Caitlin Palmer

Dream Job Assignment

My dream job is to be a pharmacist for either a local drug store or super market. Being a
pharmacist means that I would be distributing medication with a valid prescription, offering
counseling and assistance to patients about their medication, participate and run immunization
clinics, and run Medication Therapy Management classes for patients. (Pharmacist Job
Description at Price Chopper, 2017) To work as a pharmacist, I would need to earn an
undergraduate degree in Chemistry or a related topic, such as pharmaceutical sciences. (What
Are the Education Requirements for Becoming a Pharmacist?, n.d.) After I finish my
undergraduate degree, I would have to apply to a school specializing in pharmacy degrees, such
as MCPHS, to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. After this, a state issued license is necessary to
work for any store or company. Most require that I complete the NAPLEX (North American
Pharmacist Licensure Exam) and the MPJE (Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam). The
NAPLEX covers scientific knowledge and the MPJE covers the legal aspects of being a
pharmacist. (Decket, n.d.)
I plan to be living my dream of being a pharmacist by the time I am 30 years old. To
obtain my dream of being a pharmacist, there are a multitude of items that need to be completed
first. At the top of the list, is to obtain my first Bachelor of Science degree here at Nichols
College. By doing well at Nichols College, it will increase my chances of getting into another
undergraduate school to complete a degree in Chemistry. The next item on the list I must
accomplish, is to have experience working in team settings. Working in a team will be the most
important step of them all. This is because a pharmacy is nothing more than a giant team made
up of cashiers, technicians, and of course the pharmacist. Everyones job is important and being
able to communicate what has been filled and what has been picked up, will make the pharmacy
run as smoothly as possible. The last item on the list is being able to interact with the customers
personally. What being a pharmacist is all about, and what they are actually trained in, is patient
care. Being a pharmacist is much more than just filling prescriptions; they are the first line
resource in answering any medication questions or in recommending an over the counter
medication from the shelf. This can be done by even just starting at the front end of a local drug
store like Rite Aid or Walgreens, and working my way back to the pharmacy as a pharmacy
cashier. (Williams, 2000)
A pharmacist, on average, make $119,600 per year ($57.50 per hour). With this
information that means that when I would get paid biweekly, my paycheck would be $4,600
before taxes ($9,200 monthly). The following is a list of expenses I would have and how I plan
to divide up my paychecks to pay for them:
1. Car Payment: $360 per month
2. Utilities and other bills (Gas, Electric, Cell Phone, Cable/Internet): $1,100
3. Mortgage: $1,400
4. Student Loans: $3,000
5. Food: $300
This all comes to a grand total of $6,160 per month. With the amount left over each month, I
would put it in a savings account so that I could throw a huge birthday bash for my best friend
who loves to dance. The following list would be the expenses for her party:
1. Food and Beverages: $500
2. DJ: $200 (I know some people who would DJ the entire day)
 3. Cakes: $100 ($50 each, as I know someone who owned their own bakery and could
make the cakes for me)
4. Childrens Bounce House: $250
5. Live Entertainment for the evening: $15,000
This party would cost a total of $16,050.
Bibliography
Decket, F. (n.d.). What Kind of Degree Does a Pharmacist Need? Retrieved from
Chron: http://work.chron.com/kind-degree-pharmacist-need-8775.html
Pharmacist Job Description at Price Chopper. (2017, January 16). Retrieved from
Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/worcester-pharmacist-jobs-
SRCH_IL.0,9_IC1154962_KO10,20.htm
What Are the Education Requirements for Becoming a Pharmacist? (n.d.). Retrieved
from Learn.org:
http://learn.org/articles/What_are_the_Education_Requirements_for_Becoming
_a_Pharmacist.html
Williams, G. (2000). Ask a pharmacist: Trained in patient care, pharmacists are a
great resource for dependable drug-related advice. The Calgary Herald, 1.