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pharmacogenomic · 01-26-2008, 10:03 AM

lfk725, fair enough! I'm just providing an alternate perspective as a student who always thought that he was going to become a pharmacist, lost his way, and then found it again. I know it's a little cushy of a story, but I find it a compelling story to share.

My point about the bachelors was not to say that one would not find a job, it's just to give oneself time to choose to go into pharmacy and advance one's standing in admissions. That being said, however, I still maintain my points about students who have gone through the 0-6 program and complained about the curriculum's weakness.

Llk, I also wanted to disagree with you on one small point of choice of pharmacy school. It may not matter in most instances, but if one is looking to secure a top residency/specialization at a prestigious teaching hospital, they do take into account which pharmacy school one went to in the matching process, among other things. Also, going to a better school may allow one more experience in research and connections into academia and industry, as well as possibly a stronger focus towards one particular field in pharmacy. I do know employers who screen pharmacy school quality to support the overall image of incoming clinical pharmacy applicants. It is not a pleasant nor a PC reality, but there are schools that churn out less than desirable PharmDs with the power of the degree without guarantee of competence. What do you think about the current rush to churn out more pharmacists due to the massive shortage? It's my opinion that there are certain laxing of standards and more cracks that fall through (despite the NAPLEX and school accreditation and what not - remember the University of Hawaii scandal?). Not all curriculums at pharmacy schools are equal in preparing their graduates for the real world and the expanding possibilities for the PharmD. This can be overcome by experience, but it's time that one doesn't necessarily have upon graduation that could have been integrated into schooling.

01-26-2008, 10:03 AM	#50
pharmacogenomic Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: University of Michigan Threads: 1 Posts: 98	lfk725, fair enough! I'm just providing an alternate perspective as a student who always thought that he was going to become a pharmacist, lost his way, and then found it again. I know it's a little cushy of a story, but I find it a compelling story to share. My point about the bachelors was not to say that one would not find a job, it's just to give oneself time to choose to go into pharmacy and advance one's standing in admissions. That being said, however, I still maintain my points about students who have gone through the 0-6 program and complained about the curriculum's weakness. Llk, I also wanted to disagree with you on one small point of choice of pharmacy school. It may not matter in most instances, but if one is looking to secure a top residency/specialization at a prestigious teaching hospital, they do take into account which pharmacy school one went to in the matching process, among other things. Also, going to a better school may allow one more experience in research and connections into academia and industry, as well as possibly a stronger focus towards one particular field in pharmacy. I do know employers who screen pharmacy school quality to support the overall image of incoming clinical pharmacy applicants. It is not a pleasant nor a PC reality, but there are schools that churn out less than desirable PharmDs with the power of the degree without guarantee of competence. What do you think about the current rush to churn out more pharmacists due to the massive shortage? It's my opinion that there are certain laxing of standards and more cracks that fall through (despite the NAPLEX and school accreditation and what not - remember the University of Hawaii scandal?). Not all curriculums at pharmacy schools are equal in preparing their graduates for the real world and the expanding possibilities for the PharmD. This can be overcome by experience, but it's time that one doesn't necessarily have upon graduation that could have been integrated into schooling. Last edited by pharmacogenomic : 01-26-2008 at 10:22 AM.