Higher pay, expanding options drive pharmacy school boom

Drug Store News, June 9, 2003 by Barbara White-Sax, James Frederick

Overall, McCarthy said retail pharmacy remains a popular career choice for students. "They're looking for opportunities to be creative, and retail pharmacy provides that," he said. Retail pharmacy also provides an opportunity for pharmacists to make a difference in patients' lives.

"Students ... have an epiphany when they realize that they have made a difference in a patient's life, and that's a very positive experience," said McCarthy. "In school, they are learning so much in a relatively short time."

McCarthy said he is encouraged by the way the perception of the profession has evolved in the medical community, and he is pleased with the changes in the relationship between physicians and pharmacists.

"We now have a generation of physicians who are used to having pharmacists around, and they expect pharmacists to be a part of the health care team the same way they expect nurses to be included on that team," he said. "1 remember being a resident and not being allowed to look at a medical record. That would never happen today. Now we have the medical school helping fund a staff pharmacist position because the department sees the value of having a pharmacist on board."

While communication skills are important to the success of any pharmacist, McCarthy also believes the ability to be empathetic is just as critical to a pharmacist's success.

"I had a student present a case over which she became emotional and started to cry," he said. "She became upset because she had been so concerned about this patient, and the patient died. The student later apologized for losing her composure, and I told her never to apologize for caring so much. We care about our patients., and that's what makes us good pharmacists in the end."