Choosing A Career Path Between Pharmacy Or Medicine And Surgery In Nigeria

Disclaimer: My decision probably has been influenced by my course of study. However, the argument presented can be faulted by anyone.

A Pharmacist

Some medical doctors and pharmacists are heating up the health sector all over the world with a rivalry that is detrimental to the patient. These sets of health workers are from two different fields and should learn not to encroach on the other for the benefits of the patient. Due to this heated rivalry, many college students are on the cross road making a choice between a career path in pharmacy or medicine and surgery. However, I realized that parents, guardians, or relatives influenced many final decisions.

In any career you want to go into, the first thing is the passion for it. Nevertheless, sometimes, this passion can fall between two career choices leading to a dilemma. This is when making a final decision becomes a problem considering so many factors which we shall discuss today.

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I know that for many, the next question is who is richer, while others consider who got more prestige and respect. Well, well, well, this post is just for you, as all these questions will be answered with Nigeria in mind. However, I may throw a hint into foreign Career Path for Pharmacist or Medical Doctor.

A Medical  Doctor's Office

Pharmacy Or Medicine And Surgery

• Admission: The first thing I will like to talk about here is the admission protocols for both courses. I know a lot of friends who could not go to school again after writing the Joint Admission Matriculation Board Examination (J.A.M.B) for a long time filling in for Medicine and Surgery and could not succeed. When it has done on them to go for something else, they have lost passion for school. It has also happened to some who have been filling in for Pharmacist but on a lower scale.

You see, there are about 30 universities offering medicine and surgery in Nigeria. They barely admit up to 100 students yearly. That means about 3000 students. According to statistics, the number of students who fill medicine and surgery far supersedes any other course in Nigeria. Moreover, on a yearly basis, more than 2.5 million students write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (U.T.M.E). If 50000 students apply for Medicine and surgery, about 47000 will lose admission if they fail to apply for a second choice.

Pharmacy schools in Nigeria are somewhere between 20 offerings about 100 admission yearly amounting to about 2000 students. The number of students who know the worth of pharmacy school in Nigeria, for now, is somewhat low. This is the reason why some of us never said we want to be a pharmacist when we were still in college. All that we wanted then was a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. This is an added advantage to college students. Unfortunately, the competition is increasing as parents are beginning to know the worth of the profession. Still, it still less competitive like medicine and surgery.

Another factor is due to the competitive nature of medicine and surgery, the Post UTME screening score is usually high, unlike pharmacy.

Like Delta State University (D.E.L.S.U) have a pre-degree program for Pharmacy but yet none for medicine and surgery. This happens in many universities across Nigeria.

• Program Duration: The program duration for B. Pharm. is just 5 years and a year internship. An added year for a Pharm. D. program. However, Medicine and surgery even after the six years have added programs which prolong the time of graduation. The years are reduce for direct entry students since they starts from 200 level.
• Difficulty: People keep saying medicine and surgery. I may agreed but you can stay in one level as long as you did not fall below a particular score in medicine and surgery. In pharmacy, you can only repeat and probate a level once. Subsequently, such ones will be kicked out.
• Cost: The cost of school fees in Nigeria is somewhat low for pharmacy compared to Medicine and surgery.

Pharmacist Or Medical Doctor

• Money: This is the part many people want to read about. Yes, I believed that a person could not work when there is no pay even if passion is there. I will try to break the information down here.

Both students undergo a one-year program known as an internship. When the program is done in a government establishment, the government determines the salary. In government establishment, medicine and surgery students get a higher pay with some thousands difference. It is somewhat similar to a private establishment. It is easier for pharmacy students to get intern placement than med and surgery students because of their population.

After graduation, both can start up work. The pay depends on where they decide to work. If a pharmacist decides to work in a hospital pharmacy, his pay is a little bit lower than that of a Medical doctor. It is easier for a pharmacist to get a job because of the same reason of population.

If he decides to open a Pharmacy shop, in this year with good business strategy, he can start making a profit in less than 3 months (from testimonies). In some few years, his income will obviously surpass the highest paid medical personnel in the hospital setting (assurance). Nevertheless, a doctor that opens up a hospital that is well managed will make more than a pharmacy shop. However, the cost of running a small clinic is into millions requiring a sponsored that will end up splitting the money with the doctor. Buying equipment, paying other hospital staffs, promoting the hospital etc. Unlike a pharmacy shop that some have to start up with less than a million some years ago.

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However, a pharmacist that was fortunate to have millions to start up a pharmaceutical company and was able to manage it properly, his daily pay will be in millions surpassing any other job in the country. Emzor is a good example.

• Services: This is where my passion was really altered. I hate to see blood so do so many persons. It is very difficult to pass the profession of medicine and surgery without seeing it. However, a pharmacist may not ever witness it or it is going to be minimal. Pharmacist do not do invasive procedures.
• Job: Pharmacist can work in a variety of settings from hospital, community, industry rendering different type of pharmacy related services. This is not so with medicine and surgery when they do diagnosis and treatment no matter where they work either in hospital or home care.
• Prestige: Both are profession. Doctor have been and have been known. The beauty of pharmacy profession is gaining ground and momentum now. This is evident in advanced countries where they have been given many opportunities. However, this is not the case in Nigeria although it is gradually becoming a recognized profession.

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