PharmD a doctorate or not?

[Wanderinghope]

Hey everyone. Is a PharmD considered a doctorate or a undergraduate degree? Though I have heard many people say it is, but then - what about the postgraduate degree (Ph.D) many uni's offer?

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[phathead]

It's not a doctorate. It's a professional degree

 

[John87]

Hey everyone. Is a PharmD considered a doctorate or a undergraduate degree? Though I have heard many people say it is, but then - what about the postgraduate degree (Ph.D) many uni's offer?

I hope you know what PharmD mean... Pharmacy Doctor. If you compare PharmD with Ph.D. it is totally different because Ph.D. is Doctor in Philosophy. With a PhD degree, you can teach as a professor and do research. Alot of pharmacy school offer dual degree...PharmD/Ph.D. to research or become a professor in pharmacy/medical school. And yes...it is a professional degree

Hope that answer your question.... 😀

 

[kkusang]

Hey everyone. Is a PharmD considered a doctorate or a undergraduate degree? Though I have heard many people say it is, but then - what about the postgraduate degree (Ph.D) many uni's offer?

Pharm D = Doctor of Pharmacy
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree given to a person who has completed the highest level of academic study in the field of pharmacy. In some countries, including the US, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing. -Wikipedia-

 

[atticus27]

It actually uses the belt color-ranking that Karate uses.

A PharmD is a purple belt.

 

[Carboxide]

It's not a doctorate. It's a professional degree

I'm sorry, but you're wrong. It is both a doctorate and a professional degree.

For God's sake, the degree is called "Doctor of Pharmacy". It's a doctorate. It's ALSO a terminal degree.

 

[confettiflyer]

it's just like clockwork...some n00b walks in and asks:

1) is the pharmd a doctorate? do i call a pharmacist a doctor?

2) how much do pharmacists make?

3) can i get in with a 2.5 GPA?

hmm...must be spring coming soon

 

[roziak]

Haha. n00b... Feels like I'm playing CS.

 

[roziak]

I'm on Carboxide's side

 

[Wanderinghope]

Thanks every one for your advice so far on what the PharmD is actually classified as. I have always heard from pharmacists around where I live & family - the PharmD doesn't give you the right to be classified as a doctor since it not a doctorate like the Ph.D is. Plus, it's been noted it's like the Uk's master degree in pharmacy or medicine. All the different titles are confusing.

Anyway, Would applying to a DPharm programme in Canada after PharmD in the US be the same equivalence or is that considered the Ph.D?

Sorry, for all the questions.

 

[MiataMike]

I think that if I graduate with a degree called a "Doctor of Pharmacy" then that gives me the right to be "classified" as a doctor.

 

[confettiflyer]

I think that if I graduate with a degree called a "Doctor of Pharmacy" then that gives me the right to be "classified" as a doctor.

yeah but don't be the a-hole that insists you be called "doctor"

 

[phathead]

I'm sorry, but you're wrong. It is both a doctorate and a professional degree.

For God's sake, the degree is called "Doctor of Pharmacy". It's a doctorate. It's ALSO a terminal degree.

I assumed he was referring to having the title PhD as so many people want to have those initials after their name.

I'm not that ignorant bud 😉

 

[John87]

I do not know why but I rather prefer having PharmD after my name than PhD. 😀 Imagine having PharmD/M.B.A./PhD after your name...And trust me, I know someone who have these after their name. Some others have PharmD/M.B.A./MHS. 😱woot

 

[pharmacysoon]

So will we have "Dr." infront of our names after completion of PharmD?
I think we deserve it after attending college for 6-8yrs!!

 

[twinspharm]

yeah but don't be the a-hole that insists you be called "doctor"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Agree^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[confettiflyer]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Agree^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

conversely....don't be that idiot student that immediately goes on a first name basis with a practitioner (MD, PharmD, etc...) before they give the okay. That's just plain ol' disrespectful.

Doesn't matter if they're younger than you or approx. the same age (you will run into 24 year old PharmD's in residency who are your preceptors)...though I sympathize because it can throw you off.

 

[LovinPharmD]

it's just like clockwork...some n00b walks in and asks:

1) is the pharmd a doctorate? do i call a pharmacist a doctor?

2) how much do pharmacists make?

3) can i get in with a 2.5 GPA?

hmm...must be spring coming soon

hahahaha! Couldn't agree more...this is a better judge of spring coming than the cute groundhog!

 

[sleepietee]

Searched online: "A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree given to a person who has completed the highest level of academic study in the field of pharmacy. In some countries, including the US, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing."

 

[pharmwannebe2]

it's just like clockwork...some n00b walks in and asks:

1) is the pharmd a doctorate? do i call a pharmacist a doctor?

2) how much do pharmacists make?

3) can i get in with a 2.5 GPA?

hmm...must be spring coming soon

and you know what. the answer to all the following questions is yes. So in retrospect our profession is screwed.

 

[pharmwannebe2]

Searched online: "A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate degree given to a person who has completed the highest level of academic study in the field of pharmacy. In some countries, including the US, it is a first professional degree, and a prerequisite for licensing."

wikipedia should never be considered a valid source for anything.

 

[twinspharm]

conversely....don't be that idiot student that immediately goes on a first name basis with a practitioner (MD, PharmD, etc...) before they give the okay. That's just plain ol' disrespectful.

Doesn't matter if they're younger than you or approx. the same age (you will run into 24 year old PharmD's in residency who are your preceptors)...though I sympathize because it can throw you off.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Agree^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I don't think a first name basis is very profession, regardless of age.

 

[rxlea]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Agree^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I don't think a first name basis is very profession, regardless of age.

I think it depends on your work environment. Where I work, the medical team is pretty close. The pharmacists that work up on the floors know the doctors, NP, and PAs very well and some of them go on a first name basis. Within our department, we all go by our first names. Some medical doctors will always prefer to be called "doctor", though.

 

[gknee]

Im pretty sure a pharmacist is a doctor

phD doctor of philosophy
mD medical doctor
PharmD doctor of pharmacy


I also got an acceptance letter that said, "Major: pharmacy doctorate"

 

[weetzie00]

This topic is also going on in the Pharmacy forum. I'll just copy/paste my input:

It's a doctorate degree. I think most people just aren't used to addressing a pharmacist as 'Doctor' because the doctorate was only made mandatory 20 years ago. The majority of PharmD pharmacists I know are the young pharmacists. If you earn a doctorate, that is your title. Every PharmD pharmacist I have met through work and through visiting schools are always addressed as 'Doctor'. In school, if my professors have a PhD, we always called them as 'Doctor' too. Same goes for dentists and so forth. Since when does being a physician mean only you can have the title. I don't think there's any reason to be snotty about it and go out of our way to correct people (I hate it when people do that). Nor would I introduce myself as such. But on a business card or something, I think it's appropriate. When I fill out a form, I fully intend on checking that "Dr." box.

Well PharmD professors I've met at interviews and visiting schools are referred to as Dr. ___. So, whether you think they deserve the title or not, I wouldn't call them differently unless they tell you otherwise. I'm surprised that no one hears pharmacists being titled as 'Doctor'. Maybe it's the area I'm from. All the young pharmacists coming in and floating in our store and our new young PDM always go out of their way to specify 'Doctor' or tack on that 'PharmD' after their name. I definitely think it's really arrogant, but it's what I'm used to I suppose.

 

[twinspharm]

I think it depends on your work environment. Where I work, the medical team is pretty close. The pharmacists that work up on the floors know the doctors, NP, and PAs very well and some of them go on a first name basis. Within our department, we all go by our first names. Some medical doctors will always prefer to be called "doctor", though.

My bad, I am against a first name basis with patients. Im sure its just fine with fellow with colleagues.

 

[Thumper17]

If you don't call a lawyer a doctor, don't call a pharmacist one. If 8 years of schooling are not REQUIRED, you do not get the title in my opinion. Honestly though, the only people who will call you doctor are people from your alma mater looking for donations!👎

 

[NaOH]

If you don't call a lawyer a doctor, don't call a pharmacist one. If 8 years of schooling are not REQUIRED, you do not get the title in my opinion. Honestly though, the only people who will call you doctor are people from your alma mater looking for donations!👎

Or people buying Sudafed.

 

[UES Girl]

If you don't call a lawyer a doctor, don't call a pharmacist one. If 8 years of schooling are not REQUIRED, you do not get the title in my opinion. Honestly though, the only people who will call you doctor are people from your alma mater looking for donations!👎

So according to your logic - since 8 years of schooling at OUR school are required - BS + Pharm.D - I get to call myself a doctor ? 😕


I'll say one thing: If UCSF School of Pharmacy Dean, Mary Anne, a pioneer in the field of pharmacy, who's won multiple awards for her achievements in the field, written several textbooks and has been running THE BEST school in this country for years told us herself: " You should never be embarassed of your doctorate degree or your title because YOU ARE DOCTORS ", then I'll think I'd rather take my advice from her.

I am not spending 10 years in school plus 2 years of residency, to not be called a doctor.

 

[twinspharm]

If you don't call a lawyer a doctor, don't call a pharmacist one. If 8 years of schooling are not REQUIRED, you do not get the title in my opinion. Honestly though, the only people who will call you doctor are people from your alma mater looking for donations!👎

lawyers and Pharmacists
PharmD and J.D.
Apples and Oranges ???????

 

[J ROD]

what do you think the "D" stands for?

 

[pharmD eighty7]

?

3) can i get in with a 2.5 GPA?

apparently you can....

 

[deacrx]

I'm not sure what the discrepancy is, there's no room for discussion. Pharmacists that graduate today are doctors, period. They graduate with a PharmD, which is a Doctorate of Pharmacy. Whether or not you choose to be called a doctor is up to you, but that has no bearing on whether or not you are a doctor.

 

[rxlea]

In a hospital setting, going by doctor might be complicated because you don't want the patient or patient's family to get confused about who is the medical doctor and who is the pharmacist- especially when there are lost of residents coming around.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Does it matter?

If your definition of "doctorate" means that you defend a dissertation and perform lots of novel research, then no.

If your definition of "doctorate" is anything that has "Doctor of..." or "... Doctor" (Juris Doctor, Doctor of Dental Surgery) then yes.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I'm not sure what the discrepancy is, there's no room for discussion. Pharmacists that graduate today are doctors, period. They graduate with a PharmD, which is a Doctorate of Pharmacy. Whether or not you choose to be called a doctor is up to you, but that has no bearing on whether or not you are a doctor.

Maybe, but would you call your attorney "Doctor"? After all, they have in most cases a Juris Doctor conferred upon them.

 

[Passion4Sci]

In a hospital setting, going by doctor might be complicated because you don't want the patient or patient's family to get confused about who is the medical doctor and who is the pharmacist- especially when there are lost of residents coming around.

I'm on the fence with this explanation.

For starters, Pharmacists (At least in the three hospitals I've worked at / currently volunteer for) never, ever dress like physicians. Pharmacists are always in button-up shirts and khaki-ish pants for men and skirts / pants for women, whereas physicians on the pt floors are 100% in scrubs w/ coats over them. It's not too difficult for even a lay person to distinguish a RPh from an MD and even if it was, who cares? "I'm not his physician" will eschew any problems with a lay person thinking an RPh is the pt's physician.

 

[UES Girl]

In a hospital setting, going by doctor might be complicated because you don't want the patient or patient's family to get confused about who is the medical doctor and who is the pharmacist- especially when there are lost of residents coming around.

This actually doesn't become the problem because when pharmacists at our hospital for example introduce themselves and establish a rapport they say:

Hello, I'm Dr. Smith, I am the pharmacist. How are you today ?


This way a patient knows how to adress you and what your role is.

 

[crazybob]

This actually doesn't become the problem because when pharmacists at our hospital for example introduce themselves and establish a rapport they say:

Hello, I'm Dr. Smith, I am the pharmacist. How are you today ?


This way a patient knows how to adress you and what your role is.

Some pharmacists at my school would actually say "Hello, I'm John, I am the pharmacist. How can I help you today?"

When I talk to a Kroger pharmacist I actually know personally, I call him by his first name, even though he's Dr. _____.

 

[twinspharm]

I just texted my lawyer and told him I will be addressing him by Doc from now on.

His response, "You can call me Doc Bob since I feel I was a proctologist in my previous life"

I think he found it a little funny

 

[UES Girl]

Some pharmacists at my school would actually say "Hello, I'm John, I am the pharmacist. How can I help you today?"

That's because they may be Rph and not Pharm.Ds

When I talk to a Kroger pharmacist I actually know personally, I call him by his first name, even though he's Dr. _____.

That's different because you are a pharmacy student yourself and know the logistics of the profession.

General public is still clueless about what the profession of pharmacy entails and not using a title in my opinion belittles the value of our education. Patients have little to none knowledge of what incredible wealth of knowledge pharmacists pocess and untill we at least attempt to educate the general public, we will not be appreciated and valued to an extent that we should be.

Take retail for example: how many times patients come in and yell at a pharmacist about something completely unrelated, something he or she has no control over - like copays, or some insurance bs. Do you think if the general public viewed us more like medical professionals this sort of thing would still go on ?

 

[crazybob]

That's because they may be Rph and not Pharm.Ds

There's one professor who is a PharmD who says that's how she would introduce herself at a community pharmacy.

That's different because you are a pharmacy student yourself and know the logistics of the profession.

General public is still clueless about what the profession of pharmacy entails and not using a title in my opinion belittles the value of our education. Patients have little to none knowledge of what incredible wealth of knowledge pharmacists pocess and untill we at least attempt to educate the general public, we will not be appreciated and valued to an extent that we should be.

Take retail for example: how many times patients come in and yell at a pharmacist about something completely unrelated, something he or she has no control over - like copays, or some insurance bs? Do you think if the general public viewed us more like medical professionals this sort of thing would still go on ?

Yeah, I see what you're saying. But if patients feel like they can be a bit more personal with the pharmacist (without having to call him/her Dr. ____), then they would feel less nervous about discussing personal matters. I know I would.

 

[austinblnd]

I just texted my lawyer and told him I will be addressing him by Doc from now on.

His response, “You can call me Doc Bob since I feel I was a proctologist in my previous life”

I think he found it a little funny

Lol you text your lawyer?

 

[Passion4Sci]

Blah I say.

BTW, made chicken parmigiana tonite with a home-made sauce and breading 🙂

 

[crazybob]

Lol you text your lawyer?

One of the pharmacists at my school tells us to text him with questions and he actually texts students back.

 

[gknee]

I'm on the fence with this explanation.

For starters, Pharmacists (At least in the three hospitals I've worked at / currently volunteer for) never, ever dress like physicians. Pharmacists are always in button-up shirts and khaki-ish pants for men and skirts / pants for women, whereas physicians on the pt floors are 100% in scrubs w/ coats over them. It's not too difficult for even a lay person to distinguish a RPh from an MD and even if it was, who cares? "I'm not his physician" will eschew any problems with a lay person thinking an RPh is the pt's physician.

---what does dressing have to do with anything, my family physician wears dress pants, high heels, and a dress shirt when i go to see her.


i don't know why we are even having this conversation, when you go to pharmacy school, your major if pharmacy doctorate. If it wasn't a degree where you would be called a doctor, then why is it called PharmD, and not just a pharmacy degree, or masters in pharmacy?

 

[crazybob]

i don't know why we are even having this conversation, when you go to pharmacy school, your major if pharmacy doctorate. If it wasn't a degree where you would be called a doctor, then why is it called PharmD, and not just a pharmacy degree, or masters in pharmacy?

Ok, let's say that I'm Dr. John Smith working at a Wal-Mart pharmacy.

If I ask my patients to call me Dr. Smith, then they would expect to be quite formal when they ask me about medications and try to hold conversations. They would be less likely to ask about personal issues.

If I ask my patients to call me John, then they would feel a bit informal with me, and they would be more likely to discuss personal issues with me, and see me as their friend.

 

[austinblnd]

and you know what. the answer to all the following questions is yes. So in retrospect our profession is screwed.

I get annoyed when a C student 16 yr old mother that smokes cigarettes during lunch break says she wants to be a pharmacist, while I slave away to maintain my 3.97/4.00 GPA and study to raise my 32 ACT score

So I can't imagine how you guys feel as pharmacy students when people do the:

1) is the pharmd a doctorate? do i call a pharmacist a doctor?

2) how much do pharmacists make?

3) can i get in with a 2.5 GPA?

hmm...must be spring coming soon

 

[twinspharm]

Lol you text your lawyer?

Yep, hes also a family friend so its a little bit different than most peoples lawyers

 

[Carboxide]

Ok, let's say that I'm Dr. John Smith working at a Wal-Mart pharmacy.

If I ask my patients to call me Dr. Smith, then they would expect to be quite formal when they ask me about medications and try to hold conversations. They would be less likely to ask about personal issues.

If I ask my patients to call me John, then they would feel a bit informal with me, and they would be more likely to discuss personal issues with me, and see me as their friend.

Oh, of course...that's why people don't discuss personal issues with their doctor.

And calling a pharmacist by his first name definitely doesn't help the perception of pharmacists as a "lick and stick" worker who doesn't know enough to have a doctorate.