Best Post PharmD degree/program for a research career
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Some faculty have told me PhD over a fellowship...and I think some areas of pharmacokinetics are hot right now (who knows about the future). That's about all I've heard and keep in mind people build careers off of almost every path imaginable.
I would say phd over a fellowship. Based on what i've seen and been told, a phd will allow you to be the creative mastermind, while a fellowship will limit you to someone else's creativity. But you likely won't be obliged to write any grants 😀.
If you're considering a phd, you should also be considering doing rounds throughout potential labs at whatever university you attend. Pharmacology and pharmd studies will have the most overlap. But yes molecular/cell/micro biology are all other options. It depends on you and your interests/background.
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I would think Ph.D in pharmaceutics is hot right now and continue to be hot in the future. I am not sure about the future of PK. You can do a Ph.D in pharmacology which I think also relate to what you learn in pharmacy school.
Depends on the research you're looking to do and the setting you would like to do it in. The PhD is really the "gold standard" research degree and will almost certainly outweigh any sort of fellowship or residency. After speaking with faculty members with hiring ability at numerous schools, the preference is for a PhD.
That isn't to say that you cannot have a successful and active career as a researcher with a post-grad residency or fellowship, in fact, quite the opposite. The initial legwork to get your research going is certainly going to be more difficult, but definitely doable. Keep in mind though that not all residencies and fellowships are created equal. Look for the track record of placement - working at Mike Rybak's lab in Detroit will probably get you a lot further than a small community hospital in South Dakota.
That isn't to say that you cannot have a successful and active career as a researcher with a post-grad residency or fellowship, in fact, quite the opposite. The initial legwork to get your research going is certainly going to be more difficult, but definitely doable. Keep in mind though that not all residencies and fellowships are created equal. Look for the track record of placement - working at Mike Rybak's lab in Detroit will probably get you a lot further than a small community hospital in South Dakota.
There are two good opinion pieces on this very subject that you should read:
http://www.accp.com/docs/positions/whitePapers/ClinicalScientistEd.pdf
http://www.accp.com/docs/positions/whitePapers/ClinicalScientistEd2.pdf
http://www.accp.com/docs/positions/whitePapers/ClinicalScientistEd.pdf
http://www.accp.com/docs/positions/whitePapers/ClinicalScientistEd2.pdf
Thanks for posting the two articles, pat! Very interesting reading.
Even though I ended up agreeing with the idea that both PharmD/PHd and PharmD/fellowship routes are needed to produce the greatest number of talented scientists, the article ironically convinced me that the PharmD/PhD route is the best route for me as an prospective clinician scientist. The impression I get from both articles is that there is an idea (false as it may be) in the scientific community that PhD/PharmDs are better prepared and trained than PharmD/fellowship students. Also I had no idea that the ACCP and AACP recently endorsed PhD/PharmD as the preferred route to clinician scientist. All this tell me that since the pharmd/phd and pharmd/fellowship are approximately the same amount of time (depending of course on how my PhD research goes), my next 6 years are better spent at in a joint PharmD/PhD program than doing the pharmD/fellowship route.
Also I think its interesting how people are rushing into careers in community or retail pharmacy because of the dollar signs and not considering a career in research or industry. All the facts seem to point toward that in the near future with the changing field of pharmacy, research and industry will be where the money is. Does anyone agree?
Even though I ended up agreeing with the idea that both PharmD/PHd and PharmD/fellowship routes are needed to produce the greatest number of talented scientists, the article ironically convinced me that the PharmD/PhD route is the best route for me as an prospective clinician scientist. The impression I get from both articles is that there is an idea (false as it may be) in the scientific community that PhD/PharmDs are better prepared and trained than PharmD/fellowship students. Also I had no idea that the ACCP and AACP recently endorsed PhD/PharmD as the preferred route to clinician scientist. All this tell me that since the pharmd/phd and pharmd/fellowship are approximately the same amount of time (depending of course on how my PhD research goes), my next 6 years are better spent at in a joint PharmD/PhD program than doing the pharmD/fellowship route.
Also I think its interesting how people are rushing into careers in community or retail pharmacy because of the dollar signs and not considering a career in research or industry. All the facts seem to point toward that in the near future with the changing field of pharmacy, research and industry will be where the money is. Does anyone agree?
I think there is something to be said for both routes. If you're going to go the fellowship route it would probably be a good idea to at least consider residency training beforehand to further improve your clinical side credentials.
MD's are usually the ones who develop new drugs, followed by PhD's. A PharmD degree does nothing to develop research skills.
depends on the school...
I always thought research and drug development was usually done by MD/Phds or Phds, I could be wrong though. And I actually know of some pharmDs who do research. However, the point of PharmD/PhD is to develop the clinician scientist, a person who is both trained in both working with patients and research (much like PhD/MD). As I understand it, there are some fields that only PharmDs can enter easily and some areas that PhDs can go into easily. With a PharmD/PhD, a person can step into both sets shoes, creating new niches in the process. I think it's a very exciting prospect for those who are interested (me!) and an emerging job description in pharmaceutical research.
And an MD on it's own does? They get their research trIning in fellowship, just the same as a PharmD.
Plus your order of degrees in drug development is pretty much wrong. Look at the Phase I/Phase II studies and you'll see more than a fair share of PharmDs represented.
Why do people continuously post things when they have no idea what they're talking about? That's a rhetorical question.
This is so factually incorrect, I wonder if there is a joke in there that I am missing.
Are you kidding??
MDs do not design new drugs- phds do. MDs contribute to clinical trials using the drug but not the design of it.
And I agree with the comment in regard to the world going towards clinical research/science. I've worked with both MDs and PhDs, and the missing gap in between them is the best of both worlds. Although a phd does take longer than a fellowship. And dont forget about a post-doc. Post-docs only make about 40k a yr (depending on where they live), and not everyone does a post-doc but in research it is highly recommended, and from what i've heard, one of the best experiences.
And I think many choose the retail route not only b/c of the paycheck, but research scientists really are one of a kind individuals. Many researchers are very creative individuals, and committed. Not to say that retailers arent committed, they'd just rather do 4yrs instead of 7yrs. Personally, I'm more excited for my last 7yrs of school, compared to the first four.
Can anyone comment further on which PhD degree to get? After much research I have pretty much decided it would be best to go the PhD route in order to avoid being underqualified for any opportunity (on paper).
Is a pharmacology PhD repetitive?
Would a Molecular biology degree make you more well rounded?
Is a Cancer biology degree too narrow?
Is a pharmacology PhD repetitive?
Would a Molecular biology degree make you more well rounded?
Is a Cancer biology degree too narrow?
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Also, can anyone comment on difficulty attaining funding for a fellowship trained researcher vs a PhD? K Awards? Other NIH funding? It seems like PhDs have an easier time securing funding...but I really don't know or have any concrete data supporting this...
