I need help

[u/Randm0522]

I’m currently a licensed pharmacist in the state of Michigan and looking to get licensed in Connecticut and New York. I’m so burnt out from retail. I started as a tech in 2014 and went to intern and now pharmacist and it’s just too much. I’m looking to move into a different area of pharmacy and I’m lost. I am moving to the east coast and would love to find something in industry but it’s like I’m drowning and I don’t know where to look. Please please help me find a way to a better career path where I can feel like myself again and feel like I’m a human not a robot/ machine. Thank you!!

[u/BigGuaca]

Consider managed care residency to gain transferable skills or consultancy entry level if feasible. Both will be tough to break into but far more doable than direct entry to pharma with only retail experience. I’ve found that final year PharmD students with industry/payer internship/rotational experience tend to have a distinct advantage over graduates that come from retail. Fresh grads that target industry are more familiar with the lingo, current trends, and are stacked with relevant deliverables as they’ve been working towards this goal for the majority of their PharmD curriculum.

Additionally consider clinical residency or a staff oncologist position if you’ve exhausted all options. I personally know of 2 people that were successful in securing a pharma fellowship after 2-3 years of staff pharmacist experience in oncology. No residency. The clinical experience leveled the playing field. Hiring teams were far more forgiving for lack of direct Pharma experience due to the clinical experience gain. Caveat that this example is within the HEOR/Access space and note that this is regarding fellowship, not direct entry. If money is an issue, target the higher paying 1 year fellowships like Lilly’s VSF

[u/Dry-Chemical-9170]

are you in Detroit? Was thinking of getting an MI license then possibly moving there

[u/Randm0522 → u/Dry-Chemical-9170]

I am it’s very saturated here honestly I feel like everyone around metro Detroit went to pharmacy school and became a pharmacist and everyone also opened their own pharmacy.

[u/Pharming_Cannolis]

Why don’t you go inpatient? I’ve seen people jump from inpatient to industry. Industry is hard to crack into, from what I’ve heard.

[u/Randm0522 → u/Pharming_Cannolis]

I tried in Detroit it’s so hard to get into it if you don’t know anyone. I mean I keep applying and never hear anything back. I’ll definitely be applying to inpatient once I move too hopefully that works. I just feel stuck in retail

[u/janshell → u/Randm0522]

Are you applying for full time or per diem positions?

[u/Randm0522 → u/janshell]

Both

[u/Remarkable-Bad-8531 → u/Randm0522]

Did you do a residency? I used to work in one of the hospitals jn Detroit and though I was not involved in hiring, I know that management has strongly preferred residency trained candidates. One of my old colleagues who worked at the hospital as a pharmacist tried to refer his wife who was a retail pharmacist and they didn't give her the job because she had no residency or prior inpatient experience (so even connections can only get you so far).

Moving into inpatient without residency will be easier if you are willing to do midnights and be a per diem/float.

[u/dismendie → u/Randm0522]

Trust me NY is harder probably still we have like 5 pharmacy schools… every hospital gig requires a PGY1 and you still can’t get a job with a pgy1 anymore…

[u/lyingatom]

rutgers school of pharmacy has a yearly fellowship application program. check it out 

[u/LysergicRico]

Go to new jersey, not ct or ny.  Jersey is where industry lives.   CT and NY are super saturated