u/petalstatix

I am a Canadian student who got an offer at UBC for this fall but I feel conflicted

I don’t have any pharmacy experience and was kind of blindly following the pre-pharm route, focusing on my GPA since admissions in Canada are competitive.

Now that it’s time to enter the program im wondering if it’s worth it or not. Should I take a gap year to gain some experience as a pharmacy assistant first?

I have also been considering nursing for a very long time and have completed all the pre-reqs for that. Nursing looks enticing to me because the school is cheaper and nearby + it’s guaranteed job security and relatively okay pay.

If I take a gap year I can get exposure first hand in a hospital (by working as an assistant or clerk) and see what each role entails + many people on this sub say it’s essential to work retail pharmacy and see if it’s something you can do since most grads will end up there.

A gap year would also buy me time for myself-I can work on my health, hobbies, travel etc. I can delay student life and enjoy a year off for myself. I can save up and get healthcare experience to see what I wanna do

The only downsides I can think of is having to reapply and wait an additional year/delay post grad salary

Is it a smart or dumb idea and why?

I don’t want to regret choosing pharmacy blindly and think I should branch out and gain experience for other things-maybe I might like nursing idk

I want to get exposure in the hospital environment to decide whether I want to pursue nursing or pharmacy and was wondering what hospital jobs would I qualify for as a 2nd year science student?

Thank you

Please recommend movies that depict intense struggles like someone overcoming something or studying really hard for something.

Movies that are about intense exams and about discipline.

I’m looking for movies that portray someone going through tough emotional battles and are working hard at something.

Or movies that portray extreme academic pressure, strict parents and intense studying. Something like Chinese/korean exam culture and obsessive discipline.

A movie I really enjoyed was the Pursuit of Hapyness and I hope to find more movies similar to this!

If you have something in mind please write it down even if you think it doesn’t match too well☺️

Thank you!!

Is nursing worth it in terms of WLB, income, and flexibility?

Some things I like about nursing is: you get more than 2 consecutive days off, night shift differentials, pay is decent, schooling is cheaper than pharmacy, and you don’t need to stare at a computer your whole shift.

I like to talk and joke around with people, grow in a profession and have time for family and health. But nursing also seems unsafe at times (potential for assaults), night shifts are hard on the body and the job is very stressful.

However many RNs have told me it’s so fulfilling and they make over 6 figures with OT. You can move around and explore different units.

Pharmacy seems nice because it’s more of a cushy job in the hospital and pay is very good but schooling is long and intense/expensive.

With nursing I can work alongside and transition into NP for higher pay and more autonomy

Would you do nursing again? Why or why not? If not, what else would you do? Would you recommend nursing to someone you love?

What would be a better path? PharmD (4-5 yrs) or BSN—>NP (5yrs)

Thank you!!

If you were to start all over again or recommend a path to someone you love, which would you choose and why?

Either 1) pharmD 4 year degree after 2 years undergrad

or

2. BSN 3 year degree, work as an RN and then NP 2 year masters?

I live in Canada so the tuition for pharmD is 80k and BSN—> NP is 40k

Thank you

If you were to start all over again or recommend a path to someone you love, which would you choose and why?

Either 1) pharmD 4 year degree after 2 years undergrad

or

2. BSN 3 year degree, work as an RN and then NP 2 year masters?

I live in Canada so the tuition for pharmD is 80k and BSN—> NP is 40k

Thank you

If you were to start all over again or recommend a path to someone you love, which would you choose and why?

Either 1) pharmD 4 year degree after 2 years undergrad

or

2. BSN 3 year degree, work as an RN and then NP 2 year masters?

Both require the same amount of schooling but NP has a larger scope of practice and makes 160k versus 125k as a RPh

I live in Canada so the tuition for pharmD is 80k and BSN—> NP is 40k

Thank you