Ask a PHARMACIST turned MEDICAL STUDENT anything (except medical advice)

[DrAesthetics]

any tips on studying for a high GPA, not just in sciences, but any subject?

ever take a class you HATED and didnt have an interest in? it is very hard to do well in those classes. for me, i basically changed the subject material.

i was doing some management class that was super boring and tested on these weird details. i made stories up in my mind so i could regurgitate the info. unfortunately in this country it is all about GRADES GRADES GRADES. we stop learning so we can go perform the best on a test. i am against grading.

everyone has a different method. try different methods of learning to find what works for you. always revamp it and be able to change it from class to class to maximize your success. i would always make up funny stories in my head to remember the dumb useless details.

[DrAesthetics]

I understand how you think it's not a big deal. But Pharmacists and doctors worked they're ass off in school for that money, and half of it goes away to weed smoking+baby popping welfare *******s.


@OP, idk if you're serious about this, but do you think you have an advantage over other students in med school since you went pharmacy? I currently work as a pharmacy tech for experience. I'll be going to med school never year, hopefully all the knowledge I have about rednecks asking for oxycodones will help off (lol).

well as a pharmacist and with my background, i know more about drugs than anyone else here will. i know how to use them as well as what is clinically relevant. being a healthcare provider, i know how to talk to patients, be direct, how to assimilate onto a medical team and identify the important tasks and prioritize them. i think this gives me a advantage. i am also more mature than my current classmates. i dont wanna go out and get drunk post-exam like everyone else does. that is just not for me.

people say it will be helpful when you get to the clinical years. i can only findout when that happens. all my attending physician friends tell me "you are going to be great with your background!!"

[MasriBrah]

Any motivational tips OP? I'm a chemical engineering/pre med major at a top 5 school and chemE is preparing my angus really bad (3.3 gpa) ...already half way through my junior year so not going to switch majors or anything, gonna tough it out but I'm almost certainly sure my gpa is not comptetitive at all since most people apply with 3.8+

[masud]

well as a pharmacist and with my background, i know more about drugs than anyone else here will. i know how to use them as well as what is clinically relevant. being a healthcare provider, i know how to talk to patients, be direct, how to assimilate onto a medical team and identify the important tasks and prioritize them. i think this gives me a advantage. i am also more mature than my current classmates. i dont wanna go out and get drunk post-exam like everyone else does. that is just not for me.

people say it will be helpful when you get to the clinical years. i can only findout when that happens. all my attending physician friends tell me "you are going to be great with your background!!"

Ya I agree. My friends said the same thing to me. What recommendation would you have for a pharmacy tech going into med school? Memorize every major generic drug+usage?

[masud]

Any motivational tips OP? I'm a chemical engineering/pre med major at a top 5 school and chemE is preparing my angus really bad (3.3 gpa) ...already half way through my junior year so not going to switch majors or anything, gonna tough it out but I'm almost certainly sure my gpa is not comptetitive at all since most people apply with 3.8+

3.3 is a little low to get accepted into med school, I would say wait a little. Buckle down and take some classes to boost your GPA. Seriously, ratemyproffesor.com is a god send. Only class i recommend to have a good proff for is Anatomy, for everything else, who gives a flying fuuck if you remember any of it after graduating.

You know what's funny. Most of the nursing students who come to my uni comes with a 3.6 gpa average..which is the average for med students. They take similar classes as well, they just don't want to go the extra 4 years of med school for the 100k+ salary.

[DrAesthetics]

Any motivational tips OP? I'm a chemical engineering/pre med major at a top 5 school and chemE is preparing my angus really bad (3.3 gpa) ...already half way through my junior year so not going to switch majors or anything, gonna tough it out but I'm almost certainly sure my gpa is not comptetitive at all since most people apply with 3.8+

it 100% DOES NOT MATTER what your major is.

from a person very knowledgeable about admissions to both pharm and medicine. it depends on numbers.

i.e. gpa is used, mcat number is used, interview score is used

you are given a score that then ranks a big list. top 20% get acceptance letters. you need to do your best. if you are 100% planning on medicine, you MUST bring up your GPA. it is getting very competitive every year. the classes are younger with very hardcore competitive students now as well.

best advice i can give you is do not think that you MUST get into med school at 22 years old. there is a Harvard PhD in my class that is in his 50s. just do not plan your life on someone elses time line. do not give up, constantly stay hungry and ambitious. you might meet some VERY COOL people along the way. life is a journey. you will not end up where you thought you would. just keep working hard and trying to do better.

[DrAesthetics]

Ya I agree. My friends said the same thing to me. What recommendation would you have for a pharmacy tech going into med school? Memorize every major generic drug+usage?

no point. i hate to say this but as a technician the level of drug knowledge you have does not come close to a pharmacist. you will be familiar with the drugs though so that will benefit you while everyone else is confused on this name vs this class etc. i wouldnt say learn all those drugs now. if you can at work, go for it, but you wont know the mechanisms behind side effects and why they are used as opposed to another drug etc. just focus on getting into school and taking it from there.

why not consider pharm school? pa school? nursing school? just curious and playing devils advocate

[masud]

it 100% DOES NOT MATTER what your major is.

from a person very knowledgeable about admissions to both pharm and medicine. it depends on numbers.

i.e. gpa is used, mcat number is used, interview score is used

you are given a score that then ranks a big list. top 20% get acceptance letters. you need to do your best. if you are 100% planning on medicine, you MUST bring up your GPA. it is getting very competitive every year. the classes are younger with very hardcore competitive students now as well.

best advice i can give you is do not think that you MUST get into med school at 22 years old. there is a Harvard PhD in my class that is in his 50s. just do not plan your life on someone elses time line. do not give up, constantly stay hungry and ambitious. you might meet some VERY COOL people along the way. life is a journey. you will not end up where you thought you would. just keep working hard and trying to do better.

Fuark, I'm starting to think you're not a troll haha.
MasriBrah, I got accepted into medical school with a History Major. Feelsgoodbro.jpeg.
If you're really having trouble, take 2 classes per semester

[MasriBrah]

3.3 is a little low to get accepted into med school, I would say wait a little. Buckle down and take some classes to boost your GPA. Seriously, ratemyproffesor.com is a god send. Only class i recommend to have a good proff for is Anatomy, for everything else, who gives a flying fuuck if you remember any of it after graduating.

You know what's funny. Most of the nursing students who come to my uni comes with a 3.6 gpa average..which is the average for med students. They take similar classes as well, they just don't want to go the extra 4 years of med school for the 100k+ salary.

I was thinking of working for a year as a chemical engineer after graduation while doing a post bacc program to boost the gpa. Good idea?

Yeah, but nurses have a more relaxed lifestyle ...especially senior RN's make relatively good money for the amount of work they put in.

[masud]

no point. i hate to say this but as a technician the level of drug knowledge you have does not come close to a pharmacist. you will be familiar with the drugs though so that will benefit you while everyone else is confused on this name vs this class etc. i wouldnt say learn all those drugs now. if you can at work, go for it, but you wont know the mechanisms behind side effects and why they are used as opposed to another drug etc. just focus on getting into school and taking it from there.

why not consider pharm school? pa school? nursing school? just curious and playing devils advocate

I was considering pharm school along the line. But I figured it would take A LOT longer and more stress :/
What do you think? Personally I would go the pharmacy line if med wasn't for me, since I ACTUALLY ENJOY pharmacy. Wouldn't mind being a pharmacist+med school :P, as long as my grades don't slip.

[DrAesthetics]

Fuark, I'm starting to think you're not a troll haha.
MasriBrah, I got accepted into medical school with a History Major. Feelsgoodbro.jpeg.
If you're really having trouble, take 2 classes per semester

not a troll, just a lurker that decided to join after reading the thread "ask a guy making $190/hr watching lord of the rings anything".

[DrAesthetics]

I was thinking of working for a year as a chemical engineer after graduation while doing a post bacc program to boost the gpa. Good idea?

Yeah, but nurses have a more relaxed lifestyle ...especially senior RN's make relatively good money for the amount of work they put in.

well my question to you is. if i took away the money, what job do you actually enjoy? would you be happy as a nurse? if not, then do not be a nurse, you will hate your job and dread it daily.

I was considering pharm school along the line. But I figured it would take A LOT longer and more stress :/
What do you think? Personally I would go the pharmacy line if med wasn't for me, since I ACTUALLY ENJOY pharmacy. Wouldn't mind being a pharmacist+med school :P, as long as my grades don't slip.

pharmacy longer than medicine? where do you get that idea from? just be honest with yourself about what job you like. also do not confuse your job as a technician with that as a pharmacist. retail pharm.... on phone with insurance and dr office etc. the thing that sucks about retail pharm is the 12-14 hour shifts standing the whole time. that for the rest of your life is tough. i know that isnt the life i wanted.

when i was on my pharmacy school rotations, i would talk to my preceptors about how to GET OUT OF PHARMACY. we looked at 711, subway, etc to pool our money and leave pharmacy (srs).

if you like pharmacy, why not consider it? there is a BIG SURPLUS coming though. check out the Indeed.com pharmacist job boards and see what a lot of licensed pharmacists are saying.

[MasriBrah]

it 100% DOES NOT MATTER what your major is.

from a person very knowledgeable about admissions to both pharm and medicine. it depends on numbers.

i.e. gpa is used, mcat number is used, interview score is used

you are given a score that then ranks a big list. top 20% get acceptance letters. you need to do your best. if you are 100% planning on medicine, you MUST bring up your GPA. it is getting very competitive every year. the classes are younger with very hardcore competitive students now as well.

best advice i can give you is do not think that you MUST get into med school at 22 years old. there is a Harvard PhD in my class that is in his 50s. just do not plan your life on someone elses time line. do not give up, constantly stay hungry and ambitious. you might meet some VERY COOL people along the way. life is a journey. you will not end up where you thought you would. just keep working hard and trying to do better.

Ah fukc. But thanks a lot for the info man. I'll probably work for a year or two - make some money , do a post bacc program, get more clinical experience and apply at 23-24.

[MasriBrah]

well my question to you is. if i took away the money, what job do you actually enjoy? would you be happy as a nurse? if not, then do not be a nurse, you will hate your job and dread it daily.

Oh, no no...I'm dead set for medical school. I've always wanted to be a physician but was too naive a couple of years ago and decided to choose a more "interesting" major for the challenge.

[BigB02z28]

Do you know anyone who got accepted into pharm school or licensed with a felony? The Florida board says it's determined on a case by case basis, but I'm curious as to how probable it is. Non drug related. Not DUI either.

[Vikingblood666]

Nice change OP. Went from professional drug dealer to a medical student grats!

[DrAesthetics]

Do you know anyone who got accepted into pharm school or licensed with a felony? The Florida board says it's determined on a case by case basis, but I'm curious as to how probable it is. Non drug related. Not DUI either.

i am sorry i cannot say i know anyone. that is a really tough call. any way to get it off your record?

[921]

THANK GOD I FOUND THIS THREAD, AND DIDN'T GO TO BED

tell me how much does the uni matter, i currently go to a d2 state school not sure if i should transfer or not
first semester ever so far im not doing so hot id be happy as **** to walk out with a 3.0 gpa this semester im talking general classes currently and not interested at all, ( ilove science) any tips on how to maintain focus i easily get distracted by things and perfer to do my things in the morning when i have a deadline so im like oh **** i got to do it or else il fail.
Should i change my major to something easier ? right now i have bio health allied listed as a major,
any good options in med school? (jobs) radio,mri,surgery,
i have really similar views as you except my demand for money is more higher then yours haha

[masud]

well my question to you is. if i took away the money, what job do you actually enjoy? would you be happy as a nurse? if not, then do not be a nurse, you will hate your job and dread it daily.



pharmacy longer than medicine? where do you get that idea from? just be honest with yourself about what job you like. also do not confuse your job as a technician with that as a pharmacist. retail pharm.... on phone with insurance and dr office etc. the thing that sucks about retail pharm is the 12-14 hour shifts standing the whole time. that for the rest of your life is tough. i know that isnt the life i wanted.

when i was on my pharmacy school rotations, i would talk to my preceptors about how to GET OUT OF PHARMACY. we looked at 711, subway, etc to pool our money and leave pharmacy (srs).

if you like pharmacy, why not consider it? there is a BIG SURPLUS coming though. check out the Indeed.com pharmacist job boards and see what a lot of licensed pharmacists are saying.

I personally would rather be a medical doctor then a pharmacist :P
Ya, I think I've been misinformed about the process. Care to give me a quick run on how it would go if I decided not to go to med school next year? or a link ^.^
thx for your help btw

[Moskov]

Lots of hours and heaps of pressure put upon yourself. I guess if you are passionate about it go for it.

Doctors should be paid a lot more for the lifestyle they lead in my opinion.

[me.]

Awesome thread OP. Being a pharmacist for so long is going to be a huge advantage as an MD. Knowing the meds in and out should greatly improve your care of the patients. Honestly, I think your situation is IDEAL for becoming a physician.

Side question: I have 2 more semesters to go until I can become an RN and am thinking about becoming a CRNA afterwards, any info you woulnd't mind sharing about that? I can't think of any specific questions just wanted to know what you had to say.

Also, you mentioned not living your life on someone else timeline. Very true man. For some reason I've always had this idea of having my masters by 25-26 (need experience before grad school) but I guess your right, taking my time and thinking everything through is better than rushing it and hating something you do.

[masud]

Lots of hours and heaps of pressure put upon yourself. I guess if you are passionate about it go for it.

Doctors should be paid a lot more for the lifestyle they lead in my opinion.

repped.

[DrAesthetics]

THANK GOD I FOUND THIS THREAD, AND DIDN'T GO TO BED

tell me how much does the uni matter, i currently go to a d2 state school not sure if i should transfer or not
first semester ever so far im not doing so hot id be happy as **** to walk out with a 3.0 gpa this semester im talking general classes currently and not interested at all, ( ilove science) any tips on how to maintain focus i easily get distracted by things and perfer to do my things in the morning when i have a deadline so im like oh **** i got to do it or else il fail.
Should i change my major to something easier ? right now i have bio health allied listed as a major,
any good options in med school? (jobs) radio,mri,surgery,
i have really similar views as you except my demand for money is more higher then yours haha

do what interests you but realize that USA is all money making on education. i dont think undergrad should be required but it is. if you can definitely do well on MCAT and keep high GPA, i say go with what you like. i personally wish i did this:

1.) associates degree in nursing or some other technical field (maybe radiology technician).
2.) BSN nursing

this would give you options to earn good money in the summers and during med school as well as between 1st and 2nd year. you just have to keep the gpa high to get into med. the major means ZERO, 100% NOTHING

its a numbers game. make short term goals and longterm. so working on short term will complete the longterm without you frekaing out

I personally would rather be a medical doctor then a pharmacist :P
Ya, I think I've been misinformed about the process. Care to give me a quick run on how it would go if I decided not to go to med school next year? or a link ^.^
thx for your help btw

if you dont get in, no big deal. findout what your application lacks and improve it. thats what life is about, that is what being a pharmacist, physician, dentist, PROFESSIONAL is about. professionals recognize weaknesses and try to improve them. make yourself well rounded and show who YOU ARE not some cookie cutter kid

[Amel]

I understand how you think it's not a big deal. But Pharmacists and doctors worked they're ass off in school for that money, and half of it goes away to weed smoking+baby popping welfare *******s. We're also forced to "help" our patients all the time when they don't even wanna listen to our advices. And when something goes wrong, they instantly blame us, hello, we're not at the point of medicine where we know 100% of everything that goes on in the human body. You get some punk that nerd rages, and wants to sue you, putting your license in jepordy. Hell I know countless doctors who just plays everything safe, instead of picking what they think is possible, in fear of losing their license.

I don't care if you eat **** your whole life if you still at some point make 500k a year....

Where taxes go, that's another subject for debate, however..whoever complains about being taxed at a high income level doesn't understand the point of taxes....

now if he said, 50% at 150k and living in California, I would agree

[masud]

I don't care if you eat **** your whole life if you still at some point make 500k a year....

Where taxes go, that's another subject for debate, however..whoever complains about being taxed at a high income level doesn't understand the point of taxes....

now if he said, 50% at 150k and living in California, I would agree

If you think that I think it's wrong to tax people with high income, you're wrong. But when I look where the tax money goes to, it makes me a little mad, that's all.

[jonathonjosephs]

you got into med school with a 30? your gpa must have been above 3.5

[TheWaffleIron]

best advice i can give you is do not think that you MUST get into med school at 22 years old. there is a Harvard PhD in my class that is in his 50s. just do not plan your life on someone elses time line. do not give up, constantly stay hungry and ambitious. you might meet some VERY COOL people along the way. life is a journey. you will not end up where you thought you would. just keep working hard and trying to do better.

This is great advice. Repped.

Any motivational tips OP? I'm a chemical engineering/pre med major at a top 5 school and chemE is preparing my angus really bad (3.3 gpa) ...already half way through my junior year so not going to switch majors or anything, gonna tough it out but I'm almost certainly sure my gpa is not comptetitive at all since most people apply with 3.8+

Get real: you're a ChemE from a top-5 undergrad. Unless you want to attend a Top-10 Research USNWR school (Harvard, Yale, Duke, Penn, Stanford, UCSF, etc.) for an MD/PhD, your GPA is fine. That said, your MCAT will be extremely significant. If you hit a 35 - 38+ on the MCAT - certainly possible, given your background - you'll be fine (assuming, of course, that your ECs are complete: shadowing; clinical experience; research; volunteering).

I'm not going into medicine, but I went to school with plenty of kids who are now in med school (I graduated from a Top-20 undergrad). I knew a handful of "hard" science - chemistry, math or physics - and engineering majors who had around your GPA (3.1 - 3.4), yet killed the MCAT (35+), and ultimately gained admission to med school.

Ah fukc. But thanks a lot for the info man. I'll probably work for a year or two - make some money , do a post bacc program, get more clinical experience and apply at 23-24.

The average age of a first-year med student is 24. Take a year or two (or three) off; take a break from school. Get some clinical experience, maybe take a few biology courses. Med schools love maturity; they love students who bring "unique" life experiences. You could work in industry, and perhaps volunteer in a clinical setting. You want to stand-out, to bring something unique to the table.

[TheCurator]

Great job on actually being one of the few sensible med students on here and admitting that you are not yet competent to be be giving out medical advice. I see second/third year students throwing out diagnoses and advice all the time, I mean wtf man.

[TinyK]

I am in the same boat as you and I just graduated. Here's my rant.

It wasn't hard for me to find a job in retail. I've had 2 offers so far without even looking for it. Now I'm stuck with Kroger. I tried to avoid retail for a few months in hopes of finding a hospital position that is a hybrid of staff/clinical duties. No luck at all. Hospital is VERY tough to get into if you don't have a residency. It's important that you have a good network to increase your chances of penetrating into hospital, but it seems like it doesn't help at all right now. Pharmacy is headed down a bleak direction. There are more money hungry pharmacy schools opening with increasing class sizes, and not enough jobs being created. You really need a residency to set yourself apart if you want to work in a hospital.

I decided to skip residency because I did not think it was worth it. 1 year of hard labor for 35-50k is not enough for me to subject myself to that kind of treatment. In the end, a 1 year residency will land you a staff pharmacist position in a hospital...wtf?? I've had 1 year of tough rotations that has helped me build a 7 page CV and I thought that would really set me apart from everyone else. In the end, nobody sees my work on my CV because all the stupid recruiters just want to see a resume for the positions I am applying for.

I am seriously considering medical school after about 2-3 years of working at Kroger to pay off my loans and save money. I would have much more satisfaction having a more active role in patient care rather than being a hospital pharmacist. Can you explain to me of any large benefits of having a clinical pharmacist on the team? During my clinical rotations, the benefit I saw was meager. Their interventions felt insignificant. For the most part, I felt my preceptors held themselves too highly but acted like a puppy in front of physicians. This attitude everywhere I went really turned me off from a residency too.

Anyway...I hope medicine is still going to have a respectable salary with the way Medicare is looking right now. I'll wait it out for a 2-3 years and see how it's doing.

[DrAesthetics]

Great job on actually being one of the few sensible med students on here and admitting that you are not yet competent to be be giving out medical advice. I see second/third year students throwing out diagnoses and advice all the time, I mean wtf man.

well im fully competent to give out plenty of advice as a pharmacist but on the net is not appropriate.

i will say this: medicine has A LOT of overachievers and people who LOVE TO TALK ABOUT BEING IN MEDICAL SCHOOL. They LOVE being able to tell you how something is etc etc. It is an ego thing and I find way too many inflated egos as students. i just laugh and think "what have you done? you are a student, what do you know about how medicine works".

only a few close people know i am in medical school. most people have NO IDEA. i never updated a ******** or anything. when people ask me what i do, i just tell them i am in healthcare. i am very humble. i have had my life ripped apart at many times and lost everything i had at one point.

i just learn to value every day like it is a blessing and really appreciate any positive energy coming into my life. i dont feel the need to go out, hang a stethoscope from my rear view mirror (yes some kids are doing this!!!), talk about medicine all day. soooooo much ego in medical school it is absurd. i have to say medicine sure attracts some weird personalities that are VERY ONE DIMENSIONAL.

that whole 2nd and 3rd yr advice and diagnosis thing makes me cringe. fact is, i used to teach medical students. i have been on rounds with them and see how little they know. i think it is absolutely reckless to give out that advice when you are not a licensed professional. sigh....