Pharmacy in combination with what other degree is a good choice?

[theladybug]

Hey guys. I will be applying to Pharmacy school soon. I wanted to share opinions with you on the Dual Degrees in Pharmacy. I know they have dual degrees in Pharmacy/PhD, MBA, JD, MS, or MPH. Is there any other degrees that you think will compliment well with a PharmD? I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

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[tahi193]

Whether those degrees are useful or not will depend on your career goals. If you want to do research then the PhD would be ideal. I think the MBA would be a nice addition if you wanted to open your own pharmacy or be a director of pharmacy for a hospital, etc. I really do not see the point of a random JD degree but maybe someone else can tell you more about that.

Sometimes I think universities tell you the dual degrees will give you a big leg up in the job market just to make more money from you. I've never heard any statistics about Pharm.D/other degrees having higher salaries than just the Pharm.D

 

[Passion4Sci]

Whether those degrees are useful or not will depend on your career goals. If you want to do research then the PhD would be ideal. I think the MBA would be a nice addition if you wanted to open your own pharmacy or be a director of pharmacy for a hospital, etc. I really do not see the point of a random JD degree but maybe someone else can tell you more about that.

Sometimes I think universities tell you the dual degrees will give you a big leg up in the job market just to make more money from you. I've never heard any statistics about Pharm.D/other degrees having higher salaries than just the Pharm.D

They might not have higher salaries as Pharmacists, but don't you think the Director of Pharmacy for the hospital with an MBA as well as a Pharm.D has a bit higher pay grade?

 

[117296]

They might not have higher salaries as Pharmacists, but don't you think the Directory of Pharmacy for the hospital with an MBA as well as a Pharm.D has a bit higher pay grade?

That made me laugh...it reminds me of Micromedex or ClinPharm.

 

[Passion4Sci]

That made me laugh...it reminds me of Micromedex or ClinPharm.

Just using his own verbiage in my rebuttal.

 

[crazybob]

i've read somewhere that pharmacists with JD degrees can work with phase trials and clinical trials for new drugs where they work on getting medications patented and make policies for them. is there any other use for the PharmD/JD combination?

 

[tahi193]

Just using his own verbiage in my rebuttal.

Actually, I said Director not Directory.

Back to the question, I definitely agree that depending on your career goals, the dual degree could have its advantages. It's likely that the MBA would increase your chances of getting a job that requires a lot of managerial skills and you might have a higher salary than a PharmD in the same position. If anyone on these boards actually has experience instead of just speculation, it would be cool to hear their opinion.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Actually, I said Director not Directory.

Back to the question, I definitely agree that depending on your career goals, the dual degree could have its advantages. It's likely that the MBA would increase your chances of getting a job that requires a lot of managerial skills and you might have a higher salary than a PharmD in the same position. If anyone on these boards actually has experience instead of just speculation, it would be cool to hear their opinion.

Oh, woops, typo monster got me.

Fixed.

 

[Monalyce]

I talked to a lot of people about the PharmD/MBA dual degree. They all said that it was a misbelief that having both degrees will put you into a different kind of job field (or salary bracket) right out of school. It may help you in the future, but you have to work your way up just like with any other job.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I talked to a lot of people about the PharmD/MBA dual degree. They all said that it was a misbelief that having both degrees will put you into a different kind of job field (or salary bracket) right out of school. It may help you in the future, but you have to work your way up just like with any other job.

Has anyone asserted that a dual degree is a silver bullet that somehow enables you to go right to the top?

Not even a top specialty with an M.D. will get you "to the top" without working for it.

It is all about where your personal glass ceiling ends up being.

 

[crazybob]

what about becoming a pharmacy manager, district manager, or a regional manager? is it easier to work your way up to those positions if you have an MBA or does that not matter?

 

[FarscapeGirl]

i've read somewhere that pharmacists with JD degrees can work with phase trials and clinical trials for new drugs where they work on getting medications patented and make policies for them. is there any other use for the PharmD/JD combination?

I know patent law is a big deal. Some people with PhDs go on to get their law degree just so they can go into patent law. It helps if you understand what you're patenting.

 

[Monalyce]

Has anyone asserted that a dual degree is a silver bullet that somehow enables you to go right to the top?

Not even a top specialty with an M.D. will get you "to the top" without working for it.

It is all about where your personal glass ceiling ends up being.

No, nobody asserted that. I've just talked to people that thought it might...sometimes people think "more degrees" means more money, etc.

 

[Sparda29]

what about becoming a pharmacy manager, district manager, or a regional manager? is it easier to work your way up to those positions if you have an MBA or does that not matter?

You do not want to become a district or regional manager.

 

[koercive]

I've been looking at USC's PharmD/MBA (5 yrs) and PharmD/M. Regulatory Sci (4 yrs + summers) programs.

Additional application materials may be required for certain programs such as more LORs, standardized testing, etc.

Do your research and attend the dual degree info sessions at your pharmacy school to decide which combo best fits what you want to do (also weigh taking GMAT and LSAT , or paying for an additional year of school).