Veteran Pharmacy Career Tips

Experienced pharmacists can offer several career tips to young people aspiring to enter this rapidly expanding field. A successful pharmacist demonstrates compassion toward her customers as well as a keen eye for detail, they suggest. But brace yourself for some fierce competition; the University of Pittsburgh received 5,000 applications for 90 openings at its pharmacy school. Also, there is more to being a pharmacist than working as the local druggist.

Choices

• Pharmacists Scott Kislak and Leslie Adams tell students to explore all pharmacy career possibilities, not just the neighborhood drug stores. "When I applied to pharmacy school, I had no idea about the multitude of careers that pharmacy offered," Kislak tells PharmacySchools.com. Pharmacists work in veterinarian practices, insurance companies and law firms. Kislak worked at several chain and independent pharmacies during his career and aims to be a district manager. Adams echoes his remarks by telling The National Institutes of Health Science Education website that her residency at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore opened her eyes to a pharmacy career in clinical research where she investigates drugs that might someday be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Her hospital experience exposed her to pharmacy specialties including infectious diseases, critical care and psychology.

Schools

• Do not apply to only one pharmacy school, says Kislak. Instead, apply to several colleges so your hopes are not dashed with a single rejection letter. Kislak tells PharmacySchools.com, "It is very competitive and pharmacy schools only enroll students once a year so if you don't get into the program, you have to wait an entire year to reapply." Ask tough questions when you shop for a school, such as what percentage of last year's graduating class passed their state certification exams on the first try and how long the school has been in operation, Kislak suggests. Graduating from an established pharmacy school leads to better job offers, he adds.

Skills

• Seasoned pharmacists recommend specific skills for success, such as thoroughness and compassion. Pharmacist Jennifer Bair reminds young people that her profession leaves no room for errors. "Accuracy is very important in all aspects of the job," she tells Knowitall.org. Kislak's most memorable success story came while he measured a customer's blood pressure at a free clinic inside his supermarket pharmacy. The man's blood pressure was dangerously high, and Kislak referred him to a physician. Three days after that visit, the man underwent surgery for multiple blocked arteries. Says Kislak, "There is also the day-to-day satisfaction of knowing that you went out of your way to help a patient with their health care needs."