it sounds like they have a really good deal. He told me he makes me over $80k, works a standard 40 hr workweek (sometimes gets to leave early), and there is usually downtime during the day between cases when he can take a break and sit down for a few minutes. There is another profession called dosimetrist that involves spending just one additional year in school (costs $10k-$20k depending on program), and they start at $100k-$110k or more.

If I could go back in time, this would've been my choice, hands-down. For both the radiation therapy and dosimetry programs, the coursework tends to be taught at the bachelor's degree level (many of the dosimetry programs are certificate programs), so there's probably also much less of a risk of failing out as compared to a master's/doctoral-level program like PA/AA school.

 

[mr.applesauce]

I think another good healthcare-related career suggestion is radiation therapist (I think you were the one that actually suggested it to me on here). When I was shadowing PAs at one of the local hospitals a few weeks, I actually shadowed during a case that involved a radiation therapist. I got to talk to him for a few minutes after the procedure, and it sounds like they have a really good deal. He told me he makes me over $80k, works a standard 40 hr workweek (sometimes gets to leave early), and there is usually downtime during the day between cases when he can take a break and sit down for a few minutes. There is another profession called dosimetrist that involves spending just one additional year in school (costs $10k-$20k depending on program), and they start at $100k-$110k or more.

If I could go back in time, this would've been my choice, hands-down. For both the radiation therapy and dosimetry programs, the coursework tends to be taught at the bachelor's degree level (many of the dosimetry programs are certificate programs), so there's probably also much less of a risk of failing out as compared to a master's/doctoral-level program like PA/AA school.

Be careful with radiation therapy and dosimetry. For those that actually find a job are the fortunate ones. The job market for radiation therapists and dosimetrists is very poor. I've talked to many of them because I was interested in this field due to it just being two years of education and training (dosimetry being a masters program) and making $80-100k.... but it's a very saturated market. I've read of radiation therapists graduating school and having to switch to something else because they never found their first job!

The sad part is, even though the market is bad for radiation therapists, I'm still considering the field because the job seems THAT appealing. You just have to find that one job and stick with it.

 

[nextyearrx]

How is job market in Dallas Fort Worth area????