Becoming A Pharmacist Tips

Summary:  Becoming a pharmacist later in life is something that a lot of people dismiss out of fear.  I had students in my own pharmacy class that would have easily qualified as my parents.  I’ve known of students in their mid 50’s in pharmacy school.

Dear Curtis: I’m 42 and am thinking about becoming a pharmacist.  But, I’m worried about my age.  By the time I get out – assuming I make it straight through – I’ll be 48 … darn near 49.  Do you think this is even worth it?

My Answer: Of course, I don’t have all the pieces to your life and know what everything is like behind the scenes.  But, like Henry Ford said: “If you think you can, you’re right.  If you think you can’t, you’re right too” … or something like that.

I’ve always been of the opinion that ’self help’ guru’s are a tad overrated.  As such, I’m a little scared to come out and give you a sort of Stuart Smalley “you can do it lecture”.  But, I will say this, no matter when or where you are in your life the possibility of becoming a pharmacist is always there.

Case in Point

When I got into pharmacy school I was young – 20 years old.  But, at that time, I had at least a half dozen folks who would have qualified (based on age) to be my parents.  They had families, mortgages and responsibilities that I had not yet even begun to understand.  But, they made it happen.

I have another pharmacist friend who, when he was in school, had a woman who was in her mid-50’s.  I’d have to clarify the age for sure, but I believe he said 55.

The point is that you can become a pharmacist at almost any age.

How?

It’s no different than any other student.  Work hard.  Get good grades.  Keep your nose clean.  A lot of the really boring things that I talk about a lot on this site but that can produce big dividends.  The biggest thing is to not let naysayers tell you that you can’t simply because you might be a bit closer to retirement age than most.

Is there an age cutoff?  I wouldn’t say there is a real strong age that I would say “don’t do it”.  But, if you are pushing 60 you really have to begin to question your motives and the payoff.  For example, can you pay for school or will you be taking out more loans?  What is your family situation like?  Kids in the house still?  If so, do you have the money to support them and your spouse (if need be) for at least 4 more years of pharmacy school?  Finally, when you get out of school are you going to be working to pay back loans?  Also, many pharmacist end up working in a retail setting once they graduate (WalMart, Osco, etc.) and this is an extremely physcially and mentally challenging environment.  You may chuckle at that statement.  Then go stand in one place for 12 hours a day answering the phone and eating on the run and then we’ll talk.

In hindsight, being older and going to pharmacy school actually gives you some advantages.

First of all, you might actually have the money to do it.  Also, if it were me I’d think about buying a house and renting it out to pharmacy students.  You know it will be relatively quiet as they’ll actually be studying and they may be even able to help you study.

Secondly, you’re (probably) more mature.  You’ll be able to understand and deal better with the bumps in the road that pharmacy school will inevitably throw in your way because you’ve been through enough of them to know that it’s not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

And, believe it or not, some older students worry about age discrimination once they get out into the job market.  Personally, I haven’t seen it.  Older pharmacists have jobs all over the place.  If they can’t find work, it’s because of their own design in my experience.