pharmacuetical specialties

[tompharm]

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How does specializing in a field such as nuclear pharmacy and oncology work.

Is this a decision a Pharm D. student will make during their coursework? Or is it pursued and achieved after a student has graduated with a Pharm. D.?

Also, are these specialties specific only to clinical pharmacists? If not, could someone please give me example.

 

[Rubinstein]

I'm just a lowly pre-pharm like you, but I have investigated this issue somewhat. I shadowed a pharmacy resident at a local cancer hospital and pharmacists on organ transplant teams. The basic idea seems to be that you finish your PharmD and then look for residencies. The decision isn't necessarily one that has to made at a certain point in your schooling. However, depending on what rotations and electives are available at your school, it may be useful to make the decision in time to prepare for it. There aer generally two years of residency required: the first year is general hospital stuff, the second is specialized. There are a few board certified specialties for pharmacists, but people usually don't certify until they have been practicing for several years.

As far as specializing in retail settings, I'm not so sure. I do have a friend that has worked a niche out for herself compounding veterinary prescriptions, but I don't think she went through any specialized training.

That's about all I know, and I sure don't know everything. Is there a specific field you are interested in?

 

[lee0539]

well for me i'm really interested in the psychiatric pharmacy or also known as Neuropsychiatric Pharmaceutical care and I put that in one of my supp essay as one of the specialities i'm interested in, but I'm not even sure how to go about becoming one let alone where they work.

 

[Rubinstein]

I did a quick Google search and there are LOTS of psychiatric pharmacy residency programs, so it probably works the same as other specialty areas.

 

[Hels2007]

You can have an option of doing a rotation in your area of interest if your school has one (or you could try set one up yourself, though it can be painful). After that, for oncology or psychiatry you would need a one-year general residency, then one or two years of specialty residency/fellowship. For nuclear pharmacy, it depends on the state, I heard it's several months of on-the-job training after which you are eligible for registration as a nuclear pharmacist (I don't think it's mandatory in every state to register, though...). There are also six specialy areas, including nuclear pharmacy, in which you could be board-certified (though you aren't even eligible until after you worked for two years, and I heard these exams make NAPLEX seem an open-book first-grade test).

You cannot really specialize while in school, though you may be able to do a research project or find a job in you area of interest. One of my friends worked in a nuclear pharmacy as a student, for two or three years, though she ended up doing general residency instead after graduating.

 

[Ethyl Methyl]

There are also six specialy areas, including nuclear pharmacy, in which you could be board-certified

what are these areas, if you don't mind me asking...