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Originally Posted by swami81
Hello Kiyakiya... I would say that it is almost impossible to find a chain pharmacy which will sponsor a H1 for part-time internship(by the way when you are on H1, I think you are supposed to work full time). It is also very uncommon that a chain Pharmacy would accept someone as a volunteer intern, but a non-profit organization like a hospital might agree for that. Try that option as Trav had suggested earlier.
The question raised by Pharmacist771 is a very relevant one in today's scenario. However, one has to understand the ground realities faced by international Ph.D students in US. To get into a Pharmaceutical research industry in US as a Research Associate is very hard in the sense that there are very few job openings. Eventually, most of them get into academics as Post-docs where your earnings is not even half of what you will earn as a Pharmacist. To become a faculty in a University, it takes several years of post-doctoral experience/scientific publications/successful grant approvals etc. Since it is a long and strenuous path, some Ph.D students with Pharmacy background prefer to opt out of the program and become a pharmacist instead. However, I have heard success stories about foreign nationals becoming faculties much faster in the field of Pharmacology when compared to other fields in life sciences. Also, the other big plus point with your Ph.D is that your degree will get you a researcher/faculty job in many other parts of the world.
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The question raised by Pharmacist771 is a very relevant one in today's scenario. However, one has to understand the ground realities faced by international Ph.D students in US. To get into a Pharmaceutical research industry in US as a Research Associate is very hard in the sense that there are very few job openings. Eventually, most of them get into academics as Post-docs where your earnings is not even half of what you will earn as a Pharmacist. To become a faculty in a University, it takes several years of post-doctoral experience/scientific publications/successful grant approvals etc. Since it is a long and strenuous path, some Ph.D students with Pharmacy background prefer to opt out of the program and become a pharmacist instead. However, I have heard success stories about foreign nationals becoming faculties much faster in the field of Pharmacology when compared to other fields in life sciences. Also, the other big plus point with your Ph.D is that your degree will get you a researcher/faculty job in many other parts of the world.[/quote]
Thank you very much swami81, you have been a great help. You truly understand the situation that I am in. I read Pharmacist771's comments and I realized that he/she does not understand that Pharmacology industry and that a lot of assumptions were being made, but I understand, you cannot not know everything.
Like you said, it is difficult to get a job in the Pharmacology industry once you have completed you PhD because there are few openings and there is a lot of competition from post-docs. Frankly I do not want to do a post-doc once I am through, and also as a foreigner, you want to keep your options open because there are nor guarantees or time for luxury when you are not home. One can do their internship full-time at a hospital by working two 12-hour shifts over the weekend, which is considered full time at most institutions. I have contacted a local hospital and they are considering my application. Once I have finished my internship, I intend to continue working as a Pharmacist, same hours, whilst completing my PhD, so that by the time I finish my PhD, I will have a lot of options. You know swami81, having worked in industry an retail Pharmacy, the job can become monotonous, thats where the PhD will come in handy; I can work as a part-time lecturer, but thats in the long run. The bottom line is, doing my internship and PhD will make me more versatile, less restricted and definitely put my mind at ease. You do not necessarily have to choose one over the other, as Pharmacist771 suggested, these areas complement each other.
Thanks again swami81, if you have any more advise, please fell free to share. RESPECT
