I graduated and got a job in retail pharmacy. I realize now how much I miss clinical pharmacy. With a BS in Biochem and a PharmD, how would I go about getting a job doing clinical research? Is the FDA the only place for it? What about pharmaceutical companies preforming research on a new drug, don't they need to hire a pharmacist with some science background? I would love to help design and implement studies and contribute back to the scientific and pharmacy community. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
How does a PharmD get a job in research?
- Thread starter DanRPh42
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If you're looking into doing anything heavily research-focused, there's a good chance you'll need to go back and get a graduate degree on top of the PharmD, unless you already have a solid research background. Unfortunately, most PharmD programs don't have any sort of serious research track unless you're doing a dual degree, so most students are not adequately prepared coming out of school to take on a strictly research position.
Actually, I do have a background in research. I have my name on a few publications while contributing to laboratory research during my biochemistry years. I do wish I had attended a pharmacy school with a dual PhD/PharmD program, but unfortunately I did not. If I were to try applying with my current background, what type of company would consider hiring me though? Seems an odd thing that somebody with a Biochem degree can find a job in research but a Biochem+PharmD cannot. Perhaps I should just nix the PharmD and go back to science. (No, I wouldn't really waste the pharmacy education. But it is tempting. Retail is... not suiting me well.)
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Well .. PharmD research is not basic science research. PharmD's do research on clinical outcomes, pharmaceutical cost-effectiveness, safety and regimen use, basically drug USE and distribution. So mostly, they pursue a masters or phd in one of these areas prior to doing research.
They also supervise the drug distribution pieces of clinical trials (not really researchers, but more research support)
While PharmD adds real world relevance to your biochemistry knowledge, biochemistry *researchers* are not really needing or using any pharmacy specific knowledge.. so they mostly have Biochem PhDs.
I think you can market yourself to a research type spot along the lines of participating in research and supervising clinical trials.
Designing and writing papers on clinical trials are all MD/PhD , PharmD/PhD, MD, or other research oriented degree.
You have two different worlds there .. basic science research, which PharmD's dont really do at all .. and Pharmacy type research, which you don't have a strong background in.
Unfortunately, bench work does not translate into clinical research very well. But you may be able to sell your skills to a research company if you try.
I would recommend a quick masters program, then you can round out your background and play up all 3 facets.
Other option being a biochem masters or PhD.
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You are waste pharmd for research. Company prefer phd or md for research to hire. If want do reasearch, go back do pdh or md. pharmd is not degree for research and companys know this.
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One of my classmates has a full-time position doing research and she didn't even do a fellowship. She got in simply because of her research experience in school. (Was on her own under one of the professors, not something that she was required to do for a class.)
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ingrish. u spek it.
I have heard of pharmacists doing clinical research at pharm companies, and I think without a graduate degree but that was way before. It's probably changed now and if I had to pick a grad degree, maybe a MPH?
Google "contract research organizations" (CROs) and "pharmd", that's another possible avenue for pharmacists to use their knowledge in clinical research maybe and sounds like what you're looking for.
Google "contract research organizations" (CROs) and "pharmd", that's another possible avenue for pharmacists to use their knowledge in clinical research maybe and sounds like what you're looking for.
I have a pharmD only and I perform meta-analyses on newer medications. I have one published article with a collegue and we are working on another two. Ask your network if there are other pharmD doing research and if you could help. That's how I got started.
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I would suggest a Masters or fellowship. Without connections, getting into pharma without research experience (to include things like statistics) might be difficult. FDA isn't all research and there are many PharmDs that work there- but getting in isn't easy, especially right now.
Remember, you'll also be competing with people who have higher degrees.
Perhaps you can maneuver into clinical research in a hospital setting but to move from retail to hospital presents its own challenges.
Remember, you'll also be competing with people who have higher degrees.
Perhaps you can maneuver into clinical research in a hospital setting but to move from retail to hospital presents its own challenges.
