Risk? Success? *shrug*

I had someone explain some of the options available in research with a Pharm.D and some of the reasons to get into that field. He described how spending a lot of time trying to figure something out and then getting results that change how you understand things is extremely satisfying. He spent a lot of time telling stories of how people took something they learned in the lab and then made their own company and are making millions.
While I can see that the monetary compensation ladder goes higher than in retail or hospital pharmacy, there's less certainty and no patient contact. If you can't convince someone that your research/product is useful/valuable then you don't get a grant and you don't get paid. The impression I got was that "getting to success" is the end goal. There's a bunch of menial work in between, but there's that possibility of big success to make being miserable worth it. =P
There is more risk in research than there is in traditional pharmacy. I'm not sure that I want to take that much risk. I know that God will take care of me and that I will 'survive' if I take a risk and lose. It's more that my personality is both more cautious as well as I am more content with what I have. Perhaps that could be interpreted as unambitious. Maybe it's just passivity. *shrug* I enjoy reading about other people's hard work and their results and learning what they came up with.
Despite the discussion, I think I'm still looking forward to a career in traditional pharmacy. Perhaps as a hospital pharmacist, though I don't want to do a residency, but more likely as a compounding or independent pharmacist. Maybe I'll open my own store and hire my brother Kevin to do the marketing. =P
One thing I do know, where I end up in 5 years most likely won't look like I imagined it would.

(Ok, so this post is more me thinking out loud to get my own thoughts in order rather than for anyone else's benefit. *shrug* I'm allowed to have one of these kinds of posts every once in a while. ;) )