Pharmacy vs Chemical Engineering?
Both jobs have very good prospects. Both are in high demand. The mean salary for pharmacists is around $120,000, while the mean for chemical engineers is around $80,000 i believe. But chemical engineers can make considerably more if they're high up in a company. If you enjoy math and computers, then you should go into chemical engineering. Note that chemical engineering is different from chemistry. In chemical engineering, you design pathways, such as converting salt water to pure water: salt water ---> distillation column ----> condenser -----> water Chemical Engineers ask: How efficient is this pathway? can we achieve pure water with a less input of energy (thermodynamics)? How do we control the pollution (reaction engineering)? A common pathway for chemical engineers to take is to get their mba after they get their chemical engineering degree. These grad's can make well over $100,000. Go into pharmacy if you prefer biochemistry and biology to math. I wouldnt recommend pharmacy individually, because its less fun then chemical engineering.
Nursing or Pharmacy?
Hello, I just graduated from HS, and will be attending college in the fall for nursing. I initially applied for pharmD. (Doctor of Pharmacy, 6-year program)...to make a long story short...everything went opposite and I did not get accepted for what I believe to be the wrong reason but the right reason at the same time. Some people at my school had lower grades, lower GPA, less volunteering and all that good stuff and got accepted when I didn't. So anyway, I went for what I wanted to do from awhile ago..which was nursing. I am glad that I will be doing nursing because pharmacy is extremely hard. I am close to my dentist and she told me that when she was in dental school she had some friends in Pharmacy school and she said that they were almost suicidal by their 5th year because it was so hard and draining. But that certainly doesn't mean that it is not do-able. Pharmacists make amazing money $110,000 in Massachusetts to start. But it is six years of school, and you earn your doctorate in pharmacy. I don't think that anyone can tell you what to do, but I would recommend that you consider more than just income...would you want to stand behind a counter and count pills, or work for a pharmaceutical company...or would you like to work with people and have a little more "fun" at work? Nurses can actually make up to the starting income of a pharmacist after working for awhile, and of coarse continuing their education. Nurse practioners are almost doctors and they make amazing money and have a great job! Good luck to you!!! Enjoy senior year, take it easy, because I didn't and I had the most difficult year of my life! And by the way don't listen to people who tell you that you can become a registered nurse in two years. It is a four year or three year accelerated program that doesn't guarantee you becoming an RN until you pass your boards.
Cold feet about pharmacy school?
If you dont want to pass up on this high risk (which is the debt)/high reward (higher median salary) then stop being stuck on the debt figure. It is great that you are thinking about debt in the future, but I think you are over thinking and it is getting to the point where any decision for the future is a decision based off of fear. I think a way to control this huge amount of debt is if you budget and get smart about your finances. Pharmacists go into 1 job market, but that job market has a lot of job outlets. Hospitals, clinics, retail pharmacies, cannot operate by law without licensed pharmacists at the helm. There are thousands of pharmacies out there and anyone could offer you a job. Pharmacists also earn a median wage of over 100K. To me, the latter option is more debt saving, but also carries a bigger mixed bag of disappointment. Lets face it, the potential of finding no job can happen anywhere along that chain, even in the beginning. The advanced degree might not help with the income potential and you just do a bunch of point less busy body work. I dont think this is as good as pharmacy and the career fallout in the future might be higher. Drug development and discovery isn't generally something that most pharmD study. It is more along the lines of a PhD in chemical, biochemical, etc.. engineering. Job availability may not be as good as pharmacy work. You have to stop being so hung on this debt thing because it is getting to the point where its preventing you from making the best and most thought out decision (in my opinion)
Question about pharmacy school 0-6 vs 2-4 programs?
So several schools in the east coast for the 0-6 direct pharmacy program I heard from my friends are fairly easy to get into ( you don't need stellar GPA or SAT like 2000 or 4.0s). Also 0-6 gaurantees you a 6 year program to a Pharm d. How come people choose to go the longer route such as a 4+4 or a 2+4 where they get a bachelors first and then compete into a pharmacy school? Im in high school and I need to decide where to go but what are the pros and cons of a 0-6 and 2-4 or a 4-4? Which should I do?