Pharma R &D

[MindCastle15]

Hey...so I'm interested in working in R & D of a pharmaceutical company...could anyone tell me how to go about it? I'm super interested in biotech companies too...but what kind of degrees do they usually prefer? I'm sure pharmacy school is one of them, but I'm not very interested in the pharmacist's job, per se. I'm a little new to pharmacy- I was initially thinking of medical but now I feel that pharmaceutical research scientist may be more suited to me Could anyone tell me about all the degrees related to pharmacy? And how to apply? And the jobs they get+ job outlook of each? Pharmacutical engineering? What are the options for a biochem/chemistry graduate- with a PhD, say? Do MDs work in biotech/pharma comp? Do they do any basic science research? What is the job outlook for them? I may have missed out a few points- so please feel free to contribute any info Thanks!

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[Biochemistry2014]

Get a PhD in some biochemical or drug discovery/design field. While the Pharm.D degree grants more pharmaceutical knowledge than other health professions, it is a healthcare field. The focus of a pharmacy degree is completely different from a research-based doctorate. If your goal is research, a PhD in a pharmaceutical science will always beat out Pharm.D.

Solo MD degrees are a bit more common in R&D fields than solo Pharm.D. degrees, but you'll definitely want to add a PhD to either if you are set on R&D.

 

[MindCastle15]

Get a PhD in some biochemical or drug discovery/design field.

As in bio/chem/biochemistry? Thats exactly why I wasn't too interested in pharmD! Thanks a lot for the info...Also, can an undergrad degree in 1) bioengineering/biotech or 2) biomedical engineering help me with jobs in pharma R & D? As I stated before- I'm interested in biotech companies as well- how about that? And the job outlook? I keep hearing about too much competition among PhDs- is it true for this industry? And do they earn a decent amount?

 

[MindCastle15]

ALSO- one more question- I know this isn't the exact forum but- if I had to choose between biology and chemistry as degree for pre-med- keeping in mind my job preferences above- Whether I will actually go into medicine or not, is a later decision- any thoughts on which major is a better idea? In the event that I do not study medicine? I have equal preferences for both- in fact, I'm interested in biochemistry. How is the bioengineering degree? Sorry I'm a little vague here, but I am asking because I've heard pretty bad things about jobs in life sciences. :/

 

[amam]

ALSO- one more question- I know this isn't the exact forum but- if I had to choose between biology and chemistry as degree for pre-med- keeping in mind my job preferences above- Whether I will actually go into medicine or not, is a later decision- any thoughts on which major is a better idea? In the event that I do not study medicine? I have equal preferences for both- in fact, I'm interested in biochemistry. How is the bioengineering degree? Sorry I'm a little vague here, but I am asking because I've heard pretty bad things about jobs in life sciences. :/

It doesn't matter which major you pick, as both have some coursework that will become relevant in med school. It all depends what you would rather learn in undergrad really, as long as you cover the prereqs.

As for jobs in R&D, having only a bachelors limits you, as you'll likely only be "working on the bench" (meaning you won't have much say in the projects, and do the grunt work for the most part) and jobs are limited. with a PhD you can become the leader of a lab, or at least on certain projects, and you have much more upward mobility. Competition for post phd grads is fierce, as more and more are needing to do multiple post-docs. The jobs are there though, and should pull in 100k once you progress through your career.