So You're a Pharmacist Who's Thinking of Doing Medicine

That's good. That's perfectly natural. In my cohort at university, there are at least four pharmacists from Adelaide (myself included) and one from Auckland, all of whom have worked in the hospital system. There are numerous other pharmacists I've personally known who have made the progression into medical school. Interestingly, unlike (say) Science or Health Science students, for whom their chosen course is often a stepping stone for medicine, many pharmacists seem to go into medicine out of disillusionment with their career and/or a keen sense of its limitations.

And no wonder. Apothecarists and pharmacists once had a clearly defined role; we made the pharmaceutical preparations that the physicians prescribed. Obviously this required a strong knowledge of chemistry. Nowadays, this role is much curtailed, and our profession's role is uncertain even to many pharmacists.

So why should you make the jump into medicine? Here are a few reasons:

1. There a dizzying number of career possibilities open to you as a medical graduate. There seem to be more medical colleges than there are career pathways for pharmacists! Anaesthetics, surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatology, pathology, intensive care, medical administration...am I missing anything? (Dave H says don't forget that medicine and surgery are MASSIVE fields in themselves-oncology, respirology, cardiology, ENT, general, urology etc etc) As a pharmacist, your options really are limited. Overwhelmingly, those options are either community pharmacy or hospital pharmacy.

2. As a pharmacist, your responsibility and autonomy is necessarily limited. You are an expert on pharmacological treatments, but of course that's only one facet of medicine. As a doctor, you can participate in diagnosis, you can perform surgical and non-surgical procedures, and you can be involved in other non-pharmacological forms of treatment. It's not just the number of pathways you can take that make medicine an amazing career, it's the breadth and depth of the work that you can do when you get there. Furthermore, it's not just being able to do all of those things, but learning all of those things is fascinating as well.

3. Let's be frank here, doctors are at the forefront of the healthcare system. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life having to plead with your medical colleagues to listen to your eminently wise and useful suggestions? If your ideas are excellent, why not move into a career where you can put these to good use? (ie; director of medicine at a major hospital or head of research at a major institution) :)

That's not to say that there aren't drawbacks to medicine, or that there aren't positives to pharmacy. Pharmacy is obviously a lot more "lifestyle friendly" than many medical specialties. The fact that pharmacists have less responsibility, or don't get to be involved in performing procedures, may very well be appealing to you, and fair enough!

If you think that medicine might be right for you, sit the GAMSAT (and what sort of Director would I be if I didn't spruik our own course?) As a pharmacist - especially one who has practised alongside doctors and nurses in public hospitals - I really feel like I have a big advantage in the course. I've had discussions with older pharmacists whose dissatisfaction has helped propel me into medicine. Think about it - seriously, what have you got to lose?