PharmD/Jd or PhamD/MBA ???

[VerbalVibe]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I understand the potential job market for having a mba as well as your pharmD for management positions but whats the job market like for PharmD/JD? Pharmaceutical law? Is it even worth getting the jd?

What would the difference in salary be between having a jd and pharmD as opposed to just having a pharmD?

-Thanks

 

[Argentium]

Had a PharmD/JD speak at our school. She did part-time law school and retail on the side (which sounds absolutely insane, by the way). Graduated from a law school that was outside the T14 and she now works at a pharmaceutical. Her job entails reviewing all information that leaves the company (drug inserts, commercials, all forms of marketing, etc) and makes sure that it complies with FDA standards.

While I don't know how much she makes (I think its kind of rude to ask), I would estimate that she gets paid pretty well (more than retail) for doing a job that seems less stressful/tiring.

 

[crazybob]

I know PharmD/JD who works as a state representative. Not sure what he does every single day when he doesn't have conferences/meetings.

 

[lorain]

this is a no brainer, if you have the ability, do the JD....i was going that route, but i was honest with myself and realized i didnt have any gas left in the tank

with a pharm/jd, you can work in industry, consult on cases, work for schools, etc and you can dictate the terms...your salary potential is literally 3 times more...if you have the will, go for JD

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

this is a no brainer, if you have the ability, do the JD....i was going that route, but i was honest with myself and realized i didnt have any gas left in the tank

with a pharm/jd, you can work in industry, consult on cases, work for schools, etc and you can dictate the terms...your salary potential is literally 3 times more...if you have the will, go for JD

bs.

 

[SnDividedbyn]

Yes, we need more J.D. to sue/jail/protect more Pharm.D.

 

[Argentium]

bs.

well everything until he got to the salary was pretty true from what i've heard

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Guys, a MD/JD is pretty much useless so I don't really see how a PharmD/JD would be any better, and as a whole a JD is not that great of a degree to have these days. It's similar to pharmacy school in that law schools keep opening which increases the supply of lawyers who have already met the societal demand. I've been around law and have been pushed really hard to go into it and leave my law enforcement career. I've got no doubt that I'd get accepted or that I'd do well with it but from talking to other JDs I think it's a dismal time to study law and/or become a lawyer. Just my $0.02.

For me, "medical stuff" has always been my favorite thing to study from school, college, and paramedic school so I want to continue with that now.

 

[MrMeowphers]

I don't consider having additional degree's useless. It leaves you the POTENTIAL to switch around jobs with some freedom.

A dual-degree wont always make you the extra $$$ to compensate for the time you put in, but it:

1.) Allows to to swap back and forth between retail/clinic and law-related stuff. Albeit you might need some refreshing up to do to get the cob-webs out.
2.) Looks sweet on a business card and impresses potential clients (trust me).

Would you trust a JD for medical advice? Or a MD/JD or a PharmD/JD, heck even a PhD (in science)/JD!

I'm biased against MBA's though... they are a dime a dozen.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I don't consider having additional degree's useless. It leaves you the POTENTIAL to switch around jobs with some freedom.

A dual-degree wont always make you the extra $$$ to compensate for the time you put in, but it:

1.) Allows to to swap back and forth between retail/clinic and law-related stuff. Albeit you might need some refreshing up to do to get the cob-webs out.
2.) Looks sweet on a business card and impresses potential clients (trust me).

Would you trust a JD for medical advice? Or a MD/JD or a PharmD/JD, heck even a PhD (in science)/JD!

I'm biased against MBA's though... they are a dime a dozen.

Well, I don't know. Have you done a lot of career switching around with your assorted academic degrees?

If we asked most people they would probably have no clue what a JD is so on a business card or not I don't think it'd look so cool. For most legal clients the medical side would be useless. Alternatively, why would you go to a JD for medical advice once you found out it was a legal professional?

The average person is not of an academic orientation so a lot of degrees are going to be a bit meaningless.

Law degrees are getting to be a dime a dozen too. For a lot of schools it seems that if you're able to pay you're able to go.

 

[Argentium]

Well, I don't know. Have you done a lot of career switching around with your assorted academic degrees?

If we asked most people they would probably have no clue what a JD is so on a business card or not I don't think it'd look so cool. For most legal clients the medical side would be useless. Alternatively, why would you go to a JD for medical advice once you found out it was a legal professional?

The average person is not of an academic orientation so a lot of degrees are going to be a bit meaningless.

Law degrees are getting to be a dime a dozen too. For a lot of schools it seems that if you're able to pay you're able to go.

it would give you a leg up if you wanted to work in government, the pharmaceutical industry, or wanted to practice something like patent law.

 

[MrMeowphers]

Well, I don't know. Have you done a lot of career switching around with your assorted academic degrees?

Firstly, I can't do a bunch of career switching as my degrees are all directed at one thing: Research

Hence the reason I'm in Pharm school is for a PharmD to give me the opportunity to do clinical work while continuing the team-work for drug development/immunization development.

If we asked most people they would probably have no clue what a JD is so on a business card or not I don't think it'd look so cool. For most legal clients the medical side would be useless. Alternatively, why would you go to a JD for medical advice once you found out it was a legal professional?

And why do you gather that the medical side would be pointless for a legal client? Patent law in biotech/big pharma now almost requires a Master's degree in the scientific field, it's speculated that one day they will want them to have a PhD. If you've experienced mal-practice or severe side effects from medication, I would prefer my lawyer heavily understand the medical implications.

And also, why wouldn't you ask a JD/MD for medical advice!? He/she might not be a specialist, but they did go through 4 years of medical school and at least 3-4 years of residency to garner some wealth of knowledge.

The average person is not of an academic orientation so a lot of degrees are going to be a bit meaningless.

And lastly, you're right, only ~20-25% of Americans are college educated, but having more degrees is not meaningless. To me it shows that you're not satisfied having your own little "niche," (or you hate your previous occupation) and are actively trying to expand your skill-base/knowledge.

And if everything I said is BS, at least if there is ever some massive lay-off in pharmacy (as all the MD's joke we'll be replaced my robots), at least he/she has a back-up plan.

My two cents: when chasing your dreams/aspirations, always have a back-up plan in-case all goes awry.

👍 to Dual Degrees

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

well everything until he got to the salary was pretty true from what i've heard

Including "dictate the terms?"

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

PharmD/JD is not a versatile combination. Typical PharmD/JD will either practice pharmacy or Law.. but not a combination of. Three PharmD/JD I work with now all practice pharmacy which has nothing to do with Law. I know a PharmD/JD who practices Law which has nothing to do with Pharmacy.

Are there opportunities? Of course.

Someone mentioned Patent Law. Then again, in order to become a Patent Lawyer, one must pass the patent bar administered through USPTO. And to become a Pharmaceutical Patent Lawyer, PharmD/JD is a nice combo yet one can simply have a BS in Pharmacology to qualify. Are pharmaceutical companies and Law firms actively seeking these lawyers and are there massive shortages of these experts? No.

Law is a tiered profession. JD from top Law schools speaks volume. And perhaps practice of law at one of the law firms in Manhattan is appealing.. while working 100 hours a week making $150,000. Then in 10 years you'll become a partner and make millions a year. But that doesn't require a PharmD.

But do you have to be a PharmD/JD to teach pharmacy law? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to consult and legal case? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to be a malpracitce attorney? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to work industry? No.

Am I opposed to more education? No.

But if you want to become a lawyer, don't waste your time with PharmD. If you want to become a pharmacist, then don't waste your time with Law.

But if you must have a PharmD/JD for a specific goal of attaining that one particular job that may or may not be available when you finish school, then go for it. 👍

 

[VerbalVibe]

thanks stavi, good answer.

Seems like getting an mba with pharmd is more practical for positions like pharmacy director.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

PharmD/JD is not a versatile combination. Typical PharmD/JD will either practice pharmacy or Law.. but not a combination of. Three PharmD/JD I work with now all practice pharmacy which has nothing to do with Law. I know a PharmD/JD who practices Law which has nothing to do with Pharmacy.

Are there opportunities? Of course.

Someone mentioned Patent Law. Then again, in order to become a Patent Lawyer, one must pass the patent bar administered through USPTO. And to become a Pharmaceutical Patent Lawyer, PharmD/JD is a nice combo yet one can simply have a BS in Pharmacology to qualify. Are pharmaceutical companies and Law firms actively seeking these lawyers and are there massive shortages of these experts? No.

Law is a tiered profession. JD from top Law schools speaks volume. And perhaps practice of law at one of the law firms in Manhattan is appealing.. while working 100 hours a week making $150,000. Then in 10 years you'll become a partner and make millions a year. But that doesn't require a PharmD.

But do you have to be a PharmD/JD to teach pharmacy law? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to consult and legal case? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to be a malpracitce attorney? No.
Do you have to be a PharmD/JD to work industry? No.

Am I opposed to more education? No.

But if you want to become a lawyer, don't waste your time with PharmD. If you want to become a pharmacist, then don't waste your time with Law.

But if you must have a PharmD/JD for a specific goal of attaining that one particular job that may or may not be available when you finish school, then go for it. 👍

+1 This guy just had more time to spell it out than I did.

 

[scoobygrl79]

+1 This guy just had more time to spell it out than I did.

or might just type really fast...

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

Holy cow.. it's snowing!!

 

[BM2007E92]

JD/PharmD combination is too obscure and "pigeon-holes" you. I doubt too that a JD/PharmD would substantially increase your salary at a pharmaceutical or legal firm; might help pay scale and promotions wise, but you won't fare much better than an ordinary JD or pharmacist. I don't think RRh/PharmDs have much weight in pharma either (I say leave it to the med chem PhDs and engineers) but that's beside the point...😛

Personally I would only consider an MBA program from an Ivy League (which is debatable) or top ranked school (i.e., USNews). MBAs are a dime a dozen and you need the exclusivity to separate you from the other MBA holders. If you're looking for promotional advancement, I feel that most pharmacy directors/managers get to their position through experience and networking.

Don't let my negativity talk you out though. If you want to further your education or completely switch gears and get out of pharmacy, then by all means pursue another field. I just want to emphasize that adding on another graduate degree won't double your promotional potential, pay, or even prestige for that matter. It just give you the ability to swap careers.

 

[Silvermist]

MBAs are a dime a dozen and you need the exclusivity to separate you from the other MBA holders. If you're looking for promotional advancement, I feel that most pharmacy directors/managers get to their position through experience and networking.

We're talking about PharmD/MBA though, and there aren't too many of those. Your average run-of-the-mill MBA graduate isn't going to be applying for managerial pharm positions within a hospital, Kaiser, WAGS corporate, and whatnot. You are competing with a much smaller pool, since the dual degree is still pretty rare.

You are probably right about some current people having their position due to experience, but if you are a newly-minted graduate, experience is something you will not have. So, if you want to be a manager, you can cross your fingers and work on staff with a dozen other PharmDs with more experience who might want the same thing, or you can set yourself apart with an MBA and let that do some talking.

 

[atticus27]

Insert here:{ summary of same opinion already posted but in my own words just in case readers didn't here it the first five times. }

 

[Silvermist]

Re. PharmD/MBA, there is a 2008 study about this, actually: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3833/is_200803/ai_n25421319/

"Among those who elected not to pursue a residency, both mean starting salaries ($111,090 vs. $101,965) and mean total first-year compensation ($127,290 vs. $110,388) were significantly higher for dual-degree graduates compared to the PharmD graduates."

For someone like myself, a dual degree is a no-brainer, assuming I'm accepted to the MBA program. I want to be a pharmacist because I want to help people with drug information --- but although I want to help people, I am far more comfy in an office, crunching numbers than in a direct-to-consumer environment. I love crunching numbers, it has been my favorite part of every job I've held in the past 😀, I even designed my own personal budget database for home use since I don't like Quicken. I want to work for a PBM, a pharma company, Medicaid/Medicare commission, or a managed-care organization. I think I would be great at things like drawing up formularies, setting compensation rates, and doing cost-benefit analyses.

 

[BM2007E92]

We're talking about PharmD/MBA though, and there aren't too many of those. Your average run-of-the-mill MBA graduate isn't going to be applying for managerial pharm positions within a hospital, Kaiser, WAGS corporate, and whatnot. You are competing with a much smaller pool, since the dual degree is still pretty rare.

You are probably right about some current people having their position due to experience, but if you are a newly-minted graduate, experience is something you will not have. So, if you want to be a manager, you can cross your fingers and work on staff with a dozen other PharmDs with more experience who might want the same thing, or you can set yourself apart with an MBA and let that do some talking.

Hi Silvermist! That's true, a dual degree is very rare, but I wonder if it's truly unique enough considering the additional time, money, and effort that you need to invest. I guess I'm bias against extra school being married and all 😛.

Unfortunately, new grads will still need to build up experience whether he/she has an MBA or not. Most of the upper level positions still require X years of experience.

 

[Silvermist]

Hi Silvermist! That's true, a dual degree is very rare, but I wonder if it's truly unique enough considering the additional time, money, and effort that you need to invest. I guess I'm bias against extra school being married and all 😛.

Unfortunately, new grads will still need to build up experience whether he/she has an MBA or not. Most of the upper level positions still require X years of experience.

Thanks for the welcome! Ha I understand bias against school: I am married with 2 munchkins under 3 X.x .... everyone says I am a go-getter, but I wonder sometimes about my sanity . I will go for it since it is integrated with the PharmD at UMD - sometimes you can complete it within the 4 years, sometimes it takes 5. I figure if I stretch it out to 5, I can work for the extra year and still take advantage of the student loan deferment since I will be in school.

 

[BM2007E92]

Thanks for the welcome! Ha I understand bias against school: I am married with 2 munchkins under 3 X.x .... everyone says I am a go-getter, but I wonder sometimes about my sanity . I will go for it since it is integrated with the PharmD at UMD - sometimes you can complete it within the 4 years, sometimes it takes 5. I figure if I stretch it out to 5, I can work for the extra year and still take advantage of the student loan deferment since I will be in school.

No problem Silvermist! Wow...I always look up to people like you who have the ambition to go back to school while maintaining a family with kids ! It was usually the mothers or fathers in my class who beat the young unmarried students

 

[Argentium]

http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Templa...acy_And_Law_Provides_Twice_the_Career_Options

came across this article about pharmd/jd

 

[thaliagoo]

Being a pharmacy student myself, I'm no expert on the topic but this is my take on it. If you can get the JD/PharmD degree in 4-5 years, I would go for it because it makes you a more interesting candidate with greater qualifications. Say, if I were applying for a clinical research position in industry and I have a PharmD but you have PharmD/PhD, you would definitely have advantages over me. However, can you get a clinical research position with only PharmD? Absolutely. Is is competitive? Yes. So having that extra degree is not necessary, but it secures your way into the job that you want.

And is there a big salary difference? Depends on the job you do!