Girlfriend stuck in incompatible pharmacy job
December 12, 2015 3:00 PM Subscribe
My girlfriend graduated from Pharmacy school earlier this year, after investing a lot of time and effort into her education, hoping it would lead to a decent career. Doesn't seem to be the case. What can we do?
Earlier this year, my girlfriend graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. This is her second career after going partway through a Doctor of Musical Arts program (we are both in our 30s). At this point, she just wants to have a sane job that allows her to have a balanced life.
When she graduated, she decided to take a retail pharmacy job (like CVS or Walgreens), since at this point in her life the hectic hours of a residency was the last thing she wanted. However, that decision hasn't turned out very well, she had been working on apparently outdated information. Her job now has her being a 'floater', and the schedule she's given has her driving to places that are often an hour away, at all times of day and night, for 8-10 days in a row. (She bought a car for this job, and with her lack of winter driving experience I worry she's going to get into an accident on some poorly cleared 2-lane rural highway.) Particularly when she gets bounced back and forth between day and night shifts, she's miserable, suffering insomnia and frequent migraines. She's tried talking with the scheduler and her manager to improve the situation, but to no effect. Making it worse is that she was looking forward to working with patients and helping them resolve medication issues, but the fast-food-restaurant pace they make her work at doesn't allow for that. She misses the clinical rotations she had in school, where she was actually working on substantiative medical issues.
Theoretically, they might promote her to a staff pharmacist position at some indefinite point, with a more regular schedule, but the job duties wouldn't change much.
It seems like there are two choices: 1. keep working until a better job is found, or 2. quit for the sake of her health, and then look for a job while unemployed. She's been doing (1) so far, but apparently the pharmacist job market has gone way downhill since she originally decided to pursue the career. She's coming up with very little despite looking for jobs anywhere in the country (and having graduated from a good school with a good GPA.) (2) is tenable because she has some money saved up, I have a comfortable job, and we share a house and expenses. But I don't expect doing (2) to help her job search, it doesn't seem optimal to be looking for a job while unemployed after quitting your first full-time job in less than a year, no matter the reasons.
Both (1) and (2) aren't great options. Are we missing any option (3)? I don't think she has the stomach for another career change at this point.
Earlier this year, my girlfriend graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. This is her second career after going partway through a Doctor of Musical Arts program (we are both in our 30s). At this point, she just wants to have a sane job that allows her to have a balanced life.
When she graduated, she decided to take a retail pharmacy job (like CVS or Walgreens), since at this point in her life the hectic hours of a residency was the last thing she wanted. However, that decision hasn't turned out very well, she had been working on apparently outdated information. Her job now has her being a 'floater', and the schedule she's given has her driving to places that are often an hour away, at all times of day and night, for 8-10 days in a row. (She bought a car for this job, and with her lack of winter driving experience I worry she's going to get into an accident on some poorly cleared 2-lane rural highway.) Particularly when she gets bounced back and forth between day and night shifts, she's miserable, suffering insomnia and frequent migraines. She's tried talking with the scheduler and her manager to improve the situation, but to no effect. Making it worse is that she was looking forward to working with patients and helping them resolve medication issues, but the fast-food-restaurant pace they make her work at doesn't allow for that. She misses the clinical rotations she had in school, where she was actually working on substantiative medical issues.
Theoretically, they might promote her to a staff pharmacist position at some indefinite point, with a more regular schedule, but the job duties wouldn't change much.
It seems like there are two choices: 1. keep working until a better job is found, or 2. quit for the sake of her health, and then look for a job while unemployed. She's been doing (1) so far, but apparently the pharmacist job market has gone way downhill since she originally decided to pursue the career. She's coming up with very little despite looking for jobs anywhere in the country (and having graduated from a good school with a good GPA.) (2) is tenable because she has some money saved up, I have a comfortable job, and we share a house and expenses. But I don't expect doing (2) to help her job search, it doesn't seem optimal to be looking for a job while unemployed after quitting your first full-time job in less than a year, no matter the reasons.
Both (1) and (2) aren't great options. Are we missing any option (3)? I don't think she has the stomach for another career change at this point.
My friends who've done pharmacy programs recently have all reported similar issues. Every one of them has had to change states to get a job better than CVS (etc.) I agree that being in a rural setting isn't helpful.
Would she be interested in working inside a hospital? That's the only other place I know of that has actually hired new PhamD grads.
Unfortunately, "keep this job and keep looking" is probably the only tenable option. In a tight market, it's too easy to just remove the currently-unemployed applicants from the very beginning.
I have, BTW, no idea what has happened to the pharmacy job market. It's very strange, but it's definitely not just her.
posted by SMPA at 3:12 PM on December 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Would she be interested in working inside a hospital? That's the only other place I know of that has actually hired new PhamD grads.
Unfortunately, "keep this job and keep looking" is probably the only tenable option. In a tight market, it's too easy to just remove the currently-unemployed applicants from the very beginning.
I have, BTW, no idea what has happened to the pharmacy job market. It's very strange, but it's definitely not just her.
posted by SMPA at 3:12 PM on December 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, the last two (three?) cycles appeared to have been irrationally difficult for people trying to get residencies. Everyone I knew was freaking out about it, and some really smart people ended up having to try again in another year because they couldn't get anything.
posted by SMPA at 3:15 PM on December 12, 2015
posted by SMPA at 3:15 PM on December 12, 2015
Response by poster: (Threadsit: It's not exactly rural here, we're in a metro area with a population of 200k+ and multiple hospitals (which have very few openings with large numbers of applicants). She'd be happier if they scheduled her more often at one of the branches that are a short bike ride away. Instead they do have her going out into rural areas where I guess they have trouble with staffing. She moved here from another state for this position, and also, so our relationship wouldn't be long-distance anymore.)
posted by Hither at 3:30 PM on December 12, 2015
posted by Hither at 3:30 PM on December 12, 2015
Are there any independent pharmacies or compounding pharmacies where you live?
Working in a hospital might be better, although I think they're also very fast-paced.
A residency may be her best bet for doing really substantive work.
Some bigger medical practices have started hiring pharmacists to review medication lists, anticoagulation, asthma education, and things like that--our practice has 1 full time equivalent and the one thing they don't do is dispense meds.
Her best bet for right now may be to grit her teeth and get through it until something with better hours and lifestyle comes through.
(As a primary care doctor I will say that a good pharmacist is gold).
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 3:35 PM on December 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
Working in a hospital might be better, although I think they're also very fast-paced.
A residency may be her best bet for doing really substantive work.
Some bigger medical practices have started hiring pharmacists to review medication lists, anticoagulation, asthma education, and things like that--our practice has 1 full time equivalent and the one thing they don't do is dispense meds.
Her best bet for right now may be to grit her teeth and get through it until something with better hours and lifestyle comes through.
(As a primary care doctor I will say that a good pharmacist is gold).
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 3:35 PM on December 12, 2015 [3 favorites]
since at this point in her life the hectic hours of a residency was the last thing she wanted.
Honestly, I would tell her to stick out a full year in retail and then quit. She needs to not have a CV showing she quit the first job she had out of school; it will tank her in an already awful job market. The PharmD market nationwide is atrocious -- the US is graduating twice as many pharmacists as are retiring every year. The Pharmacy boards at Indeed are the most depressing reading on the internet. It's the new law school.
She might be best advised to look at adding a post-grad certification around statistics or data analysis and looking at Public Health roles.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:48 PM on December 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
Honestly, I would tell her to stick out a full year in retail and then quit. She needs to not have a CV showing she quit the first job she had out of school; it will tank her in an already awful job market. The PharmD market nationwide is atrocious -- the US is graduating twice as many pharmacists as are retiring every year. The Pharmacy boards at Indeed are the most depressing reading on the internet. It's the new law school.
She might be best advised to look at adding a post-grad certification around statistics or data analysis and looking at Public Health roles.
posted by DarlingBri at 5:48 PM on December 12, 2015 [2 favorites]
A number of the pharmaceutical manufacturer reps I know are PharmDs. Often they take a role called something like "medical science liaison." I think pharma sales in general are pretty cutthroat but maybe the consultant type role isn't so much. They tend to cover a lot of territory so where you live may not be a big factor, though there is a lot of travel.
posted by lakeroon at 6:28 PM on December 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lakeroon at 6:28 PM on December 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Someone has to do these jobs, and deal with the crappy shifts and multiple locations. New graduates are the ones that end up with those jobs. It's a "pay your dues" thing. The best locations / regular shifts will be given to the people who've been around for a while. She will end up with the shifts and locations that no-one else wants. Until the next batch of new graduates come on board, at which point she will be able to ask for more local shifts at more sensible times.
Or, she could reconsider the residency option - having experience would give her an advantage over graduates in terms of getting the job (but while the location may be better, the work schedule wouldn't change, or would possibly be worse).
posted by finding.perdita at 12:06 AM on December 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
Or, she could reconsider the residency option - having experience would give her an advantage over graduates in terms of getting the job (but while the location may be better, the work schedule wouldn't change, or would possibly be worse).
posted by finding.perdita at 12:06 AM on December 13, 2015 [7 favorites]
I don't know much about pharmacy jobs but I agree with finding.perdita. This is a pay your dues job and if she sticks it out, she will probably eventually get a permanent position there - or build up enough experience to go somewhere else.
I suggest maybe you reframe the problems as opportunities to grow and learn. For example, the only way you get good at driving in winter weather is to, you know, drive in winter weather. And working in a lot of different locations can give her a feel for a place so that she'll know if she would like to accept a job there if offered one. She can also meet lots of people and build up her professional network.
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:32 AM on December 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
I suggest maybe you reframe the problems as opportunities to grow and learn. For example, the only way you get good at driving in winter weather is to, you know, drive in winter weather. And working in a lot of different locations can give her a feel for a place so that she'll know if she would like to accept a job there if offered one. She can also meet lots of people and build up her professional network.
posted by dawkins_7 at 7:32 AM on December 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Some shit you've just got to deal with. This is called 'paying your dues' and we've all had to do it. Is it fun? No. Will it end? Yes.
If your GF is a person who thinks that life magically pulls itself together just because you've earned a degree, she's being unrealistic. So for now, she tries for a permanent position with a fixed schedule somewhere close to home. Are you close to a VA? If so, start applying for a position there. Hospitals? There too. Another chain pharmacy? That.
She can't just throw up her hands and say, "Oh well 6 years of education down the drain!" If she likes the work, she just needs to stick it out, and do the best she can to get into a better situation.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:39 AM on December 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
If your GF is a person who thinks that life magically pulls itself together just because you've earned a degree, she's being unrealistic. So for now, she tries for a permanent position with a fixed schedule somewhere close to home. Are you close to a VA? If so, start applying for a position there. Hospitals? There too. Another chain pharmacy? That.
She can't just throw up her hands and say, "Oh well 6 years of education down the drain!" If she likes the work, she just needs to stick it out, and do the best she can to get into a better situation.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:39 AM on December 13, 2015 [3 favorites]
I really wouldn't say the PharmD market is the new law school. It's not at all like that. The high anxiety bitching among my peers isn't unusual, and they all calm down and forget about it after they get a job.
None of my peers have had trouble finding jobs but we live in an area where there are multiple urban areas nearby. I know it seems unfair that someone isn't handing you the perfect job with a$30K bonus wherever you live right away, but that's normal enough. And lots of people will always be bitching because finding a great job under the perfect circumstances isn't as easy as they hoped. There's anxiety and worry no matter what. And you have to build experience and be patient. And she's going to have to drive winter roads if she's living In a winter place to be near the boyfriend.
And maybe in a few months she'll find a job that doesn't require her to be a floater. But she has to be patient and keep looking and make connections with other pharmacists. Also, it would have been more helpful if she'd been around alums familiar with her school and program, but if she wanted to be near you right after graduating...those are the breaks.
posted by discopolo at 9:27 AM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
None of my peers have had trouble finding jobs but we live in an area where there are multiple urban areas nearby. I know it seems unfair that someone isn't handing you the perfect job with a$30K bonus wherever you live right away, but that's normal enough. And lots of people will always be bitching because finding a great job under the perfect circumstances isn't as easy as they hoped. There's anxiety and worry no matter what. And you have to build experience and be patient. And she's going to have to drive winter roads if she's living In a winter place to be near the boyfriend.
And maybe in a few months she'll find a job that doesn't require her to be a floater. But she has to be patient and keep looking and make connections with other pharmacists. Also, it would have been more helpful if she'd been around alums familiar with her school and program, but if she wanted to be near you right after graduating...those are the breaks.
posted by discopolo at 9:27 AM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Particularly when she gets bounced back and forth between day and night shifts, she's miserable, suffering insomnia and frequent migraines.
Lots of docs and nurses have to deal with the same thing. Also, at hospitals, pharmacists aren't just on 9-5 pm. I have friends who get scheduled on overnight shifts and then have to be there just a few hours later. A number of pharmacists I worked with at a local hospital were temporary hires until they got hired full time later. It would be great if we could all get jobs a bike ride away during hours compatible with our honeys but that's an unrealistic expectation for anyone who knows anything about working as a pharmacist in the real world.
And if it helps, my BFF is an ER doc and gets through having to deal with difficult shift schedules cause migraines, headaches etc by ensuring she gets sleep which does by taking Ambien. Her husband makes sure she isn't disturbed while napping and makes her food. This helps her not suffer from the brutal shift scheduling.
posted by discopolo at 9:52 AM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lots of docs and nurses have to deal with the same thing. Also, at hospitals, pharmacists aren't just on 9-5 pm. I have friends who get scheduled on overnight shifts and then have to be there just a few hours later. A number of pharmacists I worked with at a local hospital were temporary hires until they got hired full time later. It would be great if we could all get jobs a bike ride away during hours compatible with our honeys but that's an unrealistic expectation for anyone who knows anything about working as a pharmacist in the real world.
And if it helps, my BFF is an ER doc and gets through having to deal with difficult shift schedules cause migraines, headaches etc by ensuring she gets sleep which does by taking Ambien. Her husband makes sure she isn't disturbed while napping and makes her food. This helps her not suffer from the brutal shift scheduling.
posted by discopolo at 9:52 AM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not in this industry, so grain of salt here...but maybe your girlfriend might have better luck looking for the unwanted/bad job first just to get the regular schedule...as in:
1. Look for jobs that are in rural communities about an hour commute from you (if it's a regular schedule, could she manage a rural commute?)
2. Look for the graveyard shift at a job more locally, but with something that is regular. Could she handle 4-midnight or something along those lines if it was regular?
posted by Toddles at 11:36 AM on December 13, 2015
1. Look for jobs that are in rural communities about an hour commute from you (if it's a regular schedule, could she manage a rural commute?)
2. Look for the graveyard shift at a job more locally, but with something that is regular. Could she handle 4-midnight or something along those lines if it was regular?
posted by Toddles at 11:36 AM on December 13, 2015
It sucks for your GF to find that her job is nothing like what she thought it would be. To an extent, it appears that perhaps she was a bit naive about what she was getting into and the fact that paying your dues in any field is going to be tiring and suck to no small degree. And yes, you do that until you find another job more to your liking/ gain seniority and get to have more control over what you do and when you do it etc.
I will say that winter driving for longish distances comes with semi rural living in parts of the world where there is winter weather.
Even people who are quite established in their profession have periods that suck to no small degree. I'll be working every day from 1/04 to 1/22 and it won't be shift work but working all the hrs in the day and then finding more hrs. It'll suck a lot and I'll have tension headaches every day after the first week. And then I'll collapse in a heap when I get home on 1/22 and sleep that whole weekend and then it'll still be long hrs but I'll get at least one day off each weekend and it'll feel a lot better. On the upside my job has paid for a few v nice trips this year and pays for me to spend the two weeks before January in South Africa - but there are very few degree level skilled jobs that offer you a challenging career and assorted financial benefits where you really work 9-5 and cycle to work every day.
So, not really what you wanted to hear I guess but yes, my irrelevant advice would be to hang in there and explore ways people have moved out of her current role either by progression or by taking on a different job or different roles in the general field. This should include what these jobs really entail to make sure a different job really is a better match for her.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:37 PM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
I will say that winter driving for longish distances comes with semi rural living in parts of the world where there is winter weather.
Even people who are quite established in their profession have periods that suck to no small degree. I'll be working every day from 1/04 to 1/22 and it won't be shift work but working all the hrs in the day and then finding more hrs. It'll suck a lot and I'll have tension headaches every day after the first week. And then I'll collapse in a heap when I get home on 1/22 and sleep that whole weekend and then it'll still be long hrs but I'll get at least one day off each weekend and it'll feel a lot better. On the upside my job has paid for a few v nice trips this year and pays for me to spend the two weeks before January in South Africa - but there are very few degree level skilled jobs that offer you a challenging career and assorted financial benefits where you really work 9-5 and cycle to work every day.
So, not really what you wanted to hear I guess but yes, my irrelevant advice would be to hang in there and explore ways people have moved out of her current role either by progression or by taking on a different job or different roles in the general field. This should include what these jobs really entail to make sure a different job really is a better match for her.
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:37 PM on December 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
A small point...can she take a 'Winter Driving Course' to increase her confidence and safety driving to these postings? The investment of a day or two in her driving skills could be lifesaving for her, and reduce your stress level. Make sure she has good snow tires and an emergency kit! I wish I had something useful to offer about the pharmacy market... :-( Good luck!
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 2:55 PM on December 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy at 2:55 PM on December 13, 2015 [4 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
She ought to call her school and former advisors, professors, and career counseling folks at the school for advice. And she should keep networking.
posted by discopolo at 3:05 PM on December 12, 2015 [5 favorites]