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I am a student in college and I have a concern. Right now I am trying to transfer into a pharmacy school and all I have to do is do well t his semester and take some summer classes and then I can transfer. But I keep having second thoughts about pharmacy and sometimes I want to be a physician. I realize that I have to take standardized tests like the MCAT (for medical school) or the PCAT (for pharmacy school). I don't know which way to choose. I think sometimes that I can be a doctor, but I also think that I am not as good as a student would be before going into med school. I know a friend who went to med school and told me that there is a lot of material and very few breaks throughout the semester. The pharmacy school in which I am trying to transfer isn't easy either. Thanks to God, I have good grades in the University where I am currently enrolled, but in the pharmacy school, the best grades I can get are C+ to a B-, even if I work as hard as I do now. My Mom's friend confirmed this because her daughter goes through the same thing and many kids who attend this school and come to our church say the same thing. The teachers apparently don't make it easier. The pharmacy school is near where I live and I don't really want to move away from home, but prefer to just commute. 

Also, it's not that I want to have either job; its just that I feel that sometimes I have to be assured that God has something beneficial for me in the future. Whether it is for me to be a pharmacist, physician, or engineer, etc., I know all of our futures rest in God's hands, but sometimes I wish He would let me in on what He has in store for me in the future.

Can you please offer some advice?

From reading your message carefully, it seems as though you are leaning towards pharmacy. However, you have not stated at all why you really want to pursue either career, whether as a physician or as a pharmacist. If it is a matter of prestige, both physicians and pharmacists share a special blessing (Sirach 38). You have identified some reasons why pharmacy may be more suitable for you based on the distance of the School of Pharmacy near your home. This is an important value criterion for you to consider. It may mean that you are not comfortable pulling up your roots frequently and relocating. Thus, if you pursued a career in medicine, you would have to be ready to relocate--probably several times—for medical school, residency, fellowship, work, etc.

Professions are a special calling from God. Since most people pursue careers in which they demonstrate ability, interest, and values, it is more than likely that these attributes are gifts from God; thus, He will help you use them in His ministry in some way. Ironically, many clergy have a background in pharmacy or medicine. God uses their analytical skills and humanitarian drive to serve His church on a spiritual scale. Many professionals in this capacity also pursue service in missionary work and form organizations to provide medical and humanitarian relief for people suffering from various diseases.  

Both graduate programs pose challenges. The medical school option will certainly take longer to complete. You need to assess your stamina because it could be grueling. Even when you complete medical school, you must take your board exams every 5-10 years, depending on your area of specialty, in addition to continuing medical education courses; whereas when pharmacists pass their board exams, they only need to take a certain set of continuing education courses throughout their careers. If it is a matter of finances, pharmacists earn an excellent salary. Pharmacists working in the ICU are ordinarily compensated at salary and a half. Having said that, salary should not be the driving force for any career.

Begin and end each day with prayer and read the Holy Bible daily. You will find your answers and discover that God does have a plan for your future. 

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).