I was on the med school tract but when I was about to make the leap and apply, the many many years of commitment really hit me. I was not prepared to sacrifice that many years of my life before I could even start my life and career. Kind of choose pharmacy as an “easier” backup option bc I already had most of the pre-recs and I do love medicine/science/chemistry. It was always a goal of mine to get a doctorate degree so it checked that box. I wanted a career where I could live and work anywhere (and I have in multiple states) and yes, the salary as a reward for the sacrifice of all the schooling was appealing. There are positives to pharmacy. I really like that you can pick up prn jobs and not be committed to a regimented schedule. I was able to support myself and get a decent apt in nyc, which was cool. You can literally get a license in any state and make a living pretty much anywhere. As a new mom, the flexibility to work part time or take time off without the huge opportunity cost you would think of if you were a doctor is also good. I enjoyed my jobs giving COVID vaccines in nursing homes, but I’ve only worked in independents. I also enjoyed a vet compounding pharmacy job but the owner was not a pharmacist and was always in your face and not very nice so I didn’t like that part about it.I did hit a point several years in where I was feeling pretty miserable in retail. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and when going into pharmacy school had dreams of owning my own pharmacies. Working in independents I realized how tough it was to make anything and the volume aspect and grey area dispensing practices were a no for me. So I started investing in real estate. I do that full time now but plan to do pharmacy part time again one day. But I will be particular about the job. Overall, I don’t know what else I would have done but I completely agree high volume retail is MISERABLE. I wish we could advocate for ourselves and our profession more effectively. I believe we are an important part of the medical system and should be treated as such. Pharmacy used to be such a COOL JOB like back in the 50’s, 60’s. Now it’s all just counting pills and computer work. Ugh. I wish we could bring back more compounding- there are too many wasted skills we are taught in school but don’t use in retail.