I'm currently studying Medical biochemistry and my Dad wants me to go for a professional course in pursuit of my second degree.I've been advised by many to study pharmacy owing to the fact it's relatively more lucrative compared to medicine.I like both equally but I'm really confused about the one to study right now.


I would like the erudite and learned fellows in this section to clear the air comprehensively for my sake in relation to what both entails.....

Pharmacists in Nigeria are just glorified sales reps. If all the factors are the same for both courses then I'll suggest you go for Medicine. The options are unlimited.

I would prefer u go for pharmacy...

Medicine can only make u an average citizen (financially)

But as a successful pharmacist, u ll smell cool money...

Pharmacy is several folds better than medicine...

It's a glorified name

thesicilian:
Pharmacists in Nigeria are just glorified sales reps. If all the factors are the same for both courses then I'll suggest you go for Medicine. The options are unlimited.

What do you mean by glorified sales rep?

croSStodds:
What do you mean by glorified sales rep?

advanced sales rep

croSStodds:
What do you mean by glorified sales rep?

99.95% of them end up selling drugs for the pharmaceutical companies, either as sales Representatives or in their own shops ( for those who have enough money to set up a pharmacy store).

thesicilian:


99.95% of them end up selling drugs for the pharmaceutical companies, either as sales Representatives or in their own shops ( for those who have enough money to set up a pharmacy store).

SeriouslyBut someone told me they can choose to work in any field e.g hospital or Governmental organization like NAFDAC and NDLEA,I also learnt they make a lot of money from their own community pharmacy like a daily earn of nothing less than 4 to 5hundred thousand grand.
So there's nothing like production and manufacturing of drugs?Anyway,thanks for your info.
what about medicine?Can u painstakingly enlighten me?pls

croSStodds:
SeriouslyBut someone told me they can choose to work in any field e.g hospital or Governmental organization like NAFDAC and NDLEA,I also learnt they make a lot of money from their own community pharmacy like a daily earn of nothing less than 4 to 5hundred thousand grand.
So there's nothing like production and manufacturing of drugs?Anyway,thanks for your info.
what about medicine?Can u painstakingly enlighten me?pls

And how many pharmacists do you think NAFDAC & NDLEA employe yearly? Its like engineering graduates and Shell or Chevron.

Medicine is more lucrative on the average, you can choose to specialize in any field of interest like surgery, internal medicine, radiology, anaesthesiology etc. While doctors generally barely have time for themselves, there are some specialties like radiology, pathology etc that are a bit more flexible.

thesicilian:


And how many pharmacists do you think NAFDAC & NDLEA employe yearly? Its like engineering graduates and Shell or Chevron.

Medicine is more lucrative on the average, you can choose to specialize in any field of interest like surgery, internal medicine, radiology, anaesthesiology etc. While doctors generally barely have time for themselves, there are some specialties like radiology, pathology etc that are a bit more flexible.

why are u misleading the poor lad.dont riducle the profession just because you want to prove a point.pharmacy is very lucrative than medicine I have worked in a community pharmacy and we sell up to 800k daily tell me how many hospitals earn that dialy.u go to hospital they diagnose you and u still end u getting drugs to cure ur ailment.think well brother and tow the path to greatness.if u choose to study in Nigeria pharmacy is a better option but overseas medicine my brother.be wise

OP pls bear in mind that 70% of those who study pharmacy only do so as a second option, with the initial goal being medicine. Again I speak as someone with experience in both fields.
Don't make your decision solely on advice from Nairaland. Take your time to visit some pharmacists and doctors one on one, ask them questions. That's the best way to know what you're getting into before its too late. Take care bro.

Breezy90:
why are u misleading the poor lad.dont riducle the profession just because you want to prove a point.pharmacy is very lucrative than medicine I have worked in a community pharmacy and we sell up to 800k daily tell me how many hospitals earn that dialy.u go to hospital they diagnose you and u still end u getting drugs to cure ur ailment.think well brother and tow the path to greatness.if u choose to study in Nigeria pharmacy is a better option but overseas medicine my brother.be wise

All private hospitals have pharmacies, so, what's your point? Do you know how much doctors make in their private hospitals? Do you know CS takes only 30 mins but a doctor gets btw 100-150 for that ?

if you are looking for money, just do money rituals.

thesicilian:
OP pls bear in mind that 70% of those who study pharmacy only do so as a second option, with the initial goal being medicine. Again I speak as someone with experience in both fields.
Don't make your decision solely on advice from Nairaland. Take your time to visit some pharmacists and doctors one on one, ask them questions. That's the best way to know what you're getting into before its too late. Take care bro.

don't say 70%!....there are lot of people who want pharmacy and go for it,not everybody loves medicine

Pharmacist against Doctors.....All is well




.

Very dull post. Why will someone compare the United States and China just because China is an emerging market? Pharmacy is 5years, medicine is 6yrs. Bpharm is a single hon, mbbs is a double hon. Most trained pharmacists would rather work in the hospital and there the doctor is the head of the team. Pharmacy run on semester basis like your medical biochemistry, medicine run on clinical posting. This means that one runs a 6month per session programme, the other runs a whole year postings with very rare intermittent breaks, eg public holidays and few days to Christmas. If you eventually chose pharmacy, you will find pharmacology most enticing, but the doctor would be taught everything you learn in pharmacology. Tho you will never be bored as a student pharmacist, and you will have more time to yourself, ie if you are exceptional in chemistry of course. Some people argue that pharmacy is more difficult, but medicine is bulkier. You could get bored as a student doctor not because medicine is hard but because there's too much to learn and KNOW in a very short time. However both are noble professions and you will be disappointingly frustrated if you choose them to get rich. Thanks.

Efriday1:
Very dull post. Why will someone compare the United States and China just because China is an emerging market? Pharmacy is 5years, medicine is 6yrs. Bpharm is a single hon, mbbs is a double hon. Most trained pharmacists would rather work in the hospital and there the doctor is the head of the team. Pharmacy run on semester basis like your medical biochemistry, medicine run on clinical posting. This means that one runs a 6month per session programme, the other runs a whole year postings with very rare intermittent breaks, eg public holidays and few days to Christmas. If you eventually chose pharmacy, you will find pharmacology most enticing, but the doctor would be taught everything you learn in pharmacology. Tho you will never be bored as a student pharmacist, and you will have more time to yourself, ie if you are exceptional in chemistry of course. Some people argue that pharmacy is more difficult, but medicine is bulkier. You could get bored as a student doctor not because medicine is hard but because there's too much to learn and KNOW in a very short time. However both are noble professions and you will be disappointingly frustrated if you choose them to get rich. Thanks.

OK sir.But what's with the double honor?That part makes no iota of sense to me anyway.it's just like saying Sociology and anthropology is a double degree.A first degree is a first degree.That's quite ironical if you take a look at it.
Also,I'll take you calling my post a dull one a direct attack on my personality.You can disseminate your ideas without venting any modicum of aggression.
If the doctor does know everything the pharmacist know about pharmacology,why does the pharmacy have the right to cancel out any ambiguous prescription?Well,I don't wish to work in a hospital as a pharmacist.I would better work in big retail chains or industries,reason being our health sector is in shambolic slough of despondency.It's always Johesu vs nma,no harmony @ all.

Anyway,thank you very much for taking your time explicating these sir.May God reward you with infinite gratification.

croSStodds:
OK sir.But what's with the double honor?That part makes no iota of sense to me anyway.it's just like saying Sociology and anthropology is a double degree.A first degree is a first degree.That's quite ironical if you take a look at it.
Also,I'll take you calling my post a dull one a direct attack on my personality.You can disseminate your ideas without venting any modicum of aggression.
If the doctor does know everything the pharmacist know about pharmacology,why does the pharmacy have the right to cancel out any ambiguous prescription?Well,I don't wish to work in a hospital as a pharmacist.I would better work in big retail chains or industries,reason being our health sector is in shambolic slough of despondency.It's always Johesu vs nma,no harmony @ all.

Anyway,thank you very much for taking your time explicating these sir.May God reward you with infinite gratification.

Sorry no offence intended. Just that I expected you to reason somethings out , fortunately you are more informed than I thought and obviously polarised. Apparently medical bch has a lot more career opportunities in common with pharmacy than medicine and you just indicated that your mind is already made up. But I'll advice you to go for what you want not look for justification to hold on to what you can get. With due respect Bro, I would like to say that you are not perfectly correct when you say first degree is first degree because the time input in obtaining university certificate for different first degree programmes is not exactly the same and as such a degree from a full 6 year course is not necessarily equivalent to a 6month/session 4/5 year programme. Also in as much as I do not dispute the fact that a pharmacist know more about a drug than a doctor(for the concept of a drug entails more than just pharmacology), and as such can query a prescription from a doctor, I beg to disagree with your statement about a pharmacist having the right to cancel a prescription. Such can only happen in a place where clients are ill informed. I'm neither a doctor nor a pharmacist. I'm a teacher with the passion to educate. Thank u.

Efriday1:

Sorry no offence intended. Just that I expected you to reason somethings out , fortunately you are more informed than I thought and obviously polarised. Apparently medical bch has a lot more career opportunities in common with pharmacy than medicine and you just indicated that your mind is already made up. But I'll advice you to go for what you want not look for justification to hold on to what you can get. With due respect Bro, I would like to say that you are not perfectly correct when you say first degree is first degree because the time input in obtaining university certificate for different first degree programmes is not exactly the same and as such a degree from a full 6 year course is not necessarily equivalent to a 6month/session 4/5 year programme. Also in as much as I do not dispute the fact that a pharmacist know more about a drug than a doctor(for the concept of a drug entails more than just pharmacology), and as such can query a prescription from a doctor, I beg to disagree with your statement about a pharmacist having the right to cancel a prescription. Such can only happen in a place where clients are ill informed. I'm neither a doctor nor a pharmacist. I'm a teacher with the passion to educate. Thank u.

Thank you sir!!!!I'll ponder on it.God bless you.

Bhuumhite:
don't say 70%!....there are lot of people who want pharmacy and go for it,not everybody loves medicine

Don't have the actual statistics sha, but more than half of those I know. And I know a lot of them.

Since you already have a first degree in biochemistry I would advice u go for pharmacy.....medicine in Nigeria is too unpredictable with the current barrage of strikes here and there ur duration of study is Not certain as they don't follow the university calendar...unlike pharmacy u would finish in record time...the suffering in medicine is too much with its mediocre salary which many in society think its big.

thesicilian:
OP pls bear in mind that 70% of those who study pharmacy only do so as a second option, with the initial goal being medicine. Again I speak as someone with experience in both fields.
Don't make your decision solely on advice from Nairaland. Take your time to visit some pharmacists and doctors one on one, ask them questions. That's the best way to know what you're getting into before its too late. Take care bro.

70%.....u don't know what you are saying.....Stop saying it!!!!!

Pls can I apply for pharmacy through. D.e with a b.tech biochemistry degree but second class lower with a cgpa above 3.0?....if yes pls which university will u suggest?

Lie , u can say 20% not 70% im a pharmacy student . Majority of them have great passion for pharmacy

thesicilian:
OP pls bear in mind that 70% of those who study pharmacy only do so as a second option, with the initial goal being medicine. Again I speak as someone with experience in both fields.
Don't make your decision solely on advice from Nairaland. Take your time to visit some pharmacists and doctors one on one, ask them questions. That's the best way to know what you're getting into before its too late. Take care bro.

Irenemmeso:
Lie , u can say 20% not 70% im a pharmacy student . Majority of them have great passion for pharmacy

passion ko, soulmate ni.
If you are sincere, you'll admit why you truly found yourself in pharmacy.
Its actually less than 40% that went for it as a first choice.

thesicilian:
passion ko, soulmate ni. If you are sincere, you'll admit why you truly found yourself in pharmacy. Its actually less than 40% that went for it as a first choice.

YOU DEFINITELY HAVE PROBLEM!!!!!

Go for your heart

thesicilian:

passion ko, soulmate ni.
If you are sincere, you'll admit why you truly found yourself in pharmacy.
Its actually less than 40% that went for it as a first choice.

im sincere i love pharmacy ! Since my day one, i never liked medicine biko,and many of my coursemates too.

Irenemmeso:
im sincere i love pharmacy ! Since my day one, i never liked medicine biko,and many of my coursemates too.

That's nice to hear. How far have you gone?

thesicilian:
That's nice to hear. How far have you gone?

100level

Why not do some personal research on both courses , I mean the pros and cons of both courses, find the one which suits you and go ahead , the course one studies at times doesn't guarantee wealth , wealth is God's blessings and your own hard work.

Bhuumhite:
don't say 70%!....there are lot of people who want pharmacy and go for it,not everybody loves medicine

Like me

croSStodds:
I'm currently studying Medical biochemistry and my Dad wants me to go for a professional course in pursuit of my second degree.I've been advised by many to study pharmacy owing to the fact it's relatively more lucrative compared to medicine.I like both equally but I'm really confused about the one to study right now.


I would like the erudite and learned fellows in this section to clear the air comprehensively for my sake in relation to what both entails.....

Pharmacy is a Noble and Versatile profession, you are not restricted to work in hospitals alone...Most big pharmaceutical industries like Emzor,swipha,Dr mayers,Neimeth,GSK,M&B and the likes are owned by pharmacists....Anyway,it depends on your passion for any of the courses...But me as a person has always preferred Pharmacy over any medical course right from start.

Good luck!!