Research?

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Do any of you pharmacists/students do research? I've been looking into it and I'm kind of confused if obtaining the Pharm D can qualify you for research, whether it be clinical trials in a hospital or for a pharmaceutical company or something like that. I know that's what you would do with a PhD or if you do the dual Pharm D/PhD thing but I just wanted to know if its possible with the Pharm D alone.

Thanks guys!

You can most definitely do some form of research as a PharmD. It is however, not a research degree. It is very hard to obtain NIH funding with a PharmD. Large clinical trials are usually not conducted by pharmacists unless they have additional training in the form of a fellowship or an additional degree. There are obviously many exceptions to this. I am sure you could do small scale clinical trials but you need to specify what research interests you.

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

Originally Posted by deltaforce

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

I disagree. If you want to get into pharmaceutical/clinical research as a pharmacist, you should look into PharmD/PhD programs. You can do it as a PharmD, but I think it's harder to get into without a research background or fellowship training. Then again, I'm guessing many do a fellowship after PharmD/PhD as well. Look into it.

Originally Posted by deltaforce

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

Dude. Where are you getting your information? Is this your opinion?

Edit: I think I misread your post.

PharmD has opportunities for research but is somewhat limited. You don't get the research skills from the PharmD program.

Originally Posted by rxlea

PharmD has opportunities for research but is somewhat limited. You don't get the research skills from the PharmD program.

Tell me about it

Originally Posted by joetrisman

Tell me about it

LOL you poor thing! Keeping your head above water with all of those projects, I hope? Hope things went OK with IRB

Originally Posted by rxlea

LOL you poor thing! Keeping your head above water with all of those projects, I hope? Hope things went OK with IRB

Eh, I'm on rough draft numero dos! The final draft isn't due in to my school irb till June 8th and then the hospital irb thereafter. I have been barely keeping my head above water. Taking a B in therapeutics this go round so that I can focus on my research. I wish my PI was more involved in the development as the learning curve is a lot larger than what we do in the classroom. In any event, this school project is more or less my training wheels project before I try riding on my own with my other research outside of school. I guess which ever turns out better will end up at midyear

Originally Posted by deltaforce

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

I disagree with that statement. There are synergies that can be obtained by coupling a PhD with a PharmD. The PharmD can arm you with some critical clinical information that can be used in combination with the things you learn in the PhD program to get a holistic (borderline exhaustive) view of the healthcare system. And I am not just saying that because I am enrolled in a PhD program. I will qualify the statement by saying that the PhD has to be in a very related field.

Originally Posted by deltaforce

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

I don't know that I DEFINITELY want to go into research, I'm actually doing some med chem research in the fall for undergrad credit to see how I feel about it. I'm interested in clinical trials and drug development type of stuff. My reason for not automatically just going ahead and doing a PhD in pharmacology is that I like the option of having many different fields to work in with the Pharm D.

Is my logic right here? lol

Originally Posted by hereticmnk

You can most definitely do some form of research as a PharmD. It is however, not a research degree. It is very hard to obtain NIH funding with a PharmD. Large clinical trials are usually not conducted by pharmacists unless they have additional training in the form of a fellowship or an additional degree. There are obviously many exceptions to this. I am sure you could do small scale clinical trials but you need to specify what research interests you.

What would the fellowship be classified as? Pharmacokinetics? I was thinking neurology or chemotherapy/oncology as far as clinical trials go. Its not that I would want to be totally running my own show, I would just want to be a contributor.

Originally Posted by adrienne27

What would the fellowship be classified as? Pharmacokinetics? I was thinking neurology or chemotherapy/oncology as far as clinical trials go. Its not that I would want to be totally running my own show, I would just want to be a contributor.

Absolutely!! Fellowships are a little harder to get into than residencies however (some even require prior residencies) . Some offer a masters degree along with the fellowship. With the PhD you are your own boss but you are also responsible for much more (like funding procurement).What type of research were you interested in.... drug development? kinetics ? clinical? epidemiological? etc... The answer will differ depending on your interest.

Originally Posted by deltaforce

Why do you want to go into research?

With PharmD, you can fit into many research categories and funding should not be your concern as your PI is supposed to apply for funding, except you want to do it yourself (which is a waste of time in current funding scene) or you are a post-doc. I am not too sure if companies will hire you for clinical trials with PhD (i.e. you don't need PhD for that).

PharmD+PhD - your prospects are not going to be any great with addition as opposed to either. With PhD, your pharmD will get a very little acknowledgement. In fact, I think you are better off with Pharm D than PharmD+PhD.

Post more with specific question and will respond specifically.

Well, I totally screwed myself

My school offers research fellowships for PharmD students. I believe after graduation you can do a fellowship that trains you in research and qualifies you for it. However, if you're wanting to be the head of a lab or stick with lab based research you should get a PhD.

I did a research fellowship as a molecular biology major in my senior year of undergrad, I plan on applying for some while I'm in pharmacy school as well.

Originally Posted by Digsbe

My school offers research fellowships for PharmD students. I believe after graduation you can do a fellowship that trains you in research and qualifies you for it. However, if you're wanting to be the head of a lab or stick with lab based research you should get a PhD.

I did a research fellowship as a molecular biology major in my senior year of undergrad, I plan on applying for some while I'm in pharmacy school as well.

Not necessarily. My PI is a PharmD and our lab does both clinical and basic science research. In fact, most of the PI's in my department are PharmD's with only one having both degrees.

Originally Posted by tungsten87

Not necessarily. My PI is a PharmD and our lab does both clinical and basic science research. In fact, most of the PI's in my department are PharmD's with only one having both degrees.

A PharmD doesn't have to have a PhD to be a basic science research baller, but it certainly doesn't hurt

Originally Posted by tungsten87

Not necessarily. My PI is a PharmD and our lab does both clinical and basic science research. In fact, most of the PI's in my department are PharmD's with only one having both degrees.

They most likely have fellowships then.

Originally Posted by hereticmnk

Absolutely!! Fellowships are a little harder to get into than residencies however (some even require prior residencies) . Some offer a masters degree along with the fellowship. With the PhD you are your own boss but you are also responsible for much more (like funding procurement).What type of research were you interested in.... drug development? kinetics ? clinical? epidemiological? etc... The answer will differ depending on your interest.

I'm interested in everything!!!!! hahah