Introduction to becoming a Pharmacist

Usually four of the six years in Pharmacy school are considered “undergraduate” and the last two years “graduate” school. The curriculum is quite complex. The first two years is like any science major, in that the core classes are biology, chemistry, calculus, physics, and organic chemistry. Students are usually well balanced because they can take electives that hopefully round-out their growth and development as a college student.
At this point many schools introduce students slowly to some fundamental concepts in pharmacy. Some concepts include understanding medical terminology and pharmaceutical dosage forms. Usually the shadowing of a pharmacist in retail, hospital, or industrial setting takes place at this stage to allow students to have insight knowledge of what is required by typical pharmacist on a regular basis. With this experience, students can determine if pharmacy is the right profession for them, because after those first two years of pharmacy, there are many greater challenges ahead.

The pharmacy curriculum intensifies over the next few years as all of the “true” pharmacy classes begin. Students learn how the drugs work chemically (pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry) biologically (pharmacology, pharmacodynamics) and what the body does to the drugs (pharmacokinetics). Most importantly they learn about different disease states and specialties such as cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology and immunology and what the treatments are for common diseases and ailments. This coursework usually takes 3 years, and once completed, students begin the practical experience, rotating through different aspects of pharmacy for about 1 year. After graduating, students can continue to gain experience before settling into a particular area of pharmacy. These additional programs are designed to increase the competency of new graduates. There are residency programs that focus on patient care, and fellowship programs that focus on the business aspects of pharmacy. It can be a long and arduous journey for some of us, but at the end of it all, you will reap the benefits. A new pharmacist has many doors open to them especially with the continued shortage of pharmacists. Careers that a licensed pharmacist can hold are diverse and abundant so I encourage interested individuals to invest in their future and choose pharmacy.

Definitions of Residencies and Fellowships. found at http://www.ashp.org/bestpractices/education/Educ_End_Defs.pdf