Pharmacology

[cbrons]

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Have you heard of someone pursuing an MD/PhD in pharmacology? Is that a rare track to take? I mean, I'm a pharmacy tech right now and I really don't want to be a pharmacist (autonomy, other reasons that I won't disclose/no one cares about) but I do like the material I have to learn for that utterly ridiculous CPhT exam.

 

[cbrons]

And also, what type of advantage would having a PhD in pharmacology + an MD give you in a clinical setting? Aside from that fact that you will have superior knowledge about drugs, could it potentially open some doors as far as patient care is concerned

 

[j-weezy]

I am by no means an authority (hopefully other people will join in) but from interviewing, I've noticed plenty of PIs and students are in the pharmacology department at various medical schools.

What do you mean open doors as far as patient care? You would be in a better position to move drug design (or other research) from the laboratory setting to clinical trials - is this what you meant? I don't think it would increase patient contact - if you were set on continuing basic research it would probably decrease the actual time spent face-to-face with patients but you could be a better care provider - just not in the typical sense. Basic research is necessary to improve the current state of medical care.

Sorry my answer isn't more robust but welcome to the physician scientist forum!

-j

 

[QofQuimica]

You should PM scottishchap. He did a PhD-to-MD, but his PhD is in pharm. Mine is in pharmaceutical chemistry. I don't know that it really gives much of an advantage so far, except that I understand drug mechs well.

 

[URHere]

I'm applying to MD/PhD programs currently and my intended field is Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Personally, I think this is one of the areas where a dual degree would be most helpful - you get the medical school systems training as well as the PhD-geared drug action/receptor pathway training. On top of all of that, who can treat patients better than someone working with the drugs they need and who can design those drugs better than someone who works with patients so intimately? Just be careful not to push certain drugs because you or someone you know helped to design them, this dual focus could be a conflict of interest waiting to happen.

 

[Gfunk6]

I think you are confusing Pharmacology and Pharmacy.

Pharmacology PhD = basic science degree geared towards research

Pharmcy PhD (aka. PharmD) = terminal clinical degree for practicing pharmacists

Simply have a PhD in Pharmacology gives you no general insight in a wide variety of drugs, it is a research degree. I go a PhD in Pharmacology through an MSTP but I only know about drugs that are germane to my area of research.

 

[URHere]

Sorry for any vagueness. I was more suggesting that a pharmacology degree could help someone with a specific clinical focus (i.e. if you work in addiction rehabilitation and your PhD involves amphetamine treatment research, etc.).

It would probably not be helpful for a general physician, but for some specialties, it would be very useful.

 

[Scottish Chap]

You should PM scottishchap. He did a PhD-to-MD, but his PhD is in pharm. Mine is in pharmaceutical chemistry. I don't know that it really gives much of an advantage so far, except that I understand drug mechs well.

Thanks for the referral, Q. 😛 It all depends on what you want to do. I can tell you that clinical pharmacology is VERY under-served right now, and there aren't that many people interested in it after medical school. However, if the OP's goal is pure basic research, a solid background in pharmacology is definitely a bonus. Pharmacology requires solid understanding of many disciplines: chemistry, physiology, anatomy, pathology, signal transduction etc. PhD level classes in pharmacology are more involved than medical school pharmacology which just scratches the surface. Just keep in mind that pharmacology is not pharmacy (I get asked that all the time); it's the research that counts.

 

[QofQuimica]

Thanks for the referral, Q. 😛 It all depends on what you want to do. I can tell you that clinical pharmacology is VERY under-served right now, and there aren't that many people interested in it after medical school. However, if the OP's goal is pure basic research, a solid background in pharmacology it definitely a bonus. Pharmacology requires solid understanding of many disciplines: chemistry, physiology, anatomy, pathology, signal transduction etc. PhD level classes in pharmacology are more involved than medical school pharmacology which just scratches the surface. Just keep in mind that pharmacology is not pharmacy (I get asked that all the time); it's the research that counts.

Can you provide more info on what kind of training is needed and job opportunities are available in clinical pharm? I think other people besides the OP would be interested in knowing more about it.

P.S. Agree completely that med school pharm is a total joke compared to grad school pharm.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Can you provide more info on what kind of training is needed and job opportunities are available in clinical pharm? I think other people besides the OP would be interested in knowing more about it.

P.S. Agree completely that med school pharm is a total joke compared to grad school pharm.

It's generally a one or two-year fellowship that requires at least one year of residency training in a primary residency program like internal medicine, psychiatry, or pediatrics before the fellowship. Clinical pharmacology also has its own board examination. PhDs can also complete a two-year fellowship in clinical pharmacology, but the scope of their practice is much less based on the absence of formal clinical training for PhDs. Georgetown University has a good clinical pharmacology program, and so does the University of Indiana. In fact, the Director of the Indiana program is from my home town. He is also a PhD-to-MD, and his MD was completed in just two years - at the highly-successful but now obsolete University of Miami PhD-to-MD conversion program. Back then, the Miami program did not have an issue with internationals. They just wanted a high MCAT score and a PhD in anything scientific. I'm sure you would have satisfied that criterion, Q. 😉

As for job opportunities: a couple of very established clinical pharmacologist (originally trained in IM) tell me that there is about to be a huge exodus from the field via retirement. They are looking for young folks to enter the field. Typically, the clinical pharmacologists are actively engaged in research, and they work closely with pharmacists in hospitals, figuring out management of patients with multiple co-morbidities and polypharmacy. In addition, pharmacogenomics is presently a very hot area of research within the field.