advice for a PhD

[maybeline]

i recently completed a PhD in Pharmacology and I have about had it with research - bench work anyway
so i am planning to pursue a PharmD
any advice? will my PhD help at all?

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[Caverject]

Seems redundant to do but you are free to do what you want. If you have any public speaking skills, you should try teaching pcol to a nursing program at the local CC to see if you like it. If so, maybe then move into a College of Pharmacy

 

[dgroulx]

i recently completed a PhD in Pharmacology and I have about had it with research - bench work anyway
so i am planning to pursue a PharmD
any advice? will my PhD help at all?

We have a guy in our class with a PhD in pharmacology. He's graduating this year and signed a 3-year committment with Walgreens. I'd say that the PhD helped him. He was always the first one to finish exams, never made the deans list because he didn't care and didn't study, but never failed a class either.

 

[PharmD2MD]

There is a guy in my med school class with a PhD in biochem. It didn't really help him much in our medical biochem class. The same might apply to you- if your PhD is really focused. Research isn't a big focus in most Pharm.D. programs. It certaintly won't hurt though, and you probably already have some good study habits.

 

[npage148]

We had a PhD in biochem in our class. He failed pharm calc 101 like 2-3 times and then was given the boot. I was honestly stumped how someone that smart would suck it up soo hard in such a easy class

 

[Scottish Chap]

We had a PhD in biochem in our class. He failed pharm calc 101 like 2-3 times and then was given the boot. I was honestly stumped how someone that smart would suck it up soo hard in such a easy class

A Ph.D. has nothing to do with "smarts". Ph.D's are bright enough but it's just a piece of paper that says you have perseverance - nothing more. That's a sad story, though.

 

[lord999]

We had a PhD in biochem in our class. He failed pharm calc 101 like 2-3 times and then was given the boot. I was honestly stumped how someone that smart would suck it up soo hard in such a easy class

Wow, I'd be worried about that person's credentialing. Biochemists routinely take Cal III/DiffEq for their research method quals. I'd be embarrassed to be that idiot's advisor, notwithstanding the fact that all a Ph.D. represents is preseverence.

Back to the original question, going through a graduate program now after pharmacy, I think pharmacy was more demanding than graduate school. You have to get used to not having personal attention, time to investigate nuances, being always "right" and "complete" when answers are needed. MCQ tests suck after enjoying essay exams/papers for awhile (had fun trying to write a MCQ for a class because I had forgotten what questions on those have to be like).

On the other hand, knowledge is not cumulative. Pharm. students binge and purge information pre and posttest all the time. There is less stress because all projects come to an end every 15 weeks (or 10 in a quarter system). No one expects perfection, and thinking is less important than believing.

If you want to PM me, please do so. I'm always fascinated to hear stories of why someone left the bench.\\

 

[thelonius]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how would having a PhD in pharmacology NOT be an advantage in the admissions process as well as an advantage academically, if you were accepted? I would also expect that earning a PhD would be more challenging than earning a PharmD degree, no?

 

[Scottish Chap]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how would having a PhD in pharmacology NOT be an advantage in the admissions process as well as an advantage academically, if you were accepted? I would also expect that earning a PhD would be more challenging than earning a PharmD degree, no?

True enough. I'm a Ph.D. pharmacologist in the second year of medical school. I've already seen medical pharmacology before (twice ), so it does help with all of the medical biochemistry, pharmacology, and physiology classes. Pharmacy schools (like like medical school) - by virtue of its structure - really spoon-feeds you. The information is not intellectually difficult, but there is SO MUCH of it. You pay a lot of tuition and you have a contractual agreement that the school will train you. When you do a Ph.D., you really are on your own. The information in the classes is far more advanced and 99% of what you do in lab does not work. YOU have to make it work. Each is difficult, but for different reasons.

 

[futuredruggist]

i recently completed a PhD in Pharmacology and I have about had it with research - bench work anyway
so i am planning to pursue a PharmD
any advice? will my PhD help at all?

I work at a biotech company where none of the PhDs work in the lab. They only do data analysis and presentations to customers. I would think that you could find a job somewhere that involves no bench work.

 

[canggar]

I got a BS in pharmacy and then a PhD in pharmacology.

I think the PhD will help you get accepted into school. I just don't know if it will actually help you do much better in your classes though. If you can cram a lot of things in your short term memory and then spit them back out again then you're golden - but getting a PhD doesn't mean you are or are not good at that. You will need to give presentations during a PharmD program, and you're presentation skills likely really improved during grad school. The presentations aren't critical to passing, but nobody wants to be embarrassed by giving a bad one.

I also don't know of the magic job for a pharmacist/PhD either - that's what I'm trying to find, and if you find it let me know. You'll have the edge on me though, because you'll be a PharmD/PhD, wheras I'm just a RPh/PhD. Anyway, the job outlook for pharmacists is about 1,000X better than for PhDs right now (with the NIH budget flat) so even if your PhD doesn't help you do anything but get into school you should end up with a higher paying job when you're done.

My advice? If you really hate bench work then the pharmacy job should be more fun, but be careful, sometimes the grass just looks greener. You may want to get a job as a pharmacy tech in a hospital or retail pharmacy if that's what you're thinking of doing (and yes, I know it sounds crazy because you have a PhD). But seeing that job in action part-time, if you don't like it, could save you the last 3 years of school only to get another job you might not love either.

 

[Tessalon]

I think having a PhD will definitely help you with pharmacy school - maybe not just with having a better scientific background, but in other areas as well. You obviously must be a very motivated person to have completed a PhD in the first place. I have a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and will complete my PharmD this year. Although biochem class was not any easier the second time around, I think having finished one degree made pharmacy school less stressful for me than if I would have gone in after just 2 years of undergrad. I felt more mature entering pharm school, and I had learned a lot of time management and helpful study skills over the previous 4 years. And since you have actually been working in the "real world", you will have a better perspective on what you want to focus on as you start your pharmacy career. Good luck!

 

[rekesk]

We had a PhD in biochem in our class. He failed pharm calc 101 like 2-3 times and then was given the boot. I was honestly stumped how someone that smart would suck it up soo hard in such a easy class

Ok that's just strange and you've got me thinking now too.

To the OP:

Have you ever considered a legal career? A phd in the intellectual property world is not only highly sought after, but can lead to insane monetary rewards! Many biotech oriented firms are searching for PHD holders in biology/pharmacology/chemistry because their clients are demanding them. They are willing to train you as a patent agent, if its something that itnerests you.

And as an alternative to getting a Pharm.D, you could get a JD which could take you far. It all depends on what cup of tea you would like.

Also another thing to consider - medical writing. Your Phd will serve you well there.