[Julie03]

Hello!

I'm little stressed out and need some help/advice. Here's my situation...

Before I started college, I was debating between Pre-Dentistry and Accounting. I was considering Pre-Dentistry because my parents always wanted one of us to be a dentist. I didn't care about it but decided to give it a shot to make them happy. After my first year of college doing general courses, I decided I didn't want to do Pre-Dentistry but would like to stay in the medical field so I considered Pharmacy. One thing led to another, I ended up doing Accounting (I never gave Pharmacy a shot). I will be graduating this May with my Bachelor's in Accounting.

About a year ago, I started having second thoughts about Accounting and wanted to switch over to Pharmacy but I decided to just finish it up since I only have one year left. My initial plan after graduation was to apply for graduate school and get my Master's in Accounting. But, lately, I'm having second thoughts again. Now, I want to do Pharmacy. I have been thinking a lot about my career and I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't go back to graduate school for Accounting. Maybe I should just stick to my Bachelor's and give Pharmacy a shot in the fall. But, at the same time, I'm not sure if I want to be in school for another 6-8 years.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? Is this just a phase? I have had numerous professors tell me that people go through career changes all the time. One of my Accounting professors said that you will have at least one to two career changes in your lifetime. So is this normal? I feel like it's too soon for me that I'm already feeling like I want to change career?

Any help/advice/input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[drclee]

In my opinion, you should not enter into a graduate program unless you are certain you want to study that particular major. I think the best thing to do is research the different areas you are interested in, then speak with as many people as you can that are currently in that field. It would be great to talk with people who are just starting out and those who have done it for a while. If you can find an internship or even volunteer, that would be even better. Getting some hands-on experience typically helps students figure out if the job is really for them.

It's ok to have second thoughts about your career - most people do. I wish you the best of luck!

 

[pinkpixie1588]

That's a tough situation. If I were you, I would do some more research on what the Pharmacy path is going to entail. Definitely see if you can talk to or even "shadow" a Pharmacist to make sure it's what you're imagining it is. Have you thought about applying to work as a pharmacy tech this summer after you graduate? I know several people who work as pharmacy techs and started right out of high school (so you don't need any specialized training). That would give you some experience in that environment to see if that's definitely the path you want to take.

I know it's really scary to consider switching your entire career track just as you're finishing up, but I think it's more scary to imagine working at a job you hate for years and then realizing your opportunity to go back for a bachelor's in pharmacy may have passed you by now that you have other responsibilities (hypothetically: car payments, mortgage, family, etc).

For the record, I'm aware that many people do switch careers/go back to school mid-career. My mother was one of them. But, I watched her struggle for 7 years to get her bachelor's, studying every night after she got home from working 8-5 to pay the bills. It's definitely a much more difficult path than going to school full-time and getting it all over with, if you ask me.

I know you'll make the right decision for yourself. I wouldn't let anyone talk you out of where your heart's leading you. You might end up resenting it later.

 

[The A Team]

I never could figure out how young people could know what they want to do with the rest of their lives while they're so young. You need to experience life first and then make the decision....but sadly...by then it's usually too late.

I hope you can figure it out before it's too late. Good luck! :thumbsup:

 

[Hunter's Mom]

For me it was all about taking a few years between getting my BA and going into an upper level program to try out a few things and see what my heart/head leaned towards. Trust me when I say I tried out a lot of things. I had my regular job, I worked at a Country Club in their hospitality division, I worked retail, I volunteered with the civil council and did a few other things. In the end, I was 100% certain that I wanted to go to law school.

These days graduate level programs are very costly and there is no guarentee of employment when you are done (most fields are flooded with graduates) and therefore you really have to be committed to your chosen field so that you aren't frustrated or disappointed later.

Whatever you decide - you need to dig deep and determine what YOU want and what YOU will be happy with!

 

[Deborah]

What type of Pharmacy are you interested in? There are the ones that dispense medicine ....I know a pharmacist he said not to go into that field. Horrible hours,combined with low pay.

Or do you want to be on the research side and help develop new medicines.

You should also go and see what classes you need to go into the pharmacy field. You may have already taken a lot of classes that will work as a double major.

Best wishes

 

[Julie03]

In my opinion, you should not enter into a graduate program unless you are certain you want to study that particular major. I think the best thing to do is research the different areas you are interested in, then speak with as many people as you can that are currently in that field. It would be great to talk with people who are just starting out and those who have done it for a while. If you can find an internship or even volunteer, that would be even better. Getting some hands-on experience typically helps students figure out if the job is really for them.

It's ok to have second thoughts about your career - most people do. I wish you the best of luck!

Thanks Claudia! I have a sister who is taking the prerequisites right now to get into Pharmacy school. She says it's not too bad so far...you just have to be dedicated and study the material. I don't know anyone who's in Pharmacy school or is a Pharmacist. But, I have been looking online trying to research as much as I can about the field. I have thought about getting a job as a Pharmacist Tech so I will probably give that a shot. Based on my research, you only need to pass a test for that. I think I'm gonna put off graduate school for now. I do pay for tuition so I certainly do not want to waste money until I know that it's really what I want to do. Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

 

[Julie03]

That's a tough situation. If I were you, I would do some more research on what the Pharmacy path is going to entail. Definitely see if you can talk to or even "shadow" a Pharmacist to make sure it's what you're imagining it is. Have you thought about applying to work as a pharmacy tech this summer after you graduate? I know several people who work as pharmacy techs and started right out of high school (so you don't need any specialized training). That would give you some experience in that environment to see if that's definitely the path you want to take.

I know it's really scary to consider switching your entire career track just as you're finishing up, but I think it's more scary to imagine working at a job you hate for years and then realizing your opportunity to go back for a bachelor's in pharmacy may have passed you by now that you have other responsibilities (hypothetically: car payments, mortgage, family, etc).

For the record, I'm aware that many people do switch careers/go back to school mid-career. My mother was one of them. But, I watched her struggle for 7 years to get her bachelor's, studying every night after she got home from working 8-5 to pay the bills. It's definitely a much more difficult path than going to school full-time and getting it all over with, if you ask me.

I know you'll make the right decision for yourself. I wouldn't let anyone talk you out of where your heart's leading you. You might end up resenting it later.

I totally get what you are saying. My Dad had to quit college because he has a family to take care of. My Mom wasn't working and I have a huge family so he couldn't go to school and still support the family financially.

I want to get school completely done and over with before I settle down with a family, have a house, car payments, bills, etc. That's one of the reasons why I'm thinking that if I question my career this much then maybe I should just switch now. I don't want to stick to Accounting and be unhappy 10 years down the line. At that time, it may be too late for me to get back in school. As I told Claudia, I have thought about getting a job as a Pharmacist Tech. You just need to pass a test for that. Maybe I'll do that in the summer and see how I like it. Thanks for your input, Ashley.

 

[Julie03]

I never could figure out how young people could know what they want to do with the rest of their lives while they're so young. You need to experience life first and then make the decision....but sadly...by then it's usually too late.

I hope you can figure it out before it's too late. Good luck! :thumbsup:

Thanks Pat! It's hard. I was undecided in college for a while in between all this. I felt so lost and like I was going nowhere. But, I hope I figure it out soon too.

 

[Julie03]

For me it was all about taking a few years between getting my BA and going into an upper level program to try out a few things and see what my heart/head leaned towards. Trust me when I say I tried out a lot of things. I had my regular job, I worked at a Country Club in their hospitality division, I worked retail, I volunteered with the civil council and did a few other things. In the end, I was 100% certain that I wanted to go to law school.

These days graduate level programs are very costly and there is no guarentee of employment when you are done (most fields are flooded with graduates) and therefore you really have to be committed to your chosen field so that you aren't frustrated or disappointed later.

Whatever you decide - you need to dig deep and determine what YOU want and what YOU will be happy with!

Thanks Erin! Graduate school IS costly. And, the thing too is that I don't even need a Master's to work at where I'm currently interning as an Auditor. In this economy, it's hard to get a job. I know many students in school who will be graduating as well but have had no luck with jobs. I just feel so lucky that I even have an internship. Maybe I'll just hold off on graduate school for a while. I'm going to do some exploring and researching and hopefully I'll figure it out soon.

 

[EmmasMommy]

Find some mentors and get a good idea of what the day to day job will entail. I deal with Pharmacists all the time. There are pharmacists that work in retail ( CVS & Walgreens) that everyone's dealt with but there are also compounding pharmacies that serve Nursing homes and sub acute facilities, there are Home Infusion companies that have IV only & nutritional suport pharmacists and there are of course hospital pharmacists and research pharmacists and Pharmacist educators and Pharmacist sales support for pharmaceutical & IV companies.They are all quite different.

I am sure there are just as many variables in the Accounting fields.

I would find the one I had a passion for (not what my parents wanted) I would take into consideration the hours, weekends, lifestyle, where I wanted to live, what the pay is and everything else I could think of that may influence my decision BEFORE I spent the time and money. Do what you have passion for and you will never mind working. It will be a joy !

 

[Julie03]

What type of Pharmacy are you interested in? There are the ones that dispense medicine ....I know a pharmacist he said not to go into that field. Horrible hours,combined with low pay.

Or do you want to be on the research side and help develop new medicines.

You should also go and see what classes you need to go into the pharmacy field. You may have already taken a lot of classes that will work as a double major.

Best wishes

I haven't decided on what type of Pharmacy I want to do yet but I did consider the one that dispenses medicine. So, thanks for letting me know about not going into that field. I still have so much more researching to do before I really decide to make a major change.

One of the closet Pharmacy school to me (and also one I'm very interested in) is about two hours away. I did look into their Pre-Pharmacy courses to see what classes I need to take. The good news is that I did complete some of those classes with my Accounting degree. Hopefully, I won't have to spend too much time doing the prerequisites.

Thanks for your input/advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Julie03]

Find some mentors and get a good idea of what the day to day job will entail. I deal with Pharmacists all the time. There are pharmacists that work in retail ( CVS & Walgreens) that everyone's dealt with but there are also compounding pharmacies that serve Nursing homes and sub acute facilities, there are Home Infusion companies that have IV only & nutritional suport pharmacists and there are of course hospital pharmacists and research pharmacists and Pharmacist educators and Pharmacist sales support for pharmaceutical & IV companies.They are all quite different.

I am sure there are just as many variables in the Accounting fields.

I would find the one I had a passion for (not what my parents wanted) I would take into consideration the hours, weekends, lifestyle, where I wanted to live, what the pay is and everything else I could think of that may influence my decision BEFORE I spent the time and money. Do what you have passion for and you will never mind working. It will be a joy !

Thanks for this information, Cat! I don't know any Pharmacists who I can turn to for help/advice/talks, etc. Currently, I'm just doing all my research online. I did take into consideration some of the things you've mentioned. I'm not really sure what the hours or lifestyle is like for Pharmacists but I would very much like to know. Hopefully, I will get it all figure out soon.

 

[EmmasMommy]

Send me a PM of where you are in the country ( City/State)and I will ask a friend to hook you up visiting these different pharmacy types. I am a sales rep that sells to IV pharmacies, all kinds and I have peers all over the nation, some might be willing to take you along. It depends on where you are located. Let me know.

 

[Julie03]

Send me a PM of where you are in the country ( City/State)and I will ask a friend to hook you up visiting these different pharmacy types. I am a sales rep that sells to IV pharmacies, all kinds and I have peers all over the nation, some might be willing to take you along. It depends on where you are located. Let me know.

I just PM'ed you. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really appreciate this.

 

[Chalex]

Don't you usually do a 5th year of accounting to prepare for the CPA exam? If you are ready to take the exam, why don't you and try it out for a while. I would think if you were able to stick to business for undergrad you might give it a shot. If accounting isn't your thing anymore, maybe another area of business. Maybe one day you'll own a chain of pharmacies and hire the pharmacists-let them do all the work.

 

[Katkoota]

In my opinion, you should not enter into a graduate program unless you are certain you want to study that particular major. I think the best thing to do is research the different areas you are interested in, then speak with as many people as you can that are currently in that field. It would be great to talk with people who are just starting out and those who have done it for a while. If you can find an internship or even volunteer, that would be even better. Getting some hands-on experience typically helps students figure out if the job is really for them.

It's ok to have second thoughts about your career - most people do. I wish you the best of luck!

this is the exact same advice I was given - love it and so far, I am glad that I am following it

to the OP, if I were you, I would follow everything mentioned above. I left one sentence in BOLD because this will FOR SURE help you see and experience the field that you chose in the real world of work by yourself! I don't know how is it like where you are. but over here, we have programs built in different industries for fresh graduates (1-2 years on average). In programs like these, you get rotated -working in- almost everything in your field. During programs like these, you are trained and also given many responsibilities -a real job and not just a training/learning program- which i think is great because you seriously learn A LOT. If I were you, I would look for something similar to these kind of programs. All the best

 

[LJSquishy]

What type of Pharmacy are you interested in? There are the ones that dispense medicine ....I know a pharmacist he said not to go into that field. Horrible hours,combined with low pay.

Or do you want to be on the research side and help develop new medicines.

You should also go and see what classes you need to go into the pharmacy field. You may have already taken a lot of classes that will work as a double major.

Best wishes

Pharmacists that dispense medicine must have different salary ranges based on the individual place they work and/or state, because I knew someone fresh out of pharmacy school (this was 3-4 years ago) that started out working at Fred Meyer pharmacy and made over $100,000/year. He got his foot in the door, then a year later he was promoted big time (no longer at Fred Meyer) and makes even more money now. lol