MD and pharmaceutical engineering degree?

[noroxytocin]

Hi. I'm wondering if it would be beneficial to get a pharmaceutical engineering degree in addition to the MD degree. I definitely want to get an MD, but I wasn't sure if it could be useful to know how to make pharmaceuticals, either for starting a company, if adequate pharmaceuticals weren't available to patients, or for some other reason. By the way, does anyone know what a doctoral degree in pharmaceutical engineering is called? Thanks.

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[pluto101]

Do you want to develop pharmaceuticals? If not, stick with the MD.

 

[Snakes]

I used to work for a generic drug company and most of their "pharma" engineers were biomedical engineers or chemical engineers.

I'm assuming this isn't what you were actually asking, but obviously even if you have a biomedical engineering degree, you're not going to be able to whip up drugs for your patients. The GDC I worked for was owned and run by medical doctors without engineering degrees. If you want to start a drug company, consider an MBA--that would be more useful than a pharmaceutical engineering doctorate. If you're running your company you won't be the one developing the drugs.

 

[redpanda]

No. Knowing advanced methods for formulating things to run through your tablet press will not help.

 

[gtbROX]

I've read about medical oncologists working as executives in major biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies directing the clinical trials process of drugs. Beyond that I don't know too much about what MDs can actually do in the drug design process.

 

[noroxytocin]

I guess what I was mostly wondering about was how certain drugs don't work according to the circadian rhythm like they should, like hydrocortisone for example. Most people just take it two to three times a day, but I'd like to be able to give people the option of taking it in a special time release form or something, while still being a doctor. Also acthar for example, which is super expensive, would be good to make an alternative for. Thanks for all your input.