What school did you attend, and when did you graduate?
University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy and in 2002.
Where do you work?
Wal-mart Pharmacy.
Why did you choose this field instead of another (i.e. hospital, nuclear, hospice, etc)?
Pays the most.
When did you decide to become a pharmacist?
When I was in high school.
Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?
I wanted to be in the medical field but without the physical contact physicians or nurses get.
If you had it to do all over again, would you still be a pharmacist? Why or why not?
Yes, I enjoy what I do but not necessarily the direction of pharmacy.
Did the financial cost of pharmacy school scare you at all? Why or why not?
Yes, I always wondered how the heck I was going to pay it off.
What were the most difficult classes in your pre-pharmacy and pharmacy studies?
None in pre-pharmacy and half of the classes in pharmacy school especially kinetics.
Describe a typical day at work.
Fill prescription, take new ones, consult patients, verify prescriptions.
What are your responsibilities as a pharmacist?
To ensure that the patient is receiving the right medication, price and service.
What do you like most and least about being a pharmacist?
I like the doctorate degree we hold but hate the lack of respect it gets.
Was your perception of a pharmacist’s job accurate? If not, what are the differences?
My perception was accurate as far as seeing how busy they are.
What information about being a pharmacist do you wish you had known before deciding on this career?
How hard they are worked and what they are liable for.
In what direction do you think the field of pharmacy and your area of focus are headed?
Getting the numbers and profit up for the big companies. Really sad to see.
Do you have a family, and if so, do you have enough time to spend with them?
Yes, and I do have enough time. Pharmacy will take a lot of your time if you let it. Just have to do
your work and go home. No need to work 60+ hours a week because the big boss wants it.
What advice do you have for students interested in becoming pharmacists.
Go to a cheap school. The school could be full of retards, but if you got the degree you got the
green.
Is there anything else you would like students to know about your career or the profession of pharmacy?
Make sure this is something that you want to do for the rest of your life. It is really hard work and it
will only get harder and more demanding.
University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy and in 2002.
Where do you work?
Wal-mart Pharmacy.
Why did you choose this field instead of another (i.e. hospital, nuclear, hospice, etc)?
Pays the most.
When did you decide to become a pharmacist?
When I was in high school.
Why did you decide to become a pharmacist?
I wanted to be in the medical field but without the physical contact physicians or nurses get.
If you had it to do all over again, would you still be a pharmacist? Why or why not?
Yes, I enjoy what I do but not necessarily the direction of pharmacy.
Did the financial cost of pharmacy school scare you at all? Why or why not?
Yes, I always wondered how the heck I was going to pay it off.
What were the most difficult classes in your pre-pharmacy and pharmacy studies?
None in pre-pharmacy and half of the classes in pharmacy school especially kinetics.
Describe a typical day at work.
Fill prescription, take new ones, consult patients, verify prescriptions.
What are your responsibilities as a pharmacist?
To ensure that the patient is receiving the right medication, price and service.
What do you like most and least about being a pharmacist?
I like the doctorate degree we hold but hate the lack of respect it gets.
Was your perception of a pharmacist’s job accurate? If not, what are the differences?
My perception was accurate as far as seeing how busy they are.
What information about being a pharmacist do you wish you had known before deciding on this career?
How hard they are worked and what they are liable for.
In what direction do you think the field of pharmacy and your area of focus are headed?
Getting the numbers and profit up for the big companies. Really sad to see.
Do you have a family, and if so, do you have enough time to spend with them?
Yes, and I do have enough time. Pharmacy will take a lot of your time if you let it. Just have to do
your work and go home. No need to work 60+ hours a week because the big boss wants it.
What advice do you have for students interested in becoming pharmacists.
Go to a cheap school. The school could be full of retards, but if you got the degree you got the
green.
Is there anything else you would like students to know about your career or the profession of pharmacy?
Make sure this is something that you want to do for the rest of your life. It is really hard work and it
will only get harder and more demanding.
| Pharmacist Interview |
| Dr. John Thao, Pharm.D. |
