Is a Pharm D the right degree for me?

[Daisyface]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and am carefully considering the best way to achieve my career goals. Given my strengths and interests, do you think a Pharm D is the best degree for me? I am doing lots of research but could use extra advice. Please forgive me if I make wrong statements/assumptions because I am only trying to learn!

I want to serve the public by protecting them against the adverse effects of toxins in the environment and/or medicine. My passion is toxicology and I think it is crazy that the smallest things may be harming use without our knowledge. One of the highlights of my undergrad was doing dose response in a lab to determine what level of a drug negatively affected embryonic development. However, I can't see myself in a lab environment long term because I am a very sociable, warm person who likes to communicate directly with the people I am helping. I became particularly interested in pharmacy when I realized I could be involved in poison control or hospital treatment teams.

I also love medicine, and enjoyed a year of internship experience in the ER. But in the back of my mind I suspect our society is overly-medicated. I worry about being put in the position where I have to recommend drugs when people don't need them. This is actually one of my biggest concerns because I have a hyper-hyper-hyper sensitive moral conscience (not exaggerating, it's actually annoying lol).

I want to advocate for and share knowledge with others on how to be safe in drug use or when in contact with chemicals. Eventually I think it would be interesting to be involved in developing drug and chemical regulations/policy or working for the FDA.

My alternative degree/career ideas include Masters in public health, PHD in toxicology, and industrial hygiene.

I don't care how hard I have to work for it or how much money I make, I just want to have a fulfilling career and I am wondering what type of degree would open up the most doors for me?

Thanks so much!!!

 

[rxtech2012]

Get a PhD in toxicology....could you imagine yourself working in a retail setting or sitting in a chair at a hospital typing up scripts all day? If so, go pharmD(I know there is more to the degree than I mentioned but these mentioned are most common.)

 

[missSunshine]

You have to go with what YOU would like to do!!! try shadowing...if being in the medical field is what you want then try and shadow in as many fields as possible..thats 1 of the best ways to see what you like best...at the end of the day noone can tell you what to do you have to make that decision, otherwise you may regret it for a really long time!!!

 

[jerbearox]

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and am carefully considering the best way to achieve my career goals. Given my strengths and interests, do you think a Pharm D is the best degree for me? I am doing lots of research but could use extra advice. Please forgive me if I make wrong statements/assumptions because I am only trying to learn!

I want to serve the public by protecting them against the adverse effects of toxins in the environment and/or medicine. My passion is toxicology and I think it is crazy that the smallest things may be harming use without our knowledge. One of the highlights of my undergrad was doing dose response in a lab to determine what level of a drug negatively affected embryonic development. However, I can't see myself in a lab environment long term because I am a very sociable, warm person who likes to communicate directly with the people I am helping. I became particularly interested in pharmacy when I realized I could be involved in poison control or hospital treatment teams.

I also love medicine, and enjoyed a year of internship experience in the ER. But in the back of my mind I suspect our society is overly-medicated. I worry about being put in the position where I have to recommend drugs when people don’t need them. This is actually one of my biggest concerns because I have a hyper-hyper-hyper sensitive moral conscience (not exaggerating, it’s actually annoying lol).

I want to advocate for and share knowledge with others on how to be safe in drug use or when in contact with chemicals. Eventually I think it would be interesting to be involved in developing drug and chemical regulations/policy or working for the FDA.

My alternative degree/career ideas include Masters in public health, PHD in toxicology, and industrial hygiene.

I don’t care how hard I have to work for it or how much money I make, I just want to have a fulfilling career and I am wondering what type of degree would open up the most doors for me?

Thanks so much!!!

Pharmacy is not right for you.

 

[AlPacino]

I just graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and am carefully considering the best way to achieve my career goals. Given my strengths and interests, do you think a Pharm D is the best degree for me? I am doing lots of research but could use extra advice. Please forgive me if I make wrong statements/assumptions because I am only trying to learn!

I want to serve the public by protecting them against the adverse effects of toxins in the environment and/or medicine. My passion is toxicology and I think it is crazy that the smallest things may be harming use without our knowledge. One of the highlights of my undergrad was doing dose response in a lab to determine what level of a drug negatively affected embryonic development. However, I can't see myself in a lab environment long term because I am a very sociable, warm person who likes to communicate directly with the people I am helping. I became particularly interested in pharmacy when I realized I could be involved in poison control or hospital treatment teams.

I also love medicine, and enjoyed a year of internship experience in the ER. But in the back of my mind I suspect our society is overly-medicated. I worry about being put in the position where I have to recommend drugs when people don’t need them. This is actually one of my biggest concerns because I have a hyper-hyper-hyper sensitive moral conscience (not exaggerating, it’s actually annoying lol).

I want to advocate for and share knowledge with others on how to be safe in drug use or when in contact with chemicals. Eventually I think it would be interesting to be involved in developing drug and chemical regulations/policy or working for the FDA.

My alternative degree/career ideas include Masters in public health, PHD in toxicology, and industrial hygiene.

I don’t care how hard I have to work for it or how much money I make, I just want to have a fulfilling career and I am wondering what type of degree would open up the most doors for me?

Thanks so much!!!

It sounds like you belong in a lab doing research and experimenting. From your experience, I think the PhD in Toxicology suits you better than a PharmD.