PharmD/JD

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StallionRx

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Has anyone seen this combo put to good use? I technically just finished pharm school last Friday and feel like I need to start planning my next venture. I hate wasting time.

So far Ive got two buddies that are PharmD/JD and it doesnt sound like they are all that impressed as to what opportunities are being presented to them.

On the flip side, Ive been told by a few lawyers and MDs that areas such as patent law and malpractice can be very lucrative. My grades from pharm school vary. My first year I joined a frat and partied hard and had a good time. About half way through I got my stuff together and finished with a bunch of consecutive semesters on the deans list with my final year being solid As. Do you think going to a tier 1 school is imperative? I doubt I would be accepted into one, but a tier 2 is a possibility. I have an automatic in at a tier 3 through personal connections, but Im wondering if it would even be worth it. From what Ive heard- law school isnt like pharm school, as in, your college name is really important.

I also understand that JDs streight out of school usually work long hours for minimal pay. The thing thats kind of frusturating is, I can put in long days at my current retail job next year and clear 200k. Ive got buddies saying they made 90k working 80 hours a week as a new hire for a firm. Id easily double that if I put the time in at a local CVS or walgreens.

I really dont see myself counting pills for the rest of my life so in a sense Im already looking for an exit strategy.

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I'm actually looking to do the opposite, have a JD, now I'm thinking of pharmacy school and abandoning law altogether.

Basically you need to get hired by an IP (Intellectual property) firm or a big law firm that does IP. You either need to go to a top 15ish school and you will get hired no matter where you graduate in the class. If you don't go to a top 15ish school, you need to go to a tier 1 school and graduate in the top 20-30%. Even with a PharmD, they generally won't look at you. Seriously. Starting salary is 125K-150K (plus bonuses) with a 60-80 hour work week, but that goes up a little each year, and by 6 years out, you should be making 180K-200K (with bonuses).

There are different routes you can go, IP litigation or patent prosecution. Most firms are looking to hire patent litigation associates because there is so much litigation work to be done, which is a little bit of science, a lot of litigation. Patent prosecution (drafting the patents) jobs are harder to get, but definitely out there. Sometimes people do patent litigation and lateral over to patent prosecution after a few years. With prosecution, the hours are much much better, flexible work schedule, etc.

You mentioned malpractice work, and I don't know that much about it.

Will you be happy? Depends on what you want out of it, where you work. Some firms will have you do document review for your first year or so (counting pills is better, trust me), and some (Fenwick & West) will give you some real responsibility right out the door.
 
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