PharmD/PhD career directions

[001192]

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I'm currently a PharmD/PhD candidate about 2 years away from graduation.

I am currently at a crossroads in my career - should I be looking into academia or perhaps a position in industry?

Would having a PhD degree grant me an advantage in either direction? How does one go about getting more exposure into industry? Other than having conversations with company reps, I have gotten little information regarding what is required for entry into a company and the level of compensation (PharmD vs PharmD/PhD). Would a fellowship be useful for getting my foot in the door?

Regarding academia, would a postdoc still be required? I have heard that some people in the past were granted a position without having to do a postdoc? Is this true or just a story someone cooked up?

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[rxlea]

You don't have a mentor or any support from your PhD program?

These are all questions they can probably answer for you!

 

[homeslice]

You don't have a mentor or any support from your PhD program?

These are all questions they can probably answer for you!

Ditto. Though based on my experience and conversations, I will say that a PharmD/PhD (depending on the subject) along with some kind of industry experience (PharmD rotation < summer internship < fellowship) will put you in pretty good shape for an entry level position in industry. Many companies have summer internships specifically for grad students, and a decent number of fellowships are available, though they're quite competitive. From what I've seen, having the PhD doesn't necessarily bump you up the pay scale, it just makes you more qualified for the positions that are available.

Academia is a whole different beast. A PhD is pretty much required unless you want to be a clinical instructor (in which case you likely need a residency and/or a ton of experience), and a post-doc may be a necessity if you're into the hard sciences.

This is just my experience and I am by no means an expert, so other opinions on this are welcome.

 

[npage148]

You can work retail like me!

 

[rxlea]

Ditto. Though based on my experience and conversations, I will say that a PharmD/PhD (depending on the subject) along with some kind of industry experience (PharmD rotation < summer internship < fellowship) will put you in pretty good shape for an entry level position in industry. Many companies have summer internships specifically for grad students, and a decent number of fellowships are available, though they're quite competitive. From what I've seen, having the PhD doesn't necessarily bump you up the pay scale, it just makes you more qualified for the positions that are available.

Academia is a whole different beast. A PhD is pretty much required unless you want to be a clinical instructor (in which case you likely need a residency and/or a ton of experience), and a post-doc may be a necessity if you're into the hard sciences.

This is just my experience and I am by no means an expert, so other opinions on this are welcome.

Agreed. I'd definitely go for the internship, fellowship, etc. It really depends on the type of PhD, though.

 

[001192]

Thank you for your response. I have a general idea about PharmD/PhDs in academia as I see them everyday, however, industry is still a mystery to me. You'd be surprised how little help I get in regards to PharmD/PhD careers. It's always either an answer for PharmDs or an answer for PhDs and they are completely different careers. Academia PharmD/PhDs, of course, is another can of worms. I probably have to agree with you that PhD only qualifies you more for certain positions as there obviously aren't any careers specific to PharmD/PhDs in industry. Thanks for the input, however, it's becoming a little more clear to me. Any more insight is welcome!