You shoulda' been... a Pharmacist/Pharmacy Technician/Pharmacy Rep

We all go through the phase of "what if I majored in something else?"  But, some of us really wonder what our lives would have been like if we had just did something else in the beginning.  Some of us may even be considering a new life.  But, is more schooling really the answer?  For this position more schooling is probably the only way, but, if you are wanting to really reel in a career that could get you the [epic loots] in the real world that you crave, read on.

First, I want to point you to something I read a while back that made the gears in my brain start turning.  It was actually a comment on ThirdTierReality that really started getting me all thinking (and, to be honest, hot and bothered) about pharmacy:

"The male [pharmacy] reps I met were almost always in great shape and had winning personalities. I knew one kid, Hispanic guy, about 23. This son of a gun was dating beautiful women. You know, the type that bring a tear to your eye?

Anyway, one day he lets me use his friend's gym membership. He picks me up in his Mercedes M Class. The thing must have had less than 5000 miles on it. The thing is you knew he could afford it. He was a smart kid. Anyway, I kid you not, I put my wallet in his glove compartment before we head in. Before I know it, I see these crotchless panties. He was such a cool kid. He just looked at me and apologized. And that he had met one of his girlfriends the other night.

He freaking apologized. Didn't blush or tell me how amazingly hot the conquest was. And I sure as heck didn't ask if he had her in the front seat or the back.

At 23, this guy had stuff that I can't afford at 34. He had other things going for him. I remember one blonde chick in particular he was dating. I still remember her, and she only said Hi to me maybe once. I swear I almost blacked out. And this 23 year old kid was banging the poo out of her on a consistent basis. She was so gorgeous, when you saw her your fluffing heart skipped a few beats and the bloodflow to your brain temporarily stopped. We picked the wrong field, folks."

A nice place to live, I am told.

Now that we got that out of our system, pharmacy is a lot more than hot women with crotchless panties and nice cars.  It's a lot more than good money and job stability.  It's a lot more than... well, isn't that enough for most?   I will say that I had a friend (not just "a friend", I actually KNEW this person in real life.  I hung out with him in elementary school, so it's a lot more than "a friend who I sat next to in class for six weeks" type thing) who worked as a pharmacy technician for a while, and he was doing quite well for himself.  Lived in a very expensive west coast city called "Santa Barbara".  Ever hear of it?  It's one of the most expensive cities in the country, also known as the "American Rivera".  It's a nice place I hear.  This friend was also hanging out in France shortly after his stint in Santa Barbara.  Livin' the life in a picturesque French village for over a year.  What a life. (Note to self: purge the jealousy and move on).

Now, keep in mind, to be a bona fide pharmacist, you will need to pretty much become a bona fide doctor.  In fact, the degree is called a doctor of pharmacy, if that gives you a clue.  But, to become a pharmacy technician, well, let's just say you don't have to have the letters M.D. after your name.  Do you get what I'm trying to say?  I'm saying that to become a pharmacy technician you can basically be out and employed in a LOT LESS time.  (Some schools claim as little as six weeks.  I would research this further though.)

What is a pharmacy technician?

Well, according to some school that may or may not be a scam in itself, "pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists provide medication, information, education, and other healthcare products to their patients. The pharmacy technician, also called a pharmacy tech, or pharmacy assistant usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication for patients, such as counting tablets and labeling bottles.  A pharmacy technician is not a pharmacist, but works closely with the pharmacist to assist him/her. Pharmacy technicians use computers, answer telephones, handle money, manage inventory, and perform other clerical duties."  The article forgot to mention crotchless panties, but that's okay.

However, be warned folks!  There are more schools popping up for pharmacy technicians than the medicines that pharmacists sell to pop pimples!  In fact, the field will undoubtedly become saturated in due time.  That's why one must act fast as with most things in life that seem to be too good to be true.  Chances are almost every school in your area has a pharmacy program.  From big schools that the US News touts as its "top greatest schools" to the local community college.  Further, you may notice that pharmacy schools commercials are everywhere, from radio to television.

Also, as with everything that is supposed to glitter like gold, there's a chance that it's hayday has long passed.  In other words, those who are thinking about getting in now could find that they are too late.  That is, sadly, the reality that many of us face.  Is finding the ULTIMATE CAREER more luck than planning?  Perhaps.  Maybe the best advice we can give is "don't go to school for something that is doing insanely well RIGHT NOW."  Of course, there will always be a need for pharmacists and doctors.  There will always be a need for dentists and plumbers.  There will always be a need for truck drivers and pest control workers.  Those are probably safe bets for people who want to get a job (keep in mind, however, these will at times be over-saturated fields).  With that being said, realize nothing is truly easy.  Everything in life, as I am learning, is a huge pain in the rear. 

In the end, the point of this post was merely to point out the route some of us feel that we should have taken.  Many of us fantasize (or will be fantasizing) about driving a Mercedes M Class and dating a woman with crotchless panties.   Many of us see our friends, neighbors and old classmates working these types of jobs.  Perhaps we laughed at them before.  Perhaps we thought they were hella daft.  But, now that the wheels of life are turning.  The cogs of life if you will.  Now that they are turning and burning and the days are churning and the stench of the unemployment line is burning we are starting to think that maybe we should have not laughed at little Todd Reynolds from high school that dreamed of a job as a pharmacy technician.  A job that carried little prestige.  Perhaps we should have taken the Todd Reynolds' of the world a bit more seriously.  Perhaps we wished we would have had our palms read or our auras examined at Madam Z's so that we could have seen the fate that was before us!  We only live once, after all.  And the CLOCK OF LIFE IS TICKING. 

Tick Tock.  Tick Tock.  Tick Tock.

So, children of the modern era, ask yourselves this: Would you rather be like the person you see on the left?  Or  would you rather be ridin' pretty, like the guy in the story, pictured to the right?


 
Remember folks,  Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tickidy Tockidy TICK TOCK TICK TOCK, you only live ONE TIME. 

Do you feel you chose the right career?  Could you have done something better?  Do you often dream of something else?  If you could have done it all over, what would you have done?  Let me know in the comments below.  Perhaps it's not too late, after all.  Some of us are young enough.  Perhaps there is some time left.