rdy2strt

Glad to see others here in the same boat. Pharmacy and Nursing both have their pros and cons. Sure pharmacists make more than RN's, but Pharm D is an advanced degree. You can get an advanced degree in the nursing field and make around the same range if your concerned about the salary gap. Though it shouldn't be your main reason for choosing one career over another. I read not to long ago that quality of life doesn't really increase once your at the 70,000 or above. Don't quote me exactly on that but that was the gist I got from reading the article, who knows how they came up with the info. It's all about what you want to do and what you think will give you a better career depending on your determining factors. I'm choosing the nursing route over pharmacy. I think I'll be happier and enjoy it more in the long run. Though pharmacy is great for those who can't deal with the aspects of nursing. Pharmacy, Medical, Nursing school etc, is all difficult they may not all be on the same level of difficulty but it all depends how much effort you're willing to put in and how bad you want it.

:yeah:Totally Agree!

Though the post is outdated anyone who comes across this. Look at either 2 or 4 year nursing programs at schools you may want to attend in or out of your area. Get your pre req's done making sure you meet the programs requirements and apply to the nursing program. If you do a 2 year program for ADN you can always go back or continue along for ADN to BSN. It may seem like a while to become a RN, but I think the time and effort will be worth it. I think it will provide a more rewarding and much better career then a pharmacy tech for a majority of people that consider it. If pharmacy is your thing stick with it and make every effort to become a pharmacist.

Maybe she's see something in pharmacy I don't. A pharmacy technician is pretty much a dead end job unless you want to become a pharmacist. I think good technicians and pharmacists get absolutely no respect what so ever at the retail level, in the hospitals they are treated as more of a profession. Techs make more in hospitals, and Pharmacists make more in retail. A majority of the time in retail is dealing with insurance issues and explaining to someone why their medication isn't covered by their insurance which you have nothing to do with. Your job is to assist the pharmacist whether they are good or bad. Which means you can work with a moron of a pharmacist who does absolutely nothing all day while you do 95% of their job for them and it's all about what can the company do to make the pharmacist's life easier with disregard to the other people. A majority of people don't think you're trying to help them in the pharmacy and only care why they can't get there prescription in 5 mins, never mind their safety, or the law and regulations in place, etc. I agree that nursing has many fields and if you can't handle or don't like one area of it there are plenty other areas to go and options to go into. I doubt nurses get much respect even though I think the job can be more stressful, but it can be a lot more rewarding(pharmacy can be stressful as well but probably not close to the same level). I think in retail pharmacy techs are glorified cashiers/secretaries and a joke(not taking anything away from those jobs but that's not why I became a pharmacy technician), the other options as a tech are mail order, long term care, hospital, compounding, and nuclear pharmacies to work in as a technician, but those jobs are more rare and when they do come along you need a bit of experience to get them. I think experienced pharm techs are extremely underpaid for what they do, but starting pay is far for how much they know or can do. In the end its whatever you want to do but in my opinion nursing is a much better career choice if made for the right reasons. Didn't mean to rant this much. Cheers!

Just an update for anyone applying or looking to apply in the future. Received my acceptance letter last week for the fall. I'm in district and it was my 2nd time applying to the program. Both times all my pre-reqs and other requirements were complete when I applied.

Congrats to you and good luck!!!

When I spoke with Waubonsee they said the wait list is only for the semesters fall (aug/oct) and spring (jan/march) but they said it doesn't carry from oct to jan or from march to aug but that if someone has applied before and not gotten in yet that they take that into consideration when deciding on whom to admit.

Thanks, good luck for the spring. I know the waitlist is only for each term and doesn't rollover. They do however take into consideration when it is ones 2nd or 3rd time applying as one of the deciding factors.

I'd check out the Review Guide for RN Pre-Entrance Exam by NLN(national league for nursing). The PAX-RN test for verbal(vocabulary and reading comprehension), math, and science. Math is basic stuff with no calculators and has a lot of fractions, multiplication, and division. You must do everything by hand though, I found it easy but others may not. Science has general biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science. I don't think it had very much A & P at all which I found odd. Its mostly basic concepts. Get the review guide and look at it. Do the practice tests and then see what you got right and wrong. It also gives an explanation of the proper answer. Verbal was my worst section. Get the review guide, do the practice exams and study what you get wrong or don't know and you will do fine.

Congrats!!! Are you going to get a bachelors or just stick with the associates?

Thanks for the reply. How are the classes going so far for you? I think I'll just wait for the letter and see what Waubonsee says before I start thinking too much one way or another. Hopefully it comes end of this month or early next month.

That's true. Guess I'll have to wait and find out what happens. I wish there wasn't such a long wait to find out lol. Would just like to know one way or another. I have all my pre reqs completed and did well on the PAX-RN so guess its just a matter of how many other people that applied have everything complete already. If I don't get in for the spring I'll probably apply for the fall but also might transfer to a university in spring to get a bachelors in science. If I do nursing I'll probably stick with Waubonsee and wait to get in as it would be the cheapest way to go and I wouldn't have student loans or debt that way and then can always finish up with a 1 yr RN to BSN after getting an ASN. Is the wait list only for each term since you have to apply to spring and fall separately or do those people who didn't get in this fall on the wait list carry over and get in for spring? Where else did you apply to, COD?

Thanks for the reply. I finished my pre reqs in summer so everything is done. This is my first time applying. I should be able to start in the spring just not sure if it will be jan or march or how long their wait list is.

For anyone who has applied to the Waubonsee nursing program how long did it take after the application deadline(was sept 15th for spring) for you to find out if you got in or got put on a wait list? I applied for spring 2011 but all I have gotten was a letter asking me to provide 3 forms verifying my proof of residency by Oct 22nd. I'm curious because class registration starts Nov 1st.

For anyone who has applied to the Waubonsee nursing program how long did it take after the application deadline(was sept 15th for spring) for you to find out if you got in or got put on a wait list? I applied for spring 2011 but all I have gotten was a letter asking me to provide 3 forms verifying my proof of residency by Oct 22nd. I'm curious because class registration starts Nov 1st.