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ninah · 03-10-2008, 02:38 AM

I would like to present all of you with a question?
Like most of you,it has taken me few years to obtain my intern license(NABP took 2 years to approve me...etc)
And even with having passed FPGEE and Toefl the first time and also having a greencard. Now, I am knocking on doors for an intern job but no reply!

So now I am asking myself *WAS IT WORTH IT?*

Your responces will be appreciated.

knok · 03-10-2008, 05:09 AM

Calm down!

Many people are in worse situation than you are.

After a long fight with NABP and ETS, then they are put in the lottery system of INS. The weak dollar may make you ask yourself this question. Yes, everyone thinks about it long time ago.

Give yourself a break. Once you start working, you won't have time to stop. You may have to work 7 a.m.-7 p.m., 10 days straight with no break. Then, if your co-workers are sick, your company will bug you to continue working until 12 a.m.

You will not feel better than a robot who can speak and run in the system.

Good luck on your job search. Good and bad, hard to say.

My friend waited to get an Intern position for 2 years. Now, she is working in a hospital, counting days and hours seriously until 1,000 hours. Every time she called me, I felt like she wa sleeping. She said,
" I am very, very, very sleepy." I have worked since 6 a.m. and will get off at 11 p.m. today. I got up since 4 a.m. every morning because I had to prepare breakfast and lunch for my family."

"Okay, you drive home safely tonight!" I replied.

"There are a foot of snow outside of the hospital right now. What am I going to do?"

"Oh! Can you sleep at the hospital?" "No, I want clean clothes for tomorrow."

That's what we are doing right now.

Good luck.

Knok

ninah · 03-12-2008, 06:59 PM

Dear Knok,

What you said is true,and is exactly the point which I am trying to make here. It is not worth it.
If you have a good job at home, it is not worth it to move to US just to get paid more....since by the time you get your license, you have already lost 3-4 years salary.

My job back in London was 9-6, very well paid but now here I have to work for $27/hour in a crazy pharmacy with various shifts ranging from 6am-11pm.

I wish I knew all of these before I moved here.

knok · 03-13-2008, 01:46 AM

Same things here.

If it is not about family obligation, I can't see any good reasons to be here. I owned a pharmacy at home and worked in management for Pharmaceutical companies.

Enjoy our journeys so that, in the future, we have stories to tell our grandchildren.

About my friend in the story, I had a chance to talk to her yesterday. She said, "Luckily, my car has skid control, I arrived home safely." So, I told her, "Next time, shift to 2 or 1 or use O/D off. (Transmission shift)" I totaled my car once in snow and got hurt for 2 months. Gee...

Even more to say, "If you cannot provide medication in timely fashion, some patients or store managers come to yell at you as if you were a prisoner from Mar."

Good luck.

Knok

Aussiepharmer · 03-13-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninah

Dear Knok,

What you said is true,and is exactly the point which I am trying to make here. It is not worth it.
If you have a good job at home, it is not worth it to move to US just to get paid more....since by the time you get your license, you have already lost 3-4 years salary.

My job back in London was 9-6, very well paid but now here I have to work for $27/hour in a crazy pharmacy with various shifts ranging from 6am-11pm.

I wish I knew all of these before I moved here.

Hi, is it the case that the pharmacy work environment is actually a lot harsher in the US?

So is working as an American pharmacist(not like your internship but AFTER licensure) in general more stressful, more work to do, and more shifts than in UK?
I would like to know the differences regarding this between the US and UK. Thanks.

Babak · 03-13-2008, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninah

...but now here I have to work for $27/hour in a crazy pharmacy with various shifts ranging from 6am-11pm.
.

I have a friend in Orange County who has started with $40/h, two weeks ago with Walgreen.
Maybe you need to search more...

kgba9231 · 03-14-2008, 04:09 AM

Yes, practice in the UK and the US as a pharmacist is different. In the UK for instance we only have NHS (national health service) prescriptions or private prescriptions. The NHS prescriptions all carry a standard charge of 6.85 per item (with age and other exemptions) and most anything can be written on an NHS prescription. Private prescriptions are charged the medicine's retail price + VAT + the pharmacy's profit %. The major headache in the US is that the majority of prescriptions are payed through insurance and there are many, many plans leading to a lot of complications that are time consuming and highly frustrating at times!

Also in the UK we are just introducing 24-hr pharmacies. So the working hours are limited to daytime and late evenings at present.

Above all, the US is highly advanced technologically. Here for instance rxs are available by phone, fax, e-mail and other electronic transmissions, hence the pharmacy environment is highly hectic. In the UK we cannot accept rxs by phone and only limited faxes are allowed. E-rxs are still in their infancy, so hardcopies are all we go by in real practice mostly at present. In the UK, the techs are also better trained and numberated so our work as pharmacists is much, much less taxing than over here.

Financially, the pay is equivalent to that in the US, especially with the sterling pound riding so high right now. In retail you can expect to earn 35-40K+ for full-time hours (37.5hrs is an average week compared to the 40hr weeks here in the US) whereas in the US, we earn a basic of 100K+. However, cost of living is much cheaper here (excluding CA & NY) so, your earnings go a long way here, and commuting is not so costly either (compared to the high prices we pay in travel by public transport to and from work in London, not to mention the time it takes to make the commute!).

All in all, I find it's a trade off working in both places. London is a great place to live and work when one is young and single with not many expenses but the US is better once you start a family, especially with such flexible hours being available in our field. There are challenges in every job and anywhere in the world too I feel, and it's up to us to make the best of the situation and move on. Also we are lucky we are in such a great field where unemployment is unheard of (ok, there are teething problems for us international pharmacists, but it's the same whichever country we go to ha? - perhaps in the US the process is a little too long and drawn out, but isn't it a good thing that it is so regulated that we continue to carry on providing such an important service to the community? where we are widely acknowledged as highly educated and informed professionals?).

Ninah, as a practicing pharmacist in the UK and an intern in the US, I think you are perhaps focusing a little more here on your unfortunate and negative experiences. Try instead on embracing the differences and challenges that are a part of our journeys to make it as pharmacists here and you'll find that it gets a little easier with time too.

As for 40/hr in OC, yeah, I have friends who are making that at Walgreens in CA too, but the cost of living there is much, much higher than in other parts of the US, especially the taxes. So if someone is making 25/hr say in Ohio (like me), then after taxes and living expenses, it works out on average to be the same rate. So, I wouldn't really fret about the pay too much, as professionals we earn above average wages anyhow and no reputed company is going to undercut you especially with the shortages we are facing in our field.

In summary, I think our focus should be to get thru these obstacles of visa, accommodation, getting employment and passing the boards, rather than comparing ourselves to everyone else. Remember the grass is always greener on the other side, until you cross over and experience life on the other side...

Good luck all, and these are simply my thoughts....

Shani

Ipasstoeflibt · 03-14-2008, 01:05 PM

Kgba9231,

Thank you for those words.

we need to persevere a little longer. Eventually it will be worth the effort.

gnani · 03-14-2008, 08:04 PM

Hi kgba9231

Awesome,excellant thoughts..I finished FPGEE in Dec 07 and preparing for TOEFL and your words are really making me stay peaceful.

Thanks
Gnani

jodha · 03-15-2008, 01:01 PM

Shani,

Thank you very much for clarity. This is one of the best post I come across recently in this forum.
-

03-10-2008, 02:38 AM	#1 (permalink)
ninah Within my grasp! Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 189	Was it worth it? I would like to present all of you with a question? Like most of you,it has taken me few years to obtain my intern license(NABP took 2 years to approve me...etc) And even with having passed FPGEE and Toefl the first time and also having a greencard. Now, I am knocking on doors for an intern job but no reply! So now I am asking myself WAS IT WORTH IT? Your responces will be appreciated. Last edited by knok : 03-10-2008 at 04:52 AM.

03-10-2008, 05:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
knok TestMagic Guru Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,045	Calm down! Many people are in worse situation than you are. After a long fight with NABP and ETS, then they are put in the lottery system of INS. The weak dollar may make you ask yourself this question. Yes, everyone thinks about it long time ago. Give yourself a break. Once you start working, you won't have time to stop. You may have to work 7 a.m.-7 p.m., 10 days straight with no break. Then, if your co-workers are sick, your company will bug you to continue working until 12 a.m. You will not feel better than a robot who can speak and run in the system. Good luck on your job search. Good and bad, hard to say. My friend waited to get an Intern position for 2 years. Now, she is working in a hospital, counting days and hours seriously until 1,000 hours. Every time she called me, I felt like she wa sleeping. She said, " I am very, very, very sleepy." I have worked since 6 a.m. and will get off at 11 p.m. today. I got up since 4 a.m. every morning because I had to prepare breakfast and lunch for my family." "Okay, you drive home safely tonight!" I replied. "There are a foot of snow outside of the hospital right now. What am I going to do?" "Oh! Can you sleep at the hospital?" "No, I want clean clothes for tomorrow." That's what we are doing right now. Good luck. Knok _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ "Every reason that tells you that things will never change disappears." "I did what I had to do because it is the right thing to do."

03-12-2008, 06:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
ninah Within my grasp! Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 189	Dear Knok, What you said is true,and is exactly the point which I am trying to make here. It is not worth it. If you have a good job at home, it is not worth it to move to US just to get paid more....since by the time you get your license, you have already lost 3-4 years salary. My job back in London was 9-6, very well paid but now here I have to work for $27/hour in a crazy pharmacy with various shifts ranging from 6am-11pm. I wish I knew all of these before I moved here. Last edited by knok : 03-13-2008 at 01:37 AM. Reason: Indent between paragraphs

03-13-2008, 01:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
knok TestMagic Guru Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: USA Posts: 3,045	Same things here. If it is not about family obligation, I can't see any good reasons to be here. I owned a pharmacy at home and worked in management for Pharmaceutical companies. Enjoy our journeys so that, in the future, we have stories to tell our grandchildren. About my friend in the story, I had a chance to talk to her yesterday. She said, "Luckily, my car has skid control, I arrived home safely." So, I told her, "Next time, shift to 2 or 1 or use O/D off. (Transmission shift)" I totaled my car once in snow and got hurt for 2 months. Gee... Even more to say, "If you cannot provide medication in timely fashion, some patients or store managers come to yell at you as if you were a prisoner from Mar." Good luck. Knok _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ "Every reason that tells you that things will never change disappears." "I did what I had to do because it is the right thing to do."

03-14-2008, 01:05 PM	#8 (permalink)
Ipasstoeflibt Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 18	Kgba9231, Thank you for those words. we need to persevere a little longer. Eventually it will be worth the effort. Last edited by knok : 03-14-2008 at 06:24 PM.

03-14-2008, 04:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
kgba9231 Eager! Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 30	Yes, practice in the UK and the US as a pharmacist is different. In the UK for instance we only have NHS (national health service) prescriptions or private prescriptions. The NHS prescriptions all carry a standard charge of 6.85 per item (with age and other exemptions) and most anything can be written on an NHS prescription. Private prescriptions are charged the medicine's retail price + VAT + the pharmacy's profit %. The major headache in the US is that the majority of prescriptions are payed through insurance and there are many, many plans leading to a lot of complications that are time consuming and highly frustrating at times! Also in the UK we are just introducing 24-hr pharmacies. So the working hours are limited to daytime and late evenings at present. Above all, the US is highly advanced technologically. Here for instance rxs are available by phone, fax, e-mail and other electronic transmissions, hence the pharmacy environment is highly hectic. In the UK we cannot accept rxs by phone and only limited faxes are allowed. E-rxs are still in their infancy, so hardcopies are all we go by in real practice mostly at present. In the UK, the techs are also better trained and numberated so our work as pharmacists is much, much less taxing than over here. Financially, the pay is equivalent to that in the US, especially with the sterling pound riding so high right now. In retail you can expect to earn 35-40K+ for full-time hours (37.5hrs is an average week compared to the 40hr weeks here in the US) whereas in the US, we earn a basic of 100K+. However, cost of living is much cheaper here (excluding CA & NY) so, your earnings go a long way here, and commuting is not so costly either (compared to the high prices we pay in travel by public transport to and from work in London, not to mention the time it takes to make the commute!). All in all, I find it's a trade off working in both places. London is a great place to live and work when one is young and single with not many expenses but the US is better once you start a family, especially with such flexible hours being available in our field. There are challenges in every job and anywhere in the world too I feel, and it's up to us to make the best of the situation and move on. Also we are lucky we are in such a great field where unemployment is unheard of (ok, there are teething problems for us international pharmacists, but it's the same whichever country we go to ha? - perhaps in the US the process is a little too long and drawn out, but isn't it a good thing that it is so regulated that we continue to carry on providing such an important service to the community? where we are widely acknowledged as highly educated and informed professionals?). Ninah, as a practicing pharmacist in the UK and an intern in the US, I think you are perhaps focusing a little more here on your unfortunate and negative experiences. Try instead on embracing the differences and challenges that are a part of our journeys to make it as pharmacists here and you'll find that it gets a little easier with time too. As for 40/hr in OC, yeah, I have friends who are making that at Walgreens in CA too, but the cost of living there is much, much higher than in other parts of the US, especially the taxes. So if someone is making 25/hr say in Ohio (like me), then after taxes and living expenses, it works out on average to be the same rate. So, I wouldn't really fret about the pay too much, as professionals we earn above average wages anyhow and no reputed company is going to undercut you especially with the shortages we are facing in our field. In summary, I think our focus should be to get thru these obstacles of visa, accommodation, getting employment and passing the boards, rather than comparing ourselves to everyone else. Remember the grass is always greener on the other side, until you cross over and experience life on the other side... Good luck all, and these are simply my thoughts.... Shani

03-14-2008, 08:04 PM	#9 (permalink)
gnani Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 10	Hi kgba9231 Awesome,excellant thoughts..I finished FPGEE in Dec 07 and preparing for TOEFL and your words are really making me stay peaceful. Thanks Gnani

03-15-2008, 01:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
jodha Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4	Shani, Thank you very much for clarity. This is one of the best post I come across recently in this forum. - Last edited by knok : 03-24-2008 at 02:36 AM.

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