Career Advice MEGA - Courses and Careers related to Drugs

Pharmacology is the study drugs, how they interact, they can cause side effects, indications and other pharmaceutical drugs as a profession is monitored, and the disease state being treated, the results of drug monitoring, patient compliance and management and so on.
 
jazzbrain44 said:
Pharmacology is the study drugs, how they interact, they can cause side effects, indications and other pharmaceutical drugs as a profession is monitored, and the disease state being treated, the results of drug monitoring, patient compliance and management and so on.
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That is pharmacy.
 
From what I can tell, you seem open to changing your major in college, as long as you do something that interests you. I'd suggest looking up resources that can help you decide if a career in organic chemistry (like pharmacy or forensics) might be more suited to you.
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Paramedic Work

I completed a Bachelor of Psychology at the end of 2010. Since then I've been working full-time, in an unrelated field, basically deciding what to do for a career.

Very recently I started considering becoming a paramedic. I'm fascinated by the idea of it. And I'm quite fond of the fact that you get paid while training (this is the case where I live for ambulance paramedics).

My main concerns are whether I'd be the right fit for the job, in terms of handling the stress (a similar concern I have about doing counselling work). However, I can't really know that until I actually start working in the job...

So, any paramedics, or people who know them, or just have opinions, please offer some experiences/advice/opinions.
 
This is a good field, but a challenging one and admission is pretty competitive (at least where I live). But paramedics are public funded, so we throttle how many we graduate, so as to not flood the market.

I don't know how it works in Aus. - but I imagine your BA would help you immensely with admission, which is a really good start.
 
you are going to need to thrive on stress.

you will for starters need to have the desire to pull the mangled bodies of children out of car accidents, caused by a drunk driver in the rain and cold at 4 am, because no one else would...


most any paramedic will have some of the greatest ghost stories too.
 
^ hmmm. Yes. That is the kind of response I was looking for. I do want to consider the reality.

Cyc said:
I don't know how it works in Aus. - but I imagine your BA would help you immensely with admission, which is a really good start.
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That's an interesting point. :)
 
Rated E
^ hmmm. Yes. That is the kind of response I was looking for. I do want to consider the reality.
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there is a lot to consider, but one awesome career if you could handle it. how else can one deliver a baby, save a life, and treat the dead with decency all in a days work?
not saying i could do it !
;)

but call and ask a local hospital about volunteering, making it clear you are interested in paramedic work, ill bet they will take you for a ride as "deadHead" - especially with your education.
 
^and be quick with an IV in the dark.
(or bouncing around the back of the ambulance)

you could be a great driver, a pillar of the community, have balls of steel, but if you cant hit a vein...
 
I am a licensed paramedic in B.C Canada, where it's a lot different from Aus probably. A good way to start figuring out if you can hack it is to do an advanced first aid course. It puts you in the mindset to handle some gnarly stuff, and after a few days in class you generally know if you can handle seeing the kind of stuff we do. It can be really stressful, thankless and at least where I live underpaid. If you like a challenge, waking up and never knowing what the day will bring and like someone else said, ressucitating an infant, then going on to a heroin overdose, then a motorcycle accident (that was my most exciting shift to date), you might be cut out for it. At the same time, you never know how you react till you see your first nasty call, and there are paramedics who are fine for twenty years, and then one call sets off something inside of them and they are done. The burnout rate is very high too, but I can't really see myself in any other field of work. Good luck if you decide to!
 
AfterGlow said:
Be careful. There are machines that can dispense medications more accurately than a pharmacy tech. And machines don't steal drugs to feed their habits. Unless you use this as a springboard to go on and become a pharmacist, you might find your job obsoleted by technology someday.
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I know this is an old post, but AfterGlow saw into the future.

I have a degree in English and taught for several years, layoffs came, and I never found another teaching job. I ran out of unemployment benefits and had to do something. I couldn't even land an interview at the McDonalds. SO I went into Pharmacy Technician training. I intern at a pharmacy near my house and we are getting a robot on Wednesday. The drugs will be positioned in the case, the robot will know what is where, and can get the pills, bottle them, label the bottle and set it in the tray for the pharmacist to double check for accuracy.

I'm just IN TRAINING for a new career and I'm already being phased out. I can't do shit about it either. I just have to keep on going, hoping that somehow it will work out for me. I love technology but it has put SO many people out of work that I hate it, too.
 
[Career Advice] Drug abuse counselling

After being through a fairly traumatic break up, I got friend zoned, made mistakes and have learnt alot.

I had drug counselling which I didnt really need, *really* i knew I was sacraficing the drugs for my gf, my mind has no intention to quit experimenting yet.

I got referred to one guy first, he said my case was out of his expierence (steroids, heroin etc)

He referred me to this other guy probably about 6 years older than me, he knew his shit, I felt he was on my level (just alot more advanced, expierenced) it was lovely talking to someone in real life who could talk about people like shulgin, leary etc, something I had never had the priviledge of doing, after the session he said he had never met anyone like me come through the doors since he had started his career there.

I feel this has been a real eye opener, I think I want to study to become a drug abuse counsellor, after ofcourse I have studied, qualified and cut down on my own substance use LOL( dont even know if i have, all i know is, when I asked him do you still use , he said "He was unable to disclose such information"

He reccomended the ayuhuasca expierence and disagreed with everything that everyone had told me about how all 'drugs' are bad, he said psychedelics are a tool (i knew this already) and told me how he prepares for his expierence and integration etc.

So to sum it all up, I want to help people who have been in similar situations to me, I feel I am pretty level headed and while I am young and still make mistakes I feel I am intelligent enough and strong enough to pursue this sort of career.

I was planning on studying psychology, counselling, NLP and other techniques.

If anyone here is a drugs advisor or has any expierence or advice in this sort of case, i would greatly appreciate your advice on how I can get onto this career ladder, as it really does interest me and while im still young I feel If I keep expanding my knowledge and expierence I will be eventually able to do the same sort of job as him.

Its amazing when one door closes, another door opens, before this I was stuck with a girl in the same routine, go to work, go home, watch tv, do random shitty activities, and always felt the need to use substances because I feel it was because i wasnt fulfilled, she was on the same level as me.



About me:

I enjoy studying the effects of drugs
I have read forums for around 7 years, DF BL PV etc etc
I enjoy analyzing the effects drugs have on my body
I have no real dependance on any drug (EXCEPT maybe cannabis, but I have other priorities at the moment so this is keeping me from using, I am responsible with my usage)
I have expierence with many different drugs and would like to continue to learn and study the effects of drugs.
I have empathy and can put myself in other peoples shoes, I am level headed and chilled out guy and have been able to handle a very impatient/angry aspergus girl for 4 years(which many people give me credit for)


So please guys, if you have any expierence, or know where I can go from here, talk!



THIS HAS BEEN OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, took me about 5 minutes so some of it may not make sense or you may not know enough about me as a person but hopefully you get the gist
 
Someone replied on another forum and i thought I should add this so people get a better picture and understanding and maybe help me out with some advice. BOLD is there response, ITALIC is mine.

Sorry it was a very rushed post let me put it together a bit better, I am actually living in the Uk.

1I enjoy studying the effects of drugs
im pretty sure they only teach about bad side effects

yes obviously I wont be being positive about them! I will be supporting people with addictions and understanding what they are going through and giving advice.


2I have read forums for around 7 years, DF BL PV etc etc
thats great butyou can't put it on a resume

Yea I deff rushed this post, what i am really trying to say is I have knowledge and expierence from reading these forums, I wouldnt have to advertise this and tell them!

3I enjoy analyzing the effects drugs have on my body
= might be a bad idea with a job like that; they always require one to be an ex=user/exaddict n 100% clean(drug tests without a warning)

I assume education and getting qualified takes time, so its within that time scale and the time I have already taken substances that i will be reflecting and analyzing the effects of drugs psychologically and physically, when the time comes, I will be able to stop without problem.

4I have no real dependance on any drug (EXCEPT maybe cannabis, but I have other priorities at the moment so this is keeping me from using, I am responsible with my usage)
= u should really keep this down if u wanna get the job

This is early days, I havent even applied for college for anything like that yet, I still have expierence to gain I am in no rush, when it comes down to it, I will already of had gained the expierence to no longer have to use the drugs to understand the effects.

5I have experience with many different drugs and would like to continue to learn and study the effects of drugs:
again, they don't teach u to research drugs, they teach u to get people off "evil drugs"

Again, I think having the research already is an advantage and to continue researching is an advantage, this would be done in my own time. And ofcourse I would not condone any drug use as the reason i want the job is to help with harm reduction and help people in general with problems with drugs they do not have an understanding of.

thats great putting yourself in an addicts' shoes is great but theoretically speaking your job is to put addicts in other people's shoes(like family members' shoes)
u didn't mention patience. u need a lot of patience for this. besides if u still consider to use drugs, u r going to be around addicts, and you could relapse which means u r going to be fired to never be one. this is a job for a person who never takes any drugs ever again; a grown drug-hater; do not pretend to dream u are going to be a shaman getting people off heroin with dream herb, lsd, mdma, weed, or methadon. too much empathy is not good here; addicts suck empathy like leches, they will abuse your friendshiop and get u in troubles with your boss; they are like gollum

I should mention I have an insane amount of patience, anyone who knows anyone with aspergus will know that patience is insanely important, many people have credited me on how long I had managed to stay in a relationship with someone who takes very long time making decisions, has irrational thoughts, paranoia and thought loops, i was with a girl for 4 years, and believe me, not many if any guys would of coped how I did and I have been told this by many people.

I have a very good grasp of aspergus and can spot mental illness traits quite easily.


This is all just an idea at the moment and I obviously know one on here knows me well enough to be able to see what I am capable of, but as my mum does counselling herself I think it naturally in me.

I believe I can make anything possible, when it comes to drugs, education is more important but right now I am not in education or in a (PROPER) job so I am making use of that time to expierence these drugs before other priorities take over.

I hope this has given you a slightly better understanding and look forward to a response!
 
I honestly didn't read half of your posts (no offense meant--I just happened to see your thread as I was signing out and figured I may as well reply before a week goes by and I forget about it :p).

In short, I just wanted to add my two cents in that you should consider your burn out potential. I was going on the track to get/become a CASAC (certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor)... Then I realized I would probably get burnt out from that before I turned 30. :p
 
Would you mind elaborating on the burn out potential.

My parents are pastors of a church so they themselves commit to dedicating their lives to helping others, it is probably in my blood to do so also but in a different manner.

I am 22 currently, do you not think motivation and determination would help, do you think it would be worth talking to an actual drug counsellor/advisor to see what guidance and information they could give me?

I understand it is a very stressful job but I am able to cope under pressure and have a lot of patience.
 
Helping people in a spiritual manner is rather different than helping someone recover from drugs, in my opinion. With drug recovery, they are finding sobriety, but it is rather different than finding a god, in my opinion.

I say take a couple classes at a community college from a professor who actually practices what s/he preaches (meaning s/he holds a CASAC and actively uses it to counsel people). Ask questions. Listen to what the professor says, and more so to what s/he doesn't.

That's what I did and while I found the subject matter fascinating, hearing some of the stories the professor would tell of his clients (in total anonymity of course) and what they did while in his presence, really made me reconsider my education/career goals. Counseling people may still be in my future, but it will be on nutrition/physical health matters, not sobriety/mental health. ;)
 
eXalin said:
Would you mind elaborating on the burn out potential.

My parents are pastors of a church so they themselves commit to dedicating their lives to helping others, it is probably in my blood to do so also but in a different manner.

I am 22 currently, do you not think motivation and determination would help, do you think it would be worth talking to an actual drug counsellor/advisor to see what guidance and information they could give me?

I understand it is a very stressful job but I am able to cope under pressure and have a lot of patience.
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i'm 19, and i have thought about the same career as you for myself in the future many many times, simply because of all my experiences i hope i could use to help others with theirs.

i have been and watched several therapists conduct their business from a different perspective than mine. i have been to many therapists myself to deal with my problems too - and i have only really found one i agree with.

i've noticed your interests are very similar to mine too - there's one problem that sticks out to me though. your use of cannabis and all drugs would have to be cut completely, and by going into a job working with people that have drug problems, it can be a trigger if you have suffered from an addiction in the past unless you are extremely strong minded, as clients often ask their therapists if they have used, how they stopped (if they did) etc. if you are looking at the field of addiction to drugs.

of course i have never practiced myself, but i have found when i try and help friends of mine, and they accept my help it can get very tiresome and irritating at the fact that they do not listen to what you are advising them to do - and it really puts me off. it's not a question of patience, more a question of at least putting a tiny bit of effort in to change themselves and they don't. you have to be prepared to deal with that.
 
Don't worry about burning out, if you have a "good" reason for becoming a counselor, that should be enough to keep you going. Also, the amount of money you will have already spent on your education before becoming licensed should be a good indicator that you should keep going and not have all that time studying/spending be a waste.

You're also going to come into contact with a ton of cases that are neither similar to you or your counselor. These cases might have additional problems besides abuse such as depression, schizo, etc..., so make sure you are ready to deal with that.

Also, your going to have to get alot of work experience to become credible. Usually you will be working for an institution/organization. You will be asked to do things that you're not comfortable doing and seem flat out morally wrong, but that's kind of the way things go today. (Another "good" reason to be a counselor- to turn the organizational moral and ethical wrong-doings around)
 
synthetix said:
i'm 19, and i have thought about the same career as you for myself in the future many many times, simply because of all my experiences i hope i could use to help others with theirs.

i have been and watched several therapists conduct their business from a different perspective than mine. i have been to many therapists myself to deal with my problems too - and i have only really found one i agree with.

i've noticed your interests are very similar to mine too - there's one problem that sticks out to me though. your use of cannabis and all drugs would have to be cut completely, and by going into a job working with people that have drug problems, it can be a trigger if you have suffered from an addiction in the past unless you are extremely strong minded, as clients often ask their therapists if they have used, how they stopped (if they did) etc. if you are looking at the field of addiction to drugs.

of course i have never practiced myself, but i have found when i try and help friends of mine, and they accept my help it can get very tiresome and irritating at the fact that they do not listen to what you are advising them to do - and it really puts me off. it's not a question of patience, more a question of at least putting a tiny bit of effort in to change themselves and they don't. you have to be prepared to deal with that.
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I have to disagree with some of your points.

You don't necessarily have to cut drugs completely, unless you feel you have to for ethical/moral considerations. The thing is, A LOT of people use drugs. Some will abuse drugs. And only a handful will be sent to get counseling, while even fewer will go out of their own accord.

As a counselor you'll be dealing with people who have substance abuse problems. That's generally understood to mean that, if your substance use is causing you to miss work/school and other responsibilities important to your success, then you have a problem.

Also, "The only mind you can ever be sure of changing is your own." Sounds like your friends aren't really looking for your help :/
 
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