I would like to know the truth about the job market in rural areas

[futhowarddent]

Many Pharmacists online talk about the saturation in metropolitan areas but don't really say much about job prospects in rural areas. During my interview for pharmacy school one of the questions I was asked was "What should we do about the lack of pharmacist willing to go to rural areas"? When I replied monetary incentives my interviewer then replied that even with monetary incentives pharmacists still continue to leave rural areas to work in more desirable metropolitan areas.
My question is are rural areas still in demand, and which states or areas are in the most need for pharmacists?
Thank you in advance.

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[rxkrafted]

Job market for pharmacists is so saturated that even in rural areas, you'll have a difficult time landing a position. Do the search yourself. You'll find that even in rural areas, its mostly part-time/per diem positions opened and if you do see a full-time position, you'll expect a boatload of people who have already applied.

 

[Sine Cura]

A more politically correct answer would be to promote "educational outreach" to encourage listless youth of those areas to pursue higher education.

 

[futhowarddent]

Ive looked this up and I see many jobs posted online in rural areas but that doesn't really tell me much. Also, I get conflicted information because I read on one of the other forums that rural areas were actively recruiting and that those pharmacists were getting bonuses.

 

[mentos]

That question sounds like BS because rural areas still get hundreds of applicants. Which area do they say pharmacists are unwilling to work in?

 

[8turkeys]

The majority of rural areas are saturated, but there are pockets where no one wants to go. These areas are far and few between and are on life support. As said on previous forums, maybe 1 or 2 years until they dry up and the market reaches full saturation.

 

[futhowarddent]

That question sounds like BS because rural areas still get hundreds of applicants. Which area do they say pharmacists are unwilling to work in?

Im trying to find the post I was reading. Once I find it I will post it here, but I believe they were in Pennsylvania.

From the responses im getting even rural areas are saturated. Im kind of shocked then because prior graduates at my University have all gotten either residencies are jobs.

 

[rxkrafted]

Im trying to find the post I was reading. Once I find it I will post it here, but I believe they were in Pennsylvania.

From the responses im getting even rural areas are saturated. Im kind of shocked then because prior graduates at my University have all gotten either residencies are jobs.

Iduno how old that post might have been but based on information I get from new grads every year, a good amount of people relocated to rural areas just to find a job to prevent staying unemployed. I doubt there are any places that would be desperate to find a pharmacist to work there because they would definitely get applications from surplus of new grads.

 

[futhowarddent]

Thanks for answering. I mainly lurk here and when doing research on the market I get a lot of conflicting responses. I keep hearing you will be okay as long as you are willing to go rural and not metro but then I hear that even rural is saturated. I don't too much trust what the pharm schools say.

 

[Mambo#5]

Thanks for answering. I mainly lurk here and when doing research on the market I get a lot of conflicting responses. I keep hearing you will be okay as long as you are willing to go rural and not metro but then I hear that even rural is saturated. I don't too much trust what the pharm schools say.

Go get your PharmD, graduate and find out for yourself (Or make up a resume and see how many hits you get). Come back and post on here and tell us what you learned. Who the F wants to live in bumbleF??? By rural at this point it’s 6 hours or one hour flight from the closest city. Have you ever lived in a place that is say population 1000 (one thousand)? Ask the interviewer why they don’t move to bumbleF***. If someone paid you 1 million to live 30 years on the moon would you do it?

A bonus for living in BumbleF? Ever heard the phrase “Money isn’t everything.”? There is some truth behind that.

 

[mentos]

Some argue that it's even harder to get a job in a rural area because they know the city dwellers will leave so soon as possible, so why waste the time training a new grad that won't stay?

 

[King2440]

Should have asked the interviewer why they are still recruiting students despite the saturation?

 

[futhowarddent]

Go get your PharmD, graduate and find out for yourself (Or make up a resume and see how many hits you get). Come back and post on here and tell us what you learned. Who the F wants to live in bumbleF??? By rural at this point it’s 6 hours or one hour flight from the closest city. Have you ever lived in a place that is say population 1000 (one thousand)? Ask the interviewer why they don’t move to bumbleF***. If someone paid you 1 million to live 30 years on the moon would you do it?

A bonus for living in BumbleF? Ever heard the phrase “Money isn’t everything.”? There is some truth behind that.

My father was a marine so yes Ive had to live in very rural areas. My question was asking if there were jobs in rural areas, not your opinion on what life is like living in a rural area, but thank you for your response.

 

[futhowarddent]

Should have asked the interviewer why they are still recruiting students despite the saturation?

lmao I already know the answer for this.


Even in this thread im getting conflicting answers.

 

[JustFillIt]

My father was a marine so yes Ive had to live in very rural areas. My question was asking if there were jobs in rural areas, not your opinion on what life is like living in a rural area, but thank you for your response.

I lived in BumbleF after graduation. I landed a PIC job at an extremely busy pharmacy in a town of 3k way out in the middle of the mountains in the northwest. There are certainly benefits. I bought a 3.1k square foot home with a 20 year old fruit tree orchard in the property, carport/garage and 1.5 acre of land on a beautiful lot for 250k. Life moved slow there (except when I was getting my ass kicked in the pharmacy of course) and it was actually quite nice. I commuted about 5 minutes a day... Most days I just sat in my porch grilling food and enjoying the peace and quiet..

Who wants to live in BumbleF? Maybe the smart portion of our population does...

 

[Hels2007]

Meh, rural areas are bleeding people as they have been for years, for a multitude of very valid reason. Is it a problem if people have to drive over an hour to the nearest pharmacy, doctor or hospital? Sure, but if the total population within 2 hours of there is 400 people, it will not sustain any healthcare facility. So my answer would have been "because the rural areas where healthcare access is an issue are unsustainable on so many levels that have nothing to do with healthcare, we should develop telemedicine capabilities to provide care to those populations, since delivery of medications can be handled through mail-order means and not chase pipe-dreams of idyllic farmland setting and cute little pharmacies sprinkled among them. Pharmacies are not cows and need more than grass, water and sunshine to survive. And the areas that are populated enough to have healthcare facilites have no shortage of pharmacists anymore.

 

[AM77]

I can tell you that the Central Valley in California which is considered rural is already saturated.

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

Thanks for answering. I mainly lurk here and when doing research on the market I get a lot of conflicting responses. I keep hearing you will be okay as long as you are willing to go rural and not metro but then I hear that even rural is saturated. I don't too much trust what the pharm schools say.

Let me try to clear things up. There are three types of jobs:

1) Those in metro/coastal/"desirable" cities

2) Those in "rural"/BFE areas

3) Those that are notoriously hard to staff (pharmacy in a ghetto/crime-ridden area, in a ethnic hotspot where speaking a particular second language is a must, etc.) which may or may not be in found in #1 or #2 above.

When most people say there are no jobs in BFE, they are talking about the "normal" jobs out there, aka #2, not the BFE jobs that are classified as #3. Hope that helps.

 

[Whysoez]

That question sounds like BS because rural areas still get hundreds of applicants. Which area do they say pharmacists are unwilling to work in?

Mordor

 

[Xenophylia]

Pretty sure CVS has a strong corporate presence in Mordor and they always have openings....

 

[aznkukuboi]

I literally live two hours away from Los Angeles in Bakersfield, and we have such a hard time staffing. My salary was $200k last year and I can easily get that again. Rural areas have high turn over and ot is abundant.

 

[MilknCheerios]

Rural locations vary depending on how many pharmacies are actually in the area. For example, you will have a greater chance of landing a position in a small town that has 5-6 pharmacies as opposed to just a few. Turn over rates may be higher as quality pharmacists choose to work in bigger cities with more amenities, but with that comes increased applicants for the same job so the long term job stability is questionable.

If you're a new grad, I would encourage you to inquire with a DM for available positions-- even those in rural locations. Work there a few years, pay your loans, save some money, make friends, get some experience, and then leverage your added value towards a more desirable location if you really want it.

 

[AM77]

I literally live two hours away from Los Angeles in Bakersfield, and we have such a hard time staffing. My salary was $200k last year and I can easily get that again. Rural areas have high turn over and ot is abundant.

That doesn’t make any sense considering the fact that I was offered a job in Bakersfield during the pharmacy heyday, and it wasn’t anywhere near $200,000.

 

[TranslationalRPh]

That doesn’t make any sense considering the fact that I was offered a job in Bakersfield during the pharmacy heyday, and it wasn’t anywhere near $200,000.

S/He works a significant amount of overtime.

 

[mentos]

I literally live two hours away from Los Angeles in Bakersfield, and we have such a hard time staffing. My salary was $200k last year and I can easily get that again. Rural areas have high turn over and ot is abundant.

Your salary is not 200k, that is what you made after working overtime. You should tell us what your hourly rate is. By saying 200k, people will assume you only work 40 hours/week which is deceiving. No pharmacist is making $96.15/hr.

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

That doesn’t make any sense considering the fact that I was offered a job in Bakersfield during the pharmacy heyday, and it wasn’t anywhere near $200,000.

Your salary is not 200k, that is what you made after working overtime. You should tell us what your hourly rate is. By saying 200k, people will assume you only work 40 hours/week which is deceiving. No pharmacist is making $96.15/hr.

2019 new grads: How has the job search been going for you?

This is the year that many on this forum have predicted to be the “tipping point” for pharmacy. Curious to hear what you’ve experienced or heard your classmates experience in your job searches so far. What have your schools of pharmacy been telling you about the job market?

forums.studentdoctor.net

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[mentos]

2019 new grads: How has the job search been going for you?

This is the year that many on this forum have predicted to be the “tipping point” for pharmacy. Curious to hear what you’ve experienced or heard your classmates experience in your job searches so far. What have your schools of pharmacy been telling you about the job market?

forums.studentdoctor.net

Sent from my HD1925 using SDN mobile

Yeah so he worked 94 hours in one pay period. His salary is not 200k, thanks for proving my point. That's what he earned but that is not his salary.

 

[Chrish]

Some areas will always be underserved. So if one wants to move to bumpkin town in Oklahoma, you should be able to land job.

 

[Sine Cura]

I wouldn't be surprised if underserved areas become even more underserved with rural hospital closures and chains possibly opting out of undesirable locations (seen it personally with Rite Aid and Walgreens leaving ghetto areas/marginal ghetto areas in the last 2 years). The techs might still have jobs.... pharmacists, probably not.

 

[aznkukuboi]

Your salary is not 200k, that is what you made after working overtime. You should tell us what your hourly rate is. By saying 200k, people will assume you only work 40 hours/week which is deceiving. No pharmacist is making $96.15/hr.

I just took a new job ironically and it's $92/hr but with no benefits.

My hourly rate at cvs is $71.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I just took a new job ironically and it's $92/hr but with no benefits.

That is very high. Are you 1099 or W2?

 

[aznkukuboi]

That is very high. Are you 1099 or W2?

Per diem. w2.

 

[Hedgehog32]

Per diem. w2.

Do you mind if I ask what kind of setting it's in?

... And whether they hire new grads? LOL

 

[Sine Cura]

In descending order of date, Walmart has external listings in California in "micropolitan" areas:

Staff pharmacist - ANDERSON, CA 01/16/20 (Methstate)
Staff pharmacist - VISALIA, CA 01/16/20 (Central Valley) - I heard they are actually interviewing at least one new grad for this
Pharmacist Manager - REDDING, CA 01/16/20 (Methstate)
Staff Pharmacist - TRACY, CA 01/14/20 (Central Valley but closer to Bay Area)
Pharmacist Manager - RED BLUFF, CA 01/14/20 (Methstate)
Staff Pharmacist - VICTORVILLE, CA 01/13/20 (north of San Bernadino)
Pharmacist Manager - PALM DESERT, CA 01/06/20 (near Palm Springs)


Also
Staff Pharmacist - BAKERSFIELD, CA 01/09/20
Pharmacist Manager - BURBANK, CA 01/06/20

So try your luck desperate new grads if they even haven't filled those positions yet



Newer listings as of 1/31/20:

Staff pharmacist - Delano, CA 01/20/20 (Kern County LOL north of Bakersfield)
Staff pharmacist - Arroyo Grande, CA 01/23/20 (central coast)
Staff pharmacist - Ceres, CA 01/27/20 (south of Modesto)
Staff pharmacist - Woodland, CA 01/28/20 (west of Sacramento in Yolo County... didn't see if was NHM or SC)
Pharmacist Manager - Santa Maria, CA 01/28/20 (central coast)
Staff Pharmacist - North Highlands, CA 01/13/20 (ghetto)
Pharmacist Manager - Vacaville, CA 01/29/20
Pharmacist Manager - Palm Springs, CA 01/29/20
Staff Pharmacist - Yuba City, CA 1/30/20 (methstate)

Good luck. LOL

 

[rxkrafted]

I just took a new job ironically and it's $92/hr but with no benefits.

My hourly rate at cvs is $71.

Assuming you were scheduled with 40 hrs/week, you had ~31 hours of overtime per pay period?? Get that money! If that's consistent OTs every paycheck, that's >800 hours of OT every week lol.

*edit* Just read that you're per diem... So how many hours on average do you get per pay period? This is all hours within a single district?

 

[JustFillIt]

I can’t help but to think what would happen to me mentally and emotionally if I spent 90 hours a week in a busy retail pharmacy week after week.

I would loose my mind and start saying weird things and acting in an unusual manner.. It would be weird

 

[aznkukuboi]

Do you mind if I ask what kind of setting it's in?

... And whether they hire new grads? LOL

The retail king... Kaiser!

Assuming you were scheduled with 40 hrs/week, you had ~31 hours of overtime per pay period?? Get that money! If that's consistent OTs every paycheck, that's >800 hours of OT every week lol.

*edit* Just read that you're per diem... So how many hours on average do you get per pay period? This is all hours within a single district?

I was 100% cvs in 2019. All same district. The ot is real.

 

[deleted898085]

I literally live two hours away from Los Angeles in Bakersfield, and we have such a hard time staffing. My salary was $200k last year and I can easily get that again. Rural areas have high turn over and ot is abundant.

Can I message you to ask about Bakersfield's job market?

 

[Corytrade]

The retail king... Kaiser!

$92/hr? You doing graveyard then is my guess.

 

[mentos]

$92/hr? You doing graveyard then is my guess.

He does a lot of overtime in CA.

 

[thatsrad]

None of those jobs listed in California are rural. Central CA has a lot of people - definitely not rural. Bakersfield is by no means “rural.” The only truly rural places in CA are north past Chico.

 

[Sine Cura]

You forgot some Gold Country (like Amador or Tuolumne counties), eastern Sierras. Also Needles' population is 5k.

 

[American Princess]

I wouldn't be surprised if underserved areas become even more underserved with rural hospital closures and chains possibly opting out of undesirable locations (seen it personally with Rite Aid and Walgreens leaving ghetto areas/marginal ghetto areas in the last 2 years). The techs might still have jobs.... pharmacists, probably not.

I know a rural hospital in Texas that layed off a few pharmacists city with a population of 119,114 people in it.

 

[mentos]

None of those jobs listed in California are rural. Central CA has a lot of people - definitely not rural. Bakersfield is by no means “rural.” The only truly rural places in CA are north past Chico.

To some people, rural means anywhere but Bay area, OC, LA and SD.

 

[sozetone]

To respond to the OP..... IT STINKS! like everywhere else. ...saturated, exhausting.....rough terrain to get between stores......low hours, low wages......maybe a few bucks more but not worth the move in most cases.

 

[nickw2401]

Why would anyone want to live in CA?

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

Why would anyone want to live in CA?

Off the top of my head, favorable labor laws and nice weather

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[sozetone]

Off the top of my head, favorable labor laws and nice weather

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Still too expensive. The cost outweighs the benefits. My choice is always Florida, it's not perfect, but it can be pretty good.

 

[SoylentGreen]

I heard that a nearby pharmacy manager position in a small town of 20000 or so people in the middle of nowhere here in the Southwest got like 50 applicants. That's stunning because even a few years ago a comparable manager position would have only had a few applicants - staff would have had a lot then but nobody wants to be the manager (for good reason).

 

[sfachine]

I heard that a nearby pharmacy manager position in a small town of 20000 or so people in the middle of nowhere here in the Southwest got like 50 applicants. That's stunning because even a few years ago a comparable manager position would have only had a few applicants - staff would have had a lot then but nobody wants to be the manager (for good reason).

How much more are Rx retail managers paid than staff?Are the chains still offering them bonuses?In short is it worth the extra headaches?